minister. It will be observed how John Yeardley, in after life so abundant
in word and doctrine, and so catholic in his ideas and sympathies,
received his vocation as a divine gift immediately from above, and served
in it an apprenticeship altogether spiritual, and apart from human
learning or instruction.


10 _mo_. 26.--I have been very much instructed to-day in reading and
reflecting on the 37th chapter of Ezekiel. When the prophet was asked if
the dry bones could live, he was wise enough cautiously to answer, "O Lord
God, thou knowest;" but when he was commanded to prophesy unto them, and
say, "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord," this was hard work, yet
there was no conferring with flesh and blood. No reasoning from
probabilities, nothing but an implicit faith and dependence on the divine
power which was then upon him, could have enabled him to do it. O what an
instructive lesson! When the poor instruments may feel so weak and the
state of things so low, that there may not be the least probability of
good arising, it is enough if they can only do the will of their great
Master, and be enabled to say with the holy prophet, "I prophesied as the
Lord commanded."


John Yeardley did not take his actual farewell of Barnsley until the end
of the year. The reflections which he has recorded on leaving his home of
so many years are very characteristic of the man:--


1818. 1 _mo_.--The Twelfth Month was spent at Barnsley in settling my
affairs. Just before I left Bentham for that purpose, I was exceedingly
unhappy at the idea of leaving my home, friends, &c. at Barnsley, and