the privateers at the fair. But, providentially, before we reached Warrington, my mother, who was coming in the coach in search of me, took me out of their hands, and carried me home that night. "I often reflect upon this part of my life with gratitude. Every part of the conduct of the men above mentioned, so far as I can now recollect it, confirms me in the opinion that they designed something bad. How shall I sufficiently praise my God for making even the evil designs of these men the means of my preservation! Had they not stopped me, I certainly should have gone forward to Liverpool. The time when they returned to Prescot, the manner in which they were detained there, and every other apparently accidental circumstance, contributed to promote my preservation. Such evident proofs of the interposition of Divine Providence in my favour, ought to make me unfeignedly thankful. Bless the Lord, O my soul, who has in this particular delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. "In the beginning of January, 1781, I set off again for Liverpool, determined to be a sailor. Soon after I started, my dear mother, having obtained some knowledge of it, followed me on horseback, accompanied by my eldest brother. They overtook me just before I entered Warrington, and brought me safe home that night. Had they been five minutes later, it is probable they never would have found me, as I intended to engage myself with the officers of a privateer, who were seeking hands at Warrington. "In this affair, I see cause, 1. To humble myself before God on account of my wickedness. I sinned against Him and against my parents. I did this, too, while my own conscience upbraided and condemned me; for at that time I was continually followed with convictions. 2. To bless God for preserving me. How dreadful might have been the consequences, had I gone so sea! I might have lost my limbs, my life, my soul! I will praise the Lord while I have breath or being. 3. I ought to have an entire confidence in Him for the future. I will, through grace, trust in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. "After this, I was so affected with seeing the distress of my dear mother and friends, that I resolved I never would put them to any more pain in that way; which, blessed be God, has been the case. When I review these follies of my life, and consider how seasonably the provi 3 dence of God interposed in my favour, I am lost in wonder, love, and praise. May all my future life display his glory!" From this time he gave up all thoughts of going to sea, and resolved to settle and apply himself to business. The following month he was bound apprentice for seven years to Mr. G. W. In this situation he enjoyed great advantages for acquiring a thorough knowledge of the business, by which his attention began to be engrossed, in the hope that " some time he should make a figure in the world." În a few months Mr. G. W.'s business became exceedingly depressed; and, being a worldly-minded man, of careful and saving habits, he began to fear that not having sufficient employment for his apprentice, he should lose by him. About this time, Messrs. Charles Wood and Phillips wanted a lad about his age to assist Mr. John Taylor, who had the management of their large manufactory. Being recommended to them by a kind friend, he went, with Mr. G. W.'s leave, a few weeks on trial; after which, as all parties were agreed, he was turned over from Mr. G. W. to Messrs. C. Wood and Co. for the term of years and on the conditions mentioned in his indentures. Trivial as these circumstances may appear, they were important in their influence upon his future character and conduct. Mr. Charles Wood was a member of the Methodist society; and Mr. John Taylor, whose assistant my father now became, sincerely loved and served God. He was a class-leader among the Methodists, and an honour to the Society. My father's employment was such, that a great part of his time was spent in company with Mr. Taylor, whose spirit and conversation were most beneficial in their influence; and when not with him, he worked alone, which gave him an opportunity for serious reflection. A short time before his removal to Mr. Wood's, having heard from some of his young acquaintance a strange account of the people called Methodists,-a people of whom he had had no previous knowledge, he was induced by curiosity to go and hear some of their preachers in the old chapel, Birchin-lane, Manchester. The first whom he heard was the Rev. John Valton, a man of eminent piety and usefulness. The apostolic appearance of the preacher, together with his devout and solemn manner, arrested his attention, and the sermon made a deep impression on his mind. The subject was singularly applicable to his own case:- "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee." (Gen. xii. 1.) He was particularly struck with the fixed and serious attention of the congregation during the sermon, and with their general and fervent responses during the prayer: he had never witnessed any thing like it before. The whole service impressed him favourably with respect to Methodism; and his providential introduction into the service of Mr. Wood, and to an acquaintance with Mr. Taylor, just at this critical juncture, had the effect of deepening this impression. "On a review of this period of my life," he writes, “I cannot but greatly admire the wisdom and kindness of Providence. Every change appeared accidental; yet they were all ordered of the Lord. Every circumstance appears to me now to have been adjusted with the utmost wisdom, and adapted to promote the end which God had in view; namely, to wean me from the world and its vain pursuits, and to bring me to the knowledge of Himself. Truly the Lord has brought me by a way which I knew not; He has made darkness light before me, and crooked things straight. It was an occasion of great pain to my mind, when Mr. G. W.'s unaccountable fear of not having sufficient employment for me, had