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Maps, plataa, charta, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ralioa. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraly f^cludad In ona axpoaura ara fllmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand comar. laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framas aa raquirad. Tha following diagrams llluatrata tha mathod: Las cartaa, planchas. tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atra flimfo A daa taux da reduction diff Grants. Lorsqua la documant aat trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un aaul elich*, il aat film* A partir da i'angia aupArlaur gaucha, da gaucha A droits, at da haut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAcaaaaira. l.aa diagrammas suivants illustrant la mithoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 .NAJ N PUBLK iND SOLD I THE NARRATIVE OF A MLSSIOX, TO NOVA SCOTIA, NEW BRUNSWICK, AND THE SOMERS ISLANDS, WITH A TOUR TO LAKE ONTARIO. SECOND EDITION. let thy word prevail, to take away The sting of human nature. Spread the law As It IS written in thy holy book Throughout all lands. Let every nation hear 1 be high behest, and every heart oliey. WorcUworlh. LONDON. PUBLISHED BY J. KERSHAW, PATERNOSTER ROW; J. STEVENS, CITY ROAD ; mD SOLD BV BAYNE8 & SOW. PATRRffOSTBR KOW , ANDTIBNAM ic CO SUBBWSRVRV. ^ 1827. •- — ■'tw.r-** -T — ■iJi- r / \ ■ \ Tibnamtad Co. FrinUrs, Shrewsbury. 'J TO JAMES MONTGOMERY, Esq. OF SHSr FIELD, THE FOLLOWING LETTERS, ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, AS AN EXPRESSION OF RESPECT FOR HIS GENIUS AND PIETV, BY HIS AFFECTIONATE SERVANT, JOSHUA MARSDEN. r/ .;• PREFACE. The first edition of this Narative was*-p«blished several years ago, and such was the favourable reception it met, that with all its imperfections, a thousand copies were sold in a short time, and tlio work was soon out of print. For several following years, the author's constant and more important engagements in the work of a laborious ministry, allowed him but little time, and he had nearly given up the idea of ever presenting it again to the christian world. Being, however, by severe indisposition, laid aside for several weeks from his public work, ho beguiled his time by making cor- rections and alterations in the copy he had in his own possession ; thinking, that should the Lord be pleased to restore his health, he would once more present it to the world, in a new form, and cheaper edition. That edition he is now enabled to pre* sent to the public, with an earnest and humble prayer, that the blessing of the God of missions may follow it. The author's highest ambition is to advance his glory ; and he hopes that this low. ly oblation, laid upon the altar of missions, will not be unacccr^able in his sight ; to whom an I I) : vi PREFACE. hecatomb, a lamb, or a turUe cfove, are equally acceptable, according to the circumstances of the offerer. The writer of the following letters, hopes he has not mistaken a vain desire of being known among his fellow worms for a wish to glorify God. If error, ignorance, or short-sightedness, the common infirmities of humanity, have dictated any part of the following pages, the candid reader will forgive the unintentional fault. C)f old those met rewards, who could excel, And such were prais'd who but endeavoured well. Althouglf there are many defects in his work, he hopes, however, that he may merit this praise. Should there be discovered in the following pages, a want of simplicity, the author laments it as much as his reader. He would write that others may understand ; yea, that the most simple might pro- • fit ; but if he have not the tongue of the learned, the pen of the scribe, or the simplicity of the gifted, to pour a flood of light along every sub- ject; he trusts the want of them will be forgiven. There are writers, who like Midas, turn every thing they touch into gold ; but it will be praise enough to him, if he bring a little brass to the temple of the Lord. The writer regreis, that at this distance of time, he cannot always recollect the workings of his heart under difficult and try- ing events; and that he did not, by keeping a diary, give to many incidents, which are now airy nothings, a " local habitation and a name.*' If he has at any time spoken of himself, or his poor labours, with any thing like complacency, the r«ader will forgive the weakness, and the critical reviewer cast over it the mantle of love. It PREFACB. VII e equally B of the rs, hopes ng known glorify Iness, the tated any eader will . I. work, he s praise, ig pages, t as much lers may ight pro- ! learned, y of the ery sub- forgiven, rn every be praise IS to the , that at recollect and try- eeping a now airy me.'