Mr. Smith continued exercising his talents among his friends, with growing acceptance, during the year 1777. In the former part of the year 1778, he resided for some months at Northampton, in order to attend the minis followers. He now left his former evil companions, and united with several pious young persons in the exercises of social prayer and reading the scriptures, whose society and example were very useful to him, in advancing his knowledge of Christ, and estab-try of Mr. Ryland, and receive lishing him in the belief, love, and practice of evangelical truth. some instruction from him. On May 10, the church at Towcester gave him a cordial and unanimous call to the work of the ministry. In the same month, him as a student into the Bristol Academy, then under the superintendence of the Rev. Hugh and Caleb Evans, and Mr. Newton; and he went thither the following August. His Diary, at this period, discovers a humble sense of his unfitness for so great and important a work as that of the ministry of the gospel, and an ardent desire that the Lord might qualify him for it, and render him instrumental to the salvation of immortal souls. In July, 1779, he supplied, for three weeks, the Baptist church at Carleton, Bedfordshire; and was earnestly requested to continue with them, but he did not see it his duty so soon to relinquish his studies at Bristol, whi In 1775 he went back to his parents, received a hearty welcome from them, and was re-application was made to admit garded by them, and by many others, as a prodigal returned. He was now frequently called upon to engage at social meetings for prayer, and to deliver his thoughts on portions of scripture, without, however, at this time, having any thoughts of the ministry. In September, 1776, he was received as a member of the Baptist church at Towcester, baptized by Mr. Stanger, and sat down with them at the Lord'stable. On this occasion he wrote thus in his Diary, which was continued from about a year before this period to the end of his life:-"Now may the good Spirit, who descended upon the primitive Christians, enter my heart; lead me into the whole truth both in principle and prac-ther, therefore, he returned in tice; and fill me with joy and peace in believing. All the ordinances of Christ are exceed ingly good, but all their virtue is treasured up in Jesus: the Spirit must bless them, or they will be dry breasts. I believe it will be no disparagement to the ordinance of baptism, if I say, I am as weak and impotent as before; I need as much support from above as ever; as many supplies of grace, and the same direction of the Lord. Still I am a sinner, and all I do, and all I am and have, need washing in the blood of the Lamb." August, and continued there till March, 1780, when he was sent to supply the churches of Christ at Campden and Shipston. He found the congregations, at both places, very small indeed. His first sermon was preached at Campden, March 26, from Acts viii. 5: "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." During this visit of six weeks the hearers increased considerably, and he complied with their invitation to return to them in the June following, and to remain with them. He was ordained at Shipston, July 3, 1782. Mr. Caleb Evans, his highly-respected tutor, gave the charge from Titus ii. 15. Mr. Butterworth, of Evesham, preached to the people from 1 Thessalonians ii. 12. For several years he divided his labours between Shipston and Campden, and preached at each place on a Lord's-day. On January 26, 1785, he married Miss Martha Peyton of Blockley, of a respectable family in the silk trade in that village; in whom he found a prudent and affectionate wife, who proved a blessing to himself, and to his family, for upwards of thirty years. His union with Mrs. Smith was the occasion of his going to reside at Blockley, and entering into business, in which he met with such severe losses as to fill him with the greatest anxiety lest the issue might be so disastrous to his worldly circumstances, as to bring a disgrace upon the cause of Christ. He feared his great trials and difficulties were a divine judgment inflicted as a punishment for engaging in business at all, and the words of the apostle greatly agitated his mind. 2 Timothy ii. 4: No man that warreth, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. His mind, however, was relieved, when he reflected, that the apostle Paul himself, when with a people who were not able to supply his wants, laboured with his own hands; and when, upon the most mature consideration, he felt fully convinced that his motives were pure and disinterested; since, without such an expedient, it would have been impossible, with his increasing family, to retain his si tuation, on his continuance in which the interest of religion, within the sphere of his labours, seemed, under God, to depend. By the kind assistance of friends he was delivered from his embarrassments, and, subsequently to this critical juncture, he was remarkably blessed with prosperity and success in his temporal concerns. In 1787, he had great personal and domestic trials: his labours were suspended for some time by an alarming illness. Mrs. Smith also was much afflicted, and their eldest child was removed by death. He was enabled, however, to sing of mercy and of judgment, and to bless and adore that grace, which