rejoice in having dear friends and relatives among them? How can your ladyship's love to so deserving an object, but more fervently sparkle with joy for his sake, than dissolve in tears for your own! But let not such thoughts excite hasty and impatient desires to enter heaven; rather let them lead to endeavours to serve God more cheerfully on earth. You would be loath to do any thing unworthy of your family and parentage. Your highest alliance is to the family above, whose dignity and honour are, I doubt not, of the highest account with you. My heart bleeds to think of the case of those sweet babes, should they be bereaved of their other parent too. And even your continued dejection would be to them an unspeakable disadvantage. You will always naturally create in them a reverence for you; and I cannot but apprehend how the constant mien, aspect, and deportment of such a parent will insensibly influence the temper of dutiful children, depress their spirits, and blunt and take off the edge and quickness upon which their future usefulness and comfort will depend. Were it possible their now glorious father could visit and inspect you, would you not be troubled to behold a frown on that bright serene face? You have now to please a more penetrating eye, by putting on a temper and deportment suited to your weighty charge, and to the great purposes for which God continues you in the world, by giving over unnecessary solitude, which though it pleases

you is more than you can bear, and more than the rules of decency require. The God of heaven lift up the light of his countenance upon you, put gladness into your heart, and give you to apprehend him, saying, 'Arise and walk in the light of the Lord.'"

From motives of delicacy and prudence Howe declined putting his name to this letter, which was honourable alike to his feelings, his judgment, and his piety. But lady Russel soon discovered who was the author: the style and several other particulars proved it to be Howe's. On making the discovery, her ladyship immediately wrote him a reply, informing him, that he must not expect to remain concealed, thanking him very kindly for his excellent advice, and assuring him, that it would ever be her endeavour to pursue the conduct he had so judiciously and kindly recommended. She accompanied her letter, as she did others to him on subsequent occasions, with some valuable. tokens of her regard.

In 1684 Howe published his treatise, entitled "The Redeemer's Tears, wept over Lost Souls." The text prefixed to the treatise, and which he designed principally to illustrate, was Luke, xix. 41, 42. His object evidently was to divert the attention of men as much as possible from contention about forms of worship, to the great essentials of practical religion. After showing what things ought to be known by those who are favoured by a

gospel ministry; and proving that all who enjoy this favour have ample means afforded them of acquiring this knowledge, and are perfectly inexcusable if they make not the acquisition, he proceeds to point out, that the period allowed for its attainment has its limits; and then to show that those who have unhappily survived this period are in a condition inconceivably awful. This difficult subject he treats in a manner the most judicious and affecting. A strain of powerful and most solemn appeal, affectionate and tender, runs through the whole discourse, so that the most thoughtless could scarcely rise from its perusal unbenefited. Throughout the whole of this and the following

year the laws against the dissenters were rigorously enforced. New ones were passed most vexatious and annoying. The bitterest animosity actuated the minds of men, from many of whom different dispositions might have been expected. The bishop of Lincoln, led away by the spirit of the age, unthinkingly published a letter much more likely to widen than to heal the breach. To this Howe sent his lordship an anonymous reply in a letter by post, in which he defended the cause of his party with his usual temper and dignity. In the course of it he remarks: "My lord, I humbly offer to your consideration, whether some persons may not be found sound in the faith, as taught in the Scriptures, loyal, subject to the authority of their governors, pious, sober, peaceable, just,

of charitable dispositions and deportment, who, while they agree with your lordship, that the prince and all inferior rulers ought, in all lawful things, to be obeyed, have formed a fixed, conscientious judgment of the unlawfulness of some of the rites and modes of worship enjoined in this church. Is it impossible that a sincere, sober Christian may, with an honest heart, have an intellect so weak as not to be able to understand all the punctilios upon which a right judgment may depend? Is it not possible that there may be such a thing as a mental as well as a mere sensible antipathy? Is there no difference to be put between things essential to our religion, and things acknowledged indifferent ?”

Affairs now wore a very serious and gloomy aspect in England. Men were afraid to vindicate their sentiments. Many were prosecuted with rigour, against whom only the most trivial accusations could be brought. At this trying season Howe providentially received an invitation from Lord Wharton to travel with him on the continent. Unwilling as he was to leave his people, yet, as he could now see no prospect of usefulness, and as his personal safety was constantly endangered, he gladly complied with his lordship's request. His lordship had given Howe so little time to deliberate and prepare for his journey, that he found it utterly impossible to take leave personally of all his friends. Immediately,

therefore, on his arrival on the continent, about the end of August 1685, he wrote them a most affectionate letter, full of the tenderest concern for their welfare.

Adverting to the reasons which induced him to undertake this journey, he remarks with characteristic simplicity, "It much satisfies me, that with regard to this step, I have a record above. He who knoweth all things, knoweth that I am not designing for myself. I love not this present world, and covet not an abode in it; nor have I at any time been anxious to remain in it, even when it was most friendly, except on the account of doing some good to the souls of men. It has been my habitual sentiment, a long time, to value and desire peace and quiet, with a tolerable share of health, more than life. Nor have I found any thing more destructive to my health than confinement in my room a few days in the city air, which was much better and more healthful to me formerly, than since the anger and jealousies of such as I never had a disposition to offend, have of late occasioned persons of my circumstances seldom to walk the streets."

The moderation and forbearance which he affectionately urged upon his people on this occasion, show by what a liberal and Christian spirit he was still actuated. Consider," he says, "whether there be no disposition to treat others as you are treated. The inward temper of our minds is so much the more narrowly to be inspected, by