in Yorkshire. And here I experienced the advantage of the education she had given me, for thereby I was prepared to submit more willingly to continual employ and hardship. And though many of the boys coming from full houses and plentiful tables, thought their fare here mean (as indeed the price for both boarding and tuition, was but eight pounds per annum) yet to me it was in general otherwise.

There happened to be in the family at this time two youths, whose cases or events in life, I think not improper to mention by way of caution but their names I would wish to be buried in oblivion, unless they may yet be favoured with repentance to salvation.

He was

The one was a lodger in the house. a valuable pattern and very helpful in the family. I esteemed him to be in a happy condition, and still believe he was so at that time. He had a few words in the ministry and grew in his gift; but afterwards becoming exalted, and too fond of applause, he, fell into the snares of the grand enemy, and brought a reproach on the truth, and on the ministry. What need hath he that standeth, or thinketh he standeth to take heed lest he fall.

The other was at that time apprentice to David Hall. He was afterwards a minister well esteemed among many friends; but alas! he also shamefully fell. And what renders the

case of these my formerly well-beloved friends still more melancholy, is, that though there is balm in Gilead, yet they and others, whom the enemy has thus wounded, and poisoned, will not turn to the physician there, but rather endeavour to have their wounds deceitfully healed.

I remember to have heard one, who had basely fallen in an unguarded hour, boasting a few years after, that he had been washed in the bottom of Jordan, and had brought up stones of memorial; and this in an affected ministerial way, when it appeared not to be the case to any but himself: but rather that the poor man was still under the deception of the crafty enemy, willing to deceive himself, and wanting to deceive others, while he was at best but very superficially washed from deep defilements. Judgment had not had its perfect work, though he was very willing to think and to have it thought by others that it had. And to evade that awful consideration, that the most pure and righteous God is jealous of his honour, and requires our going clean through all that humiliation, labour and patience, which his light in the conscience discovers to be necessary for repairing the dishonour incurred. All palliations or softening excuses; all arts to conciliate human compassion and favour, are but like fig-leaf coverings, through which the nakedness of transgressors is mani

fest to such as are indued with true sight, and like daubing over destructive breaches with untempered mortar.—— -But enough of this digression, wishing it may prove useful where needed.

(1728.) When I had stayed in my service at Skipton a little more than a year, my master gave me leave to return to Kendal to see my relations. He made me the bearer also of a letter to my father, wherein he signified, that considering my years, he approved of my qualifications and conduct, and offered wages for my future service. My mother took little notice of the offer; but was exceedingly rejoiced at the other part of the letter as giving her better hopes on my behalf than she hitherto had.

In the course of the succeeding year, by agreement between my father and my master, I spent three months with Richard Kennedy writing master in Liverpool, to improve myself in writing, and learn some branches of the mathematics. One seventh day while here, I (having always a great propensity to see towns and places that were new to me) went to see the city of Chester, and lodged two nights at Peter Leadbetter's; in my return by Eastham Ferry, which is five miles athwart to Liverpool, an elderly gentlewoman having got some playbooks, in the boat, I offered to read for her : as I was reading, some horses in the boat grew

unruly, which terrified her very much; so that she put by her play-books, and would no more (while we were in the boat) touch them herself, nor suffer me to touch one of them.

Many remarkable preservations I had in my younger days: but the most remarkable was during this my residence at Liverpool which happened as follows. One first day in the afternoon I went with some other boys a boating in the dock, which by means of flood-gates was kept so full of water as to keep the ships afloat, when the tide was out. We rowed several times from one end of the dock to the other. At length some rude boys, that were stronger than we, took from us our oar, or oars, and this in all probability proved the means of our preservation. For now we found ourselves obliged to work our way with our hands by the ships to the upper end of the dock. Which just as we reached, we heard a noise as of the loudest thunder: climbing up from the boat unto the quay, we soon found that the dock gates being grown old were broken down. The water rushing out in a rapid torrent, bore down all before it, oversetting and greatly damaging several vessels that lay near them. The frightful nearness of such a danger, and narrow escape from it so affected my mind, as to invade my sleep that night, and repeat itself again to my imagination with aggravations of horror.

At the expiration of my three months here, I went to Kendal yearly meeting, where my father, being just arrived from a journey, in which he had made his way through Skipton, informed me that he had agreed with David Hall to bind me to him for four years longer; this was no agreeable intelligence to me, for although I honoured my worthy master, yet every thing else was not as I could wish it. I thought I could foresee much hardship, to be unavoidably my lot yet as my father had so agreed, I thought it my duty to comply. I endeavoured to put a good heart and face upon it, and so entered upon my part. During these four years my master was frequently abroad at meetings. He did not often miss the quarterly meetings at York, and sometimes attended the yearly meeting at London, and then the care of the scholars in and out of school lay heavy on me.

Both before my coming to Skipton, and while I was there, I often had fresh desires kindled in my heart after redemption, I was shewn clearly the necessity of it, and the danger of delays in a matter of such consequence; so that I have left off playing for a time, thinking it great infatuation to squander my precious hours in play, when in danger of my life, and that too for ever. But the most particular reach I had was at a meeting in our schoolhouse under the baptizing ministry of John