Howard prepared again to visit the Continent. Cardington had now, indeed, become sad to him. He in great measure broke up his establishment there, providing, with his own considerate kindness, for his domestics; these, as we have hinted, and as has been elsewhere remarked, loved him with an affection worthy of the servants of an old patriarch. He departed in the autumn of 1769; his intention was to visit the south of Italy, and probably remain there for the winter: he went by Calais, the south of France, and Geneva.

We come now to what we consider a most important epoch in Howard's life. We have not failed to inform the reader of the pervasion, from a period too early to be precisely fixed, of his whole character, by godliness; and we saw how the fact influenced his benevolent exertions in Bedfordshire. We have not yet, however, looked, so to speak, into the heart of Howard's religion; we have only noted it incidentally, and from afar. We proceed to view it more closely; it will be of great importance to ascertain the weight and nature of its influence. We are assured that we have arrived at a period when his spiritual life reached a crisis, which determined, in certain important respects, his future character and career. Since it is necessary to carry readers along with us in our impressions, we turn to our narrative.

We have said that Howard had intention of spending the winter either in the south of Italy or Geneva. On arriving at Turin, he abandoned the project. We learn from his own words that he had been pondering seriously the object and nature of his journey. He accused himself of misspending the "talent" committed to him, of gratifying a mere curiosity with those pecuniary means which might be turned in some way to God's glory, and which were necessarily withdrawn from works of mercy; he thought of the loss of so many English Sab

baths; he thought of "a retrospective view on a death-bed;" he thought also of his "distance from his dear boy." He determined to return. He concludes the memorandum from which we gather these facts in the following words :*—“ Look forward, oh my soul! How low, how mean, how little, is every thing but what has a view to that glorious world of light, life, and love. The preparation of the heart is of God. Prepare the heart, oh God! of thy unworthy creature, and unto Thee be all the glory, through the boundless ages of eternity.

"This night my trembling soul almost longs to take its flight to see and know the wonders of redeeming love-join the triumphant choir; sin and sorrow fled away, God, my Redeemer, all in all. Oh! happy spirits that are safe in those mansions."

He turned homeward, and in February we find him at the Hague. We have here a further record of his spiritual life. We extract it entire.

"HAGUE, Sunday evening, February 11.

"I would record the goodness of God to the unworthiest of his creatures: for some days past, a habitual serious frame, relenting for my sin and folly, applying to the blood of Jesus Christ, solemnly surrendering myself and babe to Him, begging the conduct of His Holy Spirit; I hope, a more tender conscience," evinced "by a greater fear of the offending God, a temper more abstracted from this world, more resigned to death or life, thirsting for union and communion with God, as my Lord and my God. Oh! the wonders of redeeming love! Some faint hope," that "even I! through redeeming mercy in the

* Howard did not write English grammatically; we alter the spelling and punctuation.

perfect righteousness, the full atoning sacrifice, shall ere long be made the monument of the rich, free grace and mercy of God, through the divine Redeemer. Oh, shout my soul! Grace, grace, free, sovereign, rich and unbounded grace! Not I, not I, an ill-deserving, hell-deserving creature! But, where sin has abounded, I trust grace superabounds. Some hope!what joy in that hope!-that nothing shall separate my soul from the love of God in Christ Jesus; and, my soul, as such a frame is thy delight, pray frequently and fervently to the Father of spirits, to bless His word, and your retired moments to your serious conduct in life.

"Let not, my soul, the interests of a moment engross thy thoughts, or be preferred to my eternal interests. Look forward to that glory which will be revealed to those who are faithful to death. My soul, walk thou with God; be faithful; hold on, hold out; and then-what words can utter. J. H."

We anxiously desire to avoid presumption here, and would leave every reader to his own judgment and conclusion in the matter; but we think we are not altogether unable to trace the workings of Howard's mind through this portion of his history.

It seems to us that, on leaving Cardington, his mind had engaged in deep reflection. His boy had gone away from him; his Harriet was sleeping silently, her tender ways were to cheer him no more; he looked over his past life, from which the last rays of joy's sunlight were departing; he looked forward to an old age, embittered by perpetual ill-health. His mind awoke, in the discipline of sorrow, to a deeper earnestness. He felt, with sterner realization than heretofore, that the world was a desert, and time a dream; with a new and tremendous energy his soul rose toward the eternal kingdoms.

He looked with earnest scrutiny within, he closed his eye more to all around, and gazed upward from his knees for the smiling of one countenance upon him. The intensity of his feelings would not comport with the prosecution of his journey to Italy. He mused upon it in the strain we have indicated. He concluded that it was his duty to return home; and, in a state of mind not a little agitated, proceeded in the direction of England. We can not certainly say whether it had been his immediate intention to return to Cardington; he was very fond of Holland, and would, perhaps, at the Hague, be able to enjoy Sabbaths like those of his home. Be this as it may, he did not proceed further than the place last named. His mind appears here to have become calmer; we might say, indeed, that the second extract we have made reveals an almost rapturous frame of spirit. It is a detail of God's goodness toward him; and let it be remarked, that this goodness consists in work wrought in him, in his closer approximation to the requirements of God's law. The man who can feel ecstatic joy for that, and give God all the glory, has nothing higher to attain to in this world; and on him no essential change will be wrought by passing through the gates of heaven.

He again turned southward. At Lyons we find him writing thus:

"LYONS, April 4, 1770.

"Repeated instances of the unwearied mercy and goodness of God: preserved hitherto in health and safety! Blessed be the name of the Lord! Endeavor, oh my soul! to cultivate and maintain a thankful, serious, humble and resigned frame and temper of mind. May it be thy chief desire that the honor of God, the spread of the Redeemer's name and Gospel, may be promoted. Oh, consider the everlasting worth of

spiritual and divine enjoyments, then thou wilt see the vanity and nothingness of worldly pleasures. Remember, oh my soul ! St. Paul, who was determined to know nothing in comparison to Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. A tenderness of conscience I would ever cultivate; no step would I take without acknowledging God. I hope my present journey, though again into Italy, is no way wrong, rejoicing if in any respect I could bring the least improvement that might be of use to my own country. But, oh my soul, stand in awe, and sin not; daily, fervently pray for restraining grace; remember, if thou desirest the death of the righteous, and thy latter end like his, thy life must be so also. In a little while thy course will be run, thy sands finished: a parting farewell with my ever dear boy, and then, oh my soul, be weighed in the balance -wanting, wanting! but oh, the glorious hope of an interest in the blood and righteousness of my Redeemer and my God! In the most solemn manner I commit my spirit into thy hand, oh Lord God of my salvation!

"My hope in time! my trust through the boundless ages of eternity! JOHN HOWARD."

The last quotation we deem it necessary to make, is one of very great importance. It commences with a slight retrospect and self-examination; it passes into a deliberate dedication of himself and his all to God::

"NAPLES, May 27, 1770.

"When I left Italy last year, it then appeared most prudent. and proper; my return, I hope, is under the best direction, not presumptuous, being left to the folly of a foolish heart. Not having the strongest spirits or constitution, my continuing long in Holland or any place lowers my spirits; so I thought returning would be no uneasiness on the review, as sinful and