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of God and the good of mankind, was his desire. With this view, he applied to the United Brethren, disposed as a little child in distress for help, committed himself to their care and direction, and had no choice with regard to any station or office wherein he might be in future of use to others.

In the beginning of October 1742, he thus expressed himself upon this head. "Having had assurance that such a favour might be granted, I left my parish with a view to live wholly with the Brethren."

Before he quitted his parish, he wrote to the Bishop of Oxford, and to this kind patron Lord Harcourt. They expressed their concern at the step which he intended to take, and urged some reasons to induce him to change his purpose: but his resolution was fixed. He then resigned his living in due form; and after he had taken leave of his parishioners in a very respectful manner, he went to the Brethren and lived entirely with them. Upon this occasion he wrote in substance as follows, to his parishioners: "It is not in consequence of any resentment or of any worldly motive, that I give up my parish. I have not so implicitly given up my judgment to others as to be prevailed upon, by their persuasions, to take this step. The reason for my so doing is well-grounded and to my own satisfaction. It does not, I assure you, proceed from any dislike that I have to the worship of God in the Church of England. I find no fault with any passage or clause in the Common Prayer Book. Nor can I, in justice, be considered in the same light with such persons as slight and forsake one party of Christians, and go

over to another without sufficient cause. But that which has determined the choice I have made, was the earnest desire I found in myself, of that improvement in the knowledge of the gospel, and in the experience of the grace of Jesus Christ which I stood in need of. The blessings purchased by the blood of the Shepherd of our souls I longed to enjoy, in fellowship with a little flock of his sheep who daily feed on the merits of his passion, and whose great concern is to build up one another in their most holy faith, and to propagate the truth as it is in Jesus, for the good of others. His gracious presence, the power of his word, and the virtue of his blood, I wanted to have a more lively sense of, for my own comfort and support in the Christian warfare, and I had reason to hope for those means of happiness, especially where brethren dwell together in unity, for there the Lord commandeth his blessing and life for evermore. This is all I aim at in withdrawing myself from you, and may this my departure give no offence to any one. I now take my last adieu, and earnestly pray for you and for myself; for myself that

I

may be faithful to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and prove his servant truly devoted to him, where I am going; and may you, where you remain, be as obedient to the influence of his Spirit and the dictates of his word as I wish to be; so shall we one day rejoice before the great Shepherd of our souls, that merciful and compassionate Saviour, in whom there is, in the mean time, life, peace, and joy for all believers. I do not go from you because I cannot live in the Church of England, as an outward profes

sion, or because I prefer any other form of ecclesiastical government before that which is by law established in this kingdom: but the inducement which leads me to this change, is the great concern I have for the attainment of a happy state of mind, and to compass this end, no means, through the blessing of God, appear to me so proper as a free intercourse with those who are of the same principles with my own, to whom I may communicate my thoughts without reserve and from whom I can receive that assistance of advice and comfort, which is necessary for a person encompassed with such infirmities as I am. I heartily wish that you may derive more benefit from the instructions of my successor, than you have or could have done from mine, and I trust that this will be the case."

From the contents of this written message, the truth of an observation which he made in one of his letters to the Bishop, upon this occasion, is very evident, That one man may be a sectary with a sectarian spirit, in opposition to the established religion of his country, and without just ground for his separation from it; and another, at the same time that he has a real esteem for it, may do some things which have the appearance of a dissent from it, and yet have nothing against the rules and order which it prescribes, and can appeal to the Searcher of hearts for the uprightness of his intentions, as to essentials and circumstantials in the unity of the Spirit.

By quitting his station as a parish minister he did not mean either to show any disrespect to the Church of England, or to give offence to any member there

of. Nor did he wish that his regard to her constitution should be considered as at all diminished by resigning the charge of his parish, and going to live with a people, whose fellowship he sought to enjoy for his spiritual benefit. His determination was, if employed in their connection, to devote himself to the service of the Lord of all, and to be fellowlabourer with them, with whom he could lay his favourite stress on the redemption by Jesus Christ without opposition. He did not join the Brethren's church as a religion of human establishment, though he honoured their episcopal succession, but as a house or family of God, united together for the only purpose of doing his work and promoting the cause of true Christianity in a free and unconfined manner. He highly prized the lot which he had obtained amongst them, much esteemed the good order which they observed, partook of their fellowship, bore his part of their burdens, did his share of the work, and being incorporated with them as well as ingrafted in Christ the true Vine; he, as a living branch thereof deriving sap from that source, bore much fruit to his glory.

After staying some time in London, he went in 1742 to assist in a boarding-school in Essex. In November the same year, he was regularly admitted a member of the Brethren's church. May 14, 1743, he was married to the present widow; resided in Wales, chiefly at Haverfordwest, where he kept school, preached occasionally, and became acquainted with several people there, who have reason to bless God for his stay in their neighbourhood, which

was till November 1744, when he returned to London, where he continued until the beginning of the year 1747. He then accompanied some of his friends on a visit to Germany, arrived at Hernhaag, March 9, where he enjoyed many blessings in fellowship with the congregation settled there, and was respected and beloved by all.

After several months

continuance in that place, he came back to London with the same company, where he lived a considerable time in favour with God and man, and to the edification of all who heard him preach or conversed with him. Besides the public office of a minister, his attention was employed in writing and correcting several pieces for the press, such as the Maxims, &c. taken out of the Dissertations and Discourses of Count Zinzendorf, and other compositions of his own, which are a standing proof of his fine taste in evangelical truths, and of his clear understanding of the economy of grace under the New Testament. He wrote also an excellent tract or essay on the character of Count Zinzendorf, which was also published in the German language, in Mr. Spangenberg's Apologetical Writings. He was likewise useful in repeating extempore, in English, the sermons which the late Count preached in German, and the translation was so well performed, that every one who heard him, and understood both languages, wondered at the facility of his comprehension and the retentiveness of his memory. He revised several other books, namely, the Rationale of their Doctrine and Discipline, some apologetical writings, and the Greenland History. Besides these employments he was