long been the delight of his soul. For more than thirty years, he had been a highly acceptable and laborious local preacher, and was esteemed and loved wherever he was known. His labours were extended for many miles around his native place. By many who knew them both, his pulpit talents were considered superior to those of his brother, the Rev. John Pawson. Yet so mean was his opinion of himself, that my father never could, on any of his visits, prevail upon him to preach in his presence, so that he never once had the opportunity of hearing him. Mr. E. remarks on this mournful occasion :

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My dear father Pawson is no more. The world, the church, and a disconsolate family have sustained a heavy loss. It is impossible for me to express the sense which I have of that sore breach which has been made in our family by his death. During the six years I have had the happiness to be a member of his family, he has been to me a bosom friend and an affectionate father. The poet says, A world in purchase of a friend is gain.' According to this rule I estimate my loss. The Lord is taking home many of his dear people from the evil to come. O God, prepare us who survive for every event of thy providence." Mr. E. makes the following record of the last quarterlymeeting he held in the Wakefield circuit :—

At

"Mon. July 2d.-Our quarterly-meeting at Wakefield. All peace and brotherly love. Blessed be God, we have not had one jarring string among us all the two years. night Brother Lomas preached a most excellent sermon from Isaiah lx. 13, 'I will make the place of my feet glorious; and afterwards God was powerfully present in our watch-night. Praise the Lord!

"July 31st. I am now paying my last visit, as I expect, to every place in the circuit. My mind is solemnly affected, and my soul much humbled before God. O, how little good has been done these two years! How feeble have been my efforts! How much have I been wanting in zeal and diligence! O my God, wert thou to enter into judgment with me, what would become of me? Glory be to thy name, thou still bearest with me, and, notwithstanding my unprofitableness, thou fillest me with comfort!

In the evening I preached at Cudworth from 2 Thess. iii. 5. The Lord was pleased to give me to enter deeply into the spirit of the subject. I felt such an union with God as I have seldom experienced. Nor did I ever so well understand St. John's words as now, 'God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.',

"Sat. 4th. While our brethren have been employed at the Conference, I have been engaged in my work, and have been favoured with unusual nearness to God. Blessed be his holy name for ever! Have not yet heard where my station is likely to be; nor am I careful as to that matter. I have committed it into the Lord's hands repeatedly, and I trust he will fix me where I may be most holy and most useful. Never will I remove out of thy hands my cause.' "Sun. 5th.-In my way to Crigglestone my mind was a little dissipated by thinking on my appointment for the ensuing year, which I hear is York. Unseasonable thoughts, however good at other times, are unprofitable. They oppose that recollection of mind, which my soul longs for, and which is so necessary to a life of communion with God.

"Mon. 6th.-My appointment for York appears to require more wisdom, prudence, zeal, and piety than I at present possess. They are a well-informed people; many of them deeply experienced in the things of God. That I may maintain the honour of the ministerial character, and give to every man his portion, it is necessary that I should have a deeper baptism of the Holy Spirit. O Lord, give me power from on high; and may all my life, like that of the Saviour, be prayer and love!"

The preceding quotations show how humble were the views entertained by my dear father respecting himself. He thought but meanly of his own attainments and qualifications for the ministerial office; and had he been left to his own choice, he would always have preferred a sphere of usefulness in comparative obscurity to the occupation of conspicuous stations or posts of honour; and when these were assigned to him by Divine Providence, he entered upon them with much self-diffidence and prayerful dependence upon Divine grace.

Though "never unemployed," but always intent upon his work, and bent upon getting and doing good, he never thought he had done enough; and his private journal, in which he laid his heart open before the Lord, bears evidence to his deep self-abasement under an apprehension of his own unprofitableness.

Dissatisfied as he was with himself in the review of the two years spent in the Wakefield circuit, he was highly esteemed by those among whom he laboured, as a devoted, exemplary, and faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. The few aged members of society who still survive, never mention the names of Entwisle and Lomas, but with the warmest affection and in terms of the highest respect;

though fifty years have elapsed since they quitted this field

of labour.

Troublous as were the times,-rife with fierce political agitation, and bitter religious dissension, peace was maintained throughout the circuit, with but two or three exceptions; and though a few scores of members seceded and united with Mr. Kilham's party, chiefly at Barnsley and Staincross, yet at the close of the two years, the vacancies occasioned by their departure were found to be more than filled, and an encouraging increase of number was reported to the Conference.

ON Monday, August 27th, my father removed, with his family to York, where he met with a kind reception. The Rev. Messrs. Robert Roberts and John Stamp were his colleagues. The latter was of the same standing in the Connexion with himself; the former commenced his ministry in 1759, eight years before my father was born.

