MEMOIRS OF DANIEL WHEELER.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE AUTHOR-HIS PARENTAGE, EDUCATION-EARLY BECOMES AN ORPHAN-ENTERS THE MERCHANT SERVICE, THEN THE ROYAL NAVY-IS PAID OFF-ENTERS THE ARMY.

HAVING frequently derived much valuable instruction, from the perusal of the narratives of those who have long since exchanged an earthly for an heavenly inheritance, the thought has at times occurred to me, that a short memoir of my own life, however evil" the days of the years of my pilgrimage" have been, might, under the Divine blessing, be made in like manner useful to others. But perhaps, from the humiliating conviction, that days as without number have been miserably devoted to madness and folly, in forgetfulness of a long-suffering Lord God, who is abundant in goodness and truth, the guilty mind would gladly hide the remembrance of these for ever in oblivion, and pass over them in silent abhorrence; or, conscious that there yet remains a stubborn and unsubdued residue of human corruptions,-a sense of unworthiness and unfitness may have hitherto operated to retard the undertaking; lest the creature should in any degree be exalted, to whom shame only with blushing and confusion of face must ever belong.

Whatever may thus far have impeded any attempt of the kind, I am induced, not as a matter of choice, but as a duty, now in the sixty-first year of my age, to commence the work; humbly imploring the assistance of Him, who "knoweth the

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thoughts and intents of the heart," to enable me, as far as it may be carried forward, to accomplish it to his own praise and glory, as a faithful testimony for the advancement of our holyRedeemer's kingdom in the hearts of my fellow-creatures.

Although no man can possibly be excusable for having done wrong, because others may have been as bad as himself, or even worse, yet the magnitude of the present undertaking would, in my view, be diminished, if on reviewing writings of a similar kind, any thing like resemblance, or a parallel case could be discovered. But, alas! all that have gone before, appear to me to have travelled a much shorter time than myself, in the broad way that leadeth to destruction. Many have yielded again and again to the temptations of the unwearied and insidious enemy of mankind, and have been long in the fetters of sin and death; yet I feel to have surpassed all others, that I have read any account of, in having drawn" iniquity as with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.' I can adopt as my own, I hope in a degree of true abasement of self, the acknowledgment of the apostle," this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

I was born in London, the 27th day of the Eleventh Month, 1771: my parents, William and Sarah Wheeler, were members of the established religion of the country, and strict adherents to all its rites and ceremonies; and although not particularly conspicuous as being more religious than others of the same class, yet they were highly esteemed and respected, by a large circle of acquaintance for uprightness and integrity,

of which there are at this day many living witnesses. They had a large family of children, whose minds they endeavoured to imbue at an early age with the fear of their great Creator,-taking them regularly to attend the performance of public worship, and also reading the Holy Scriptures in the family at home; portions of which I well remember reading aloud when very young.

By a document now in my possession, it appears that until some time after my father's marriage, he was not in any line

of business; but afterwards, to meet the demand occasioned by a great increase of family, he commenced the wine trade in a select way. To enter into minute family details is not the present object, nor is it within my reach, being too young, when deprived of both parents, to be able to speak from knowledge of my own. I have but a very indistinct recollection. of my father's person, not being quite seven years old, when he died, at the age of forty-three years. Some time before his death, our once large family of children was reduced to five only, of whom I was the youngest. We then lived in London, at the Bond Street end of Lower Grosvenor Street; but those parts of the premises which looked into Bond Street, were occupied by another person, as tenant to my father.

My mother was endowed with a large capacity, combining great sweetness with firmness of mind: and although an entire stranger to every kind of business, she persevered in an extraordinary manner after the death of her beloved husband, in carrying on the trade for the support of the family; and so long as she lived, it continued increasingly to flourish, our eldest brother being her assistant in the business. When she was attacked by the illness that deprived her family of their endeared and only surviving parent, I was sent for home on the mournful occasion, being then at a boardingschool at Parson's Green, near Fulham. Of the loss of such a mother, I was very sensible, being about twelve years old at the time; and as I had a much greater personal knowledge of her worth and solicitous affection, than I could possibly have had of my dear father, the event of losing her made a deeper and more lasting impression. I had had much of her maternal society, and had largely partaken of her constant parental and tender care, of which, perhaps, from being the youngest of the family, I had more than an ordinary share.

A clergyman related to my mother by marriage, who resided on a living in the West Riding of Yorkshire, had the whole management of our family affairs, being left sole executor. He came up to London at this eventful moment; and after having examined into the state of things, it was judged eligible that the business should still be carried on for the benefit of us all,