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M GRACE DISPLAYEBl '>-■.:* a: ■• ■■• «|»f •-/ INTEBESTINO NARRATinB ■» , ,0^ » ■"•**,. «'><^*^, * LIFE, comnsBsioK, CHRISTIE EXI^RlJElNCI^ BflNISrE^, MissiSNAiyr L ABoifits "OF MAilSDEN. s-*i #* ■ • % Unotthbftlcital ft^ttetwniag? ''•i^ia^^, % ..-JT :l ■^■• PUILMIKS rOK, AKD MLD BT. TBK AOTHOK, eORRBK Or RITtlTSTON AND SIXJH-8TREBT; BOLD ALSO BT ORirFIM AHD >ODD, BASTBUBN, SHE, AND CO. AND JOBN C. TOTTBH. f| Paid and Thtmat, PrMtft. ^^ )813. Js. ^ w #^ *i %* \' "f f;** .Hf ./'■'■ THESE MEMOIRS AEE HCHBLT AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCKlBED TO ALL MT CHRISTIAN FRIENB8, IV WSQLAND, NOVA SCOTIA, NEW-BRUNSWICK, BERMUDAS, AN* THE UNITED STATES, AS A SMALL TESTIMONT or T«» *" SINCERE ESTEEM, GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE. AND CORDIAL ATTACHMENT, or TBCn TEULT * OBLIGED AND DEVOTED SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. ^1 ii lit IP* PREFACE. Having ^me time ago sent a little wcnrk to preiei, consfatiog of scrape of PoeUyt tne gleaoiiigs of a few lei- sure hours, I thought as I was perfectly uoknown io the United States, save to a few individuals, with whom I be- came acquainted eleven years i^o, that I would insert a little notice of my past pilgrimage ; but as I could extend my remarks *Do further than a mere outline, it rather ex- cited than repressed the curiosity of my friends, several of whom have been particularly pressing that I would gratify them with a more minute and comprehensive Me- moir. I had intended deferring this till I should have gained both more time and larger experience, toge^r with the banishment of all future wanderings from my mind ; but the solicitations of a few friends,''^ and the en- • The author of the following letter is a person of great literary attalnmeuti, and aolid piety. I am sorry that I am not at liberty to iqentioo bis name. MT DEAa sia, I heartily thank ycu for your very acceptable present of your Poems, and the (00 britf' Memoirs o^ your Life. The little biographical sketcboH yourself interested me exceedingly ; it breathes throughout the spirit of a deep and fe vent piety, a sound and manly understanding, a tender and generous heart. Iv. has but one fault ; it is too short— I wished much to have seen more of your sArifHan experience; to hare seen hom the Lord Jesus Christ enabled you, by the influence of his Holy Spirit, to struggle with, Incessantly and successfully, the evil heart of unbelief, the lusts of the flesh, which war against the soul ; Hon you have been strengthened into a fit temper and disposition of soul, to receive with gratitude whatever your Heavenly Father gives you; to desire nothing which Ae withholds ; to yield up with all obedience to Ai« will whatever Ae takes away; and to dedicate all that Ae gives, talents, knowledge, time, op- portunity, body, soul, and spirit, your universal nature, to the glory of God, your reconciled Father; of Jesus Christ your Redeemer and your Ood; of the Holy Ghost, your Comforter, Sanctifier, and God ; tAree persons in one Jeho- vah, your Covenant God." It is a cordial to my heart to brood over the ac- counts I have ridden hundreds of miles upon the ice ; have been lost in snow-storms ; Jiave been benighted, and lost in the woods; thrown from horses; have been benumbed with cold, and sun-struck with burning beat ; in perils on the sea ; in perils in the wilderDess; in perils on the ice; but I call heaven and earth to witness, I never found one pro- mise fail. Tnist in the Lord, ye his saints ! and to your everlasting consolation be it said, that they who trust iu the Lord, shall never be confounded. >u*j,...* I have no purpose to serve in writing the following nar- rative but the cause of truth. Though I have chosen my own creed, I am, thank God, no bigot. The triumph of religion, and not merely the success of a party, is the ar* dent desire of my soul, n^f^-^t ^f*^^w* tw»^««» >j«?^s^" "^t4? 1 And from my «oul I hate a bigot's creed, >ftt*^0::t^^^' ym »1BPACB. TIB tOOIB CAaT OV tATnVDtllABIAai. ThM ny, tiM ptaty ttit ehMfi tiM MlaU, Muat iourU bMt aaoag tba ProUMate. Tm My io B^lud, go bayoad tto Twm4, Aad rigid S«ott» diMliows jroiir crMdt CltioM tlM exeliMlv* right of Orthodes, TkB boMt or OalTia, Md tiM pridt bT Emb. Thus each m ot ti tbo gUti ot hMTM boloag To hii own elMi, and all boddM iro wroag. Hence pride diapleft hie bMUier wide unfurl'd, And fierce coBtentiona fhtko the ehriitinn world. Hence the black atreaaw of party iplrit gllda ( Hence all the bare that niata from Miata dlvlda. Zealota with holy raga each other tear ( Lore weepa, aad piety abhon the war. If there be any thiog that saToun of bigotrj in the fol- >wiiig poses, let all men know by tbeie preteoti, that I ince and diflclaim it ; though I hope I am equally far ^ rom the latiuidlnarian difpoiitiooi of iMppoiio|that all are ^ (ht. The trite cant of thii kind of meo I abhor ftom my ^ i1-.<« HTt wreaUmUcmg m Hu Mme ptrih^tt if J» IM ^ame tking^l hope toe shall all gti to Hsavm al hut.** *hk » the looK and tlorenty opinion of men who have |o religion at all, and of half-way Deiiti, with Pope at leir head, who has written, '^ -t.m? For modea of faith let graeeleii lealota flghti Hia cant bawnmg, wboae life la la Uw right This I deny : his creed may be wrong, and yet v^i le may be a moral, regular man. I do not put religious i^. nnions in the room of religion, however good they may:|^ ; they can never supply the place of faith, working by ^ llove; of regeneration, produdng humility, heavenly-mind- . fedness, and so on—but as they influence our practice they tare important. I am, by the by, no creed maker. The I word of God is my creed— of that I would say, Believe, and show the reason of a man ; Believe, and taste the pleasure* of a God; Believe, and look with triumph on the tomb. i^f: '■*t«»>ra. vv »aBfAC£. I'HF. AI-THOR AM IlfSTANCB OF MSRCT AND OKACB. I hope my little work will be useful to young people, to junior preachers among the Methodists, and to Mistiion- aries. Perhaps it may Sail into the hands of some wicked young men, or thoughtless young maidens, to whom I ear- nestly pray, God may make it a blessing. To these I would say, th^t the author was once as mad, wild, wicked, and thoughtless as the worst, but the grace of Ood» that bringeth salvation, turned his feet into the way of peace. Perhaps some dashing sailor may come across the follow- ing pages; to such I would say, he that now writes this narrative, was once a hairbrained sailor, thoughtless of eternity, reeling on the mast, and rocking on the yaiid ; levity and mischief was his delight ; a song) a joke, afkd a froliC} his pleasures ; and blindness to the future his only refuge; but the rich, free, exuberant grace of God, chang* ed Uie rebel into a christian, and the mariner into a min- ister. Praying for the blessing of God upon this little memoir, I cast it upon the world, and upon the provi- cnce of that God ♦**!»■ Whose frown can disappoint tlie proudest theme, |4 ;|j> Whose approbation prosper even mine. iii, 1813. ;^:m.^^>^\^ t\-\ s*as*5^-^^ fj»'.t' ,»i!!s*^ ^iiJi:r>i,^^^.m ,'j .■>'? . ''. '..) . y- X .;. f .'t^ifiy^^xk':- '" 1 . ">• \. ^. . ,. , , ^ , ■■ V , ■.._ ',.. H.I^'jV •*. .A. .m^ :;;at»ii^'«ir--«««»ei(M(r*s*'!*»^ CONTENTS. "'T^"^\^,^ *EiiioD 1....IVofn the Author's birOi, till he l^t • • • • * * ■;'>•;„. 'eriod 2....Fr••-■•'; «. ,;■^^>■:-:^>.;,«-f■'■'' ■ '-- ■!&■: *i?^vT?.'; ■«.* .;'> . . V- ji^isi? ■;^':;-:^'fS ; j;~'. '■■';f;fA liAsf- i- /M 1V".>*^. '-i'- >i^^ ^:.^''r-'-v :*■ ,^// ft;i?-* ■;;*-••' SRfiiiei *^<«- -t^ # '. ^S^)(J| • ■ ■^ • « * * , ■• . - ^'k -** ■ ■ii»i- -,>. ^%':- .■■"^;'i^,^ -: ■4-^:^ i't^ra ^,'*^ ■<■■ fv'J^- •>.--> 5^ ■-■ ;J^''; v:.>v;^ >;? ..Kt-^-J'i j'^^ .k. .m'::^:-m^mm ;#*: jr; -><**:'>- ^ : _-.•■» .a^rrmit.!' 31 LilOIllS, ^c.f^*«,sr^-€^'. ^ ^^te ^ PRELIMINARY RE]\|ARKS. #^*? In the followiug Narrative I shall endeavour to conform as closely as possible to simple truth. I hope whatever is said of myself, will proceed more from humility and ingenuousness, than vanity or dupli^y. I wish to write this Memoir as much for my own improvemen* as the benefit of others ; and hence I shall endeavour to write in the fear of God. Biography, when faithfully executed, is a mirror of human life ; but as mirrors, according to their quality, may give a true or false representation, so may a writer give a correct or exaggerated colouring to his own or another's actions. The Word of God is per- haps the best model of biography in the world. Ir that blessed book all is truth, nature, and simplicity ; no gloss is used to gild improper conduct; no fairy fiction is created to dazzle the fancy ; no masks are worn to mislead the judgment of the reader ; improper conduct is not ex- tenuated ; nothing is said to serve a purpose, or support a party ; but the lights and shades of each charttcter are mentioned \yith an impartiality worthy of the Scriptures, and highly honourable to the sacred writers. There we behold the hastiness of Moses, the sinful pliability of Aaron, the seeming impatience of Job, Eli's want of firmness, the glaring defection of David, Jonah's timidity, an4 the du* plicity of Jacob, all impartially delineated. D nr. -^ tl*-i mmm tmm M JO MIM0IR8 OV iJI , f i ;■ fK. rUBIilMINilllT HCMARKS, ' The same veio of impartial juiUce runs also through the T9^ew Testament : the aposlacy of Peter, ambition of James and John, warmth of Baraabat, incredulity of Thomas^ defection of John Mark from the work, together with the worldly-roindedneis of Demaa, all stand as beacons upon a rock to warn ui against error, infidelity, and ingratitude* Wishing to appear what we are not) or not to appear what we are, may mislead man; but God has his eye |ipe bid, and disclose some weaknesses that vanity would never relate. I am sensible that in reciting the history of my past life, many pages will be blotted and others blank : I may be scorned by the self-sufficient, pitied by the proud and ignorant, and stared at by the immaculate. These may gaze upon the spotted monster, and wonder dt bis perversity; but the man acquainted witli the human heart, will find the image In his own breast symbolize with the writer, and acknowledge, that " as face answers to face in a glass,** so doea one poor unrenewed sinner resemble another. The following Xarrallve will not only contain a display of the goodness of Ood, but a picture of my own weak' ness, blindness, slnfubesa, trials, conflicts, slips, blunders, mistakes, ingratitude) hardness of heart, ana deep an^ manifold unfaithfulness; that man may be humbled, God honoured, truth magnified, Christ exalted, the weak com- forted, grace displayed, and nature shown in its own true and genuine colours. ■■•-ifc>**^ j^^m^ t«fe^ JOSHUA M ARBOEN. tf rnKLlHIlfARY KEMARXS. Bte; Jjtteittift-ui Perhaps one reason why Christian Bii^aphj is not as useful as might be wished, may be found in the cir- cumstaoce of giving only Ae fair side of a life. We read of a christian minister who Avas eminent in his day ; we are told how and when he was enlightened; in what* manner divine consolation and peace first visited bis soul ; something is said about his subsequent labours, aod finally, we are called to read of his happy death and tri- umphant admission into celestial blessedness. All this is very good, and may sometimes be profitable ; but a picture of this kind has hardly as much interest in it as the hero of a romance. There we are called to view battles, dan- gers, enchanted castles, giants, robbers, dismal woods, pe- rils, escapes, and, finally, success in attaining the object. ' What Betterton the actor told an eminent Bishop, who ask- ed, *' Why does a tragedy affect us more thin a sermon ?'♦ may he applied here. . The witty man replied, " We re- present fiction as if it were truth, and you represent truth as though it were fiction.'' Did the warriors of the Cross of old time pass through much tribulation? Did they fight, run, wrestle, watch, pray, strive, contend, resist unto blood, and finally turn the battle to the gate of glor}% by adding to their faith courage, and maintaining the noble warfare even unto death ? Surely we cannot suppose the constitution of things so widely altered, as that a christian, much less a christian minister, **^ - w*y- ' > Can, soft as summar*B gales to glory rise. And flrom a sopha step into the skies. What is the charm that makes that good book, Butt' ymCs Pilgrimy please all Christians ? One principal rea* 'm. u 12 ^HEMOIBS OF PBELIMIMAaT EE1KA>KI> son, no doubt, is the high interest excited by the trials' dangers, and conflicts of Christian befinre he entered the celestial city. Let us, therefore, cease to paint the Chrisf tian or faithful minister's life as an uniform tenor of quiet- ness, peace, and ease ; while his conflicts with the enemy, struggles with corrupt nature, keen tnals from the contta* diction of sinners, manifold wandering,'*' conscious infirmi* ties, and numberless causes of shame, grief, and inquiet- ude, are carefully kept out of sight. Is the ligfit in a picture more pleasing and beautiful than a skilful and im* partial exhibition of both light and shade? A true oarrft* live of the trials, conflicts, and exercises of a Christian) brings a richer revenue of praise to divine grace, riieds a more amiable lustre upon the power of true religion, and lieightens the glory of his final deliverance more, than could be admitted upon the plan of a placid, tranquil, and easy progression in the ways of God. Give me, then, in* £t^d pf the dull narrative mentioned above, give me tlie genuine exercises of the'Hlthful soul, the deep sigbings of the penitent ; let me hear the groans of agoniziiig piety struggling for victory; let me behold the garments of (he warrior rolled in blood, the rocks of obdurate nature rend- ing, the graves of corruption opening, and the dead in da springing forth to spiritual and divine life. We feel stronger emotions in beholding a stormy than a placid ocean ; and the lofty mountain, steep precipice, and over- hanging cliff, fill our hearts with more sensible and impres- sive ideas, than the flowery meadow, lovely httidscape, and is ■ ■ \ **% It is not here supposed the Christian is under a monJ necessity to wander, yet from ^he vveakness of human nature, and the power gf surrounding tempta tieas, itMeften aofiurnnuiy ibe case. K i ■| -nk'^:.- .«■: JOSHUA MARSOeN. 13 THE ACTHOa'8 PAaXIITS AND BiaTH. [smooth aod leyel lawo. We hear with eagerness the oar* Irative of a sailor escaped from a terrible storm, \rhile the Ipleasifjg voyage aod calm heavens fail to awakeu curiosl- [ty or command earnestness: hence I recommend to my brethren, when writing narratives of their own experience^ to give us an uodieguised picture of the whole. The apostle Paul, in the seventh chapter of the Romans, enteri faithfully and minutely mto all the exercises of a penitent soul. There we behold an illustrious warfare betwixt flesh and s[»rit ; there we behold the irriialions of the law and strong energies of divine grace drawing the soul for- peace ; to happiness and salvation* k'tti;' ,^w0m '-m^^ I WAS born near Liverpool^ in the kingdom of Great- Britain, the 21st of December, 1 777. My father was (|e e oldest branch of a respectable family, descended, as far at I have been able to learn, from a family that gwe name to the town of Marsden, in Yorkshire. Some of ny coi^ nexionSi I have reason to believe^ were among the Non- conformist ministers, who were ejected from their liviqgt in the Ume of Charles II. See the 421st and 436th pages of the third vol. of Palmer's Kon-Conformisf s Memorial. My father was weH educated, and, from what I have heard, inteudied for one of the learned professions; but • being of a wild and volatile turn, he lefl home, enlisted hi. to a regiment bf hone, was wounded and taken prisoner at Cherbourg, in France ; but, on his return to England; ob- tained his liberty, and resided with his patents at StMdish, V near Wigan, inliancaster, a 2 ■i^p li % MMAIOlBt 09 Rica rABKNTB CAN^IOT CONrKH WOHTH. My mother, ipihose maidca mmc was Murray, was of Scotttth descent, and was born at Dalkeith, uear Edin- burgh. At tlie time of my birth, my parents were in ia- digeat circumstances : it is true, my father bad inherited a handsome patrimony on the dealli of my graodfotlier, but haying little economy, and not being brouglit up to a trade, he had run through nearly the whole, and was fast verg- ing towards poverty, and its attendant obscurity. But Cod forbid that I should be ashamed of the civcumstauces of my birth, or think my soul less valuable because my. parents were not rich, nor my inheritance splendic^^ r* -f '" Where's thy true treasure? gold laya, ** not In mi.*' And "not in me," the di'mond. Gold ia poor; India's insolvent : aeeli it in thyself, i^eek in thy nalced self, and find it there i In being ao descended, form'd. endowed ( Sky-born, i^y-guhted, glty-^returnlDg ne* I ^^'^^ i^ Erect, immortal, rational, divine t m. Yocna. ^ \:*r ^ .^^Hooour and shame arise from no conditions in life. Ho Uiat \iv0 to God is worthy of honour, aod he that lives iu vice aod folly, though he fare sumptuously, drew in purple and fine linen, and roll about iu a splendid clia^ riot, deserves only disgrace and infamy. Neither my father nor mother weve truly religious f the. former had a nominal attachment to the church of England, ^ and the latter only some few relics of early presbyteriaa re- f ^gulaiity. She had been religiously brouglit upr but passing; through a variety of diflfereut scenes, she had nearly lost tlie seriousness of her youth, and almost worn away the impressions of her infancy; she was nevertheless a friend to religion, and paid at least a partial attention ^>|he -*• u 4 4. », '"'. .v J08UVA MAR6DIN. * fS aOOD EXAMPLE E88EMTIAL TO BDCCATION. morals of her cbildren. We were taugfal^to praj, reatraio- ed from speaking wicked words, corrected if we told a falsehood, were furoished with some general no6oDi of di- vine things, heard my father read in the scripture on the '' sabbath-daj, and were obliged to attend the service of the Church of England. But alas ! how can parents hope to Ixing up their children aright who have no religion them- selves ; can it once be hoped that prs^erless parents wilt pray for their children ? and if there be no prayer in ft family, can we expect the cMldren will be devout ? if we violate the Lord's day, will our children observe and keep, it holy ? Will parents who neglect to read the word of God, inspire their children with veneration for that« sacred book ? If a parent is dark, can he hope to illuminate his children? If not possessed of the vital excellence of - piety, can he impart it to^his children ? Can he give that^ of which he is himself destitute ? In a word, can pw'" rents who are careless about their own souls; who liver without God in the world; whO> if not outwardly im^^ moral, are at least devoid of the pure uid holy spirit 6t the gospel' : I say, cw suete parents wonder if their child^ ren, formed on these models, should be wicked in Uieir fHri*' vate sphererWid pernioious in their publie influence? Wr all \o€k for example ; the subject in his ruler ; the' scholiurin his master; the soldier in his general, and thtf child in his parent. What a noble example jflid the hdy Redeemer set hki disciples ? What a holy pattern di(l% they leave for theur followers to copy ? I w^uld^a^^batr ministers are most useful? What magistrates are roost re^f Yfxed ? .What pasents are most beloved ? Surely those' Trho set the best exaipple ; who lay down holy rules kv> "•a£ yii, J^ SflMOIBS OF ArrECTCD WHEN A >l)r WITlh-TBC DAT Or JCDOMf.NT. their children, and give them a model of piety io their own own cooducL From the earliest stages of infaDcy, my coDscience was tender. 1 had a fear of doiug wrong; which was frequently increased by a variety of alarming dreamsof the day of judgment: sometimes I thought the world was oa fire, and that I was left to be consumed with the wicked and the ungodly ; at other times I was terri* fied with horrid apprehensions that devils were carryiug n^ away. Thus did God seal instruction uptm my ten- der mind, to keep back my soul from the pit. Surely I could say, "thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiesi ,.me with visions.** • I was frequently, when but a little b(^, Maious t» know when the end of the world would trite place ; and exceedingly distressed with the apprehension of being un-^ prepared, a flash of lightning, or a storm of thunder, would make me weep bitterly. I felt a continual fear (^ death, under the dismal presentiment that I should go down to eternal misery; nay, so strong and lively were the im- ages of wo pictured on my mind, that I was afraid of dark^ oess, and often lay trembling in bed lest the day of judg- ment should take place before momiugw Those chapters* in the gospel relative to the destruction of Jerusalem, I would read with the deepest anxiety9 and all those, to me solemn and mysterious woes, the women grinding at the mill ; the abomination of desolation $ die flight iu the winter; the two men in one bed, and the day» being shortened, I combined with the day of judgment ; whi^my Xear-struck fancy presaged would take |date «Matt.xziv. MvksUt i.*.. .■<^\' '■^*Sk J08HV4 MARSBEN. Vf TCNT)1:R-HKAKTED, but CARBLMS about LSAaM150. [ditrii^ my life-time. A knowledge of the e?il of sin ap* )ean to have been coerai with mj andentanding: I lardly remember a period, e?en in the early stages of [childhood, when sin was not more or less painiiil: and had (my parents been pious persons, I am inclined to think that a work of diyine grace*would have led my tender mind to an early dedication of its powers to God ; but for want of this h^p* my impressions fre<{Uently ranished away as the moming cloud and as the early dew; my tlieart was, notwithstanding, amazingly tender to the affile- (tions of the family. Any dilTctence betwixt mf father ind mother pained me exceedingly ; and if (be latter was ^ ifflicted or in distress, my feelings n^re raised to the « lighest pitch of solicitude and sorrow. I itcollectoo otMr ;easien, when my mother was taken sick, and expected die, that I kH down upon my knees before the family, [and in an agony of ri^yer implored the Lord to spare fitt [life. At this time I eouTd not have been UHtte than pels [haps about ten years of age. ■• With regard to my education, it was 6dt Iff the power of [parents, situated as mine were, to give me more than » I common school tuition ; and even this was alitrdBt in vaht; not so much from the inability of the masters under Whoiw I was placed, as' the fatal necessity of being in cbmpany with bad boys of eVdry description. In this l%ht, a public school, unless under good Tegulan^"^ tions, has frequently become a public pest. Thus the tea- der-hearted boy, by the ill' example of others, grows cal« -m- lous; the modest and diffident beeome bold' and forward ; the best impressions are lost, and the worst ptiactices, sueh* as rudeness, mischief, idleness, lying, gambling, disobtf^ «€ XBHOIRI OV BTIL BXAMnU TIK BARK OF 8CIIOOI.I. f Hieoce, and imcleann^ii, are ofteo learned. Tbe uncor- rupted boy ofteo leami bia book at the eipense of hk ia- noceoce ; aod pajs at the prke of koowledge all the amiable ■implidtj he p d ww MCT , m ■§« Would you your Mn should b| » nt or dunce, LaMiThMM, hesdatrooc* or alf Umm at ooee? Train Ua iB pubUe with » mob ol boys. Childish In mtsebief only aod in noise : Tbe meeic ud bashful boy will soob be taught To be as bold and forward u he ought. The rude will sedBe thro* with ease enough. Great schools best suit the tardy and the rough) You seryour wish fullUl'd in either child, TlM pert made perter, and the tame nad* wild. m^M V Xjed astray by the example of wicked boys, and und^ the ioflueoce of an ardent* passionate, yet pliaUe, disposi- tion, I was prevented firom profiting by tbe means afforded me. I could form no idea in what manner these things could be useful to me in f^rLure life; hence, except under the lash of the 8chooIm£.«ter, I paid but little attention to either my book) my pen, or my slate. The latter appear- ed to me the most useless of all useless things, and I often absented myself from school, that I might plunge into the alream, rob the innocent bird of her young, or stroll about iii4he ilelds and woods with other wicked and truant boys. ««Tet I had a living monitor, (perhaps tbe light that Ijghteneth every man coming into the wok^v^,) Om^X Ixnre testimony against my c ^ ra^-f^<**^ ''':^m<, ^M ..'^^ ^■v-';;-«v^-^n§. The apostle Paul's reasonings on this head is so clear, that I will give it in his own words. But not as the of- fence so is the free gift : for if through the offence of one, (Adam) many (all) be dead, that is, spiritually dead in sin, and liable to eternal death, (without a Saviour,) much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by Otfe man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many, Tthat is, all) clearing little children from the curse, and actually par- doning and justifying all true beHevei-s. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to con- demnation, even so by the righteousness of one, (the pure and holy obedience of Ch/ist to the law, and voluntary submission to Hs penalty,) the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many (thnt is, nil) wrro m^dr^ sinners, so by the obedienrc of -f,. f JOSHUA MAR8DGN. FALL. t they do not I actttallj 010. little children ich 18 the king- language of a 3ed to call his ath, &c. Our ;ht is come ia- han light, be- leeds did new- no law, there ^ression there for the child t in the sight nned for that id is so clear, not as the of- Tence of one, ally dead in iviour,)much , which is by , rthat is, all) actually par- jrefore, as by men to con- le, (the pure nd voluntary ipon all men disobedience ohftdienre of DBLITERANCE FROM DANDERS WHEN A BOT. one, (Christ) shall many* (that is, all) be made righteous; Infants when they are bom, and guilty rebels when they truly believe. But to return. Going to school was a great drudgery to me. I neither loved study nor confinement ; reading, it is true, was an exception. I delighted to read voyages, travels, advetitures, romances, and so on ; and frequently all the little money I could get or save, was laid out in procuring books of this kind. Alas, I little knew the value of the privileges I enjoyed ! Precious seasons ; but, alas, ye are gone for ever! yea, more precious than ingots of gold ^ though in my wasteful hands they became mere dross. Ah ! had I ithen known their worth, I would have imprinted the iiarks of wisdom on their wings ; but they are fled ; they are vanished away; and now their walking spectres up- ^: braid me with shocking inattention and wanton neglect. Several times during these early years, did the Lord deliver me from imminent dangers. Once I fell from a high wall on the stones of the pavement, and fractured my skull in a terrible manner; but my life was preserved. On another occasion, I fell through the ice into a deeo pit, and stuck by my arm-pits from going under it. Once plunging into a river to bathe, I jumped upon the bottom of a bottle which cut me severely; and had it been the bot- ^ * Since all maukind were made mortal for Adam's sin, the apostle hj I o< wo^Xo/, the many, certainly means all mankind. Besides, Christ, in speaking I of this very subject, used the word in that extensive sense. Matt. xxvi. 28 This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed (,^*fi TrofXoty) tor many^ that is, for the collective body of mankind ; and as the many who died are «l' mankind, so the many in the end of the verse, to whom the gift by grace is said to have abounded, are all mankind. Hence we are told, 1 Corinthians xv. 22. " As by Adam all died, so by Christ all shall I^e made alive." See also the follow- verse 16. where many offences signifies all offences. Macknight'a Epistles I vol. I. page 876. . , _: :„„... . . .„ .- .■ ''.... »«-..r.;j MEMOIRS or EAlIiT PKLT THAT I IAD A DVrKATCD HATCIE. torn of my foot, I might have bled to death before any help could have been got, as it was fiur from any house. Going with some wicked boys to a horse-race, the day being hot, some of my companions would go into the water ; I could not then swim, and the canal was deep ; however, they deceived me by buoying themselves up as though they touched the hot* torn. I boldly ventured in, sank like a btone, and might have been seen no more, had they not got hold upon me, and res- cued my life from a watery grave. In all these things the good hand of Jehovah preserved me from danger, and spared my life as a monument of his patient and long-suffering goodness. Thro* hidden dangers, toils, and death. He gently clear'd my way; And thro* the pleasing snares of vice, More to be fcar'd than they. ' : -yn' Though remarkably giddy, I early felt that I had a de- praved nature, which neither baptism, going to church, learning my catechism, saying my prayers, or being con- firmed, had been able to eradicate; fortltcauh I was pre- served from profane language and vi%ir wickedness, (esteemed by some infatuated parents as maiks of wit and shrewdness in their children,) yet I was very passionate and irritable ; I felt a strong repugnance to render implicit obedience to my parents, and in my heart hated all control. I often felt dissatitified that my parents were not rich, and wished myself a man, that I might do as I pleased : yea, my young heart was alternately the seat of anger, pride, impatience, resentment, and discontent. To these I might add but the picture is black enough already. Sometimes I would fight with other boys till J0!^t7A HARSDEN. 23 ADDICTED TO PROrAKINO TH» SABBATI. 1 1 had a de- Ifcovered with bloodV M 'I ttften, instead of going tb chuicb, spent my sabbaths in the fields, woods, and lanes, inventing a number of falsehoods to deceive my mother : For after profaning the Lord's day, I w fe'i ■%i '^^m^ 24 MBMOIRB OF THE WRITIHOS OF PIOCI MBR A IKHSriT. moo. The word ig quick and powerful; Many have been alarmed to repentance hy cidainUief, and appearances in the natural world ; a comet, a tlmndeMtonn, ft volcanic eruption, an earthquake, or a peitilence, have been ministers of ter- ror to the conscience, and meant of reformation to the life. God has sometimes overruled a dream, a vision, the death of a friend, a reverse in circumstances, or a fit of sickness, to the good of careless men: but my mother was con- vinced of her lost estate by reading that most excellent bo(^, Aliein^s Alarm to the Unconverted. Surely, if good ^raen, safely landed in the haven of rest, only knew the benefit arising from their pious labours, it must bring a rich and increasing addition to their pure -and divine felicity. In this view, a writer of good books has an advan- tage over one who only preaches; the labours of the latter cease with his life, and sometimes before : the for- mer, dioughdead, yetspeaketh: and continues doing good many ages after bis mortal remains have mixed with the common dust ; his usefulness like a stream, increases as it roHs along tiie continent of time to the^ocean of eternity. Could a Baxter, a Bunyau, or an Allein, while writing l^ the solitary gloom of a prison ; could they have foreseen the immense good that would attend their labours, surely it would have illuminated their gloom, and warmed their breasts with emotions of benevolent delight. ^ O ye venerable men, we think of you with delight ; your memories are like ointment poured forth. We read your works, and the sentiment thai you are now in glory, St .mps a i-icher value upon your godly instructions. The exercise! of my distressed mother wer$ of the most K *^' ■'^He^ JOSHUA MARflDEX. u HT MOTBXK PtiUIfOED INTO OISPAIt. singular kind ; she was not drawn like Lydia, nor melted like Maiy; a deep gioon .fell upon her spirits ; her pas- sions were strongi and, like a nught^ current, carried her towards the vortex of despsdr; the apprehensioD that she had sinned beyond the Units of mercy filled her soul with the liveliest horrors; the language she used on this occa- sion was the most aw^ul that can be imagined. I well re- member many of her words, for they were like sharp spears piercing my very heart I would bfive given the whole universe to have calmed the agitations of her trou- bled breact. She^i^nt whole nights in walking the houses wringing her hands, stamping with her feet, and frequently venting her emotions in language gloomy as misery itself, bitterly bewailing her hi^less state. Many times have I lain trembling, weeping, and sleepless, for hours, distressed beyond measure, not ifldeed (at my own sias, but on ac- count of the melancholy and horrible state of my mother^s mind. The impressions then made upon my imagination will never be wh(^y erased ; and I am persuaded, that the following picture was stamped upon my thoughts from the views it then received of this baleful and horrible passion. ■.i''*^>' ; i jft' In terror clad the Deity is seen, But no mild intereeasor standi between ; The gunty M>ul, and sin-avenging God, To calm his fury and avert bis rod. With terma of peace fierce wrath to .econcile, An^ bid red burning Justice wew a smile ; On guilt alone this deadly night-shade grows, Guilt, fruitful mother of our many woes. fear springs firom guilt, and unbelief from fear, That deems all lost, this reads no mercy near. To hapless souls, enda'd with passions strong. These hateful ment«l maladies belong c 2 .f^- r^ 26 MEMOIRS OF THE IfATUKE AND OAUSIS Or DKSPAIK. Sin swells inunense, the mounUin magnifies, Ind- blots the star of mercy from the skies. Each fault the stamp of aggravation bears, Each stain a tint of deepest crimson wean ; Each slip in fancy, action, thought, or word, - ,;^^ . :^ Stings lilce an asp, .or pierces like a sword, Wliile dread without, and terror from witlUo, Annex a direful curse to every sin. '■,^f<^^^i'. Now Satan every hrtlish art essays, T' increase the storm and swell the angry seas ; And shifts bis fatal tacli from side to side. To raise the wretch's fear, or swell his pride. ^^. God might a little fault or two pass by, .^ ^§m^ But yours, (observe the wily tempter's lie) Exceed the limits of almighty grace. rhfist's blood can't cleanse them, nor thy tears elTaee; So dire the offence, the stain is deep as hell, IP'^ft! And pardon is a thing impossible. 14 . ^ The promise shines, but still new doubts suggest, *P' - «. I, Grace never will relume the sinner's breast : And here's the dreadful worm that gnaws within, The doubtful, dismal, deadly, daoming sin. Doubts rise on doubts, and fear to fear succeeds,, ^ Distress'd, appal'd, he trembles while he reads : Beholds an angry curse on every leaf, **^ 'f ' " 't '#-*'' While every scripture aggravates his grief: jj^^ftl^-l «l»i; t <«* iJi Sin after grace !— and after pardon falls ! .1^ If. .1 V The fatal, fearful blasphemy he calls ; And many a text the wily fiend will cite, To justify the lie, and prove it right >^ AU comfort from the sacred volume fled, 'Tis oast aside, and snldom ever read; Or only read to aggravate his case. And drive the exile from the realms of grace. Silent and sad the live-long day he sits, Absorb'd in thought, like one bereft of wits : ^ Lost in a maze of dark intricate doubt, ..^^ Hi.'? 'ifet^' i**^ •= ■ , ,vl ,i%t %^^ Nostar to steer, no path to lead him out ' ; .%,«,. Embarras'd, craz'd, bewilder'd, and perplest, ../ Peace bleeds, hope dies, and wild despair comes next. With frightful thoughts his fear-struck fancy teems, ■ ,,.<,'::.' And images of wo perplex his dreams. Prayer is abandon'd, can the mind aspire. When hope no longer feeds the sacred fire ? 1 n ■;\, No friends, no consolation can beguile, Or gild his gloomy features with a smile- \ Lost to the useful world and all its cares ^ ;'-'■/ XiOBt to his hooour, profit, and affaire; A, IcJf % ♦ • JOSHUA MARBDEN. 27 DESPAIR THE WOMT Or ALL MENTAL MALAUIE8. ^M tr ■fV- !•*'.••■ ntKst A* Loit to the sinlen sweet of tranquil life; Lost to his parents, children, home, ind wife. His hollow eyes with wild expressioD ftare. His haggard looks liespealc corroding care : His soul is on a restless ocean tost. His heart congeal'd with everlasting frost. Without an anchor, pilot, star, or helm, Tremendous billows threaten to o'erwhelm : The scene is dismal, and the slcy o'ereast, Loud roars the wave, and ttercely howls the blast. Blue guilt qvUk flashes thro' the tortur'd soul. And deep the peals of angry vengeance roll : Lilie swelling seas blam>hemou8 thoughts arise. And dash their impious billows 'gainst the sicies. No hand to help, no peaceful haven near. Fear chills, and sullen hate succeeds to fear. Mercy is past, the wretched sinner cries, Mercy is past, the wily fiend replies; Mercy is past, my rebel soul is curst, Justice, strike home, and, vengeance, do thy worst Despair is the most deplorable mental malady in the world ; whether it be the offspring of a nervous weak- ness, or spring solely from the temptations of the devil. It fills the couutenzince with gloom, and the heart wHh corroding melancholy; it perverts the divine goodneis; casts into shade all the precious promises, and draws a i|^:< dark veil over the resplendent glories of redeeming love* Few things tend more to harden the mind and disparage scriptural piety, whose ways are pleasantness, and whoie delightful paths abound with peace. Instead of beholding Deity as represented in his holy word, the despairing eio* ner forms a gloomy picture from an image in his own deB> ponding and uneasy mind: not as the God of love, whoie mercies are over all his works; who delighteth not in the ^ death of a sinner ; but an ideal monster, compounded of wrath, fury, malignity, and cruelty ; somewhat resembling the terrible Thor of our Saxon ancestors. We have a ^1 28 MEMOlRt OF fi DISTRKBtES OR ACCOCST Of KT MOTRIill'* ITATK. =^=a=5s ' !■ I •■■ " i -~mi" mamittmm tut^mm^ painfiil instauce of this in the caie of that noted man Francis Spira.* "> *"■ My mother continued in this itate for federal months, irrestiog the scriptures to her own misery, and desperately skilful in collectii^ every passage in the sacred book, against whomsoever levelled, and aiming them against her own breast. Hence our Lord*s uiipardonable sin, St. Paul's feaifiil falling away, St. John's sin unto death, were as fuel to the flame that burned within. Mercy appeared to be clean gone, and all light vanished, save what served to show the horrors of her situation. I have known her dash the Bible on the floor, and in an agony bordering upon phrenzy exclaim, I am lost, I am lost for ever, lost ! lost! lost! — No one can conceive the distress of mind I endured on her account I sorrowed for my mother, and was willing to become miserable that she might be happy : but ale' I I had no knowledge of my own state. My feeling were exquisitely tender towards an earthly parent, but my heart was as hard as the nether millstone towards thee, my God, my Father, and my Friend. Alas ! that the human heart should be so susceptible of natural sorrow, and yet so terribly obdurate towards Ood and things of infinite moment. We weep for a child, a parent, a beloved friend; when for our deep offences against a pure, holy, and merciful Ood, we hardly breathe a sigh, utter a groan, or shed a tear; terrible proof of the moral hardness and depravity of the human heiirt. I *, »*!#».» .P* .,■? W^-'- •".■V-'* .*ii? * I have been informed that it was the opinion of tbtt sreat ud good mu, John Wesley, that Francis Spira went to heaven. Ponibly be had better rea- sons for believing this than I am acquainted with, for I BUM conflNi, hi/icaRf hu tlwftyB appeared to me bobI 4vk and hopelen. , t JOBHUA MAR8DEN. 20 it noted mao LIOBT AND PEACE DISSIPATE HER OLOOH. After several months confioement in the iron castle o deep despair, she had one day been unusually softened in- to something like genuine contrition, and had sat weeping till she fell into a doze, during this abstraction, she heard, as she supposed, an audible voice repJeat the words, ** Be not of a doubtful mind." She rose from her chair, believ- ing some one had spoke ; but there was no person in the room. She felt a sensation of peace, the deep darkness of her mind was dissipated, and rays of distant hope dawned upon her soul. She did not recollect reading the passage ; nor could my father, my sister, or myself, remember we bad ever seen it ; its effects were, however, pleasingly visible. ftA i, JStWc^^S r <»>i ,*, From that blest moment, all emotioiu cease, . ii'llU&^i . Her troubled spirit found a sudden peace ; , . t . Aa by a calm, the waves of grief subside, '^ : ^^1P^ Impetuous passions top their headlong tide. Mas. Baibauld. From what principle can we account for this change ? was it a illusion of sleep? could this eradicate a deep- i-ooted malady in the bottom of the soul ? but she persisted that she was not asleep ; but as sensible during the time as though wide awake. — Was it a creature of the imagina- tion ? could imagination have imparted so sweet a peace ? could mere fancy create so divine a change ? rather was it not the voice of him that speaketh in dreams and visions of the night ? the still small voice that whispers love ; that voice which calmeth the raging of the sea, that stilleth the noise of the billows, and that by a divine and peculiar energy carri^th peace to the inmost recesses of the trou- bled conscience. And . can we wonder that God should have this influence over the human heart ? cannot he, who ■" ' ».■-,..■.-•.. .