A Collection of Sermons and Tracts: Several of Which Were Never Before Printed; In Two Volumes, Vol. 1 of 2 (Classic Reprint)

Tions upon his mind, that the child, his wife now became pregnant with, would be a fon, and prove of eminent fervice in the Baptijl intereft. He was even ftrongly perfuaded, that this child would be a Minifter of the word: and he always retained a firm belief of it, when things feemed to be unpromifing. He had other impulfes, relative to his fon, and to other perfons and things; which had their exafl accomplifhment: and this muft be acknowledged by all who knew him, that he was not a man of a fanciful and melancholy difpofition, nor given to enthufiafm. The morning this firft-born fon of his was brought into the world, one Chambers, a Woodman, came to his houfe with a load of faggots for fuel: and, as he was unloading his faggots, Mr Gill came out of his houfe to him, and, with a great deal of joy, told him, that he had a fon born to him that morning. j Atthat very moment, as the Woodman affirmed, a ftranger pafled by whom :he never faw before, norince, who added, 2V j, and be will be a Scholar too, and all the world cannot hinder it. Tliis the Woodman, who was reckoned a-man of fobriety, honefty, and veracity, conftantly and confidently affirmed at jdifferent times, without variation :and even years after when inquired of conj jccrning it; nor could he have any finifter end to avail himfelf of, in contriving I fuch a ftory, and perfifting in it. However, Mr Gill sfon, as foon as he was capable of inftrui Stion, difcovered a very great aptitude for learning, and im Ibibed it in as faft as it could be given :fo that he was quickly out of the reach, and in no need of a common teacher of children. He was therefore fent to the grammar fchool, very early; which he attended with uncommon eagernefs jand diligence: infomuch that he, foon, not only tranfcended his co-nsvals, but I diftanced even greatly his feniors. Here he continued until he was zi Out eleven years
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)