and that I should live to the age of 81, of which time I should preach the. gospel 41 years; this I conceived in my sleep was a prophetical dream, which GOD in His infinite mercy grant, together with ability to perform that holy function, becoming the state to which I thought I was wonderfully raised. Amen!"
The writer of the diary had been an officer of excise, and had been dismissed for reasons which may, upon further acquaintance with him, be easily guessed at, and, notwithstanding his high aspirations, was anxious to be restored to his former office. In a letter written some time after his appointment to a Mr. Price, requesting him to use his influence for that object, he gives the following account of his new situation. He says:—
"Dec., 1749.—The many vicissitudes of fortune which I have experienced since my being discharged from the office would constitute a pretty good history; so that, passing over these circumstances, I take the freedom to inform you that I am now at the head of a little free school at Mayfield, in this county, which is famous for being the repository of several notable relicks of antiquity, of which the principal one is a pair of tongs with which the inhabitants affirm, and many believe it, that St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury , who had his residence at a fine ancient dome in this town, pinched the devil by the nose when, in the form of a handsome maid, he tempted him. What made it more terrible to this sightly tempter was, that the tongs happened to be red hot, and it was one that St. Dunstan made use of at his forge, for it seems that the archbishop was a blacksmith as well as a saint."
"Sunday, 3rd Jan.—I came to Hothly and attended divine service, which was performed by the Rev. Richard Porter. Text, St.Matthew, 5th chap., 19th verse. The subject of his discourse kept very close to the sense and words of the text, and seemed to be but little less than a comment thereon, and tended to nothing more than to shew that those, who by their lives' example, precepts and commands should teach others to break the commandments of GOD, should be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, viz., be excluded for ever therefrom, it being a more heinous offence to corrupt others than to live loosely ourselves."
