temperance was no less singular than his industry or regu larity. He had uniformly enjoyed a remarkably good state of health, till it pleased God to afflict him with a paralytic stroke, in June, 1790. In a short time he was so far reco vered, that he resumed his usual labours. But his mental faculties, especially his memory, had evidently sustained an injury. Of this he was himself sensible, but bore the affliction with a truly Christian submission. In 1791, he undertook his annual journey to London, but with a determination to preach more sparingly than usual. While in town, he was afflicted with a second paralytic stroke, which affected his understanding much more than the former. With great difficulty he returned to Halifax; and though, in a measure, he recovered from this stroke likewise, and afterwards preached several sermons, yet it left him so debilitated, that he was incapable of continuing his public services and having preached, for the last time, Sept. 18, 1791, from the convictions of his own mind, and the persuasions of his friends, he resigned the charge of his congregation. His patient submission to the divine will, was an instructive lecture to those who were around him. When he reflected on the decay of his mental faculties, he would sometimes say, "What an idiot I am become!" but immediately would add, "But no wrong is done to me. He that gave my faculties has a right to take them away whenever he pleases, and he might justly have done so forty years ago." Being asked by one of his sons, concerning the feelings of his mind, he replied, "I am happy on two considerations; the one is, that I am not in hell; the other, that I am not afraid of ever coming there." At another time, when several of his family were together, the subject of politics was introduced, and something mentioned respecting the probability of the king of France losing his Crown; upon which he observed, though scarcely able to understand the subject of conversation, "I know a King who will not lose his crown, I mean King Jesus. He reigns, and ever will reign;" and with a flood of tears he added, "to him I wish you every one to submit." His sight at length so failed, that he could neither write nor read; and his understanding and memory continuing to be impaired, he began to long for the hour of his dissolution. However, be seemed greatly afraid lest his desire to depart and to be with Christ, should betray him into impatience.

T2

After

After breathing, rather than living, for some months, be was, on the morning of March 2, 1793, mercifully released from the burden of the flesh, and removed to a better and indissoluble mansion.

Mr. Knight was a writer, as well as a preacher, in de fence of the doctrines of the Gospel. He published in 1766, a volume of Sermons, with a Treatise on the Impu tation of Sin and Righteousness: in 1770, a book intitled "Amyntas and Philetus, or Christian Conversation illus trated in Dialogues," &c. "The Balm of Gilead for wounded Consciences;" several single Sermons, and a pamphlet, intitled, "Queries and Observations on the Divinity of Christ," of which a copy is now scarcely to be procured. He likewise published an "Elegy on the Death of Mr. Whitefield."

KNIGHT, JOEL ABRAHAM, was born at Hull, in Yorkshire, April 23, 1754; and when about nine years of age, was brought to London, at the particular desire of a near relation, who, having no children of his own, had resolved to adopt him as his son. He was left an orphan when about fifteen; and could never sufficiently admire the goodness of the Divine Providence in providing him such an asylum as he found in his kind friend and his partner. Soon after he came to London, it pleased God to give a very favourable turn to the temporal affairs of his friend, who entered into an extensive line of business; and as he had marked Mr. Knight out in his own mind as his successor in trade, he was, though against his own inclination, apprenticed to him. When about seventeen, he took great delight in reading. His heart was captivated by plays, poetry, history, and novels; and almost every shilling which the kindness of his friends imparted, was spent in procuring these, or in attending the theatres. When the period of his apprenticeship drew near, he looked forward to it with delight, as to a time of emancipation from bond age; and indeed, through Infinite Mercy, it proved such; but not in the way that he expected or desired: for then it was that the Friend of Sinners, who came from Heaven proclaim liberty to the captive, broke the iron yoke of bondage to sin and Satan from his neck, and gave him in his matchless love, to prove that "his ways are indeed the ways of pleasantness, and that all his paths are peace."

It

It was about July, 1775, when Jesus sent from on high, and raised his soul from the pit of corruption: the circumstances which led to that blessed event are too remarkable to be passed over. He had formed an intimate friendship with the son of their next door neighbour, a youth of his own age and views; and such was their mutual attachment, that they were seldom apart after business was closed; and on Sabbath afternoons they were almost invariably together. They had, as usual, made an appointment to spend the next Sabbath afternoon together; but their design was disappointed by the great Disposer of all things, for an end which he little expected. When he saw his young friend on the following evening, he told him, that in taking his usual walk in the fields, he met one of their former acquaintances, who had been hearing the Rev. Rowland Hill, in White Conduit Fields (where this person had some time before been called, under the preaching of that valuable servant of Jesus); "and would you think," said he, "Frank took me to task, and counted me as a Sabbath-breaker for only taking an innocent walk after church!" (though it should be observed, that this said innocent walk generally led them to the ale-house!) They both joined in laughing heartily at his fanatical folly; and, "to my shame I confess, (says Mr. Knight,) that I went to the most shocking lengths of ridicule and blasphemy respecting the things which I knew not." In the midst of this aweful act, his conscience was struck with the arrows of conviction, which stuck fast in his soul; and, under feelings which are not to be described, he took an abrupt leave of the young man, and went home, resolved to search the word of God for himself, deeply conscious how shamefully he had despised and neglected it.

