nished them with reasons and motives for its improvement. Thus Dr. Clarke observes :

"After I found the peace of God to my conscience, and was assured of my interest in the Lord Jesus, I believe I may safely assert, that I learned more in one day, on an average, than formerly I could do, with equal application, in a whole month. And no wonder, my soul began to rise out of the ruins of its fall, by the favor of the Eternal Spirit. It was not on the affections or the passions, this Spirit worked; but upon understanding, judgment, and will: these being rectified and brought under a divine influence, the lower faculties came on in their train, purified and refined. The change in my heart was the effect of the change in my immortal spirit. I saw, from my own case, that religion was the gate to true learning and science; and that those who went through their studies without this, had, at least, double work to do; and, in the end, not an equal produce. My mind became enlarged to take in any thing useful. I was now separated from every thing that could impede my studies, obscure or debase my mind. Learning and science I knew came from God, because he is the Fountain of all knowledge: and, properly speaking, these things belong to man ;-God created them not for Himself not for angels-but for man; and he fulfils not the design of his Creator, who does not cultivate his mind in all useful knowledge, to the utmost of his circumstances and power."' Life of A. Clarke, Vol. I., pp. 108, 9.

Thus too the Biographer of Mr. Watson bears a similar testimony.

'It was not till after his conversion that his true intellectual character appeared. Up to that period, his mental faculties had never been fully called forth. This complete change in the inner man' gave an intensity to his feelings unknown before, and directed his attention to the sublimest and most important topics that ever occupied the thoughts of either men or angels. The perfections of the Godhead, the redemption of the world by the death of the incarnate Son of God, the guilt and misery of fallen man, the necessity of repentance, faith in the blood of atonement, the salvation of the Gospel, the pleasures of religion, triumph in death, the resurrection of the entire human race, the general judgment, the joys of heaven, the endless miseries of hell; these and many collateral subjects roused his feelings, and stimulated all the energies of his imagination and understanding. His talents for usefulness soon became apparent. The moral state of the surrounding country was eminently calculated to awaken his sympathies, while it called for the most strenuous exertions; and with the full approbation of his religious friends, who saw that his piety was deep, and the growth of his mental stature as rapid as had been that of his corporeal frame, he soon began to deliver exhortations in the prayer-meetings, and to officiate as a Local Preacher.'

Memoirs of Rev. R. Watson, pp. 17, 18.

Of Mr. Drew it is likewise observed, in the preliminary remarks to his memoir,

Though possessed of high intellectual capacity, yet, for its developement and direction, he was mainly, if not wholly, indebted to the work of divine grace upon his heart. The faculties of his mind were thus roused into activity, and consecrated to the service of his God and his neighbour. It is in connexion with his acknowledged mental superiority, that his religious profession and practice are deemed of public importance; and it is with reference to his religious life, and his humble origin, that his literary progress is chiefly interesting. There are, we believe, thousands and tens of thousands who can testify as explicitly as he, "that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," and who have exemplified as fully "the fruits of the Spirit;" but there are few of the professors of this "vital power of godliness," whose clear-sightedness and habits of close thinking more completely exempt them from the suspicion of enthusiasm and self-delusion.

The memoirs of a merely literary man, daily pursuing the same or similar occupations, and secluded in his study from the changeful scenery of human life, exhibit few of those incidents that awaken general interest. But where an individual has raised himself from obscurity by superior intelligence,-has boldly grappled, in the outset of his career, with the evils of ignorance and poverty,-has struggled successfully against the opposing current of circumstances, and won for himself honourable renown ;-and all this commenced in the ardour of religious feeling, sustained by the spirit of genuine piety, and prosecuted throughout in sincere and faithful reliance on that Almighty Being to whom all his abilities and successes were ascribed;-not only is our curiosity gratified, and our admiration raised, but the religion of Christ is exalted in our estimation, and, through the feelings induced by such an example, our hearts are made better.'

Life of S. Drew, pp. 6, 7.

