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the above noises, shortly before Mr. G. Church was killed by the fall from his horse. After the death of the two brothers, these noises were heard no more! What was the cause of the noises was never discovered.

While on the subject of omens, it may not be improper to notice the opinion concerning Fairies, then so prevalent in that country. It is really astonishing how many grave, sober, sensible, and even religious people, have united in asserting the fact of their existence! and even from their own personal knowledge, as having seen, or heard, or conversed with them! At a near neighbour's, according to the report of the family, was their principal rendezvous in that country. The good woman of the house declared in the most solemn manner to Mrs. Clarke, that a number of those gentle people, as she termed them, occasionally frequented her house; that they often conversed with her, one of them putting its hands on her eyes, during the time, which hands she represented, from the sensation she had, to be about the size of those of a child of four or five years of age! This good woman with her whole family, were worn down with the visits, conversations, &c. &c. of these generally invisible gentry. Their lives were almost a burthen to them; and they had little prosperity in their secular affairs. But these accounts were not confined to them: the whole neighbourhood was full of them, and the belief was general if not universal. From the natural curiosity of A. C. it needs not to be wondered that he wished to see matters of this sort. He and his brother frequently supposed that they heard noises and music altogether unearthly. Often they have remarked that small fires had been kindled over night in places where they knew there were none the preceding day; and at such sights, it was usual for them to say to each other, The fairies have been here last night. Whatsoever may be said of such imaginings and sights, though not one in a million may have even the shadow of truth, yet sober proofs of the existence of a spiritual world, should not be lightly regarded. We may ridicule such accounts, till the Holy Scriptures themselves may come in for their share of infidel abuse.

BOOK II.

I COME now to the most important part of A. C.'s life,that in which he began to perceive the importance of pure and undefiled Religion and in which he began to discern and relish the power of divine truth. It is not to be supposed that there can be any great variety in the experience of religious people. Repentance, faith, and holiness, are unchangeable in their nature, and uniform in their effects. Religion has to do with one God, one Mediator, one sacrifice; it recommends one faith, enjoins one baptism, proclaims one heaven, and one hell. All these are unchangeable both in their nature and their effects. One Gospel is the fountain whence all these things are derived; and that Gospel being the everlasting Gospel, was, is, and will be, the same, from its first publication, till time shall be no more. Novelty, therefore, on such subjects, cannot be expected: he who has read the conversion and religious experience of one sensible man, has, in substance, read that of ten thousand.

Yet still it is a subject of laudable curiosity to know, how a mind such as that of Adam Clarke's became first enlightened; on what grounds he first received that religious creed of which he was afterwards so powerful an advocate; and why he be came so decisively attached to that body of religious people in whose communion he still remains.

We have already noticed the bringing up of A. C. and the care that a religious mother took of the spiritual concerns of her children; and the good effects of that education, in opening their minds to religious truth, and keeping their hearts susceptible of divine impressions. We have also seen, what effects this produced on the mind of Adam in particular, filling his heart with the fear of God, a deep reverence for the Bible, and the most cordial approbation of the principles of Christianity in general. We are now to witness the vegetation of that seed which was cast into a soil which God had fitted for its reception; where it took deep root, and brought forth such fruits as gave no equivocal evidence of a thorough scriptural conversion. He had hitherto sat principally under the ministry of the Rev. W. Smith, of Millburn, near Coleraine, Rector of the parish of Agherton. He was a good man, full of humanity and benevolence, and preached, as far as he knew it, most conscientiously, the Gospel of Christ; but on

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the doctrine of justification by faith, or the way in which a sinner is to be reconciled to God, he was either not very clear, or was never explicit. He was fond of Adam because he was almost the only person who assisted the clerk in the Church service, and especially the singing.

Besides his general attendance at church with his father, Adam occasionally went to the Presbyterian meeting-house, where the trumpet gave a very uncertain sound, as both pastor and people were verging closely on Socinianism. A general forgetfulness of God prevailed in the parish; which, as to religious matters, was divided between the Church and the Presbyterians: and there was scarcely a person in it, decidedly pious, though there were several that feared God, and but few that were grossly profane or profligate. In that parish there was not one Roman Catholic family. The state of experimental religion was very low, though there were still some old people who talked about the godliness of their ancestors; and seemed to feel no small satisfaction, and even spiritual safety, in being able to say We have Abraham for our father. Even Mrs. Clarke, for the want of the means of grace, and the doctrine that is according to godliness, had lost ground, and began to be remiss in her domestic practice of piety. The place needed reformation, but faithful reprovers were wanting; -like the foolish virgins, they were all either slumbering or sleeping, and it required a voice like the midnight cry, to awake them. This voice, God, in his endless mercy, shortly

sent.

About the year 1777, the Methodist preachers, who had been for some time established in Coleraine, visited the parish of Agherton. Of this people A. C. had never before heard, except once from a paragraph in a newspaper, where it was remarked as a singular thing, and well worthy of notice, thatA Methodist preacher, ministering in the open air, to a large congregation, a heavy shower of rain falling, the people began to disperse to seek shelter in their houses, which the preacher observing, told them that 'rain was one of the chief blessings of God's providence, that without it there could be neither seed time, nor harvest, nor indeed any green thing on the face of the earth and will you,' said he, 'fly from the gift of God?' The people felt the reproof, gathered more closely together, and though the rain continued to descend, heard patiently and piously to the end of the discourse."

