Thus does a gracious Father lead on his children step by step, baptizing
them first into one state and then into another, in order to qualify them
to drop a word in season for the comfort of others. Little did I think
under the recent buffetings of the Enemy, that I should ever have had to
open my mouth again in the way of declaring the everlasting goodness of a
gracious Redeemer.


This memorandum was made a few days after the occurrence to which it
refers, on his return from Settle Monthly Meeting, and is accompanied
the record of a fresh unfolding to his mental eye of the need of gospel
laborers, and of his own vocation to the work. In my return I had rather
an unusual opening into the state of society, and the great want of
laborers therein; and querying with myself, By whom shall the Lord send? I
thought I felt the weight and power of the everlasting gospel upon me to
preach, so that I was willing to say, Here am I; send me. O the importance
of this language! May the same Spirit, which I trust raised it in my heart
preserve me in every state to the end of time! Amen.


The extract which follows treats of the same subject,--the calling and
exercise of the ministry. From this, and from the whole tenor of what has
been extracted from the Diary, will be seen in what his ministry
consisted, and what was the call and the power which was required in every
successive exercise of it. May it serve as a word of caution and
instruction to such as are disposed to reduce this heavenly gift to a mere
effort of Christian good-will, or to consider the exercise of it as
placed, whether in regard to time or subject, at the disposal of the