diately concern us." He therefore pleaded in behalf of those who were in any manner of adversity; for the sick and needy; for the clergy and suffering royalists; for the persecutors of his brethren; and for those who had done him any injury; and he was never satisfied that he had really forgiven such persons until he had asked pardon for them from God.

The family at Westwood assembled twice a-day for prayer, using the services of the church of England; and Dr. Hammond, by his own desire, conducted their devotions. In addition to this, he preached a sermon on the Sunday mornings, and persisted in this work of the ministry even when illness rendered it scarcely possible. In the afternoon he catechised the children, inviting the servants to be present, and adapting his instructions to the capacities of both. And so strongly did he feel the importance of what he expressed on those occasions, that he was grieved if the seed appeared to be sown by the way-side; and often under these disappointments retired to his closet, to inquire whether they might not be attributed to some defect in himself, which by due care he might remedy.

He also invited any of the household to private interviews for conversation upon religious subjects; and when they came, encouraged them in a most condescending and kind manner to speak their minds; and then, having patiently listened to their difficulties, he proceeded to use his best efforts to remove them. And when he heard that any were sick, he soon found out their chamber, and endeavoured to stablish, strengthen, and settle them in the faith and fear of God.

The same desire to promote personal religion was manifested by his efforts in the neighbourhood. He knew that the soul was beyond all other possessions in value,

and wished that men were wise enough to ponder this truth and to live accordingly. He deeply lamented that so many were betrayed in that age into careless and irreligious courses; and, in his endeavours to lead any into the way of peace, he would exclaim —“O, what a glorious thing-how rich a prize for the expense of a man's whole life were it—to be the instrument of rescuing any one soul!" He therefore went about as one who watched for souls, because he believed that “spiritual conference, which is at all times very profitable, yea, and pleasant to every diligent humble student," is highly conducive to the "countermining and eradicating of sin, mortifying this or that passion, rage, or other sensual desire, and contending for the highest exaltation and improvement of our natures, all growth in grace, and the practical knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

The young were now, as they ever had been, particularly interesting to him; he thought that they should be led early into the paths of righteousness, and that this would be the most likely way of bringing about a national reformation. At one time he had proposed that every pastor should pursue a regular course of instruction in the doctrines and duties of the Gospel "with all the youth of his parish which had not yet come to the Lord's Supper :" and although these endeavours might be thrown away upon many, yet he considered that, through the blessing of God, an abundant harvest would repay the toil of this spiritual husbandry, thus pursued towards the young and tender plants in the vineyard. Being thrust out of his parochial charge, he was precluded from acting on such a plan; but the mind which proposed it was not less intent upon promoting the spiritual welfare of the young by such means as yet remained within his power.

He gained their affection and confidence; he then represented to them the beauty, pleasure, and advantage, of a pious life, and the deformity and misery of sinful courses. Such were the sentiments which he mingled with his other instructions to sir John Pakington's children, (for he devoted the interval between morning prayer and dinner to their education); and such he endeavoured to instil into the minds of all whom he met. He also strenuously warned them against being ashamed of their religion. "You ought to be as open," he would say, "in your regard for the Gospel, and as bold in leading others. to God, as wicked men are in serving the cause of Satan. Instead of always acting on the defensive part, you should be forward to attack the enemy, and this you will find not only a great service to your neighbours but the best security for yourselves." Nothing was in his estimation more dangerous in the christian's warfare than a truce and the cessation of hostilities; and he considered a parley with sin of any degree to be no less than treason against God and our own souls. Hence he went on to say- "While we fight with sin we shall be safe, even in the fiercest shock of opposition, for no attempts can hurt us till we treat with the assailants; temptations of all sorts having that good quality of the devil in them, to fly when they are resisted." Such remarks he would make to persons of all ages, but he found that young and unestablished christians particularly required these cautions and encouragements. And when he wished to give to any young person a few memorable words of advice, he would say "Withstand the first overtures of sin; be intent and serious in what is good; and make choice of a wise and virtuous friend."

Dr. Hammond was a frequent visitor of the sick in the neighbourhood. "The time of sickness," he observes,

"or any other affliction, is like the cool of the day to Adam, a season of peculiar propriety for the voice of God to be heard in the mouth of his messengers, and so may, by the assistance of united prayers for God's blessing on his own instruments, be improved into a very advantageous opportunity of begetting or increasing spiritual life in the soul; and cannot, without great guilt of unkindness and treachery to that most precious part, be neglected or omitted by us." In performing this office he often encountered the danger of infection without fear, for he felt that "he should be as much in God's hands in the sick man's chamber as in his own."

His mode of dealing with those who, after spending their lives in sin, professed to repent at the last, is worthy of particular attention. "The course I would prescribe to others or observe myself," he says, " is.... not presently to make haste to apply comfort to that man, (meaning by comfort, words of pardon, or promise or assurance that his sins in this state shall certainly be forgiven); but to dispense my comfort discreetly, and so that I may lay a foundation on which he may more safely build, and I more infallibly ascertain comfort to him; I mean by preparing him to a right capacity of it, by increasing yet farther in his heart, and rooting as deep as I can, the mourning which, if sincere, hath the promise of comfort (Matt. v. 4.), the sorrow for sin, the humiliation and indignation at himself, the vehement desire, the zeal, the revenge, the all manner of effects of godly sorrow, and indeed by doing my utmost in perfecting this so necessary work in him; which if by the help of God it be done, and those graces deeply rooted-through a consideration not only of the instant danger, but detestable ugliness of sin, the provocation offered to a most gracious Father, and most merciful Redeemer, and sanc

tifying Spirit, together with all the other humbling matter from the particular sins and aggravating circumstances of them it will then be that godly sorrow which the apostle speaks of, and that will, if God afford space, bring forth that repentance which consists in a sincere change and reformation, a change or amendment which will not be retracted; and then there is no doubt that to him which is in this estate mercy infallibly belongs, and to him I shall then hasten to ascertain it [declare it]. And yet of this mercy, if I, through some error or neglect of mine, should not give him-nor he himself, through the greatness of his sorrow, the flood of tears in his eyes, otherwise find-any comfortable assurance, yet is he by God's immoveable promise sure to be partaker; and all that he loses by not being assured of it here by me, or by his own spirit, is the present comfort and joy of some few minutes, which will soon be repaired and made up to him at death by God's wiping off all tears from his eyes. .... with a Come thou blessed of my Father, thou hast cordially mourned and [been] converted, and thou shalt be comforted. Whereas, if I should go about too hastily and preposterously to grant him any such comfortable assurance that he were already accepted - - I mean not now that he should be accepted if his change be sincere or his sorrow such as would bring forth that change, for that conditional comfort I have all this while allowed him, but positive assurance for the present upon a view of such his sorrow I might then possibly raise him up too soon, before the work were done, the plant rooted deep enough; and that were utter ruin to him by giving him his good things, his comfort, here, to deprive him of it eternally; or at the best, refresh him here a little beforehand, but not at all advantage him toward another life..... And so the best way must be to humble him