* If his poor ncy, the le critical ove. It lias been his intention to drop the man in his ac- count, and vote the master into majesty ; but self follows us through all the changes of many coloured life, and like the shadow, proves the sub- stance true. If the stream of truth did not flow through human mediums, it would be clear as crystal ; but it gathers sediment from the soil over which it rolls, and in proportion to its distance from the source, always loses much of its purity. There is descending and ascending truth : truth descending from God like a golden chain, and truth which ascends to him like Jacob's ladder. The author's highest ambition is to furnish one siep in the ascending scale. All truth is precious, but that which relates to the coming of Christ's king- dom, and the glory of the Redeemer, is the most precious of all. The high-priest's garments were made of Mue, white, and scarlet, but the breast- plate, the light and perfection of truth, of preci- ous stones. We live in an age of light, and an era of love ; but the truth that spreads, and the flame that burns, may both admit of accessions. The author would not say that he has added much to either, but if he have cast a mite into the trea- sury, his labour will not be lost; He who made the mercy's seat in the temple, which was overlaid with pure gold, was a valuable artist, and yet he who made the snuffers, was no less useful in his line. The christian reader will see in these letters, some of the travels and trials, the perils and pains, of missionaries in foreign lands. 'He will admire the march of truth, the dawn of light, and the openings of the providence of God. Christian mis- /^.,— Till PllEFACE. sions are under the divino auspices ! Josus Imma. nual is the Qod of missions 1-^— ** Lu, I am with you.*' Whether his faithful servants are among pagan barbariane, as in New Zealand, the Cape of Good Hope, or Madagascar, the most danger, ous kind of missions ; or whether they are amoqg civilized pagans, as in the east ; or v/hether among the poor harmless negros of the West Indies ; no matter, a nission is the highest walk of human benevolence and love. We live in a golden age^ an era of light. Truth is taking the wings of the morning, to fly to the uttermost parts of the earth.— -The latter-day glory is approaching.— -The ange! who' stands before the golden altar, is presenting the intercessions of God's people for the spread of his gospel. — The door is opened in heaven, and the way of the Lord is preparing upon earth.— His saving truth is made known, and Zion is putting on her beau- tiful garments. — Ethiopia is stretching out her hand to God : the isles are waiting for his law, and the groans of nature in this nether world are inviting his approach.— Millions of voices say, " thy king, dom come," and the signs of the times are grow- ing every day more vivid. Light is spreading ; — scripture is circulating ; — the chariot of the gospel is rolling onward. A translating evangelist— a printing evangelist — and a preaching evangelist, have gone forth like giants refreshed with new winn. The morning star, preceding millenial day, lias begun to appear. The finger of prophecy on the dial of tim^, says, the hour is come.— The signs of Messiah's spiritual advent are more evident,— > The earth is helping the woman. — God's saving fti Preface. IX Dsus Imma. I am with are among the Capo >st danger- are among jther among St Indies ; c of human rht. Truth fly to the r-day glory before the rcessions of rapel. — The vJky of tho Bving truth 1 her beau- >ut her hand iw, and the are inviting * thy king- s are grow- »reading ;— . the gospel ^angelist — a evangelist, 1 with new llenial day, rophecy on —The signs evident. — d's saving n k t health has began to heal tho nations, and tho face of tho covering is taken away. — Truth, with the banner of victory in her hands, is making war with tho rulers of the darkness of this world. — Brotherly love is tolling the funeral knell of bigotry, and social peace is burying the hatchet of pole, mic strife. — The army of the living God is mar- shalling under the great captain of their salvation ; and the banner of the cross is waving on the strong holds of satan.