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certain, that not only will a good principle produce a good act, but the act will increase the principle. But even after doing all this, there will often arise a certain self-complacence, which has need to be checked; and, in conversation with Christian friends, we should be careful, I think, how self is introduced. Unless we think that good will be done, self should be kept in the back ground and mortified. We are bound to be servants of all, ministering to their pleasure as far as will be to their profit. We are to look, not at our own things, but at the things of others.' Be assured, my dear ***, that, night and day, making mention of you in my prayers, I desire of God to give you to see the depth of pride and iniquity in your heart, yet not to be discouraged at the sight of it: that you may perceive yourself deserving to be cast out with abhorrence from God's presence, and then may walk in continual poverty of spirit, and the simplicity of a little child. Pray, too, that I may know something of humility. Blessed grace! how it smooths the furrows of care, and gilds the dark paths of life! It will make us kind, tender-hearted, affable; and enable us to do more for God and the Gospel than the most fervent zeal without it.

"I am here without a companion-at first the change from agreeable society in Cornwall, as also from that I enjoyed at Plymouth, was very irksome, but it is good for me!"

His Journal at this period contains many observations accordant with the last sentence in this letter: his mind naturally recurred often with fond and mournful recollections to Cornwall. But he endeavoured to check such thoughts as savouring too much" of earthliness and discontent"-"knowing that he ought to be happy wherever God had placed him ;" and being sure that the exchange he was soon to make of college for a stormy ocean, and the burning plains of India, would not be very pleasant to the flesh."

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The happiness Mr. Martyn enjoyed in prosecuting his ministerial vocation, received at this time a won

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derful increase: whilst suffering the will of God with the meek resignation of faith, he was enabled to do it with all the delightful fervency of love. "Blessed be God," he found reason to say, with exceeding joy and gratitude, "1 feel myself to be his minister. This thought, which I can hardly describe, came in the morning after reading Brainerd. I wish for no service but the service of God, in labouring for souls on earth, and to do his will in heaven."-As far as the external duties of his office were concerned, only this variation occurred: He became extremely diligent in the humble but most important work of catechizing children; giving sometimes a great part of his evenings to the task, and leaving the society he most valued for the sake of it. He determined likewise upon preaching more frequently extempore-(for he had already at times adopted the practice,) partly from thinking it upon the whole more profitable to himself, as well as to the congregation; and partly from the desire of devoting the time spent in writing sermons to other purposes. He by no means, however, renounced these compositions.. On the contrary, he enjoined upon himself as a rule, never to pass a week without writing a sermon.

In visiting his flock, and thus preaching from house to house, Mr. Martyn's perseverance kept pace with the heightened pleasure and satisfaction he experienced in his divine calling: happy however as he was in this work and labour of love, the sympathies of his heart were painfully and powerfully called forth at many a scene of extreme misery, and his holy sensibilities were yet more acutely excited by the vice and profligacy he perpetually witnessed. The following are some of several scenes of wretchedness with which be was conversant: "In prayer I found my soul composed to a blessed and serious view of eternity-visited the hospital and read the 11th chapter of John there, with a poor man, in whose room at the workhouse I was struck with the misery that presented itself. He was lying with his clothes and hat upon

thirteen years.

