“November 20th.-Was provoked with Thomas taking it upon him to ask more corn for my horse. It has got feeble under his administration of corn, and I am not without suspicion that he appropriates it; and his eagerness to have it strengthens the suspicion. Erred in betraying anger to my servant and wife; and, though I afterwards got my feelings into a state of placidity and forbearance upon Christian principles, was moved and agitated when I came to talk of it to himself. Let me take the corn into my own hand, but carry it to him with entire charity.-O my God, support me. Had our first invited party this day, and have resolved, from my experience of it, to be more aloof from secular people. Mr. F. was peculiarly offensive with his contempt for the Bible Society.-O my God, enable me to hold out a firm and consistent testimony.

"November 26th.-I have a high call of duty for rising earlier—that I am losing acquaintance with God, and must devote more time and more earnestness to the work of intercourse with Him. O may this consideration be effectual in overcoming my indolence.

"November 30th.-Exercised on the subject of forbearance. with Mr. Edie, who prolongs the stay of his two young horses on my glebe before the term. Wrote him a civil intimation on the subject; and, O my God, carry me in triumph through this sore and difficult temptation. Mr. Anderson dined and drank tea. Let me carry it with the meekness of wisdom as to my favourite plans about Bible Societies. A slight tendency to err in conversation upon this subject.

"December 1st.—The staigs were returned to the glebe after my intimation, and gave rise to much internal conflict.-O my God, discover to me the evil of my heart, and may faith and charity have the rule in it. Called on Mr. Edie, and found that they did not belong to him, but to Mr. Mather. This gave instantaneous relief, and leaves a lesson behind it.

Let

me always speak in a case of fancied injustice. If thine enemy offend thee, rebuke him; and if he still hold out, let that be an after consideration.

"December 3d.-Yesterday rebuked Mr. Mather, and then granted him the favour he had taken.

"December 9th.-My dear wife much better. May my gratitude be indelible. Neglected my monthly forenoon of devotion on the first Monday, and had it to-day. The following is the record :-Thought of God, and endeavoured to possess my mind with the idea of the reality of His power, wisdom, knowledge, truth, and mercy-how all these attributes met in the dispensation of the Gospel. Prayed, and sent up adoration to God as the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and invoked His blessing upon the solemn exercise. Thought of the fulness, and absoluteness, and certainty, of the promises that are made in Christ. He who believeth in Him shall be saved. Had actings of faith. Prayed for the increase of it, and for the Spirit to give me the love of God, to teach me the evil of sin, and to make me altogether such as God would have me to be. Thought of the practical application of the general truth of the Gospel to conduct. Felt the small operation of religious principle as an element of influence upon my hourly and familiar movements. Prayed for the abiding influences of religious principle upon me, for the glory of God and the will of Christ being the grand principles of my behaviour, for my sins being subdued, and my duties being performed,—and at last gave way to aspirations, which I hope God would receive as the effusions of a soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness. O my Heavenly Father, do Thou fill it. Prayed for my wife, relations, friends, acquaintances, the parish, and general interests of the Gospel. Concluded with a prayer for God's blessing upon the whole exercise.

"December 15th.-Went to the Presbytery. Understand

that there is to be a motion for a petition against the Catholics. I shall resist it. Reflected, on my return, how absent I was from God, and pray that His law and His Spirit may be ever present with me. No composition or severe reading this day. Have thought of the subject of the record that God calls us to believe, and which He says we make Him a liar by not believing, namely, that He hath given us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son. So long as we have not the assurance of this eternal life through Christ, are not we short of the belief required?

"December 16th.-Confined to the house with bad weather. Read much at Reviews. Calvin highly interesting on faith; and I commit myself to God in Christ Jesus.

"December 18th.-Again prevented from riding by the weather. Began a short-hand speech on the subject of the Catholic Claims. O God, give me to be wise, and calm, and skilful in this argument.

"December 22d.-I had asked John Bonthron to supper yesternight, and told him with emphasis that we supped at nine. He came at eight this night, and all forbearance and civility left me, and with my prayers I mixed the darkness of that heart which hateth its brother. This is most truly lamentable, and reveals to me the exceeding nakedness of my heart. All my works gone through with cheerfulness, because there is nothing in them to thwart a natural feeling, or a constitutional tendency, can never be received as evidence of good, while selfdenial is so little practised,-while duty is shrunk from the moment it becomes painful,-while gentleness is unfelt, and, with my profession of faith, that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven me all, I in fact can forgive nothing, and suffer the most trifling incidents of life to hurry me away from all principle and all charity. Oh, why was not this present with me at the time of offence ?-O my God, enable me to watch for

Thy Spirit with all perseverance, and may that Spirit bring all things to Thy remembrance.

"December 24th.-A. Paterson called, and gave me agreeable accounts of the growth of seriousness in the parish.

December 31st.-Left Anstruther by myself after breakfast. Felt outbreakings of impatience at the slow rate of my horse. O my God, make me to feel the rapidity of my pilgrimage. As years roll over me, may I find my repose in eternity; and give me to be more attached to my Saviour, and more acquiescing in the whole of His will concerning me. O Heavenly Father, carry on my sanctification; and, though separated at present from the dear partner of my home, I remember her before Thee. Protect and save her, and may she grow in the faith of Christ, and in the experience of its power and

of its comforts."

CHAPTER XII.

THE EDINBURGH REVIEW ON MISSIONS IN INDIA-THE SERAMPORE MISSIONARIES-DR. CAREY-SERMON AT DUNDEE-VISIT OF ANDREW FULLER EXPERIMENT OF EXTEMPORE PREACHING—JOURNAL OF 1813.

"THE first number of the 'Anabaptist Missions' informs us that the origin of the Society will be found in the workings of Brother Carey's mind, whose heart appears to have been set upon the conversion of the heathen in 1786, before he came to reside at Moulton. These workings produced a sermon at Northampton, and the sermon a subscription to convert 420 millions of Pagans. Of the subscription, we have the following account :--'Information is come from Brother Carey that a gentleman from Northumberland had promised to send him £20 for the Society, and to subscribe four guineas annually.' At this meeting at Northampton, two other friends subscribed and paid two guineas a piece, two more one guinea each, and another half-a-guinea, making six guineas and a half in all. And such members as were present of the first subscribers, paid their subscriptions into the hands of the treasurer, who proposed to put the sum now received into the hands of a banker, who will pay interest for the same.'-Baptist Mission Society, No. i. p. 5."

This passage is taken from an article on Indian Missions which appeared in the "Edinburgh Review" for April 1808. The extracts which it contains form part of that "perilous heap of trash" presented to the reader by the Rev. Sydney Smith, while executing his chosen office of "routing out a nest of consecrated cobblers;" the simple exhibition of which was deemed by him "quite decisive both as to the danger of insurrection from the prosecution of the scheme [of Indian Mis

VOL. I.

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