1840.] HIS FIRST PREACHING. 25 



talents ; God grant that it may, to both of us, gain ten other 

 talents. How much more difficult everything seems to be, 

 when you think of it. I wish I understood things so as to 

 believe them. What is meant by the pardon of sin ? Can any 

 sin be pardoned in the human sense ? Will not the effects of 

 it remain for ever? If so, it is not pardoned. On God and a 

 future life I don't like to think, because it makes me have 

 doubts which I cannot remove, but which yet I know are 

 groundless. But enough of this." And then he fills a long 

 letter with more gaiety and college jokes than usual. 



The students in their fourth year (into which he had now 

 entered) commenced preaching at Welburn, a village then 

 without a church, where a zealous General Baptist, J. Mason, 

 had collected a congregation which was afterwards " supplied " 

 by the college. It was close to Castle Howard Park, about 

 twelve miles from York. A little chapel* was built there (1825) 

 in the days of Dr. Beard and Dr. Martineau. Mr. Wellbeloved 

 told us that, though he did not approve of " boy preachers," 

 he wished us to do what the committee desired. We did 

 not preach in his pulpit till our fifth year. This session, 

 however, was an exceptional one, as Mr. Wellbeloved wished 

 to hear the senior students before the removal of the college 

 to Manchester. Philip's first sermon was on " Watchfulness " 

 (Mark xiii. 37); his next on "Brotherly love" (Heb. xiii. 1). 

 His first visit to Welburn (February 2, 1840) happened to be 

 just after the death of one of the leading members of the 

 congregation ; and though the funeral sermon was to be the 

 following Sunday, the people were in a right mood for his 

 earnest teaching. His letter to me tells all the little events of 

 the day, often with much humour, and those who did not 

 know him would little dream from it what his real feeling was ; 

 but, in the dread of cant or display, it was the college fashion — 

 not altogether out of nature — for light trifles to come to the 

 surface, and to let the weightier matters sink out of sight. His 

 friend who accompanied him wondered at his delivering his 



* When the college was removed, the congregation declined ; a church 

 has since been built, and in 1878 the chapel was sold. 



