BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF MR. GEORGE SHADFORD.

(Continued from page 14.)

AFTER this, he went every Sunday, when there was preaching, at half-past one, to the same place, and continued to do so most of the time that he remained at Gainsborough. It was not long before his comrades and acquaintance took notice of his religious turn of mind, and began to ridicule him. At this he was surprised, having ignorantly imagined, that if he became serious, every one would love and esteem him. He continued to attend the preaching, "till," saith he, "the soldiers and others having repeatedly reproached me, and laughed at me, I began to think I had not sufficient strength to travel to heaven, as I was connected with such a set of sinners. I then made a vow to Almighty God, that if he would spare me until that time twelvemonth, (at which time, I should be delivered from the militia, and intended to return home,) I would then serve him. So I resolved to venture another year in the old way, damned or saved. O! what a mercy, that I am not in hell! that God did not take me at my word, and cut me off immediately! From this time the Spirit of God was grieved, and, consequently, I was left to fall into sin as bad, or worse than ever."

From Gainsborough the company to which Mr. S. belonged removed to Dartford, where they remained a few weeks. It was then (whatever it may be at present,) noted for swearing, drunkenness, sabbath-breaking, &c. "It was at this place," saith Mr. S. "the Lord arrested me again with strong convictions; so that I was obliged to leave my comrades at noon day, and run up into my chamber, where I threw myself upon my knees and wept bitterly. I was ready to tear the hair from my head, thinking I must perish at last."

While he was engaged in prayer, the landlady of the inn came into his chamber, and found him upon his knees. The realities of the eternal world had so occupied his mind, as to prevent him from being ashamed. At that time, she said nothing to him, but at night she took him to task, and asked him whether he was a Wesleyan or a Whitefieldite? He said, "Madam, what do

you mean? Do you reproach me because I pray?" She paused. He then said, "Madam do you never pray to God? I think I never saw you at church, or any place of worship, these ten weeks I have been at your house." She answered, “No, the parson and I have quarreled, and therefore, I do not choose to hear him." A poor excuse, Madam," he replied, "and will you also quarrel with God?" Wherever he travelled, he found that the Methodists were spoken against by wicked and ungodly persons of every denomination; and the more he searched the Scriptures, he was the more fully persuaded that they were a people truly devoted to God.

After the company to which Mr. Shadford belonged had marched to, and remained for some time at Dover, Gainsborough, and Epworth, he obtained his discharge. Released from a mode of life, in which it appears he never delighted, he returned to his father's house. Shortly after his arrival, several young persons proposed a dance, in order to express their joy at his return. Against this mode of rejoicing his conscience strongly remonstrated, but in vain; for he joined the careless assembly, which continued their merriment until break of day. But he soon found, to his sorrow, that anguish and distress tread upon the heels of sinful pleasure. Returning from the tavern to his father's house, his conscience led him to inquire, "What have I been doing this night, serving the devil!" He then considered the misery which he had endured in a course of rebellion against God, and justly concluded, that it costs a man more to lose than to save his soul. A few moments after he had drawn this conclusion, it seemed to him as if something had spoken to his heart, "Remember thy promise;" and immediately it occurred to his mind, that it was a year since he had thus promised to the Lord, "If Thou wilt spare me until I get home, I will serve Thee." Then that passage in Ecclesiastes came into his mind, "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that thou owest." Immediately he resolved that he would serve the devil no longer. On his forming this resolution, it was suggested to his mind, "Stay another year, until you are married and settled in the world, and then thou mayst be religious." That suggestion was immediately followed by a persuasion, that if he yielded to it, God would cut him off, and send him to hell. From that time he relinquished dancing and began to seek happiness in God. The resolution

which he then formed to devote himself unreservedly to his Maker's service was considerably strengthened by the following circumstance. Before he went into the militia, he had been in some measure engaged to a young woman that lived in Nottinghamshire; and when he was at Manchester, he wrote to her, but, to his surprise, received no answer. After he returned home, he went to see her, but found she was dead and buried. He requested a friend to shew him where she was buried; and, on coming to it, he saw a new stone with this inscription:

"In bloom of youth into this town I came,

Reader, repent; thy lot may be the same."

The sight of this stone so affected him, that he wept much. He learned that it belonged to a young woman, aged twenty-one, who had made great preparations in gay clothing, in order to have what she called a good dance at the approaching fair. Before the time came, she talked much of the pleasure she expected. The wished for period at last arrived; and, at twelve o'clock at night, she was suddenly taken ill in the midst of her dancing companions. She was put to bed immediately, from which she Meditating on the death of those two young women, Mr. Shadford's mind was deeply affected. Well! thought he, a little while ago these were talking, walking pieces of clay, like myself; but they have gone to the house appointed for all living. He wept, and turned his back toward the place. The impressions made upon his mind, on that affecting occasion, were not erased till the day of his conversion to God.

rose no more.

