were people that dwelt alone, and were not to be reckoned among their neighbours. Nu. xxiii. 9.

39. At this I felt my own heart began to shake, as mistrusting my condition to be nought; for I saw that in all my thoughts about religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter into my mind, neither knew I the comfort of the Word and promise, nor the deceitfulness and treachery of my own wicked heart. As for secret thoughts, I took no notice of them; neither did I understand what Satan's temptations were, nor how they were to be withstood and resisted, &c.

40. Thus, therefore, when I had heard and considered what they said, I left them, and went about my employment again, but their talk and discourse went with me; also my heart would tarry with them, for I was greatly affected with their words, both because by them I was convinced that 1 wanted the true tokens of a truly godly man, and also because by them I was convinced of the happy and blessed condition of him that was such a one.*

minates the mind, he opens to it a new world; he leads the blind by a way that they know not, crooked things become straight, rough places plain, and he never forsakes his charge. -Mason.

*Their talk went with me; my heart would tarry with them; nothing is so powerfully attractive as a community of feeling under the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Bunyan's wish to bo tried and searched,' reminds me of one who, when

41. Therefore I should often make it my business to be going again and again into the company of these poor people, for I could not stay away; and the more I went amongst them, the more I did question my condition; and as I still do remember, presently I found two things within me, at which I did sometimes marvel, especially considering what a blind, ignorant, sordid, and ungodly wretch but just before I was; the one was a very great softness and tenderness of heart, which caused me to fall under the conviction of what by Scripture they asserted; and the other was a great bending in my mind to a continual meditating on it, and on all other good things which at any time I heard or read of.

42. By these things' my mind was now so turned, that it lay like a horse leech at the vein, still crying out, Give, give, Pr. xxx. 15; yea, it was so fixed on eternity, and on the things about the kingdom of heaven, that is, so far as I knew, though as yet, God knows, I knew but little; that neither pleasures, nor profits, nor persuasions, nor threats, could loosen it, or make it let go his hold; and though I may speak it with shame, yet it is in very deed a certain truth, it would then have

alarmed for his sonl's safety, earnestly prayed that he might be made increasingly wretched, until he had found safety in Jesus, and knew him, whom to know is joy unspeakable in this life, and felicity in the eternal world.-ED.

been as difficult for me to have taken my mind from heaven to earth, as I have found it often since to get it again from earth to heaven.

43. One thing I may not omit: There was a young man in our town, to whom my heart before

was knit more than to any other, but he being a most wicked creature for cursing, and swearing, ' and whoring, I now shook him off, and forsook his company; but about a quarter of a year after I had left him, I met him in a certain lane, and 'asked him how he did; he, after his old swearing ' and mad way, answered, He was well. But, Harry, said I, why do you swear and curse thus? What will become of you, if you die in this con'dition? He answered me in great chafe, What • would the devil do for company, if it were not 'for such as I am n?

'44. About this time I met with some Ranters' books, that were put forth by some of our countrymen, which books were also highly in esteem by several old professors; some of these I read, but was not able to make a judgment about them; wherefore as I read in them, and thought upon them, feeling myself unable to judge, I should 'betake myself to hearty prayer in this manner: O Lord, I am a fool, and not able to know the • truth from error: Lord, leave me not to my own blindness, either to approve of, or condemn this doctrine; if it be of God, let me not despise it;

if it be of the devil, let me not embrace it. Lord, I lay my soul, in this matter, only at thy foot; let me not be deceived, I humbly beseech thee. I had one religious intimate companion all this 'while, and that was the poor man that I spoke ' of before; but about this time he also turned a 'most devilish Ranter,* and gave himself up to 'all manner of filthiness, especially uncleanness : 'he would also deny that there was a God, angel, or spirit; and would laugh at all exhortations to sobriety. When I laboured to rebuke his wicked'ness, he would laugh the more, and pretend that he had gone through all religions, and could never light on the right till now. He told mo

also, that in a little time I should see all profes

sors turn to the ways of the Ranters. Wherefore, abominating those cursed principles, I left his company forthwith, and became to him as great a stranger, as I had been before a familiar. 45. Neither was this man only a temptation to me; but my calling lying in the country, I happened to light into several people's company, who, though strict in religion formerly, yet were

That bitter fanatic, Ross, calls the ranters 'a sort of beasts,' who practised sin that grace might abound. Many under that name were openly profligate; they denied the sacraments, but were disowned by the Quakers. It seems, from Bunyan, that they were infatuated with some idea that the grossest sins of the flesh did not injure the sanctity of the spirit!-ED.

also swept away by these Ranters. These would 'also talk with me of their ways, and condemn mo 'as legal and dark; pretending that they only had ' attained to perfection that could do what they would, and not sin. Oh! these temptations were 'suitable to my flesh, I being but a young man, and my nature in its prime; but God, who had, as I hope, designed me for better things, kept me in the fear of his name, and did not suffer 'me to accept of such cursed principles. And blessed be God, who put it into my heart to cry to him to be kept and directed, still distrusting 'mine own wisdom; for I have since seen even 'the effect of that prayer, in his preserving me not only from ranting errors, but from those also 'that have sprung up since. The Bible was pre'cious to me in those days.'

46. And now, methought, I began to look into the Bible with new eyes, and read as I never did before; and especially the epistles of the apostle Paul were sweet and pleasant to me; and, indeed, I was then never out of the Bible, either by reading or meditation; still crying out to God, that I might know the truth, and way to heaven and glory.

47. And as I went on and read, I lighted on that passage, To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another faith,' &c. 1 Co.