The superintendency of the circuit being committed to him, he entered upon it with a deep and almost discouraging sense of his insufficiency. A serious indisposition under which he laboured for the first two or three weeks, accompanied with great prostration of strength and depression of the spirits, tended to increase this feeling. He soon, however, recovered; and when he had been a short time in the circuit, finding himself among a lively and affectionate people, he made the following grateful record:

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I had long made it matter of prayer that I might be stationed where I should have the greatest advantages for getting and doing good. The Lord has answered my prayer. My present situation affords me an opportunity of enjoying the company and conversation of some of the excellent of the earth. I have already received much instruction; and seeing the necessity of acquiring a deeper knowledge of God in order to give every man his portion in due season, I have been led to pray and labour for an increase of grace. The Lord has condescended to hear my prayers, and has favoured me with renewed baptisms of the Holy Spirit. Blessed be his holy name! O may I obtain mercy of the Lord to be found faithful. Amen."

The York circuit at that time was of considerable extent, a large portion of what is now the Tadcaster circuit being included within its limits. The preachers frequently had.to preach three times on Sunday and every night in the week, besides much travelling.

My father still continued to keep a pretty copious diary of religious experience and personal history, with frequent notices of such occurrences as were connected with the interests of religion. A selection from his diary and correspondence will enable me still to present him before the reader as his own biographer.

"Riccal, September 25th.-This morning I enjoyed nearness to my God. But in the afternoon, and especially for two hours before preaching, I was exceedingly harassed and distressed by temptation to anxiety about temporal things. My whole income, at present, appears to be less than will supply my growing family with food, and pay the servant's wages; so that there is nothing for clothing, &c. The cause of this is, 1. The scanty allowance in this circuit. 2. By the death of my father-in-law, we at present lose certain supplies. I felt for an hour what I never did before, extreme anxiety. I prayed, but could get no relief; and, with this burden on my mind, I preached, which I found very painful. When I lay down, I was enabled to cast all my care upon the Lord.

"Wed. 26th.-Enjoyed inexpressible satisfaction in my God. In my way from Riccal to Stillingfleet, was enabled to converse with him as a man with his friend. Was led to think that the Lord permitted me to be so exercised last night, that I might know how to sympathise with and comfort others in similar temptations.

"Sat. Oct. 13th, Manchester.-Once more I am permitted to visit my friends here. My soul is deeply affected. My father and three of my brothers are yet far from God; and my dear mother breaks fast. Yet I hope her soul is in a good state. Most of my old religious acquaintance are gone back into the world. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes fountains of tears! Glory be to God, that I am kept in the good way!

"Nov. 5th.-A few weeks ago, Mr. R. Spence, of York, expressed a desire that I would meet with him in band. I gladly complied with his request. The first time we met, he gave me a circumstantial account of the manner in which he was brought to experience the full salvation of the Gospel. This he expressed in the following manner :- -'I was led to make a surrender of my all to God, and to take

I

him as my all in all. At that time, I began a new way of life, and have been enabled to hold fast my confidence for twelve years.' Divine light broke in upon my mind, and I was led to see the way of faith more perfectly than ever I had done before. I found the power to make a similar surrender, and confidence to make a similar claim. For several days I thought, (but had no particular or direct evidence,) that my love was perfected. However, a few days after, in secret prayer, I had a firm persuasion that my soul was brought into that state. After some time, it pleased God to try me exceedingly. Some outward things were painful, and I had many inward conflicts. I had a fear lest there was something wrong in my heart. This, however, led me, or rather drove me, to the blood of sprinkling. I saw it would answer no good end to reason. I therefore cast myself into the hands of the Lord. Of late, my gracious Lord has shined upon my mind. I think he has destroyed unbelief, pride, and every unholy temper. However, whatever name is given to it, of this I am sure, I feel an indescribable union with God, and enjoy close and comfortable communion with him. I feel HE IS MINE, and I AM HIS.'

"Frid. 30th. Healough.-Here I sit alone with God. All is still and quiet about me. The wind whistles without, and my soul is led to solemn thoughts of time, death, and eternity. 'All on earth is shadow. All beyond is substance. Time appears a span-a handbreadth! And yet how many of my precious hours pass unimproved! O, my heart is oppressed on account of my folly in mis-spending time. Broken covenants,-solemn engagements neglected, -time whiled away,-opportunities of doing extensive good lost for want of a heart! a sense of these things deeply affects my heart. I am almost afraid of renewing my engagements to be wholly thine; but I must, I will: if I perish in the attempt, I will try once more to give my all to thee!

"Dec. 3d.-I had a gracious season this morning. I find the good of early rising. O how my soul is blessed, while many around me are asleep! God forbid I should ever consume my time in bed, when I should be upon my knees. Sleep is a dull state of existence; and we should not shorten our time of activity by self-indulgence."

On the 12th of December, my father wrote to his mother : it proved to be the last letter she ever received from him. The following is an extract :