— The man of sin begins to totter,-— the lurid crescent is on its wane, — the virgin daugh. ter of Zion is rising from the dust ; — and the hea- then tribes are casting theii idols to the moles and to the bats. Who is on the Lord's side ? Come forward ye veteran ministers ! Yo young evangelists, enlist in this blessed cause ! In a word, let all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, come forward to the help of the Lord ! to the help of the Lord against the mighty ! In conclusion, the following narrative lays no claim to public patronage as a piece of fine com- position. The author docs not assume the chn- ractor of an elegant writer, for that high office he has neither the learning nor the ability ; but he will conclude in the language of the poet : If you can write a better book Impart it if yuu please, If not on tills with candour look,. And use it at your ease. Princegt street, Shrewsbury, July 14th, 1827. CONTENTS. J- > Letter 1 . Missiona-^Infant State of— Duty of Christians in regard of-^Nivra Sootia. Letter 2. Author enbarks for Halifox-^Incidents of voyage— PruvideveciS'-^i'rivaU Matter 3, Reception in AinerH» — HaK&x— Cliniate— Moralsr- Religion in Mova Scotia. Letter 4. Reflec^ons on mis8ion»— ^How jtfduous-— Trials of missionaries— Mission zeal. Letter 5. Nova Scotia University — Journey to the Interior— Krqt; mission — Wh^t mi^sitms hi^ve doqe. Letter 6. Mistsionnries should keep jpumab— dory oi Christ their grrat object — Should be holy men— Author's mission accidefit in the woods. Letter 7. Canada mission — Missionary visits— How Wesleyan mis- sions first introduced- Mission travelling difficult. Letter 8. Indians— Description of— Mode of life— Gieat need of missions — Severity of the cqld— Sickness. Letter 9. Support missionaries have in affiction — Happiness of Author — Views in prospect of death — Recovery. Letter 10. Visits Gulf of St. Lawrence — Blazed trees — Entertain- ment in 'forests— Dreariness-Success, Letter 11. Labour's along Gulf— Good done — Zral of the Settlers" — Indian luecdote of— Deliverance on the ice — Emigration. Letter 12. Meeting of missionaries — Interesting visits — Pcserter^ —Execution of— Much grace required to make a mis9'onary. Letter 13. Visited Petitcodiac river— Phenomena— .Acadian French —Missionaries should Le hardy— LogJiut»— Ameri- ca, &c. Letter 14. Sailed for New York— Work of God in America— BishofM—Their zea' — Sin^i'Iuaty — ^Labours— Preach- ing in the woods. CONTENTS. xi tians in regard I of voyage>— ite— Moralsr- IM--Trials of the Interior— iqe. lory ot Christ nen— Autbor\- Law paued«*Warrant issued— Missionary appre- hended. r 1 1 -xu CONTENTS* M < I 1 X«e Appeal on behalf of slaves. Solitary missionary-— Mission prospers— Fmt fruits- Mode of proceeding. Missionaries should conciliate — Negro coversion— Taught them to sing^Built a chapel. Negro experience — Bermuda blacks — Mission Sunday j^hools — Negro's capable of instructing. A missisonary requires prudence— Usef'iness among the whites— What hath God wrought— l>eparture. Arrival in New York — War — Made prisoner— Permit- ted to remain— State of reUgion. Camp meeting described — Various effects of— Good done — conclusion. Visited Philadelphia— Anecdote of Doctor Rush— Al- bany — Shaker's described. Albany— Cohos falls— Schenecdady— Thunder storm —Mohawk river. Mohawk falls— Utica— General Brown's army— Lakes described— Indian war dance. Lake Ontario— Rattle snake— Gennessee Falls— 'Ame- rican towns— Lakes— War. Return to New York— P^port— Voyage to England- Conclusion— lines on anniversary, &c. " .< ■■ " ^ ^■V-.J . v-.\ ij >. • . ■:• ■ 't jt :. ^ .: ■-•!' .1 ti^t >"' ' ■ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, In a Sbttit^ of Hettcrjt, LETTER I. The cross display To the bright regions of the rising day : Tempt icy seas, where scarce the waters roll. And bid religion flourish ^neath the pole. Pope, D-EAR SIR,' ''--:]• [-■■:::^//'^"':: '■'■' As your generons heart expands -with the noblest affections of love to God and man, 1 knew not to whom 1 can with more propriety inscribe these letters than to yourself. Your ]ong standing in the Church o f Christ ; together, with your extensive knowledge of most events that have taken place in the christian world, render you well acquainted with botfi the in- fancy, the youth, and also the riper growth of our missionary system. You saw in the cradle the infant Hercules, whom the blessed God, intended should grapple with and finally destroy, the many-headed Hydra, of superstition, idolatry, and sin. And it can- not but be pleasing to you, that the early promise 1 i ;if 12 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. afTorded by our own, and othermissionary institutions, has boon so a})undantly fulfilled ; but is not this a doliglitful proof that the " faithful and true witness,'* both answers the prayers and honors the faith of his sincere followers ; and that ** though heaven and earth j);iss away, one jot or tittle of his word never shall.'