„■ ■ ,, . •- , ■■V' ■ . . ■ ' t MEMOIRS OF JCSTiriCATION THE TBKKSHOLD OP KBblOIOM. * « hath power to wind up the feelings to the highest pitch of distress, drop into the agitated soul the consolation of hope, and the peace of remission ? but be the cause never so remote, mysterious, and equivocal, the effects were most beneficial; she was visited with that serenity of mind, and devout earnestness, which was not only a bles- sing to herself) but a Angular satisfaction to every^ branch •V ;.V^-T-^'-.7^,^ i of the femily»'-^:^f;::g;*i^m '|-»?F- »*'f^Y"' •'^•^r ^m^- In speaking of the divine change which my mother fell) I would net become the unqualified advocate for ever) impulse of the mind, much less would I dignify them with the high and honourable appellation of getting religion. ,,We speak of getting religion at a prayer-meeting, a camp-meeting, a class-meeting, &c. but I would here ask, is not religion a holy) humble walking with God ? is it not rather the saint's daily practice, than the soul's single act ? Is not religion the conformity of our lives to the ex- ample and word of Jesus Christ ? Is it not a gracious ha- bit, and holy conversation of the Christian ? But are habits got in a moment ? is a step, a walk, or an act, a practice ? The deepest and most rooted errors in the world, have generally risen from small beginnings. We should be careful that we speak the truth which is ac- cording to godliness, and hold fast the form of sound words committed to us by the holy apostles. ■"■■^-■rp A sinner may be pardoned and justified in a moment,'' and this may take place either at a prayer or camp-meet- iog; but surely none ought to say, this is getting religion : we might as well call the seed sown, the harvest, or a newly planted sapling, a full bearing fruit-tree. Is there ■0 danger that the seed perish in the earth for want of \ ..•■«, .v, JOSHUA MAE8DEN. TRAOIOAb AKO MTSTBKIOVB DEATB Of MT ■■OTHKR. care, aod the ■•pliog become as fruitless as the barren lig« "^ tree. Let ms never suppose the putting on the armour b winning the battle, or laying aside our we^hts that we may run, accomplishii^ the race itself. Truly all reli- gion must have a beginning ; but we do not c&ll the child an active man, nor the recent apprentice an able artist. How much better to say, as our brethren in Europe, to get converted, find peace with God, or obtain a divine change of heart : this is both more agreeable to scripture, and also to christian experience, than the other, unless we can prove that a part is the whole, and an act of faith the whole prac- tice of a Christian. ,j^fe£*«3l^v1i^^ t»«#»< ■ It was not long after my mother obtained a manifesta- tion of divine peace, before the new-bom tranquillity of her mind was called to a most severe and distressing test My brother, who resided in another place, the family's hope, and the darling of his parents, was cut off in a most mysterious and singular manner. He had been at the funeral of a respectable young female whom he loved, and to whom he was engaged. It was in the depth of winter. They returned from the village where she was interred after night-fall : him they missed on the road ; but thought he lingered behind to indulge his sorrowful sensations. Next day hb horse returned; but no rider. Some friends trent in search of him: he was found lying on his face in a meadow; but the vital spirit was for ever fled. As no marks of violence were found upon his body, it is more than probable that the anguish of his spirit over- came the animal system, and he died of a broken heart. A deep and mysterious veil rests upon his death, which will probably never be removed till that morn shall^rise tjtat r. *'' .rr. 32 MEMOIRS OF THS DEATH OF MT rATHBR— AN K0MK8T MAIT. . '■r■^■.. csBts fuU day on the darkest sceaet of time< How many secrets will the day of judgmeat unfold, that are now. hid from the brightest intelligence upon earth. *'" . Not dflflply to discern,' not much to know, Mankind were born to wonder and adore. TonHo. Woes came in clusters : my father died a little while after my brother. He was a quiet, sensible, honest, man. Of his religious character I have less to say : I am afraid he was a stranger to vital piety till he lay upon his death-bed. Some pious leaders and members of the Methodist Society then visited and prayed with him ; he appeared to bear his affliction with resignation, and I hope he died in peace. ^^fii'^^t-^^i.^-^s^-:'fi^..-iiuf.A ^•'*^.i^ God spoke in these calamities, but I was deaf to his voice ; the rod was brandished over my head, but I did not regard it : hence, though bereaved of an earthly pa- rent, I sought not to give myself up to the Lord; nor could I see in his judgments either sufficient reasons of repentance or reformation. Though not fifteen yeai^s old, I was infatuated by sin, and drawn down the vertex of evil example. Frequent- ly have I spent most of the night in playing cards, and so much had these amulets of the Devil bewitched me, that I thought and studied about little ebe. I call cards amu- lets of the Devil, because they are very bewitching: they produce a habit of gaming, ruin the moral character, and tend greatly to injure the health; they turn night in> to day, spoil the temper, and take the mind away from useful studies and laudable occupations : by them the heart is corrupted and filled with dishonest chicanery and trick. What trifles can be less worthy the attention of an * ■ •.»■■■' . r t I, J0SHU4 MARRDKN. 33 FATAL trrECTiJ 01 CARD* A: DANCINO. immortal being ? If the great rule of our conduct be the word, and the end of our actions the glory, of Ood, from what part of scripture cnn we support this trifling away and killing time ? In what shape can amusements of this kind promote God's glory ? Should we, in the presence of Ood, under the apprehension of death, or with the re- alities of the final judgment in view, sit down and delibe- rately play cards ? O that the defenders of this silly, pernicious amusement, would examine the subject in the light of reason, scripture, and eternity. -' Dancing was another practice into which I was drawn by wicked companions, contrary to the advice, and with- out the knowledge of my pious mother. In the pursuit of this fashionable folly, my morals became daily more cor- rupt, and my conscience so sleepy, that I often told my mo- ther the most glaring falsehoods respecting where and how I had spent the night. O what a fearful descent is there in vice ! At first we start and tremble on the brink ; our consciences are alarmed ; we revolt from great sins-»we commit smaller: the conscience is deadened; we take courage : another step, the trembling soul is less afraid — we conquer our repugnance by repeating the offence, till finally we reduce to a habit, that which at first we could not do without great remorse in the act. ' "" ' ''':'^^ t jfhe first emotions of tho human will, '.f^'V ''<*^ "Are like descending from ■ lofty liiU j ^*^*' t>v At first with cautious slowness we proceed, But as we progress forward, mend our speed : f Swifter and swifter, lo ! we run, we tly, Tilt cboice is chang'd to sad necenitj. ^■2 .\, .. Or, as Pope says, we pity first, next hug, and then em- brace. ^- -Hl^Kr>beam, and calm as the heavens, of which it is an emanation. But the horror of remorse lives, when the criminal pleasure is past ; and even in this world takes ample vengeance on the victim of guilty passions and ungodly deeds. The christian may count the cost, and look forward with composure and peace to the immortal reward : but if the sinner count the cost, he must be the miserable supporter of prospective wretchedness and reversionary misery. . :M I >■ JOSHUA MAR8DEN. 37 GOOD MINISTERS A GREAT 1LEB8INO. I ivonder not that brave Colonel Gardiner should say while trampling upon the rights of conscience, and violating tlie laws of God, that he was often so miserable, he would gladly have exchanged conditions with the most degraded brute animal: this was my case while living without God. I sometimes felt more wretched than I have words to express, and plunged frequently into folly, merely to drown the sense of my misery. From the time my mother became truly serious, she joined herself to the church of England, and attended the ministry of a Mr. G. The zeal of this faithful man was not unworthy of the sacred cause ; heuce she greatly prufltcd both by his public and private labours. This upright and zealous man did not think it enough merely to preaoh once or twice on the Lord's-day ; he was instant in seasoo and out of season; preaching thrice on the sabbath; lecturing on Tuesday evening, and meeting once a week for private religious instruction, the serious part of his charge. Happy would it be for religion and the church of England, if this plan were adopted by all her ministers. She would then be the glory of all churches ,* and Ood would be the glory of her. t-^iFrom the labours of this evangelical preacher, my mo- ther more and more imbibed the spirit of religion ; her prayers were fervent, often breathed forth with strong cries and tears; her zeal in reproving sin was uninfluen- ced by worldly motives, and hei desire to promote my eternal salvation became daily more ardent, till weary of reproof, and growing more wicked as my godly mother became pious, I left home, and went with some others of my wild companions on board a ehip of war. D 2 -# . VK"*' t- 38 MCMOIRB OF SISOBESICIfCE TO rARENTM rUlll«HED IN THIS WORLD. Frcm the time of my g$ing to Sea, till the period . when Ood first UlumruUed my mind with the light of divine truth. i, "^ How regardless are wicked boys of the feelings and af- fections of a parent. How rashly will they plunge a thousand daggers in a tender mother's breaet : that mother whose life has been devoted to their comfort, who has watched them with the most lively solicitude, nursed them with the tenderest care, whose feelhig heart has bled at at their pains, wept over their sorrows,' and has known y,* oo joy separate irom their welfare. That affectionate parent, whose life is bound up in her offspring; that tender mother is put to a thousand tortures by the disobedience, the hard-heartedness, and obstinacy of an undutiful child ; who having treated her with want of filial respect, abused ,\ . her kindness, repulsed her tenderness, and harassed her patience, 6.aally Mes her liouse, lier sight, her pro- tection, to be punished for undutiful conduct and base in- gratitude by the coldness of strangers, the rudeness of churls, un<) the ferocity of ruffians. I had often threat- ened iiiy pious mother that I would go to sea, and had several times left home with the full intention of going a voyage to the coast of Guinea. My restless mind and rov- ing disposition burned with impatience to see foreign climes. Some of my companions had gone; and those who having , . returned, boasted of what they had known and seen $ were # looked upon by me with much greater deference than others ; buthitherto something had always interposed : yet *■■' ■ in the baseness of tnj disobedience, I still held it ib teror^ '%'■ iOSHUA MABBbE^. 30 WICKEDNESS OF MANY SEAFAHISO M£K. um whenever my mother trended me by a reproof, or mortified me with a denial. Alai! I was (though only seventeen) become deeply wicked; but ray oieans of wickedness did not correspond with my depraved capaci- ties ; I wanted a wider field, a fuller rac^e. Ah, how par tient is God not to cut down such mad rebels in the midst of their folly ! as I had cast oflf his fear, and plunged into a variety of things over which purity must cast a vail. ■* ■4- ; , I never then my God addressed, rilm^lf^^In grateful praise, or humble prayer; *,,. -Mu^'-^t And if his word was not xpy jest, , .,t< -^pfsiy aniy (Dread thought) it never was my care. .«** Crabbs. f At last the hour arrived when I must be punished for my wickedness, and beaten with my own rod; perhaps this was as good a punishment as the reacting providence of God could have brought upon me; and as it seemed to grow out of my sin, I could read the hand- writing upon the wall in the midst of my difficulties ; the wild ass's colt was completely curbed,* and by how much I had been wicked before, by so much was I punished now, measure for measure : here I saw profanenens in all its diabolical characters, and mixed with men rude as the rock, and boisterous as the storm — good school for experi- ence, but a shocking seminary for vice. I do not wonder that Dr. Johnston should give a prismi the preference of a ship of war; as there are several points in which the subject will admit a close parallel : a prison introduces you into a mixed multitude, some middling, and others des- ^ perately wicked; but all in general destitute of true re- ' ligion. A prison is a state of close confinement, hard la- bour, and sometimes severe puuishmeots. la a prison the >f Vf.' m •"■S ■>! --T ■■■■^ ' - -.•;, ■ - 40 MEMOIRS OP SHIP COMPARED TO A PRIIOM — PEW PIOUS CAPTAINS. most severe discipline is used to keep the prisoners in awe; the jailors are sometimes tyrants, and the penalties severe. Men will on every occasion run from a prison ; nay, they sometimes even rise upon their keepers. A prison sepa- ; rates you from the rest of mankind, and hindei-s you from conversing with any but the unhappy inmates of your cour finement. In all these points, the subject may be applied to a ship of war. Doubtless there are some good ships, and excellent commanders. I myself have known several pious captains in the merchant service, and have heard of a few belonging to ships of war; but alas, the odds are so much on the other side as to give the subject, in gperal, a very gloomy, and unpromising aspect. I was. some- time on board the Nassau 64, afterwards lost on the coaat of Holland, with many of her crew ; prior to which I was sent with some others on board of the beautiful frigate Amethyst, then fitting out in Portsmouth harbour; this vessel had been taken from the French, and Wi s then pre. paring to cruise against het old masters. Here I had an opportunity of contemplating a complete collection, of rebels against God and piety, from the captain to the cabin boys. . I do not recollect that there was one person on board who * either truly feared his Maker, or worked righteousness, and yet the crew consisted of nearly three hundred fine Ir young men, many of them fit for any service ; but alas, wicked, daring, and profane. We had not so much as the shadow of a chaplain ; no, nor yet any religious ser- vice on the Lord's day : hence, is it to be wondered at, that blasphemy, gambling, drunkenness, and other wicked- ness, were carried to an enormous extent ? And not even ' the mention of religion to check the torrent of iniquity. JOSHUA MARSDBN. » CHUISINO ON TBI PBKNCH COAST, MET A SEVEKE OALE. It is not a random or harsh czpreseion to bkj, that such a man of war is a floatiogjiiell. As this was eighteen years ago, there may be some hap- py changes for the better now. The officers may not set so profane an example : each ship may be furnished with a faithful and zealous chaplain : the captains may prohibit swearing under certain penalties : the men may be sup- plied with bibles and religious tracts : the Sabbath may be more regularly observed : the custom of admitting ua« chaste females on board may be prohibited altogether ; and the men, encouraged by t?; ..• ej sat upon the faces of the officers ; and some of the men wrapping themselves up io their hammocks, with stoical apathy, seemed reconciled to a watery grave. /^^^ ^ .^^t .^].vlt was not supposed that the ship would swim more than an hour longe|«i every lurd^. brought her deeper in the wa^ ter, and every wave seemed the one commissioned to in- gulph us in the bowels of the deep ; when, to our inex> pressible satisfaction, the man aloft saw the island of Al* derney, and the French coast of Normandy. Rocky places ; but there was some prospect we might stick on some of them; and have at least a remote chance for our lives. H%< We steered towards them with the desperate intention of running the vessel upon the nearest reef, let the risk of going to pieces be never so great; it was at least as safe an alternative as sinkii^ to the bottom. Happy for us, the gale was in our favour to make the island. Now hope and fear by turns ruled every breast, whether she would strike and go down, or stick fast among the dismal crags. Our pilot knowing the island, carried the sinking frigate as clear of the rocks as possible, till within a half a mile of the shore, when the swell of a mighty billow carried her with terrible impetuosity upon a hidden reef: this was the critical moment of our fate, but the three masts cut away, another sea carried us still farther upon the ledge, where we stuck. Awfidly raked by the tremendous break- ers that dashed against our bows, which by means of our last anchor and cable had been brought round to the sea, twept our decks and covered us with foam. Being upon the main deck when a tremendous wave rushed upon us over the forecastle, and knowing I should be swallowed up) if- VV " ,■^^■^,«" JOSHUA MARSDBN. Ao BOAT IiOaT IN COMIMO TO OUR A8SI9TAMCI. I made a desperate leap, and got hold of the boom aad spars; and thus, by the mercy of God, was saved from a dismal fate. » We made repeated signals of distress to the inhabitants, who were now collecting upon the beach ; but the surf was so dangerous, and the gale so high, that no boat would ven- ture to our relief; the only one we had left (the jolly-boat) was veered away astern in hopes she might reach the shore, but a terrible breaker struck her, and dashed her to shi- vers in an instant. Thus our forlorn hope was nearly de- stroyed, and our situation truly deplorable ; more than half a mile from the shore, surrounded and almost over- whelmed by furious breakers. Had the ship gone to pieces in this crisis, perhaps not one-tenth of the crew would have been saved ; but mercy, rich, boundless mercy, intended for most of us a loo^r date. Just now a large boat, with eight stout seame 1, vehtured to leave the pier and come to our relief; but alas,, before they had long left the shore, a furious breaker rushing forward with fatal impetuosity, rolled over both boat and men; some of whom sank to rise no more ; the rest were carried by the same wave far upon the beach, and the people joining hands, rescued them from the refluent tide. In this situation we remained from eight in the morning till tliree in the afternoon ; when the sea falling, and the tide having ebbed, a few boats ventured from the shore to our assistance ; and coming under the stern we gave them a hawser and other ropes to make fast round the rocks on shore ; for as night was shutting in fast upon us, we had no prospect of ^surviving till moniing. Wet, hungry, eold, and exhausted with pumping the preceding night, and re-> E t. MEMOIRS OF i. NOTBIIfO SOrTENS TBC BB«IIT BUT DITIHE ORACK. peated exertions through the day; some ventured upon the ropes ; but as this was at best both a difficult and dan> gerous task, the greater part continued ou board till the surf had so far subsided that more boats ventured under our stern, and we dropt one by one into them, till by the blessing of a divine and gracious Providence, we all got safe ashore. ■-•-,ar.j^'*-"*Y'- ;*%"-iseriiw-*«iic ^r.'f?**,'!- •■ i*1 .1FS;_ i¥v>:;*i '^^Tn^.'Ta!s»K'*!'j*e^.;aj!5fj^.:'0^ '■T.l .Vfe^^D!ii.4*i^j?. REFLECTIONS. ^.y-4!^:^,^x^i^- It might be supposed that such a tremendous shipwr. 'ck and merciful deliverance would have made a deep and lasting impression on my foolish heart, and the hearts of others. Alas, alas, nothing of this kind took place. In* stead of prayer, thanksgiving, and gratitude, the night of our deliverance was spent in dancing, riot, and drunken- ness. Thus did we wantonly abuse the mercy of God, and trifle with the patience that spared our sinAil lives. But when did mere calamities affect the obdurate heart of man, till touched by divine grace ? Misfortunes may over, whelm, poverty frown, sickness blast, providence lower, and calamities multiply; but the fortress of hardened, fallen nature, is too strong to fear such artillery; it is only by the piercing energies of the Holy Spirit that the human heart can be truly penetrated and deeply softened. It there a thisg that moves, and breaUff A hail as hard as stone t That mftlts a heart as cold as ice 1 "* • ' ' '■" ' 'Tl8 Jesu'a blood alone. Some of the seamen having embarked on bot^rdofSu- |. Sidney Smith's ship, the Diamond, a little prior to her ;;>■: JOSHUA MAReDF.N. # OOT A rASSAOE fOR LTMK IN A IMUaOLINO TCIIBI.. beio* captured at Havre de Grace, the remaioder 'witli myself were left on the Island, which at this time vnxi in a deplorable situation for want of supplies. Even the lit- tle garrison of Invalids were in a starving state. At length I thought if no one else would take care of me I must take care of myself. So I got acquainted with the master of a smuggling vessel, and he with the generosity worthy a seaman, offered to carry me to Lyme in Dorset- shire. In the night he came, and put me on board his vessel, in which I was, for fear of discovery, obliged to be stowed away in a little hole under the forecastle, where 1 had to continue nearly a week, lying upon a damp sail, fed by the mate, who sent me provision! daily, till the vessel left the harbour, and then I was gladly called upon deck. After being chased by a Revenue Cutter, and having had to moor about three hundred kegs of brandy in tlie bot- tom of the sea, we arrived at Lyme in Dorsetsliire. I M'ould now have returned home ; but I had only three French crowns in the world, and nearly 200 miles to tra- vel; and having no clothes but those on my back, (jacket and trowsers) having been "obbeil of all my best apparel in Alderney ; and withal, bring afraid of the press-gangs, so common in every eeapori town in the kingdom ; hence I continued in the neighbotirhood of Lyme, assisting, as op- portunity oflfered, sometimes the smugglers, and afterwards the fishermen. All this time (nearly a year) I was never but once in a place of worship; indeed, I had nearly lost all sense of religion. Most of my restraints had ceased to operate, and there were few vices but into which I readily volunteered, or was easily persuaded to plunge. I had no pious parent near to check me ; I saw no religion, not even -> }? m MlEMtURB OF THOOOH WICKED, WAS NEVER AS IVnOXI.. the faiotestlbnn, among 017 acquaintances ; the impressions of my childhood were iirell nigh erased; and I lived lite- raiiy without God in the world. And is this, ye proud, hearted moralists, the beii^ naturally inclined to good? Alas, alas, ye vain boasters of the excellence, the rectitude of human life '^ ye deifiers of reason, behold the pictiure-; without divine grace preventing, assisting, and directinj^ the human mind, man is earthlyi sensual^ and devilish. - I have much cause to be thankful, that during this darK and dismal vacation of divine influence, my mind was ne- ver poisoned with dshau, or warped aside by the infidel writings of the day. I was, it is trae, immoral and wlci:- ed; but according to the best of my bad:.notion8, 1 still be- lieved the word of God. I had no doubt but religion was true; but with regard to myself, I cared little about it. Yet, when writing to my mother, I would still use religious terms; not that like the hypocritical cameleon, I was will- ing to conform myself to the colour of the neariest object, but oct of mere respect for the feelings and sentiments of my pious parent. Perhaps in a similar state many have religious terms at the end of their pen, and beginning of their letters, who have them, alas, nowhere else. However, even this is infinitely preferable to bold-faced infidelity* and supercilious contempt of the word of God. ■' ■ During the summer I shipped myself in a large cutter that traded to Wales; and now again thought that I would give myself up to a sea-faring life. Ah, my God, I had no thought of thee, or what kind of life would best promote thy glory. The sea is thhie, and the land is thine, but I chose neither with an intent to please thee : thy glory was not Jn my thoughts; wild, headstrong desire, restless aDJciety, \ JOSHUA MAR8DEN. 49 SAILORS, THOUOB CXrOSBD tO GREAT DANOXR8, AIS HARDENED. and the vaiQ> mad hope of chaogiog my pleasures with my place, prompted my conduct. My heart was debased, nor was there a sin but I found either a desire or an oppo^tur oity to commit on the mighty ocean. I did not acknow- ledge thy hand on shore; I sought only the gratification of animal q>petite8. Few have such opportuoities l7 have >ae to pieces^ as she was deeply laden. Fear- ing she would beat the bottom out, we got the sails, oars« a compass, and some biscuit in the boat; but upon the earnest entreaties of the captain, we agreed not to leave the vessel till daylight. Meanwhile the mate and myself rowed round some distance, and found we were com- pletely embayed with rock., save the narrow chapDel through which we had entered. The wind having shifted in the night now blew oflf shore, so that by daylight the tide having floated ui, we cut the cable we had car- ried out in the night, and filling at the same time our jib, got (he vessel's head round to sea ; but to our blank amazement, when the mate went to shift the helm, the rocks had cut it oflf level with the water's edge. Thus was ouk situation truly dismal ; we had cut our anchor from the bows; were without rudder in a deeply laden Vessel : and, added to our other calamities, she began to leak fast ; the wind blew off shore, with fog and haze ; and should tlie vessel have gone down, our little boat would hardly have*carried us to shore. -f^^: In this situation we continued all the day, pumping with all our might, and firing our signal gun, to let any vessel that might pass in the fog know our situation. The land was shut in, and fear and despondency, exertion and anxiety, preyed upon all our minds. Sometimes we would ;^clude to abandon her and take to the boat : then again, mk captain would encourage our hope that some vessel JOSHUA MAR8DEN. 53 TOWED INTO CATWATER BT A REVENUE CDTTF,R. would heave io sight And just before night, a fishermaa heard our gun, and bore down to us, and hailing, told us he would teke us into harbour for five guineas ; but when informed we had no rudder, the man seemed panic struck; however, the captain' told him, that if he would go in quest of some vessel that could tow us in, he would give him the stipulated sum. The man was not long befoie he met a Revenue Cutter, which he apprized of our situation; and the captain with the humanity of a British sailor, came to our assistance ; and taking us ia tow, sent a number of his men to work the pump, and keep the vessel from sinking, as we were greatly exhausted, and the water was gaining upon us fast. They succeeded in gettii^ us into Cat water near Plymouth : thus was I a second tune saved from the ocean, and preserved by the good providence of a loDg-suflferlng God. «f; , i>; Oft has the aea confeaa'd thy pow«r, And given me back at thy command ; . .'f/.t^." U could not, Lord, roy life devour, 4 ■4^f'^^?(ikl^-^i^''f::J^'%*' '■ ^ Safe in the hollow of thii»c}>wid, /s^i- ::x>.- f.t» .^ ' But did I in all these deliverances acknowledge thy goodness, O God, my preserver ? Did I own thy hand, and thankfully adore thy power ? Did I say, my God, thou hast preserved me, and I will love thee ? Alas, I did not. I was a wretch, ungrateiiil and unclean; a vile rebel amidst the sweetness of thy love; a rebel amidst the thun- dersof thy law ; to the drawings of thy Spirit I was insen- sible, and to the beauties of holiness blind and benighted ; amidst cltanges my heart remained unchanged ; amidst dan- gers unmoved, amidst calamities and mercies unreformed. Thy voice called me, but I was as the deaf adder and the 'f$^\ ?!**, ; -v*' tp. ,■ t»;;-jifi-^^-. imj i-m.., $A MEMOIRS or NOTRINO SO HABD AS IMHOXAL MAN. ■A wild ass's coU ; thy goodness watered, but I was a barren fig- tree, i did not pray, though I had ten thousand reasons} I did liot praise, though m^ life abounded with mercies ; I did not repent, though laden with sin ; nor fear thy wrath though exposed to it every^moment. Well might the royal Psalmist cry cut. What is man? A monster of ingratitude ; a dupe 1..... a tool of Satan, and a slave of sin. ^^''m.- t -%^^- I Range the wide world, explore the ocean round, SkiiD the blue sky, or pierce the solid ground ; Look every page of nature^s volume through, All things examine, .and all creatures view ; Then say, and prove the assertion, if you can, Does aught in nature equal such a man t AH things submit to a superior force, Rocks wear away, and rivers change their course ; The firmest marble, and the brightest ore, Gold of Peru, or gems of Visiapour, Are meekly passive; all some force obey: Gold will dissolve, and diamonds melt away ; Marble obeys the chisel and the saw, And solar beams a rock of ice will thaw ; The ilamiDg forge o'ercomes we!l tempCr'd steel, And flinty glass is fashion'd at the wheel ; But man's rebellious heart no power can bend, ^1' No flames can soften, no concussions rend, ^ . , , Till the pure Spirit soften, pierce, and melt, And the warm biood is on the conscience felt. m Though the diflSculties and dangers to which I had been f xposed made a sea-faring life appear extremely irksome, y^l I did not know well how to leave the vessel ; hence, f^, when Phe was repaired I made another trip to Wales. This was hardly less dangerous than the former ; for meet- ing h gale of wind off the Land's End, we sprang our bow- sprit, split the mainsail, and with some difficulty made the harbour of St Ives. After we left this we got entangled with the Carmarthen sands; and as the vessel did not •tary well, and in some trio) would hardly wear, We nar- JOSHUA MAESDEN. 56 FEW FBOFLK ACftUAIMTKD WITH TRUE RCLIOION. rowly escaped runniDg on some dangerous shoals in a very dark night. , Now> for the iint time since I had come to sea, I kneel- ed down to pray. It was my watch to look out ahead; no one was near ; I could neither be seen nor heard for the noise of the wind and sea; I begged of God to bring me safe to land, and I would serve him to the best of my abi- lity. But I had no knowledge of thy pure spiritual ser« vice, O God of light and purity; abstaining from outward sin, and going to church, were, in my poor views, the esseo- tial parts of religion ; to which I would add, living a de- cent, moral, orderly life. The renewal of the nature, faith working by love, the operations of die Holy Spirit, inward purity, zeal, patience, meekness, and heavenly- mindedoesi, were things of which I had no conception. Alas, how ii vital internal religion overlooked by thousands who profess the name of Jesus ; who live decent, regular liv» ; are ho- nest, sober, temperate, diliger' and pinctual, but devoid of the graces of the Spirit, aLa the power of experimental godliness. ' .jg^jhie^'.i:^'j:imm^0^ ' ■'fy''-f?M: Ah« where that humble, lelf-abatfng ntiid, With that confiding spirit, shall we And, That feels the useful pain repentance brings, 4ri**^* ^^- o '**'<' Dejection's sorrows and contrition's stings, And then the hope that heaven these griefs approTe, Aid lastly, joy, that springs from pard'aing love ? Ckaivk, We arrived the next day at Tenby, and as soon as the vessel was got into the pier, and the captain and mate gone ashore, I silently packed up some of my things, and put on a suit of long clothes I had bought, and set off on foot to travel the whole length of Wales to the city «C 56 MEMOIRS or PASSING THROUGH WALEi, NABROWLV MCAPBD A PHMI'UANO. i.'W't Chester. How light and happy did I feel to be once more on shore. If I had but little mooey, I bad health aad spirits. The world was all before me, where to choose my place of rest; and Providence my guide. After passing through Pembrokeshire, part of Cardi- ganshire, Meiiooethshire, and Denbighshire, I arrived at the city of Chester, and narrowly escaped getting pressed. What a mockery is the name of liberty where such a gross violation of human rights prevails. We may talk of our well-framed constitution, our magna charta, habeas corpus, or whatever else we plefise ; but while there is a press-gang in our streets, freedom is a fancy ; liberty is a dream; and the pillars of our lovely constitution repeated- ly undermined by this palpable infraction of the rights of man, may in the end fall, and bury the whole nation be- neath the ruins of liberty, justice, and equal laws, °^ As I felt an utter aversion to going again to sea, there is hardly an evil I would not have endured rather than that of being pressed. I had seen enough of the ocean to make me heartily tired of it ; and after much reflection and ma- ny years experience, I am persuaded that a sea-faring life is of all others the most uncomfortable and dangerous, im- moral and iiardened. There may be pious sailors, and I have known a few; but in general, the piety of a ship and a prison may be coupled together. ' * I am fully convinced, that both the army and the navy in their present state are painfiilly unfavourable to Chris- tian morals. Let any one read Mr. Cowper's i^||mated description of the progress of vice in a raw recmi^ 'ka ac- count as true as it is painfid, and he will be convinced the army b not the best place for a serious person. >■• JOSHUA MABSDEN. h7 PORTRAITUKE OF A SAILOR IN GENERAL. The life of a sailor is a life of wo. it is true he is bold and cheerful ; but theo he is thoughtless, profane, and desperate; he is generous, but dissolute; playful, but su- perstitious and rash. His song, his bumper, and his girlj (peiliaps a street-pacing harlot,) form his trio of pleasure. He rarely thinks, seldom reads, and never prays. His life is in jeopardy every hour, and yet he laughs at the idea of death, and deems it an insult to be told that he fears it. He justifies his profaneness by necessity, and his neglect of religion, by a marine joke. Speak to him of the call of God, he tells you something about the boatswaip's call; tell him of the danger of being drowned, he cites a. profane song, and tells of a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, and looks out for a birth for poor Jack. He is the victim of tyrants at sea, and the dupe of knaves and har- lots on shore. He laboui's like a horse, and spends his mo- ney like the merest prr«digal. I was told by lieutenant M r, in the Somers Islands, that having to fetch some seamen on board who had been drinking and carousing, one of them seemed particularly sullen and unwilling to go • but the officer insisting, he took several guineas from his pocket, and jerking them into the sea, went into the boat as gay and blithe as a lark. When on board, where they cannot spend it, they set no value on property, and will ha- zard a watch or a pair of silver buckles on the turn of a card or the cast of a die as freely as a button. Thus the% useful, but immoral men, frequently trifle on till a fall from the ysrd, a gust of wind, a fatal bullet, a yellow fever, dismal shipwreck, or a tremendous wave, hurries them into eternity. My friend, i^hoever thou art that readest this, if tho>u hast one spark of grace, one sentiment of piety, the leai^t ^i- ■^;' * 1 ^■- '■'.^•^iv ''■• ^ SB '^kskoins OP MARINES MBRCENAKT— MER WOULD PBER8 THEIR FATHER. shade of godly fear, or the remotest hope of being a Chris- tiaD, do not go to sea. At sea the Sabbath is hardly known, the gospel is not heard,'prayer8 are not offered up, read- ing the scripture is not attended to, thy companions are wicked, and thy calling will expose thee to be wicked also. -pfTi *■.- ^hf ^' ■'- * .4r C ontinuation of my chequered pilgrimage. My arrival at home. Was awakened — brought under the influence oj genuine conviction — illumination — and divine grace. My return home and interview with my dear mother was affectionate and joyful, but this soon gave place to anxiety. There were marines in town, and these understanding I had been at sea, wished to take a liking to me — mercenary wretches many of them, who would entrap their own father for the paltry sum of half a guinea. Had they, as they intended, got me into their clutches, I had no wealthy relations at hand to rescue me from their power, and pre- rent my being sent on board a man of war. I had, indeed, a rich uncle some sixteen miles distant; but rich uncles are not always the most generously disposed towards poor ne- phews. So, not thinking myself safe, I left home, and went to an acquaintance at a country village, about eleven miles from the place of my nativity. On my way I happened to overtake an elderly woman with whom I had been formerly acquainted. After a lit- tle conversation she invited me to her house, and withal requested me that evenir^ to go and hear a preacher, n^ho S^^^k, JOSHUA MARSO£N. £9 MADE THOUOBTrUL BT HEAHINO A lERMON. bad to preach io the village, (Raddifif Bridge.) I readily complied with the good woman's iovitation, not, however, without reflecting upon the probability of forming some new acquaintance. I had often been to hear the Methodists as well as other dissenters, but all pastors are alike to wandering sheep re- solved to follow none ; however, on that evening the word made a deeper impression on my mind than any preaching I had ever heard. The text was, *' Whoso covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy." The preacher dwelt much upon living in the practice of concealed iniquity, aid the danger and fatal consequences of such conduct. To me the rea- soning appeared clear and just; some parts came home to my case, especially the arts young people use, and false- hoods they tell, to deceive each other ; assuming the s^- pcarance of friendship, affection, and esteem, to varnish over the wicked purpose of deceiving and seducii^ an un- suspecting, and probably, confiding young female. He dwelt particularly upon the different appearance people - put on to cover their vices, and especially affecting (o virtues opposite to their character. Hence, secret scorn and sickening envy smile. Their thoughts are daggers, but their words are oil. See pride beneath a lowly aspect sneak ; The light look solemn, and the brutal meek \ Base lust the winning form of love affect. And malice wear the semblance of respect, f #?:,"4l^;JI*^ ■^f"" .,*• ^. Light flashed upon my mind as the preacher reasoned, and I felt within my conscience a confirmed impression that I was wrobg, and greatly exposed to the displeasure of the Almighty on account; of my sins. But though I was 96 >&EMOIRS OF SOME WI8H TO RCCOMCIIiE MLIOIOIf ANO PLEASURC. tired of vandering, and felt some desires to fall upon at least as much religion as would satisfy my conscience, without too mucii restricting my incliuations ; beii^ natu- rally volatile, fond of company, and withal trifling, the idea of true piety, in its self-denying and pleasure-hating austerity, was by no means pleasing to my mind : in sooth, I wished for religion to satisfy my conscience, and plea- sure to gratify my passions. Alas, how many in the world say, suffer it thus far. They come to the very borders of flesh-crucifying reli- gion, and then stop. Nay, they even contend that most of the follies and amusements of the day are not only per- fectly innocent, but even consistent with religion. Thus they make an easy transit from the temple to the theatre, from the ball-room to the sacrament, and the card-table is the preparation f6r evening prayers. Through every folly, thick and thin they dash on, But doubt their piety you raise their passion Shall we be stiff, precise, and singular? AVhat needs ao much ado, such pious stir ? Religion you mistake, it cannot need Monastic rigours to support the creed. Away with all your gloomy, canting stufF, A little piety is well enough ; A sweetly mild, conciliating plan, Korm'd to delight, not cauterize the man. But he that sets stern reprobation's seal '*••'»' On every gay and fashionable ill ; "■• Tissues his gloomy notions with a frown, - '^; i V Then runs all sprightly, sweet-ey'd pleasures down ; Is narrow, rigid, righteous Dvermuch, And bedlam is the fittest place for such. '«'rs;'|;v ^.^^■' 'ri* ^ :{:-»:ii-: asl n: ion, '^W f ■ ;.r.^> / i n,>^t. ■ \ V if- ': k. 5' = r^^r. n :■>■ JL- 'te ;'*i^' rfvi^iV ,'■-. ■- fi! VJ*f' {«£■■ ■;-S^i I recollect while I was on a mission in the Somei'S Islands, I had, at their earnest desire, admitted several reputable young ladies to the Lord's Table, but after a lit- tle while, hearing that they had been persuaded to go to a JOSHUA MAKIDRN. 