for the last year. With an increased sense of my own
sinfulness, unworthiness, and helplessness, I have an increased sense of
the blessedness of pardon, the indwelling of the Comforter, and the
communion of saints.

Here, on bended knees, I give myself, and all I have and am, afresh to
Him whom I have endeavoured to serve, but very imperfectly, for more
than threescore years. All helpless, myself, I most humbly and devoutly
pray that Divine strength may be perfected in my weakness, and that my
last days on earth may be my best days--best days of implicit faith and
unreserved consecration, best days of simple scriptural ministrations
and public usefulness, best days of change from glory to glory, and of
becoming meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, until my Lord
shall dismiss me from the service of warfare and the weariness of toil
to the glories of victory and the repose of rest.

E. Ryerson.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] My father's eldest brother Samuel was known as Samuel Ryerse, in
consequence of the manner in which his name was spelled in his Army
Commission which he held; but the original family name was Ryerson.

[2] This brother of Dr. Ryerson's passed quietly away on the 19th of
December, 1882, aged 92. Dr. Ryerson died on the 19th of February of the
same year, aged 79. Their father, Col. Ryerson, died at the age of
94.--J. G. H.

CHAPTER II.

1824-1825.

Extracts from my diary of 1824 and 1825.

The foregoing sketch of my early life may be properly followed by
extracts from my diary; pourtraying my mental and spiritual exercises
and labours during a few months before and after I commenced the work of
an itinerant Methodist Preacher.

The extracts are as follow, and are very brief in comparison to the
entire diary, which extends over eight years from 1824, to 1832, after
which time I ceased to write a daily diary, and wrote in a journal the
principal occurrences and doings in which I was concerned.[3]

_Hamilton, August 12th, 1824._--I arrived here the day after I left
home. Mr. John Law (with whom I am to study) received me with all
the affection and kindness of a sincere and disinterested friend.
Even, without expecting it, he told me that his library was at my
service; that he did not wish me to join any class, but to read by
myself, that he might pay every attention, and give me every
assistance in his p