The following lines appear to have been written soon after, if not before, his entrance into the work of the ministry:

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EXCITEMENT TO EARLY DUTY:

OR

The Lord's-Day Morning.

WHENE'ER I look into Thy word,
And read about my deareft Lord,
The Friend of finful man ;

And trace my Saviour's footsteps there,
What humble love, what holy fear,
Through all His conduct ran!

2 If I regard the matchlefs Grace
He fhew'd unto the human race,

How he for them became
A poor fojourner here below,
Opprefs'd by pain and forrow too,
I can't but love His name.

3 And when I view His love to God,
Thofe fteps in which the Saviour trod,
I long to tread them too;
I long to be infpir'd with zeal
To execute my Father's will,
As Jefus us'd to do.

4 I read that He on duty bent,
To lonely places often went,
To feek his Father there:
The early morn and dewy ground,
Can witness they the Saviour found
Engag'd in fervent pray'r.

5 And did my Saviour ufe to pray,
Before the light unveil'd the day?
And fhall I backward be?
No, deareft Lord, forbid the thought;
Help me to fight, as Jefus fought,
Each foe that hinders me.

And you, my friends, who love His name,
Who love to imitate the Lamb,

And more of Jefus know;
Come, let us all furround His throne,
And fee what bleffings on His own,
Our Saviour will beftow.

7 Though fears be great, temptations ftrong. And though we oft have waited long, Perhaps He may defign,

This morn to give each foul to fee,
And fay with Paul, "He dy'd for me,”
And my Redeemer's mine.

8 Now cheerful we'll begin to pray,
That He will wash our fins away,
In His atoning blood;
That He His bleffing may beftow,
And give each finner here to know
That he's a child of God.

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On the Scriptures.

E STUPENDOUS love in Chrift doth dwell,
Love which no mortal tongue can tell;
But yet fo gracious is the Lord,
He tells His people in His word.

2 Here in thofe lines of love I fee,
What Chrift my Savionr did for me;
Here I behold the wondrous plan,
By which He faves rebellious man,

3 Here we may view the Saviour, GoD,
Opprefs'd by pain, o'erwhelm'd with blood;
And if we afk the reafon, why?
He kindly fays, "For you I die."

Here love and mercy, truth and grace,
Confpicuous fhine in Jesus' face;
Here we may trace the wondrous road,
By which a finner comes to God.

5 O boundlefe grace! O matchless love,
That brought the Saviour from above;
That caufed the God for man to die,
Expiring in an agony.

6 Then fay, my foul, canft thou engage,
In tracing o'er the facred page,
And there His love and mercy fee,
And not love him who dy'd for thee?

70 ftupid heart! O wretched foul!
So cold, fo languid and so dull;
Angels defire this love to know,
O may I feel these longings too!

8 Defcend, thou Spirit of the Lord,
Thy light, and help, and grace afford;
And, while I read thefe pages o'er,
Conftrain my foul to love Thee more.

CHAP. II.

HIS LABORIOUS EXERTIONS IN PROMOTING MISSIONS TO THE HEATHEN AND OFFERING HIMSELF TO BECOME A MISSIONARY.

MR. PEARCE has been uniformly the spiritual and the active servant of Christ; But neither his spirituality nor his activity would have appeared in the manner they have, but for his engage. ments in the introduction of the gospel among the heathen.

It was not long after his settlement at Birmingham, that he became acquainted with Mr. CAREY, in whom he found a soul nearly akin to his own. When the brethren in the counties of Northampton and Leicester formed themselves into a missionary Society at Kettering, in October, 1792, he was there, and entered into the business with all his heart. On his return to Birmingham, he communicated the subject to his congregation with so much effect, that to the small sum of 1. 13: 2:6, with which the subscription was begun, was added 1. 70, which was collected and transmitted to the Treasurer; and the leading members of the church formed themselves into an Assistant Society. Early in the following spring, when, it was resolved that our brethren Thomas and Carey, should go on a mission to the Hindoos, and a considerable sum of money was wanted for the purpose, he laboured with increasing ardour in various parts of the kingdom; and when the object was accomplished, he rejoiced in all his labours, smiling in every company and blessing God.

During his labours and journies, on this important object, he wrote several letters to his friends, an extract or two from which will dis

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the state of his mind at this period, as well as the encouragements that he met with in his work at home :

"My very dear Brother,

"UNION of sentiment often creates friendship among carnal men, and similarity of feeling never fails to produce affection among pious men, as far as that similarity is known. I have loved you ever since I knew you. We saw, we felt alike in the interesting concerns of personal religion. We formed a reciprocal attachment. We expressed it by words. We agreed to do so by correspondence; and we have not altogether been wanting to our engagements. But our correspondence has been interrupted, not, I believe, through any diminution of regard on either side; I am persuaded not on mine. I rather condemn myself as the first aggressor; but 1 excuse while I condemn, and so would you, did you know half the concerns which devolve upon me in my present situation. Birmingham is a central place; the inhabitants are numerous our members are between three and four hundred. The word preached has lately been remarkably blessed. In less than five months I baptized nearly forty persons, almost all newly awakened. Next Lord's-day I expect to add to their number. These persons came to my house to propose the most important of all inquiries,--" What must we do to be sayed?" I have been thus engaged some weeks during the greatest part of most days. This, with four sermons a week, will account for my neglect. But your letter, received his evening,

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