In my former narrative I made a remark or two on the evils and dangers to which a young man is exposed in coming to the metropolis, and the dreadful consequences to which a yielding to them leads.  Those remarks will, I think, be fully borne out in the case of Thomas; for, although, by the preserving grace of God, he was kept from all gross and outward sins, yet it will be seen that he lost the sweets and comforts of religion, which before he had possessed.  But I will give his own account of his residence in London.

“I have said,” he writes in continuation, “that in the beginning of 18—­ I removed to London:  but I should have remarked, that, for some time previous to my leaving H——­, I was impressed with the conviction that it was my duty to be engaged in a more prominent sphere of labor in the Church.  This impression received countenance and strength from the fact, that several persons connected with the society urged such a step upon me.  I had for some months been accustomed to accompany a very excellent friend of mine, a local preacher, to his appointments in the country, and now and then to take part of the service:  but by natural temperament, my youth, my inexperience, together with the overwhelming feelings of responsibility which I attached to the office, prevented my acceding to the request of my friends that I would preach; until just a month before my leaving for London, when I made an essay at the house in which our school was held, at I——.  Had I remained in the country, it is likely that I should have continued in the work of calling sinners to repentance; but on coming to town, I had not moral courage to obey the dictates of my conscience, and to offer myself for this work.  I shall repent this step as long as I live!

“I had not been in London a week, before I succeeded in procuring a situation in a very respectable house on the Surrey side of the Thames; and being nearer to Southwark than any other Wesleyan Chapel, I decided on making that my place of worship.  Here again I fell into error.  I did not, as I had been warned and entreated to do—­and as I knew I ought to do—­join myself to a class at once; but, at the end of a month or six weeks, I connected myself with one which met in the vestry, at seven o’clock on Sunday mornings, and for about eight or ten months I went on pretty well; but when winter came, I was not regular in my attendance, and as every one acquainted with the benefits of class-meetings will judge, was not so prosperous in my soul’s health.

“Nor was this the only error into which I fell during my stay in town.  I fell into others which have often proved fatal to the piety of youth, and, but for the amazing goodness of God, would have proved so to me.  One of these was the evil of itching ears.  I could not be contented with my own place of worship, and our own ministers:  but must be running here and there, to hear Dr. So-and-so, or Mr. Somebody; or, when indisposed to ramble after