My parents were very respectable—that is, they were poor and religious : religious, not precisely according to the theory and discipline of a particular party; but really and practically religious; exemplifying the morality of the Gospel under the influence of piety, or the fear and love of God; poor, not abjectly and dependently, but able, by frugality and diligence, to support themselves, and to bring up a family in the decencies and even comforts of village life.

The first books which a boy can call his own often exert no inconsiderable influence upon his mind and after-life. William Jay's first books were 'Watts's History of the Old and New Testament' and 'Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.' Displaying no peculiar precociousness in early youth, he yet had a taste for the beauties of nature. Mr. Thomas Turner, having by diligence in business gained more than a competency, determined upon introducing the Gospel to his native village. Having himself found blessedness in the knowledge of the truth,' he longed to communicate the same knowledge to those whom he had left behind in ignorance and carelessness. He took a house, and licensed it, and opened it for preaching. It was in that humble sanctuary that William Jay first heard the faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,' which he drank in as the parched ground drinks in the genial shower. It was on a Saturday night. He scarcely closed his eyes for weeping and joy. There was a service next morning at seven, and he was first there. Mrs. Turner, who had come from Trowbridge to superintend things for a time, opened the door of the little preaching-room herself, and with a kindness, worthy of universal imitation among those who would win souls,' taking him by the hand, she benignly asked, 'Are you hungering for the bread of life After this introduction, she never lost sight of him, but at every opportunity presented the Gospel to his mind far more simply, and attractively, and with far more point to himself than was done in sermons.

When he was thus noticed he was working as a stone-mason with his father at Fonthill Abbey, the splendid palace built by the rich and accomplished, but miserable William Beckford, who collected within its walls books, pictures, and furniture valued at more than a million of money. Jay was then about fourteen years of age. At that time the good Cornelius Winter came to preach at Tisbury, and was struck with the comely countenance of the lad. About a year after, when he came again to preach at Tisbury, on a week-day evening, there was William Jay in the chapel, with his flannel jacket and white leather apron, just as he had left his work at Fonthill Abbey.

About this time occurred, what was mentioned without a name, in the life of Mrs. Turner, concerning a lad who, after hearing a discourse enforcing family worship, besought his father upon his return home to undertake it; and upon his refusing, on the ground of inability, offered to perform it himself. The offer was accepted with tears, and he became a kind of domestic chaplain.' This lad was the writer. A little while after this, he was urged to pray at the private

meeting in the chapel, which he did with no little backwardness, and also with no little difficulty. Connected with this, he cannot but mention a circumstance, as it affected him at the time with a shock of amazement, and has since aided him in not laying an improper stress on the figurative language of Scripture; and made him careful to avoid such views of the doctrines of grace as should exclude any from hope of salvation. It was this:-He prayed that our names may be written in the Lamb's book of life; but a high-toned brother, from a neighbouring congregation, who saw things clearly, took him aside and rebuked him for the impropriety of the expression, saying, 'You know that book was filled up from eternity; and if your names are not written there, they never can be now. Bless God, my children, that from your infancy you have been familiar with a testimony too plain to be mistaken. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely."——Autobiography, p. 81.

Mr. Winter had been particularly struck with the appearance of the lad, and when he had to pay a second visit to Tisbury, called upon Mrs. Turner at Trowbridge on his way, and said that he felt a strong desire to have an interview with this lad, but not knowing his name, he could not inform her of the youth he intended. At once she said that there was a lad in the place that she wished him to see, and mentioned his name that he might inquire for him. Accordingly on the Saturday evening he desired the door-keeper to ask for Billy Jay to come to him in the parlour after the service. Again, while in the pulpit, he was equally attracted with the appearance of the lad who had so impressed him before, and was eager to know who he was, and to have some talk with him.

When the preaching was over, as desired, I followed him into the house, and was presented to him. I was in my simple village dress, with my apron drawn around me. He then perceived that the youth Mrs. Turner had mentioned, and the youth he had remarked, were the same.

He was affected even to tears, and immediately kneeled down and prayed. I was, of course, amazed at the strangeness of all this; nor could I for one moment conjecture the design. He then began to talk with me, and in a man ner which disarmed me of fear, concerning several things, and especially of my religious views and feelings. At this interview he proceeded no further, but desired me to come to him again after the service on the morrow evening. I again waited upon him; he again immediately prayed for a few moments; and. began to inquire whether I should not like, and did not long to communicate to others what I felt myself. He observed that he had a small academy of young men for the ministry; and kindly invited me to join them, if after reflection and prayer my heart should be inclined and my parents should be disposed to give their consent. The invitation was, after some time, accepted, and I went to Marlborough, where for some years (they were far too few) I was privileged to live under the tuition and care of that incomparable man-Bishop Jebb calls him, in a letter, that celestial creature, Cornelius Winter.