the bed dying. His wife was cleaning the room as if nothing was the matter; and on the threshold was the daughter, about thirty years old, who had been delirious Her mother said, that the poor creature sometimes talked of religion: so I asked her several times before I could arrest her attention, who came into the world to save sinners. After several wild looks, she hastily answered Christ;' and then talked on as before. The dying man was almost insensible to any thing I could say. He had formerly been a respectable innkeeper in the town; but the extravagance of a son brought him to poverty, and his daughter, who foresaw it, to insanity."-" In the af ternoon, I enjoyed solemn thoughts in prayer, and visited several people; among them one poor penitent, with whom I had prayed the day before. The desires she expressed amidst her tears were, that God would change her heart, and forgive her, and take her to his mercy. If it was his will, she wished to leave this world. But what, if she should live, I asked her : she said, she could not say she should not sin, as she was constantly liable; but rather than turn to her former ways, she would be cut in pieces. I was much affected with pity, and preached the Gospel of peace. with great delight to her."-At another time when a friend had given him a lamentable account of the gross misconduct of a woman who had made a profession of religion, "the consideration," he said, "quite swallowed up my other thoughts, . and brought me to a tender grief and godly sorrow. I went to Church, ruminating on it, and could almost say, 'rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law." O that I could feel more sensibly the dishonour done to God, and to his Christ, and to his Gospel; and the ruin she is bringing on her soul."-And, on hearing the same day of the death of one whom he had remembered in innocence, and in the bloom of health and beauty; and who died after a very short career of vice, the account was too much for him. "My heart," said he, "was ready to burst. When I thought of the man who

had seduced her, and then of many in the University, who had behaved with extraordinary effrontery at church, my soul groaned within me. O my God, it is enough-hasten, O hasten the day when I shall leave the world and come to Thee; when I shall no more be vexed, and astonished, and pained at the universal wickedness of this lost earth. But here would I abide thy time, and spend and be spent for the salvation of any poor soul, and lie down at the feet of sinners, and beseech them not to plunge into an eternity of torment."

How honourable, and what a delight the Sabbath was to Mr. Martyn we have already seen; it might be called with him "a kind of transfiguration* day, when his garment shone with peculiar lustre." Can it be deemed irrelevant then to advert again to the state of his mind, as delineated by himself during some of those sacred seasons at this time?

Sept. 30.-"My mind, this morning, easily ascended to God in peaceful solemnity. I succeeded in finding access to God and being alone with him. Could I but enjoy this life of faith more steadily how much should I 'grow in grace,' and be renewed in the spirit of my mind. At such seasons of fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, when the world and self, and eternity are nearly in their right places, not only are my views of duty clear and comprehensive, but the proper motives have a more constraining influence."-Oct. 28. "This has been in general a happy day. In the morning, through grace, I was enabled by prayer to maintain a calm recollection of myself-and what was better, the presence of my dear Redeemer. From church I walked to our garden, where I was above an hour, I trust with Christ, speaking to him chiefly of my future life in his service. I determined on entire devotedness, though with trembling;' for the flesh dreads crucifixion. But should I fear pain, when Christ was so agonized for me? No-come what will,

* Gilpin's Monument of Parental Affection.

I am determined, through God, to be a fellow-worker with Christ. I recollected, with comfort, that I was speaking to the great Creator, who can make such a poor weak worm as myself more than conqueror. At church I found, by the attention of the people, that the fervour of my spirit yesterday had been conveyed into my sermon. I came to my rooms, rejoicing to be alone again, and to hold communion with God.". Dec. 9. "This has been in general a sweet and blessed day-a foretaste of my eternal Sabbath. Preached on the third commandment; in the afternoon on the tenth. Rode back to Cambridge, feeling quite willing to go any where, or suffer any thing for God. Preached in Trinity Church, on Ezek. xxxiii. 11. 'Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" It was pleasant to me to think of being alone again with God."

The year 1804 closed with Mr. Martyn's being a third time selected as one of the examiners in St. John's. On fulfilling which office he speaks of his "soul drawing near to God, whilst in the hall; and of a sacred impression being upon his mind during the examination."—"Several of the poetical images in Virgil," in which he had been examining, " especially those taken from nature, together with the sight of the moon rising over the venerable walls, and sending its light through the painted glass,turned away his thoughts from present things, and raised them to God. His soul was stirred up to renewed resolutions to live a life of entire independence of earthly comforts, though he felt that the flesh was very weak.

The last day of the year found him "rejoicing at the lapse of time, but sorrowing at his unprofitableness." "So closes," he remarks, "the easy part of my life; encircled by every earthly comfort, and caressed by friends, I may scarcely be said to have experienced trouble; but now farewell ease, if I might

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