01 DirricuLTiBs A rAiTBrPL miniitbii will MCF.T. ball, I thought it my duty to apprize them, that I could not again admit them to the game privilege, and warned any who attended the foolbh amugements of the world, not to come at the peril of their rouIi. My conduct, iu this instance, gave high offence; notes and letters were sent me to give explanations of my measures ; threats and menaces followed each other, and indirect challenges were sent; I was the worst man in the world, so rigid, so uo- charitable, that, according to my plan, no one could be saved. What, expel a young lady from the Lord^s tab' j for following the innocent, respectable amusement of her wiser friends and venerable forefathers, who had establish- ed bails in the island time immemorial ? This was not to be borne, I should be made to sufTcv for my conduct ; some said that I was a gloomy fanatic, and others wished they could saw their subscription out of the chapel. Thus when a christian minister exhibits the cross, his foes take fire, his friends get alarmed, Ad it is teo to one but his own household vrill become his enemies. But to return; I did not think that to laugh, trifle, and sing foolish songs, was improper. I loved dancing and other amuse- ments, which by the by^ appeared quite harmless. How faint and glimmering is the light that beams upon tl. ^ rar* nal mind. The grossest sins may indeed appear WiJug ; but dim 'and remote are seen the evils of the heart. Pride, anger, concupiscence, unbelief, covetousness, and ingraiitude, are hardly noticed. It is the sun alone thaf diocovers aU • objects : the starlight of reason, and the taperlight of science may discover enormities; but till ihr^ 62 NOTHING in BELIOION WILL AVAIL WITHOCT THE HEART. Sun of righteousneis shine upon the soul) the heart is cal- lous, and the mind is dark. The sermon I heard had nevertheless a good effeet up- on my condi|ci ; I discontinued several profane and im> proper things; and thought I would in some degree re- form mj life; for I was stHl ignorant that any mure was necessary than a well regulated exterior. Heart religion did not then enter into my views, nor did I know that such a thing was necessary. I rested in the outward law, ig., .,T \ Nor knew its deep design ; v^ . The length and breadth I never saw, - ;;^^tf^^ Nor height of love divine. Watts; I How blind and foolish was I to suppose that any thing less than the heart can be acceptable to the great God; without the surrender and renovation of this, prayer is mere babbling, feith is a fabte) and zeal a strange fire offered upon Goa% altar. -t ^ - * t* - - About this time, I was introduced by a young man into a company of pious females, who appeared to feel such an interest m my welfare, as made a deep and lasting im- pression on my mind. They requested to join in prayer: this was perfectly novel to me ; for I hardly knew that there was a praying woman in the world beside my own mo- ther. I was much pleased, affected, and benefited^ by tb^ir devout conduct and pious conversation. Perhaps nothing in the world has a greater teadeney to recommend and set off piety, than the conduct of an amiable and serious female. Some wretches, with Pope tlie poet at their head, accustomed only to contemplate women through the nie- JOSHUA MAE80EX. 63 WOMEN DBORADSD IN rOKMER TIMES. dium df a Mahomedao opiokm, have asserted, that every irotnan is at heart a rake. But history, the faithful mirror of humaa actions, presents to our view to infinite number of most worthy, p ous, and dignified females; se eminent for talents and learning as (hey were exem- plary for religion and purity of manners. The talents of women, says an eminent i^rfteir,' fn^h only in the reign of queen Elizabeth to be held in a pro- per degree of consideration. As women, they were ad- mired and courted, but they scarcely could be said to participate in the society of men : in fact, the manners of our forefathers) before that reign, were too rough for them. In Wales wives were sold to their hiubands : in Scotland women could not appear as evidences in a court of justice. Iq the time of Heniy VUI. an act was passed prohibiting women and apprentices from reading the New Testament in the English language. Among the polished Greeks they were held in little estimation. Homer degrades all his females; he makes the Grecian Princesses weave the web, spin, and do all the drudgery of modern wa^hwo» men ; and rarely allows them any share of social intercourse with the other sex : yet the very foundation on which he has constructed his tuo matchless jpoems are women. It appears also from all the dramatic writers of ancient Greece, whose aim was to hold, as it were, the mirror up to nature^ to show the very age and body of the time, its form and pressure, that, notwithstanding their extreme de- licacy of taste and rapid progress in the fine arts, their manners were low and coarse ; and that they were entire strangers to any other gratification arising from the socie^ of women than the indulgence of the sensual appetite. — ) «>i ■:,%iti^' 4h < ■ ,.j«#>*. MBMOIRS dF THEIR KIND AND BEMSVOLSNT CONDUCT. E^en the grave Herodotus mentioDS in the highest ternu of approbation, the custom of Babylon in selliog by auction, on a certain fixed day, all the young women who had any pretensions to beauty, in order to raise a sum of money for portioning the rest of the females to whom nature had been less liberal in bestowing her gifts, and who were knocked down to those who. were satisfied to take them with the least money. This degradation of women would seem to be as impo<- litic as it is extraordinary ; since under their guidance, the earliest and sometimes the most indelible, (I believe I may safely add, the best and most amiable,) impressions are stamped on the youthful mind. In infancy their protec- tion is indispensably necessary ; and in sickness or in old age, they unquestionably afibrd the best and kindest re- lief: or, as a French author has neatly observed. Sans Us femmes les deux extremites de la vie seraieni sans secourS) et le miUeu sans plaisirs, *' Without women, the two ex- tremities of life would be helpless, and the imiddle of it joyless." To a woman, says Mr. Ledyard, I never addressed - myself in the language of decency and friendship, without ' receiving a decent and friendly answer. If I Avere hun- ■i gry or thirsty, wet or sick, they did not hesitate, like men, to perform a generous action. In so free and kind a man- ner did they contribute to my relief, that if I were dry, I drank the sweetest draught ; and if hungry, I ate the coarsest morsel with a double relish. Place the ivhite man on Afric's cout, Whose swarthy sons in blood delight, Who of their scorn to Europe boa»t, Anil paint their verjr demons white JOSHUA MARSDEN. m IN WHAT LIGHT THE BTBLE EXHIBITS THEM. There, while the sterner sex disdains To soothe the woes they cannot feel, Woman will strive to heal his pains, And weep for those she cannot heal. Her's js warm pity's sacred gloit'. From all her stores she bears apait. And bids the spring of hope re-flow. That laoguiah'd in the fainting heart Thus in extremes of cold and heat, Where wand'ring man may trace hia kind ; Wherever grief and want retreat. In woman they compasaion fiad. Man may tbe sterner virtties ktiaw, Determin'd justice^ truth severe. But femide hearts with pity glow. And woman boldaaffliation dear. : To Woman's gentle hand we owe, What comforts and delights us here ; They its gay hopes on youth beafow. And care they soothe, and age they cheer. -f .,;4;^ CraBVI* For mj own part, I hardly think it an exaggerated cal- culation to suppose, that there may be one-third more pious females in the world than males. No one can deny that women were employed in the first propagation of the gos- pel. Paul says, " Help those women that laboured with me in the gospel." Phcebe was a deaconess, Priscilla was an helper of her husband ; Mary, Dorcas, Lydia, and the beloved Kuria, mentioned by St. John, all seem to have been distinguished females. We might mention many whose piety, if not labours, has been an ornament to reli- gion, an honour to society, and a blessing to the world.— To return. After the evening spent with the pious females men- tioned above, I became resolved to neglect no opportunity of hearing the word of God, which began to have a bless- ed effect upon my mind. I left off singing profftoe 80Dg» w BIEMOlUg 0£ i^. v^i .| .. I ventured to accept an invitation to class-meetiog : all things appeared new to me. I looked with singular venera- tion upon the Leader, and thought the meeting truly ar d im- pressively solemn : roy mind was greatly affected, and the tears trickled down my cheeks like rivulets. I am per- suaded that these meetings, though not minutely described in holy writing, are nevertheless among the most useful and vital means of grace. In Great Britain, Nova Scotia, the United States, and the Islands of Bermuda, I have heard tliousands testify the ",»T "V">'*w/'^"«3 lecelved fypi© class-meetings ; JOSHUA MAR8DEN. H CliASS-MEETINOS ACCOKDIROLT PROriTABLE. and I justly consider them as the promoters and palladium of Methodism. They tend greatly to iostruet, comfort, quicken, and encourage the flock; they bring Christiam acquainted with one another, and furnish a continually new spur to holiness and diligence; they bring forward and ripen gifts for extemporaneous prayer ; they are good schools to improve the talents of young men who may be called to the ministry ; and next to the Book of God, they unfold one of the most valuable of all volumes to his at- tention — I mean the book of christian experience. This will make him more usefully wise than a thousand tomes of idle speculation ; here he will be let into all the exer- cises of gracious souls ; their views, trials, temptations^ heart-sinkings, doubts, struggles, manifestations, victories, coldness, wanderings, besetments, helps, hopes, answers to prayer, interpositions, reliefs, complaints: there is often discovered the beautiful unfoldings of divine grace in the soul, during the periods of its infancy^ youth, maturity, and confirmed fatherhood in the divine life. In addition to class-meeting, I attended all the means of grace: these on many occasions gave me sweet glimpses of, and divine drawings towards, the Lord Jesus. Anon I would sink intt} despondency and dryness, and be ready to give up all as lost. I strove continually with the beset- ment of my nature, entered into several covenants with God, and promised greater strictness, watchfulness, and care ; yet in spite of all, I was sometimes borne away by the violence and impetuosity of temptation. After being overtaken with sin, I would redouble my prayers, ak:d when not visited with the temptation for several dap/ congratulated myself on having obtained the *■'% ■^■, T'.* ■ "•' -X^-- '■ " 6d MEMOIRS or _LJ It-Li - THc DAMeu or £. tiiir-RioHTrous rxniTEHCx. victory. Ail this ime I mortified 1117 body to guch a de- gree, that soiQetiDies 1 was so weak 1 could hardlj attend toanythiug. My gieatest desire vra^' to feel more humble, more «^ )i\- trite, aud .dead to the world. My mind was frei:>!jcutl)' much distressed od account of hairUiess of heart Akb, I wanted to be sanctified Irfore 1 liad any kuowledge of a state of pardon. Owiag to this rrJButke (which I am confident prevents thousands from coming to the Lord Jmn» in the symplkity of faiih) I ivande«ed ironi th« imnU seldom praying' directly for faith, but chiefly for contrition; »uii not iiafrequently for all the graces of tiie Spirit I had soR^e latent ihoughts that my mind must be prepared in lYih manufr, before I could obtain a sense of divine reconciliation. Perhaps this was owing to a re- fined principle of self-righteousness ; secretly wishing to do somett^ing in order to merit salvation at the hands of God. By how mai^ plausible ways does the devil strive to lessen the glory of the bleeding cross, tarnish the lustre of a free, full, and present salvation, and divert the soul from the simplicity of the go^el, and the true path of life and peace. I aOf^w that I could be saved no other way than purely by Christ, as a poor, miserable, guilty sinner ; and some- times I would kneel down to prayer under the impression I should now get the blessing ; but, after praying a few minutes, something would siiggest, ''not now; you are not enough engaged ; defer it till to-morrow, and then you may possibly obtain it." On other occusions, I would go out into the fields and woods, and think I shouM not be lOte^Tirupted, and might wxestle with God till I obtv^iied imt. JOSHUA UAHSBBX. 80METIMXS I WAS BROUOBT TO THE BRINK OF DESPAIR. ^? * ii-. the prize; but a rustliog among the bushes or trees made me think some person was near : then again I would set \ apart some particular nights to read the word of Qod, and pvriy all night, hoping to have my soul divinely refreshed \-^y'j a sense of pardon : but then as soon as I felt drowsy, 1 would desist, thinking that my prayers could not be ac- ceptable to God. Frequently an unaccountable desponden- cy would paralize all my endeavours; my besetting sin raged like a fury, while despair and fear so completely " chilled my mind, I dared not look up to God for mercy : all appeared as lost, and I had no consolation left, but the reflection, that if I were sent to hell I would justify God in the deep abyss of everlasting wo. On these occa- sions I have spent many sorrowful hours; and at night feared to shut my eyes, lest I should awake in everlasting misery. Ah ! if all the deep exercises of ray mind had been written during this restless period, they would form a shady pictiure of lamentation, mourning, and wo. Some* times I had fears lest the horrible doctrine of reprobation were true; and that myself was among the unhappy niun- ber for whom Deity felt no compassion ; for whom atoning mercy never shed a drop of precious blood : If so, I thought I might as well sin on, for what would all my strivings avail, if there were no grace, no Saviour, no promise? but a fearful looking for of judgment. Fears too, that I had committed the unpardonable sin, would ' often darken the gloom that surrounded my soul: all liightened by the natural workings of my corrupt nature, and the powerful temptations of the devil, sometimes made me roll on the floor in an agony of distress. It often appeared as though the devil were let loose on purpose to tempt mef 70 , BCEMOIliS 09 aear BEBMONS BHODLD BE MIHUTB ARO EXrblCIT' and though I wept and strove} dreaded the tempter^ ab- horred myself, yet was I oftea overcome by tlie enemy; and being drawn within the whirl, was plunged down the vortex of evil. Atheistical thoughts would often rush in- to my mind; and I woJd say, what if there be no Ood, if religion is a fable, and the Bible a romance P but these were seldom of long continuance. I have infinite reason to be thankful that I never was in any period of my life given up to infidelity. Even when I did not obey it, I venerated the word of God, and though destitute of its poner, I always believed in the reality of religicii. i still attended all the means of grace, and Tf as on some occasions greatly comforted, but I did not ofteu hear the ex- ercises of penitents dwelt upon with sufiicient minuteness. Preaching in generals may have its uses, but certainly it is not the best way. A sermon of this kind may be all tme, all good, all scriptural, and yet not suit the case of a single individual in the congregation. I grant it is the easiest way of preaching ; it requires little study, less knowledge, and may be delivered without any experience at all. The believer looks up, he has no share ; the pe- nitent has no share; the relapse has no share; the weak, desponding, tempted, drooping, and perplexied, have no share. The sermon exhibits a group of figures like no- body in the congregation. The mirror of truth is lifted upi but no one can see his moral face in it. Kotliing can be more discriminating and explicit than the scripture, nothing more vague and ambiguous than a thing of this kind, called a sermon. ; I would sometimes bear sinners addressed, and some- times saints; but I thirsted to hear the nature of justifying .JOSHUA MARSDEN. V IN WHAT 8EN8K FAITH IS THE GIFT OF 000. faith explained, and the doctrine of a present simple reli- ance upon rhiist for instantaneous remission unfolded. I read all the books I could get upon the subject ; but few aflforded me such clear light and dawning hopes as Mr. Wes- ley's First Journal, Mr. Fletcher's Appendix to Matter of Fact, and the Life of Mr. Haliburton. Mr. Wesley's sermon on Justification by Faith alone, gave me tiie greatest comfort. It was from reading this I learned the absolute necessity of prayer for faith continually ; to make it the constant burthen of all my prayers, and expect that God would bestow it upon me for the sake of his well-beloved Son ; for faith is the gift of God : " By grace ye are saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not by works.** Neither this faith nor this salvation is owing to any works we ever did, will, or can do, for we are his workmanship; which proves both (hat salvation is by faith, and that faith is the gift of God. Faith is wrought in the heart by the operation ofihe Divine Spirit; but is not tl 13 Spirit the gift of God ? " He giveth his Holy Spirit /.o them that ask him." . Faith is a nobler blessing than repentance ; and yet re- pentance is the gift of God, " He is exalted on high a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission." *' He ascended on high to give gifts to men, even to the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them." But God could not dwell among men destitute of faith. Faith realizes the divine presence, therefore is faith one of ihose gifts God bestows on his Son to dispense to fallen man. It is not the gift of God in tiie same sense as our bodily members, or mental faculties ; these are natural (o If m 1I£1IPIR9 OF MEM HArX A ORAOIODS POWER TO REPENT AND BELIEVE. '■ '■' III ii * "ii I I I , ' I - ,,118, and only his gift through the meilium of creation: but ^^ faith is a superDatural gift, and flows to us through the me- '^ dium of new covenpnt htetcy, and by a particiUar inspira- tion of the Spirit of. God; for, 1 . All mefi have not faith. 2. No wicked man has faith, otherwise he would be a child of Gw*. .. " We are made,** says tlie apostle Paul, "the children ;nf God by faith in Christ Jesus." A penitent seeker of saivatiuu lias not true faith ; he feels his want of it, and ^j, cries, Lord, help my unbelief. A believer has only true faith ^vhile he watches and prays : if he commit rilful, dc- ,, libei^ate sin, the power to believe !>i withdrawn ; nor is he restored to it till he seeks the Lord by confession, humi- liation, and prayer. If it be asked, Why then are men accountable for their neglect or omission to believe ? anrt why is unbelief a sin ? I answer. That though laith is the gift of God, yet it is given in answer to prayer, and ;^ fflay be greatly improved and exercised by man, who is deeply accountable both for his not seeking, or cot im- proving it when obtained. ,;^= - .™ ^ -,« *l,. On this same principle, repentance is the gift of God; yet men are blamed and condemned for im- penitence. All men may repent : for first, if we take the steps, or use the means, God will give uo the grace. Will not the same legs that carry a man to tlie ball-room, the play-house, or the tavern, carry him to the house of God ? Will not the same eyes with which lie may have read a novel, romance, or tragedy, enable him to read the holy Scriptures ? The same ears by which he listens to a pro- fane song, will enable him to hear the word of God.. If a JOSHtTA MARBDEN. % OOD UEALS friTH MEN AB VREE AOERTB AND ACCO' VBLE BEINU8. spendthrift may quit druDkenoett because it has hurt his coQstitutioD, reputation, and property, ivhy may not an- , , other, because it has hurt his soul ? If it be said, (his is ,. FelagiaDism ; I deny the chaise. ' . During his day of grace, (and every man has a day of grace,) the sinner may cease to do evil and learn to do well. What, by his own inherent power? No; but by the grace of God that bringeth salvation (initial salvation) to all men ; teaching them, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, they live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. The light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, appearing to the heathens as the light of the moon and stars, but to the Christian as the light of the sun. Some portion of the divine Spirit is im- parted to every human breast to profit by it withal. If raeu resist the Holy Ghost, if they bury their talents, refuse to come to Christ that they may have life, deny the Lord that bought them, shut their ears to the calls of God, make their light darkness, and say, I will not believe ; if they receive the grace of God in vain, refiise to work out their salvation with fear and trembling; if they will not co-work with God, neglect to make their calling and election sure, ,.; and instead of rcturiiii^, to wander further from tho.^^ Lord; then, truly, die bt&ine of their ruin rests upon theit! own heads. \ There is an infinite willingness on the part of God to . . savcuien: witness his word in ten thousand declarations,^ of mei'cy towards even those who nevertheless refuse tort turn to hiin* There is an infinite willingness on the part ;, . of Christ to save U^em : witness his death, which, if they . believe, is an atonement for their sins. He gave himself a an 94 MEMOiaS OF in WHAT MANNKR I FOUND THE ORACE 09 OOD. -» ^ ransom for all, to be testified in due time. There is aa infinite willingness on the part of the Spirit to save men : 'witness his tender drawings, patient strivings, and protract- ed operations in the human heart. But to return. When I was convinced th&t faith was the only means or condition of salvation, it was my continual prayer, Lord, give me faith; nor was Jehovah slow to hear, or impotent to save. .^v**.. I went on Whitsunday, 1708, to Manchester, where V had an opportunity of hearing that venerable man of God, Mr. Mather, from "Do ye now believe ?" The. words were rendered a blessing to my soul, and his treatment of them gave me so clear a view of the history and mystery of faith, that I resolved in the strength of divine grace to seek till I found, if I sought it till my dying hour. In the afternoon, Mr. George Marsden preached from ** Who is willing to consecrate his service to the Lord :" after which there was a love-feast ; many spoke of the dealings of the Lord with their souls, many testified that God had forgiv- en them for his name sake : but alas ! my heart was as hard as the nether millstone ; it seemed as though I could neither repent, believe, nor do any thing else. !Neverthe- less, in hope believing against hope, I determined never to leave the chapel till mercy spoke my sins forgiven. The meeting concluded, but I remained in the gallery, and with la young man, my companion, kneeled down on the bottom of the pew, and began to pray in an agony for a present lalvation : some of the leaders, together with some pious fe- males, came into the gallery, and joined in praying qver me for near an hour, till finally the power of God came down in a most vital manner. The dark clouds of unbelief Tan- JOSHUA MARBOBN. IS HAD A TBJIDEK CONICIENCB— DKLIOITBD IN mATBk AND PKAIRB. jshed from my miod : I felt power to lay bold oo Chrirt by faith. My burden fell off; even my body felt tbe di- TJoe ioilueDce : dow were my lips filled with praises, and mine eyes with tears of grateful love ; tbe scripture that made the deepest impression on my heart was, *' Thy sins which are many, are all ibrgiven thee.'* I returned home with a light heart and a cheerful countenance; my peace continued most sweet, and for some time my whole soul was drawn out in prayer; truly, " Fnyer my divine employment wu, t|****.-* «• And in my pleuure pnht." ;^|had now power over my besetments; if the tempter came, my soul fled to the Lord Jesus, and the enemy re- treated: after this my conscience was so teuder that I could hardly attend to lawful things without feeling some misgivings. ^ji fx^i •> I felt an idle thought u actual wielcsdncM, ** And groanM for tbe minutest fault In tsquiilt* di8treM.f ^^ . To obviate the cavils of bfidels, sophists, and frozen- ^ hearted moralists, with regard to the change that I feh, lest this as well as the other parts of spiritual religioa should be called enthusiasm and delusion : in the divine influence that renovated my soul, I heard no voice*— a voice spoken to the ear does not always enter the heart ; man speaks to the ear : God has reserved to hintself the prerogative of speaking to the heart, and when he docf, the powerful language is always felt. ^ ^ 2. I saw no similitude, my eyes were shut ; and yet the «yi'8 of my understanding, were enlightened to know the ?6 JUEMOIRS 6V '^■'•if.r/^T'^'tntllTVAh PROPERTIES OF THE R«W CBEATUHE. 9- hope of my calling, and what the riehes of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. The change that took place ivas spiritual, a divine agency acting upon the powers of the soul in a way peculiar to himself. The change was a real, sensible change : no flash or impression of the fancy, no vibration of the nerves, no iiiusioa of the imagination, but a solemn inward feeMng of the peace, favour, and approba- tion of the Lord ; the change was supernatural ; rising above the level of nature, and: producing effects as diffident as the difference betwixt spiritual and human agents. The change was rational, the new creature was invested with new powers of love, joy, fear, hope, delight, springing from a new kingdom of righteousness planted in the soul. The renewed heart changed the sentiments, the view chang. •d the life. God's love became the ruling principle, OodV, word the standard, and his glory the end of my actional Is any religion but this worthy of the gospel ? can a reli- gion that does not change the heart be acceptable to a heart-searching God ? Is it not as rational to believe that God has as much pv')wev over the human heart as he has over the elements ! He that biddeth the winds to blow , can with the gales of his Spirit refresh man's heart ! He that commanded light to shine out of darkness, can illuminate the human soul ! He that biddeth the thunders roar, can awaken the guilty conscience ! He that maketh the earth fruitful, can sow the seeds of eternal life in the human breast ! He that has kindled the solar fire, can warm the sinner's cold bosom, and bid his frozen affections glow with gratitude, love, and zeal : in fine, to deny God's power over the human soul is to i ivance a position absolutely atheis- tical; to suppose this power uiiDeccssary, argues deistical JOSHUA JKARSDBN. BROUOBT IMTO CONDSMNATION TBROUOH LEVITT. pride; to assert that this power is never applied for the purposes and in the way above-mentiooed, pharisaic blind- ness and self-su/ficieocy : but to the law and to the testimo- ny ; except ye be bom again, (re-born^ fromregenero, Latin,) you can in nowise enter the kingdom of God ; old things must be done away ,* there must be a new creation, a pass- iug froQi darkness to illumination, from death to spiritual vitality and animation : a change from the bondage of sin to the freedom of salvation, from t!ie image of Satan to the kingdom and image of God's dear Son ; and this change is Ihe foundation of tliat holiness, without which no man can see the Lord, ■'^'^m^'^trm':^-^::.^:'^ ■ " A little after I obtained this blessing, I was a good deal disturbed by a person telling me, that I was but just enter- ed upon the field of battle ; for it appeared to me that I should neither know war nor come into condemnation any more. But it was not long before a natural levity of dis- position brought me into great darkuess and distress, and Bornetimes to the very brink of depair ; but then, just as I would seem to be giving up all hope, and al/out to cast away my confidence, the Lord broke in upon r le in a bless- ed and most merciful manner, granting me such a luminous sense of his presense and love, as filled me witli sensations of the most ravishing joy. If I felt the least taing that weighed upon my conscience, I carried it to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, seldom intermitting the exercise till I found both sweet relief and conscious pardon. My mind was frequently drawn out in an inexpressible manner to plead with God for poor sinners, insomuch, that while hearing sermons I would pray all the time tliat the Lord would awaken and enlighten the guilty and benighted* ■*; T8 ■ ^ MEMOIRS OF i " i ■ '^ ii'i i ^jirfBiiJj nit i ' TBI SWEETKKSB CF A JCSTIFIED STATE. The word of God, whether read, preached, or explained) was my comfort aod solace. And oft with a smile ofdeligbt I would say, J'ake my health, fortune, friends, name, and credit away; But leave my lov'd Bible, my treasure it is, Tiie spring of my joy, and my title to bliss. If cast by misfortune on some distant isle. Where seasons ne'er bloom, and the sicies never smile. '"■ Beneath the cold pole, in a region of snow. Or the world's fiery zone, wl»ere the solar beams glow 5 With only one volume my mind to solace, I'd choose the pure records qf covenant grace. ■ ^j' David's language was the experience of my state, "O how 1 love thy law ; It is my meditation all the day; I under- stand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. How sweet are thy words unto my taste ; yea, sweeter than the honey to my mouth. O that I had always hearkened to thy commandments, then would my peace have been as a river, and my righteousness as the waves of the sea." My Bible, Hymn-Book, and Young's Night Thoughts, were my constant companions. Happy state, when the soul desires nothing save what helps him in the One great concern, walks in the simplicity of faith and love, and has sweet communion with the Lord by prayer and meditation : " each prayer is answered, and each wish resigned." Truly then the kingdom of God is opened in the soul ; beams of spiritual liglit glad- den the mind ; " all nature smiles, and every grove is gay." Muse, range Hesperia's groves, Arcadia's bower*, Fair Tempe's vale, and fancy's gayest shores. * Let the Itright di'mond ail its lustre lend, itf * Anci orient morn its softest blushes send ; Let damask roses purest fragrance bring, Its stores t!ie autumn, and U^ colour? spring : J0SUV4 MARSDRK. 7§ THE TAAIOVa CAUSES OF A CHRISTIAN'S BAPflNESa. siDful afTections are nipped in the bud; aad turbulent passions are not suffered to ruffle the calm surface of the soul— remorse is banished from the breast, and guilty fears can no longer arm death with tenfold ter- rors — the calm of heaven is felt within, nor does the soul tremble at the prospect of evil tidings— the new-born Christian, feclug a holy indifference to the world, is nei ther much perplexed by its cares, nor shocked by it^ frowns and disappointments. "-t^'H ' 3 1 The day glides sweetly o'er their heads', ixSp- ' i Made up of innocence and love ; ||||,nd soft and peaceful as the shades, A h Their nightly minutes sweetly move Watts. M Pining jealousy can no longer form a hell within, the baleful passions, hatred, revenge, envy, ill-nature, fretful- Qcss, discontent, melancholy, despair, have no influence in the peaceful m^neions of the soul : but in their place, love, ♦'* ill a^' MBMOIBS Of ' '%'tT^.i^.k'.-ii>\vSMlMMi«>w*. . MO aiBD TO 00MB AOAIN INTO OOMOCMITATION. /^«/"i joy, peace, loag-sufferiDg, gentleness; itoodoess, faith, meek- ne&s, temperance ; the soul feels a divine harmony within sweeter than the lyre of OrpheuSf and infinitely more de- lightful in the ear of reason than all the fancied music of the spheres. ** The good man now Is satisfied from him- selP — from those rich streams that flow from the fountain of renewed nature. He has no need to ransack the world in quest of happiness; he has a treasure in his breast a thousand times more rich than gold and gems — an inward peace that passes all understanding. This state, both in present enjoyment and perpetuation, Is no doubt the privi- lege of every child of God. Does the Holy Scripture say there is any necessity that the soul should ever again come into bondage and darkness ? Are we not exhorted to jtand fast in the liberty where- with Christ hath made us free ? to walk in the light as he is in the light ? May not the path of the just shine brighter and brighter even to the perfect day ? and he who has clean hands, go on his way, and wax stronger and stronger ? Are not we exhorted to perfect holiness in the fear of God ? to keep that committed to us ? to hold fast till he come ? to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost ? to continue in love ? to grow in grace, and consequently in happiness ? to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, i^Hnefs, brotherly- kindness, charity, &c. Will a declension in piety promote our happiness, humility, or eternal beatitude ? Alas! the re- verse is always the case. It may be answeptd, relapses make us more ser^tible of the need of a Saviour, of his blood, assistance, and intercession ; they render us m©re humble, more dependent on tlie Lord, more distrustful of ourselves ; . ik JOSHUA MAKSD£N« 81 THE DESroN OF COD IS TO DELIVER 178 rSOM ALt 8I». in fine, that thiij" bring more honour to Christ, more praise to free grace, and will finallj cause us to sing louder in liea\en. All this is very fine, if it were true; but I am fearful it is more like the lullaby of the Antinomian^ than the gospel of Christ, the epistles of Paul and James, and the purity and holiness of religion. I would humbly ask, is not Christ more honoured by holiness than by sin ? Was he not manifested in the flesh to destroy the works of the Devil ? Does not he redeem his people from all iniquity, and purify to hunself a pecu- liar people, zealous of good works ? I am afraid these sin-advocating ministers, never preach from that text, " He that committeth sin is of the Devil ;" and I am a lit- tle doubtful, whether divine grace does not acquire more praise by purifying, comforting) illuminating, and strength- ening the Christian, than by allowing him to plunge into tlie mud, flounder in the pit, and defile himself by the fiUh of impurity and transgression.! I do not deny that * So strict the path, as holy James would stake It,- A little wider, by your leave they make it. *' Grace is a precious bliss, a lovely plant, " But duty- -ah, we hate your legal cant ! '" " The rigid saint, tied up by works and law, " The Gospel's charms and beauty never saw. i .' *' We reap the blessing, and forsootli allow, a • , j *' Such nide-bound fools to drag the miry plough ; *' On heaven's path immortal sweets we strew, -//., , " And round our steps gay thornless roses blQW ; " So glide along with glory in our eye, " And easy 2,ain our mansion in the'sky." Thus all the soft-ey'd Solifidian racf , Sta" 'fair cause of piety and grace; Bi' . ,.ial truth and spotless justice bleed, And tear each righteous precept from the creed; Make grace a cloak this inward vice to screen. And Christ, (O death,) a mipister of sin. t The author has been acquainted w:Jth some preachers of this description it Sovik Suotla, who esinpared tlie Chrlstiau to a nut cast into tiic filth, the kernel H ■^ip^f; '-.' tt ■■>im 1 *S '^J% . t2 MEMOIRS OP MAtlT TOCNO CONVBETB DO HOT RECKON VPOIT THE DOTIBS AND TBIALS. relapses may be overniled> and boundless mercy may bring good out of evil ; but I utterly deny that relapses have a tendency to promote our holiness and salvation as eecessarily as a continuance in piety and faithfubess. . For some time I felt much rest from evil, and hardly realized that 1 had a corrupt nature remainiag ; but this did not continue ; I soon saw the necessity of incessant vi- gilance and unremitting prayer; and tliat difficult as it ap- ^icared to obtain the pardoning love of God, it was no less iliificult to retain the blessing. One act of faith obtained ;!ie grace, but a continued exercise of faith wm absolutely and indispensably necessary to preserve the blessing. Here many young converts err; they imagine vhen rj '>pted into tlie family of God, all is done, and seem to think little or nothiog of the subsequent warfare, diligence, watchfulness, self-denial, faith, fortitude, courage, and holy resolution, necessary to preserve and increase their early graces. ,,,u In fancy's glass the future bliss is seen : But no sharp interval of toil between; No fiery darts, no agonizing throes. No bitter fears, no heart-appalling woes ; Increasing sweets, and rosy comforts smile, And bloom and bliss the fl'.iw'ry way beguile^ of which is the soul, and the ohcH the Xxx'y . Thus, gay they, the body may be defiled by sin ; the body of a believer may swear, get drunk, tell lies, and commit adultery, but the soul is pure. This reminds me of & German Elector, (wli^ was likewise an archbishop,) one day profanely swearing, asked a peasant, who seemed to wonder, ' What he was surprised atV * To hear an t <,;ibi8hop swear,' answer- ed tbe peasant. ' I swear,' replied the Elector, ' not as an archbishop, but as « prince.' ' My lord,' says the peasant, ' when the prince goes to the devil, what will become of the archbishop V So of these body sinners, when the flesh goes to the devil, what will become of the Spirit ? Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. I keep my body under. Mortify the deeds of the body. As strangers and pilgrims, abstain from flesbly lusts that war asaiastthe Spirit JOSHUA HARSDKN. LOST HT riKBT IiOVE— Wa OFF HT OUABD, AMD OATE WAT TO SIX, _^-- A Till soon the path is chuCd ; and where, alas ! 'Twas easy, green, and soft as vernal grass, Bleak Alps of rugged opposition rise. And sable doubts enrelope all the allies: Torrents of deep affliction rapid pour. And rise, and boil, and dash, and fbtoi, and roar. Encircling ills, and unseen trials, malce The lonely path seem desert, bog, or bralie ; Where pricldy thorns arise, and noxious weed, To choalc, and stunt, aud blight the heavenly seed. And now corruptions rise, a viper race, '-^ting the young hopes, and irritate the case ; Pride, anger, and concupiscence set in, A refluent tide, and each besetting sin . Of former times returns with double force, 1^ check his progress or divert his course ; Hard rocks of barren self-d^-aUtl goad. And fear and trouble roughen all the road. Till the tir'd rcas'ning soul with flesh confers, And then, as sure as God Is just, she errs. Whether it was by miscalculations of this kiud, or hj the strong temptations of the enemy, and want of know- ledge of his devices : whether by ceasing to believe, to watch and pray, or by yielding to nature in some unsus* pecting moment some forbidden indulgence, I cannot prc> cisely say ; but I grew cold, was off my guard, and again fell into sin ; and for some time I continued floundering in the mire, and entangled in the snares of the sin that so easily beset me. I did not indeed outwardly depart from God, nor cast off his fear; I did not cease to attend the means of grace ; I did not restrain regular prayer before God J I did not leave tlie society, nor neglect any of the outward duties of religion; I was not the willing slave of Satan ; an act of unfaithfiilness cost me many sighs, groans, and tears ; his service was not tlie mild and easy yoke of a parent, but the hard and galling bondage of a tyrant ; I sinned as unwiliiugly as a thief goes to the halter, or a fool to the correction of the stocks. But I had lost my first love; that vigorous tone of soul by which I lived every A4 MEUOXRS OF LOST MT TEROCitNE83 Or CONICIENCC, AMI) MT aUfOtHS /.TK. hour to God was relaxed ; all my flne ieDsibilit|r of etn- fcieoce was blunted ; I could no lorigei gay, ^:* Whom havft I on earth below f Thee and only thee I know ; Whom have 1 Jn heayen but thee 1 Thou art all in all tomt ! All my treasure ia tboy« ; . . All my riches is thy Icrve : Other comforts I deepise, Ziove is all my pai'adise. e r»«i-; mV unusual tenderness of coLTcience ; I lost my sweet filial confidence in the Lord, the pure breathing ardors of my soul vp^ished away, and partial darkness suc- ceeded the beautiful sunshine of divine favour to : use the words of an elegant writer,/' How different the scorching sand, the briars and serpents of this desert, from the green pastures in which I once fed, and the still waters by which I once refreshed my weary souL Once I walkc i wiih God — I could behold his face with confidence, the gloiy of the Lord was arisen upon me, and I walked all the day long in the light of his countenance. Once I had free access to the throne of his grace; I approached it with huiiblebold' uess,and there are many places that can witness tc the tears of joy and sorrow with which I poured out my soul before God; but now the recollection fills me with dismay. I have now little heart to pray; conscience, indeed, drags me along to duty, but I enter the presence of God with a sla- vish fear, or a chilling indifference ; once I had swcet com- munion with the Saviour of sinners. When oppressed with a sense of guilt, I saw the all-sufficiency of his 8?».crifice, and the perfection of his righteousness ; by believing I en- tered iato r($t. Under every accusation he was near that ^6 MEMOIRS OF IT la AN EVIL AND BITTKB THIMO TO DEPART FKOM ODD. ■f justifieth me in every duty and io every trial; he encou- raged me by sayii my grace is sufficient for tliee. I tvUI never leave thee Lar forsake thee; now I only see my iios and my enemies, but where is my Saviour and my helper ? Ouce I experienced the gracious influences of the Holy Spi< lit, by these I was enlivened, refreshed, and enlightened ; I clearly saw the parts of duty^ 1 could harmonize provi> dence and promises, I claimed the privilege of a child) pnd an heir of God ; but now, the comforter, who should relieve my soul, is far from me; I have grieved the Holy Spirit of God, by which 1 was sealed to the day of redemp- tion. Oh ! what enlargements of soul had 1 in his ordi- nances ; how often did I find the sanctuary to be no less than the house of God end the gate of heaven to my soul; how sweet was the word to my taste; yea, sweeter than honey ^.o my lips; what a feast did I enjoy at his table; liis flesh was meat indeed, and his blood was drink indeed; and Oh! with aUhX cheerfulness I carried my cross; I could even ?;;ropt from its wings the balm of new delight; Are past, and vanished, as a lovely gleam Of morning radiance or delightful dream. While busy thought alone the past retains, Embitters loss, and aggravates his pains; His peace and vigour, light and joy, are past^ So blossoms lose their beauty by a blast. Where opening tints of (kir devotion shed Their living bloom and beauty round his head ; Spring the rank weeds 6f levity and vice. And choak the rising plant of paradise. There are, generally speaking, three degrees of backsli- y ; in a little time he obtained ordination in the Church of England, and ridi'< culed all heart religion; and when reminded of his formemp^rieoce; UiA, " Those are some of the mad tblngs I said in my folly.***'^ '^* " l^XOIRS Of tB Airrvh ACCOUNT or am apostate ih the Town or lOLToif. ■ '•■'<-^ . Pure truth is foreign from faia souli and now, : ^ ^^v^f^^^i^ot. Though drenchM ia guilt, no blushes die hisbrtflr.' "* Callous, unfeeling, and without a fear. Hell in the front, and vengeance in the rear ; Be rolls in sin, till Justice with a frawn, vJ0^'i^^n% Draws the red sword, and cuts the rebel dowft. *^H^.i^,jAr%tj ^,~* \ I grant, that many who backslide do not go to these lengths. They would probably shudder at denying the Lord that bought them ; they sin, but are frequently fol- lowed by remorse) and sometimes under tlie influence of a wounded spirit, are plunged into the gulf of despair; or by divine grace, are happily restored from the ruins of their lall* ,....