Mr. Winter had no certain provision for young Jay's support; but he trusted in the providence of God, and he was not disappointed. Though the young student had not had many advantages, by diligent application he made rapid progress in his studies. His tutor, deeply commiserating the spiritual condition of the neighbourhood, and seeking really to train the young men under his care to the work of preaching, soon called Jay to labour. Such work met the wants of many who were perishing for lack

of knowledge; it kept the minds of the students in the truths of the Gos pel; and it gave them confidence by practice.

I remember a circumstance hardly worth relating. Soon after I had begun my early career, I went to supply for a Sabbath at Melksham. At this time was residing there an old gentleman from London, a very wise man, at least in his own conceit. I called upon him on the Monday morning. He received me rather incourteously. He did not, indeed, censure my preaching, but rudely said, he had no notion of beardless boys being employed as preachers. Pray, sir,' said I, 'does not Paul say to Timothy, Let no man despise thy youth?" And, sir, you remind me of what I have read of a French monarch, who had received a young ambassador, and complaining, said, "Your master should not have sent me a beardless stripling.' "Sir," said the youthful ambassador, "had my master supposed you wanted a beard he would have sent you a goat.

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His first sermon was preached at Abington, near Stonehenge, from the text, 'If so be, ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' He was little more than sixteen years of age when he began; from that period he was called to preach with no little frequency; and before he was of age, he had preached near a thousand sermons; for then, in all their stations, Winter's students always preached three times on the Sabbath, with some week-day services. Some advised that he should have a higher training; but Sir Richard Hill and John Thornton, the philanthropist, set themselves against it, saying, 'God has opened the young man's mouth, and for years to come we dare not shut it, while there are so many immediate and pressing calls for exertion.'

The 'boy preacher' was soon in great request. Characterised by modesty, firmness, and earnestness, he sought the best qualifications for the work, in communion with God and clear conceptions of the Gospel. Soon after this he came in contact with the Rev. Rowland Hill, who, with the permission and approbation of his tutor, engaged him for a season to go to London, to supply Surrey Chapel. We have been credibly informed, though the fact does not appear in the autobiography, that his first text was, 'There is a lad here, who has five loaves and two small fishes.' The large chapel was soon crowded to excess.

Declining several applications to settle, he retired to Christian Malford, near Chippenham. His salary had to be £35 a-year, a tradesman undertaking to board him. Here he was disappointed in finding the retirement which he sought; for he had incessant applications to preach in surrounding places and larger towns, and too often consented, not having the courage and firmness which time gives one to say 'No' to importunity; for, as Mr. Cecil remarks, a minister should never be to be had.'

At Bristol he met with Lady Maxwell, an excellent woman, who, in her day, did much for the spread of evangelical truth, and preached in her chapel at the Hotwells.

During his first visit to Surrey Chapel, London, Mr. Tuppen, Minister of the Independent Chapel, Bath, frequently heard him; and when laid aside y sickness, the deacons of his church requested that Mr. Jay, from the stimony their pastor had borne of him, should preach for him. He did ; and was favourably received. He again preached the opening sermon

of Argyle Chapel, on account of Mr. Tuppen's continued indisposition. That worthy pastor named Mr. Jay for his successor. The church invited

him at once he accepted the invitation, and thus commenced his labours in Bath, which lasted upwards of half a century.

(To be continued.)

INFLUENCE OF THE GOSPEL.

'When Raratonga was first visited, the people were found sunk in the grossest licentiousness, and addicted to the most ferocious and savage practices; but the Gospel raised them to purity, and taught them lessons and habits of affection and charity. While they were heathens, as soon as a son reached manhood, he would fight and wrestle with his father for the mastery, and, if he obtained it, he would take forcible possession of the farm previously belonging to his parent, and drive his parent in a state of destitution from his home. The Gospel taught the son affection for his parents.

'When a wife was bereft of her husband by death, the relations of the husband, instead of paying the visit of mercy and kindness to the fatherless and widow in their affliction, would seize every article of value belonging to the deceased, turn the disconsolate mother and her fatherless offspring away, and take possession of the house, the food, and the land. The Gospel taught them kindness to the afflicted.

'Between each district was left a space of uncultivated land, about half a mile in width, on which their battles were most frequently fought; but since the introduction of Christianity, many of those wastes have been cultivated. Their wars were exceedingly frequent, and the sad effects of them were everywhere apparent. There is not an old cocoa-nut tree to be seen on the north-west or south sides of the island. A few old bread-fruit trees still rear their lonely heads, having survived the injuries they had received from the hands of the desolating conquerors.

