THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MR.

PHILIP DICKERSON.

Continuation of my Narrative.

MY DEAR BROTHER,-My mind was much exercised all the day previously to this our first prayer-meeting, and I prayed and laboured hard to prepare a prayer for the occasion, which I mentally repeated all the way I was going to the cottage, and thought it would do pretty well. But, unhappily for me, Father Randall did not call upon me till the last, and having perceived many of the expressions which I had interwoven into my prayer had been used, and some of them more than once, I thought it was necessary for me to alter my prayer; when lo, the attempt to alter it threw me into confusion, and I thought I must altogether have broken down. However, I stammered on for a few minutes and then sat down, ashamed of my miserable performance. I retired from my brethren as soon as I could, and on my way home in the dark pleaded with God for forgiveness for my folly. One thought, however, consoled me, they will never ask me any more to pray, perceiving I have no gift, and I may now go to a prayer-meeting without any fear of being called upon to pray. With these reflections I laid me down and fell asleep. The next evening I went to a prayer-meeting in another village, where Brother Randall presided, and to my astonishment he called upon me again, and I knew he never took a denial; so I lifted up my heart to God and commenced in dependence upon Him, and went through very comfortably. God, by means of that prayer, taught me more clearly than I had ever seen or felt before that simple prayer is the telling out of the desires of the heart to God, and though we know not what to pray for as we ought, the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities and makes intercession for us. Blessed be our God for Divine teaching. We kept on our meetings; many of the neighbours came, and, to our surprise, one whom we had not invited. The reason of our not in

viting him was that he was frequently in the habit of drinking to excess, and then he was quarrelsome and unreasonable, therefore we were afraid of him. When sober he was a quiet, respectable man; but our faith was too small to invite him. Justly might our blessed Redeemer have rebuked us, as He did the disciples of old: "O ye of little faith." Well, the poor man came, and to this day the writer feels the thrill of fear that rushed through his feelings when he entered the room; he thought, I cannot read or pray before that man. However, the man took his seat, appeared very attentive, and at the close quietly went out. At our next meeting he was there again, and at the close of the third meeting he addressed the friends as they were about to leave, saying, "Neighbours, I think we ought to feel greatly obliged to these good people for coming to read and pray with us. I am sure," he continued, "I feel deeply indebted to them for praying for me, and I know, neighbours, these services must occasion extra expense, and also labour in cleaning up after the meeting; I, therefore, beg to propose we make a subscription," at that instant throwing down a shilling. This was promptly followed by three or four more with the greatest cheerfulness, and to our astonishment: we wondered what it all could mean. The fact was we had been praying, but not watching for answers. From this time the man began to accompany us on a Lord's-day morning to chapel, and appeared desirous of entering into conversation with us; but, cowards as we were, we shunned him from fear for several weeks, but when our foolish fears subsided, and we entered into conversation with him, we found God had indeed granted him repentance unto life. He desired us to meet at his house, which was more convenient; and, suffice it to say, God was pleased to call his wife and two daughters to taste that the Lord is gracious. The two daughters died a very few years afterwards in the Lord, and also their mother; but our friend lived to serve and honour the Lord to

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a good old age, and, we believe, bearing fruit to the last.

"For Grace to accomplish nothing is too hard; It Saul unhorsed, and Lydia's heart unbar'd." And

"Grace will complete what Grace begins, To save from sorrows and from sins."

I

About this time our friend Lewis, who was our prompter, began to goad the writer again. One morning as we were walking to the house of God, I was talking of the beauty I saw in, and the pleasure I felt the preceding Thursday evening, when reading, that account we have of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. expatiated upon it, as representing the poor sinner coming to Christ and telling him "all that was in his heart," asking him "hard questions," and receiving wonderful answers, and being so overwhelmed that she fainted, saying, It was a true report which I heard in mine own country, but the half was not told me." My friend was quite mute while I was speaking upon that subject, but when I finished friend Lewis looked at me very knowingly, and said, "I wonder how you Not can satisfy your conscience ?"