-■_ ;u..l.f,»-...4-;.._ _,.!,- iv ■•*••' -'-' -*'' A remarkable instance of the former kind of backsliding, and final and total apostacyj, happened about this time in the town of BoltoU) near which I then resided. William Pope was awakened under the ministry of the Methodist preachers ; for some time after his awakening, he earnestly sought, and at last happily attained, to a good degree of the peace of God. His conduct was now moitl, regular, and pious: but finally, not watching unto pr^^ver, he be- came slack and lukewarm. At length he g disputa- tious, and was much given to politics. He now fell into bad company, and the poisonous works of the scandalous Faille''^ coming abroad, he drank of this putrid fountain; he quickly took his degree of confirmed infidel, and frequent* ly luet^ith a company of the same stamp to ridicule and kick the Bible about the room. • Tb« candid reader, by consulting Simpson's Plea for ReligtOn, (a most ex- oeltent work) majr have an opportunity of comparing the lives and deaths of In- Adela with true christians; and will by this means have an antidote against the poieon of their writings. No man would surely say, let me die the death of (thm» Vtiae, or, Cum tu» sit toima qiea, •' May my soul be with thine,'* '■''^T'tK^,- ^iks joaAOA MAmsbejr. OF 3 If. ItkaJ^^f ■ ■ (o these ^ing the intlj fol- !nce of a r; or by I of theii; ^kslidiog, s time in fVilliam lethodist earnestly egree of regular, r, lie be- disputa- fell iDto indalous ain; he equent- ule and most exo atbs of In- liinst the death of line," . TSBBIBtC BLAOTHIMT OF WILLIAM rOPE. He had not proceeded long in his career, before God laid the hand of affliction upon him* He now felt some mis- givings relative to bis infidel creed, whether or not this was the best religion for a dying man. He, at the request of his friends, sent for two ministers of my acquaintance, who accordingly visited him. On their first interview he manifested some slight signs of compunction, but on their next visit all traccni of even seeming penitence were swept away by the fldod-tides of infidelity : he rejected all coun- , set; told them he hated God ; that he wished to be above Christ, and that he was as full of hell as ever he could hold. While they prayed with him he continued blaspheming usieg language at once so hellish and awful as is not lawful to utter. Calling my friend Mr. B. to the bedside* as though he wished to <;ommunicate soKi?thing, he lifted up bis hand and struck him with some vehemence, uttering at the same time some awful imprecations, and begging God to pour bis maledictions upon their heads. He was, how- ever, no infidel now; he acknowledged the truth of the holy scripture,^ and the reality of a Messiah; but at the same time rejecting all hope of salvation through hun, ma- nifesting the greatest possible hatred and malignity toward the Lord Jesus Christ. He lingered some time in this awful state ; increasing if possible, every dhj in the spirit of blasphemy, hatred, * I know not but the fearful apostac7, mentioned by 8t. Paul, Hebrew* Ti. 4, 5,6. waa exemplified in Wllliani Pope. " For it is impossible for those who irere once, enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gilt, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good WQtd of God, bb^ ' the powers of the world to eoiqe, and haye fallen away, (for so irAf^titt^jtt^ttt' should be rendered,) to renew them again to repentance." This kowevMP; h only to be understood of a complete and totti apostacy from God. And wiU $f no means apply to the ordinary baclcslidingii of professors. From mWtIk ma^ t'a.« Lord preierrv u« ; And may o«r motto ever be Ifateh a*if prajr. MEHOiaS oW ssani y ■!!■ I WAS, TBIOUOH MUHDMIBI OKACC, HSSTQRBD rtON tAenfUtiSlKS, I I II III I Mijlf Mtiii rage, contempt, and scorn of Ood and the holy icriptures^ possessing, at the same time, a cleameM of intell^i and keenness of reasoning, t^at surprised maof of bii fH«fl(li. What is a little singular, be woiild not allow any of bli io^ ^del companions to come into the room; bidding tbitn to depart and be gone, as they had been the caiifo of binder' lasting ruin. Numbers of i-eligipus pergoog viiited liim, to all of whom he presented tlie same sp^tade of horror, i@' probation, and despair. He frequently said he wiibed only to talk about the devil and hell-ilre, and that it gave him the most ease Tvhen speakLig of those subjecti* Ifgvut did a man* on this side of eteraity, manifest more fully tlio judicially hardening, and blinding power of God* He tp. peared sealed to the day of eternal danmation, and awfully fitted for the mansions of infernal wiekednew* For lOflic; time he continued in this state, the measure of hi» bliiph^' ..m.ies beicoping daily n^ore full, till, finally, be departedf .cursing and contemning Jehovah to the hif t niotneat of bit ;€:jfi8tence. IrCojDtlQued several months under the influenee ofroy partial bacjksUding, for I never left the society. Indeed, JPbaKaQh's yoliL^ was not more irksome to the Ifrteliteii, ithe dashing oar to a galley-slave, or. the toUiof boe (e a poor emaciated vyestrliidia negro, thau the inward bood* age of sin was to my soul. I frequently Itroire In to 8|0' ny to break the snare; would roll upon the groundf weep, groan, and conflict with the enemy, till I »eem§^ to hate no more strength lefl. At length the l>rd pUled nod re< . ftoi'ed me to my forfeited peace; then was my eyen ^Ited with tears, my lips with praises, and my hetrt with ^ nesB, and I could sweetly sing, JOBUU4 MAIlSDBlf. 93 «rTC> I WAB ■■STOBKD, I WMLT A OESIRB FOft TIIC SAI.TATI01I Or OTItBM. ^- • j*;^'yh»' MBAIIt OV OONVERTIHO A WHOLC rAHII,T. >i ed the miDisten and people of God had not more faith and zeal, aod earnestly longed to do good to my fellow-crea- tures. On some occfiii^s G<^'jjir^'tHe to see theHMit i>fD^ labours, which greatly encouraged me to speak of religioo -when I had an opportunity. On one, especially, the good- ness of God made a veiy singular circumstanbe the means of converting a whole family. I had been at W— n to see my mother. Coming back in the pleasure-boat on the duke of Bridgewater's canal, while some of the company were playing at cards, I observed a serious young woman in ihe boat, and an elderly grave looking man ; to these I joined myself in conversation. The young woman was from Madely, in Shropshire, a disciple of that blessed mo- ther in Israel, Mrs. Fletcher : the old man happened to be a backslider from the Methodist Society, but his wife was still a member. We beguiled the time with various reli- gious discourse till the boat arrived at Barton. Here the old man and myself had to leave the canal, and strike across the country, he to W — y, and I to R — f ; but as the night was comii^ on, he advised me to go and stop at his house all night ; I consented, but when we arrived his wife was gone to meeting; so he took me into the next house, where I stopped all night. V The nest morning the woman of the house, A. R. on hearing that I lived at R— f, asked me if I knew an old man of the name of limping Billy, a conjurer, who tpld for- tunes ? I replied in the affirmative ; withal adding, that I had been to see him. the week before, not indeed, to have my fortune told, but to tell him his, and warn him to repent and jibandon bis fbrtime-telliog tricks, or God would certainly f^^'^.M .■*'■. 1 ' wv,iii;. : ' ' v* , v'.^w «>*;• 'i^'j* r 4\ t - 'vjia f ;»(»J»W:-«Hsp :S'-^ ■ „^.*- JOSHUA MAB8DE?f. 05 OOD MAKK8 THE BIMPLCST THIHOI riOMOTE BIS ObOIT AND MAN'S GOOD. deal with bim as be deserved.* The woman looked asto- nished and ooofouoded, and retired into another room, from whence when she returned I perceived she had been weeping; upon which I requested that she would allow me to read and pray with her — she consented ; and I took my leave, not imagining that any thing particular would grow out of it. However) about ten days after this, com- ing out of Bury chapel, to which I generally went on the Sabbath, a man. met and asked pie. Is not your name Mars- den? I replied) Tes. You must go along with me, said the man; my wife has^ been in great distress ever since you was at my house, and wishes to see and speak wjth you. I set off inuBcdiatelyi and when I arrived at his house, found his wife deeeply . convinced of sin, and eamestly.striving for mercy and salvation. I endeavour- ed to direct and comfort her as well as possible, and in a littletime. the. clouds vanished, and the Sun of righteous- Dess.sboijne upon her soul. ^ - ^i^^ Her husband was a worldly man, that used to spend, his evenings at. the^tayern. Going one night as usual to take his accustomed beverage, a thought struck his miad ; my wife is at the meeting, while I am at the tavern; she. is going to heaven, and I am going to hell. , I will go to the meeting : he did go— divine impressions were, made upon his mind; he was awakened to a feeling sense of his lost condition, and, in the end, joined his partner in the good way. 1 r-M ^-^ ■" ' • ••■■', * How often ia it the case, that those whom God has wounded by disappoiot- ments and cross providences, go to the devil for a cure ; by resorting to such 'old wretches as deceive the credulous, by pretending to tell their fortvJBS, This bad been the case with this woman. . j .■ •* ,?' ■% ^mr: ., ^.■^-^l. . ' «^ M MBMOIlia AF MAtOlll r«H DBIIRIR* TO ■■ BMFIiOTXD AB A ■WISTBI OF TIC SOiriL. The coDT«nioD of thk famlAj had a happjr elliect upon (he neighboarhood : and now they have a comfortaMe chapel and societj in the same place. SomeUmei I thought Ood had a design to employ me in preaching bis eveilastii^ gospel ; and this inipression was always most strong when I felt any pttticalar manifestations of divine love. When I walked into the fields, and by the caaab, or rivers, my mind was so ftitlof this idea, that I wotdd preach to the trees, choose my text, divide my sidbject, and give to each part all the energy and vehemence I was ca- pable of, without one single auditor but trees, and rocks, and runniog streams. * When looking forward to prospec- tive holiness, I would sometimes think what state of llfift would be most favourable to a oontliniance and security m piety ; and none appeared so tndy eligible as tlie minis- try of the gospel, it is true, I was not fully seoiiblo of eitJier the call or the qualiilGatioos, but the work 6f die ministry appeared truly desirable in the lollowihg views : 1. As a Inly employment: i should be always serving '6od. ** Blessed are they that dwell in thy bouse, they will be still praising thee." 2. As a ddii^ful employment '^ How amiibte are thy tabernacles, O Lord. A day spent in thy courts is better than a thousand.'' 3. A» a useliil employment. 1 slioold be servii^ my generation. ** He went about doing good." 4. As a congenial employment. I diould enjoy more opportunities of reading, study, and improvement; should be lavoured with the conversation of the wise and good, and be more abstracted from the world than I could po9f sibly be .i. .>oy other situation. -.•&tt-!*' 'Ji(fe;;-fw:''-'*?H-»»r'*''">:«*- '-■'»!! ■ I JOfHVA lUMOIIf. BBBa»3S"=««W|^|^«^» IB •OtriL. • IVTB AKJt MOT «IA(!|(~'N«bM III rKBAONina NO PISTT. 5. A^ ao^lKVHwrable employoMOt t they appitared lo me the excellent of the earUi. i beUeved them alwayi bappj who were tbui swe^Uy eogmed la the lervijBe of 0i*a»aw*M I I Til SOMK AKC TOO OKITICAL— TIC •MFCS. MAT *■ rUACim IR PLAIHVIH. bj a local brother to enter into the fulpil, when I epened vycommiimoD Iron thoiewordi, NuiiibeB zxiL 08. ** The word that God pulteth ki my meMh, that ibatt Ivpeak.** The exercise was with fear aod tremUhig ; I had «> mp. port myself by heMinf fast the pulpit, and was so aNioh discooeerled that I resolved to venture no more. '.-'t^-y^^ 'Maoy think preacbiqg the gospel a very easy thiog; They have no mercy upon the slips and pult»it hhmders of ^ messenger of God. Each word is sifted } oach senteooa Is wire-drawn; each foible is magnified, f -ifm^i^ >r<*> m Aik them to kev u honest, worthy mui, rf Like Nelson, wedded to the gospel plan ; Plaia, eiinple, anidora'd, or md* in apeeeh } . ,-> f ' He preach the goipel ! No, he cannot preach :' 80 Tillgar, coarse, iaelegant, and rough, Would any man of sense go bear such stuff? ,,.., B— n, His true, may please them now and then, Aod C-^e, that able master oC the pen ; But truth must borrow charms to make it fine, And Paul in TuUy'B elaisie toga sUb» . 'M-'' I do not plead for either a wholly illiterate, blundering, or incompetent ministry; but where good gospel is deli- vered with good sense, though the language may be simple, rough, and sometimes inelegant, the manner unpolished, and the mode of delivery awkward and uupleasiog, we should neither undervalue nor despise such a minister. Ood*s al- tars were formerly built of rough stone, his power display- ed by the sound of ram*s horns, and his richest treasure deposited in earthen vessels. ' But, alas ! many of our nice and critical hearers are only pleased with fine strains of eloquence, great learnuig, and critical disquisition. I do not apply this particularly to the Sifethodist coogregatioDs, as they are DOie bo^cIMnis cff ' (, JOSniTA MARVmCN. fl ess aa£: TUB ■CTKODI9TI bOTI ■llfP&S, AmtCnoVATB, tBALOUB PKBACIBM. ■ II II fll I I" ■■ '- ~' II mill ■■■■■■^11 pietj thiofiMt iMUdetf Hid mfnlMerlal seti feitblidiieM, and dilfgenee, dMn cwrkwM lllenrj itttlmKBtt. Tfaef lov« to litfQ their nioiMerf affkble ; mefi of good Mme, af- fcotkmftte^ and stepte; of pliio eaiy maonen, and deeply deroted to the work of Ood. A flashy, ipi«Ce, finloal inreacher, does not please them ; one that Is more soUcttooi to show Ms pretty parts, than uige needful tmth on the coBselenccs of hb liearers.* A political minister does Dot please them } I never knew one of this kind, for the sixteen years 1 have been acquainted with Methodism, that did not both lose bis own popularity and the people's confidence. The Methodists neither love proud, nor yet stiff overbearing ministers; they love to be entreated as brothers, and not to have lords over Ood*s heritaget Per- haps it is to promote this that they find their preachers poor, and keep them so ; as when ministers become rich, they feel independent of their flocks, wish to govern with an absolute sway, and will neither brook restraint, nor bear reproof.- Those men of God, Allen, Peicival, and McDonald, greatly encouraged me in the work. As my mind was frequently much depressed, their tenderness and fatherly care aflforded a seasonable count¥t>*S^>^'^'^.^'-',''^:^>^:^^f' '''^^ . As I mentioned above, my firet essay was attended with «uph fear, faultering, and perturbatiou of mind, that I JOSHUA MARSDEN. 103 DID SOT POkESEE THE DIFFICULTIES ATTDNEINO THE MINISTRY. thought I would corc-v lygelf no more. However, in a little while, it became public, that I had attempted to preach, and nothing less than my making a new trial would satbfy my friends ; so that venerable old man, Mr. Allen, who was then in the circuit, published preaching for me at a small village called Sillinghurst, near Bury. I made the trial, and had considerable eulargement of heart while speaking from those encouraging words, " Which h(^e we have 9S an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast." That holy man of God Mr. Percival, who had come upon the circuit, heard me preach this sermon, and much approved of my weak performance, bidding me go on, and God would make a way for me. Yet, I cannot but regret that I entered upon this important work so early, and withal so unprepared ; the many snares I have met ; the many slips and blunders I have made ; the many sub- tle foes I have had to encounter; the difficulties into which I have sometimes been plunged; and the intricate circum- stances Ibave had to unravel, all convince me that I was too young, too green and inexperienced, for the critical, arduous, and truly momentous work of the ministry : Not that r supposed a youth's spending four, or even five years at college, learning a little Latin and Greek, and becoming acquainted with all the gods and goddesses of the pantheon, is a better preparation, or even as good, as the vital experience of true religion.'"' * " If it be objected, that the Methodist preachers have not a classical educa- tion ; I answer, education is a good thing, and a classical education is not held in contempt by the Methodists; as there are some Methodist preachers wh* would sustain no injury to their reputation, by a comparison with many clergy- men of other denominations in point of learning. Did the preaching of the gospel consist in learned criticisms, the advantage of a classical education would be greater than it is; more especially if the whole, or a consider- able part of the people, wore classical scholars alsoi and except this be the 104 UEMOIRS OF f ^> A HINI8TCR SHOVItD ■£ A MAN OF BOOD SENSE AlfD SOUND PIETY. « ^^— ^___ I do not insiouate that a miaister of the gospel should be either a novice in ex{>erieDce, religion, or human leam- HP" If there be an important station in the world, the ministry is that station ; and surely none iiill suppose that while it requires diligent study, deep research and patient investigation to form the physiciaB, the civilian, or (he nattt> ralist, any thing will do for a minister of the gospel, though it has the head of a block, and the mind of an idiot. I say, I regret that I began to preach so soon : many an Icarus, as well as myself by aspiring too high with waxen wings, has been plunged into a sea of difficulties. None but persons truly ignorant of the sacred ministry can sup- pose, that either a dunce or a blockhead will make a preacher of the gospel. If there be persons so weak, or min- isters so in^dicious, as to appoint to this office sculls that cannot teacli, and will not learn, let them know to their everlasting disgrace, that those whom the Lord Jesus Christ called to this blessed work, were men of deep pie- ty and good sense, ^^^v--;- •H^-VJ* %«;:fei^ •^.. 'irtf.^ :^. I do not say, that either piety, or study, or human learn- ing alone, will make a good minister ; but they are all necessary, and the two first indispensable. None but idiots, and worse than Idiots, will suppose that a man can preach without knowledge, or communicate to others what he is not possessed of himself. i - ^^ ^J:^, cise, how preposterous is it to hear a preacher quoting scraps of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, in his sermons, which perhaps not two persons in the ct ^regation anderstand ? and should he not understand these scraps himself, it will not malce In such cases, the edification of the people will be just U *: the least difference, the same, and his fame as a linguist will not be at all tarnished ; at least when not a single linguist is present All therefore, who are ambitious of this tinsel, must garnish their discourses with scraps of the learned languages, particularly among country farmers, mechanics, and Tillage peasants.*' Crmt^tft Portraiture of JfeModim, Page 31 1 . Am. ed. :*■ JOBHVA MARSDEN. 105 311. Am. ed. DESCRIPTION or A GOOD SERMON. If there be pereoDs whO} to sanction their indolence, pre- tend to preach by inspiration, and advance in the pulpit irhat a christian of common sense would be ashamed to speak before a trio of chimney'sweepers, let tliem blush for their own nakedness, and repent of the oonsense and absurdity, they have foisted into the most sacred of all places, thepulpit. „v>.*^..^^** . '^^-^.m'-:-HMn We ought not to suppose, that the table-talk of an old woman, or the skittish j facetious tales of a buffoon, form the proper materials of a sermon. A good sermon is one of the finest results of good sense, combined with sound, vital piety. Were i to throw my thoughts into verse, I would say of a good sermon, : kim'i^^m.f^^^- ::'ueoaI, ^^^r i ;: To melt the icy heart and charm the soul: A sapless, dull harangue, however read, 7\. Will never rouse the soul, or raise the dead. It should be simple, pi^ctical, and clear ; % /';. ^'^V No fine-spun theory to please the ear ; f. ^-^ - r No curious lay, to tickle lettered pride. And leave the poor and plain unedified. ■5' I It should be tender and affectionate, ^ As his warm theme who wept lost Salem's fate : The fiery law with words of love allay'd. Will aweetly warn, and awfully persuade. It shouU be manly, just, and rational ; ° Wisely conceived, and well ezpress'd witbtl : .j Not stuff *d with silly notions, apt to stain A sacred deslc, and sbow a muddy brain, j, ^ >, It should possess a well-adapted grace. To situation, sudjence, time, and place ; A sermon formed for scholars, statesmen, lords, With peasants and mechanics ill accords. ■^^^ 'K ''.Hi*!.' 106 JVEMOIRS OF jc h TOUNO PREACHERS rREaUENTLT UDCH HAMPf:»eD, It should with evangelic beauties bloonii Like Paul's at Corinth, Athens, or at Rom*. ^>^ -r, ■■' I' '4'^^ It should be closely, well applied at last, li' .^l ^ \^' To malce the moral nail securely fast : ■■-^i.'^ m*\ ^ r«lfc ^^ Thou art the man, and thou alone wilt malie ^ ^ngm:,^ ^ 4» ' A Felix tremble, and a David quaite t ' ^, -. " After some time I was received into the local preacb@rft* plan, OQ Bolton circuit, and regularly attended at a variety of places, frequently walkiog six, eight, ten, twelve or four* teen miles, and preaching afterwards once or twice, and tlj€a return; but duty was delight, and I could sweetly sing, ^, ~ With thee conversing I forget ■:'^;;*i^;- '"• :' ' All time, and toil, and care; 'iRJ*» '*•««>> ! J . :, , ., ^ , Labour is rest, and pain is sweet, '■•;* -;v»--^i'jf/'v _'>■■-;%•-■ 7 -s!»;-:/j''!^^ .<*■* ■«. ' My plan of preaching was to commit to memory any good arrangement or outline of some of my brethren | aod so to fly upon their wings, and to plough with tb^lr heifer. Sometimes I would preach from an outline of my own | but alas, on many occasions my sermons were no more than three heads and a conclusion : for I have always made it ft point not to substitute a rambling exhortation for a sermon { not but this may sometimes do great good. God \» not confined to bestow his Spirit because a man luminonil}' explains, and beautifully analyzes his subject; but §imt custom has sanctioned textuary preaching, as the people, especially the wiser sort, expect the subject will be ex* plained, while as men, we need iustiitction as well as per JOSHUA MAR8DEN. 107 rHEACHERB WHO NKOLECT TO STUDY MANGLE THEIR SUBJECTS. suasion; as the H0I7 Spirit frequently attends this method, and as most of the purposes of public teaching are better answered this way; we should not think lightly of a clear, judicious, fervent sermon, though it both explain the text, and greatly improve the mind. • ^-^^W Exhortation may be good in its place ; but if a man undertake to preach, and put the people oflf with only an exhortation, will they think him a workman thai needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth ? will they not either lay his inability at the door of his neglecting to study, want of genius, or not being called to the work ? A good sermon will cost a man much trouble, many prayers, and painful solicitudes. It is true, I have been acquainted with preachers that never studied, and made a merit of saying. They had generally to find their text in the pulpit.* Such dabblers may step from the dinner or tea-table, the pipe or the party, into the desk, and make a good exhortation; or as the Indians call it, a Talk i but they will never make able ministers of the New Covenant. I never knew such a preacher either command much respect, or prove the author of extensive good in the church of God. One of this kind, to prove to his auditory that study and learning were unnecessary, gravely told his hearers. That Paul was brought up at the * It would be well if such preachers woulJ attend to what our venerahle '."ounder (John Wesley) has said in his note upon our T.ord's Sermon on the Mount- " Through this whole discourse we cannot but observe the most ex'ict method which can possibly be qonceived ; every paragraph, every sentence ' is closely connected, both with that which precedes and that which follows it: ; and, is not this the pattern for every (christian preacher 1 Tf any then are able to follow it without premeditation, well ; if not, let them not dare to preach without it. No rhapsody — no incoherency. Whether the tbinjig spoken be true or false, comes Of the Spirit of Christ." ^> 'r'.^. V-' ■ ^uv4"i Wtslts't Notts, page ao, Am. Cd. m •^i 108 MEMOIRS OF A GOOD PREACBEft •HOUbD IE A BOLT MAN. feet of Gamaliel, a high mountaia ia Judea, and there- fore vas an ignorant man. Study, deep study and prayer are the soul of preaching; hence I never entered so much into the spirit of this sacred work, or had such enlarge- ment and freedom, as when I cast my subject in the mould of prayer, and cast the seed into the earth with tears and supplications. With an humble, tender, praying heart, no- thing is so sweet as preaching the gospel ; then truly are the words like nails fastened by the Master of assemblies: ?,c For let the sophist smile, the ecorner sneer, 1^0 logic's half so weighty as a tear. ..,fwS'!- ■•w'>.A f Holiness and wisdom are the grand requisites of a use- ful gospel ministry; if we would constrain othera, the love of Christ must constrain us; and whosoever would persuade others must be persuaded himself. Can there be a greater solecism than a covetous minister preaching generosity, a passionate meekness, a proud lowliness, and a lascivious chas- tity ? Thou, therefore, that teachest another, teachestthou not thyself ? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal ? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery ? thou that roakest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonourest thou God ? hence the necessity of holiness : the general must lead his army, the master set the example to his di^iples and the father to his children. fl> v^li,, s,^^^«f!>>«' l^-T;*^*-' vfi '^^.-j His preaching much, but more his practice wrought ; A lively pattern of the truths he taught. ,.*vl: .•fi*. A preacher should \\y6 near to God himself; this will inspire warmth of feeling; non^ will so readily pi'evail JOSnVA MARSDEN. 100 THE CHR? ' %M riEACRBR HAS A FIlfE FIELD FOR EtOaUENCE. with anotlier as he that is warmed with his theme; words will follow of course when the miod is heated and ioflamed with the subject. A lively sense of tht love of God, the value of immortal souls, and the importance of ealvatioQ, will inspire a preacher with eloquence a thou- sand 'times more forcible, than all the meretricious orna- ments of pretty speaking : but a cold minister will never make others warm ; a dull one cannot inspire liveliness, uor will a formal minister ever excite his congregation to fervency. But how noble a field has the pious, affectionate minister, from which he may select the most moving subjects ; how feeling a theme is the death of Christ, the love of God, the joys of glory ; how interesting to the christian is communion with God, the beauties of holiness, the solemnities of death, and the awful pomp of the day of judgment. Deeply impressed with these, he will speak glowiD" words. -^^ *f^ *^.rfi*?f5?%(?^^f "ii^rf* • " Not mov'd, but wrapt— not vakea*d, but inspir'd." ''^Missa^sv What made the ancient orators so eloquent ? They spoke with a warm feeling of their subjects, and were alter- nately moved with grief, anger, rage, pity, zeal or patriot- ism. What, said iEschines to the people of Rhodes, who were greatly moved at his reading the oration that caus- ed his banishment ? What, would you have felt had you heard Demosthenes with all his irresistible eloquence de- liver it? Tenderness of affection is essential to good speak- ing. Jesus wept — Grace was poured upon his lips. Mr. Whitefield's [rawers of oratoiy were attributed to this af- fection, which is contrary to that sour, scolding method some good men fall into. A hard, thundering, driving way k2 '■"^'i .mM no MBMOir % OF I WIIIKD TO rilBACa TIB OOtrtL TO THK UATHEHt. of preaching, ihll affect some aenrile spirita, but moit love to be drawn. He preaeh*d the gcwpel, and he preaehM the law ) He Bometimes drove, but ahraya lor'd to draw ; He bore his great commiauon in hia look. And sweetly tenper'd awe, and aotten'd all be ipoke. Daroi!!. A tender appeal to the coDscience, and an affectionate address to the heart, will effect a thousand times more than loud boisterous haranguing — sound words should not be omitted. This the apostle recommends— wei^tj words befitting the subject, not finical, flowery, spruce terms. A low conceit, in pompous words exprest. Is like a fool in regal purple drest. Pen. Kot vulgar phrases, but suitable, decent, dignified ex- pressions. But to return. 'i I now felt an earnest desire to be given up to the work of the ministrj, and also a wish (if the Lord opened the way) to c^ry the gospel into foreign lands, though alas! I had neither the fortitude, patience, prudence, nor wisdom, such a work required. It is true, I knew that my sufficiency is of the Lord, and was confident be would prepare the bark for the storm, and the soldier for the battle. My earnest desire was to be usefiil, apd I wished for a field in which my abilities would be both use- ful and acceptable : the case of the poor heathens appeared to me truly deplorable, and I felt a strong desire to be in- stnimental in plucking some of these brands from the fire. I thought, as many of my brethren beside* thai a mission requires fewer abilities than a home station ; that a man may be competent to preach abroad, who' is by do means lit to preach in England ; but from thirteen years e:qp^ri- -^a^' .4. n JOSHUA MAMPJSN. 4ii MIMIOMI VMDBR THB rATKONAai CP TBI NITItll 0O»rB»]ICK. saBassaaaagBSSBs^aB^BHaHMHaaiaBHiaanaaHaBaai^HaHKBassr eoce I am persuaded that the rerene of thk ia the case. I grant, that had he nothiog to do but ftddrfM a few illltcrale blacksi there might be lome plauilbility in the oplaioo ; though eveo theo, it lidoubtful whether itdoea uot requbre some skill to come down to their lerel, and iome coosidera- ble knowledge, to deal with the moit peculiar people in the world. The British Conference hare two principal Mif- sions^ under thebr patronage, If ovt Scotia and the West- Indies; to these I might add the Bahama and Somers Isl- ands ; the last, on account of ita iimilaritx, I call a prettj good specimen of the Weit Indian Archipelago ) of the former, I would say, that the par of information is greater than among people of a ihnilar daii at home. Most of the settlers in ITova Scotia are people who have travelled ; they are pretty well off; and ponening a good deal of lei- sure, have superior advantagea of information to many in England and the United Statei. With n^rd to llie Bermu- das or Somen Islands, although the blacks are not informed, and numbers of then* «annot read, yet we have to preach • The following ii the state oC tb« Mettodilt fONip MlMioos; they are sopported by the British Metbodirt CoBdMiofl tt » very gmt Mnual nplBose : Tortolt, . . , . . i . . . 9176 gt, Btftbolonfwi, 200 St. Builitlui, S4« Europe and4friea. Gibraltar, M Sierral/eone, in Afriei, . . , 50 West IndUi. Antigua,*( whites, coloured people, andblaekB,) 8407 Dominica, MO Grenada, 93 TriniAtd, . , IM £t. Christophers, ..... 83M Nevis, M8 St Thomas, ..«...,, 09 St Vincents, , . 1133 BarbadoeSf . r < . .r . '. . ■,. 410 Bitium liltmli, 50S IffrtMtdM Of ion#n Islands, . 136 NoTtleotlt, IPrlM* fkhrards Isl- tnd, Md N^w-Bnunwlck, . . iiao VtwfoUSdiMd, 220 PrinM Edwirdi Iilud, ... so Totri in ioelity 00 f orclin MiWiOAIf ,,,,,. 13,393 "t;»- H'^f ^^rp%^ ^^'■'\^:. J12 MEMOIRS OV A MIIIIONART iKOVLD IB WELL HiroaMBO. before persons of both learning, talents, and respectability, irith whom also ve have sometimes to converse) to answer their objections, and refute their ai|;uments. A missionary to a foreign land requires a competent knowledge of the world and mankind ; not as seen through the medium of books, but actual experience and observation. Many people abroad think the Methodists mere Ooths with re- gard to knowledge, and downright enthusiasts with respect to religion. A missionary has to mix on different occa- sions with men who have travelled, who are possessed of various information, some learning, and frequently great acuteness: to such, an uninformed missionary would be a laughing-stock, a discredit to his sacred office, and a disgrace to the people that gave him their patronage. I have sometimes been deeply pained to hear various sub- jects started, upon which none of ihe preachers present could converse; and who, if appealed to, seemed at a loss for an answer; or were as much beside the subject, as a respectable doctor I knew in the Somers Islands, who, when asked by two ladies present, wb^t was the meaning of the sun entering Aries, puttit}<^ oii a very grave countenance he replied, that he supposed Aries was some cross plant of Venus. A general knowledge of history, geography, grammar, jurisprudence, the rudiments of geometry, bota- ny and chemistry,* together with a tolerable good know- ledge of the elements of astronomy and the Belles Lettres, * If any one supposes that I havexaised the standard of missiottary qmliftca- tions too high, I would refer him to the Uev, Melvill Home's L^ r* . .3 .. ro j. filons, ami also to the Rev. Doctor Adam i larke's Letter to a Yficht.'r T ■:•;; the above quHliiications are requisite for an aceomplisbed miis vi' / '\ut L.it a man maybe very useful as a preacher, who neither understands twiaiiy, geome- xey, nor chemistry— however, a Itnowletlgc of these will both add to his satisfac- tioo aod uscfuluesi. -' ■■'■'- .-. -- - . -■. ■ . .- - - ■ .'•- S^ ^^^: .jfa f^ i» -■«■:* M' ::ir'h, JOaBVA MAltSDKN. 113 BH«AaBD TO OO Olt A MIUIOII TO NOTA ICOTIA. — ai_ .-I are alniMt iodbpeosable to the usefnl and accomplisbed DissioDar^. Nay, 1 would add, that » knowledge of most of these is necessarj to a thorough a 'd competeot know- ledge of God*8 Holj Word. Let therefore that diagrace- ftil expreasioD (aoy thhig will do for a ffli88ioDar> !) be for ever exploded ; for even, let me addf that the very wise and important persona that use it, would sometimes, per> haps, find themselves at a loss were they sent upon this critical ph > tO: ^.entous errand. In ihw e..i . ;00, Mr. William Black, superintendent of !y . ^r ?cotia and New Bnuiswick, came to England to . i;t'cit miMJcHiaries from the Conference for that part of liritish North America.— My mind was^trongly drawn out to ofler myself as a missionary on this occasion; and after some deliberation and prayer for direction, I wrote to Ml*. Black; he requested me to meet him at Man- chester, that we might converse upon the subject; at which time it was agreed that Mr. B. should lay it before the Conference that was to meet in London in the year 1800. The preachers complied with Mr. Black^s request, and ap- pointed me to labour as a missionary in Nova Scotia, un- der the direction of Doctor Thomas Coke, as generd su- perintendent of all the Conference Missions. After taking a solemn and affectionate leave of all my friends, some of whom said they would sooner follow me to the grave, I hastened to Liverpool to make ready for my departure. Here I met my four colleagues, Mr. Black, Messrs. Low- ^'"^, Bennet, and Oliphant ; all young in the woriE, young in years, and young in experience — perhaps the sum total of the abilities of all four might have constituted an able missionary. ^Brother Beonet, however, has been a pious, ^'i 114 MCMOIRS OP OCR VOTAOI TO HALIFAX. useful, and acceptable mioister ; he is now superintendent of the work in Nova Scotia. Brother James Lowrey left his mission, being somewhat unwell, went to the United States, and after meeting with some heavy trials returned to England, where he still travels. Brother Oliphant giv- ing way to his besctment, was finally suspended, and I be- lieve now keeps a school somewhere to the eastward of Bos- ton, With regard to myself, I have gone limping forward; the enemy has thrust sore at me ; frequently have I been ready to halt, and sometimes I have been nearly down; and I can only say, that I have endeavoured to limp forward as well as my infirmities would permit. We sailed about the 24th of August in the Snow Spar- row, captain Humble, for Halifax, in Nova Scotia. All my worthy brethren were very sick, save myself, so I was enabled to attend them in their affliction. We had prayer evening and morning, and preaching once or twice on the sabbath during our whole voyage. Nothing material oc- curred till we arrived near the Banks of Newfoundland, when we were chased by a corvette privateer, who bore down upon us in a very warlike style, but being two in company, and both well armed, she thought fit to sheer oll^ so we pursued our voyage. A little after this, a circum- stance happened thai, but for the guardian care of a watch- ful Providence, might have proved fatal to several of the missionaries, as well as myself. The weather being fine, the ^ay calm, and the ship having but little way through the water, as we had been better than five weeks at sea, tiie captain proposed swimming alongside, for which purpose he let down a stage, requesting the mate to take the boat some distance from the vessel and try for a current. Meaa- -■,■ .V -'-iifj-^ .TOBHVA MAR8DBM. 115 BIMOULAIl DEUVESAMCE FROM SHARKS. while several of us launched into the mightj ocean, and were swimmiug about the ship, till the mate, who was some distance oflf, hailed the Sparrow, requestiog those over- board to get into the vessel as quick as possible, for that he had seen two large sharks swimming alongside the boat, which he suspected had left the ship to follow him : thus were wei by the good Providence of God, and a singular coiucidence of circumstances, saved from a terrible un- timely death. Truly, we were enabled to say as Jouah, " I will sacrifice unto thee ; with the voice of thanksgiving I will pay that I have vowed — salvation is of tlie Lord !" Had the boat not left the vessel we might all of us have been destroyed : had she gone a little later the danger was equally great; had she returned before we went into the water, the sharks would have come back with her, and would have darted on their prey. He that has no eyes to behold the particular Providence of God in such events, is blitid as a mole, and stupid as a beast. Praise the Lord, my soul ! bless and magnify his holy name ! , v ■.¥m. AN EMBLEMATICAL REFLECTION. We arrived in Halifax the fourth of October, after a passage of six weeks ; all through boundless mercy in good health, save our worthy brother Bennet. What a lively emblem is the life of a mariner of the voyage of a Christian to the peaceful shores of calm eternity ! A thousand rocks and dangerous reefs lie hid in every part of the faithless sea ! Here the vortex of despair whirls its boiling and tumultuous waves ! Now the boisterous storms of affliction blow with terrible fury! Anon gusts of sudden temptation descending like the white-winged squall, terri^ 116 iiEMons 9F anc;;: ARRIVlI. IN HALirAZ, AND C0KDIAI. RECEFTIOIf. l^ -m If' n^ <■*■ hly mffle and agitate the peaceful surface of (F^ muIj Now he glides sweeUy before the auspicious gales of faith and love— 'by and by an athwartiog current of cornipt nature sets him several points out of his regular coune— sometimes he cannot fathom the mysteriousdepths of Divine FroTidence— and often through the dead calms of luke- warmnesshe is hindered from pursuing his heavenly voy. flge : though his sun is still in the firmanent, yet his soul is often perplexed for want of a clear discovery of his meridian splendour, from which to begin a dcw data and pursue his voyage— but soon as the Immortal darts his splendour through the dark clfiids the . ? ^ ,„. . j ^^ ' . Saint expands bis wings y^if «. ii>^.^ '^«%jde to the wind ; and as be sails tie aingt, ^fr,^ .^ ; Aad loses, by degrees, the sight of mortal thinga. '■'"* As the shores lessen, 80 bit joyB arise, Vm,?,#s>' '»r?' f^,- vt,^ ••*. The wavesroll gentler and the tempest dies. imiH i#|%W.' * / Now vast eternity fills all his sight; " - - j, " •^ " He floats on the broad deep with infinite delight, ^ The se^ for ever calm, and skies for ever bright. Watt «. The friends in Halifax received us with every mark of gladness, and welcomed our arrival to the new world with much christian affection. Perhaps in no part of the world is there a kinder or more generous society, than the flock at Halifax : may they never lack both spiritual blessings and temporal comforts. I would here say a word or two of this capital of New Scotland ; as it both is, and will always be to the British, a place of great importance. The town is an oblong square, extending from what they call fresh water river, to the southward, and to the king^s dock-yard, in a north- erly direction. The whole length of the town is perhaps two miles; it contains a laige garrison, a naval yard, aind JOSHUA MARlOEN. 117 HALIFAX TBI CAPITAL OF HOTA SCOTIA. a population of perhaps se^ea or eight thousand souls : herti we have a spacious misnon-house) a large commo- dious chapel, and a respectable number of worthy Halifax has a fine market, and abounds with all the blcssiogs of life; here are two Episcopal churches, a Ro- man catholic church, a laiige Presbyterian church) a place of worship for the Baptists, and, I believe, across the har- bour, a Friends* meetiog-house. There is a fine Govern- ment-house, a house for the second in command, a- Court- house) Arsenal, Marine Hospital, long ranges of soldi^* and ofiicers' barracks; with a number of other fublic buildings. The tOM'n is the residence of the Governor, the Bishop of Nova Scotia, and also the Admiral, during the summer months ; and a number of other officers be- longing to Government. Many of the buildings are hand- some, and rising on the declivity of a hill) have a fine i^- pearance from the water. When 1 first arrived, the houses were all of wood, elegantly painted ; but now they have both brick and stone buildings. • >^^* . - *ar Halifax will in time become a place of great trade be- twixt Nova Scotia and the West India Islands; the present exports are fur, lumber, staveS) fishi butter, beef) and pork. * '•'* ' ' • '^••a4 & %■ 'lf\ * This though '. remarki experiei but a yo just in m land, wi and bein into dec ciously 1 of religi( ful drau, have .go< On this the blesi with a n consolati Gospel occasion. vas whi H JOSHUA. UAR8DJKN. 121 .