Letter to his nephew.

day, and thus to obtain supplies for those lavish spiritual expenditures, which he counted not dear to him, so that he might win Christ to his soul and souls to Christ. To these were added the many prayers which accompanied his visits, and enlivened the social meetings so happily conducted by him. Occasionally, too, he would find time for writing useful letters. Such a one was that, an extract from which

follows:

"My Dear Nephew,

ALEXANDRIA, Feb. 4, 1831.

** * * I do not wish you to be a drone, neither do I wish you to go to heaven quite so soon as the devil would have you to go, if he cannot persuade you to go along with him. He wishes to put zealous ministers out of the way as speedily as possible-they are a great annoyance to him, and if he cannot accomplish this object in any other way, he will drive them on to the commission of a species of suicide, by laboring for the salvation of souls. When I think of my inexperience, at my first entrance upon the work of the ministry, and how much I did that was, directly calculated to destroy me, it seems to be little less than a miracle that I am yet alive. I know two most valuable ministers at this time in a consumption from having done the very thing that I have often done, namely, persisting in speaking and in public labors when I was hoarse. If you do not take care, you will have a consumptive cough fixed upon you before you are aware of your danger. Thus Summerfield was hurried to an untimely grave. But enough on this subject. I rejoice much in all the good which the Lord is doing by your instrumentality. Continue to be humble and to seek his glory in simplicity and godly sincerity, and He will continue to honor you. We have been looking for your arrival among us with much anxiety for some time. The field around us is now white to the harvest. We have had a four days' meeting, and it has been much blessed. Some Christians are more engaged than I have ever seen them, and the Lord is carrying on a good work among us. There have been a considerable number of very speedy conversions of late, and so far every thing looks promising for the continuance of the work. Your aid at this time would be most seasonable, and I hope you will hasten on."

Applications from abroad.

Reproof.

Such a goodly name and praise had he acquired in the churches, that he received frequent applications from ministers near and remote, to assist them in protracted meetings, to an extent altogether beyond his power of compli

ance.

"Saturday, Feb. 5, 1831.-Received a letter from Dr. H-requesting and even demanding my assistance at a four days' meeting the last week in this month; also by the same mail one from Mr. K. of Harrisonburg containing a similar request. How much might be done at this time among the churches in Virginia by the labors of an evangelist! The field is white to the harvest, but my presence is most imperiously demanded among my own people."

"I hear of wonders achieved in the cities of Troy and of New York, and in other places by means of four days' meetings. I rejoice, and would remember with gratitude that the first of these meetings east of the Allegany mountains was in our church, and it was, so far as I know, the first experiment of the kind ever made in a city. I still think that it will constitute an era in the history of the churches of this region.".

"Sabbath eve., Feb. 6.-I have been engaged in public duties to-day more than five hours, nearly the whole of which my voice was exerted in speaking or singing. It was weak in the morning, but this evening it was strong and clear. I have had liberty in speaking morning and evening of the kingdom and the glory of Christ, the triumphs of His gospel, and the duty of all to receive Him as God's unspeakable gift."

If there be a painful task, if there be a neglected duty in the church of God, it is that of reproof. To Walton's gen-. tle spirit it could never be pleasant. But he took up the cross.'

"Feb. 8.—This morning after seeking the direction and blessing of God, undertook to admonish two brethren than whom perhaps none could be found more difficult to deal with. But both took it kindly, and one promised that he would desist entirely from the sin about which I admonished him. He seemed to be affected with a sense of obligation for my kindness, and thanked me feelingly."

Misapprehension of the value of his own sermons. Feelings of a minister's wife.

"Feb. 9.-Came home last night (Tuesday) groaning along the street in the anguish of my spirit on account of my coldness and insensibility, and on account of the apparent suspension of divine influences."

Tuesday. I met a man yesterday morning expressing much joy, who said he had received a great blessing under my morning discourse on Sabbath."

"Feb. 19.-On Thursday evening about fifteen made. application for admittance to the privileges of our church. Another lady who came to our church last Sabbath morning for the first time, was convicted and on Wednesday obtained a hope. She stated that she never had been in a Presbyterian Church before. Another instance of good done by that discourse over which I grieved so much."

