VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
23 
by which our pious ancestors sought to guard and maintain that 
liberty of conscience, for which they were ready to shed their 
blood. Surely, restraint by wholesome laws cannot be called 
slavery, by men, who know how to distinguish between liberty 
and licentiousness. 
29th. At home or abroad, by sea or land, wherever I am, I 
can never forget the mournful event of this day, when our family 
and church were bereft of that excellent man, my father, in the 
year 1786. Though now nearly thirty years are gone by, yet, 
when the return of this day brings his death to my recoUectioiv, 
I feel some recurrence of the pangs, which then seized my heart. 
But I remember, that once in his last illness, calling me to his 
bed-side, he expressed himself to the following effect, in conse- 
quence of the lamentations of a friend, who had just left the room : 
" There is nothing, my dear son, that grieves me more, than to 
*^ hear such complaints ; not because, far from flattering me, they 
" only remind me the more forcibly of my defects, but because 
they evince a deplorable want of knowledge of, and confidence 
" in, the dealings ofGod with His Church and servants. He wants 
" none of us; but if He is pleased to use us, surely He knows 
" best, when to put down one tool and take up another. And 
will He suffer any part of his work to stand still, for want of 
instruments to work with? No! He will find such as are suited 
to His hand, and to the times and circumstances, when they 
are to be employed." This is indeed true, but I yet believe, 
that the concurrent testimony of all who knew my late father, 
will permit me to say, that, taking his character in a general 
sense, and viewing him as a man and as a christian, we shall not 
soon look on his like again. 
To-day there was a considerable swell from the south-west, 
which is as regularly met with in these seas, as the north-west 
swell in the northern hemisphere. Some slight squalls passed by 
on each side of us, and a water-spout was seen in the west. 
50th. We were agreeably roused from sleep before four in the 
