*

there was a good, in the evening a very crowded congregation; the aisles all full out to the very door. I hope the Lord did not send them there without some good resulting from it: it is His work, His cause, and he will plead it: and if we are not used by him as instruments of converting sinners, you rightly observe, that 'we shall be a sweet savour of Christ even in them that perish;' and 'though Israel be not gathered,' yet shall we be glorified, and God too will be glorified by us. At Birmingham I preached twice-stayed about a week in all— highly pleased and edified with the conversation and example of Mr. R.: how worthy is he of imitation in his custom of redeeming time! he scarcely ever loses a minute. Oh, that I could say the same of myself! We dined together with Mr. and Mrs. Elton. Your sister was very well, as were all the R. family. Thence I went to Leicester, spoke twice in Mr. Robinson's pulpit. He is an excellent man. From thence I went to Northampton, where I stayed at Mr. Riland's. How odd a man! He stuns me, yet he makes me ashamed. His blood is frozen in his veins with age, yet what life!-what fire when he speaks of our adorable Redeemer! He received me so coldly at first that I began to make apologies for my intrusion; but when he knew me and my connexions, he gave me the right hand of fellowship. Christ is indeed his all: if he would but speak more softly, he would make a stone in love with Christ. He gave me some of his small tracts, and I gave him some which I have printed. If you can put me in the way to send them to you at very little expense, I shall beg your acceptance of an hundred. Each tract is not so large as half this sheet of

paper:

they are to be given to those with whom you have no opportunity of conversing. From thence to Mr. Barham's of Bedford, but he was in Yorkshire :-thence to Potton (poor desolate place)—Mr. Berridge's—Mr. Venn's and home, where I arrived safely, Friday, Sept. 19. Your family are all very well. And now I think you need not ask, why I do not come, for I have spent twelve guineas more than I intendedhave got no horse-and have already been absent so long from my parish that I am quite ashamed of myself. In addition to this, many whom I left in my parish well are dead, and many dying; this fever rages wherever I have been. Moreover, on Sunday next I am to be ordained priest by the Bishop of Peterborough. My dear friend, pray that He who has called me to the work, may qualify me for it, and bless me in it. Had the ordination been held on Sunday last, I could not have offered myself a candidate, not being twenty-four till Wednesday the 24th. Mr. Bacchus has behaved towards me with all imaginable politeness-made a thousand apologies for examining me- hoped I would excuse his doing it for truth's sake, that he might be able to answer the Bishop's question-Have you examined these?' He asked me the advantages of revealed above natural religion-what was necessary to establish the credibility of a revelation-and whether there were any standing miracle now. I answered him these to his full satisfaction; and there ended the whole of my examination. But shall we not meet with a different examination soon? It will

* This Ordination was held by Bishop Hinchcliffe, Master of Trinity, in the College Chapel, September 28, 1783.

soon be asked, Were you moved to it by my Spirit? Did you undertake your office, not for filthy lucre's sake, but from a love to souls, and a desire of promoting my glory? Did you give yourself wholly to these things? &c. It will be an awful account to give. God grant that you and I, my dear friend, may be found good stewards, and give up our accounts with joy. May God bless you, and give us a happy meeting above.

Yours most affectionately,

C. SIMEON. "P.S. I forgot to tell you that my churchwardens have shut my church-doors against me, and prevented my continuing an evening lecture, which I had established, and which was well attended. Their behaviour has been highly displeasing to the whole parish, except two or three enemies to the Gospel. Nor has it been less illegal than uncivil. They gave me no notice; so that a numerous congregation came and were disappointed. May God bless them with enlightening, sanctifying, and saving grace: I shall renew the lecture next summer."

CHAPTER IV.

PREACHING AROUND CAMRRIDGE CLAUDE'S ESSAY-INSTRUCTION

IN

COMPOSITION-DIFFICULTIES

IN MAKING

SERMONS-COMPLAINTS ΤΟ THE BISHOP- -COMMENTS ON HIS PREACHING CONTEST FOR THE LECTURESHIP- TRIALS CONTINUED HIS EMINENT DEVOTION - ACQUAINTANCE WITH MR. HOUSMAN-DILI

GENT STUDY OF SCRIPTURE BROWN'S SELF-INTERPRETING BIBLE-ADVANCE IN GRACE- -FIRST SERMON BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY-LETTER TO MR. T. LLOYD-BENEFIT OF AFFLICTIONON BESETTING SINS TO MR. THORNTON ON HUMILITY-PROPOSED MISSION TO CALCUTTA-REV. DAVID BROWN AND MR. GRANT MR. WILBERFORCE-ZEAL FOR THE POOR DURING THE SCARCITY-APPOINTED DEAN OF HIS COLLEGE-CHARACTER OF HIS CONGREGATION.

1783-1790.

MEMOIR CONTINUED.

"HAVING but one sermon in the week at my own church, I used on the week-days to go round to the churches of pious ministers, very frequently, to preach to their people; taking one church on Mondays, another on Tuesdays, another on Wednesdays. Amongst the places where I preached, were Potton, Wrestlingworth, Everton, Yelling, Haddenham, Wilburton, &c.; and these seasons I found very refreshing to my own soul, and they were peculiarly helpful to me in my composition of sermons; for as I preached extempore, as it is called, I had opportunities of reconsidering the subjects I had preached upon at Cambridge, and of rendering them more clear in the

statement, and more rich in the illustration. I trust too that many of my fellow-creatures were benefitted by them: indeed I have no doubt but that God made use of them for the conversion and salvation of many. It was very much by these means that I attained that measure of clearness in my arrangements, and perspicuity in my statements, which, perhaps I may say, rather than otherwise distinguish my sermons. It was not till ten or twelve years after I had entered into the ministry, that I ever saw Claude's Essay on the Composition of a Sermon, and I was perfectly surprized to find that all the chief rules, which he prescribes for the composition of a sermon, had not only been laid down by myself, but practised for some years. This shews that his rules are founded in nature; for it was from nature only (so to speak) that I learned them; I laboured only to conceive clearly, and to state perspicuously the subjects that I handled; and in so doing, I formed the habit which he recommends. From seeing my own views thus reduced to system, I was led to adopt the resolution of endeavouring to impart to others the little knowledge I possessed in that species of composition; and to adopt Claude as the ground-work of my private lectures; correcting what I thought wrong in him, and supplying what I thought deficient; though in truth in his rules there is little either wrong or deficient; but in his illustration of them there is much, which I have endeavoured to amend, and which I think is amended in my Skeletons. For the space of about twenty years I have persevered in having a few young men to assist in thus preparing for that which is generally esteemed so difficult-the writing of their sermons; and from the many acknowledge