son William was equally distinguished. Even in his unconverted state, this was a virtue which he constantly practised, and from the observation of which he never receded. On no occasion could he be enticed or intimidated to betray its interests or disobey its dictates; and, in certain instances, in which a person of less firmness would have wavered,-fearless of consequences, he asserted the truth with the boldness of a lion. Unimpeachable veracity is so rare among mankind, that the wicked themselves display a kind of supernatural respect for the manly character in which it is found. It is indeed a legible trace of the Deity, which commands universal admiration, and on which the most sublime virtues have a firm foundation. All these instructions forwarded the operations of divine grace in his mind :-At the early age of seven years, while he was yet under the roof of his father, he was favoured with the awakening visits of God's Holy Spirit; he had powerful convictions of sin, and deeply felt the necessity of a change in his heart and affections. These religious feelings never left him, till he experienced the great blessing of a sound conversion. In his childhood Mr. Bramwell was much afflicted with the ague and other disorders. He had the small pox when he was six years of age; and such was the excruciating bodily anguish which he felt when this disease had reached its crisis, that, in a paroxysm of pain, he ran out of the house, threw himself into a pond and was completely immersed in the water. But He who "guards the sacred heirs of heaven," had his own gracious purposes to answer by him, and suffered no farther evil consequences to ensue from this involuntary act, than some large boils or blisters which arose on his skin, by which for some time nature endeavoured to cast off her surfeit. These did not cause great irritation or pain, but were very troublesome; and while they remained he was ordered to be confined to his room. Much of his time was then spent in singing psalms in bed. At length all the bad effects of his indisposition left him; and he gradually recovered his former health and vigour. Singing was, indeed, always a delightful exercise to Mr. Bramwell. Nature had given him a fine mellow voice, well adapted to sacred music; until his subsequent excessive labour and exertions in the ministerial office had robbed it of its sweetness. From his infancy he had been well instructed in church psalmody, his vocal powers having early rendered him a favourite among the singers at Cop Chapel. When a child he had a place assigned him in the singers' pew, where a stool was set to elevate him, that his voice might be heard by the whole congregation. He received such an education as the means of instruction in the village of Elswick could afford. Knowledge had not in those days given itself that elastic bound, which it has since done. The qualifications which were then considered necessary for young persons in the middle ranks of society were not numerous, and few persons could enjoy even the whole of these advantages. In the course of this narrative, it will be perceived how sedulously he applied himself to remedy the defects which he had experienced in his education, and what great success crowned his endea vours. The early part of his youth was spent at home. His father, who was a farmer, and possessed of a small landed property, employed him for some time in agricultural affairs; but when he had nearly attained the age of sixteen years, he was sent to Liverpool to reside with his eldest brother John, who was a merchant of great respectability in that town. It was intended that William should have been brought up to that profession; but after a short time his disinclination to that calling was so manifest, that his parents desired him' to return home; and he was not backward in adopting their advice. His chief ground of dissatisfaction was, that the situation militated against his religious pursuits. His reason informed him, that the seductive dissipation of a gay seaport, and the opportunities which he would there have of indulging himself in its plea sures, were circumstances ill suited to promote the higher objects that he had in view. As he was at this period very ignorant of vital godliness, he did not perceive how great a disparagement it was to the grace of God, to distrust its sufficiency in preserving him faithful and incorrupt in an honest calling, however numerous and great his temptations might prove. Yet, to the close of his life, he was accustomed to speak of his residence in Liverpool with horror and disgust; and always thanked God that he had been providentially called to escape from the snares and pollutions with which it abounded. He frequently declared it to be his settled belief, that had he remained much longer in Liverpool, he would have been ruined for ever. It is remarkable that only a few weeks before he died, when he was recalling this circumstance to memory in company with Mrs. Bramwell, he expressed his gratitude to God for delivering him from these temptations. Soon after