* Wlien you consider the vast field of the world, and i*i want of moral culture, you still exclaim, " the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few," Yet while there is much to damp the flame of loving zeal, in the magnitude, difficulties, and comparative infancy of the work, there is also in the pledges and promises of the Son of God, a firm standing ground for the feet of faith. He, whose truth is a rock that cannot be moved ; and to whom ** all power is given in heaven and in earth," will assuredly march forward to the completion of his own gracious designs, till the " ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God." Although it is not for us to " know the times and the seasons which the Father hath hidden from ages," yet as from the putting forth of flowers we know that the spring is near, so from the *' signs of the times," we may infer, that this great moral renovation of nature is not far off. Meanwhile, to us the path of duty is clear ; faith, prayer, zeal, benevolence, and labour arethe watchwords of the day. The development of prophecy, the destruction of anti. christ, and the restoration of the Jews, are the great objects on which we should fix our attention, as mighty events already at the door. For as at the first advent of the Redeemer, a universal expectation pre- vailed of his coming ; and as the universal consent of mankind to the existence of a Supreme Being, is (Considered as no mean proof of the fact ; so the .j>f ori(>ral opinion of christians, that some great events i . NARRATIVE OF A MISSION institutions, not this a e witness,'* faith of his m and earth Bver shall.'* )rld, and !*3 the harvest Yet while zeal, in the fancy of the nises of the feet of faith, noved ; and d in earth," letion of his e earth shall not for us I the Father mtting forth so from the ; this great Meanwhile, rayer, zeal. Is of the day. tion of anti- re the great Lttention, as 3 at the first ;ctation pre. 1 consent of Being, is ict ; so the great events are at hand in the moral world should not be treated as idle impressions. Good men may disagree in their exact data, yet most unite to think the period is not far off: and how does hope spring forward in exulta- tion, and shed its lustre over the intervening period, while every lover of Jesus glows with unutterable feelings while exclaiminc >§: . His chariot will not long delay. We hear the rumblinj; wheels, and say % Triumphant Lord, appear ! Meanwhile it behoves every good man to labour with all his might in this holy vocation : by such diligence both the sweetness of his comfort, the evidence of his piety, and the purity of his love, will be much increased. In co-operating with the Redeemer to save a lost world, the " wisdom that winneth souls'* shall shed a halo round his brow, while the blessing of those who are ready to perish shall be as the dew to fatten his soul. " As mites make the mounUin, moments make the year,'* so every minute effort contributes to the great end. With this view, to cast a mite into the general stock, I hope I am influenced to write these letters. At the period of my engaging in the mis- sionary work, (s'nce which twenty-seven years have elapsed) our missions were then but in their infancy ; we had only twenty preachers employed as missionaries, and these were chiefly stationed in the West Indies ; other parts of the world, the Wesleyan Conference had neither the means of evangelising, nor such pro». vidential openings as have since that period presented themseh/es. They were not the first in this labour of love, and yet they were no sooner possessed of a* small loaf of the bread of life, than they were willing to sh^ire it with their needy heathen neighbours who b2 [I "I 4 NARRATIVE OF A MtSSION. were ready to perish. Two or three thousand pounds were with much difficulty annually collected by Dr. Coke, and the different preachers through their circuits ; but the warm fire of missionary zeal had not then begun to blaze out ; the christian public were not fully alive to the powerful motives which now urge to set their shoulder to the help of the Lord in the work of converting the heathen. With both the Moravian, the Church, the Baptist, and the London Missionary Societ'es, it was a day of small things. That great monument of piety and zeal, the Bible So- ciety, was not then erected. Many among the pious thought missions were romantic speculations, and a too formidable enterprise for christians in general to engage in. The objection was often repeated, that we had heathens enow at home : and some scrupled not to affirm, that the heathens were a much more