The text of that discourse may be found in Ezek. xviii. 30, 31. Many Christians felt it was the most satisfactory discussion of the subject they had ever heard. Another sermon which he preached soon after on the text, 'The way of transgressors is hard,' seemed to many to surpass any thing they had ever heard from him. Yet on reaching his performance, that he

home, so dissatisfied was he with his asked Mrs. Walton whether she was not ashamed of it? A minister's wife indeed has an intense and sometimes an excruciating sympathy for her husband, standing as he does, the representative between God and men; but the hour of most intense anxiety and humiliation with him may be to her an hour of unaffected joy and silent gratitude for the grace bestowed on him in the time of his most urgent need.

“Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth," said God to the hesitating prophet, who complained, "Behold I cannot speak, for I am a child.”

The simplicity of mind and singleness of purpose with which our friend was accustomed to enter the pulpit, naturally led him to great simplicity in the construction of language as a channel of his thoughts. Had the same instruction been given to him which was given to Legh Rich

The simplicity of his ideas and language.

mond by his College Tutor, he could scarcely have more accurately observed it: "Don't use terms of science. The people have no abstract ideas. They cannot understand comparisons and allusions remote from all their habits. Take words of Saxon derivation, and not such as are derived from Latin and Greek. Talk of riches, not afflu

ence; of trust, not confidence. Present the same idea in a varied form, and take care you understand the subject yourself. If you be intelligent, you will be intelligible." Walton, like Richmond, was not satisfied till he had explained an idea in every possible variety and point of view, and for the sake of the humble intellect of some portion of his audience, did not, with Richmond, fear to expose himself to the remark, "An excellent sermon, but with too many various readings." He possessed not, indeed, the fine pencil of that eminent moral painter, who, amid the raptures of his deep communion with the scenes of nature, caught a spirit that made the canvass glow, as it were, with the very coloring of Heaven. You might imagine that an angel would feel an emotion of added delight, could he read some of those eloquent descriptions of the works of God! But the subject of this memoir did excel in laying open to the view the attributes of God-His eternal and unchangeable Law-the windings of the human heart, and the worth of the undying soul! Truth for the conscience requires no painting.

And

"March 2.-Have just returned from Winchester. what shall I render to the Lord for His mercy? It was a difficult and dangerous journey. I never saw such roads, and I was stopped nearly two days by high water. Travelled all night last night. Have slept very little for three days. I was blest and to some extent, I trust, made a blessing in W. I had much liberty and enjoyment in preaching."

"On my return found a letter from brother D- of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, requesting my assistance at a four days' meeting. This is the fifth application now on

Revival in Washington.

hand, besides those which have been attended. It looks as if the Lord was about to call me away from the work of a Pastor to engage in something of a different nature. Well, if He will only be with me and give me a fitness for His work, I desire to say, 'Here am I, Lord, send me.'”

"My nervous feelings, which some time ago were so distressing, occasionally trouble me now. Sometimes I find a great difficulty in reading the lines of a hymn which contain a warning of sudden death. It occurs very forcibly— suppose I were to die while reading these lines, what an impression would be made upon the minds of the people. It is only by a vigorous effort of trust in God that I am able to proceed."

"March 20.—Commenced last night a weekly Lecture on Scripture Characters. I did not enjoy the first. I have an impression that my people do not take much interest in such subjects. They do not care as much as they ought about enlarging the scope of their biblical knowledge."

"April 24.-- Last Friday week a four days' meeting was commenced in Br. Danforth's church, at Washington City. I spent nearly a week there with brother Patterson, laboring in the two churches which united in the meeting, and a glorious revival is now going on there."

"This afternoon I had a comfortable time at the funeral of dear sister E. W., one of my spiritual children, who died in the triumphs of faith. She told me she blessed God that she ever saw me-that I had been the instrument of her salvation. She had no doubts or fears-desired to depart and to be with Christ-said death had no sting for her. She had been raised a Catholic! This has been a comforting event to me."

"I rejoice much in the glorious work now going on in Washington City and in many other parts of our land. Even so come, Lord Jesus! come quickly and set up thy kingdom in all the earth."

"May 12.-This day commences our joint four days' meeting. It is set apart for fasting and special prayer. This morning I felt more engagedness in prayer, and more confidence in God than I have had for a long time. I have occasionally for a long time past been troubled with unbelief and hard thoughts of God, in view of the myriads who have perished and who are now perishing. It has been a great difficulty with me, why this should be suffered to take