"Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy's angel-form appeared;
She led me on, with placid pace,
To Jesus, as my hiding-place."

The Lord enabling me, I will now give a short account of my call to the ministry.

At

When I was under the law, I often told the Lord that if it were His sovereign will to bestow mercy upon me, and deliver my soul, I would spread His fame abroad, and tell sinners what he had done for my soul. When delivered I felt a great love towards immortal souls; and as before said, the Lord was pleased to open his word very sweetly to me. The first time I opened my mouth publicly, was at Mr. Denham's prayer-meeting. Mr. D. called upon me to engage in prayer, and continued to do so occasionally. He also held prayer-meetings at various private houses occupied by his members. These meetings I attended when opportunity afforded me, as I often enjoyed the presence of the Lord on such occasions. About the same time 1 became acquainted with a godly man, who one evening invited me to go to another prayer-meeting, which I did. The minister being absent, I was asked to read and expound a chapter. first I refused, but being pressed, I complied with the request. I felt liberty in speaking, and the Lord was pleased to bless it, to the comfort and edification of the souls of those present. Often after this good man invited me to the prayer-meeting, but I refused going. However, one Friday evening he prevailed upon me. Coming from the meeting, it was a dark wet night, my friend said, "there is a little chapel in this neighbourhood where a good man preaches, I should like you to hear him.' I replied that I did not know where it was, he said, "I will go with you now, and point you out the place." He did so; but it being so dark a night, and I knowing very little of the neighbourhood, could not find it when I next attempted to do so. It was my general custom, on Lord's-day mornings, to rise earlier than usual, having to walk to Hackney, as I still continued to attend Mr. Hughes's ministry. The Lord's-day after the Friday alluded to I overslept myself. It being nearly ten o'clock, the people with whom I lived began to be alarmed, and came and knocked at my door, and that awoke me. By the time I had dressed, I found it impossible to go to Hackney; I then thought of going to hear Mr. Denham. When I got out, finding it so

late, and being well known there, I did not like to go in. I then thought of this little chapel which my friend had shown me only the Friday evening previous. I tried to find it, but could not. It was now a little past eleven, I gave up the idea of going anywhere that morning. I had just purposed to go back, and had gone a few paces, when like some one said to me "return." I looked round, thinking some one had spoken. I made another attempt to find out, and could not succeed, when the same word was repeated. I then saw an old lady, who appeared to be going to a place of worship; I followed her, and it proved to be the very place I had been seeking.

The minister of the said chapel was from home, and he had engaged a supply for that day, who had disappointed them. When I entered the place, the deacon saw me, and came to me, asking whether I was the supply. At first I could not understand what he meant by it. When he repeated the question, I replied, "I am no preacher." He left me, and returned to his pew, and then came to me again, putting the same question; I answering as before. When he left, these words came to me, "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd," especially the latter part of this text, "as sheep having no shepherd;" these words melted me down. The deacon came the third time, begging me to go into the pulpit, if it were only to read a chapter. After this I could not resist. I went into the pulpit, read and engaged in prayer. When I concluded prayer, these words came into my mind,"There was no room for them in the inn."-Luke ii. 7. I first showed that there is no room for Christ in a graceless heart, and how the Holy Ghost empties a sinner before he fills him, strips him before he clothes him, and brings him to feel his lost state before salvation is revealed to the soul. These were some of the things I spoke about. After service, I asked the deacon how it was that he pressed me so much to speak. He then called a lady, and said, "this lady will give you the reason." She said, she dreamed the night before that she saw a stranger preaching in their pulpit, and that the moment she saw me enter the chapel, she recognised me as the individual she saw in her dream. Sitting near the deacon, she told him that I was the man who would preach for them; although he twice met with a refusal, she insisted upon his asking me again. That morning the Lord was pleased to bless the message to many poor souls.

I heard of that morning years afterwards. I was then solicited to speak in the evening; I told them I could not promise, as I had never before spoken in a chapel. The deacon said, “will you come as a hearer ?" I replied I had no objection, as it was near my home, if they would get a supply. Just at that time I did not see his aim; on leaving him, I began to ponder in my mind what might be his motive. For my word's sake I went in the evening, at the same time making it an half-hour later than the usual service. On entering the place I took a seat. The deacon came to me and said, "Mr. Samuel, we are depending upon you (or rather upon your Master) to speak for us this evening. I refused, but he would hear nothing of the kind; I went into the pulpit. After the singing of the hymn, I read, and engaged in prayer. While they were singing the second hymn, I thought it was pride and presumption in me to attempt to speak in the name of the Lord. I began to tremble, and shook like a leaf; I thought what an awful thing it was to speak in the name of the Lord, if he had not brought me there. Other thoughts also crowded into my mind, "You have nothing to say,-you told the people all you knew in the morning." While thus tossed in my mind, these words came to me ;- "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." The Lord was pleased to own this message, in liberating a female who had been in bondage about eighteen years; I visited her several times afterwards. Thus, the Lord's ways are past finding out; "He chooses the foolish things of this world, to confound the wise; and the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.'