Walking one day with the king among the groves of banana and bread-fruit trees, and observing the mutilations, I asked him, while pointing to one of them, why all the bark was stripped off; and turning to another, I asked why so deep a gash was made in it; and I expressed a wish to know what had become of the cocoa-nut trees, against the stumps of which we were continually striking our feet. To this he replied, "You know very well we were conquered, and why do you banter me? We were fools enough to fight with the trees as well as with the men; some we cut down ourselves, lest the enemies should eat the fruit of them, and others our conquerers destroyed. If it was possible, I would put new bark on all the trees, and fill up the gashes in the trunks of the others; for wherever I go, they stare me in the face, and remind me of my defeat. However, young trees are growing fast, and I am planting cocoa-nuts in all directions; so that my possessions will soon be as valuable as those of our conquerors; and I am under no apprehension of having them destroyed again, -for the Gospel has put an end to our wars."

Female prisoners were very frequently put to death, the poor little children had spears passed through their ears, and were carried in triumph to the mara, and other cruelties more horrible still were practised, but all of them were swept away by the Gospel of Christ.

'At Raratonga the females were treated as inferiors. They were not allowed the same kinds of food as the men, nor were they allowed to dwell under the same roof with their tyrannical masters; but were compelled to eat their scanty meal, of inferior provisions, at a distance, while their husbands feasted on the "fat of the land," and the "abundance of the sea." The Gospel changed the

state of things entirely, teaching the husbands respect and tenderness, and rendering the wives abundant in their affectionate attentions. During the sickness which prevailed shortly after our arrival, we were delighted at beholding the tender sympathy and unremitting attentions which the women showed towards their husbands. Enter their habitations when we would, by night or by day, the head of the afflicted husband was in the lap of his affectionate wife; while she beat off the annoying flies, bathed the temples with water, or eased the pain by the gentle pressure of the afflicted part with her soft hands. Thus, in those places which so lately were the abodes of savage and implacable furies, the inhabitants now reside with their beloved teachers, sitting under their breadfruit and banana groves, no one making them afraid.

'It was a general practice among the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands to murder their own children, but the horrible practice was quickly abolished by the Gospel. "Let us this afternoon remember our former state," said one of the native converts at a public meeting, "how many children were killed, and how few were kept alive; but now none are destroyed. Parents now behold their three, five, and even their ten children; the majority of which would have been murdered, had not God sent his word to us. Now hundreds of these are daily taught the word of God."

Another native rose and said-"There were two captivities amongst us formerly. The one was a captivity to the gods, the other was a captivity to the king's servants. Perhaps there is an individual present who understands the former captivity; for I know the very cave in which he hid himself several times, when he was sought after to be offered up to be sacrificed to the gods. The other captivity was to the servants of our chiefs. The master of the house would sit as a poor captive, without daring to speak, while they would seize his rolls of cloth, kill the fattest of his pigs, pluck the best of his bread-fruit, and take the very posts of his house for fire-wood with which to cook them. Is there not a person present who buried his new canoe in the sand, to hide it from these desperate men? But now all these customs are abolished: we live in peace, without fear. But what has abolished them all? It is the Gospel of Jesus.'

'Prior to the introduction of Christianity, the old people, of both sexes, were treated with the greatest cruelty; for as soon as they became burdensome, their friends, or their own children, relieved themselves from further trouble, by putting an end to their existence. Under the pretence of carrying the victim to a stream of water to bathe, his relations would hurl him into a hole previously dug for the purpose, and then throw a heap of stones upon the body. The Gospel taught them to respect their aged kindred, and now were seen numbers upwards of sixty years of age, collected into classes and learning the truths of religion, and enjoying its consolations. Thus various and numerous are the blessings of the Gospel, which it imparts with a liberal hand to people of all climes, and under all circumstances; the new-born infant, the hoaryheaded man, the despised old woman, the widows and the fatherless, the afflicted and the dying, are alike the objects of its tender regards.

"We have a delightful instance of the beneficent power of the Gospel in the case of the chief Vara. In the times of their ignorance, he was a procurer of human sacrifices, and on one occasion Fomare sent to him an order to obtain one immediately. Vara was rather at a loss to satisfy this imperious demand; and as he was going in search of a victim, his own little brother followed him at a distance, and cried after him. So soon as he saw him he turned round, struck his head with a stone, killed him, and, having put him into a large basket, made of cocoa-nut leaves, sent him to Pomare. When his mother bewailed the death of her child, and charged him with cruelty for killing his brother, he abused her. Another office held by Vara was to rally dispirited warriors, and