About this time both his parents were taken so ill, that he greatly feared they would not recover. One day, while greatly distressed on their account, and not knowing what to do; it was strongly impressed upon his mind, "Go to prayer for them." "I went up stairs," saith he, "shut myself in, and, if ever I prayed in my life from my heart I did it at this time. I remember, in particular, that I prayed to the Lord, to raise them up again, and spare them four or five years longer. This prayer, he graciously condescended both to hear and answer; for the one lived about four, the other near five years afterward, and was truly converted to God."

While Mr. Shadford was from home in the militia, a farmer, who was a Methodist, came to reside at the place of his nativity

he received the Methodist Preachers, and a little society had been formed. "I was now determined" saith Mr. S. "to seek happiness in God, and therefore, went constantly to church and sacrament, and to hear the Methodist preachers; to pray, and read the Scriptures. I thought I will be good. I am determined to be good; but alas! in about six or eight weeks, instead of being very good, I saw my heart was nothing but sin. I read at night different prayers. Sometimes I prayed for humility or meekness; at other times for faith, patience, or chastity; whatever I thought I wanted most. I was thus employed, when the family were in bed, for hours together. And many times whilst reading, the tears ran from my eyes, so that I could read no further; and when I found my heart softened, and could open it to Almighty God, there seemed a secret pleasure in repentance itself; with an hope springing up, that God would save me, and bestow his pardoning mercy. While I was thus employed in seeking the Lord, and drawn by the Spirit of God, I esteemed it more than my necessary food."

The remark made by Mr. S. that there is a secret pleasure in repentance itself, is founded in truth; and hence a real penitent, groaning for redemption in the blood of Christ, would not exchange his godly sorrow for all the wealth and pleasures the world can afford. The God of all grace generally mixes with the bitter cup of repentance some drops of consolation, that those who drink of it may not sink into the horrors of despair. All, it is true, do not, previous to their being justified, drink equally of the cup of sorrow; the hearts of some of them being gently opened to receive the King of Glory: but they are all thoroughly humbled: brought to part with all their sins; and give up every idea of being saved otherwise than merely by grace, through faith. We shall shortly see, that Mr. Shadford, after striving for a time to be justified by the deeds of the law, was brought to accept of pardon as freely offered in the Gospel.

Some time before he obtained a sense of his acceptance "in the Beloved," being at the house of an uncle of his, at East Ferry, his uncle asked him if the latter part of the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans was descriptive of St. Paul in his converted state? He replied that he could not tell and added, that if it described St. Paul's converted state, it exactly suited his. He then began to flatter himself that he was in a safe state from a consideration, that "the good he would, he did not ;"

and that "the evil he would not, that he did." But the Lord did not suffer him to remain, for any length of time, under the power of this dangerous delusion, which has, it is to be feared, been destructive to thousands. That delusion being vanished, "I had," saith he, "sorrow and deep distress. My sins pressed me sore, and the hand of the Lord was heavy upon me. Thus I continued until Sunday the 5th of May, 1762: coming out of church, the farmer that received the preachers, told me a stranger was to preach at his house. I went to hear him, and was pleased and much affected. He gave notice that he would preach again in the evening. In the mean time, I persuaded as many of my neighbours as I could to go. We had a full house, and several were greatly affected while he published his crucified Master. Toward the latter part of the sermon, I trembled; I shook; I wept. I thought, I cannot stand it, I shall fall down among the people.' Oh! how gladly would I have been alone to weep, for I was tempted with shame.

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"I well remember he called out at last, and said, 'Is there any young man here, about my age, willing to give up all and come to Christ? Let him come and welcome, for all things are now ready.' I thought, before this, he was preaching to me; but now I was sure he spoke to me in particular. I stood guilty and condemned, like the publican in the temple. I cried out, (so that others might hear, being pierced to the heart by the sword of the Spirit,) God be merciful to me a sinner.' No sooner had I expressed these words, than by the eye of faith, (not with my bodily eyes,) I saw Christ, my Advocate, at the right hand of God, making intercession for me. In an instant, the Lord filled my soul with divine love, as quick as lightning: so suddenly did the Lord, whom I sought, come to his temple. Immediately my eyes flowed with tears, and my heart with love. I sat down in a chair, for I could stand no longer. And these words ran through my mind twenty times over, Marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.' I knew not then that these words were in the Scripture, until I opened upon them in the Psalms when I got home."

Having drunk deeply of the wormwood and gall of distress formerly, he now drank as plentifully of the living streams of Divine consolation. When he read his Bible, so clearly did he understand many parts of it, of which he could form no idea before, that it appeared to him a new book. When he meditated