-iit-'S 2r#r-^' n.. REASOSI rOK THUC JOrOCS MAiriPESTATIONS. Each pure seraphic blin thtt warmt the uiot, Bliss which no human eloquence can pUnt, The peace that forms an Eden in the soul, The joys that sweetly rise and gently roll, The sacred commerce of a soul above, The ardent flame of pure ecstatic love, The tears that tell our crimson sins forgiven, The sighs that Waft the raptur'd soul to heaven, Are deem'd a sprightly fancy, or at best, The soft emotions of an amprous breast. ^ In apostolic days they will allow, ' The saints had Joys, but can't believe them now : I'hese sacred streams above their level rise, This standard's too exalted for their size ; They spurn the Christian's sweet experience. Because above the summit of their sense. ■ :*, This affliction was the gate of heaven to 1117 soul, though I cannot ascribe these luminous manifestations to remarkable faithfulness, nor yet to an uncomraonty deep experience in divine things. With regard to religion, I was but a young pilgrim, and as it respects ministerial growth) just in my infancy. Perhaps the follbwiog reasons may be assigned : I was far from home, was a stranger in a strange land, Was just as it were beginning my missionary career, and being stopped at the vciy threshold, might have sunk into deep dejection, had not God wonderfully and gra- ciously supported me. I had tasted much of the sweetness of religion, but now the Lord gave me a deep and delight- ful draught, to prepare me for the blessed work to which I have good reason to believe his providence had called me. On this sick bed I had an opportunity of meditating upon the blessed truths of the Gospel, each of which now shone with a new evidence to my soul, and brought some divine consolation along with it. Never did the ministry of the Gospel appear either so desirable or important as on that occasion. If a wish for recovery stole across my itiind, it was while reflecting on the precious love of Christ to rin- J- ^f .4 122 MEMOIRS OF imoBT Tixws or catiiT'a divinitt. oen. How sweetly did my loul enter ioto the experience of those lioei : Htpp7, if with my latest breath I may but gasp hit name, Preach him to all, and cry in death, Behold, behold the Lamb I n«t-' Weslkt. -•.•^il Nothing was more plain to me during this illnessi than the supreme and eternal divinity of the ineffable Redeemer. I could have staked my eternal all upon this truth; and If Saint Athanasius had, in addition to the testimony of holy Scripture, such an inward evidence, I do not wonder at the bold, decided, and persevering stand he made against Arianism— nor yet, that he should call Arianism the sin against the Holy Ghost. This appeared to me the key-stone of the christian arch, the centre of union to ><^^ the whole system, the light, and life, and all-pervadiog soul of religion. If we rob Christ of his glory, and tear this u noblest tenet from the creed, what is therein the christian religion but a farrago of idolatry, or a system of deism ? I recollect once to have heard in England an eminent minister of the gospel, so to identify his eternal salvation with this important doctrine, as to assert, that he was con* f tent to be damned if Christ were not God; to which my V soul replied with all its powers, " and so am I.'* Some of my friends from different parts of the circuit coming in to see me, I desired to be propped up in bed, that I might once more have the pleasure of preaching a crucified Saviour; and it was a most solemn and refreshing time. Sighs and tears, weeping and lamentation, per- # vaded the little audience, who felt the molt poignant grief at the idea of being so soon separated from their affiikted JOSHUA MABISBN. 123 TASTIB Tl* SWKITS Of PB«rBCT LOTS. brother and recent pastor. After a few weeks, the Lord was pleased to give a favourable tura to my diacnrder, aod raise me from the bed of laoguishiDg, and soatch me from the very porch of the grave. Thea could I say, I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.—. Surely if I had then died, death was gain; but unerring wisdom knows what is best. I had more work to do, more affliction to suflfer, and more experience to gain; the set time was not come* May the Redeemer grant, that when the moment aniTes the best wine may be reserved to the last. >>*%.'. Till glad I lay my body doim, ;,>..hyi!i4.:m-^i> Ti,y Berrant, Lord, attend; . And O, my life of mercy crown Witii a triumphant end. WCSLBT If I ever experienced what Mr. Wesley and the Metho- dists call perfect love, it was dt^ring this sickness.— I had not, it is true, the distinct explicit witness; nor do I know that this is promised, but I loved God with all my heart : I was delivered from slavish fears, from Impatience, from an- ger, from hardness of heart ; my heart was continually mdted as in the fire of love, and dissolved to tenderness and thanks- givh^. I could rejoice evermore—pray without ceasing, and in eviery thing give thanks — I felt a supreme delight in God, and an ardent desire to do and suffer his righteous will ; and all this was accompanied with the deepest humility and self*abasemenr, joined to a most piercing sense of my nothingness without Christ. Ah me ! that I should ever lose one inch of this precious and delectable ground; for surely then my soiA fed in the green pastures, and drank of the living streams of perfect love ! i ^ w . i..}» ■:'-M 124 MEMOIAB OF PBKACHCR* IH MOTA SCOTIA LOVB lACI OTMCB. /, s.ixAamj strength reciuited I longed to recommence the blessed work of my mission, and go out upon tlie curcuit ; and trulj the first sermon I preached after mj recovery, WAS with the Holy Ghost sent down from above — the hardest hearts were smitten as when a :ock is broken to pieces by the strokes of a m%bty hammer. When the spring returned I set off for our little «codference» which was at Annapolis; for though in Nova Scotia we have only (torn eight to ten preachers, we meet every year, and as far as possible imitate the connexion at home. On these occasions our meetings were very refreshing, for as iron sharpeneth iron so doth the face of a man his fiiend : separated from each other all the rest of the year by bays, rivers, and large tracts of wilderness country, the plea* sure of meeting becoipes at once a source of ratioual sa- tisfaction and a means of renewed friendship, as there are few preachers in any part of the world more coixlially- at- tached to each other than the missionaries in Nova Scotia. ; I would observe, with regard to the iohabitants of this ^old wilderness country, that they are «ii general a kind, friendly, and hospitable people ; it is true, there are a gre&t variety of religious opinions, and the minds of many have be^n poisoned with the worst kind of Antinomianism. This has led, in some few instances) to the most terrible exctu- aes ; such as murder, incest, and awful extravagance ; it has disparaged true evangelical rel^ion amOng sober churchmen, and rational moralists, who are frequently lipon the watch for objections to Methodism, and who hence frequently lay at the door of vital piety, all the extrava- gancies committed by the vilest and most abandoned enthu- siasts. I would, though by the by, observe to these/.dose ^ JOSRUA MAM»wr. 125 TAIIOVt Bim or INRAIIITA»T« IN THI rtOTIROI. iospecton tnd UndguinUaM of the purl^ of Mothodkni, » That they are neither Mothodbti nor Diiaeoten who AH our prisona, itand at the bar for trial at quarter aei- sioDB or assizes, swio|( upon our fallowieSf dwell on board the hulks, or are sent to people New Holland among cul- prits." « There is a strong tioeture of bigotry among the Scotch part of the population. Whether this arises from embra- cing the doctri ne of particular redemption, or the prejudi- ces of country, I will not take on me to determine. There are in both provinces many memben of the church of England, and some churchei} but there ia reason to be- lieve that the EpiseopalUunioterett hit been upon the de- cline for several years to both provioeei.^ The people, in general, are pretty well ioformed-— much more so, perhapst than people of similar clasNff, either in England or Ireland. They consist chiefly of nativei, Enf^lih, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, Germans, French, Amerietm, and Indian Mic- macks. There have been se3ie blened rerlvak of religion in this country, and much good has been done; but there is still a great need of active, lively, laborioua^preachers. The Methodists never bad more than from ten to twelve misBionaries in the two provinces { and what are these to nearly eighty thousand people, scattered over a country four or five hundred miles long, and from eighty to one hundred miles wide. U is true, there are nearly twenty * The Hbove remark! do n^t uprinc trom bisotrf. The author ia no bigot; be knows it is not Methodism^ Cutviniimi PrMbytiriiflistn. nor Kpiscopalianuro, that makea a mah a true cbrlitiw \ but fiiitb, reieoerntlon, love to God and man, and universal obedience to the divine edmmuds. To tli auch I can say, by what- ever pale they are inclosed, Tbiil ii IHjr brethSf'-this Is my friend. I love nil ^0(1 men, and earnestly prjy fer ffiors Hiiiofl 8«on? f€«1 f hrbtlan-i. i2e MEM0IR8 OF BOMS or THS DirriOULTIEl or A MllllOIf. Episcopal clergy laeo, and perhaps half as many Presbytc- rians ; but as neitlier of these itiaerate, thousands of people, immured ia the vroods, or scattered up and dowq the sea- coast, have DO opportunity of benefiting by their labours. If these are fed with the bread of life, it roust be carried to their habitations. A preacher must either ride or walk into theur settlements. He must be content to look dan- gers and difficulti§p in the face. He must not be too fastid- ious to make a log cottage in tlie wilderness his best inn ; uor should he let a snow-storm or a bad bridge deter him from his appointment. i The difficulties and dangers of travelling in this country . are so simply pointed out in the folbwing little poem, writ- ten on my leaving T9'ova Scotia, that 1 cannot resist the . desire I feel to insert it in this place. \ <• K ^ Trou climate of cold, vhere the icy winds blow, Where the maple fire burns and the lofty pines grow ; E'er I quit thy cold shores for a happier clime, I'll chant my fareweU in a fragment of rhyme. fs Seven years have I travelPd thy desolate woods ! And cross'd thy broad lakes, and thy icy-paT*d floods ! i' With tempest and snow-drift impeding my course, And icicles hanging to me and my horse 1 1 (. But shall I forget in tby winters severe, When crossing bleak marshes and barrens most drear : KuU many a blessing has warmed my heart, Tho* the cold chillM my blood, and my fingers would smut. «.r. With a rapture of joy I would grateflilly bless The cottage that cheered in thy bleak wilderness ! The' my lodging was cold, and the stars I could see • Thro' the chinks of my log-room bright twinkling on me. How oft have I 'scap'd by the skin of my teeth ! When the ice was worn thin by the current beneath ; And when by the showers the torrents were rais'd, I trembled till past, but delivered, I prajs'd ! •^-^^ JOSHUA MARStfGir. 127 POETIC DKICRItTIOM Of ROTA tl OTIA. " ♦' Hraee learn, O mjr toul <. to pot truft la tby Lord ! Mis care and past dangert li« kept, on record : The aea and the deiert with safety are eron'd { B« faithful, thou sbalt not in Jordan be lost. Tbo* thy Spring ia uopleaaant, thy Winter Mvere; And freezing and sei-fog encircle the year: Tetthy wilda bare thei- game, and tby forests tbeiritorea, And Icind are the nativui that people tby shores. The moose in tby woods, and the bears in thy brakes, The trout in thy streams, and the fowls on thy lakes; Tby salmon, tby maple, and fine pome-de-terre,** A bountiful Providence Jointly declare. Nor do I forget that fair piety groirs, Like an ever-green plant amid thy bleaching snows: Who rules the green earth from the Oby to Kile, Has illumin'd tby wastes with his lucific smile. , Tby forests and snow-drifts, thy marshes and bo^, Thy birch-cover'd wigwams and sun- veiling fogs ; Thy cold rocky soil, and thy winters severe, T His presence can sweeten, his blessing can cheer. , For 'tis not in seasons or climes to impart The bl|ss that enlivens and gladdens the heart; Spitsbergen's cold shores, or Borneo's hot isle, Can please, if illumin'd with Jesus's smile. That smile is a spring of delight to the soul, Tho' tempests arise and the fierce billows roll : It gladdens the desert, it cliarms the wild wave. Gives ease in alBiction, and hopein the grave. * ■ Te high-coned pines, and ye balsamic firs ! Ye maples so sweet, and ye quivering poplars ; *Neath your shadesf I have stood, while ye beard me proclaim Salvation unbounded thro' Jesus's name ! But ne'er shall I wander tby woodlands again, Where silence and gloom, brother foresters, reign r Nor travel thy dreary Peninsula o'er, From the Canada gulf to the Atlantic Aore. Farewell to thy plains, and adieu to tby bilk ! Thy deep rapid rivers, and wood-cutting mills, ^ Thy terrible snow-drifts, thy bleak torpid coast : Adieu to the region of sea-fog and frost ! * Potatoes. f The author frequently preached in the woods. c •' ♦• 128 HEMOIBS eP IfV ■ -L— -Ali kUiaiOCS SBCTt IN tBITISH AMERICA. %' --" In the winter, if the bdow is too deep to ride, he must take his saddle-bags upon his shoulder and walk, or put on a pair of snow'shoes, and trudge forward on its surface. If hb lodgings are sometimes cold, be will, at least, find the hearts of the people warn. If he want re- tireoient, he is surrounded with silent, lofty woods, nature's most beautiful temple. His food may sometimes be coarse^ but his appetite will be keen; his rides may be laborioiu, but the exercise will promote his health. This country is particularly suited to Methodist pre achers, having little of the fine, delicate gentleman about them) they harmonize more with the simplicity and plainness of the people, i; ;. j^v The Baptists, or as they are more properly called, the # New LigktSi have some few worthy preachers among them ; but as they have little or no discipline, and differ as much in their private sentiments, as other denominations differ one from another, they cannot be supposed extensively use- ful. The Scotch Presbyterians chiefly inhabit Pictou Oobbequit, Truro, and i^everal other parts in the vicinity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They have also congrega- tions at Comwallis, Halifax, &c. The Roman Catholics are generally deplorably ignorant and blmdfolded—some of these still believe that their priests can perform mira- cles. The Indians are mostly of this priest* ridden per- suasion: that is, they are taught, that wearing a large brass or silver crucifix, counting their beads, and confess- ing to the priest, will save their souls. However, it must be said, to the honour of the Romish clergy, that their zea^ to convert these poor outcasts to a false religion, exceeds that of other ministers to convert them to ihe true* It is a great pity, that the episcopal ministers, some of whom 4 4 JOSUVA MARSSBir; 129 SPIRITUAL OOOD or Tit IKDU!!* HOT REOAKOSD. icceite^fta amitfai tt^tend fnr titis pQrpese, "do not. tike some ptAaa 'Witli tbeie mivenble fugitives* A&itlifiil thiasionarf ifho" would go ttid Uiw tmoog tbesi, as Elliot 8tkl Braioerd, oiigitt; no doulvt hnD§ a -goodlj number of thietf to the Imowledge'of tlie ttutli. And if thejr weif ^hHlized, go^rament would give ^ni land to cultirate ; gB th^re are more than direeii^lionB of acres of angranted IftOii in the country. J^t, idas ! lew are wffii^ to pursue sbheme^ tltat have notbiog to recombend them but pure benevolence i:Dd saered pbilan^ropy^ ,4. ' Animnnalsum U> a large anouot was left by the Hooour* able Robert Boyle, for the^ purpose of ehristiaaiziqg Hieie savs^f but whether the benefiwtion is appfied to tius or sMne other purpose, I tiave never been able ta learou A school or college was sot mosthenes spent weeks and months in composing those ora- tions that have been the winder of after) cig^s ; if Timothy %as exhorted to study to approve himself a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of tnitti, what are we to think of tl^e public speakers who spring from the tea-table, the chatting party, or the to- tmeco pipe, into the pulpit, without previous preparation, and solemn prayer? Alas, tbey are frequently obliged to .'.•>!> -13" JOSHUA MAR80EN. Ill OLD SUBJECTS OfTEN FLAT A. ) VRUfTUEITiaO. preach fitim old texts, their subjects are trhe, they hare got them by rote ; they excite no sensatious in their own miods, and hence it is imposs&le they should in their hear- ers. An < > Methodism wat first planted in St. •John by that holy and ttsefiil man of God, aqd miMiooary, Mr. Abraham John Bishop, from the island of Jersey : be was, under God, the chief instrument of the firsttevival, both in the city and up the river. Ak'^ his name wHl ever be as music Sn the ears of many^ who date their first reli^ous impressions from his m]nlste):ial labours. He was truly a man of God, and feared neither the rich nmr powerful, but would lovii^ly invite, a^d mildly reprove, all who came in his way^ Though a man of fortune, he was humble as a child, and selMenying as a hermit. His rank in society gave re- spect to his 2^al ; and his loving sphrit made lik reproofs an excellent oil But he is no more— he was early snatched from the toils of warfare to the triumphs of glory. The conference wanting a missionary who could preach in French, to visit the if land of Grenada, he was sent upon a mission to that island ; and in those blooming regions of perennial death, he paid the debt of Bdortality, and was v. JOSHUA UARSDEV. 1^ AProlMTEO TO LABOUft iS ST. JOBH, IT. B. trausinitted to glory by a mortal fever, ia the prune of hii years, aud io the midst of bis usefulness. Holy shade, lure- well ! Thy sainted spirit is at rest ! Thou feelest no move the bitter blasts of Nova Scotia, oor the scorcMog fer. TOUTS of the torrid zone ! Gentle pastor, may my spiiil be with thine, ii^tb^ jr^)pSf(|lti[e ■ixnpleat hetrted pafe^ The mewieat nHtie. or the deepeat Hge : Whether ia eity bora, or Tillage bred ; Whether in robes of silk or wool arrayed; Nanatter ; eaeh the bleasiag ony po —w » For *3i are equa! in the realna of grace' The Lamb expir'd, and bled far oTery soul, Fron tlie world's girdle to each starry pole. Ota every side, the New Jerosalem, Bright giteaeC Uias, withpeuiy beauty Redeeming love is full, ia free for all, Who fe«l their oeed» andAjr at oNrcy'a call. Frequeati7, in pastoral visitiiig, and visitiog the gidk» tlie poorer add more iadigent the penuHis, the sweeter and more refreshing has been the Tisit. It is in the al)odes of poverty that we meet smiling content, and patient res%nation» low circumstances, with esaTted hopes; misery on a couch, "justifying the ways of God with men;** true gratitude for barley-bread and simple water; simple-hearted pray- er, eupplicatV^ for more grace and thankfulness; noble ge- oerosity, thf starving wife giving the last morsel to her chil- dren ; the affectionate husband^ deeply distressed, but comforting hb wife, and blessing his faniily. viii^ ^Mi& ^, ^ Thesaare thy own, sweet poverty; and thesa , I' f^ Make thy mean fare and little cottage please : r*^ #i\^Hh Biijch a train, thy lot is nobler fhr , ^. ,.Than his, wlio wears a coronet and star, il'^^ Awt'tiiough the high-born rich may tread thee dowa ; .^e gay despise thee* and the proud disown ; Though airy vanity's fantastic train, tpA u;;-'^°d poop *B41'Mtttyebillthee with disdain, T There is a Friend, above yon starry skies, V^f '4v,vf^ Who coiiati tfa)r tean, whalisteas t»^ sighs. Suffiar awhile, if so His will ordairi, j Wha grafts Itis blessings on the stock 0f pain. . ^ Awl when thy wpet are buriedin the tomb. ». ^ •f f V* ' • jTrom every tear, a lovely joy shall bloom ; ■ ^"^ |i,^,j^.^,XiU8tres, ia thy iouaortal coronet, ' Of glittering gems by sweet affli^n set. ■x^-Ai ;.'ii s!Wi»iKni ■*, '..a^j^* ■ii' ■i\ >:. Bunog Diy stay ia liivexpool, the soeioty was built np ; mgny were quickened, and a few were added to the /^9p**" I 136 AlKAIOIRS OS :1V- -1- BODILT EXCRCISB PROFITTETH LITTLI IM KKLIOtOH. church. Some are apl to think oo good is done uokasall are 00 fire with a wonderful reviral — but this is a mistake. The work of divioe grace may progress with as much si. lence as the dew falls upoo the ground, and as impercepti- bly as the grass grows So the sprliig. It is not clapping of hands-— not shouting— not stamping with the heels; nor anj other bodily exercise, that indicate a growth of grace. There may be much smoke, where there is little fire. There was more shouting and chipping around Aaron's calf, than when God himself came down upon Mount Sinai The power and presence of God fill the soul with a so- lemn and majestic awe. The soul desires to be alone, that it may pour out its supplications to the Father of spirits. God forbid, that I should tpuch the sacred ark of pure, enliv- ened piety, with the least finger of opposition; but, as an luimble inquirer after divine truth, I would ask, does clapping with the hands, and stamping with the feet, in- crease in the soul, loye, humility, faith, gratitude, meek, oess, chastity, and heavenly-mindedness ? Is clappii^ the hands as trtie and genuine an expression of gratitude, as a tender and lively sensibility of heart ? Have we any canon in the New Testament by which clapping is re- quired ? Are they the old, steady, experiences^ followers of Christ who clap hands ? Are those who dap loudest the most holy, meiek, humble, diligent, and devoted mem- bers of our society ? May not the purest and most lively piety exist, where there is no disposition to clap? Is not clapping sometimes used, and screaming too^ when there is no extraordinary influence present ? I should be deep- ly sorry, that any one should suppose the Methodists eon- fine religion to ihese thiags, or €v«b think them at JOSHUA MAilSDEN. 13t WHAT FOBMS THE PUTT or A TKVB MXTB0D18T. all necessarj' to the existence of devotioo. No ! They believe religion is the kiogdom of God within us ; ** Righ- teousnew, peace, and joy in the fl*'*^ Ghost.'* The spirit of (Mrayer — the iphrit of feith— the i^irit of love — ^the sj^iit of holiness, form ihe grand materials of a Methodist's re- ligion. It is net, lo ! here is Chirst ! or, io ! there is Chirst ^ But Christ in^you the hope of glory ; the Kkig of righ- teousness, and the fountain of universal piety. I have been present at revivals of religion ; I have beheld the stately strings of Jehovah in his sanctuary; I have known his influence descend as the former and the latter rain; I have heard the cries of the mourner blended with the rejoicing of the redeemed $ but on these occasions { recollect neither clapping nor stamping — and yet there are Boroe, who thinly that rellgioa ia at a stand if these thhigi are discoothiued. But* can we see into the beUey- er*s heart ? Can we discover hia inwaid exercises? C^ we tell how often^e may be watered, animated, and com- forted ? We should not conclude, there is no good done un- less thei» l^e a great noise. We know, that the deepest rivers glide silently siong. It is only the shallow that make the mo^ bubble and bruit Is it not doing good to iastruct chriutians in the duties of religion? Is it not doing good to build up those who are already built upon Christ? Is it not doing good to c, and overflow the world with a deluge of righ« teousness ; yet he is still, to his faithful people, /an open Ibuntaiu, a well of salvation, and a brook by the way. side. If the ihoral World is dfefAived of rain for the space of thiee years, yet he will itill be as the dew to Israel. II He shall grow as the Hlyi and east forth his roots 'as Lebanon. His branches shall sfHread, and lib beauty shall be as the olivctree, and bis smell as Lebanon.*^ > hearted formalist of vitality and fire, and the latitudinarian of slarictness and severity; bigots would strip it of candour, and popes of simplicity. Thus religion would fare like the beautiful statue le^ by the sculptor for inspection in the market-place, every beauty would be erased, till the whole were one blot. My friends in Halifax received me gladly, and I la. toured among them till the latter end of summer ; when brother Black, returning from Baltimore, I was by him united in marriage with Miss Mary SealHiry. This was a union of much prayer and deliberation. My reasons for Ais stqp were the following : 1 st. Mutual attachment and friendship. 2. Union of religious sentiment. ** How Aall two wallb together unless they are i^reed." 3. A de* sire to be delivered from temptation, and an inward con. viction in my mfod, that I could be more holy, useful, and bappy in a married than single state. 4. I thought a pious partner would not only help me, but the church of God. My wife, though young, had been in the society five years. She was brought up in the fear of God. Her mother had been a Icmg time a devoted follower of the Lord. 5. A coincidence of Providence, the particulars of w|)iG|i ^ould require too great minuteness of detail, as, though interesting (o myself, they might be flat and tedious to J08HVA MAmBDBN. 141 ^»==«5^=^ J.i^ MAtllED STATE TgB aCIIT. Others. After nine years experience of a married lifet I am still firmly of opinion, it is the most excellent, the most eligible, and the most happy condition. My wife has had six children; she has travelled with me, by sea and land, several thousand miles. We have had serious difficulties to encounter; many afflictions to bear, and some hardships. We have lost three children, (if sending them lo heaven can be called so;) we buried a sweet child, our oldest daughter, in the city Saint John, J^^ew-Brunswick; we laid a little boy in the earth at Bermuda ; and we have another sleeping in the vault of the Bowery-church, in New York. But, with all the difficulties, afflictions, and trials we have had to bear, we would not be willing to take Alexander's sword, nor yet any other, and cut the gordiao knot that has bound us together. O ur language is, ' , Mi W'l.: ^v - 1. ' Tegttbw M U8 tir««Uy Mt», ,% ^^^mn. ^'v,r^; '-^ ' j.W«»aik' ' Togetker let us die : _ g-!ft#M»lw' And each a Starry crown receive, "" - "''W Toi^ber M U8 tweeUy Ute, Together let us die : And each a starry crown receive, And reign abc^ve |^e iky^ We staid two days after our marrfage in Halifax, and then embarked for Saint John, where we arrived after a pleasant passage of five days. I now received the follow- iog letter from the mbsioo committee in London, to which, as it casts light on some further particulars of my mission, I shall subjoin my answer : * * ' '^nt<^-^ «/ *- -^• ■♦y- n: yim^'^-Mi^^ mM^' ^>' s^-^'^ CIRCULAR LETTER TO THE METHODIST MISSIONARIES. '■i*tUi M-'. NenhChapel, City Roadf London, lOth Feb, 1804 DEAR BROTHER, ^^. 1 ;. , Sijice Uie dep^vpre of our esieeined Friend and Bro-^ M MMMOISS' OV :J-ia.1 ■. r»^ ■ ■- " L-; j tr niTMTCD tn fOME DtTVICULTIBS. th«r Dr. Coke» for Americti we li|ir* been nmch cootent^ ed for the prosperity of tbe Methodiit MMoos* Beettog flieir jsreat itDportance, as they respect the etentl ioteresti of maokind, aod the general ipcreaae of our^ Bedeemer^a kingdom, we have been very desirous of placing them upon some regular establishitietit, so that u^adef the <^tSire bless- ing, we might reasonably expect a continuance of their success. The Doctor left Mr. Benson la chaige cf tbe Missions generally, and Mr. Whitfield was intrusted with their pe- cuniary concerns ; biit Mr. Benson having, by the desire of the Conference, taken upon himself the management of the Magazine, and being otherwise greatly engaged in the af- fairs of the Connexion at laige, he found himself quite unable Co devote so much time and attention to the Mis- sions as they required. And Mr. Whitfield having had a dangeroua illness, which rendered him totally incapable of business, and uo provision having been made to pay the Bills wbich'had been drawn, and were coming due, or to answer the various demands upon him on account of the Missions, it became a matter of absolute necessity t,o call in the aid of the Travelling Preachers in the London Cir- cuit, and of some of our principal private Friends, to con- sider of the best means to be adopted to support the cause of tlie Missions, and the Credit of the Methodist Con- nexion. , It was determined in the present distress, to appoint a Committee for the management of the Mission Affairs till the next Conference, this Committee to consist of ;^ll the travelling Preachers in the liOodon Circuit, together with those Friends who compose the Committee appointed at TYK JOSHUA MARSIMBN. 143 3i9= sata LETTCm rtOM TIC MI8EIOH COMMITTEE. the iMt Conference for j|ii«rdiqi; «iir privileges, as stated in page 30 of the pitted Mialitesi and also of a few other Frkuids wlioM assiBtanoe might be usefiik The Cootmiittee Aenloieto eowiil^of the followifig PenoBB, viz. v^ J(P^H;B»»80H, . Oeob©e Wolff, Joseph Tatlob, Christopher Sundius, Thomas Rutherford, William Marriott, ]^BNJA|t[IN B.HOI»S, William JMtYLEs, Jabez Bunting, ^Oeoroe Whitfield, William Jbrram, Robert MiooLETON, Joseph Bulmer, liUKE Haslope, ItHOMAs Allan, Joseph Butterworth. The coBimittee chose from the above the followiog oflji- * Joseph Benson, Prwidbil. *- William Marriott, Treasurer. Joseph Butterworth, Secretary. m. I ■:^ii #t:4- The '^Grst act of the committee, was to lend betweea three and four hundred pouAds, io order to honour the hills vrhich had been drawn Upon Dr. Coke and Mr. Whitfield, OD account of the missions. In order to refund the above sum, ^nd to provide for further demands, a circular letter was sent to the various circuits, desiring, that collections should be immediately made in our chapels throughout Great-Britain. This pro' duced an enlaiged correspondence on this subject, and it vag found to be the general desire of the people, to have some accounts of the missions regularly pufoli^ied, with a '4 144 "'^^EHOIBS 0»"*^ UISBIONARIKB RZaUIIlED TO KEEP A JOtRItAL. fiiH detail of the receipts and expend itures. The commit- tee feel Tery desirous to comply with tBc wishes of the Dumerous subscribers, and to render every satisfecfion in their power. They would be glad to engage the public more generally in this blessed work, by giving all pfossible bformation; and that they may be enabled, from time to time, to publish interesting accounts of the missions, they would most earnestly recommend each missionary, from the receipt of this letter, to keep a regular journiil of his proceedings, and all particulars of his mission, together with accounts of all remarkable conversions, with the ex- perience and death of any individuals, from which ex- tracts might be made for publication, and to transmit this journal, or the heads thereof, at least twice a year to the committee, or till the conference give other directionsi, ^^* "^^ It may here be observed, that when several missionaries are stationed in the same colony, they might possibly think it needless for all of them to write home ; but the committee would, however, wish to receive accounts from «twh, as by comparing their several journals together, a more comprehensive view might be taken of the whble, than could be formed by any single account, which might perhaps omit many interesting particulars. I ^* The superintendent missionaries will be pleased to draw their bills on Mr. George Whitfield, Kew Chapel, City Road, London, till further direction ; but at the same time, send advice thereof, with the particular appropriation of the money, to the secretary above-mentioned. And it is particularly requested, that the missionaries will most ex- actly comply with the conference minutes of the year 1800, JOSHUA HARBIUBN. 145 f ■^: REaUIRKD TO APPOIHT BTSWARDS TO IIirANT 80CJITIES. — I I • ! III.. i 'i ■ ii ' . .1.' I'm. Ii I II i. I i II ll Uli l ' io order ths^ the committee m%f sender a satisfactory accouoi ta the subscribers at large of the expenditure of the; money .*'^ Vpoa ihiB occaiiioii, it.may not be amiss to drcj^a bii4 to «ttr missionaries, upon the Hnportanee of an exact ofaser* yaoce of the Methodist dkcipline^ which has been formed tEsder the immediate direction of Divine Providence, and< altogether niited tot the state of christian society. A due- observance of the life and conversation of private mem- bers^ and a full determination to hold no communion with > those that walk disorderly, let their situation or circum* dances be what they may, will have a great tendency to promote vital godliness, and to render our societies a s»« four of life unto life. Wherever a sockty is formed, it is of great importaocet that stewai J vi uld be chosen to conduct the temporal af-' fairs, and 1 !^ appointed to the classes: this prevents! reproach from falHi^ on the ministry, and is of essential service in many respects. Individuals become more con- cerned for the elfare of the society when they feel a» per« sonal inteirest therein ; and when dfic^rs are chosen in ih$ church of Christ iVom among, the people, it mutually) strengtheiK the common bond of union between them and t * The conference adopted the following rules respecting the missions : " I. The svperiqteDdents shall be responsible to the Bnglish confereaee, ani to their agent, the Reverend Ooctbr Coke. " II. The superiatendentf shall keep exact accounts of all monies received by 'ihem on account or the missions, and of all disbursements of that money* and transmit! those aedounts annually to Dr. Coke, or in his abseoee, to the Loq* don BUBeriotoadent. to b« laid ber^ the conference. " III. That the collections mid disbursements at large, shall be annually laid before the conference, or^fore^n committee appointed by the conference; thalt ttiey also shall be traq^crlbcd into Uie. ledger, and published as the conference shall appointi" Conf. JIfiii. '^800, page ST. N. B. The London committee reeonniMnd to all th« missionaries, an attentivt perusal of t^e conferen«e minutee for the fear 1800, on the suljedt of tke mis. eioas. N 2 - ^^^\ &^-- I- ii];moir8 o» MISBlOHAEItS fttttCIM OBCAT SXB«TIORS. the preachers. It it espedallj neceesaiy to have leaders and stewards, where there is a probability of anj chaoge of preachers, in order that when fresh preacher cometo the place, they may have some persons to w;lioin they, can appl;^ 'j*r needful assistance on their arrival; and also U^t there may be resident overseers, who will endeavouf to keep the fleck together in the absenoe of- their pastors... Without the united exertions of the missionsunes (^liroad and of the friends at home, it should seem that this ijoopor- taot work must £bJI to the ground ; but after the peculiar blessing and glorious sucrA»s which have hitherto accQin. panied these missions, we feel most deeply concerned to go on hand in hand in buil^g up the walls of our Jem. sfdein, and after using: evexy lawful means, we r^fer all to the great Head of the churchi who uses^Jiiihat^iiptni^e&t;. he pieases to execute his own designs* ^ - We beg you to address all communications intended for the committee, to the Secretary, Mr. Joseph Butter< WORTH, No. 43 Fleet-street, London. Requesting to hear frequently of your proceedings in order to stimulate our exertions and pfrayers in your behalf we qow commend you to God, even our Father, who shall supply all year need according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus., 3 i;^y v'.'Jwf'i'W,'*:-'*:*?'.**';?; ,We are -v't- ^^ •/%'.?f'Mfi fW--v»'*r ^I-^^f. .'*.f'ii>, ''•:*■ 4J Tour very aflectionate bretfareiv .Joseph Bi^son, Joseph Tatlor, Thomas Rvthbrford, Benjamin Rhodes, J^f ■:l^r ^^''*-^^*^' William Mtles, ^^i- ^^-%3i,^ CIeORGE WHITFlltH. J OBffU Jl HAMDEK. m rOSTSCKIPT IT JMSrH BOTTEKWOftTB, Ud rj^im'-hS'^mitifi"^'. {POBVSGKIFT.) : Londony24th Mardty 1ft04. DSABi SIR, 4Ml'i:-S^i,' •.'.■ ■rSi,'? A^r; It ii the sincere mA earnest desiie of friendg at home to liear firooi 7011, and know how you are goii% 00 ; to be fa- voured with full and free acoouots of ail your proeeedings, that ire may know how to help' you id the blessed work'ia . which you are employed. Pray favor us with a pai^cu* l«r answer to the printed letter^ and say whether we should send you some books to distribute, how we should sefHl^ them; and which would be most useful. . Br. Whitehead is dead, and Mr. Bunting is married to an iexcellent wife from Macclesfield. We have been in daily expectation of an invasion from the French, but we trust that Ood will protect us. Our enemies have an immense force collected on the opposite^ coast, 200,000 men and 1200 vessels, it is reported. The connexion is at peace, and in many places very prosperous/ . - We trust that a corrc^iondence with our missionaries win be highly useful both at home apd abroad, ^'^^ay favour us with the geography and history of the country. We hope you will keep a Journal, and transmit Bt all particulars. May the Lord prosper you abundant- ^..t^^;.:' • ■"■■ yn.-^ji:i, ?-- All the preachers and the committee join in kind lov^ with, Dear Sii^ : .. .^ Your affectionate friend and servant, ^ JOSEPH BUTTERWORTH* > F:^ gt''-^'. J h' wr Hk m' .* ^n ^fo?..| .*!*$• m^M #i' '-n^t 149 jvnfouigov MT IilTTB* TO DA. OIMIC, • i Wl MM Extract (jf^d Lam jrmii Mr, Joshua Mandm, to (hi Rev. Dr. Coke, ' ¥oi7B. kind letter^ and that of the MMoMty Com* mHtee- ' re iifce oordiala to oijr droopiof ipirflf* Ifur* tafl am^'Min fflj bMthren the picaeherii mkmM ky tMr ctfUDseiil ibroaed by their example* aod iaaitueied ky (b«tt eonversatioDt judge whaimy^ feeiiufBB.inuit have bteo wh^ eat off from almost all iDtercourse with theim iom^tini^i I was tempted to think oar brethren at hone htd (br|Ott^ us, and that we were left to shift for ouraelvet io • §ttwa§s laud, where barren rocks, ioterposiog rivfti^ dieary woodi^ and almost inpassabie roads, were the first trials of our la* faotmioi6tr7l I mention these things* that youflg bre« Ihreni with but little experience or ibrtitude, may not bo sent upon such an arduous undertaking, ^ooe but vetor« ans of well'tried patience, prudenc£, piety, fortitude^ are properly qualified to act as Missionaries in thii country Our voyage of six weeks was stormy aod t«inpii;tuottf« Nevertlieless, by the blessing ofGod, we could read, pray, sing hymns, and, every sabbath*day, preach the word of reconciliation to the seamen and pasiengeri. Once we were chased by a corv^te i^vivateer^ which bore down upon us, but as we were two in company, and both well armedi she thought fit to sheer off. Nothing material bapppcn- ed till we arrived near the banks of Newfouodlfind, wbeo Captain Blunt, a passenger on board, died. He Wfli an old sailor, and a rough Methodist { yet though hii mafl' ners were rude, I trust his heart was siocere^ and I ex- pect to meet him in heavenly glory*^f|»v «i^^ Bor, A J08RVA UAnBDjeS. A OOOD HKTIODIST 80CIETT IM BALIPAX. Oo Monday moruing, Oct 6, we lauded at Halifax^ tnd were coadfucted to the bouse of twother Black. Hali- fax is a large towu, contaioing about 8000 iohabitaots. The houses are chiefly built of wood, aod have an air of neatness and elegance. In the town are two Protestant cliurches, besides a Scotch kirk, a Romish church, a Baptist meeting-house, and a Methodist chapeL The people in general are kind, polite, well-informed, and many of them friends to the Methodists. A little while ago, Mr. Black and I waited upon the Governor to ob<^ tain permission for the preacher, resident in Halifax, to marry by license. We were received with peculiar re- spect ; he granted our request, and made us an offer of a piece of land for tlie use of the Halifax Society. Our chapel is not handsome, but will hold near a thousand people, and on the sabbath-eveniog, h generally crowded. Adjoining the chapel, is f /ery good preacher*s house. The society is in number about 140, some of them people of influence and respectability. The country round Hali- fax exhibits a scene of barrenness, but a romantic pros- pect. The roads, however, are remarkably good, and the climate is more moderate than in any other part of Nova Scotia. The town is well fottified, well garrisoned, and has One of the most commodious harbours in all North- America. :^WJ' .■ -*r After staying a week in Halifax, brother Lowry and I set out for Windsor, his appointment being the city St. John, New-Brunswick, and mine Cumberland, at the head of Fundy Bay. On the road from Halifax to Wind- sor, I had an opportunity of reflecting on my situation, and viewed myself as a young man, with but little expe- 150 ^^•^EMoiRiS oy -' WINBDOX IN IfOVA SCOTIA A WICKED PIACC. lience) little religioo, Utile fortitude, aod placed in one c^ the most critical and trying Bituations in the world $ to be ft minister of die everlasting gospel, a guide of precious aouls^ and a missionary in a foreign land. I had irhile in England, earnestly besought the Lord to open a door for me to act as a missionary; but I (hen found I had notsuf* llciently counted the cost, nor duly considered my own Inability. The discouraging thoughts which arose in my mind were not a little augmented by the appearance of the country, which is naked, wild, barren, and mountainous, with only here and there a house.** These things made my first journey of 46 miles both tedious and uncomfortable. Late in the evening, we arrived at Windsor, and were dirteted to the house of a Mr. Church, a member of the fiOciety, and a respectable farmer. Windsor is a small Tilti^ pleasantly situated, and surrounded, for a few miles, with the best land in all Nova Scotia. N^ar the town stands the college, now constituted a Univei'sity. The Inhabitants seem fond of dress, aod religion appears to be Well nigh banished from the place, while intoxication among the Tower orders of people, and fashion and plea- sure among buch as are termed the better sort, Btipply its room. There is a church and a small Methodist chapel near the town : but our society is dwindled away, and only two or three remain to lament the sad declension. This h^s happened chiefly, I believe, through want of preaching. Brother Black and others have been the in- ■strumeuls of some short revivals. But having no succes' 'fi:j,'r V • Thii rcUtes chiefly to that part of Nova Scotia that is betwixt Halifw ftpd Wiadgor, perhaps the moRt 4near/ put of the whole province JOSHUA 1IAR8SEN. 151 aesaitt jiTATX or TBIIfOt IM OOMBBKIbAIlD CIKOCIT. 