When their minister returned, they informed him what had occurred on the past day, and that if he should go out again, they would like me for a supply. One day he called upon me, told me who he was, and what his errand was, asking whether I would supply his place one week evening, as he was going from home. I replied I had no objection to speak to his people, if it were the will of the Lord. Having a sense of the great things God had done for me in secret, I was willing to proclaim it publicly. The night previous to the evening I expected to preach, I sat up the whole night reading, in order to prepare my sermon. Now Satan began to work upon my pride. On the

appointed evening, I went to the chapel filled with pride, as full as any poor wretch could be, having all my heads nicely arranged; none were allowed to approach me, lest I should lose some of the "heads" of my intended discourse. The thought of speaking to the people was quite out of the question, but it was how to preach a great sermon. However, the Lord in his sovereign mercy, prevented me giving vent to my pride. God knows how to humble his people. When I arrived at the chapel, I saw many persons standing at the chapel door. A person came up to me and said, "there is no admittance." I answered, “how is that?" He said, "the pew-opener has gone out, and taken the key with her in mistake." I waited a short time, the Lord began to work on my mind, I thought of my pride, and that it was from the Lord that the door was not opened; thus the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and haughtiness of man shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, and the idols he shall utterly abolish. As I returned, I felt what a mercy it was that the dear Lord had broken the snare, also the neck of my pride. When I came home I shut myself up, and wept as a child, blessing and praising the name of the Lord for not suffering me to speak that night. Oh! thought I, is this a right spirit, to speak about the lowly lamb of God? I prayed that the Lord might preserve me for the future from such pride. Whenever I think of it, it fills me with shame and confusion. I would advise every preacher of the Gospel to think before he goes into the pulpit. About an half-hour after, came a message to inform me that the chapel was open, and requesting me to come but I refused. The Lord overruled this circumstance for my good; none but He could do it. This impressed my mind with the holiness of the office, the responsibility attending it, the greatness of God's name, and the value of immortal souls. The impression of these things has not left me, and I hope never will until the hour of my death. I then began to think that a minister of the Gospel is a mouth for God, and a leader of the people, and he either leads them right or wrong, and must give an account at that great day with joy or grief. I have not found that to preach faithfully the everlasting Gospel is an easy matter; to take forth the precious from the vile, not to court the smiles of men, and to smile at their frowns; to preach the whole Gospel, doctrines, experience, and practice. Some of the hearers will hate you, and some of the deacons will persecute you. It is contrary to nature and self-interest; the temptations of Satan are

many, and sometimes very great; and nothing short of an Almighty and gracious arm can keep a man honest and faithful, either in the pulpit or out of it.

One evening, I dreamed that I was preaching in a small chapel, the very chapel that I had seen in my dream. I preached in it for six months, for at first sight of the place I recognised it to be the same I had seen in my dream. After I commenced speaking my employer frequently threw out hints that he who preaches the gospel should live by the gospel. I well understood him. One day he plainly told me that I must either leave my employment, or leave off preaching. These words were as a dagger in my heart, for a moment or two I stood speechless. I told him that I would consider the matter. Here I was much tossed in my mind as to what I should do, which I should let go. If I gave up my employment I had nothing to maintain myself; and if I gave up preaching, I feared that would be wrong. That night I prayed earnestly to the Lord to direct me. Next morning going with a heavy heart to my employment, these words came with sweetness and power to my soul," And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." This decided the case for me. I therefore told my employer my decision, and shortly after I left.

From this time new trials commenced, with respect to the ministry, as to whether I really was called to preach the everlasting gospel or not, besides other trials in providence. I begged the Lord that if He had sent me to preach the gospel, He would make it manifest in a conspicuous manner. The dear Lord condescended to answer me, but it was by terrible things in righteousness. I was engaged one Sunday afternoon to preach an anniversary sermon at a chapel in London. That morning I was much tried, darkness of soul was very great, temptation very vehement, indwelling sin rising very high; I was almost distracted in my mind, and came to the conclusion I had no call to the ministry. Instead of going to preach, I made up my mind to go by steam-packet to Gravesend. As I was going towards the wharf, these words came to me, "Elijah, what dost thou here ?" and another portion followed, "Go, and preach the gospel to every creature;" these portions broke the temptation, and scattered the cloud. As I was going to the chapel, being a little behind I walked very fast. While walking, the following thoughts were suggested to my mind. "Who is Christ? what ado about him;