innocent, harmless, and moral people, than many of the professors of the religion of Jesus. This opinion was much strengthened by some travellers and voya- gers, who whatever were their motives, painted them in such glowing colours, as almost to throw the gos- pel itself into shades. Some even among the truly pious, with an excess of charity (a spurious form of which may even people heaven itself with demons) thought it possible they might under some undefined dispensation of mercy be saved, even without the gospel, if they lived according to their inward light. The latter opinion being supported by some truly great and good men, it was reckoned extremely uncharitable to doubt their salvation : although the same record in which God hath said " he will have all men to be saved," expressly limits the divine benevolence by their ** coniing to the knowledge of NARRATIVE OF A M(8SI0N. 5 and pounds ted by Dr. mgh their J zeal had >ublic were which now [he Lord in th both the the London nail things, e Bible So. ig the pious ions, and a in general peated, that ne scrupled much more an many of This opinion 3 and voya- tainted them >w the gos- ng the truly urious form rith demons) le undefined without the teir inward ed by some d extremely Ithough the le will have the divine lowledge of the truth." A wider door he hath no where oponui, and it is not to the honour o^ any christian man that he should aflR^ct to have more love to the human raro than Jehovah himself. Africa was at this time alniust totally neglected, if we except those who bought tlio muscles and the limbs of men. Save in the interior of the Cape of Good Hope, little had been done to tojwh " Ethiopia to stretch forth her hand to God. " Asijr had enjoyed the labours of the immortal Schwartz, and the Baptists were beginning their blessed wn of being- nposed my pleasure in le voyage. t world of kad all dis. blessing of whispered t a pleasure minister to uld always pious men of a long e but too ) pf eating, small and > more un- the pump, le dash of le captain, \g but the Our crow was a mixture of all nations ; we had also several passengers on board ; but as they did not fear God, they added little to our stock of comfort. We all united to reprove and discountenance open sin, and doubted not of proceeding with innocence and com- fort through the whole of our voyage. Our gallant ships of war had pretty well cleared the ocean of the enemy ; and yet the leakiness of the vessel was a great drawback to our enjoyment, but it drove us to our never-failing refuge, — a throne of grace, and a faithful God. ' The sailors were always at the pumps ; and as the cargo chiefly consisted of salt, more than thirty tons were dissolved in the forty days we were upon the ocean. After the sea sickness had subsided, we spent many truly profitable iseasons, either in sing, ing, reading, prayer, or religious conversation. If at any time the trifling conduct of the other passengers made the large cabin disagreeable, we had an as3tlum in the state room, which was alloted to Mr. Black as the senior missionary ; and here we could pour out our souls to God in prayer. In no place ut situation are there so many obstacles in the way of public and pri- vate devotion as in a small vessel at sea ; and yet this blessed sheet anchor is the soul's only stay, in that painful uncertainty, which seems to hang human life on the jeopardy of every perilous hour. " Sometimes the rolling of the ship prevented us from either stand- ing or kneeling ; at other times in the midst of our stated daily prayers, the captain or mate was loudly called for upon deck ; then a lurch of the vessel put the gravity of our passengers into something more than a smile ; in a word, the shouting of the sailors, the roaring of the waves, and the tossing of the ship, all seemed to conspire against the calmness of recoU 10 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. r^i) :U I; i lection, and the fixedness of the soul in prayer. Still hjwever 1 can say that in ** this exercise my soul often took hold of God ;** and 1 am confident, that much as the stated returns of our devotions wore broken in upon, theii influence had nevertheless a silent and restraining awe upon the minds of both the captaiu and passengers : and I would affectionately recommend to all missionaries, whenever prudent and practicable, to get, as we did, a promise from the captain that wo should have the use of the cabin for morning and evening prayer. As we did not know but any hour might present the appearance of an enemy's vessel, either privateer or national ship, our captain was anxious that all tho passengers, in the