8ors to water the seed sown, U. died away, and the people became more*cold and unconcenied than before. We preaehed here a few times, and afterwards brother Lowty sailed for his appmntment across tlie Bay Of Fuody, and I went on board the p&cket kt Partridge Island oo my way to Cuoiberlaod. Cumberland circuit is in a zigzag line, about forty railet long. The settlement is populous and productive, but the roads are bad, and the country unpleasant. Many of tht settlers are people from Yorkshire, some of whom were Methodists in £ngland. But, besides the Methodists^ there are various denominations of professing Christians! and not a few Deists. We have two meeting-houses, one at Font de Bute, and another at Sackville, but the societies are small, and true religion in a very languid state. Formerly there was a great revival in this circuit, at which time brother Black was raised up, butT since that time, vital piety ha? beea eontioually upon the decline, and scarcely any vestiges of the former work of God are now seen. The circuit ia- large enough for three preachers, but at present they have but two local brethren to labour among them, who, being much involved in trade, have but little time to preach the gospel. I had not long travelled in Cumberland circuit before my health began to suffer considerably. Stormy weather coming on, through preachiog almost eveiy day, and lying in a damp bed, I caught a severe cold. At first I paid little attention to it, till becoming hoarse, I was obliged to discontinue preaching. My cold brought on a cough, a fever, and a spitting of blood. Beiii^ now far from my ",v^,. >>■■- I- 152 MEMOIRS 09 masT.- THE rRIBVDI ArrLIOTED OW «T ACCODNT. 'ass native country, among strangers, at a distance from my brethren the missionaries, and destitute of- medical help, I found the affliction a severe trial of my faith and pa- tience. Nevertheless, I had abundant reason to be thank- ful ; I found a home in God, brethren among strangers, and the comforts of the Holy Spirit were sweet cordials to my soul. I had now time to examine my views, weigh my mo. tives, and prove my graces. And truly I found reason to conclude that my designs and desires were not unwortlij- of the sacred ministry. Friends watched my bed with un- abating attention, and marked every step of my disorder with peculiar anxiety. My peace was overflowing, my joys unutterable, and my mind raised above the afflictioo, and all worldly entai^lemeuts. I had clear discoveries of my interest in Christ, bright prospects of eternal glory, a strong confidence in the truth and faithfulness of the Re. deemer, and experienced a meek submission to the will of God. In the early part of the affliction, I was uncertain what the Lord was about to do with me : but this text, which dwelt upon my mind, ** I shall not die but live, and declare the works of the Lord," opened some prospect of a recovery. The friends, in general, gave me up, suppo> sing it impossible I should recover : yet prayer was made in every part of the circuit, and the minds of the people were remarkably affected, considering my affliction as a judgment upon them for their unfaithfulness to the grace of God. Many were wont to crowd about my bed weeping and sorrowful ; and on one occasion, the room being fi^ll, I prevailed on them to prop me up in bed, and I spoke to them of the things of God, and the sweetness of rel%ioD. •^.. joiuvA mmMfi. 153 u» or lAnoTiriie ArrticTioi. liiiw— awiiw mil in I It was an affecting time ) iffhi, tean, and. lamentatioas made the scene trulf wlemn* During this afflktioo, I had t itrtklni view of the dutjr, honour, and reward of • faitbAil mlolHer, and I looged to do something for Christ and Imtiiortal souls. My heart was enlaiged to all the human raee In an inexpres- sible manner, and the love that ecuteth out fear was the ruling passion of my soul For some time I was in a strait betwixt two, a longing to er^ojr the full manifestation (Tf Christ in glor)", and » desire to promote his kingdom by living longer. At length It pleased the liord to cause the symptoms that were most alarming to abate, and by slow degrees to restore my wonted health. Tet it was soiTie time before I could venture out| and remime my labour in the Lord's Vineyard. Respecting this affliction, I have to remark, 1st That it weaned me from friends and relations, and taught me to consider Ood as the only support and felicity of an immortal spirit. 2dly. It prepared my mind for the ministry, by showing me the vanity of the world and all other pursuits, 3dly. It gave me a clearer and more affecting view of the great truths of the gospel, by affording me an opportunity of experiencing their efficacy in supporting me when I most needed support. Herein God was pleased to make pain my preceptor, and taught me im- portant lessons of wisdom in the school of affliction, bless- ed be the name 'of God my heavenly corrector. Amen and Amen! Icontidued labouring In the Cumberland circuit, with little success, till the ensuing Conference. Our congrega- tions were tolerably large OD the Lord's days ; but, e|:- c«ntit)g the members of society, the people in general, ^f- U4 KBHOinS OF _JUl*L .W LI!! OAllSCk or AHVINOMIAMISM. vera resftarkably hardened and iimteDitent. My seulwept and mourned for them : Many times did I enlreat then, with tears of pity, and sprrow, to be reconciled to God. JVUny timea did I warn them of their danger, and of the a,wfulnes8 of tli^ir sta^ aod. apiMeUmei, the obdurate were bent and the s^ony hejar^a melted; but ala*! these good impresuoi^ were too often transient. Those nhom the vrord liad wounded, generally applied to the world for a ciurei and my labour was almost in vain. The doctrine of the New-Light Antinomiajps h^ done iafioite injury to the cause, of pi/ure aod practical piety. ** I can do nothing,'* is hacknie.i about from one to auoUiei' in a dreadful and disgusting manner; falls from ^ace are supposed to be use- ful, as keepingthe so^l huQ|ble» and some have gone so far as to say, sin only defiles the shell, i\m body, while the soul, the kernel, remaios pure and uopollu^ted. Prayer is called a formal duty, an<)^ works of faith, and morality of conduct have been reckoned the grossest legality. But I am happy to say these doctrines are losing ground daily, and I hope in a few years, they will have no more in- fluence. M^aoy weire. my trials this year; bad roads, stormy weather, painful ieeliogs, want of ability for the work, and, little fruit, gave me the keenest distresses. Cumberland is a wicked place : but there are a few pious souls there, and I hope my labour was not altogether lost: we h^ some precious and refreshing seasons to- gether, i^^er In the spring I wep|t to the Con^rence held at Annapo- lis, near 4wo hundred miles from Cumberland, where my - drooping heart was mudi comforted by the sight of my 1i|«t]irejo. Our li^le meetuig was conducted, in the spirit JOSHUA MAlfibEN. 165 VISITED RAMMM OR tl> AOLF «r BT. LAWRKNCE. of brotlierly love and godly fear: and as the Camberhind people petitioned for my retufO, the Conference statiotted me there again. This wto a dbtreMing year to my soul, perplexed with oatward triala, vexed with inward tempta- tiont, aad dejected at my want of success in my labours, I was ahttosi led to murmur against the ijord. Wore I faithfully to delineate my feelings, I should exhibit such a picture of darkness and gloominess as is seldom seen. Matty a solitary mile have I rode, bewailing in the bitter^ aefls 6f my sovl niy unhappy iftuatioo ; and hM ric the Lord Mippmrted me, I should certainly have mtok in the mighty billows of delpair. Dining this widter I tisited llanlfiheg, a settlement on the gulf of St. Lawrence, chiefly cohiposed of French peo- ple, and emigrants from the United States. Here ail the travelling is updn the ice ; the rivers, bays, and even the gulf itself, for many miles, aire all covered with ice, for many months every year. Notwithstanding the diiRculty of travelling, the people came in great uumbeis to bear the word ; and the L6rd blessed my unworthy ministry to many souls. We had many sweet times of refreshing from the divine presence, the little society was quickened, and two or tbreie souls awakened to see their need of a Sa- viour. But as the ice by and by became wea*- my stay was not long. I had, however, two or three ?.: row es- capes frt)m the jaws of untimely death. Blcassed be my Rock ; yea, adored for ever be the God of my salvAtibn.** Though this settlement lies miich out of the way of preaching, they have about forty in society, who continue to meet t<^ether, and the Lord hath UrouderfuHy preserv- ed them by his power and grace. Fi^m the eagerness i( 1^ HEMOIRS OS* TBEIK KAKNEBTHESa TO BEAR THE WORD. with which they came out. to hear the word, the difficulties ihej sumiounted, and the tendemess of mind visible among them, I judged that if they bad a preacher sta- tioned aoong them, the whole settlement almost would be. come christians and members of society. Mai^ in Eos- land and Ireland do not know how to value a p&nched gospel. What a pity that such an inestimable blessing should be slighted or abused t And what a mystery that so many ^at would willingly embrace the benefits thereof are deprived of them. While I was at Ranisheg, I had ^n opportunity of witnessing their heartfelt love for the word. It was not unQwnmon for persons to come ten, fif- teen) twen^i and even thirty miles to the preaching. An hour or two before the time of preaching nothing could be seen but frozen riverS) and bays, and the dreary gulf also frozen to a great extent; and, on the land side* dark and impenetrable woods skirtiqg the icy pavement, all seem- ingly without inhabitant of man or beast. But as the ap- pointed hour drew near, the people were seen coming in groups, firom all quarters, some skating, others on large sledges drswn by oxen, and some on little slays (a few boards nailed together and fastened to a horse.) I could hardly tear myself away from this simple, loving people; but the ice was become dangerous: so that I was com- pelled to take an affectionate leave of them, not knowing that I should ever see them again till the resurrection of the just. About the middle of March, I returned to my circuit, from visiting Ramsheg, as mentioned above, and early in the spring set out for Annapolis, to attend our second Conference. At this meeting, it was moved and carried ■,i. 1 JOSlltJA MAllSbEN. 157 BISHOrS ASBPBT AMD WBATCOAT PRIMITIVE BISHOrs. lliat as the citciiits irtt^ WStliout the oiriliaflaees of Baptum and the Lbt^s Supper, (he jroiing brethten, who t^A come fronk iSnglaEn^ shodtd go to the ^ew-lToTk Conferettce, to te Ukdire fbily iset tt^if^rt for the irork ol tht mlDistrjr. Accordidgly, bariag setiled ddtHtitle in&tten, we einbark- €({ for that eity ; and, a^c^ a short and pleasant passage of six days, we arrived just in time to attend the meeting. ]^08t of the preachers appieared to be zealous yoijnig men, and the' siiperintendents, Mej^srs. Asburjr and Whatcoat, s^m^d peculiarly fitteidfor their important station. Bdring the ordiiiatioo-seryic6, ray ^Skid Wiis deeply affected with the importance of the ^^ork of the ministry, and I felt g s^ng and ^€6 desire to cdnsetrate idir all to the service of ray heavfenly Master. i;r^ itfe^6d!fi Kew-lTork only a feV days, and then i^ embarkeid fcr th(B cold ari^ rt^ed dhdre^ of i^ova Sco- tia, cmphaticaily so When tfottpared With the beautiftit and fert^e bloom of the iTnited States. JBroflier fiennet and k took oiir passa|e on hdairA a Veisel bound for Anha- poiis, where I was appointed to labour tor a i%w mdnUis, Annapolis, formerly the 6'apital of KoVa l^cotia, is now ho more than a small village. It is situated upon a river of the same name, and neiir ohe of the tneit basins for shipping in the ^hote world, td the, town there is a Churcli, a l^oui^-bbuse, beautiful Barracks, and a sniat^ neat Mettio While I was in this circuit, the Lord was pleased to revive hb vork: We had glorious times of refreshing jfrom his presence, and often fiMiod it difficult to break up our meetii^. One brought to Ood, at that time, is now in heavenly glory. Old christians were quickened, the meet> iogs well attended, and sometimes the Lord was very emi* nently present In the midst of these promising pros- pects, I was called away to St John. I i^ft Annapolis with peculiar r€|;ret, and crossed the Bay of Fundy for that city. St Johti, the capital of New Brunswick, is like a small English town, or large village. It is built upon a rock, with a large navigable river running at the foot of it The town cniitaios about two thousand inhabitants, who are chiefly Church people or Methodists, with a small so- ciety of New-Lights, (as they are termed) and a few Pres- byterians. The church is an elegant building, witli a beautiful organ ; but the Methodbt chapel, formerly the old church, is a small and inconveuieot place, much oat of •.( JOSHUA MAR8DEN.' itatJtL- ST. JOHN, N. B. RATBCft DXSART IN APPEARANCE. rq>airi astd indeed alrooBt coming down.'"'— >Could the soi* Ciftj in England give tliein ^kj or eig^ity pounds, to ea- couirage them to build another^ it would be an act of the noblest charitj, as the members of the society are chiefly v poor, and many of the inhabitants unfriendly. The winters here are intensely cold, and the summers peipetually fogg>'. There are no mossy fountains, smiling meads, purling rills, blooming gardens, or lovely groves ; but the whole scene is barren, rocky, deformed, and un- pleasant. Many oS the members of society are the spiri- tual children of that excellent young man, Mr. Bishop, whose name and memory will long be like ointment pour- ed forth in these parts. On the Sabbath-day our little chapel is well attended, and the congregation would be larger were there more room. The river St. John extends about three or four hundred miles up the country, towards Lower Canada, with settlements or plantatiomi on each ^de. On many parts of the river we have small societies. Last winter God was pleased to revive his work at Shef- field, fifty-five miles up the river, under the ministry of our beloved brother Bennet. Many were truly brought to Ood, joined the society, and continue to this day to re- flect lustre on the christian name.r-May they be stars in his crown in the day of judgment, and to all eternity ! On the banks of this river is a field sufficient to employ two itinerant preachers constantly ; but, alast they have only t^e labours of two local brethren, and a visit occa- sionally from the preachers appointed for the city, There are two chapels, one at St. Ann's, and another at Sheffield ; ^ They have now a fine spacious chapel raised, though not ItniGhed, while the author vu thtre ; «Dd the doDition |naDtioB«a wasflvMi by tb6 Afinion Cam- miltN. M' Ittf Moras OF TISITKB DCSKHTEK8 TTtfO f ODMD PKACK WITH OOS, iNit, for want 6f bek^ supplied irith preachers, they both Tettiaki ttDfinished. While I was in thi« efrctili, a few were awakened and added td the society, both in the city, and up the riter; fnd, blessed- t)e God, some of theiii con- tioue steadfast to this day. In ithe spring i k^ 3t. Jobiti, to attend the conference at Windsor, whett i WiA appointed for Liverpool Ckcuit, in Nova Scotia. On my Way diither, I stopped three months in HaKfaJc, while brother !}lack Went to the city St. John. Here I Was called to attend the executioti of several deserters) who were shot; atfd, glory be tdGod, my labour was not in vain. Some Of them witnessed a good confession, and died ble^ihg and pr&i8it% the namie of the liord Jesus. When brother Black murned from New BruL^wick, I sailed fot My ildt!6n at Liverpool, which IB a small toWn on the ^^ris of the Atlantic, suppOi*ted ehieRy by ishing attd the West-India trade. Our Ho- ciety here is respectable, though small. The thapel is a foeautifUl building, and on the Lord^s days very WeH at* tended. The inhabitants are divided into two denomitia* tions, Methodists and Congregationalistd. In the absence of the missionary, the cliarge of the soeiety has devolved upon brother Newton, who is a local preacher, a magis- Irate, and a collector of his Majesty's Customs; ^'*- Liverpbol h abotit ninety miles from Halifax hf Water, and forty fitmi Shelbum^ The country parts of the cir* cult, branching along the shore, comprehend Port Mutton, Port ;Jolly, Port Le Bare, and Port Medway. Religion is not in a flourishing state in this ciicuit, many of the people removing away; and, if the war continue any length of time, it is to be feared the place will be w^ nf ruined. 'vg JOSHUA MAa9DEN. 161 MATBRIALB Of HT MIlTISTKr. iwj7,7„yi-.' ,j "<**■• ■** From Liverpool I was called to supply brother Black's place at Halifax, while he attended the Baltimore coo- fereoce. I stayed ia Halifax till June, at which time our little meeting commenced. — ^At this conference I waa once more appointed to labour in the St John circuit, where I am at present, labouring in my imperfect manner, to build the temple of the Lord. A few have joined the spjdety lately, and have found peace with God. I have just returned from a visit up the river, where I have rea- son to ctNsclude my unworthy labours have been much blessed, and my own soul giaci^usly watered. I have been seven years in the society, and have preach- ed almost six. The doctrines I have been endeavour- ing to inculcate are, man's fall and depravity of nature; the abundant mercy of Qod in Christ; repentance and faith in Christ, as the ternu or conditions of finding peace with God; a present salvation from guilt by justification through Christ^s blood, and from the power and pollution of sin, by the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit* These, and the doctrines connected with them, compose the principal of my discourses, are the basis of my hope, and the deliirht of my soul. The Methodist discipUue, as one chief aiean of preserving our societies, I cordially approve of, and am determined, God being my helper, lo enforce continually. And I hope to persevere in the faith, and to experience the efficacy of the above truths, till my Bpirit return to God, and my warfare is accomplished. ^^ I am} dear Sir, With great respect, .,k.,^^^^^ ~ ,4| Your i)''>edient servant, JOSHUA MARSDEN. *%:■ 4 162 XBMfilBS (1/9 *'iH KZ Li>?IUBB JN TBB CITT MINT i9nH, i^isa^-^' --''■■ XfctriBg lim wkitei;i laboured Iq St. ifk/a^ tsd tlong the ' baDks of the river, «i*h jDuch lueceit M^fttMctkii, Diflfererret were recoatileii Old piijudkc^ s$iiOii| die flocietj seemed to il^se grouod. There wai ft i^^'%iil« Sm* grease of cbilsdaa aiEectiea and aitn^lleiiy ^ rlhyt^r ,the daj into . legulp' parts : ia t!i« iKnrgini bm^ /bur till «%ht o'clock I devoted my lime tofe^dlm^ i'^^Tt trrl. tiog, aod. prayer; in tbc forefioim 1 d«T«ted the Hfne, is 9. great measure, to i^astoral visits, aiMl ^I^H'ig th« ikk: the afternoon i^as takea up in reti:ti0^^ m^ mi:( ' \f the cksses, tl.t?ee or lour of which i rm^ ertrt week; and i. ilie evening wa had a meetifig of one klod or an* other. I ifEn^^e^l nty labours with alaerUy ioddettgbt. I do not rvc^kct when my soul prospered snore thao at this season I nor do I remember that I vwm hM mere the spirit of my duty. Be instant in seasoD ftiiii ^t of seiM0, ^as my motto; hence, in addition to my Oiifier dutiei, 1 beiil prayer^meetings in different ptrif of the town; preached from house to house, wherever a door ws8 opened; catechised the children once % week, aod held a select mee^ at my own house every week iot reading the lives and experience of diristiaos. giivDiyi if mltili* ter» would consider how much their suceesa depende upeo diligence, industry, and active exertions in the rioefard of the Lord, they could hardly be satMed to preach nei«ty two sermons on the 6aM)ath no means a friend to people starving their mimsteis, or forcing them to wear a thread- bare coat, and a shabby bat ; but there riiould be reasou and justice in all things. St. Paul, than whom perhaps, no man«ver received less for preaching the gospel, or labour- ed more, could nevertheless say to the Ephesians, j" Ye know fromthe first day that I came into Asia, after what ^ manner I have been witli you, at all seasons serving the i Lord, with all humility of mind, and how I kept baclt^ noiliiog that was profitable unto you, but have showed i you, and have^ taught you publicly, and from house t<^ > house, testifying bodi to the Jews and ta the Greeks i^ pentance towards Ood, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ i therefore watch and leniember, that bj the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one, night and day, witl^ tears." Here is an example of diligence ! Bid Paul con- fine his labours to the Lord's day ? Did he suppose two Sunday-sermons enough for the whole week ? Alas ! alas I bow are w^ fallen from that ministerial strictness, faithful- ness, and diligence recommended by the scripture, and es^ emplified by the apostles I n 0:y sleds* I have had to come down the river in these in the latter end of March and be- ginning of April, when the ice has been worn so thin by the current beneath, and the action of the sun above, that we feared every moment a plunge into the abyss below. A terrible accident of this kind befell one who had been a member of the society, but gradually fell away ti\i he lost all bii religion, tlie form as well as the power. — Being a tailor by trade, he frequently (inished and sent home his clothes on the Lord*s day, and when reminded of the wickedness of thus profaning the sabbath, he would jocosely answer, It was no great harm to borrow a little from 168 MKaiOIMB UV B.t'-SWS* '(».,-^ icoTca sritcorALiAii* iwotkp. the Lord, provided we paid him again. Thii practice was coatinued, till ridiof one sabbath on the ice, the whole plunged in and were seen uo more. Thus, he that being often reproved and hardeneth hit neck, iball suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. It ia awful to trifle with Jehovah ; he is terrible in wrath, and fearful in ma- jesty. Who ever hardened himself i^aiost Ood and pros- pered ? ■\*^'9i-i'^iimf^ .,'9i' Aifiit^ru(tyi^t'f gotry and ill«natui« by the «haogt,. and are more fierce againil disMOlen afterwards* than they were igalost both Pope ond Prelate before. Hence, there are few placet where Methodism haa had to contend with mora aerioua (tifficul- ties and systematic bigotry than in St. John. Alaa ! thit wicked lives and nan'ow minds should be so often united together ! But so it is. I hardly ever met a wicked man of this description, but who thought he would atone for his sin by greater fierceness in supporting bis creed. Alas ! that creed>makers should have spent their time to so little purpose as to make men fierce, cruel, bigoted, and disputatious ! Perhaps there has been mwe written to il- lustrate, enforce, and defend human creeds, than to support and inculcate tlie word of God. I place human creeds in general upon a par with the traditions of the elders, the Talmud of the JewS) and the Canons and BuUs of the Pope of Rx)me, What can be more complicated ithan creeds generally are ? What is nior^ simple than, tbe word of God ?\'^*^pf'''ffi9ss$:«i#t^:^(^w#%^ JOSHUA MAEBDEK. loor -atjixaj ■IMPLB BOOrmiMH or TIB eOSPBL. The doctrines of the gospel »n plain ; creeds are am* biguous. The words of the new coreoant are simple ; creeds are complex. The seriptare is the word of Ood; creeds are the works of men. HumaD creeds are multi- plied without end ; tlie word of Ood is one clear, eter- nal, and inrariable rule. Commend me not, therefore, either to the Heidelbuifh or the assembly's catechism, the articles, homilies, and canons of the church of England, the church «f Rome, nor any other church; but commend me to the word of God. It is evident from scripture and ex- periefvce, that I am a fallen creature. I am there told that Jesus Christ gave bis life a ransom for all. I am requiried to repent of my sins, and believe in this adorable Redeem- er. I am told that he will give me his Holy Spirit if I ask him, to work ioi my heart the grace of repentance, faith, and vegeneration. I am told that a holy life will, through the infinite merits of Christ, entitle me to salvation and glory. I am told in scripture, that holiness consists in loving 6ed^ and my ne^hbbur ; in beii^ humble, chaste, temperate, true, honestj devout, and benevolent. I am Uiere told that the means of intercourse betwixt Christ and a gracious soul, are faith and prayer; and that God communicates himself by his Spirit, word, and ordinances. It will be observed here, that I mention nothing about se- cret decrees^ imputed obedience^ tffeetual caUsi reprobation^ divine sovereignty, destroying human agena/y irresistible grace, and a catMogue of other terras that have no foun- dation whatever in scripture ; they are the manufacture of creeds; the former oidy is the pure, unadulterated word of God. Where am I told that God and his Son, at a divine council held in heaven, agreed that J«gus ^ V 170 Memoirs of THOU8AHDB OP HOLT, WOKTIir eALVIIilSTS. Christ should come into the world, and shed his blood for a limited number of the human race, called the Elect ? if God's decrees are secret, who revealed them to man ? I am told that Jesus €biiBt died- for me ; but io what part of the scripture am I totel that Jesus Christ obeyed for me, so as to dissolve the otdigatioo of my actual personal obe- dience ? If God wiUeth ntrt the death of a sinner, on whom am I to fix. tlie black mark of reprobation ? If grace ii^ irreppectivis i^'^d Resistible, how can I either be blamed for not; having it, or commended for the blessing? I am no enemy to any man that holds^ the above doctrines, or thinks it his duty to quote or preach from humaQ creeds; I have only taken the liberty of Elitiu-— " 1 also will show mine opinion." There are thousands of the C&l- vinists holy, useful> eminent meu) whcac 8hoe<*latchet I am not worUiy to unlcost^ But does it follow, because there are holy CalvinistSi that the Institutes of John Calvin, the opinions of the synod of Dort, the assemblies or Heidel- burgh catechisms are true ? I trow not. Let me be a bible christian ! Let me be a follower of the word of God ! Umts liber : a man of one book. <'''^'*** >«««»*«** ^ * As a part of my circuit lay upon the banks of the river St. John, I would here say a word or two on that noble ri- ver. St. Joim is among the second class of rivers in the world. It is more than four hundred miles long, extend- ing towards Lower Canada: two hundred and fifty miles above Fredericton are the Grand Falls, a cataract of ninety feet perpendicular ; for nearly one hui^red miles the river is i mile wide; on its banks are both fine tracks of upland and intervale ; it receives the tribute of H number of smaller rivere and noble lakes. The grand JOBHUJk JlABaDEN. 'ftl THE OOSrSIt HAS KB80U1TPE0 THftOITOH TBK WOODS OF AMERICA.! lake, OQ whose banks I have had maoj a precious sea* SOD, is nearly forty miles loi^. The wooda along the ri- ver are full of pine, sume of which are the largest in the woild; ateo, Hi^de, (^Muce, heidock, biscb, beach, ash, and white oak— ^h)!! the mapte-eap the settlers and In- diana make abundance of good sugar. This province is much splk and. intersected with rivers, some of the largest of which are the St. John, St Croix, (the boundary iine betwixt the United States and this part of British AnKri- ca,) the Kanabekesis^ the Pedioodiac,. and a number of others. The inhabitants are Uunly settled.-4here are no roads good for any thing— -the winters are dreadfuUy se^ vere, and the spring late and unpleasant, and sometimes the frost sets in so early as to injure the crops. Yet even here the lij^t of piety shines. These wastes have heard a voice. These woods have been vocal with the Redeem- er's praise. These solitary recesses of nature have been visited with the glad tidings of salvation. ^' , »■* ■Urn ^.•nif^x: '¥iiiBH*3J ■■:■ 't b.vt< '%f^ i.Xt.'^ Through vast America's continuous 1 roods, O'er mbuntaio!!. lakes, and pine-forn.M solitudes,' ' ' *■ Where mighty rivers unregarded flc k, ..^^ And lofty elms and quivering map'.es grow ; Where Aoe sarsonas, beautiful :;ad green, •*■■■• .'>•■■>■, Luxurious rise amidst the sylvan saene ; Where high the^ Alleghany Mountains tronn, ^" And wide Missouri rolls his waters brown ; , Where fh>m his lakes the sire of rivers pours,^ Or down his steeps the Niagara roars ; j,., ( The light of piety serenely glows, And makes the forest blossom as arose. ? i,f.(c?.f ;^ Full many a cottage in the deep recess, . < . Hail with delight the measengera of peace. -*"'-'• Vfc-n?- F^r oft beneath the gay aspiring trees, .. «. ^ ,. . , Whose rustling leaves ar6 music to the breeze, ^ '■>^ - The gospers soft and joyous strains are beard -, ^; ; j>a- The freak are 'stablish'd, and the drooping cheer'd. '^ The river Mississippi, so called by the lodiaos. i ?-■ V \: 172 MEMOIRS OF COLOHEL BATARD TRULY CONVERTED TO OOD. £»'. * ^- .^, The savage Indian bears the joyful talkf And buries deep the murderous toinabawl^. Savage no more.'; the renovating plan Moulds into love th' uncultivated man. AloDg the rivers, on the banks of the lakes, and inimu> red in the woods, are many who love the sound of the gospel, and delight in the ways of God ; their rural life hinders them from seeing many of the vanities of the world ; and the simple occupations of husbandry fill up and occupy their time. '^''^ipy^. ^m ^m^-^^m^i.. .^i^^m In the spring of the year I went to Nova Scotia, and ex- changed with brother James Mann for a few months, du- ring which time I laboured upon the Annapolis circuit with some pleasure, and I hope the day of judgment will manifest with some fruit. .-mi^mL^^m m^i Prior to my coming to Annapolis, Colonel Bayard, who had retired upon half-pay, and lived on his estate at Wil- mot, had experienced the power of religion. He had been a man of pleasure, gallantry, and dissipation; and as is usually the case with such an infidel in religion, (ha- ving many Baptists and Methodists in his neighbourhood,) he sometimes fell into conversation with them ; at length, at the request of Lawyer A. he was induced to read Mr. Wesley's sermons. Light darted in upon his benighted mind ; his conscience was deeply awakened ; be became a true penitent, manifesting, In a very particular manner, his compliance with Bishop Latimer's adage : Restitution or no remission. Though he moved in uio higher circles of life, he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ Af- ter some deep and genuine exerciset; of mind, the conso- lations of hope visited his soul--.a deep and universal change was apparent in all his conduct — the man of gal- JOSHUA MARSDBN. 173 SALVATION IS BT ORACE. laotry aod pleasure was seen a weeping peoiteat at the feet of mercy— the proud, dariug, high-miuded officer was traDsformed into a little child — the trophies of iaiidelitj were laid at the foot of the cross ; never did religion seem to gain a greater triumph. O grace, how great aLc< glo- rious are thy victories! It is thine to briug water out of the rock ! It is thine to humble the loftiness of man ! If the desert become a garden, or the lion a lamb, it is by thy power ! Thuu canst raise the serpent to a seraph) and the worm to an angel ! Is the mountain levelled, and the ab- ject valley exalted, it is thy plastic power that has per- formed the stupendous workt By thee the benighted mind of man is eolighteoed t if peace visit the distracted and awakened sinoer^s conicience, thou puttest the cup of coDsolatioo to bis lips 1 Precious truth ! " By grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should boast." It is all of grace! Grace in the foundation! Grace in the superstructure! Grace in the top-stone! This is the song of redeemed infants ! It is the song of young men in Israel ! It is the song of fathers in Christ ! Join it, O my soul ; sing the blessings of grace! 3ing the wonders of grace 1 Sing the triumphs of grace ! Sing, O sing to all eternity, the fountain of grace ! 1 he author of grace ! the Saviour! Hallelujah ! for llie Lord God omnipotent reigneth ! * >* Having received the Lord into his heart, he now wished to receive the servants of God into his house ; and accor- dingly the preachers, at his repeated request, made his house one of the stated preaching stations of the circuit. Hi» gay and high-life friends becaipe deeply oflended at . /i . ^ : • v.- 174 MEMOIRS OF BIOOTKT A STRONG TRAIT IN SOIliS CIiEROTMER. irhat they called bis meanness of spirit. The Bishop of Nova Scotia told him he could not come to see him as usual, be- cause he kept low company. The Governor rode past bis house without calling ; and my Lady Governess chose to be very witty at the idea that the Colonel had lost his senses. A certain Cleigyman, offended that God had made the Methodists the humble instruments of conveying his truth to this great man's mind, said, His religion was only the half-way-house to Atheism ; while others, more chari- tably prophesied, he would run raving mad. Kind read- er, observe^ while this man was wicked, an infidel, a man of pleasure, a swearing, profane, dashing officer, no fault was found with him by these reverend gentlemen ; the worthy Episcopus was not then above his company. But, alas ! he had bocome moral, religious, and regular, and witlial, was tainted with the deadly leaven of Meiho. dismt so that he was no longer fit company for pious cler- gymen. God forbid that a line of mine should ever un- derrate the character of a godly minister. , ,.v^,-, .- I venerate the man whose heart J9 Tvarm ; ■■ -j^ .^i Whose hands are pure ; whose doctrine, and whose life ■f'-^ii-^ Coincident, exhibit lucid proof . ^ *" ■■ That he is honest in the sacred cause. ■'^'^''^ *' «''""^'''^c' •» To such I render more than mere respect : - 4 . , jj ,•, i*" Whose actions s^y that they respect themselves. ■ Cowper. But when a minister is an enemy to all religion, except what flaws through the medium of canonical or high churcli episcopacy, I say, from such bigotry, narrow- ness, and pride, good Iiord deliver us ! Some of his I'ela- tions bevged of him for God's sake to think upon his military honours, and not tarnish his great family with such a low, drivelling thing as religion, alias Methodism. JOSHUA MAR80EN. 175 A DUIilTKBANCX FHOM A WATEBT OEAVE. The wittj said he kept three chaplaiof to praj for the jijood ai his soul ; and the wicked hated him, because, as a magistrate, he put the lavs io force agaiast swearing and sabbath-breakiDg. So fares it, O blessed Jesus, with thjr pure religion ! JNTot many mighty, not many rich, not many noble are called. A great man thinks it an honour to serve his king, bis country, or his friend; but weakness to serve God ; miserable infatuation ! when that which is our glory becomeij our shame; and that which should be our highest honour is lowest in our esti- mation. But yet there are some lofty in station possessed of lowly minds ; some raised lo opulence and grandeur who are nevertheless poor in spirit. •'•■* *- «-^ j^w^ - r^f^*. In the fall, as my dear partner was very unwell, I re- turned to St. John rather sooner than the appointed time, and found both her tvnd the little infant in afflicted and de- licate situations, from which they but slowly recovered. ', Here I would not omit to mention a providential deliverance ; coming through Annapolis Gut, a rough and dangerous place, the vessel suddenly jibed ; and as I was standing upon the quarter-deck, the boom knocked me overboard. The vessel was going about eight knots an hour. I had the presence of mind to catch hold of a rope, and by this means was saved. Bless the Lord, O my sou1> and all that is within me bless and magnify his holy name t In the spring I reciossed tht Bay of Fundy with my wife an .ittle one, and attended our little conference at Horton, from whence I went to Halifax to visit my wife's parents, and change with brother Black, who took ray appointment in St. John, h ' * *!^> « The following short letter, written to Doctor Coke, will 176 MEMOIRS OF ItKTTKK TO DOCTOE CQKK. •7t give fome informatfoD of the liUiatioo of my vi6w« tad nissioa at tliif period : EjAraet of a Utter /ram Mr, Joshua Martdeni to thi Rev. Dr. Coke, ^*^-- f ''Jr-^ BalifoK, Jmu 30, 1806. Dutiog the last irinter God hatli blfcsed me ntueh in my soul and labours. Twelve or tbirtdes were added to eur little societj m the city Saint Jobp gome of these found die peari of great price 6uf'm$ tbo winter «nd spring, and others are earnestly seeking »alvat1<«f«, Bkii- ed be God, I have been enabled to labour with nil my might, and hare found my heart swe«>lty fi»|';if e4 io the Lord's work. Many precious seasorw hnvt} I hiul during a cold and tedious winter. Our covooant meeting was one of the best I ever witnessed in all my life. The pow- er of the Lord was present in a very remarkable mtittnieT) and many hearts became like melting wax before the fire, At brother M*Coirs place (Schodock) a few were awak- ened and converted, and there was a geRerat qukkeoiog among the old professors. I am now at Halifax, Mipplyiog the place of brother Black for two or three monthf. Re^ ligion does not seem to flourliih much hem. Of late, how< ever, there is a bett^'v prospect than there bad been for some time : as the few that had separated are once more united to us, and I -: ^lieve thei; reuoioa will be attended with the hap;»ie8t el^-Jts. Dear Sir, although labouring in this cotttHry, duf ing the very severe and tedious winters, is trying and painful ; yet I have never repented engaging lo the ntiiiiofl. Tlie Lord hath been exceedingty good to me, as Uflworthy .TOftHVA MARSETSN. 177 CROBSINO T' E BAT— OLOWN ON OCR BEAM-ENDB. worm, io proportioniog 017 strength to my day, and I inuBt testify to the honour of his goodness, I have experi- enced the fulfilment of his premises in so remarkable a manner, that I should be the most ungrateful of men if I did not love, praise, and glorify him. If it shall appear at the day of judgment, that but one soul has been finally saved through my preaching, it will be a rich compensa- tion for all my toils in this cold, barren wilderness. But, blessed be God, I know that he hath plucked many brands out of the burning by means of ray unworthy laboars. I cannot, indeed, say that I have my quiver full of them : ray unfaithfulness has deprived me of that honour, as well as of many other blessings. O that I may be more zeal- ous and diligent for the time to come ! JOSHUA MARSDEN. After spending a profitable summer at Halifax, I return- ed in the fall by the way of Annapolis, stopping in our way to see our worthy friend Colonel Bayard, with whom we tarried about a week, and still found him full of faith, zeal, christian simplicity, and loving meekness. Crossing from Annapolis to New-Brunswick in the Digby packet, we met a violent squall, which blew the vessel upon her beam-ends, and brought her mainsail down into the water. The sea poured down the cabin-door like a torrent : the women in the cabin were greatly terrified ; my mind was kept in peace; and in a little while, the squall being over, she righted, and we arrived safely among our old friends, and to our old habitation in St. John. For some time my mind had been deeply pained at the little growth of the society in the city-*but this fall, at a day set ajisrt for \ r- im MEMOIRS OF A REVIVAL or RELIGION Iff 8T. JOHN fasting and prayer, the Lord gave us a tokeo tor good ; and in the following winter made bare his holy arm in a most singular and blessed manner. I had gone, as usual, to visit that part of tny circuit that lay up the river St. John, leaving the society iq charge of the leaders, and urother M'Leod, a worthy lo- cal preacher. They t.ppointed a watch-night, at which some special tokens of the divine power and presence were manifested. In a little while several children were afiected with a lively concern for the salvation of their souls. A few young people, of both sexes, got under awakenings. At this time I arrived from the river, and found the town almost in an uproar; some wondering whereunto this would grow ; sonie condemning the whole as enthusiasm and delusioq ; and others requesting that I would put a stop to the dangerous wildfire that still spread in every direction. There were irregularities, it is true, but who ever saw a gcfiuine revival of religion without them ? They may come under the following heads: 1. The opposition of the wicked and mere moralists : These first create disturb- ance, and then lay it at the door of the work of God. 2. The untcmpered zeal of some warm spirits, that would condemn and anathematize all who do not immediately ^ee through their eyes : They have no patience with the wicked, and fall upon them with as little mercy as Sampson showed the Philistines. 3. The subjects of the work themselves : some prayinfr» others shouting, some weeping, others re- joicing, a number praying at one time ; shouting, praying, sino;ir)g, weeping, exhorting, all blended together, certainly presents a strong resemblance of confusiion. But the point JOSHUA UARSDEN. 17^ BOW THE GRACIOUS WORK BSOAK. ig, are God's thottghts upoa these things as our thoughts ? Upon the whole, I believe there have been few revivals of pure religion with less irregularity. A Icttev I wrote at the time vill givf as true and sample a copy of the work as I cou.ddr^w; ftud I wiU.therefi^re present iltojhe reader. '^^^'^'■iy^-i^»'>y^iSfh.^(»fi.s4-^iU t'3«- V| --l^, PROM MU. JOSHUA MARSDEN TO MR. BKNSON. - '' ' Otif St. Johrif New-Brunswick, Marca 25, 1807. '••'■•W^ *-4'i "" DEAR da, .;.