he had left Liverpool, he engaged himself, with the approbation of his parents, as an apprentice to Mr. Brandreth, a currier in Preston. He had not been long in this new occupation, before he had a severe attack of disease in his chest and stomach. The complaint with which he was afflicted assumed for some time the appearance of a deep consumption : but by the blessing of God on the means which were used to remove this indisposition, he gradually recovered. His situation was now very comfortable. Mr. Bran dreth, though not himself a religious man, placed the greatest confidence in his apprentice, and highly valued him for his unimpeachable honesty and integrity, qualities of far greater importance in trade than the narrow-minded slaves of sin are willing to allow. An instance of the sterling excellence of these virtues occurred soon after he went into his master's employ: The person who acted as salesman and retailed goods to the customers, was in the habit of giving a more glowing description of his articles than plain truti would warrant. When those persons hesitated to receive his testimony, he generally appealed for a corroboration to any of the apprentices that were present. The first time William Bramwell was applied to in this manner he instantly replied, "No, sir. The quality of that leather is not so good as you have represented it!" As several persons in the trade were present, when he gave this answer, they conceived the highest opinion of his veracity and uprightness. This anecdote was soon circulated; in consequence of which, his virtue was honoured, and his character became established with all those by whom he was known. His master might have been displeased by this marked preference shown to one who was yet quite a stripling: but he soon experienced the advantage of this mode of transacting business, by the great increase of customers that it brought: "For the Lord blessed his master's house for William's sake, and the. blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house. He had also discovered several malepractices among his fellow apprentices, and, without hesitation or fear of the evil which the delinquents might practise against him, acquainted his master with the knavery. This procured Mr. Brandreth's respect and good will, and he was fully convinced, that such an apprentice was invaluable; and that every act of his would be performed with a particular view to his master's interest. Although Mr. Bramwell was thus esteemed by his master, it was rather as a faithful and valuable servant, in whom he could repose entire confidence, than as a person cultivating with all his heart the fear of God. Mr. Brandreth, so far from being religious, was entirely ignorant of the nature and power of genuine Christianity. The punctilious fear of offending the Supreme Being, the zealous earnestness in prayer, and preparation for eternity, which he beheld in Mr. Bramwell, he ascribed to the enthusiasm of an overheated mind. It was this ignorance which induced him to say, "Wm. Bramwell is mad in these things, yet, as a servant he is inestimable" To this also must be imputed the degree of persecution which Mr. B. suffered for religion. The ardour and zeal of his mind in perusing the oracles of divine truth, could not escape the observation of any one who knew him. He prosecuted this study to a very late hour in the night, when he had retired to his chamber. To render these pursuits impossible, he was allowed no candles in the evening. When he was deprived of this resourse he still persevered in the attainment of divine knowledge, and when the family was retired to rest, laying himself down on the hearth, as near the fireplace as possible, by the remnant of the fire he read as long as the cinders afforded any light. Mr. Bramwell has been often heard to relate this circumstance as one of the greatest privations he ever endured, and to urge others. to make a right use of those privileges which were in this instance denied to him. Yet opposition in all its forms was rendered very helpful to his improvement; as it caused him to be more solicitous in devoting every moment of leisure during the day to the perusal of the Sacred Records and other books of instruction. He seized with avidity every opportunity of increasing his knowledge of divine things; and this earnestness soon turned to good account. CHAPTER II. Mr. Bramwell's convictions-His alarming distress of mind-His acts of austerity and mortification-The anguish of his spirit injures his health-He receives the sacrament for the first time-In that ordinance he obtains a sense of God's pardoning love-His great zeal for the honour of God-He associates with the church singers, and loses much of the consolation which he had felt-He becomes acquainted with a man of piety-After many conflicts, he goes to hear the Methodists, and joins the society. THE salutary effects of the instruction and example of Mr. Bramwell's parents, have been already noticed. During his apprenticeship, his previous convictions were increased in an extraordinary manner. One |