Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/228

218 appearance. How grateful ought I to be to the Author of every good, who, in this dear country, follows me with the same loving kindness and tender mercy, with which he followed me in the dear country I have left. The numerous friends, with whom I occasionally sojourn, are as anxious to detain me with them, and lament the necessity of my departure, precisely as did my American friends; their hearts swell with transport, while I simply declare the gospel of the grace of God, and they reiterate their expressions of admiration of the gracious words, which God enables me to utter, in like manner as did the good Gloucesterian Elder, Mr. Warner, on my first visit to that place. We mingle our supplications and addresses, our thanksgivings and our praises, and our hearts burn within us, while we converse of the goodness of our God, and the gracious purposes of redeeming love. Surely it would be ill judged, if not cruel, in such circumstances, to dash the cup of felicity from the lips of these humble dependents upon the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, because perhaps they do not see to the end of the divine purposes. I never will preach any thing but the gospel of God our Saviour, any where; but I will leave those dear people to draw their own conclusions, and, in the interim, I will feed them with the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. The inhabitants of this place (Falmouth) are a very friendly, religious people. May God grant them peace, and give them abundant consolation in believing. The people every where hear with. Clergymen, wherever I sojourn, are generally my hosts. Gospel, unadulterated gospel, is pleasant to the believing soul; I content myself with showing that man is lost by sin; that the law is the ministration of death; that the gospel is a divine declaration of life, by Jesus Christ, to every creature. Yes, I will continue to preach the gospel freely to every creature. I will endeavour to point out its glories, and the many advantages attendant on believing the divine report. This, by the grace of God, shall still be the business of my life. Many clergymen attend me in my progress, no less than seven have been among my audience at one time; and on my descending from the pulpit, they usually take my hand, and devoutly thank me for bearing so good a testimony for Jesus Christ; for speaking so well of the Redeemer, adding, that it is a pity I should do any thing but preach. Numbers flock around me, and, in fact, were I an angel descended from above, I could not be followed with more uniform attention."

London is two hundred and twenty miles from Falmouth. The Preacher did not reach that metropolis until the 16th of March, and