Holy Spirit had penetrated, illuminated, and convinced him of sin; the blessed Saviour had been exhibited in his redeeming love, to his believing mind; the kingdom of God, "righteousness, peace, and joy," had been set up in his heart; and a new nature, with its characteristics of purity and love, had been given him from above.— This unravels the difficulty, and nothing else can.

But how free, and how sovereign does this grace appear free, inasmuch as he was not passed by in his sins; and sovereign in its infinite sufficiency to save. Surely it may be seen from this case of conversion, that nothing is too hard for God. Personal peculiarities, tastes, and habits, the most opposed to the religious spirit and character, are as nothing; when, by faith, the sinner apprehends the merits of the Saviour-his "blood cleanseth from all sin.” Situations the most unfavourable possible, are no insuperable bar and hindrance to the attainment of the blessed enjoyments of religion, when the word of God is believingly received. All this is finely exemplified in the case of William Edw. Miller. By divine teaching he saw it his duty to decide, to humble his soul in penitence, to rest in the promises, to flee to the Saviour:-God did all the rest. With salvation he received power, and his soul sprang into new life. His passions were subdued, his tastes changed, his eyes opened on new scenes, and the current of his joys took a spiritual and heavenly direction. In this state of feeling, it caused him much sorrow to leave his old companions in those pleasures of the world to which he had so much, and so long contributed—but no regret. The soul which is "born from above" tends heaven-ward, and in its more than eagle flight, it costs it no pang to see earth in the distance.

CHAPTER III.

MINISTRY.

BUT a short time intervened betwixt Mr. Miller's conversion, and his beginning to preach that gospel which he had found to be "the power of God unto salvation." Indeed, from the period of his attaining an interest in Christ, so intense were his feelings, that he could not remain silent. He began at once to proclaim the Saviour he had found.

In private, amongst his friends, he used persuasion of the most tender and importunate kind, to win them to Christ; never failing to bear witness to the great work wrought in his own heart, and extolling the free and all-sufficient grace of God. An anecdote is told, by one of the parties who have furnished notes of his early history, illustrative of this. "Being at that time in the habit of visiting, professionally, the family of the late Lord he took an opportunity to rehearse to them the particulars of his conversion, thinking,

like most young converts, that they had only to be told these wonderful things, in order to receive and embrace them. This was 66 as bread cast on the waters," for, after the lapse of many years, the present Lord who was then a youth, wrote to him, expressing his grateful remembrance of his visits to his father's house, and the religious testimony he bore." This instance is only the pattern of a general practice. It shows, however, the heroic nature of his faith at this early period, as well as his fidelity to God. He did not, like too many, "put his light under a bushel," or appear in the presence even of the noble and the wealthy, after his profession of Christ, as a criminal, with downcast looks and ignominious shame.

In the prayer meetings, then extensively carried on in the promotion of the revival at Sheffield, and other places, he took an early and an active part. We may be assured, also, that the irregularities which he at first so fiercely denounced, he afterwards adopted.

Mr. Tatham's introduction to Mr. Miller was at one of these prayer meetings, and is very characteristic of the manner in which they were held, and of the part taken in them by our zealous friend. "The friends from Nottingham," Mr. Tatham remarks, "being at the late Mr. Longden's house, at a late hour one evening, a messenger came from Garden-street chapel, requesting they would go thither to pray for one in deep distress, with whom several had been praying, until they were much exhausted, but without the person obtaining mercy. We went, and, no sooner did the writer hereof begin to pray, than some one smote him on the shoulder, crying out, 'Stop, brother, stop!' On obeying, he was interrogated by the same person,

asking, have you faith in God?' On being answered in the affirmative, he replied, well, then, pray on.' On making inquiry afterwards, I was informed this person was Mr. Miller, who, although so prompt in his manner, was, nevertheless, sincere, and without guile in his profession, which I found to be the case, when we became better acquainted."

Another friend remarks, respecting the part taken by Mr. Miller at this period: "He now became very prominent in his exertions to extend this extraordinary revival-attending the prayer meetings, and was a mighty instrument in God's hands, in bringing many from darkness to light. His poetical and musical talents, which were of the first order, were now consecrated to the sacred cause of religion; he wrote and published several hymns, remarkable for rich, hallowed, evangelical sentiment; he also composed tunes, admirably adapted to their spirit, as well as characteristic of his own genius. These tunes were deservedly popular, from the grace, simplicity, and beauty of the melody, and were frequently sung at the above named revival, for which they were originally intended; and aided, in no small degree, in keeping up the elevated tone of devotional piety, which so eminently characterized that remarkable work of God. From the first moment in which the pure flame of love was enkindled on the altar of his heart, it never went out, or wavered; but burned with a steady, increasing, and beautiful lustre to the perfect day." It is added, “Several kind, judicious friends took him by the hand, and instructed him more fully in the great leading truths of religion; these were the late venerable Mr. Holy, Mr. Longden, Mr. Beet, and others. This was of immense advantage to

him; his impressions acquired depth and stability, and he became rooted and grounded in sound doctrinal principles and views."

In this state of elevated piety and excited feeling, Mr. Miller made his first attempt to preach. He might possibly have delivered exhortations at prayer meetings, or in small congregations in the villages, but his first essay to deliver a sermon was made at his native town, Doncaster. The circumstances, as related by several of his contemporaries, agree, as to the main facts of the case, and are in perfect keeping with the somewhat eccentric and irregular movements of this extraordinary man. It is easy to imagine that, but a very short interval would pass betwixt his conviction of duty and the attempt to discharge it. Some, and those amongst the most wise and judicious, would probably insist that, if Mr. Miller received, in fact and in truth, a divine call to preach the gospel on one day, that could be no reason that he should on the next, and that, without any adequate preparation, obey the call. But the impetuosity of his feelings would allow of no delay. Like all young converts, with the warmth of his "first love" glowing in his heart, and inexperienced as to the difficulties of the exercise, he imagined he could preach as he felt ;—that it would be perfectly easy for his lips to give utterance to sentiments which were so powerfully at work in his heart. The sequel shows how good men may be mistaken.

One of our authorities says, "I heard him relate the following particulars relative to his call to the ministry. Some short time after his conversion, he was most powerfully affected one Sabbath by a sermon preached by Mr. Bramwell, in Sheffield, from the text,