world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence."

All this is strikingly illustrated in the history of the individual we are now about to introduce to the notice of the reader.

Christmas Evans was born on Christmas-day, in the year 1766, at a place called Ysgarwen, in the parish of Llandysil, in the county of Cardigan, South Wales. The circumstance of his being born on Christmas-day very probably suggested the idea of naming him according to the distinguishing appellation of the day; hence he was called Christmas. His parents were in a humble condition; his father, whose name was Samuel Evans, was by trade a shoemaker, and, as it appears, in very limited circumstances; the maiden name of his mother was Joanna Lewis, and she was, we believe, connected with some respectable families in that neighborhood. Owing to the very straitened circumstances of his parents, they were not able to give even the commonest rudiments of education to their children; Christmas, who was their second son, could not read a syllable when seventeen years of age. We are happy to remark, that since that time a great change in reference to the education of children has taken place in the prin

cipality; Sunday and other schools have happily supplied this deficiency, and children of a much earlier. age than seventeen, can now read fluently, to the advantage of themselves and others. When the subject of our memoir was about nine years old, he sustained a serious loss, by the death of his father. In consequence of this event young Christmas was taken to the family of a farmer, (supposed to be an uncle of his,) in the county of Caermarthen, who undertook to provide him with food and raiment, whilst he did him some such little services as his tender age allowed. In this situation he suffered all the ill-usage which the ungoverned passions of an irreligious and ungodly man could devise. Speaking of this many years afterward, he says, "I could not often witness a worse example, or a more unconscientious man in the whole range of a wicked world." In this very unpleasant condition, young Christmas spent some years of his youthful life. He was subsequently employed in the capacity of a farm-servant in different places in his native parish, and experienced the treatment usually incident to persons of his age and eirAbout this time we find him exposed to some imminent dangers, through accidents which befell him on several occasions,* and which might

cumstances.

* Once by falling from a tree of great height with an open knife in his hand he sustained no injury from the knife, but was completely stunned by the fall, and remained a considerable time, without aid, as dead. Another time he fell into a

have proved fatal, were it not for the kind interposition of a merciful Providence making way for his escape for such deliverances, he ever felt thankful to that kind and beneficent Being, whose care preserved him from danger and from death.

The first impressions of a serious nature which he felt and remembered, were experienced by him when he was about nine years old, at the time of his father's death; and it is not improbable that the loss of his father by death, contributed greatly to produce those impressions. But they appear to have been of an evanescent character; he himself observes respecting them, "I was much terrified with the fear of death, and of the day of judgment, which induced me to make some kind of prayers. But these thoughts of terror were not of long continuance,they vanished, and recurred now and again." When about eighteen years of age, and employed in the service of a farmer, a religious awakening took place among the young people of the neighborhood, who usually attended worship with the Arminian Presby

deep pool of water, from which he, with great difficulty, extricated himself. On another occasion, a horse ran off with him, and made toward the stable, the door of which being open at the time, the animal ran in, by which young Christmas narrowly escaped having his brains dashed out. He once quarrelled with a boy, who stabbed him with his knife in his right side; but, providentially, the bone prevented the knife from entering the vitals, and he was mercifully saved.

terians, at a place called Llwynrhydowen. The flame of this awakening caught young Christmas also, and brought him so far at least as to join himself to the Arminians at this place. He reformed a little in his external conduct, prayed much in secret, and formed many resolutions to lead a better life. At this time he was induced to learn to read his Bible, which he accomplished almost without any, or with very little aid. There were but few who could afford him any assistance in this way, for he observes, "that there was not one in seven in those parts at that time that knew a letter." Soon after this, he removed for some time to a remote part of the principality, hence, he adds, "I know little, or nothing, what became of the other young people who joined the Arminian Presbyterians about this period. We had but a very limited knowledge of God's method of saving sinners, and still less experience of it in our hearts; but a disposition was excited amongst many to acquire the knowledge of reading, and they learned to read the Bible, whereas they were before wholly ignorant."

After Christmas joined the Arminians, he was soon called upon to engage in public prayer, in the meetings for prayer which were held in his neighborhood; this he did to the satisfaction of his brethren, who encouraged him still farther, to exercise his talents in exhortation. "To this," he says, "I felt a strong inclination, though I was, as it were, a heap of spiritual ignorance." He was now about eighteen

years of age. We shall here give the account furnished by himself of the commencement of his preaching, and of the circumstances connected therewith; for we doubt not, it will be acceptable to the reader to learn how this man, afterward so distinguished, began his ministerial career. He says, "I began to preach at a prayer-meeting, which was held in a dwelling-house, in the parish of Llangeler, in the county of Caermarthen. My first sermon I translated from Bp. Beveridge's Thesaurus Theologicus." One of his hearers, after hearing this sermon, remarked, "If Mr. Davies of Castlehowell* had heard it, he would be ashamed of ever preaching himself again." Upon which Mr. Evans observes, " But I had no confidence in myself I knew my poverty. I remember also finding a book containing seven sermons, by the Rev. D. Rowlands, Llangeitho:† I committed one of them to memory, and delivered it in the neighborhood of the church where I was a member; a gentleman in the place, being one of my hearers, was greatly astonished at hearing such a sermon from a poor lad; but before the end of the week that commendation vanished like Jonah's gourd, for the gen

* Mr. Davies, who was Christmas's pastor, was an eminent scholar, and minister of the Arminian Presbyterian church at Llwynrhydowen, Cardiganshire.

An eminent clergyman of the church of England, and who also preached in the connection of the Calvinistic Methodists; and was a "burning and a shining light.”