th particular assistance, especially
during the first months of this year, that once, when it was otherwise,
it was much noticed by myself and others. The circumstance was this. One
day, before preaching at Teignmouth, I had more time than usual, and
therefore prayed and meditated about six hours in preparation for the
evening meeting, and I thought I saw many precious truths in the passage
on which I had meditated. It was the first part of the first chapter of
the epistle to the Ephesians. After I had spoken a little time, I felt
that I spoke in my own strength, and I, being a foreigner, felt
particularly the want of words, which had not been the case before. I
told the brethren that I felt I was left to myself, and asked their
prayers. But after having continued a little longer, and feeling the
same as before, I closed, and proposed that we should have a meeting
for prayer, that the Lord still might be pleased to help me. We did so,
and I was particularly assisted the next time.

On October 7, 1830, I was united by marriage to Miss Mary Groves, sister
of the brother whose name has already been mentioned. This step was
taken after prayer and deliberation, from a full conviction that it was
better for me to be married; and I have never regretted since either the
step itself or the choice, but desire to be truly grateful to God for
having given me such a wife.

About this time, I began to have conscientious objections against any
longer receiving a stated salary. My reasons against it were these:

1. The salary was made up by pew-rents; but pew-rents are, according to
James ii. 1-6, against the mind of the Lord, as, in general, the poor
brother cannot have so good a seat as the rich. 2. A brother may
_gladly_ do something towards my support if left to his own time; but,
when the quarter is up, he has perhaps other expenses, and I do not know
whether he pays his money grudgingly, and of necessity, or cheerfully;
but God loveth a cheerful giver. Nay, _I knew it to be a fact_ that
sometimes it had not been convenient to individuals to pay the money
when it had been asked for by the brethren who collected it. 3. Though
the Lord had been pleased to give me grace to be faithful, so that I had
been enabled not to keep back the truth when he had shown it to me;
still, I felt that the pew-rents were a snare to the servant of Christ.
It was a temptation to me, at least for a few minutes, at the time when
the Lord had stirred me