June 2. This evening our daughter was baptized, and named Mary Jane. May she become a partaker of the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the renewing influence, and comforting fellowship of the Holy Ghost. I felt much and could not give expression to my feelings. May we receive grace and wisdom to bring her up for God. Through the day I have felt very happy, and have enjoyed sweet communion with God. Praise the Lord. I long to be more useful; to possess a more vigorous body and mind; a more retentive memory; a readier tongue. A freedom of utterance, and power to recall the stores of my own mind at any time, and especially when needful. I greatly wish to possess the tongue of the wise that is as choice silver, and for my lips to drop fatness. I desire in all companies to speak to profit; and to say something to aid the good cause of my blessed Saviour. I pray also for more divine faith and power — to be filled with the Holy Ghost, that my ministry may be more powerful and effective. O never to preach a useless sermon! Sometimes good is done when we do not know it. I heard the other day a man state that his conversion was the result of hearing me preach on Eph. iv. 27. This must be about two years ago. I gave God the glory; but I should like to know that the Lord made every sermon instrumental in accomplishing such results. And why not? Why should not I possess the faith of a Bramwell, and a Smith; the love and holiness of a Fletcher; the zeal of a Wesley, a Whitfield; the courage of a Luther; and why should not I see the success of a Caughey? I see no reason if these are the gifts of God's grace, and if there is no respect of persons with him. Then let me arise and go to my Father, and never rest till I realize the same enjoyment, and reap the same reward. I sometimes think I could bear the reproach, the shame, and the cross, if I could but attain the grace. Lord give it.

“June 11. I have been confined to bed the last two or

three days, with some strange kind of fever. The pain in my bowels was very severe, and for a long time unceasing and unmitigated, or nearly so: but in the midst of all, my soul was sometimes very happy. Still pain was pain. Religious joy does not lessen bodily sufferings, but it nerves with fortitude and patience, and enables us to bear them. To-day, I am much better, through mercy. Praise the Lord. May it be my care not to let this affliction pass without profit to my soul.

"Yesterday, I heard that Conference had removed me, contrary to the request of our quarterly meeting. An intimation that such would be the case I received last Friday, when in Manchester, at the Jubilee Conference Tea-meeting. My station is Sheffield North. Lord direct my way. My mind frequently turns to Sheffield: sometimes I am forming plans of operation, at others, building castles in the air sometimes thinking what is their state, and then how to excite the town. But the work of the Lord is that which chiefly engages my thoughts. How greatly do I need divine wisdom and heavenly power."

Thus ended a glorious year- a year in which his own soul had emerged above the anxieties and doubts which had long disturbed its peace, and obtained the rich enjoyment of that love which casteth out all slavish fear a year, too, in which his ministry had been characterized by an extraordinary degree of usefulness. It is a remarkable fact, that after he had realized the attainment of that important blessing for which he had so ardently panted, his ministry was signally owned of God. Indeed, after this period, it would seem that he scarcely ever preached a sermon without visible good being effected. From hence his path was emphatically that of the just which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

CHAPTER VI.

MR. WALLER'S APPOINTMENT TO SHEFFIELD-THE DEPRESSED STATE OF THE CIRCUIT -THE SPIRIT IN WHICH HE ENTERED UPON HIS LABOURS THE WORK OF CONVERSION BEGINS LETTERS TO THE REV. A. LYNN-MR. ADDYMAN'S TESTIMONY AS TO HIS DAILY HABITS AND EXTRAORDINARY ZEAL EXTRACTS FROM HIS DIARY HIS HEALTH FAILS AND HE IS COMPELLED TO SUSPEND HIS LABOURS

HIS, REFLECTIONS ON THIS SOLEMN

LETTERS TO MESSRS. LYNN, FOWLER, COOKE, AND TATE

At the Conference of 1846, Mr. Waller was appointed to labour in the Sheffield north circuit. He entered upon his duties with uncommon fervour and earnestness, and laboured with a degree of zeal which surpassed his strength and hastened his dissolution. He yearned for the salvation of sinners; his soul was inflamed with zeal for the divine glory, and his spirit could find no rest unless sinners were brought to God.

He found the circuit in a very depressed and languid state. Dissensions, alienations, heterodoxy, and various inconsistencies, had shorn its strength, diminished its numbers, and reduced it to a state of weakness and embarrassment which greatly beclouded its prospects of future prosperity. Almost every country society was in as unpromising a state as the town itself. the state of the circuit before God in agonizing prayer,

But Mr. Waller spread

at once entered upon his regular work as a revivalist; preaching a free and full salvation, and grappling with the conscience of the flagrant sinner and the cold formalist, in the most earnest and faithful manner; and these exertions were combined with the most fervent supplications to God for the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost, This spirit of burning zeal and self-sacrificing devotion, so eminent in his public labours as a minister, we find breathed forth in all his correspondence as a friend. Indeed not one of his letters has fallen into our hand (corresponding with this date) but which breathes the same holy fervour and evinces the same yearning desire for the salvation of souls. Writing to the Rev. A. Lynn, shortly after he had commenced his labours in the Sheffield circuit he says,

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Sheffield, June 22, 1846. I have now spent one Sabbath in Sheffield. I had a good time in the morning in preaching from John xv. 3. A very gracious influence rested on the congregation while holding forth the privilege of a clean heart, and the instrumentality by which this cleansing is produced. The text was suggested by the chapel having been cleaned. A clean chapel would be a glorious thing if filled with persons enjoying clean hearts. In the evening we had a good time, but not so powerful an influence was felt as in the morning. I tried to make an inroad on the devil's camp, but the sinners were very hard, and the work went on slowly. Nevertheless, we had two who obtained pardon, one a backslider restored, and several others whose evidence was brightened. You may say this was a good beginning; and I think considering the state of the society it is as good as could be expected. There has been great strife and schism here-first a preacher's party; then a local preacher's party; then a Lord's-day school party. A party for having only one preacher in the circuit, and another for having two. The trustees against the local preachers, and vice versa. This led to a declension of piety,

and in fact, I fear, many members of our society are as lean in their souls as Pharoah's lean kine. But yesterday they got a good lift, and I hope its effects will be permanent. I should have told you that I met twelve classes in the afternoon. This, for labour, was not an idle day: I shall, however, preach only twice a-day. This will enable me to throw more energy into my discourses in the evening. But the energy of the Holy Ghost is most needed. O for the mighty sweeping gale! I have been thinking of a

thousand souls this year.

But I want more faith.

"In South-street there is more peace: but the people have more exalted notions, and I fear their notions of respectability and order will be obstacles to the revival work. Mr. Addyman I shall like as a colleague: we shall work together in harmony. Pray for me-Brother pray for me. Yours very affectionately, R. WALLER."

Writing again to Mr. Lynn about a week after, he breathes the same spirit. His whole theme is the work of God, and the chief blessing on account of which his gratitude is excited, that the glorious work of conversion has commenced.

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Sheffield, June 29, 1846. My dear Brother, How are you getting on? I want to hear from you. I am informed that the Revival at Dudley seems to be almost at an end; that there have been no penitent prayer-meetings, &c., since the chapel was re-opened. I am sorry for this and you I am sure will be equally so. The revival must go on. Keep up your spirits, trust in God, look for the Holy Spirit and send forth the truth red hot; then good will be done, and the devil will give ground.

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Yesterday I was at South-street.

Some had begun to

fear lest their quiet and orderly way of worship would be interrupted. There is a great desire for quietness amongst them. However, I determined by the help of God, to disturb their quiet: I fired a good broadside in the morn