■■.. /'l. '■ -^"■,;"v'" I am happy that it is in my power to send you a plea- sing account of the work of God in this formerly barren part of the universe. For some time religion was at a stand in this and the neighbouring province. It is true, a few now and then were added to the people of God, to supply the places of those who emigrated to other parts ; but no particular revival of true piety bad taken place in this country till this winter. About a month ago, the Lord began to pour out his Holy Spirit upon us in a re- markable manner, shaking the kingdom of darkness in many hearts, so that alarm and distrrss became visible in the faces of numbers, and a cry was heard, What shall I do to be saved? This blessed work is still continued, and prevails chiefly among young people ol both sexes, though a few more advanced in years have been brought into deep distress, and now enjoy glorious gospd liberty. Some stout-hearted sinners have been awakened, und a number of little children, both boys and girls, have been evidently changed by the po>ver of the Holy Ghost. About seven- ty persons have joined the society, and perhaps there are mot fewer than thirty more linger slight awakenings, or 1«0 MEMOIRS OF ■'"- UATAH'I KMII8ARIEB TUT TO HINDCII. deep convict ns. Curiosity, or similar motives, bring many to the i xetii^, when either the cries of a; ' distres- sed, or the exhortations of such as have iately found peace vrilh God, touch their hearts ; and frequently, from gazing and mocking, they are brought to solemnity and grief. Some who have come with the professed design of ridiculing this work of God, have been struck down, and constrained to ciy for mercy and salvation in the most heart-piercing manner. A few have been set at liberty un- der the word, yet the work has been chiefly carried on in prayer-meetings, to which numbers resort, and will not go away till a very late hour. Early this morning, two young men came to my house, and no sooner had I open- ed the door than they both fell upon their knees, begging earnestly that X would pray for them ; I commended their case to the Lord in prayer, and then exhorted and encou- raged them ic> look to Jesus for a present salvation. One was m\ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) *' A ^. 1.0 I.I 11.25 lAaiM 12.5 Hf li£ 112.0 WUl- U ill 1.6 V] /J ^'-■^ ■V '^ /. Photographic Sciences Corporation \ ■^\ <^ [V c^ '^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBSTeR.N.Y. US80 (716) 872-4503 -V^tf iK»2 '"'-'Sk Idniciiiai d^ i££ WHAT tMOTlMa A' WOtK OJ OOD CAUSES. Si- few days, cab alto [^ffllfiie a^ 8ili-pfiFddrdag''i}bd; Most that f have d<:^ely exatfiinfed; f^ a' pretty cteitt abccmot of beiog ciit tb^ the heait fbt ttid ; ftsel thftnkfaltftis^ that thiey are not in h^II ; seig Uieilr need of a Satibuf, aad are coDviheed tbfef oAilstldad a' new life or be iMt Hietice thisry are led t6 iiliplore forglvenett throti^ thh Redeem- er*8 blood, and grn^^e to help tb^ih OQiheity^Af tb K^ven. What makes this appear the mbre ridgalar td sotnti well- minded pfeopte, is the order atid stillriess whlcli^ Were ob- served ij^ the meetings prior to this period: 'B^ttcc some Who once thought well of us, now take the ahdm ttt wha^ they think enthUSiasnk. A revival of rel^totf is like Ithn^ riel^s spear: it niakes persons assutii'e their prd^ier shape Knd character, and shdWis the carnal mtnd in its natite and undisguised eoieurS. Our meetings are beeome the com- mon topic of conversation. Some wonder, some mock, some acknowledge the power of God; and' severail, not in society, defend the cause to the utmost of their power. But as yet none of the Rulers Udve hetievedon him* The giood that is done is chiefly i^ong the poor and middling classes of people. Since this quickening began, there has been a continual cry for books, especially hymn-books. It would be a work of mercy indeec^ if some of our rich friends at home would send us two or three hundred pamphlets i^nd little hymn books. lit pains mo to the heart that I have not books to distribute among the young converts, as many of them will be in danger from seducing spintii and that doc» trlde of devils, Jntinomianismi I have sometimes feared ^iat'tbe woritof God among the Methodists would come ;«*- #08litrA utAwnitJK. Mis ae -fmU A KX«t7B8T TC KSETVIIIT HOMfe. mmai^^l^mm t^iiblhing iti'tlifar pittvioe^ Itf ii# I am ^ayandaDtly ci* eooNiged'; v/iy heiBlrf dimcer when'f see the youngs eoo^ yierts crtiwdlog td^themecitfbgi^ orirheal bear chedn de- elai« tlieir'etperienee in fhfr things of God, in a manner ivhidi ircHlKiff^ clear, simple, and aflfecthig;^ TBfe lltOe town coritliinr about two thousand inteibitantB. ^here h a neitt BoglSsH church in itv besides our HttlV chapel, which is* old; ruinous^, and' inconvenient : and at die most; it wilinot hold dbtrte four hundred' and fifty' people. Because of the War and other thtngs our Mends: have hitherto been too poor to bliild' a laiiger. But if the^ liord eontlMie' to carry on his wOrk among u% I trust we sbaiisee a conlfortable house ei-ected, and ibe oM, itdnous' one phUed down. I have now been seven years id this country, and if con^ sistent with my duty, would wishi in about twelve moothsi to return home; not that I am tired of a missionary life: no, blessed be 6t)d, f am determined to spend my strength and my all in the cause of Jesus ; but my healtii has suffered, and does suffer daily. The extremely cold winters affect ihy breast in a very painful manner, and render me some- times quite unable to undergo the toils of my mission; yet, by the blessing ■■«fe A MINISTBR ALITI TO OOD WIBb NOT FIXL BIS WORK IRKBOME. faithful, steftdy niemben during my coutinuaDGe id the city. During the ensuing summer, I set myself to mske col- lieiStioDs for a new chapel, as the place was too strait for III, and made a tour through the other province for this purpose. This was a laborious time. I collected money, worked at the building with my own hands, and performed aH the other duties of my mission ; preaching four or five tiroes every week; holding prayer-meetings, meeting class- es, and various other duties. But I am persuaded, that a minister's work will never be a drudgery, while he has the spirit of his office, and possesses a single eye to the glory of God. » Having^ now. laboured in Nova Scotia and New Bruns- wick nearly eight years; travdled many thousand miles, qoth in rain, firost, and snow, from one end of the peninsu- la to the other; from Annapolis to the gulfof St Lawrence, and from the Bay of Fundy to. Halifax, After having been stationed at the following places ; Cumberland and Westmoreland, Halifax, St. John, Annapolis, Liverpool, I requested to return to £ngland ; and in the fall of 1 807, I received the following answer to my letter, from the Bev. Joseph Benson, requesting me to go and spend a lit- tle while, and try to establisli a mission in Bermuda, New Chapeti City Rood; Ijandan, Oct, 6tft, 1807. JMY DEAR BROTHER. I was much obliged by your letter of March 25th last, especially as it contained so pleasing on account of the work of God in the city St. John. I judged your letter W' '■''\l' 'i:Tf'f?V^ JfOgHVA MAR8DKN. 187 aas THE AIT. HI. BBII80V*8 bCTTIR. flo important) that I immediately caused it to be inserted in the Magazine for July, which we were then printing. Since tlien we have had similar accounts of an eztraordi* nary revival at Liverpool^ and some other parts of Nova Scotia. These are published also in our Magazine for this month, (October,) and I doubt not, will be highly pleasing to all that are concerned for the progress of the gospel. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have been so long comparatively barren, being overrun with Antinomi- anism, and other destructive errors, that this remarkable awakening is as welcome and consoling as it is unexpected, and must greatly encourage the subscribers to the Missions, .as, I am persuaded, it does the missionaries themselves. I hope great prudence and care will be used in watching over the ^ouls t^at |iave been gained, as well as every proper effort to extend the work still further. And, I trust, if the missionaries in these parts be zealous, active, «9d diligent, at the same time that they are humble, meek, and devoted to God, the Lord will show that this is but the dawn of a glorious day in that remote part of the British empire. :i. I can easily believe you, my brother, when you speak of the hardships you have endured, and that the extreme cold winters have affected your breast I am sure the life of a missionary, as you observe, must be very difficult and daogerousi in such a climate as Nova Scotia ; but, the Lord has already amply recompensed you^ by giving you to see such bl<*88ed fruit of your labours $ and will re- compense you (nuch more at the resurrection of the just.— The Conference would wjllingly have consented to your coming home next year, but as you signified that you w^re ■i ■ rmMMOULBOt ■eBBSB: Rsaa •wtUloiif to;«pcDd.M>iBe tine At Bennuda ; lui ypu nilL i^ bj tbe>lllii(mtfli they have apiiointed you to tbat I«||a^ JSvr tjie ^pi«geit; 'IwUieviDg tliatit !• a vciy I&el7.t4^ ^tMatioo ef jii»ur beaiftb, AQdrihUt yen ^ill be veiy uiel'ul 4KTe in tlie'Lonfo fvimymiA* AAxfipti^tjoimAryMinM we Mv«^hiid Iroai tlfere, inaDy. of the IcdiabHuits iuiYe it .great dstkeM liear the word^ 'tod (lier&lii -a; gnat; opeuisg 'Sjet-offas soonvna you possibly can, and flr«kw on itifv Irote t|me to tbite ibt Vhat you want, M the Rev. Robert Lomas's, New^ Chaftel^ CitjEosid, Xjooddo. If I can; get anotber copy,** for the printer is about dlhi •♦',;*■ M?^ «. I J08BUA MAHSSS^. (.BTTBK SSbAVnrS TO TBB ■KRVODA MISBIOir. work, I will write to brottier Black, to whom I beg 1117 loTCf M well as to all the other preachos. Ood blev joi^ I am, Ter]r dear brother! — Toon, affiectioDately and faitbfiilly, THOMAS COKE. P. S. The ship is expected to sail earlj to-morrow, and it is oow nine at night. Extract cf a LetUr fnum Mr^Joshua Marsdatf to tht Rev, Dr. Coke. C»j 8t John. New-Bruanriek, Nov. 18, IIOT Ret. AMD DEAR Sib, TovB letter, and one from the misslbnaiy committee; came to hand yesterday, in consequence of which I have begun to arrange my aflbirs, and get all things m readiness for my removal to Bermuda. I|ad your letter come U^ hand eight weeks ago, I might now have been in Kew- Tork, on my way { but as the season is far advanced, I may probably meet with some impediments. However, I ihall, by the blessing of Ood, do my endeavour to get thither as speedily as possible. When I thf k of the for- lorn condition of the BermudianS) my heart Ipogfc to be with them, to preach the precious gospel of my Lord and Master in that Island. O that the God of Abraham may lend me good speed, and prepare the people for the re^ ceptkm of hia dear Son's gospel, and that you may have cause to rejoice in the happy, issue of your exertions to supply Bermuda with a missionary. I have written to request Mr. Black to send Mr. Bennet to St. John, and also to consult him respecting the best method of fiiUilliog your requeiti and getting as soon as possible to the place r'*- 110 HBICOIBS OV LirT NOTA NOriA WIT! aAKAT KIOMBT. ^fmj appolotiiMoU I ■hall write to yom ag«iii» perfaapi, »t JSTtw York, or, At kut, oi mod m I arrivo tX Bemn- di» MeaowhUe, 1 thould be glad if you woiMd be to good at to write to Bermudm and Jet the finendf there know that a preacher if on bis waj to them. With regard to thii city, the work jt not lo Uv^y as it .: iraf io tho ipring. Indeed I have been called away fton ibeqDi much thia aummer, both up the river and likewise lo the head of the Bi^ of Fundy. By the hleMiog of God, however, moat of ihoie that were awakened lact March, ataod firm aa a rock, and wrik humbly aod closely ."With Ood. The people are much grieved and discouraged pt. my leaving then, but I hope brother Beonet, who is much boloved here^ will movf than supply my place. | sequeit an iotereat in your prayera for myself and for the , Lord's l)leMhig upon my mission. liiy desire is to die ta all things, and to live only to the gtory of Jehovah Jesus. Your joumala have, of late beeu a great comfort and spur to my mind. May the good Lord quicken me a thousand fold more, and make a poor worm useful in his vineyard. I am. Sir, -M^U Tour unworthy son in the Gospel, #< ^ JOSHUA MARSDBIf. "51 V I would dlierve, that while in Nova Scotia, I had re- .^ved so maigr tokens of the unfeigned kindness of the people, that I could oot but leave ii with deep regret I WQiild particularly observe, that in Westmoreland.circuit, T received many kindnesses from Mr. William Truemsa and family, in whose house I had the severe afflictioo mentioned above; where I was nursed by sister Truemap JOBItVA. MARtDtN. Id2 s«sa rilCRDS Wao-TUAtCD Ml WIT! llltOVLAB CIHDNMI. asiB with th« tenderneM of a mother. In the same couotj Mr. Wt]kt John and WilHam Faucet, Mr. Keaeh, Sqtt Whkrbas itiseoneelTed^xtreiBely essential for the due presefYstion of.dr- der and good government, as also for the better maintenance and support of the religious principles of tlie community of these idsnds, to excloAs all petsons pretending, or having pretended Ur be ministers of the gospel* or mistionarlea fh>m any religious society whi^ver, and not regularly invested%itb holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the church of England, or thec^ntohpf Scotland, from propagating any doctrine upon the gospeT or othenrise; Wb, therefore, your Majesty's nxx.t dutiful and loyal subject^ the General Assembly of these, your'Mi^e«ly*s Bermuda or Somers Islands, in America, do most hj^mi- |»ly beseech your Mijdsty thet it may be enacted. And be it eneeted by ^our MtOesty's Oovernpr, Council, and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted m\ or- dained by the authority of the same, that no pi>rson whatever, pretending, or having pretended to be a minister of the gospel, or mi8sioo»ry .from any rili- giouB society, and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the church of England, or the church of Scotland, shall be allowed to preach or propagate'tn tl»|8e island any doetHne_ upon the gospel, by writing or printing, or byspetking to, teaching, or in any wise lecturing or ex- horting any public or colleeted audietue whatever; and that any person who shall violate or aiet repugnant to this law, by preaching, or prt^agating, writing, or printing, or by spealcing to, teaclking, or in any wise lecturing or exhorting any j ublic or collected audience whatever u aforesaid, shall be suttJeetluid liable to a fine of fifty pounds, and to be imprisoned for tbe space of six montks, with* out bail or mainprise. , 1 And be it further enacted and 'ordrined by the authority aforeaald, ^hat any person or perscms admitting, or allowing into his, her, or their house or dwelling any person pretending, or having pretended to be a minister dMhe gospel or roissiottary from any religious aoeiety whatever, and not invested with holy o^ ders, according to the ritesand ceremonies aforesaid, for the purpose of preach- ing or propa^ting any dOctrine upon the gospti, by writing or printing, or by speaking to, teaching, or in any wise lecturing, or exhorting as afweac!^ any public or colleeted audience whatever, shall be subject and liable to a fineof fifty pounA, and au imprisonment of six months, withoutbail or mainprise. Passed the Assembly this a&th day of April, 1800, and ordered to be laid before the council for eobcuhrence. *' ^^. JAMES TUCKSB, j^peotff^. Concurred to by tbe Council this a3d day of May, liBOO. ^ <;• HCNRT TUCKER, Pnttiim^ , Assented to this 24tb day of May, 180(L M •r GEORGE BKCKWITH. JOSHVA UAAiDmm. \Q& 9SIZ: ME. STBVHUrsON COXMITTBD TO PRItOff. =eB mit of such a coropoBitioD. Samnves, the good man found that a prisoD for the cause of Christ was no luch intole- rable thkt^— 4he Lord abuodantlj fiiUUjied that beatitude, Blessed are they who «re persecuted for righteousness' sake. - • > It s^ppears^ firom several of his letters that I have in my possession, that the consolations of the Holy Si^rit were most copious during the time of his incarceration. When the special court sat, his trial came on, and though the lawyer he employed (Mr. Esten, the present chief-justice of Bermuda,) made a most able speech on the liberty of conscience and tole^^ation, yet the Juiy were requested by the chief-justice to bring him in guilty ; and guilty they |ironounced. Doubtless the worthy Judge had pr^judica- ted his case. Hence no mercy would be shown such a he^lous offender. .-$■ And !■ tb«ra now, io tbese illumined dayi^ When freedom, reason, truth, imd science blaze ? Is there aapark of that Mtuie seal, That pU*d the fag)sot, and eontriv'd the wheel? . Does Julian live ? Does fierce DOmitian reign t Or savage Mary blot a throne again t - 4V f V- The good man had now as a reward for coming four thousand miles by sea, (he went by New-Tork,) and bis ^ various labours in this hot climate, the consolation .of a small room in a prison, where his mercyul Judges appoint- ed him a six-months residence; but he rejoiced in the Lord, and often made the prison vocal with his praises, while, no doubt, his persecutors trembled at the gloomy prospect of a judgment to come. As he had opportunity, he exhorted and preached to the poor black people through the grates of his prison. But, verily there is a God that reigneth on '•'m IfEMOnS OF WICKED Mar ortSK BnjrnucD to op»»M8 tbk sfoatsoos. .ii, earth. lo mit inme prison was the speaker of the lunise of assemfoly confined ; tliat same house of assembly (wiili the difference of one or two, members,) that made the exe- crable law to iinprlwn Mr. Stepfienson. jBut to cobcUide, at the end of six months the good man had to pay his fine of fifty pounds, or remain in jail as much lonjger.afi they pleased. However, in tb^ a number of worUiy friends assisted him ; but theprison-niartyr was no sooner emancL bated than he had to leave t)ie island, as the detestai^le statute was still in force. Thus, before a society wasior- med, before the divine seed had b^n to spring, was this infant mission nipped in the bud. Truly, Cod hath hi^ way in the whirlwind, and his path in the mi(|^ty wa^teis ; and yet, though clouds and darkness are round about himj judgment and justice are the^ habitations of his throne. "?it» .f^}^-,-%fptt.. hAii^^^i- ■ «ih 4 f >* ■ .'M,'- m If baugbtjr ^enmso^uei oppress th9 juptK^,, . ^nd tntmple innocence beneath the diiat; '* If fiery bigots pcffsecute and rail, . ; >; ^ nd then consign the good man to a jail, Make might a law, to gratify their spleen.; Slf? ig^ t'^^^ Then talk of justice, yillany to scrieen. ^^ Through every maze of thts intricate <)lan)^ * Tliere is a God that marks the ways of man. *Tis he permits the iricked man to sway, ' The weak to stnigiele, and the poor obey. But though thick clouds and darkness vail his throDe, , ' As mista obscure tiie beauty of the sun, > i^W He will arise with vengeance, and redress, Who suffer for the cause of rightebusaess. ■mi^Mm 'ita ■■>x.^ Pious plans may fail, but the people of God shallnot lose their glorious reward. Such hindrances arc, it ia true, trials to the faith and patience of the righteous, an J means of filling up the measure of wickedness to the un- godly, r-- • ■' ■-' '•'■'■'■ •;^^^ - " ■# -' ""• ^ ^:t :-■: 7'- leiBffk KAKSOEK. 197 Mr r»sT AUTiAt Am) tiba^mbht at ibuidoa. Thi% remained 10 this state several yean, from 1800 Ull 1808; several missionaries had been appointed in the mean time, but none chose to venture : indeed it is not so pleasiog a matter to flesh and blood, for a man to throw himself into (he very jaws of a jail Few of us now-a-days are like Daniel willing to go kto the lions* den : we all glad« ly 8&y» I pray thee, have me excused. On a lofty mountain at a distaiice, we may contemplate a stormy ocean with spme degree of serenity; but to be amoi^ the foaming billowy in an agitated little bark. Ah, there's the rub. When I first received the letter that contained My ap- pointment, it was, as Solomon says, ISte vinegar to my teeth, and smoke to my eyes; however, by the blessing of Crod, I resolved to go. On my arrival in St. Geoige, I was a stranger in i£ strange land ; for, upon inquiry, I found th^re were neither fociety nor friends in the Island. Some persons caflne on board, who, understanding my mission, looked shy, and whispering, told the captain that I should not be allowed to stay in tlie place : nay, the very day on which I arri- ved, the vestiy of the church was called together, to con- sult how they might either contrive to send me back^ or prevent my preacMog on the Island. The honest captain^ who frequently went on shore, finding how things were going forward, told me that I should not stay, that he would give me my passage to the Bahama Islands, and back to Nova Scotia , adding, in his honest but blunt man- ner, ** Thof arp not werthy efa minister ; let them die in their sins^* My mind was sorely eJEcrcised with my situation: my wife and child on board the vessel ; she far advanced IQt MIXOIRI OV ■CKIPTOIB TBK ■MT t>rO«B IM DirPlCVbTtCI. 10 her prepuiDcj; no doI could not MfeMo from bursting into tea w—biit- I had ft wife, a child, whose situation ma^e my grief at least a pardonable weakness. Never was a passage more applicable than those words : «* Let him that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord> and stay himself upon bis Ood." But the passage that seemed to come with most weight, was the 42d chapter of Jeremiah, from the tenth to the sixteenth verse : ** If ye will abide 10 this land# then wHl I build you, ana not pull you down ; I will plant you, and not pluck you up ; be not afraid of the king of Babybn, of whom you are afraid ; be not afraid of him, saith the Iiord, for I am with you to save 70U, and to deliver you from his hand; and I will show mercies upon you that he may have mercy upon your and CUpe you to return to your own land. But if ye say we •./^■■..A.. JOStlUA liASBIiEN. 199 i-^i^-mi. ncLT nMwiLLino to oite or tbi masion. will ool dwell in tiiis land, nMther abey the voice of the Lord year God, njitig, no; biit we will go into the land ai Egypt, where we shall flee no war, nor hear the sound of a tnimpc^ nor have hunger of bread, and there will we dwett; then It shall come ta pass, that the vWoid that ye feared shall overtake you, iind there ye shall die.'' Seve- nl other matters concurring, at the same time, made me fearfiil of giving up the attempt without sufficient trial. I recoHected that others had been discouraged and gave it u|t. I knew that Doctor Coke and the committee had set them- selves to get a mission established on these islands, and Hiat the many prayera I had offered to Clod could not 1^ at water spiUed upon the ground. A letter 1 wrote to Mr. Benson at this time, will more fully explain my situatiob on entering'on ^is new mWoni ^ ^ ^ " * * '}^*.yl•.■J>^*Ui'**H rJT ^Qeorgi^ BiTfttuda, June 7, 1S08«||^ ' As you requested me, in your last, to write from Ber- muda, I now, with pleasure, comply with your desifb. My appointment came to -hand last fall, just as I was going up .the river St. Johoi to visit that part of my eiftenslve circuit : but as the winter was setting in, and there Was nd prospect of a passage, my way seemed blocked up till the spring, at which time I expected to sail in the fint vessttl for New-York, and leave my dear partner with her friends^ till such time as I got a settlement in Bermuda t<> send for her. Meanwhile, the mission appeared to be s6 weighty and important an undertidLing, on account of the tf 4C- -* V 200 MEMOllllk 6m LBTTBK MI.ATIVB TO MT riBIT ABBITAb. ["*> t:.. m m penccutiog spirit of the peo[de, that we set spart a day of fasting and prajer every week^ in order to obtain the di- vine blessing and protection. In the month of December, fresh troubles and obstacles started up in the rumour of a irar with the United States of America. St, John, my circuit, bdog so near the American lines, and supported chiefly by trade with the States, was thrown into the ut^ most consteinatioo, especially as there were not wanting people to magnify every little report, and ^ork upon the /ears of the inhabitants. - -- V I continued to get ready, and waited in suspease till the beginning of April, when a vessel happened to sail for the Bahamas, the charterer of which, for the sum of thirt;^ pounds, agreed to land me in Bermuda. We had a most affectionate and reluctant parting with our friends; for I had laboured in Kova Scotia and New-Brunswick nearly eight years, during which time I had contracted many friendships, received many kindnesses, held many precious meetings, and had the unspeakable satisfaction of seeing the work of €rod revive through several parts of both pro- vinces. The captain and mate were remarkably kind. We had prayers night and morning, and on the sabbath I read your sermons on the second coming of Christ For the first nine days the weather was fine, and sailing de- lightful, as we were leaving a cold, and hastening to a warm climate ; but for five days following we had very severe gales, and one most tremendous squall of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. This called loudly for the exercise of faith, and, blessed be God, my strength was equal to the trial. I found I could take hold on the pro- mise and rest 00 the truth and faitlifulneis of Jehovah^ im' '^^M , -ivi V-' i' ,. V.i J^MilrA MAUDSN. ■finfe DirricobTiB* WISH i arkitxd at iesmuda. Tbat fajmo vas iBtde a gnat blening to my soul, >* Coid^^ mit thou all tbjr gnefe aod waya ioto hie Itaods,** &c» After numiag down the latitude of the ialaiDd, we had an- other se^omilUficiilty, thai of Dot koowlog whether we^ were to Ibe eait or west of the iibiDd, and not deriog t»,, niB in iQ the nie^t on the aocount of the rocks and shelyev with which it is surrounded to a. considerable distance^ HfWever, we eontioued standing to the eastward in the^,;^ da^FV; and lay to in the idght, till happily we made the is|^^ and on the side least rocky ; and in the momiog a pilot came out and carried us safely into the harbour of St. O«0rs«. ^et a single person did I know in the town, yet, trust- ing in God, I went on shore, and delivered a letter of in« traduetiop (giTen me by n^y dear «nd respected friend. Colonel B*of I^ova Scotia,) to the Governor, who w]sbe<|g me to wait upon him in the morning, during which time h6^ would consider the business. Meanwhile, I gave fou?.^, dollars for a boat to carry me to Mr. Pallass^s, the only^^ Methodist in the island. I got safe to^^ Hamilton in abou||, three bour^ and found a sickly old man, worn with afliic- tidp and harassed with persecution. The good man gave^it me a largeif^&il of ^^^ various trials and oppositiops he had met with, and informed me, that the few peopl^ ga- thered under Mr. Stephenson's ministry had mostly fallen off, and that religion was in a most deplorable state in tli^.^. island. You may be sure this information did not raisih^ my spirits, and I returned to St. George^ with a hea\^«;>, he^rt and gloomy prospects, there being not a single per- son in the whole town to befriend, , advise, or assist mei,^ ■•? my ■i*V ?'Ar il:'f^ ijmm 8S#9wd t^i-vupel, and^jwyj^^ ?. 1IBMOIJ0 OF rsafc! KBaVBtTBD turn •OTSaiMA ■ ; HamiltoD to tbe westward, Castle-Harbour to the south* ward, and a Roadstead for men of war aod large ships, to the northward. Hamilton and Salt-Kettle are two Tilla- ges. St. George^ is the ool^ town. It cootaini about two thousand people, blacks and whites; but there' are no pla- ces of worship, or public buildings^ Sf we except a small, ill-constructed church. Dissenters there are none. Alas ! tjbey appear to be all of one way' of thinking, and chiefly belong to the synagogue of Satan. The pretended pre- judice against Dissenters is a foolish idea that they render the blacks disaffected; but the real objection is, the bless- ed strictness of our doctrine, which militates so much Against prevailing and tolerated vice. .One great natural defect of this island, is want of water. As there are no springs but what are brackish, water is very scarce, which, in so warm a climate as this^ is a painful circumstance. Rain-water, which is the only kind fit to drink, is sometimes nine-pence a pail. They hare i common sayii^'here, <* No rain, no drink ; do fish, ;io din- ner.** The other water is very pernicious, and apt to bring on the dysentery, which is a disorder very common here. Fresh meat they have little or none, unless it be a puss whale now and then, which is esteemed a delicacy, and sold for a quarter of a dollar a pound. I ate som6 the other day equal to the best beef I ever tasted. Qoati are very common, they supply the inhabitants with milk, and ^eed among the rocks. They have very few horned cattle, and those very miserable, owing to the want of wa- ter and pasturage. Beef, mutton, and veal, are two shil- lings and sit pence per pound; but to supply this dcfact, the islands abound with delicious fish, singularly beautifiil s 2 20d MEMOIRS or raoPUCTiONit or ■■mmcda. both in colour and conformation. Yet even tbeie are not cheap. Fruit is plentiful in the season. Fine lemons, oranges, and limes, grow wild in the wood?, Fi^ anil ponicgranatesi, are also common. The principal trees are the cedar, the palmetto, the tamarind, 'and the banana. The island produces cassavi and arrow-root, wbkh is a most delicate ingredient in puddings. Sweet potatoes and onions are common. Indeed, all the esculents, common t- an Eoglish garden, roaj be raised here. No grain k ^rti- duced on the island, except a little barley. Althcagh iiit climate is fayourable to the growth of sugar^or ' '. . /ams, cotton, indian com, and oats, yet, rather than procur^ bread by the sweat of their brows, they have recourse to li thousand shifts to support a life of squalid poverty and dishonourable sloth. Centipedes, lizards, and moai tropi- cal insects are very common ; but I have not heard any Bingiog-birds on the islands, though there are some birds ■ff the most ricJj and crimson plumage I ever saw. "> The populaticia of the island is estimated at ten thou* sand, most of whom are slaves or free people of colour. The blacks live together without marriage, and I have heard that polygamy is very common. They have little trade, as they have neither manufactures nor produce to export A few sloops, however, sail with onions every year to different WesMndia Is' ' If ind many of ifiie in- habitants spend their summers * % sland, '^ of the Bahamas, in making salt. A lew are employed in build- ing cutters for the king's service, but their cedars are too small for ships of any magnitude. The men of war on the Halifax statiisn, usually winter here, which makes a little 4^affic m the sale of prises, and prize-goods^ which, witii I ^ ; # JOBHVA MAKtDEN. 207 MllSIOIf TO ■BBMiDA BXrBMtilTI AT rik.-.1. a few imports trom £a||;laad, and oow aod then a bIoo^ from the West-ln^i'e*, is th^ whole of their trade. I should iiot omit to meiitioii that from the leaTes of the pat metto-tree they make lloe hats for exportation. My proepect of doing food is much brighter than on my first arrival: my soul feels refreshing seasons, aud now and then, a few respectable white people drop io to hear what the Granger has to say. I have given away about an hundred little pamphlets* which tlie people seem to read with avidity, and, by the blessing of God, I ex- pect pure religion will be established in St George*s, and through the islands. Yet, for a little while the misaiou will be expensive, every thing is so high and house-rent so dear. Were I a single man, the mission would be much less expensive, and io its present state, it is much more suita^ ble for a single than a married preacher; I would there- fore request, that a single missionary may be gent as soon as possible, by which time I hope to get a foundation laid, and something begun towards an establishment. I live upon as saving a plan as possible, and yet I am sure not less than 1502. sterling annually will be necessary, which, for a while, at least, must be supplied from home. I have not received a dollar since I came on the island, and have been at some expense to fit up my room for preaching ; as yet I have not been molested while preaching in either town or country, and I hope I shall not ; however 1 leave that to the Lord. My love to all the committee and preachers. I am, dear Sir, j i^n Your affeotionate friend, and obliged servant, JOSHUA MABSDEN. , ^ fl-* . -r* . • Rt*. yr^ .i# .%^^ S08 \ '^' MEXOins OF RSLioion BceiRNiNai. ♦ :.- My fitBt congregatioQ amounted to about a dozen per* ions, includiog the captain, the nipercargo of the vessel, and his lady; the rest were chiefly black and coloured persons. However, I was not discouraged ; I knew the Lord did not despise the day of small things; I knew that the noblest institutions frequently arose from little beginnings, and faith and patience opened a prospect be- fore me of better times. Here I would caution young men that go upon new missions not to be cast down, if they do not at once meet with rapid success and great couute- ■ance ; for as the stars of an evening sky do not appear all At once, but one after another, so will Providence, step by step, open the way,' and illume the darkness, till the whole hemisphere is spangled with light. Our blessed Xord had but a few followers for several years. The Apostles, iu some places, had only solitary individuals ; perhaps, a fe# women, as in the case of Lydia. Religion, in most pla- ces, at the beginning, is like a grain of mustard-seed, which, in time, spreads its branches and furnishes the birds a refuge, and the beasts a shade. Thus the chris^ tian religion consisted at first of a few poor fishermen and mechanics. The reformation sprung from a solitary monk and a few of his companions. The church of Scotland arose from the insulated labours of John Knox. The Ctuakers arose from George Fox, William Penn, and a few others. The Methodists, who are now four hundred thousand strong, eighty years ago consisted of no more than some six or eight young men in one of the colleges of Oxford; -vf^ The state of things at Bermuda when I arrived, was nearly as follows :— St. George one church, no dissenters ; •ne sermoD every labbath, that is, if the incumbent chose ; ' JOSHIJA MARSDEN. 209 SLAVERT THE BAUB OT WORABITT. the rector or niioister a sot, a gambler, a blasphemer, a spendthrift — who, though a single man, with perhaps 300/. sterling a year, was at last obliged to By from the island for debt ; they had no meetings of any kind ; no profess- ors of religion, save a poor, lame black woman, of the name of Hannah, and three young men, who were blindly following a God unknown. These had been brought to some degree of seriousness by means of a Mr. S. a San- ^^hninian Baptist, then in England. The number of in- habitants in St. George is about 2500, about 150 of whom went to church : the rest, what did they do ? and of what religion were they? Alas, pleasure seemed their pursuit; money their god, and blindness to futurity their only refuge. Ah ! my reader, if you would inquire for true religion, never go to the British Insular Colonies! Never go to the southern states of America ; they are pol- luted with slavery, and slavery is the most demoralizing thing under the sun. It is the parent of oppression, the nurse of sloth and guilty passions. It is the bane of man, and the abomination of God. Where slavery reigns the human being is made a beast of burthen, or the slave of lust. The poor, half-famished negro, trembles at a ty- rant's nod, and loses every good quality in the servility of a drudge, or the wickedness of a prostitute. O that this scandal of humanity were annihilated, ^m. And every Ule amidst the western wave With freedom glow, and blush to own a slave.^ * " The slave-trade," says the Rev, David Simpson in his key to the prophe- cies, " is a business somewhat similar to the bloody persecutions which have ta- ken place : the principle is indeed different, but the act is much the same." Tlie constant annual consumption of these poor creatures is reckoned at about 60,000. Th the yoar 1768, the number of slaves bought on the coast of Africa, wtft *#' '■■^- 1IEM0U8 OF 210 BOMB eOOD aSBD MWll, ^IfD BT WIOM. SS= ^ The rest ^Bennuda is superior to St Geoige, in a moral poiot m view. Indeed, the inhabitants of the other Islands do not love those of St. George; though every one must lament the evil of appointing one minister over four parishes, and this minister only preaching once on the sab- bath-day, and keeping a school all the week. Alas, will one sermon in four weeks kindle or keep alive the sacred flame of religion ? They best know, who, with all the means they use, lament that the sacred fire will often bum dim and faint. When I said, the rest of Bermuda was more moral than St. George, I should have confined myself to the parishes Brackish Pond, Spanish Point, (the best parish in th^ Island) Crow Liane, and Heron Bay ; in two of these a worthy minister, of the name of Littleton, had left some precious seeds, and in the last a Presbyterian minister (formerly a Methodist) had spread some divine light ; and thirdly the little time that Mr. Stephenson was allowed to preach unmolested, was not without some excellent effects: But no chapels were built, no societies were formed, the people exhibited few teatures of evangelical piety. It is true, many of them in the interior of the Island treated the author with great politeness, civility, and attention: 104,100 ; of these 52,000 were bought by British merchants. The number in the West-Indies, belonging to England, is said to be 796,000. The Abbe Raynal •tates, the whole number in America, (freedom-loving America,) and the West- Indies, at 1,400,000. He says, moreover, that the total importation from Africa, Binee the beginning of the slave-trade, is 9,000,000 of slaves I observe, says he, upon this terrible account, that the business of the slave-trade alone, if we have no other national transgressions to answer for, is enough to sink all the na- tions concerned in that diabolical traffic, in utter ruin ^d destruction. Is there a God that judgeth the earthl then slave countries look to yourselves. 1 would eiif, >rhen speaking of my fellnw-creatures at large, with the excellent Fenelon, •• I love my family better than myself. I love my country better than vty fami- ly—but I love mankind in general, better than my country." '*• JOSHUA mabsaen; 211 1^=^ BLACKS BXObODaD rftOM ]fA«MA«C ARD •ACftAllBIITS. Indeed tbif !• the character of raoal of tbe uhabitaou of Bermuda : St. Geoige k an exception to tl» remark ; in that Uttle town, ttiere ia a nipercilioua atifiueii^ a foppiih pride, arising from aome wealth jdoed to Uttleneaa of nuoad. >^ , The nine parishea into which the Islands are divided, have 00I7 three clergy^men; and conaidering one of these as the chaplain of the garrison of St. Geoige, each of the others has four parishes under his care. The blacks, who c(Hnpo8e more than one half of the eleven thousand in- habitants, were ahnost all excluded from a possibility of re- ligious instruction and divine worship; the body of the church must not be deserated with them. Hence, at the end of each church a place is separated from the rest, where they are penned up like cattle at a fair. They are in the churches wholly excluded from the rites of baptism, marriage, and the sacrament, till the present day ; being by many thought of little value, but as the hand- maids of labour, or the instruments of lust. 4|.^fter I had tarried a little while in St George, the buroiog heat not agreeing with my wife's health, I re- moved upon the main Island, to the parish of Brackish Pond ; — from whence I wrote the following letter to the Rev. Dr. Coke. -ff Extract of a Letter from Mr. Joshua Marsden^ to the Rev, Dr. Coke, dated Brackish Pond^ Bermuda, Sept, 2, 1808. Rev. ai^d dear Sib, You will doubtless be anxious to know something rela- tive to the infant mission in Bermuda, and I am happy to m 2\t HBMOIRI Of rihBT METBODiat lOfltSTt fOIMBD IN IT. OtOMt. inform you that I (tee more sod morfe the wifdotn of Pro* Tidence in Inclitiiog; you to eend me to theie IilaiidB, wbicb^ though abounding with all manner of wiclied* ness, are neverthelegs aTOjry wide and tuitable ield for niissiooary iodustrj and sEeal* In the little town of St. George I have united about fifty in foolety, mosl of whom are coloured people, or blaeks, who are athirst for salvia- tion and insitruction, and very thankful that Ood has sent a missionary among them, to teach, as they iay,^< Such poor blind creatures the way of life and happiness.** In tbo country, the scene of Mr. Stevenfon*s labours, I have not yet been able to form a society, except a small one at Somerset. I have large congregations in the country, bu| they hitherto keep aloof ; nor will they, in general^ let their slaves come at all. They run away, with the idea that religion would make them proud, and negligent of tlieir duty. Hitherto the Governor has treated me kindly; but religion will derive no support here from power, opu- leuce, or office. It must stand upon its own legs, as in the apostolic times. Kor was there ever a place where the salvation of the soul was less thought of than in Ber* muda. Many suppose, that going to hear one sermon in four weeks is quite sufficient ; while otheri ai&ct to think that God is too good to send a soul to hell L': a little sin. In this little mercenary place, ndthirig is esteemed but mo- ney : the people are chiefly all of one religion, that of mo- ney, pleasure, vanity ; while the Trinity they believe in and worship, is the world, the flesh, and the devil.