he had good reason to hope caused his trials to work for his good, and to qualify him "to comfort those who were in trouble, by the consolations with which he himself was comforted of God.” In addition to his ministerial engagements at Shipston and Campden, he preached in his own house at Blockley, which being found inconvenient, from the numbers who attended, he erected a small neat place of worship there in 1792, of which he thus writes in his Diary :— "This year I have been enabled, with the aid of friends, to erect a place of worship in this place; and I hope soon to see it comfortably finished, filled, and blessed. I trust I have no dependence on my own strength. I see many disadvantages and infirmities which will be an injury; but God is omnipotent. I believe he has given me some desires to be useful to souls, and I am generally happy when speaking to my people here. I fear not the contempt of the worldly wise. I wish to preach Christ, and him crucified. though formalists may account it ascandal, and philosophers folly. It is well for the cause of God, and the comfort of ministers, that success is not by the might of mental abilities, or the power of moral suasion, but by the Spirit of God, who works by whom he will, and blesses whom he pleases." Diary for 1811: "I am highly favoured in my family, believing there is in every one of my dear children some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel. The favour is almost too great to be believed; I know it is infinitely too great for me to deserve; but who shall limit Omnipotence, or set bounds to the compassion of Jehovah? Nothing do I need so much as a heart all love, and a life all praise!" In 1793 he thus notices his resignation of his pastoral charge at Shipston:-"I have this year taken leave of my people at In December, 1816, he had a Shipston. I gave them my part- very serious attack (it is suping advice from Philippians i. 27. posed) of the same complaint I am thankful we part in love. which eventually proved fatal. We have lately appeared to be His friends were strongly appremore unanimous than ever, and hensive that it would terminate have had an increase of hearers." in death; but, by the Divine In 1794 he supplied the Bap- blessing on the means employed, tist church at Stow, then desti- the disorder was then removed, tute of a minister, on a Lord's- or rather suspended. In a reday afternoon. At this period he view of this affliction he thus exwas obliged to ride eighteen miles, presses himself:-"I have to reand preach thrice every Sabbath. cord the wonderful serenity of When his engagements at Stow my mind in all this illness; as in ceased, his labours were chiefly my lowest state, when I felt I was confined to Campden and Block- on the very borders of eternity, ley, and were attended with a expecting every breath to be my Divine blessing, in a greater or last, I found a steady, humble, less degree, through each succes- believing peace. I saw that I had şive year, so that a pleasing num-in Christ every thing that was ber believed through through grace, necessary for my complete justijoined the church, were his joy fication, and had a firm confithen, and will be his crown of dence, though less than the least rejoicing in the day of the Lord. of saints, that he was mine, The records of his Diary, from through electing love, and conyear to year, strongly evince averting grace. I thought I could heart alive to the welfare of Zion; much grieved at every symptom of decline, and greatly rejoicing at every token of revival and prosperity. The last fifteen or twenty years of his life were the most happy and useful, both within, and beyond the sphere of his immediate connexions. The indications of piety in his family were hailed with peculiar pleasure, and he had the happiness to be able to record in his trace the work of God's Spirit in my heart, bearing witness that I was a child of God. Every objection which could rise in my mind was silenced by the workthe promise of Christ, and I have not now, for some time, had one gloomy fear respecting my eternal welfare, but a permanent hope, that, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, heaven, with all its glories, is mine. O to grace how great a debtor ! use of one side; from this, however, she recovered beyond the expectation of her friends. In 1817, symptoms of dropsy appeared, which gradually increased till her death, which took place November 7. Her bodily suffer she was enabled to possess her soul in patience, and died in the visible enjoyment of that peace which is alone furnished by humble faith in the Divine Redeemer. After this period, Mr. Smith's health was wonderfully restored, and his work resumed and continued with almost equal pleasure and vigour, till about the close of 1818, when the disorder in his chest, which he had felt so severely two years before, returned, was frequently accompanied with great pain, and prevented much Ephesians i. 2-5, has been very refreshing to my soul." It was at this time he requested the writer of this sketch of his life, should he survive him, to improve his death from Psalms v. 12: For thou, Lord, wilt bless the rightous; with favour wilt thou com-ings were unusually great; but pass him as with a shield. "This passage," said he, " has afforded me great pleasure. I thought I could lay a just claim to the character. 