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knowing what he meant I replied, "What do you mean?" Mean," he said; "why did you not tell us these things on Thursday evening. when they were suggested to your mind by God for that purpose?" "Oh," I said, "I could not do that before so many people, as I had no talent for public speaking." "No talent," he said; why you have been speaking upon those verses for the last half-hour, so that we could not get in a word edgeways." I was struck with the truth of the remark, yet had not before this thought of giving utterance to my thoughts while reading the Scriptures at the prayermeeting. The subject was continued more or less till we reached the chapel, and after dinner our old friend Mary Jacob was consulted upon it (she was our female oracle.) She advised that if a thought or two occurred to my mind while reading the Word, to give

utterance to them if I could, adding "I believe they are given to you for that purpose, especially as you are situated in the providence of God so far from the gospel, that probably many of the poor people who meet with you have never heard the way of salvation pointed out in their lives." Then our pastor was consulted. He expressed great pleasure in hearing we had commenced a prayer-meeting on the heath, and with relation to my expounding the Scriptures, he added: "Moses once said, Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets.' So I say, would that all our members were preachers." And at the same time there was not wanting in my heart a desire

"To tell to sinners round

What a dear Saviour I had found."

So after many prayers, tremblings, drawbacks, and encouragements, I was enabled to open my mouth from time to time, and delightful is the reflection that our old friend who had frightened us when he first came amongst us, opened his house for preaching, and in that house I opened my mouth for God the second time, and the address was blessed to the eldest daughter (about seventeen years of age.) She was the first of my spiritual children, and the first Christian I ever visited upon a dying bed. It pleased our gracious God to bless those meetings to the conversion of seven or eight persons in the course of a few months, as well as to revive and quicken all our souls who were engaged in them. Thus I became, almost unconsciously, a preacher of the glorious gospel by the time I was eighteen years of age; and I look back to that humble cottage, upon that heath, as the commencement of my ministerial career, and to my beloved Brother William Lewis as the instrument, under God, who prompted me to it and encouraged me in it.*

*My friend Lewis afterwards became a very useful man, and a deacon in a little church which God had honoured me in raising in the neighbourhood. He frequently led the singing

After we had been going on thus for six or nine months, the writer was removed in the providence of God, so that he could not often meet with his beloved friends for several months; but during that period he laboured to increase his knowledge of the Word of God, and also to acquire the art of writing from copies, which were kindly set him by a pious woman with whom he met at a friend's house. That friend was a member of the church at Keppelstreet, and was baptized by Mr. Martin. To her the writer is indebted for the little knowledge he has of the use of the pen, and seldom does he take up that instrument, but he thinks of his dear friend Mrs. Hopkins. And it affords him grateful pleasure to reflect that he visited and contributed to her comfort upon her dying bed, and several years after to the comfort of her husband in his dying illness. There is a sacred pleasure in serving the poor of the Lord's family in sickness and trouble at any time; but if while so employed we feel we are paying a debt which we owe for past kindnesses, the pleasure is doubled. The reader of these lines may think this to be an exaggeration, but the writer can assure him that he has seldom entered Keppel-street Chapel without a grateful and affectionate remembrance of his friend Mrs. Hopkins. Time rolled on, till the Michaelmes of 1815, when the writer unexpectedly went into the employment of a man who had some few times heard him speak at the cottage prayer-meetings. We hope this man was a good man; he used often to speak of the interest he had felt in the addresses he had heard at those meetings. It so occurred that about this time a house was opened for preaching near to where this man resided, and about three miles from my

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lodging. He also (quite unexpectedly) hinted to me his desire for me to go and preach in this newly-opened house, to which I said that I could not preach, and that I had never preached. He said, You can preach; you know I have heard you preach," &c., &c. Things passed on very pleasantly; I liked my employment, and more especially as the hours of labour were shorter, which gave me more time to read my Bible.*

His

Now occurred an event which proved a heavy trial to the writer. heart had been previously drawn towards an interesting young woman, who was brought to know the Lord under the very same sermon which had been blessed to his soul. She became a member of the same church with him; they became more and more intimate, and affection sprung up between them of the most endearing character, based as it was upon the love of Christ. With her he fondly hoped to spend many years of happiness in the future; and, indeed, if any youth ever idolized

a young companion, he was that youth. But we know our God has declared "He will not give His glory to another.' This passage had been more than once powerfully applied to his mind, so that he was in some measure prepared for something to happen. Well, that dear young woman was about this time attacked with typhus fever, which carried her off in a few days. The effect of this stroke upon the writer's mind was such, that for a few days he felt as if he had lost his all in this world, and that there was nothing more worth living for. His thoughts ran upon the many happy seasons he had enjoyed with her in going to and coming from the house of God, when she used to repeat to

Many who may read this will be amused when they are told that one of the most favourable times the writer then had for reading his Bible was while he was eating his dinner (out of doors.) He used to cut his food into mouthfuls, lay it down beside him, then he could pick it up and put it into his mouth without looking off his book. And some of these were happy

seasons.

