given thanks, and blessed our gracious Father, not only for the way in which he appointed us to support our offspring, but also for the manner in which he was pleased to exercise their parents. We had felt very grateful for having such articles of furniture, &c. of our own, as we had been so providentially supplied with in the city; but now we had a prospect of these being taken from us. We had been in our new abode little more than a week when our landlord was arrested, and a warrant of distress issued. I obtained information just in time to save our things, by hastily removing to an apartment in the immediate neighbourhood. Our new landlord was a shopkeeper, and appeared to be respectable. He occupied the greater part of the house, and we had not been there a fortnight when he suddenly removed, stating as his reason for so doing, that he wished to be near his other houses. had an impression on my mind that this was a deception, and I soon discovered that he was greatly in arrears of rent for the house we resided in, on which account he absconded; the tale about his other houses being a fabrication. The christian friend who accompanied us from the place where our goods were seized, consi

I

dered that I had not taken proper precautions in the different apartments I had hired, and thought that had I been more cautious I should not have been involved in so much trouble. She very kindly undertook to procure for us an abode where the rent would be moderate, the situation healthy, and the liability of being compelled to move again, averted. We accepted her disinterested offers, and again changed our residence. In reply to some observations of our friend, the lodgers in the house had said to her, "There is no fear of our being in debt with our landlord, because he calls every week for his rent." The latter part of this assertion we found to be strictly true. He called every week for his rent, but did not get it; and, at last, finding that he was getting more and more importunate, and determined not to be put off any longer, and expecting by his manner that he would very soon put in a distress for his rent, I considered it better to settle our arrears, which were very trifling, and however harassing and unpleasant, to remove once more. We felt indeed most powerfully that we were strangers and pilgrims upon earth," and that we had here no "continuing city," but

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we could look up with joyful hope to "that city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Before I relate the very marked interposition of Divine love and goodness vouchsafed to us at this season, I must not omit speaking of the baptism of the child, concerning which our Jewish friends had been so anxious.

Mr.

baptized him on the faith of the parents, for though my wife had not made any profession of christianity, yet, at the baptism of the child, Mr. having asked

her if she would, as far as in her lay, bring up her child in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, she replied in the affirmative. We named him Ebenezer, for hitherto the Lord had helped us. It was the first opportunity I had of publicly acknowledging that ever since I was enabled to put my trust in God, he had invariably helped me.

CHAPTER IX.

I WILL now return to the subject of our removal. I have said I was a little in arrears for my rent-only a few shillings-besides which we wanted a trifle for necessary expenses. My intention was to remove in the early part of the day, as it was the depth of winter. Unavoidable circumstances, however, prevented our doing so till the evening. I had, by pledging some articles, got together sufficient to pay my rent, and the expenses attending our removal. I calculated that after this I should have enough left to maintain us the next day. So, commending ourselves to the care of Israel's Keeper, we went forth in one of the most inclement nights in December. We placed the poor children in the cart which conveyed our goods, and covered them with as much of our clothing as we could possibly spare. The snow fell thick and fast; my wife and I walked behind to see that the children

were safe. We talked together about our

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affairs, and of the continued goodness of our God in saving us from the deceptions that had been practised by those with whom we had been connected. We did not converse with the carman, nor could he have heard our discourse. The reason why I name this you will presently see. Arrived at our new residence, and about to pay the man, I found his demand to be more than I had calculated upon, on which I expostulated with him. He said it was a misunderstanding on my part, but would not take less than his demand. paid him, and was left pennyless. Thou, O God, art a "strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." "They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivereth them out of their distresses." We were soon occupied in making our little arrangements, when presently, to our great surprise, we heard a loud knock at the door; I opened it; it was the carman who had returned with a loaf, and a large piece of meat. I cannot describe my feelings at this moment; the man did not know my circumstances; I had not said to him that I was poor, but I paid his demand. In the pride of my heart I felt offended, and