^ You would be astonished how few white men there are in the * This remark is too severe if applied to all the inbabitantu, it was made un- der a siioLa^ impression to what David felt: '* I laid iu my tuute all inco are 11- ara. .u JOSHtJA HAlltoEK. ilJ^ MORE WOMCW ATTEITDED TBA:f MEN. v*/ country. They are chiefly at sea, and in Titrks Island inakiug'Bait. Whererer I preach, except in St. Georges, I hare generaliy six iromen for one man, and so dressy that you would suppose them to be going' to a ball. This island has been in a most deplorable state for pro- vision since the American embargo; indeed, upon the very verge of a famine, or actual starvation ; and living is so high that the mission will be expensive at the first I had to sell most of my furniture in New Brunswick, net beiiig able to bring it in the vessel, which was every part stowed foil, so that since I came hither 1 have had to buy fuitiitnre at an extravagant price. This, together with' ^ my having had to buy and keep a horse, at the rate of about a doUsir and a half per week, will render my situa- tion expensive. Added to these things^ my wife has been' sick since we came, and you know what the doctor's fees ^ are in the West Indies. A.nd as rtriy wife has two little ^ ones, we are obliged to hire a black woman, which is an ^ additional expense; for the weather is so very hot, that ' she cannot stand the fatigue of going about the house in her weak state with two children to attend to. As yet I have received nothing since I came but eigh teen ddllarsio pay for the hire of the room I preached ia'^ at St. Georges. This little society is poor, but they have begun to subscribe five dollars a Kreek to buy a '^ piece of land to build upon; although I despair of going forward with any thing of the kind, unless you will lend us a little assistance. With the sum or donation of 100^. I may be enabled to erect a little meeting-house, and give the mission an establishment. Dear Sir, if you can do any thing on this occasion, do help ub. Never was t here a ,nera], on Mr. Stephenson's trial, that the Methodists were the cause of the rebellion in America, the revolution in France, and the disturbances in Ireland. Now what kind of an idea must an ignorant people have of us from this misrepresent- ation ? Would >ou think it, that the person chiefly con- cerned in making the penal law against us, is now in jail ? And what make9 the event remarkable, is a peculiar co- incidence of circumstances. Mr. Stephenson was im- prisoned for not obeying the laws ; this is precisely what this person is imprisoned for, and he is confined in exactly the same room in the jail. Surely there is a God that judgeth in the earth, and he hath a retaliating providence even in this world. The wicked do not always triumph even here, and what a book will be unfolded at the day of judgment! ?;../: \ '/ f Sometime ago, I wrote requestiirg my name might stand on the Minutes as having permission, in a little while, to return home. But either my lettera did not come to hand, or no aot|ce was taken of my request. I did not wish to leave this Island destitute; for among the hundreds of young preachers in England, local and itinerant, I did not doubt but some one would be found willing to relieve me. . But, if there is not a young man in England who is willing to put his life in his handj and come out to this little Island, I am willing to make it my hermitage, and live and die here. I like to preach in a chapel as well as any of my young brethren I like to have large congregations to preach to. I love to read new books, I love to be respected and popular^ I love to be delivered front the tedious ne» 4I« I. XIMOAlf Of saaaaessasaaaaaceaaaeasrag ' r %' , ■', a=ss^eiga»»»i DEEP HKOftrT AT UEAfclAO OF TDK DBATB Or OLD PREACHERS. cessity of for ever dwelling upon first priociplef. But if 1 har« uot more love to Chriit and his cause tbao . ill thjepe thiogi, I am not (it for the jMngdom of heaven. 1 am truly lorry, Sir, to 9C<;> that after all you have doae and suffered io the eause of Missions, so few of my young brethren are willing to second the noble efforts, by becom- ing active roiiaionaries wher« you have opened the way. Shall I live to tee a declension of zeal ? and a love to fashion, honour, and curious knowledge prevail in any part of the connexion ? God forbid ! Though I am a young Methodist, you cannot think how it paioa me, when I read in the Minutes of one old )^ reacher dropping off after another: Mather gone! Hopper gone ! Par- son gone! If I stay abroad a few more years, I shaU have no more reasons for coming home ! For let a Coke, a Ben- son, a Taylor, a Clarke, a Wood, a Moore, &c &c. be added to the number, together with my good old mother, and then my magnets beiL* withdrawn, I shall lose all attraction towards my native country, and rest content to be a missionary and a voluntary exile for life ! I hope you will pardon the length of this scrawl, and believe me to be with the most sincere respect, *# *''"^-**'* Your affectionate Son in the Gospel, '^ ■"'^ lOSHUA MABSDJBIi. '-^'■'■■lifA __ ^r '(•^■■*-' :*< ''!' ^ iS'roy knowTcdge of the country ^nd people increased, 1 found out all those worthy persons who had taken Mr. Stephenson by the hand ; as also a niMnber of others, who treated me with the greatest possible kindness, and invited ne to preach tn their booses. Of these I would mention StaweWood, Esq* in Hamilton^ who proceed botU a true J08HVA. MARtOBN m0 B^tKBSt^ TBK EIHOnCtt or MAST IM BSM sen -nrr frieod to my family, aod patron to the Misbion. Mn. Albouy and family, thoi^h a ividow, treated lue witli tbc greatest posiible Iqndoess aud^ajtteotion, and invited me to preach in her house : to this worthy family I conaidu' myself as under everlasting obligations. Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Swan, Mrs. Burch, Mr. John I. Masters, captains Wiiite and Walker, and Mr. Richard Wood, merchant, Mr. Williams at Braclusb Fond, with captain Thomas (Nawbold and family of the. same place, all deserve my tvarmest thanks. Mr. Washington, from the Island of Nevis, was. my faithliil fiieiid through all the mission, in St.. Georges Mrs. Grant, Miss Molly Burges, brothers John Barrel, and Richard Higgs, with a number more> .JVt; M .- -*. ^fi 7SM MEMOimS ot THC CSTABIiISaMBIlT OW A MI8I10N DimCl'LT. Extract of a letter from Mr, Joshua Marsdm, Missionary, to the Rev. Dr, Coke. 4cV Hamilton, Island of Bermuda, April 13, 1800. Rev. and okar Sib, Tou will« doubtless, wish to receive ioformation respect- ing my mission and the situation of aiTairs in these Islands. The prospect is not the most pleasing, and yet the Lord has wrought a great work on the minds of some. I have formed sixt}' into Society, none of whom were ever in socie- ty before. And yet I believe the perfect establishment of ^ Methodist mission will be a work of much time, difficulty^ tnd expense. I have got a subtcription set on foot, to build a small place of worship in the country at Hamiltou, ms there will be no extensive good done in the IsUind among the blacks, till one is erected, from the circumstance which I mentioned in my last, that the white people will not allow them to come and hear in houses where they themselves assemble. . In Hamilton, the only town in the Island, beside St. Georges, God has raised up some who wish to befriend me; but amongst many there still appears a wonderful spirit of opposition. And yet the Island, this winter, has been in a state of actual famine. As the American embar- go has prevented supplies coming from that quarter, hun>- )ireds upon the Island, as well as myself and family, have been obliged to live upon dried cod-fish, frequently with^ out a bit of butter to render it palatable. However, if I cOukl see the cause of God flourish, I could freely submit #^ .y^i^Ti • > a.. *i>-*i;:*-.3;-i -i^ ^■"'' JOSHUA MAHSDEN. ) ^% WANT or HOOK* A ■BlllOl/t UimCVLTT. to every privation and, I think, be contented with bread and water. I liave a blessed hope that the Lord will arise and plead liis own cause in this wielded and beuightp ed place. The privileges of my English brethren often make me wish that I had tt^ie wings of a dove that I might fly away and participate of them. Wiih regard to my situation in temporal matters, as yet I must be dependent on the funds at home. The coloured people in the society have it not in their power to do much, and others think little about the matter. Nor do I expect, till a little chapel is erected, to be able to raise any regular revenue or salary. 1 hope, however, in future, my expenses will be less, as my wife has begun to keep a school for girls, at the request of a number of people. '/ ' ? - ?..■ ^f ^ ^ . - The want of book^ is another, serious dilficulty under which I labour: for the people know notliiog of the Methodists but by Iieanay, md that n of the jdosi ttniB« vourable nature ; and, you may depend upoo it, there were no more traces of Methodism, or heart religion, when I came to this Island, than if no missionary had ever set his foot upon it. But the Lord hath begun a blessed work. May he carry it on in a glorious manner, for his mercy^s sake ! I have lately drawn upon you for 202. and as soon at 1 begin to build the little chapel, I shall have to draw upon you again, as I have only been able to get subscriptions to the amount of 180/. sterling:''^ whereas, at the lowest cal- culation, it will require from 250/. to 300/. to erect it. When this is finished I shall expect, by the blessing of God, to see something done toward a more extensive re- * This subscription wu ftftenrtrda tugmeoted to upwards of 6001. sttrling. .■■■^-,.- 222 MEMOIRS OV DBARNisa or raoviBioN in Bermuda. «IK. formation both among blacks and whites. May the bless' ed Lord carry on his own blessed work. I am, with sentiments of respect, Rev. Sir, your affectionate Son, JOSHUA MARSDEN. Jr'm.4 ^.JW.: r-\'' 'm-':'\K P. S. That you may have some knowledge how spa- ringly I have lived, considering the extreme high price of provisions 1 have sent you an account of the current price of sundry articles of food in the Island. Indeed the state of things this winter has been very little better than . m ^m:^- .i^'ti^^ -^ - ' >■ •- ;, '- : Current prices cf provisions, Sx, in Bermudat. *v ^ Fresh Beef; - - - 1 8 to 2 per Ib.^ ,>^;^- ^ Mutt0D> - - - 2 to 2 4 do. ^^^^^4 ^i ••■' Veal, -"M%i.*^'r2 to' 2 4 do.,SSii^. .;,; Pork, - .''-■vii^v i 8 to 2 ^,:i{^^:n^P'S^^ '\ Fresh Butter,.^,.^.i 4 do. .f ,,v'-,.p^;^,; »r Hams, - -. :*^?n|* ' 3 0' to 3 ,4 do. ^^■%>■^t-^. Prime Pork, - - 38 to 40 dollars per barrel. ^^ Flour, - - - . 30 to 36 do. r ^c ;*> *v >^ *ay ^^ Rye flour, (none.) yvlf L/^Vi: RJce» - - fv-K *f 8 to 12 do. per hundred. i Corn, - - - • 1/. 3*. Ad, per bushel. |^ .^^ ^ Muscovado Sugar; 7 to 8 'lollars per cwt. * ^M t' Loaf; - - do. 2*. %d. to 3^. Ad, per lb>4**% V ;^ Soap in boxes, - 2*. 8^^*ii,i- 8t d, s, d. American Butter, As. Od, do. CoiTee, . - - 2s. Od. to 2s. 6d. do. Cocoa, - « - Is. Sd. to 2s. Ad. do. 4. Currency here, Qs. Hd. to the dollar, u H*V'-- In the ensuing May, I wrote the following Letter to the Rev. Joseph Benson.^ ^„^. , , , , ._ ^^.^ . ,., , ' Ji it - '..'.■. Extract of a letter from Mr. Joshua Marsden, Missionary^ j^.+, til Bermuda^ to Mr. Joseph Benson. *y ****' Hamilton, Bermuda, May 20th, \B09. Dear AND RESPECTED Sib, WiTH'respfct to the Mission at Bermuda, it does not, as yet, afford so pleasing a prospect, as some of the other transatlantic Isles : yet blessed be God, though one of the last in receiving the gospel, I hope ii will not be last in a moral point of view. It is true, the full establishment of a flourishing Mission here, will be a work of time, and perhaps the principal end that will be answered by my coming to the Island, will be to pluck up the hurtful weeds of prejudice, with which the place was completely oveigrown, and to collect a small society, perhaps a hun- dred or two, and as I trust, by the blessing of Gocl (for I am now about it) to build a small chapel, on w hicli, it ap- pears, the favourable issue of my labours, at least among the blacks and coloured people, will much depend ; for the people will not allow tliem to come into private houses, where I usually preach. O the pride of the human heart, to despise a fellow-creature for the colour of hb skin ! 'jfi J.I. 224 Uli^MOIKS ei^ '"■■'''■ — ' IT TT-: 8IHHOP Of LONDON'S LETTER. Yet so it is. The poor biaeks are not treated as immortal iDteliigencee, but merely^ at the handmaids of labour, or the instruments of lust I •,. I dad the good Bishof^ of London has been ekertic^ himself for the good of poor negroes, and I heartily- wish him all success in the name of the Lord. But I cannot find that the persons here, to whom some of the pamphlets were sent, have, as yet, taken any notice of the matter. The good Prelate is mistaken if he supposes his plan will be pursued in the West Indies, with all that disinterested 2eal that seems to animate the worthy Bishop. I was a little surprised to find no mention made of the labours and success of Dr. Coke and the Methodist missionaries in these Islands^ Can this be owing to want of information, or prejudice in this worthy person ? I am finnly persuaded, however, that if the Bishop's design ever be executed in the West In- dies, it will be by the overlooked, reproached, and de- spised Methodists. Well, glory be to God, the religion of the cross will finally prevail, and triumph over all, and 'many of the sable sons of Ham, in the great day, will make it evident by whose means they were brought into the family of God. ■ - -w,^-'r^----- >'5^.'-»^-*^»^^ "^ Perhaps it is better for the Methodists, that they never had any Right Reverend, Right Honourable, or Most Noble Patrons; it brings back the state of the Primitive church, when religion stood upon its own bottom. It is not patronage, it is not money, nor titles, but genuine grace, holy zeal, and primitive simplicity, that must support and promote the cause of God. May the Methodists be ever kept humble, and God will exalt them! May they ever continue united, and ignorance, bigotry, prejudice, and .Jv y f JOSHUA MABBDEN. 224 MOTIVES FOB MISSIOSARIKS. wickedness, will fall before them. I am sorry to find by the last Minutes, that some of our West India Islands are without missionaries. What, do the funds fail ? or will none of our zealous young men come forward in so noble and blessed a cause ? Can we sing, '' O ! for a trumpet's voice, on all the world to call, and yet not be willing to come and call the poor forlorn blacks from darkness to God*s mavellous light ? Shall we wish for " A thousand tongues to sing his praise," and yet refuse one life to promote his glory among our Ethiopian Brethren ? Shall, in this respect, the Moravian Brethren take our crown ? Shall the sailor, the merchant, the adventurer, the traveller, the soldier, do more for a living, for interest, speculation, knowledge, or honour, than we for the glory of God ? O that we might more than ever arise, and shake ourselves from the dust, and go forth in the name of the Lord ! Let me entreat you, my dear Sir, to do all you possibly can to send me a few Testaments. Many of the blacks and coloured people can read a little, and this Island abounds with extremely poor white people; the want of these is inexpressibly great. May the Lord open the way for the streams that flow from the Fountain of Life and Truth, to water this most barren Island, Let me entreat you also to grant us an interest in your most fervent prayers, that God would pour his Spirit upon this pioud, worlvily, and wicked place. With love to all the brethren in London,^ .t^#^4;^.r.->^ t W^^^sA fv. #},n^ I remain,S't^,- ■ ./> ; ;,■ " : ' I think it noV appears pretty evident, that the Lord h'^s sent you to Bermuda. I have no doubt but you will be enabled through the divine blessing^ to raise a society of considerable importance in the Island, and to spread the light of the gospel among both whites and blacks. I think you have done wisely to begin erecting the small chapel you speak of, and the Missionary Committee will undoubtedly afford you all the help you need, in order to the finishing of it. I hope you will coatinue to the Islafid till the work be established. ' "' ^ You express your surpriie and sorrow, that at the Con- ference in 1808, some of the West India Islands should be left without missionaries. You will see by the Min- utes of this year, that this is still the case. Several of the Islands are without their proper complement of preachers. The reason of this is, not that the funds fail; but it is be- *5:^' • \ JOSHUA MAR8DEN. 227 MORTALITY AHOXQ MISSIONARIES. cause men, proper for the vork, caimot be obtained. lu the KoTember Magaziae, I shall publish an extract from your last letter, in hopes of iliereby exciting the zeal of some of our young men. — One thing that has discouraged many of them, is the great mortality that has attended the missionaries ; together with the persecution in Jamais ca, which it was apprehended, might extend even to the other Islands. That peiitecation is now at an end, and the measures taken by his Majesty^s Government foilsid our -fears of its returning. But, so many of the mission- aries dying in some of the Leeward Islands, is still dis- couraging to them. Finding this moroing upon inquiry, that you have not had the Magazine for 1808, I have desired Mr. Blan- shard, to send you them, with those of the present year, to the end of October. I have also desired him to send you some other books. He says that a quantity of Bibles, and some other books you ordered, have been already ,»^,-a; **■-•• '/' i.'\»>--- ,^;»»'«;'";- y^i %'^^'*.: sent to the ship. Tou may depend on it: my dear brother, that the Com- mittee love you, pray for you, and entirely approve of your conduct as a missionary, and in all other things, as for as we know it ; and we shall be always ready to send you such books as you want, and to assist you in your great and good work every way in our power. Since my return from Cenference, a fortnight ago, I have been exceedingly busy, and am so still : othei'wise I should have written more at large. Let me hear froiri you as often as you can ; and write particularly, and at large to • * ; Tour very affectionate Brother, ^ " ' "JOSEPH BENSOJf. ''i'fi'^- i^Ji" i'V'-. ■ :.:,«,, ■%: tm^. 228 MEMOIRS OF rREUt'EMTLT SICI DURING MT STAT IN KERMUDA. W 3» ^ I ihall, for want of room, be obliged to omit maoy of the other epistles that formed my correspondence with the mifesion-committee relative to the Bermuda mission — liow- ever, I deem the following not unworthy a place in this lit* tie memoiri*^^'^*'''^^'^''**'^"^'''**^'**^^'''^-^^ *^ Extract ^J a letter from Mr. Marsden, Missionary ^ to the ■ft# 11 -isNrf^sl-i^^*- Rev, Dr, Coke.' f f-^*** '1*^^.' -h*^^- ■ f*%^ii*fff *^ 5* Hamilton, Bermuda, Nov. 14, 1810. Rev. AND DEAR Sir, ' *- ; 4^ This summer has been a time of uncommon sickness to your poor missionary. I have hardly been a week free from the dysentery ; sometimes I have had it to an alarm- ing degree. Indeed, had I availed myself of the opinions of doctors on the subject, there is hardly one in Bermuda, but would have advised me to quit the Island ; as it is doubtful whether, after being so long resident in a cold climate, 1 should continue to s^and the intensely hot sum- mers of Bermuda. . You will recollect, that in our hottest days here, we have not the advantage of an east wind to cool the fervours of a scorching sun. The season has been particularly fatal to old men; Justice Jones, a zcIblIgus friend to the cause of God, died a few weeks ago ; he was a venerable cfiristian, a truly dignified man, an excellent scholar, and a real friend to religious liberty and universal toleration. . As an elder, he was a pillar to the Presbyte- rian cause ; he was a warm affectionate friend to the Me- thodists, and showed the world how amiable the gentleman, the scholar, and the christian are, when united in one. His death gave the last finish to a life of piety, and was such as every one had cause to expect : calm and resign- ed, full of hope and heavenly consolation. I visited him the day before he departed, and was witness to that sweet JOSHUA BIARBOEN. 229 st^ THE HAPPT DEATH OF JUSTICE JONES. displiy of dyiog godlioess, that might have excited Ba- laam's vfuh from the lips of infidelUyiiBeU, Mr. Metaon preached his funeral sermoD to a eonnderable number of geutlemeo and respectable inhabitantB, to whkh I added a short testimony to the memory of departed excellence. Last week anotlier hoary disciple of Christ finished her course, aged about ninety-eight ; she was a follower of Mr. Whitfield, when he yisited Bermuda, about sixty-five yeaitf ago, and went up and down the iskud with him in his evang«Hcal peregrinations. One hardly knew which to admire most in this old saint, her infant simplicity, hu< miliating weakness, or christian patience, under the infir- mities of near an hundred years ; she was almost deprived of every faculty but that of praising and waiting upon God ; though reduced to extreme poverty, to a skeleton, to a miserable cottage in tlie midst of a wood, with only an aged daughter to attend upon her, s^te was thankful, con- tented, resigned, and happy; which, with the artless sim- plicity of her christian experience, rendered her a singular iand happy plienomenon. *i#^«ss'#¥:^iC''^'^fSH^^r**^''-''#^n%-^ ■ f'*^To the above I may add Justice Pennison, another friend to the mission: this old man had for four or five years been wading through the black sea of despaii-, and on those stormy waters bad been sorely buffeted with the billows of fierce temptation — his death was sudden. I hope be changed a stormy sea for- a quiet haven. Our chapel is at last finished, and supposed to be one of the neatest and most commodious in the West Indies; it has a good.gallery, and a snug little vestry ; the congrega- tion is upon the increase, though I have laboured under some difiiculties this summer, relative to the blacks; (he* *''■ ~*» V S 230 MEMOIRS OF JUNIOR PREACHERS AVERSE TO 00 ON MISSIONS. ^^ great aversion of many in power, (the Governor bein^; gone home,) rose almost to a persecution; but, thank God, the storm is allayed. Our society in town is about sixty, and in tlie country about eighty ; thirty of whom are white people, and the rest free people of colour, and slaves ; some of the whites are respectable, the rest in the middling stations of life, — but as yet, there is no provision made for a missionary. The collections in the chapel, and all I can scrape elsewhere, go to defray the expense, and cover the debt upon the building; which, as soon as clear, will raise a very handsome salary for a minister : and I again request, that a missionary may be sent out as soon as pos- sible. I see no reasonable objection young men can mak^ to coming on such a mission as this ; particularly, when every thing is got ready to their hands. The backward- ness of the junior preachers to go out on missions, has, of late, filled me with many melancholy ideas, and with some fears, that the missions may finally fail, for waut, not of pecuniary help, but of the true missionary spirit ; and I often think, that if our brethren at the conference do not take some new steps to this purpose, in tlie end, none will be found willing to go. How lamentable it is to think, that so many of the West India Islands should be destitute of christian instruction ; to say nothing of how ill some of those places are supplied, where missionaries have been ettabliih- ed. O Sir ! do all in your power to help thcbe forlorn sheep. In my opinion, posterity wiK record the name of Coke, with those of Wilberforce and Clarkaon, as friends and benefactors of the African race. They, as iostniments in the hands of God, benevolently broke their natural ,* you have broken their moral and spiritual bonds-^they have been the means of placing them in the rank of men ; yoii JOSHUA MARSDEX. 231 THE REV. DOCTOR COKE A OREAT BENEFACTOR TO THE BLACKS. of christians — they said, *'' Africa, be free ;" you say ** Africa, be pious." Go oo, dear Sir, aod the Lord will reward you, while thousands of happy Africans shall rise up, and call yuu blessed. With my affectionate regard for yourself, and love to all the committer and preachers, ""^^mm- I remain, dear Sir, ■-^■-■■'^'■•■^^mi^k^f.f^p'^jiis^ • ■i'}h»}»»m 4K Your obliged servant, and ->*=?Jf *•» -'^^^, * ;lt«f t*iif> :?5^ Truly affectionate son in the Gospel, - ^ /— '^ ^r-^-t .-■ .^r- - >^ JOSHUA MARSDEN. ' ' The society continued to increase; many most respect- able people constantly attended the chapel. The follow- ing letter, as it contains the tour or routine of my duty, may not be unacceptable to my readers. Extract of a Letter from Mr, Joshtta Marsdetiy to Mr. ^ « •ifSHi^j^^M'^i^ HamiUonf Bermuda^ May Id, 1811. Rev. and dbar Sir, ■^■l»■■y^; i*j*;i'?-w4.^ ^i^imM'^^^h.i^fi--: % ^^i Blessed be God, the work in Bermuda is in a good state. Some are thirsting for the well of life ; several have ob- tained a clear witness of the pardoning love of Jesus, aod the society has increased to about one hundred and thirty. ' It is divided into seven classes, five of blacks, and two of whites. The whites are truly zealous, and thougli it is like changing cast in the East Indies to join the society, yet many can hardly be restrained by their relations from - coming amongst us, so mightily does the word of God, preached in the chapel, affect their consciences. Qur sta- : ' ted congregation is about three hundred, two hundred of ' whom ai^e some of the roost respectable white people in the s island. One of the principal merchants, a magistrate, and all his family, areciommunicants; and his lady, who has be- come a precious, pious womaQ, has joined the society. My \ » 232 i' MBMOrlRS or MY ROtrTINK or DUTY IN TBI lOllMEa ISLANDS. ■; %^, routine of dnty li m follofrs: I preach at Hamilton oo the LordVday morning ; after moniiDg preaching, I some* timea ride (o Bayley'a Bay, or Harris's Bay, preach in the afternoon; return and preach at Hamilton in the evening. On Monday evenijog I meet the class of white people ; on Tuesday evenhig preach to the blacks in the chapel ; on Wednesday evening meet the class of blacks; on -Thursday afteniooD preach to the whites in the chapel; on Friday I ride to St. Georges, and preach on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and meet St. Georges society. I also sometimes preach occasional sermons at Spanish Point, Brackish Pond, David's Island, Crow Lane, and Heron Bay. A little while ago, the blacks that could read being des- titute of hymn-books, I published a little pamphlet, a copy of which I have sent you. The chief Justice requested a copy to be sent him, of which he was pleased to speak in handsome terms. i-'S**- ■^■-■•JT*i*'«5i^™-feT -■it^.:v-^.'^i'i,t\rr-ir,':'j'^^-i^*f^-i^^ Since my last, Mr. Edward Masters, a constant attend- ant at the cbapelf died in peace and comfort. He had been a master of a vessel, and coming home sick, God was pleased to overrule the affliction for his good. As soon as he could go out, he came to the chapel ; the word was made a blessing to his soul, and he became very zealous^ warning, exhorting, and Inviting others. In a little whii«v he had a relapse^ and soon after sent for me to adminiater him the Lord's supper, which he received as the pledge of eternal happiness, rejoicing in the Lord. It was a most refreshing time. In a day or two after, he mo8ttr]umpb<* antly passed into the world of happy ppirits. ^ ^. . v For about three months last past, our dear old friend, Mr. Pallas, has been laid upon a bed of pain, and is now \ 4* JOSHUA MARSDKN. 23d THK HAPPT DEATH Of MR. PALLAI. just at the gates of paradise. His soul, thougli low at fitit from famSlj trials, soon rose above tiiat heavy atmospliere to the clear siioshiDe of gospel-light ; and oow for about three moDths, though bed-ridden and worn to a ikeletoot he has had full prospect of the port, and has rejoiced un- speakably. Many have found a blessing from his dying testimony, but in my next I expect to be able to send you a fuller account. In the mean whilCf I request that you will remember me to all the committee, and to the confer- ence, whose faithful son and servant may the Lord enable me to live and die. \ * ^si^v^^ i*'^ i.^ .r , • f ^ I am, dear Sh-, ; ».^.^.*. *^--ir-:-^^'-— - « .^ Your most oblio^ed and afTectionate, though ^ < ^ Unworthy fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Jesui, *^ V JOSHUA MARSDEN. Thus, after being four years in the Bummer-IslandSf with what success tlie foregoing narrative has shown, my successor arrived from England in the moDth of February, 1812, and on the 11th of April following, I embarked in the British Packet for New-York, to call for my partner and children, and avail myself of the first opportunity for England — but alas! in this I was disappointed. When we arrived off Sandy-Hook, the pilot who came on board informed us, that there was an embargo in the ports of the' United States. This was succeeded the following June with a declaration of war, so that I have been detained among my brethren iu the United States till the present hour, thankful that I am allowed to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. I have received many tokens of unaf- fected kindness from the society of New- York; to the Bishops I am under obligations, I have not words to ex- press. To the Trustees of the New- York society I shall \-%ii^ -4-?». .,*fc"' mn^tm^ O 234 MEMOIRS OF ■ INDNES9 or THE BI8B0PI ANU NEW-TORK TKIISTCES. ever feel grateful { they hnve kiiowa the heart of a strao- ger, and used hotpitality without grudging $ their kindness has kept me from being burthensome to my brethren in England, and made an impresBiou on my heart that can only be lost with the power of recollection. My situation in the United States has been critical and delicate ; but while some have wished to embitter my stay with harsh reflections, hard names, and dry, political discussions, there have not been wanting others, who have politely and affectionately endeavoured to make me feel as much at home as possible. ; -i^^ ?> ■' * ' / it ' <; ^;?*^' ' "*> With regard to my private and public sentiments, I can truly say, as in the presence of the Iiord, ^^ ^- ^ **' ' *■* \ Homo sum : humam nt^ a me aUemim puio, " ^' ' I am no raao's enemy, no nation's enemy, but, I trust, a friend to all the human race* I wish to live and die io the faith of the Lord Jesus, and the great truths contained in his holy word. But I am in general na friend to controversy ; most of my opin- ions respecting divine things may be found in the forego- ing pages. With regard to the great controversy that haa so long a^tated the christian world, I have been called a Calvinist by rigid Armimaoa, and by Antinomian-Calvin- ists a Pelagian. In ray sentiments I wish to take the mid- die ground, as I am persuaded the truth lies betwixt both extremes; the rigid Calvinist is in dang'^r of Antinomian- ism, and the rigid Arminian may fall into Semi-Pelagianism. I would adopt Calvinism so far as to secure to Christ all the honour and gk»ry of man's redemption and salvation ; and Arminianism to secure the purity, holiness, and spirit- uality of the moral law, and the holiness of the gospel. I urould saj to Arminians, Christ is my only foundation^ JOBHVJk 1IAB0»BN. «fl35 THE OOLDEN MCAM. ■i'^ and to Calvioista, kolinees is my ooly supirstrucUtre. To the former 1 would say, Christ given for me; to the latter, Christ wrought in me« I know there is a danger of boast- ing in Christ, till we neglect holioesfr— -we may also so speak of our own works, as to supersede the Redeemer. But God forbid, that we should ever pluck one jewel from his glorious Tiara; and heaven forbid the thougl/t, that we should ever make Christ a minister of sin. I firmly believe that, Christ died for all— *that all mankind have an offer of grace, and may be saved, according to the dispen- sation under which they live ; and yet, I dare not say, but some are elected. I see no difficulty in thb : Christ died for all, so that all may be saved— but whether he render- ed the salvation of any so inevitable as that they never can be lost, I cannot prove. I think it is hardly to be suppo- sed that he left the salvation of all men to a contingencyi or peradventure ; and yet we are told, that God is do re- specter of persons, but in every nation, he that fearetb God and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him. -. .-^ -^ My ««ame8t wish and prayer is, that religion, pure and undefiled religion, may spread to the ends of the earth ; all ioBtitmioDS to promote this gives me real heart-felt pleasure. The prosperity of Zion is a subject, in which I trust, I have a large interest — hence I have ever considered chris- tian missions as the noblest institutions of society, and in the hands of a wise Providenre, capable of doing infinite good; whoever encourages them will doubtless prosper. Fray ye for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love her. The exertions making in this line, certain- ly indicate, that the Redeemer's kingdom is glorious- ly near. If the world is to be reformed, God will doubtless employ his Son-^his Son will employ the gospel «i <.:JMl. 236 MEMOIRS OF THE GOSPEL THE PRECURSOR OF THE MILLENNIl'M. as the brightest transcript of his divine, gracious, and holy nature. Ministers must be employed in this divine work; so that in the result, or final issue, the ministry of the gos- pel will be honoured as the blessed means of reclaiming a guilty world, and bringing men back to the true knowledge *> i* The pulpit, when the sttirist has at hat, 'i**'- *^ •mi^nir ,^^: '■ ' Jk-'^Oi ' Strutting and vapouring in an empty school, , .s ; ■ Spentall his force, and made no pnwelyte— '-< '^«' Tfi! irfwc; V3*' *fe|^ 1 say, ttie pulpit, in the eober use -^ «■?« #.«> ;• ;>:jw»^ji^- ^ff^.j^n^; ^ Of its legitimate, peculiar powers, , •*" • • i?i>fi<#*' Must stand acicnowledged, whr'.e the world f.haH stand, ■*;+ '■.'xrtfi*^? ; ,. ^ The most effectual guard, support, and ornament of virtue's cause' ' ^. ' ■ , , ., . COWPKR. I venerate those holy and faithful souls who have vo- lunteered their services to spread the gospel in distant cli- mates and foreign lands; when I read their labours my heart glows within nae; I sometimes wish to be upon the plains of Hindosian, the island of Ceylon, or the Cape of Good Hope ; when I hear of their success, I feel a senti- ment of true, gratitude -, when of their disappointment, I join them in saying, The will of the Lord be done. By means of missions, the kingdom of Christ shall be spread, and his salvation extend to the ends of the earth. ^ ^.^^ta^. 1 Perhaps, after having been thirteen years on missions, such is my wish to serve the cause of religion, that were I safely to arrive in England, a strong emotion of tliis kind might again induce me to spend the remainder of my life in this honourable and blessed service. r-i., - ;, With regard to jny christian experience, it may be sup- posed, that as a missionary, I always enjoyed a sense of the presence and love of God ; and that I always walked in close communion with him : that 1 have, at seasons, en- joyed all these, is strictly true ; my light was strong, »ny -!•;.«;« JOSHUA MARSDEN. 237 A LITTLE SKETCH OF MT EXPERIENCE. hope was brigiit, and my soul has been watered from the fountain of goodness— but I have often been brought into dulness by worldly conversation; levity has not unfre- quently involved me in cooderanation, and a neglect of sc« cret prayer has made me drag on dull and hea/ily. Per- haps, reading all kinds of books has not had the best eflfect upon my mind. I have sometimes suffered loss by not ri- sing early ; and too great a tenderness, or fear of giving offence in reproving others, has proved a snare to my own soul; anger has always been one of mj besetmeots, and has often deeply wounded my peace ; promptly, and perhaps imprudently, speaking my mind, as it is called, has some- times brought me into great trouble ; the want of spiritu- ality in my conversation has frequently hindered my preaching and labours from being as useful as they other* wise might. I know a minister of the gospel should be solemn and serious; yet not melancholy and morose — how- ever cheerful he is, he should set God before his eyes : the people are watching every word — ^yet I have often been de- lightfully drawn out in prayer towaixls God ; my heart has been melted into all holy desire to be fully conformed to the divine will, and humbled in the very dust, with a deep consciousness of unfaithfulness and remaining de- pravity, taking refuge in the blood of Christ, as n\y only sanctuary from the divine displeasure, and as my only hope of the divine complacency. Sometimes I have thought that I had no right to lean on Christ, unless I were more fully conformed to him ; a consciousness of great infumities has often laid the ax to the root of my confidence— but then I thought, if I have sinned, his blood is the only atone- ment; whither else shrill I go but to him ? if I leave him I A*:', m MEMOIRS OP THE BIBLE MV TEEASUftC. ■A am lost ; if I can but touch the hem of his garment I shall be saved ; hence it has always ministered comfort to my soul to reflect, that Christ is the only hope of Israel, the ooir fduQtain of life, and rock of my salvation ; and wheo I kmwe not been able to find comfort in any thing else, I have generally found it when meditating, and striving to act faith upon Christ. I f.»iwt$^Ji!U tel " \Jk'3m'MW*^M fj» ritf* ^ • Reading the holy scriptures has proved a blessed means of quickening and enlightening ray soul. When most enga- ged, I have generally found the greatest relish for the irord of God : secret prayer, and a love for the bible, have, generally speaking, been marks by which I have judged of the ebbing and flowing of divine grace in my soul. For two things, especially, I have searched the holy records : counsel and comfort; by this means I have frequently been directed with wonderful clearness, and not unfre- quently the precious promises would dart such a splen- dour and vital sweetness into my soul, as enabled me to say. Thy word is sweeter to my taste thao honey, or the honeycomb : — ^yea, truly, the scriptures, when applied to fhe heart, form one of the sweetest feeling the man can boast. A philosopher may admire the bible for its wfe- dom and morality ; a civilian for its jurisprudence ; a poet for its sublimity and figures, and a theologian for its doc- trines ^but it is the humble christian that reads it in the spirit of prayer ; who sees through the veil; enters the ho- liest, and tastes the hidden manna of God's word. With regard to worldly enjoyments, at the lowest ebb of divine influence, I have found an utter impossibility of being happy in the things of creation; if my mind, like the dove of Noah, when out of the ark, would light upon this or that, there was do rest ; the void could not ff: JOSHUA MABSDEN. 230 rURTUEB VIEWS OP DIVINE THINQS. ■« be felt ; a eircle can never fill a triangle ; temporal ob- jects are not suited to the make of the immortal mind ; all things love the element suited to their nature, and the ele- ment of the soul is the enjoyment of God. Hence only irhen seeking ray happiness in him, would I say, Thb is ray rest; here wiH I abide for«ver; here is firm footing; here is solid rock. In afilictions I have sometimes felt great dulness, but more generally a deep humblingi and crjring to God; flying to him as my only refuge; the true christi&n then especially seeks his solace in God. Id times of danger I have often felt a calm and firm reliance , upon his almighty power and goodness, looking only fori^' deliverance through him, and by such means as his wis- dom might point out. With regard to divine and brotherly love« it has some- times appeared from the sensible coldness of my heart, dulness of my prayers, want of lively zeal, small stock of patience, meekness, and heavenly-mindedness, that I did not love at all. I have gone a little further in search of proof. Would you deny Christ for all the world ? No I Have you not more exalted thoughts of the ineffable Redeemer than of all besides in earth or heaven ? Tes ! *' Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none oa earth I desire besides thee ?" Would you rather suffer with Christ, than sin with the world ? Yes, I would. Would you rather beg with Christ than reign with Cesar ? Yes. a thousand fold. Do you admire Christ ag a king, pro[)het, and lawgiver? Yes, supremely. Is not your little conformity to him) the greatest pain you feel? Yes, '< it is worse thab death my God to love, and not my God alone ! Is not the least comfort you have iu Christ greater than the world ever gave you without him ? •,v y i"'':i 140 MEMOIRS OV — '■ ■=- i--- ' L.^.^. i| l . ,1 .h,\i,,il^.U^L^i fB WISH rOR THE rR0«riRIT7 OP liBblOION. r.^.. , Is his crow pleasant? Not indeed to mj flesh and blood ? bui to my judgmeni, mind, and conscience, it is truly pleasant. I have often had to accuse myself with want of more zeal. Sometimes, indeed, the value of souls, the hurtful- iiess of sin, and the interests of Christ*s kingdom) have ap* peared in all their magnitude, and rested with solemn weight upon my mind. This desire has frequently given an ardency to my prayers, a closeness to my reading, a diligence lO my visiting, and- an earnestness to my preach- ing. My sou"^ has always rejoiced, when I have read ac- counts of the spread of the gospel, and the increase of Christ's kingdom. I have loved the gates of Zion, and^ the prosperity of religion, not merely among one denomina- tion, or in one country, but throughout the world. That zeal which has only for its object the support of a party or the prosperity of a sect, is utterly unworthy the cause of Christ ._. V . Finally, I will conclude this little memoir in the pray- er of a pious author : " Almighty Ood, look down on thine erring creature, pity my darkness and imperfection, direct me into the truth, as it k in Jesus, banish from my heart the bitterness of censure, and enable me to cherish a a spirit of moderation and love toward my fellow-chris- tians. To my zeal add knowledge, charity ; make me humble under difficulties which adhere to my faith ; and patient, under the perplexities that accompany my prac- tice. Guide me by thy counsel ; and through the merits and mediation of thy Son, Jesus Christ, receive me at last into thy kingdom and glory. *'?'-■' - • , ■ ,'■' .' ' . -' ■ .^^ .>ii^^^~/■ ^-..' :.^' i^iii^': l-^j'j- >. ■'^y 'M c " '*>.-* :'l%!'vV^M ^^, f»- J -#-' >^J vSiV* "'■ !«■■ >v: m-' I ^J-t.. »|8i ;^^.t»^_J«^4. ."C*} S ,'. *4'