One evening, after school hours, a young gentleman, one of A. C.'s school-fellows, came to him, and surprised him by saying "Come, Adam, let us go to Burnside, there is a Methodist preacher to be there this evening, and we shall have nice fun." Now, although Adam was sufficiently playful, and was always ready to embrace any opportunity for diversion and amusement, yet he was puzzled to understand how preaching and

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playing could be associated; or how a time set apart for devotion, could be proper for amusement; for he had been always taught to hold preaching in reverence, whether he heard it in the church, or in the Presbyterian meeting. He engaged however to go, yet without the slightest expectation of the promised diversion. He went accordingly, and found many people assembled in a BARN: in a short time the preacher entered, a plain, serious looking man, but widely different in his dress, from any clerical gentleman he had ever before seen. His name was John Brettel; he was many years a very respectable itinerant preacher among the Methodists, as was also his brother Jeremiah, and sprung from a very respectable family in Birmingham. A. C. fixed his eyes upon him, and was not at all surprised with his first sentence, which was this, "I see several lads there, I hope they will be quiet and behave well; if not, they shall be put out of the house." As Adam expected no diversion, he was not disappointed by this declaration. He did not recollect the text, and the discourse did not make any particular impression on his mind: but he was rather surprised by the following assertion, "The Westminster divines," said the preacher, "have asserted in their Catechism, that no mere man, since the fall, can keep God's commandments: but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed: but the Scriptures promise us salvation from all our sin: and I must credit them in preference to the Westminster divines." Adam had learned his Catechism, as before stated, and had given implicit credence to this assertion: but he reasoned thus with himself, "If the Scriptures say the contrary, certainly I should believe the Scriptures in preference to the catechism." After preaching was ended, Mr. Brettel went into the man's house, whose barn he had occupied, and several people followed him, and among the rest, young Clarke. He talked much on the necessity of Repentance, Faith, Holiness, &c.; and exhorted the people to turn to God with all their hearts, and not to defer it. This second meeting broke up in about half an hour, and the preacher and his friends returned to Coleraine. There was with him, among others, Mr. Stephen Douthitt, well known in Coleraine, as an irreproachable pattern of practical Christianity; and an ornament to the Methodist's society in that place, for nearly half a century.

On his return to his father's house, Adam reflected a good deal on the man, his manner, and his conversation. And thought, if these people talk so continually about religion, both in public and private, they must have a painful time of it.

The next week Mr. B. came to another part of the neighbourhood, and Adam went to hear him: his text was, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, Iwill come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.-Rev. iii. 20. He pointed out the various

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methods which God used in order to awaken and alarm impenitent sinners; and the dreadful consequences of slighting, resisting, or neglecting these calls,-ruin final and eternal must be the inevitable consequence; "but God," said he, always fires the warning cannon before he discharges the murdering piece?" This was the last time he heard Mr. Brettel: other preachers succeeded him in Coleraine, and occasionally visited Agherton, and most of the neighbouring towns and villages; and when they were within his reach, A. C. attended their ministry. At length that truly apostolic man, Mr. Thomas Barber, came to the place; and with indefatigable diligence and zeal went through all the country, preaching Christ Crucified, and Redemption through his Blood; in dwelling-houses, barns, school-houses, the open air, &c. &c.; and many were awakened under his ministry. Mrs. Clarke, Adam's mother, went to hear, and immediately pronounced, "this is the doctrine of the Reformers-this is true unadulterated Christianity." In this she greatly rejoiced, and pressed all her family to go and hear for themselves. Mr. Clarke went, and he bore testimony that it was "the genuine doctrine of the Established Church." The preacher was invited to their house, which he and all his successors, ever had as their home, and were always entertained according to the best circumstances of the family. Under the preaching and pious advices of this excellent man, Adam's mind got gradually enlightened and improved: he had no violent awakenings; his heart was in a good measure, by his mother's pious care, prepared to receive the seed of the kingdom, and the doctrine of God" dropped on him as the rain, his speech distilled on him as dew; as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass." He followed this preacher every where within his reach; left all childish diversions, became sedate and sober, prayed in private and read the Scriptures; till at last his parents began to think he was likely to be righteous over much; he however went on and attended closely to his work in the farm; sometimes from four o'clock in the morning till between six and seven at night; and then felt quite happy to be permitted to run three or four miles into the country to hear a sermon! By these means he was generally enabled to hear four sermons a-week, when the preacher was in that part of the country: and none could say, that to attend this preaching he had ever left undone one half-hour's work, or omitted to perform any thing in its proper season. Far from making him slothful, the desire he had for his salvation, tended to make him still more active in the secular concerns of the family. Formerly he could while away time, and often play when he should have been at work: now, he did every thing from conscience, he served his father as he would have served the merest stranger, in whose employment

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