1. Through the complete righteousness of Jesus Christ, freely imputed to me, in which I am complete. 2. Through the spirit of righteousness implanted in my heart, by which I was led to hate sin-all sin, and love holiness. 3. By the prevailing conduct of my life, amidst my many defects. I could rejoice in the privilege connected with the character. I felt none of those rap-exertion in public: it did not, tures or revelations some speak however, disable him from atof. All I felt was a completeness tending to his domestic concerns, in Christ, an answer in him to all with his accustomed activity and I wanted. I had no dread of cheerfulness, till within a few hell, no transporting views of weeks of his death. In March, heaven; all I thought of, or 1819, it assumed such a serious seemed to wish for, was perfect aspect as to render the best adholiness, and fuller discoveries of vice desirable. His physician the Divine perfections: this was and friend, Dr. Stenson, of Bourall my salvation, and all my de- ton on the Water, pronounced it sire. Though I felt I loved my to be, Angina Pectoris. About wife, and children, and people, a fortnight before his departure yet I could part with all without he had a most severe paroxysm, regret, convinced I should find which lasted many hours, and all in God, and that God would threatened immediate dissolution. be all things to them, as I hope When the intervals of pain would he has made them all his own. permit conversation, he expressed May I not be deceived! My his firm reliance on Jesus Christ, prayer is, Lord search me; Lord as able to save to the uttermost bind me nearer to thyself; never all that came to God by him. He leave me, nor forsake me; be with said he had none of those rapme when the great change shall turous feelings which many have come, and be my portion for experienced in the prospect of ever. Amen." heaven, neither had he any fears; that he knew whom he had believed, and was persuaded that he was able to keep that which he had committed to him against The health of Mrs. Smith had been declining for several years. In 1805 she had a paralytic stroke, shich nearly deprived her of the and eternal salvation. I see myself defective in all things, yet, I trust, complete and safe in Jesus. Had human worthiness any weight, or were it necessary, in point of justification, I could enjoy no hope; yet I hunger and thirst after personal holiness, as an evidence of union and communion with a holy God, and that day; that on reviewing his ministry, he hoped that, notwithstanding his numerous defects, he had been of some service in the world; but that all the praise was due to God. He always spoke of his departure with the greatest composure; and on being informed, that from the nature of his complaint, his departure would probably be sudden, heas meetness for the enjoyment of said, that was a matter of no im- a holy world. I consider my reportance with him; that he was covery as highly improbable, and willing to continue as long as his little desirable. Blessed be my heavenly Father pleased, and at God, I feel resigned to his will. the same time willing, and he May he bear me up under the trusted ready to go. trying stroke, and give me the victory, through Jesus Christ! Blessed be his glorious name for ever and ever. Amen." On Lord's-day, March 28, (the day before his decease,) he did not appear worse than usual. He engaged in family worship in the evening, with his wonted devotion and energy, and assisted in singing, at his own request, the 554th hymn of Dr. Rippon's Selection; a hymn truly descriptive of the state of his mind, He now came to the resolution of resigning his pastoral charge, and thus refers to it in his Diary: "Lord's-day, March 21. This day I consider my pastoral connexion with my respected and dear people as terminated. I bless God that ever I had such a people. We have walked in love for nearly forty years. I found them a few stragglers in the wilderness; some have been called away and glorified, and it gives me joy that the great Shepherd lives to take care of those I leave behind. His sheep shall never perish, and I would say, in his own words, John xvii. 11: Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, and grant that we may all stand before the throne of our God, as monuments of electing love, and trophies of victorious grace, to ascribe glory, honour, and power to the Father, Son, and Divine Spirit, for ever. Amen." On the following Wednesday he thus wrote in his Diary for the last time: "March 24. Though still under affliction, I sing, sweet affliction. Never did religion seem so important, or Christ so lovely and suitable. Blessed be God for a full, free, "While on the verge of life I stand," &c. He went to bed about his usual time, and after rather a restless night, rose about three o'clock in the morning to take some refreshment; after which he read the 73d Psalm, in which he particularly noticed the 26th verse: My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Feeling himself faint with the exertion, he asked for a glass of water, but he was unable to raise it to his mouth; his hand dropped; and after a few deep groans he expired, without uttering a word, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. His remains were interred at Campden on the following Saturday: Mr. Gray, of Chipping |