When Dr. Clarke commenced his career, the state of education was certainly not very flattering in the school established by Mr. Wesley at Kingswood. The Methodist ministry has ever had to depend too much upon itself; and its respectability is to be attributed to the talents and application of the individuals who have raised themselves to distinction, rather than to any systematic aid afforded to them by schools and colleges. This, the more enlightened of their body have long felt to be a serious evil, upon the removal of which they have liberally determined.

When we reflect on the attainments of these three eminent individuals, under circumstances of the greatest discouragement, we cannot fail to be struck with their untiring and unconquerable perseverance. Having given an account of his studying Hebrew without any other assistance than his grammar, Dr. Clarke thus writes of himself in the third person.

In his Latin, Greek, and French he could make little improve

VOL. XVI.-N.S.

X X

ment, having to travel several miles every day; and preach, on an average, thirty days in every month, and to attend to many things that belonged to the work of a Methodist preacher. That he might not lose the whole time which he was obliged to employ in riding, he accustomed himself to read on horseback; and this he followed through the summer, and in the clear weather in general. In this way he read through the four volumes of Mr. Wesley's History of the Church, carefully abridged from Mosheim's larger work. In abridging from voluminous writers, Mr. Wesley was eminently skilful; and this is one of the best things he has done of this kind: but the original work by Mosheim, is the best Church History published before or since. The practice of reading on horseback is both dangerous, because of the accidents to which one is exposed on the road; and injurious to the sight, as the muscles of the eye are brought into an unnatural state of contraction, in order to counteract the too great brilliancy of the light. Yet what could he do, who had so much to learn, so often to preach, and was every day on horseback? When he came in the evening to his place of residence for the night, he found no means of improvement, and seldom any place in which he could either conveniently study or pray.' Clarke, Vol. I. pp. 184, 185.

With a mind of a higher order, and labouring under still greater disadvantages, Mr. Watson, between the age of sixteen and twenty,

"“exhibited such ardour in the pursuit of knowledge of every sort, as exposed him to the danger of becoming desultory in reading and study; and he was only preserved from this by the quickness of his apprehension, and the tenacity of his memory. He was eager to know, and had a mind capable of acquiring knowledge in the most rapid manner. His father supplied him with money for the purchase of books; so that, as far as he had judgment to guide him in the selection, he had the means of improvement at his command. His Circuit, indeed, was extensive; so that his studies were greatly interrupted; nor did his Superintendent, though very fond of him on account of his superior intellect and fine spirit, take any pains to forward and direct his attempts at mental cultivation. In consequence of these disadvantages he fell into some indiscretions, both in the nature and mode of his studies; but these were afterwards corrected by his growing experience. It has been stated, that he never preached twice from the same text, even in those early days; but this, like many other things which have appeared in print since his lamented decease, is a fabrication, neither according with his principles nor his practice. The fertility of his invention, and the vividness of his imagination, indeed, gave him a greater diversity of subjects than a person so young as he was could otherwise have commanded; and the precocity of his understanding gave considerable solidity and interest to his pulpit labours. He was naturally cheerful and buoyant, but not trifling; and his general seriousness rendered him acceptable and useful to all. Such was Richard Watson when we travelled together at Ashby."

