success. 'Providence,' he says, 'is opening a prospect of much greater usefulness than before, though attended with vast labor and difficulty. In divine strength I go forth to the work, and resolve upon the most careful and vigorous discharge of all the duties incumbent on me, to labor for the instruction and watch for the souls of my pupils. I intend to have some discourse with them on the Lord's day evenings, on subjects of inward religion. I will endeavor to give a serious turn to our conversation at other times, and always bear them on my heart before God with great tenderness and affection. I will labor to keep such an inspection over them, as may be necessary to discover their capacities, tempers and failings, that I may behave in a suitable manner to them. In all, I will maintain an humble dependence on divine influences, to lead me in the path of duty and prudence, and enable me to behave in a way answerable to the character in which I appear, and those agreeable expectations which many of my friends have entertained of me.

'Considering the work before me, I would set myself with peculiar diligence to maintain and increase the life of religion in my own soul, and a constant sense of the divine presence and love; for I find, when this is maintained,

nothing gives me any considerable disquiet, and I have vigor and resolution of spirit to carry me through my labors. When I am conscious of the want of this, and any inconsistency of behavior towards the Divine Being, it throws a damp on my vigor and resolution; yea, on all the other pleasures of life. In order to maintain this habitual, delightful sense of God, I would frcquently renew my dedication to Him, in that covenant on which all my hopes depend, and my resolutions for universal, zealous obedience. I will study redeeming love more, and habitually resign myself and all my concerns to the divine disposal. I am going to express and seal these resolutions at the Lord's table; and may this be the happy period from which shall commence better days of religion and usefulness than I have ever yet known.'

A few months after Doddridge had commenced his new labors as a tutor, he received a pressing invitation to assume the pastoral charge of a congregation at Northampton. After long and serious deliberation he accepted the call. We must now take our leave of Kibworth and Market Harborough, and follow him to the more populous town of Northampton,*

*Northampton, a parliamentary and municipal borough and town of England, on a slope, rising from the left bank of the

so long the scene of his useful labors, and the place where his light, as a Christian minister, shone forth in its mildest, purest and greatest lustre.

navigable Nene, here crossed by two stone bridges, on a branch canal, connecting the Nene with the Grand Junction canal, and on the Peterborough branch of the London and North Western railway, 60 miles N. W. of London. It is built of a reddish stone, obtained in the vicinity, and has four principal streets, meeting in a large open market-place, one of the finest in England.

'Among the dissenting chapels, that of the Independents on Castle Hill deserves notice, as having been, for 20 years, the scene of the labors of the celebrated Dr. Doddridge, who also presided over a theological academy in the town. Population in 1851, 26,657.'-Imperial Gazetteer.

CHAPTER IV.

HIS PASTORATE AT NORTHAMPTON

TUTOR AND AUTHOR.

6

LABORS AS

2N the winter of 1729, Doddridge removed to Northampton, and took charge of the large and flourishing congregation' assembling in the church on Castlehill. Early in the following year he began housekeeping, and took possession' he says, ' of that chamber in which I hope to spend most of the remaining studious hours of my life.' On the 19th of March, 1730, after partially recovering from a dangerous illness, he was ordained at Northampton. Of this solemn occasion, he has given us the following interesting record:

'The afflicting hand of God upon me hindered me from making that preparation for the solemnities of this day, which I could otherwise have desired. However, I hope it hath long been my sincere desire to dedicate myself to Him in the work of the ministry; and that the

views with which I determined to undertake the office, and which I this day solemnly professed, have long since been seriously impressed upon my heart.

The work of the day was fulfilled in a very honorable and agreeable manner. Mr. Goodrich, of Oundle, commenced the service by prayer and reading the Scriptures. Mr. Dawson, of Hinckley, continued those exercises; and then Mr. Watson, of Leicester, preached a suitable sermon from 1 Tim., iii, 1. "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." After the sermon, Mr. Norris, of Welford, read the call of the church, of which I declared my acceptance. He then received my confession of faith and ordination vows, and proceeded to set me apart by prayer. Mr. Clarke, of St. Albans, gave the charge to me, and Mr. Saunders, of Kettering, the exhortation to the people. Then Mr. Mattock, of Daventry, concluded the solemnity with prayer.

'I have a cheerful hope that the God, to whom I have this day devoted my services with more solemnity than ever, will graciously accept them, either in this world or in a better; and I am not solicitous where, or how. If I know anything of my heart, I trust I may adopt the words of the apostle, that it is "my earnest expectation