the effect upon him which it had. Little did I think that the Lord, by that very way, was accomplishing His gracious design of bringing me to Himself. He hath done all things well. Well does the poet say,— 'Leave to His sovereign sway To choose and to command; So shalt thou wondering own His way, O my God! I would in every future period of my life, trust in Thee with all my heart, and not lean to my own understanding. In all my ways may I acknowledge Thee, and do Thou direct my paths." He now became a regular hearer of the Methodist preachers. His views of evangelical truth were very indistinct; but the Lord was pleased gradually to enlighten his mind by His Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of the truly scriptural ministry under which he now sat. He became seriously concerned about his personal salvation; and being satisfied that among the despised Methodists he should hear the genuine gospel of Christ, and enjoy peculiar advantages for getting and doing good, he united himself with the Society, and began to meet in class, when about fourteen years of age. This step was followed by the happiest results. He soon became deeply convinced of sin, and truly penitent; and, being instructed in the scriptural way of salvation "by grace through faith," he earnestly sought the pardoning mercy of God. While anxiously seeking this blessing, a pious young man said to him, as they were walking together along Moseley-street, in their way to the chapel," Joseph, I will read you a hymn which those of us sing who know our sins forgiven." He then opened his hymn-book, and read that beautiful hymn on adoption, beginning, "My God, I am Thine: What a comfort Divine, What a blessing, to know that my Jesus is mine," &c. He was much struck with it, not having heard or read it before; and expressed an ardent desire to be enabled to adopt its language as descriptive of his own experience. He was much encouraged by the assurance given him by his pious friend, who lived in the personal enjoyment of this blessing, that he might soon attain it, and be enabled from happy experience to sing the hymn with him. Not long after this conversation, while Mr. Morris * was praying in the old chapel, Birchin-lane, he was enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with his heart unto righteousness, and was filled with peace and joy through believing. He could now adopt, as descriptive of his own experience, the words of the apostle, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;" (Rom. v. 1 ;) and, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," &c. (Rom. viii. 15-17.) And he was able to sing with joy unspeakable the beautiful, hymn on adoption already referred to, and which, being associated in his mind with deeply-interesting recollections, became a favourite hymn with him to the day of his death. Being now" born of the Spirit," and made a happy partaker of the Divine nature, he was earnestly desirous to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made him free," and to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." He was not unmindful * Mr. John Morris, of whom a singular account is given in the Methodist Magazine for the year 1795, page 18. He was in many respects a remarkable man. Having been brought in an extraordinary manner out of the darkness and mental bondage of Popery, into evangelical light and liberty, he became zealous for God, and was made an instrument of much good to many souls. of the natural instability of youth; and perceiving the danger to which he was exposed by the circumstance, that he was the only member of the family who was acquainted with experimental religion, he resolved, as his only safety, "not to rest upon the mere surface of religion, but to drink deeply into its spirit:"-a course which, from personal experience of its advantage, he was accustomed in after-life strongly to recommend to all young converts. At In order to this, he conscientiously availed himself of all the means of grace within his reach, and diligently redeemed the time, improving every leisure moment in reading such books as were calculated to store his mind with saving and useful knowledge. His hours of business were early, and he was much engaged; yet he found leisure for improvement. He generally rose at four in the morning, both in summer and winter. six he was expected to be at Mr. Wood's warehouse, which was a mile distant from his father's house. The interval was spent in reading, meditation, and prayer, or in attendance at the five o'clock public services, which were frequent in those days. It was a great advantage that, from his first outset in the Divine life, he had access to a good library, belonging to the Methodist society, which was kept in one of the rooms in the preacher's house at Oldham-street: of this he made a diligent use. He also, agreeably to his grandfather's dying charge, sought acquaintance and cultivated friendship chiefly with those who were older, wiser, and better than himself, as one of the best preservatives against the evils incident to youth. He had, however, a few youthful friends: these were all pious. Robert Lomas, Thomas Simmonite, William Shelmerdine, and James Jackson, were among the most intimate of these; the first three of whom, like himself, afterwards became Wesleyan ministers. These young men frequently met for purposes of intellectual and religious improvement, at the house of Thomas Slater, a hairdresser, in Church-street, a truly pious man, who for some time suffered severely in his circumstances for his conscien tious regard to the sanctity of the sabbath. But the Lord blessed, and eventually prospered him. My father now found the private means of grace peculiar to Methodism to be highly instructive and edifying. Among these, class-meetings hold a prominent place. For the sake of those readers of this volume who are unac quainted with Methodism, it may be proper to state, that a "class" usually consists about twelve or more of those Ր |