wholly free from apprehension, and should be continually urging on his conscience the solemn sanctions of the Gospel, entreating him to aim at nothing less than Christian perfection.

Returning to Cambridge in the summer of this

year, he past the season of vacation most profitably: constrained happily to be much alone, he employed his solitary hours in frequent communion with his own heart, and with that gracious Lord who once blessed Isaac and Nathanael in their secret devotions, and who did not withhold a blessing from his: "God was pleased to bless the solitude and retirement I enjoyed this summer," he observes, "to my improvement; and not till then, had I ever experienced any real pleasure in religion. I was more convinced of sin than ever, more earnest in fleeing to Jesus for refuge, and more desirous of the renewal of my nature.

It was during this vacation also that an intimate acquaintance commenced, as much distinguished for a truly parental regard on the one hand, as it was for a grateful, reverential, and filial affection on the other. Having long listened with no small degree of pleasure and profit to Mr. Simeon as a preacher, Henry now began to enjoy the happiness of an admission to the most friendly and unreserved intercourse with him, and was in the habit of soliciting and receiving on all important occasions his counsel and encouragement. By Mr. Simeon's kindness it was, that he was now made

known to several young men, with some of whom he formed that most enduring of all attachments,a Christian friendship: and it was from his conversation and example also, that he imbibed his first conceptions of the transcendent excellence of the Christian ministry: from which it was but a short step, to resolve upon devoting himself to that sacred calling-for till now he had an intention of applying to the law, "chiefly," he confesses, “because he could not consent to be poor for Christ's sake."

The great advancement which he had made in genuine piety at this period, from intercourse with real Christians, and above all from secret communion with his God, is discoverable in the following extracts from two letters-the first dated September 15, 1801, and addressed to his earliest friend; -the second, written a few days afterwards, to his youngest sister. "That you may be enabled to do the will of your heavenly Father shall be, you may be assured, my constant prayer at the throne of grace; and this, as well from the desire of promoting the edification of Christ's body upon earth, as from motives of private gratitude. You have been the instrument in the hands of Providence of bringing me to a serious sense of things: for, at the time of my father's death, I was using such methods of alleviating my sorrow, as I almost shudder to recollect. But, blessed be God, I have now experienced that 'Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.' What a blessing is the Gospel! No

heart can conceive its excellency, but that which has been renewed by divine grace."

"I have lately," he writes in the second letter, "been witness to a scene of distress.

*** in this town, with whom I have been little acquainted, and who had lived to the full extent of his income, is now dying, and his family will be left perfectly destitute. I called yesterday to know whether he was still alive, and found his wife in a greater agony than you can conceive. She was wringing her hands, and crying out to me, 'O pray for his soul?— and then again recollecting her own helpless condition, and telling me of her wretchedness in being turned out upon the wide world without house or home. It was in vain to point to heaven; the heart, distracted and overwhelmed with worldly sorrow, finds it hard to look to God.-Since writing this, I have been to call on the daughters of ** who had removed to another house because, from the violence of their grief, they incommoded the sick man. Thither I went to visit them, with my head and heart full of the subject I was come upon; and was surprised to find them cheerful, and thunderstruck to see a Gownsman reading a play to them. A play-when their father was lying in the agonies of death. What a species of consolation! I rebuked him so sharply, and, I am afraid, so intemperately, that a quarrel will perhaps ensue. But it is time that I should take some notice of your letter: When we consider the misery and darkness

of the unregenerate world, O with how much reason should we burst out into thanksgiving to God, who has called us in his mercy through Christ Jesus! What are we, that we should be thus made objects of distinguishing grace! Who then that reflects upon the rock from which he was hewn, but must rejoice to give himself entirely and without reserve to God, to be sanctified by his Spirit. The soul that has truly experienced the love of God, will not stay meanly inquiring how much he shall do, and thus limit his service; but will be earnestly seeking more and more to know the will of his heavenly Father, that he may be enabled to do it. O may we be both thus minded! May we experience Christ to be our all in all, not only as our Redeemer, but as the fountain of grace. The parts of the word of God you have quoted on this head, are indeed awakening-may they teach us to breathe after holiness, to be more and more dead to the world, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. We are lights in the world; how needful then that our tempers and lives should manifest our high and heavenly calling. Let us, as we do, provoke one another to good works, not doubting but that God will bless our feeble endeavors to his glory.-I have to bless Him for another mercy I have received, in addition to the multitude. of which I am so unworthy, in his having given me a friend indeed, one who has made much about the same advances in religion as myself. We took our

degrees together, but Mr. Simeon introduced us to each other. I do not wonder much at the backwardness you complain of before ***, having never been in much company. But the Christian heart is ever overflowing with good-will to the rest of mankind; and this temper will produce the truest politeness, of which the affected grimace of ungodly men is but the shadow. Besides, the confusion felt in company arises in general from vanity: therefore, when this is removed, why should we fear to speak before the whole world? The Gownsman I mentioned, so far from being offended, has been thanking me for what I said, and is so seriously impressed with the awful circumstances of death; that I am in hopes it may be the foundation of a lasting change."

It will be highly pleasing to the reader to know, that the anticipation with which the above letter concludes was verified. Mr. Martyn had afterwards the happiness of laboring in India together with that very person who had been reproved by him, and who, from the divine blessing accompany. ing that reproof, was then first led to appreciate the value of the Gospel.

From this time to that of proposing himself for admission to a fellowship in his college, Mr. Martyn's engagements consisted chiefly in instructing some pupils, and preparing himself for the examination, which was to take place previous to the election in the month of March 1802, when he was