When Mr. Cooper pressed the Conference to receive Mr. Watson

as an Itinerant Preacher, and requested that they might be stationed together, he incurred a responsibility, the full extent of which he does not appear to have appreciated. There are some Ministers, in all religious communities, who obtain a sort of elementary acquaintance with the various branches of knowledge, and who do not seem to have either an inclination or a capacity for further attainments. To them a right course of study is a matter of minor importance. They become familiar with the first principles of religion; and these they inculcate with fidelity, acceptance, and success; accompanying their public ministrations with pastoral visitation, and recommending practical Christianity by a holy and upright life. Such Ministers fill a very important station in the church; and are often largely instrumental in the conversion of men to God, and in the edification of believers. But Richard Watson was manifestly not a man of this class. As a Christian Minister he was ready to engage with alacrity in every duty of his office, and was thoroughly imbued with its spirit; but, at the same time, his mind was inquisitive, penetrating, quick of perception, and untiring in its activity. It was evident that he would not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge of any subject that might come under his investigation; and the whole world of thought and speculation lay before him, and invited his attention. History and philosophy, in their various branches; the principal controversies on which the Christian sects are divided; the evidences of revelation; the facts, prophecies, criticism, doctrines, and interpretation of the Scriptures; were all likely to come under his review, and to undergo his strict scrutiny. To him, therefore, it was a matter of the greatest moment, that his studies should be prosecuted with regularity; and especially that he should thoroughly understand the principles upon which all theological investigations ought to be conducted. Like the greater part of his brethren, he had been thrust into the ministry without much of that scholastic training which is so desirable and advantageous; and hence a judicious superintendence of his course of self-tuition, considering the peculiarities of his character, was necessary at least to prevent the waste of time and labour. With this superintendence, unhappily, he was not favoured. Mr. Burdsall, though somewhat his senior, was, like him, only in the first year of his itinerancy. Mr. Cooper loved and admired him; but gave him no effectual assistance in the pursuit of knowledge. He neither taught him how to render his classical learning available in reference to the ministry, nor suggested to him what books he might read with the greatest advantage. That he was preserved from doctrinal error, with a mind so constituted, and left entirely to itself at this early period, is doubtless to be attributed, under the blessing of God, to his personal piety; and the practical mistakes into which he fell in regard to the nature and method of his studies, his own good sense enabled him subsequently to rectify; but to the end of his life he lamented the time which he lost in his youth, by a desultory mode of reading and study.' Watson, pp. 29-31.

out

On this the Biographer remarks:

It is painful to see a mind of the first order left to luxuriate, with-
any
of the salutary restraints and directions which a just discipline

and experience would supply. To this day it is a serious defect in the system of Wesleyan Methodism, that it makes no adequate provision for the education of its Ministers. A few of them, by the force of their own talents and application, have risen to considerable eminence as scholars and Preachers; but the usefulness of the greater part of them has been retarded through life by the want of a sound literary and theological training.' Ib., p. 31.

Poor Drew, labouring with his hands to obtain a scanty pittance, and labouring still harder with his mind to acquire knowledge, which he valued far above sustenance, is a noble specimen of the power with which intellect, sustained by religious principle, can control the greatest difficulties.

The year 1788,' his son informs us, 'opened, in some respects, auspiciously. With reference to his business, Mr. Drew had now, to use a trite but expressive phrase, "broken the neck of his difficulties". His incessant toil to achieve independence he was enabled to relax. Industry and rigid economy were still indispensable; but it was no longer necessary that he should "go to bed supperless" to avoid

rising in debt". His ruling passion, the acquisition of knowledge, he was, in a limited degree, enabled to gratify; and, during this and several succeeding years, every spare moment, and all the hours he could snatch from sleep, were devoted to reading such books as he could procure.

6.66

By unremitting industry, I at length surmounted such obstacles as were of a pecuniary nature: this enabled me to procure assistance in my labours, and afforded me the common relaxation which others enjoyed. This was the only leisure at which I aimed. In this situation, I felt an internal vigour prompting me to exertion, but I was unable to determine what direction I should take. The sciences lay before me. I discovered charms in each, but was unable to embrace them all, and hesitated in making a selection. I had learned that

"""One science only will one genius fit,
So vast is art, so narrow human wit.'

"At first I felt such an attachment to astronomy, that I resolved to confine my views to the study of that science; but I soon found myself too defective in arithmetic to make any proficiency. Modern history was my next object; but I quickly discovered that more books and time were necessary than I could either purchase or spare, and on this account history was abandoned. In the region of metaphysics I saw neither of the above impediments. It nevertheless appeared to be a thorny path, but I determined to enter, and accordingly began to tread it."

Referring to this period of his life, in conversation with a gentleman with whom he was particularly intimate, when asked whether he had not studied astronomy in his time, Mr. Drew remarked, "I once had a very great desire for it, for I thought it suitable to the genius of my mind, and I think so still; but then