loved brother or sister, who shall first be consigned to the tomb? My father, mother, brothers and sisters, all be prepared; being washed, being sanctified, being justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

"Your affectionate son,

Under a subsequent date, he writes:

"JAMES."

"The time necessary for me to go through the course marked out, is eight years. I hope that in the discharge of my duty during this period I may be useful.

"The Lord has laid me under great obligations to be thankful, by singling me out from the rest of the dear family for this service. And I hope that you, my beloved father and mother, cease not to thank and praise him, that he has condescended to confer this honor on me. Should I be found a faithful minister of the Gospel, and you, with me, be admitted into the upper sanctuary, this one thing will no doubt be a theme on which we shall dwell with everlasting pleasure."

To his sister, in a letter of the same date, he thus expresses his views of the solemnity of the work in which he was about to engage:

"This age seems to require that a minister should be thoroughly furnished for his work. They who have the greatest store of knowledge, connected with true piety, have the best opportunities of doing good. But while I set so great a value on a good education, I would not be understood to say that education is a

matter of the highest importance. Pure and undefiled religion is the chief thing in the character of a minister of the Gospel. Without it he cannot be useful. He who does not possess love to God; who has never been born of water and the Spirit;' who does not feel the worth of immortal souls, and who does not preach as a dying and accountable man to perishing and accountable beings, is not worthy of the name of a minister of Jesus Christ. Feeling the awful responsibility which is to rest on me should I enter this office, as I hope in due time to do, I am ready to say, 'Who is sufficient for these things?' The Lord alone can be my helper. Having him as my rock of defence,' I need fear nothing. I hope that the language of my heart is, 'none but Christ;' and that the tenor of my life will be in conformity to it. My dear sister, the Lord has been kind to us in days that are past. He has given us reason and made us capable of enjoying him. He has brought us in early life to seek hiin, that we may be found in him:' let us then devote the remainder of life to his service. Let us not be content with barely getting to heaven ourselves; but in seeking our own salvation, let us also seek that of others. I have often thought that, should my life be spared to enter the ministry, and should the blessing of my Master enable me to do some little good in the world, the reflection would be sweet and cheering in a dying hour. And in the eternal world, how delightful must it be to find souls in the enjoyment of everlasting rest, who have been brought there through our instrumentality! Let us set out then with renewed diligence, and endeavor to do something for the glory of our Redeemer and the salvation of sinners.'

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To another friend he urges the following request:

"As I have it now in prospect to enter the ministry let me solicit an interest in your prayers. Pray that I may, indeed, be willing to forsake all, and follow Christ; that I may be meek and lowly; a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, and giving to every one a portion in due season; that I may, as 'before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine;' that I may be blameless, not a novice lifted up with pride; that I may hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, and be holy in heart and in life, a child of God, without rebuke."

To a young friend, who had entered on a preparatory course of study a little time before him, he unfolds himself with much freedom.

"You having entered on your studies for the ministry, and I having the same thing in prospect, we ought to unite in grateful acknowledgments to the Lord, that he has given us a desire for this service. We are told by an inspired apostle, that 'he who desireth the office of a bishop, desireth a good work.' On asking myself what reason I have to believe that the Lord has called me to preach the Gospel, I reply: My desire has continued for a considerable time, and has been strong. My wish is to glorify God, and be useful to my fellowmen. Providence has, in a clear manner, opened the way for me. Far be it from me to take this holy office

on myself, unless I am 'called of God, as was Aaron.' But the time seems to have arrived, when I ought to go and prepare for preaching the Gospel. During my preparation, and through life, I expect to meet with trials. Those of a minister are, often, of no ordinary kind. But as are his trials, so will be his joys, if indeed he has pure and undefiled religion. This is, above all things, necessary. And as 'God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble,' how important is it that we should cultivate humility. He that exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted-exalted to fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ; and in being made a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In prospect of this, I have felt willing to be poor. If I can only be useful, it will be enough for me. But selfdenial is indispensable for a minister: may I be willing to deny myself, and take up my cross!

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66 I feel desirous to go to my work, and to be about my Master's business. But I must be detained here a while longer. When I am awake, my mind is at all times on this subject. My relish for business is gone, and I shall not feel that I am in the right place, until I am at my studies. When that time shall come, I hope that I may so improve in virtue and knowledge, that I shall glorify God, and meet the expectations of my friends.

"My Christian 'brother, permit me to request that you communicate with me as you may find time; and as you are older in religion than I am, I shall look to you to give me such advice as may aid my growth in grace. As we have a common Lord, are aiming at the same heaven, amidst the same difficulties and dangers,

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let us bear each other on the heart, when we go to a throne of grace.”

In another letter to the same friend, he speaks of the long time to be employed in preparation for the ministry; and expresses the hope that he might be useful while prosecuting his studies. To this he adds a sentiment of very great value to all who are preparing for the ministry. It seems that he had expected, on entering his course, that he should enjoy the fullest opportunities of reading the Bible, meditation, and prayer in secret. But better information convinced him that so many hours would be occupied every day in literary and scientific pursuits, that very little time would remain for those delightful employments. He therefore resolved to carry religion as fully as possible into his studies; and daily engage in them, with the thought that thus he might be rendered useful in the vineyard of the Lord.

His purposes and resolutions in relation to those who might be his fellow-students, also show the true spirit of christian prudence and benevolence. To the same friend he writes after this manner:-"I hope that those with whom we shall associate, will be of the right cast; and that we shall be very cautious with whom we form intimate connections. But let us, by the meekness of our temper and the kindness of our deportment, by devotedness to the cause of our Redeemer, and the earnestness of our wishes to promote the real happiness of those around us, interest them in us and gain their affections. Let the saying of Paul be our motto, 'Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.'"