1858. 1 mo. 4.—­How many and various are the thoughts which crowd on the mind on the commencement of a new year; perhaps none more important than to think I am one year nearer to eternity.  A desire does live in my heart (cherish it, O, my God) to live more to thy glory on earth.  How I long to be favored with strength to do something for the cause of truth and righteousness, so long as I may be permitted to remain on the Lord’s earth.  I think with gratitude that he has blessed me with a little more faith of late in my ministry, and my very soul prays that in these requirings he may be pleased to put the unction of his Spirit into my heart, and his words into my mouth, and that under a right pointing, they may go forth with power.  Grant me, Lord, more devotedness of life, and a right and sure preparation for a peaceful death and a blissful eternity.

For some years before his decease, John Yeardley’s thoughts were frequently occupied with the subject of the Millennium.  Like some other good men, he thought he saw in the events which were taking place, the impending accomplishment of those predictions, whose fulfilment was to precede the “great and terrible day of the Lord.”  On one occasion, after mentioning a number of these “signs of the times,” he winds up the enumeration and the thoughts to which it gave rise, with the following reflection:—­

Happy is the Christian who, in this time of conflict, can look beyond the passing events of time to the Great First Cause, and behold, as with the eye of faith, the providence of his God watching over all things, waiting to bring good out of evil, and causing all things to work to the one great point, when he will cause the wrath of man to praise him, and the remainder of wrath will he restrain.  “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself, as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.  For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” (Isaiah xxvi. 20, 21)

In the Second Month he spent a week at Chelmsford with Susanna Corder.  His visit was prefaced by the following letter:—­

Stamford Hill, 1 mo. 13, 1858.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

It would seem to me as if there were only left here and there a link of the chain of my original connexion on this earth.  The best end of this chain is attached to those loved ones in heaven who are drawing me every day nearer to their happy and blissful abode, through the love of our glorified Redeemer.  It is now many years since thou received her once so dear to me as a bosom friend, to partake of thy wise counsels, and in her troubles especially to enjoy the sympathy of thy warm and affectionate heart.

I am now left alone for a short time; my young companion is at Norwich.  If thou wert at home, pretty well in health, and withal not so much occupied as sometimes, it would be a great pleasure and gratification to me to pay thee a short visit; but, as an absolute condition, I must request thee to say, in perfect freedom, if it would be quite convenient.  I want to ask thee many, many things.