so I believe I shall ever preach the same, in the full assurance of it, until I sleep in Jesus.

Trinity chapel has sittings for above 800 persons. The day we entered it every sitting was taken, and the Lord was present with us in blessing his word. In addition to the former liberality of the people, the collection that day amounted to 247. 12s. 6d. Thus the Lord's unworthy servant, together with the church, were fixed and settled according to the purpose of the Holy Three in eternity; so that amidst all the oppositions, devices, and contrivances of men, the word of the Lord was fulfilled, as it is written, "I will work, and who shall let it?" (Isa. xliii. 13.); and by this I plainly saw how another scripture was fulfilled, namely, "Your brethren that hated you, and cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isa lxvi. 5). Dear reader, I had nothing to do but to look to the Lord for all things, who appeared for my joy, and inclined the mind of one person to advance me 5007. on a mortgage, and the heart of another to lend me 2007. on my bond. The chapel cost above 11007.; it afterwards cost 2007. in altering the gallery, steps, &c. and now there remains a debt of 500l. to be discharged: but all is well.

On the 25th of September, prior to the opening of the chapel, we removed from John Street to James Street, all in health; and in November following, my wife was safely delivered of the ninth child, a boy which we named Benjamin. Thus the Lord was continually blessing us and loading us with his benefits. Our stay in this house was short; for on the 6th of March, 1829, we removed to Cambridge Street, where we remained until November 24, 1830, and then we removed to No. 16, Morley Street, near to the chapel; and here we have dwelt for more than seven years. In this, as in all other things, I have been enabled to trace the Lord's hand, and the continual mercy of my God, every morning new, and

great is his faithfulness (Lam. iii. 23). I must remark, that when we were married, we had but one room to live in, and now we live in a house containing nine rooms; for I cannot overlook those special mercies from the Lord my God, who hath ever provided for me, and who kept me in all my ways.

Through the Lord's tender mercies manifested, things went on smoothly at the chapel; and in those days of prosperity I was joyful (Eccl. vii. 14). Some people, who followed the employment of busy bodies in other men's matters (1 Tim. v. 13), were calculating the income of the mason; they said, it was too much for him; it would make him proud, &c. Some, who never weep with those that weep, could not rejoice in the Lord's manifest goodness and mercy towards the mason. They called me stubborn, selfish, and lordly: but none of these things moved me, for the Lord had fixed me in a chapel, and had made me free indeed, so that no one could turn me out. As they had not given me a call to minister to them in this chapel, so they had no power to dismiss me: and as the Lord had committed the gospel to my trust, I could not live under a republican government; but would rather endure tribulation in the world, as needful for one in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. I can assure the reader, that I never felt guilt upon my conscience before the Lord for acting in the way I have done, though I have been called one of the covetous, whom the Lord hates (Psa. x. 3) and I must say, "If it had not been the Lord who was on my side, when men rose up against me, they would have swallowed me up quick, when their wrath was kindled against me (Psa. cxxiv. 2, 3); but the Lord my God was my strength and salvation, and covered my head in the day of battle (Psa. cxl. 7). And I could and did thank and bless my precious Lord, and smile at the envy of the people; for I never heard that any one of them took into consideration the expences of the chapel, the nonpayment of seat-rent, the sittings

that were free to the Lord's poor, and that many only paid one shilling per quarter.

Neither were the expenses of my numerous family thought of, or it would not have been said that I was "laying up my hundreds," or "filling my coffers with gold." Nevertheless, amidst all this vain talk, and the scourge of tongues (Job v. 21), the Lord was very gracious unto me, and kept me "preaching peace by Jesus Christ, for he is Lord of all" (Acts x. 36). Here allow me to observe, that, had their reports been true-but, blessed be the Lord! they were false-nevertheless, it is an awful thing to take pleasure in publishing the infirmities of the people of God, or his servants. God hath spoken of such characters in a decided manner by the prophet (see Hosea iv. 8).

I have before observed that the debt on the chapel, when we entered it, was 7007.; and, through the Lord's mercy and goodness, I was enabled to pay back 1007. the first year; and the second year I paid another 100%, which freed me from the bond. On January 4th, 1831, I paid off 100%. of the mortgage this reduced the debt to 4007.; but as in this year the chapel was altered, I borrowed 2007. to pay for it. On April 11th, 1835, I paid off 100% of that sum; and up to this time I have paid the interest for the monies I borrowed; and, from the progress I had made in paying off the debt, my thoughts were, that the chapel would, in a few years, be quite free. "But my thoughts were not the Lord's thoughts" (Isa. lv. 8), for on the 27th of April, 1831, my wife was taken very ill, and was not expected to live and when such things as afflictions take place in the house, they generally bring poverty with them-and so I found it; for many times since I have not had a penny in the house. Well, I remember one Saturday morning, I had no money to go to market, to provide food for the Sabbath. I had been begging the Lord to appear for me, but all seemed shut up. As I

was walking my room, thinking it over, I came to this conclusion-I know I can get credit, and so it must be; but Satan immediately appeared as an angel of light, and cited me to the bar of equity, with this text: "Owe no man any thing" (Rom. xiii. 8). He so belaboured my mind with it, that I concluded, I and my family must be content to go without a Sunday's portion of the meat that perisheth. While I was in this state of mind, there was a knock at the door, and a person called and paid his seat-rent, which was 17. I thanked my dear Lord for this kindness: but I had many bitter reflections for mistrusting the Lord.

From the day that my wife was taken ill, up to the time I am now writing-which is seven years— we have had a continual series of afflictions in the house. Shortly after my wife was taken ill, my eldest son was also taken ill, and for more than two years was confined to the house. This has been a heavy affliction—it has given me much sorrow, and caused me many waking hours. The disease broke out in his left foot, after a sharp attack of the liver complaint. Some thought his leg must be amputated; but to this I could not consent; for I fully expected he would die, he was so very ill.

One

Sunday evening, previous to my going to the chapel, I thought it would be the last time I should see him alive. The anguish of my heart I cannot describe ! I went into my room and shut the door, and cried to the Lord on account of it, and told him, unless he answered me, I could not preach. Then the Lord spoke these words unto my poor troubled heart: "Go thy way, thy son liveth.” And I believed the words that Jesus had spoken, and went my way (John iv. 50). My son's leg wasted to a skeleton; some bones worked out of his foot, and he was reduced to such a state of weakness, that for above six years he has not been able to do any thing. All this time there was

not one of the children capable of earning a penny.

By this, the reader will see how the Lord kept the vessel of mercy in heavy ballast, so that he was neither upset with the vanity of his mind, nor permitted to hoard up money. And by these things the Lord taught me the truth of the following scriptures: "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. x. 23). "The Lord is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him" (Job xxiii. 13, 14). "And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, &c." (Luke xii. 22-32). And blessed be the Lord! he hath made me a witness of his faithfulness and truth both in providence and grace, that "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (Ps. xxxiv. 19); and that all these things work together for good.

Moreover, the Lord did not stop here; for while my wife and son were ill, all the children were laid up in the spring of 1832 ! This exercised my little faith; for these things came in conjunction with a very sharp trial from a quarter I never expected,—so that "I was tossed to and fro very often in my mind, and was even at my wit's end" (Ps. cvii. 27). Nevertheless the Lord was my stay, my refuge, and strength; "and by him I was holden up" (Ps. lxxi. 6). I was even brought to prove more of the Lord's mercy and goodness, in being myself afflicted,— brought on by over exertion in preaching for in five weeks I preached thirty-eight times. On Monday evening, April 2d, 1832, as I was preaching, a sudden shock appeared to pass through me, just as if my