As he read the Holy Scriptures, light broke in upon his dark mind; and from a sense of his misery and guilt as a sinner, he began to feel his need of prayer. At the house of one of Mr. Romaine's people in the city, whom he sometimes visited, as the old friend of his mother, he recollected having seen a little "Manual of Prayers for every Morning and Evening in the Week," by the late Mr. W. Mason; and the first sixpence which he ever spent in sound divinity, was in the purchase of that little book; for which he had : reason to be thankful to the hour of his death. Situated as be

he then was, it was impossible that such a change as he had felt, could pass unnoticed: he was no longer the gay, thoughtless creature which he had been; and hence he soon became, in his turn, the butt of ridicule and contempt: but this was not all; he was now out of his time, and a wide world before him, without property, and repeatedly threatened with the withdrawment of favour from the only earthly friend he had who could assist him. Under a sore conflict on this account, he wandered in the fields one afternoon. Forlorn and disconsolate, at length he sat down on a bank, and begged of the Lord to give him counsel and comfort from his divine word. On opening his Bible, that Scripture immediately presented itself to his view, "Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brother, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." Luke viii. 28, 29, 30. He laid but little stress upon opening the book on that particular passage, though it was very singular; but he was led to conclude that the word was given him from God. Thus was his darkness turned into light; and he returned home, filled with joy and peace in believing.

A temptation now beset him, not very uncommon to young professors, who have been left in the days of their unregeneracy to associate with dissipated characters, namely, What he should do to shake them off? but this, like many other fears which assaulted him in his way, was totally needless; for no sooner did they learn that he had become a Methodist, and, as some of them were pleased to term it, gone mad, than they saved him all trouble on that ground, by withdrawing themselves from him. There was, however, one of his former companions in sin and folly, whom he would gladly have sought after (that was the person whose faithful reproof, though directed to another, was spoken through him to his own heart); but he had, in the interval, married and removed from the place where he lived when Mr. Knight first knew him; but as he was, in the sovereign appointment of Providence, to be the instrument of greater good to his soul, he was directed to find him out in the following singular way:-Mr. Knight had then an only sister, who lived at Brompton; and on

the

he the Easter Tuesday morning, he set out from home with a view to spend the day with her. Just as he got to Hyde Park Corner, two persons overtook him, walking a quick pace, and as they passed, he heard one of them say to the me other, "I hope Mr. Romaine will not have taken his text before we get there."" What," said Mr. Knight to himself, "is Mr. Romaine going to preach hereabouts this morning! then I will go and hear him too." He followed them to the Lock Chapel; and one of the first persons whom he saw on entering it, was the brother of his former acquaintance; from whom, after service, he learned the place of his brother's abode; and it was not long before he went to his house. With mutual and cordial greetings they once more met; and on the best of principles that friendship was renewed again, which only terminated with his life." Thus," an excellent writer observes, "if we look back upon our past experience, it will generally be found. that the leading facts, which gave a direction to all that followed, were not according to our own choice, or knowledge, but from the hand of an over-ruling Providence, which acts without consulting us *."

In the person above referred to, he found a spiritual guide and counsellor. With religious books, except his Bible, he had little or no acquaintance; in this particular he was very useful to him, especially by putting the Rev. J. Newton's twenty-six letters, under the signature of Omicron, into his hands. He also introduced him to a prayer and experience meeting, which proved a great blessing to his soul; and first took him to Tottenhain Court Chapel, to hear the Gospel. With him Mr. Knight constantly attended the ministry of the late Mr. Toplady, at Orange Street Chapel, on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. In attending at that chapel, he first met with the lady who afterwards became his partner in life, whose constant affection and unremitted regard for his happiness, he always acknowleged. They were married Nov. 3, 1776. As this union took place without the knowledge of his relations, they were much incensed; and he was, in consequence, with an increasing family, exposed to many trials and difficulties. When thus pressed with temporal difficulty, he was one night, after retiring to rest, communing with his own heart on his bed, and ruminating on the past events of

• See Jones's Life of Bishop Horne, page 20.

his