I have been preserved in unshaken persuasion of what I have so many years published to others. The truths of free and distinguishing grace have yielded me satisfaction and support when constrained to look upon the solemnities of the grave and the approximation of an eternal state. My weakness never appeared more conspicuous and entire, nor my strength more sufficient and satisfactory than when the earth seemed receding and the portals of eternity summoned my serious attention. To live was Christ, to die was Christ, to go hence was Christ, to receive the end of my faith was Christ, to obtain answers to my prayers was Christ. My covering garments are Christ, my cleansing fountain is Christ, my happiness is Christ, and my way to endless glory is Christ. He is my wealth, my shield, my pattern, my advocate, my everlasting all.

On Him I trust, for Him I plead, about Him I talk; His acts I commend, His friends I esteem; and yet not I, but His influence enables and actuates me. If He will but strengthen me, I shall do all things, bear all things, and all things will appear right in my eyes that He does. My works will be required, but they will not be trusted; they will be good in their place, but not in His place. I find prayer frequently, and sometimes in the night season very blessed employ. I rise up in my bed and speak for fifteen

or twenty minutes to my Father in heaven at times when I am awake, and vent my sighs and cries in Immanuel's

TWELVE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD REVERE, LOVE, AND CONSTANTLY AND PRAYERFULLY READ THE BIBLE.

1. BECAUSE it is the word of God, written by His direction, and under the special inspiration of His Holy Spirit. To be quite sure of this fact it is only necessary to the spiritually taught mind to study the Book itself. Its own internal evidences are sufficient to convince such an one that the Author of such a volume must be God Himself; for there is a power and majesty, and light and glory in the sacred page, that precludes the thought being for one moment entertained of ascribing it to any other origin. Therefore, being the word of God, and the only book he has written, we should esteem it above all other books, and daily peruse it in preference to all others.

2. Because it contains the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Saviour, and most wonderful and most glorious Person that ever men or angels heard of. By our knowledge of Him and love to Him is our religion tested and proved, and as all other knowledge and all other acquirements are comparatively worthless when set by the side of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, then it follows that to read the book which contains the revelation of all that can be known of Him in this earthly state, must be greatly and inexpressibly to our advantage, and lasting and highest good.

3. Because it contains the word of truth by which the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men, by which he calls, instructs, comforts, and sanctifies His people, and therefore by so much the more that we prayerfully read the Bible, by so much the more shall we be under the tuition of the Holy Spirit, who is promised by Christ to His people as their guide into all truth, and who makes use of the Bible as the written word of truth for that purpose, and who never teaches anything contrary to that written word.

4. Because the Bible contains so many interesting and beautiful bio

graphies of good men and good women, which are all truthfully and impartially written, exhibiting their failings as well as their excellencies, so that we may learn what to avoid, as well as what to imitate in the conduct of those who, in far distant ages of the world, trod the heavenly road before us, and who are expressly said to have had their histories recorded to serve as ensamples to us who live in this latter dispensation of God's providence and grace in the world.

5. Because above and beyond the reason last given, it contains the history, so far as the Holy Spirit saw it needful to give, of our blessed Lord's sojourn upon earth in an incarnate state, wherein is given unto us a perfect example to follow, by walking in His steps, which it is our honour, our happiness, and our safety to do, in all humility, reyerence, and grateful love.

6. Because the Bible tells us so much in a general way about our Lord Jesus Christ, about His Person; His work, both in the creation and the government of the world, as well as in our own salvation; His various offices, the relations He bears to His people, what He is doing at the present time, and what He will do at the end of time. All of which it is of the highest interest and utmost importance that those who love Him and look to Him as their All in All, should become acquainted with.

7. Because it contains the only authentic account of the origin of this world and of mankind. Also the most ancient history of mankind, and the only reliable annals of the history of the world for thousands of years after its formation as the dwelling-place of

man.

How beautifully simple and sublime is the account which the Bible gives, and which, let us remember, is God's own account of the creation of man. The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground-that is, as regards his body-and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul: that is, his soul was the immediate communication of life from the life of God himself. By the side