had been suddenly called to London, to preach a funeral sermon on occasion of the death of Dr. Fletcher. And what think you? He and his elders had agreed that I must be respectfully and earnestly entreated to take Dr. Wardlaw's place. What a change there is in the public sentiment of this country! I went in the name of the Lord, and preached in the full costume of the Scottish minister, with great freedom, on Luke xxiv. 46, 47. I had to hasten back to the missionary meeting here in the evening. Dr. Hannah took the chair: the attendance was large; and two ministers of the Free Church, Messrs. Begg and Guthrie, attended."

"Dublin, June 20th.-After a safe voyage from Glasgow, I arrived in this city on Saturday afternoon. The president, fatigued, went home from Scotland, and I had to preach for him on Sunday evening. Two hundred pounds was the amount of the collection. We had members of parliament and three judges among our auditors. We had a public breakfast under the splendid new chapel yesterday morning, at which five hundred and nineteen persons were present. I was called to give out the hymn, read the Scriptures, pray, and address the assembly. To-morrow I am to preach again. in the Centenary chapel. I have been told many of the literati intend to be present. The Lord enable me to be faithful!

"On Thursday morning, at six o'clock, I am to set off by coach for Belfast. I see by the Irish Conference plan, that I am appointed to preach to the Conference on Friday evening, and to the people in the morning and evening of Sunday. I ought to have had previous information of the special service; but the Irish brethren seem to think that I am a servant of all work, and am always ready."

After his arrival in Sheffield, where he attended the meetings of committees, preparatory to the holding of the English

Conference, he again addressed Mrs. Newton: "The meetings of the committees have been marked with good and pious feeling, and I earnestly hope that we shall have a good Conference. We are likely to have an increase in our societies, at home and abroad, in nearly equal proportions, of eight thousand members. Blessed be God!

"A steamer has been wrecked; and a young man, from Scotland, who was recommended for our ministry, is among the sufferers. What a gracious and special providence has preserved your unworthy husband, by sea and land, all these years!

"I feel intensely concerned for Frank. The Lord direct his way! It is now forty-four years since I received orders to leave my father's house; and in a few weeks it will be forty-one years since we were made one. How many blessings have we received! and if life with us has not been all sunshine, may every bitter blast be sanctified! We have not long to live in this world. May all that are dear to us live together in heaven!"

At the Conference of this year, 1843, which was held under the presidency of the Rev. John Scott, Mr. Newton was again called to the office of secretary. He did not at this time appear in a new character, for he was the same cheerful, laborious, and faithful Methodist preacher that he had been from the commencement of his ministry: the only difference was, that his talents were vastly improved, and his graces greatly mellowed. But from this time he bore a new titlethe Wesleyan University of Middletown, in America, having conferred upon him the honorable degree of Doctor of Divinity. In no instance was this distinction ever more justly merited, or more appropriately bestowed.

The term "doctor" was formerly used in England in the sense of "teacher." In the English version of the Holy

Scriptures which was published at Rheims, in the year 1582, Ephesians iv. 11 is thus rendered: "And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and othersome Evangelists, and othersome Pastors and DOCTORS." The Greek term voμodidáσkaλo, which literally signifies "teachers of the law," or "law-teachers," is, in the authorized version of the English Bible, rendered" DOCTORS of the law;" (Luke v. 17;) and Gamaliel, who belonged to this class of persons in the Jewish Church, is denominated "a DOCTOR of the law." (Acts v. 34.) In one of the collects which are used in the ordination of priests in the Church of England, it is said that our Lord Jesus Christ, "after He had made perfect our redemption by His death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world His Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, DOCTORS, and Pastors." If the term be understood in this sense, then the title "Doctor of Divinity" could not be more correctly applied to any man than to Robert Newton; for certainly no man, of any age or nation, ever taught divinity upon a more extensive scale than he. It may be safely said that, for thirty or forty years of his life, he addressed not less than from fifty to one hundred thousand people annually on the great principles of divine truth.

Equally just is the title "Doctor of Divinity" as applied to him, if the term "doctor" be understood to denote proficiency in the knowledge of divinity; for certainly his acquaintance with that holy science was both accurate and comprehensive, as his diversified and powerful ministry demonstrated. His sermons, from year to year, were a perfect embodiment of the entire system of Christian truth, doctrinally, experimentally, and practically considered, as that truth is generally understood by Protestant communities.

Yet this title, honorable as it is, produced no change either in his spirit, or the public estimation. The multitudes of

people that attended his ministry had such a conviction both of his intellectual power and his moral worth, that they would scarcely have thought more highly of him, had all the learned bodies in existence conferred upon him similar marks of distinction. And as to himself, he was to the end of his life the same humble, modest, unassuming, unaffected minister of Christ, that he had ever been. Like his Lord, he affected not high things, and was intent only upon the fulfilment of his great commission. He had too deep a consciousness of the responsibilities under which he lay, to cherish a spirit of selfconceit; and the name by which he was generally known was that of plain "Robert Newton."

CHAPTER XIII.

WHEN the Conference of 1843 was concluded, Dr. Newton immediately resumed the extraordinary course of ministerial labor to which he had long been accustomed; but to trace that course from year to year, in all its details, would be to extend this narrative far beyond the prescribed bounds. Suffice it to say that his willingness to labor was unimpaired, the demand upon his services was as urgent as ever, and his popularity rather increased than diminished. After attending the anniversary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in London, at the beginning of the following May, he visited Bristol; and, under the date of May 6th, 1844, thus addresses Mrs. Newton :

"The densely-crowded congregations in the City road and Islington chapels, and the cheering in Exeter Hall, greatly affected and humbled me. What am I, that my gracious Master is pleased to give me such favor in the sight of His people? May I obtain mercy of the Lord to be faithful! Our meeting was more decidedly religious than some former meetings have been.

"My old friend Mrs. Wood is sinking very fast. I question whether I shall ever see her again. We are following on; and, if we be spared a few years longer, must sink under the weight of age. The Lord help us all to live for a better world!

"I preach here this evening, and then go to London in the morning. Wednesday, the 8th, is the time at which I am to