event of such a rencounter, should have their stations assigned for the defence of the ship, and as the twelve guns we. carried demanded all the forty hands composing the crew, the missionaries were equipped as marines, with our worthy senior Mr. Black to act as captain. This however I could by no means reconcile to my own views of the unlaw, fulness of war ; sentiments which after a lapse of twenty.seven years I have never seen any reason to change, and I do now from the lively conviction of my soul believe that upon no principle less than the ex« tremest necessity does the christian religion tolerate even what is called by men defensive war — the gospel is the religion of peace. But to return, I calmly told the captain that I could not take arms to kill any of my fellow creatures though coming in the charac- ter of an enemy, when he changed my station in case of an engagement, to work at one of the great guns, a distinction that hardly satisfied my conscience, though I consented to the change. ' Our voyage was NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, It ayor. Still tse my soul nfident, that were broken Et silent and captain and »conimcnd to acticable, to ftin that wo lorning and ght present er privateer that all tho nter, should Fence of the lemanded all missionaries ►rthy senior ver I could ' the unlaw. a lapse of ky reason to iction of my lan the ex« ^ion tolerate —the gospel calmly told ) kill any of the charac. ition in case great guns, conscience, voyage was very rough and stormy, which with the water con- tinually pouring in and running down the sides, made my berth very uncomfortable,'' and I began then to find that the life of a missionary would often require that I should take for my motto ** endure hardness at a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ, ** and can any hope to serve the blessed God without the dicipline of trials ? ' My bed.quilt and blankets were seldom quite dry, and probably nothing but the blessing of God on a good constitution prevented the most serious indis- position. Once indeed I was seiied in the middle of the night with a cramp in my stomach, so severe and alarming that for some time it appeared that both my marine and mortal voyage were almost ended.*^ Yet the merciful God appeared in my extremity, and granted me such consolation of spirit that all fear of death was taken away. In this distress after several things had been applied in vain, one of the mis- sionaries brought me some brandy, requesting I would drink it off, which as my case appeared desperate, I consented to wi^h some reluctance, and the pain immediately abated.' Nothing material oc- curred till we arrived near the Banks of Newfound- land, when a breach was made upon our little cabin family, by the death of a Captain Blunt, one of the passengers. The old man had been taken by the French, but having obtained his liberty, was now returning home to his family in Halifax : alas, how often do our prospects and our graves lie in the same direction. " Here every drop of honey hides a sting ; worms wind themselves into our sweetest flowers:" our comforts all blossom in the vicinity of the tomb. The ancients might well have a death^s head at their feasts. The sword of fate 12 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. trembles over the table of our mercies, dangers lurk in the path of delight, and ** disappointment often smiles at the career of hope.** The christian should " rejoice with trembling :** one eye should be fixed on heaven, and one upon the grave, as becomes a mortal and immortal man. The piety of sailors often shines through the roughness of their exterior manners ; thus it was with poor Captain Blunt, he had much of the sailor, yet was I believe a servant of God. It is not the poli..h of courts, but the piety of the gospel, that fits us for the kingdom of heaven. " But 1 hasten to inform you how we proceeded on our vcyage, 1 beiieve the wisdom of God i^^tended that this should be & good schooling to our patience ; for in addition to the usual trials of our faith, such as a leaky vessel, foul winds, heavy gales, dull hazy weather, and dark nights: we were now chased by a French Corvette Privateer, which bore down upon us in a daring and warlike style. Although fighting and true religion are two things so widely difierent that it would be as difficult to reconcile them, as to prove that they do not exist ; yet on this emergency, even the ministers of peace buckled upon themselves the harness of war, and our pious and truly esteemed Mr. Bla' ' 14 NARRATrVE OF 1 MISSION^ 'nV :\ i - stoae of help, and inscribe upon it our lasting grati* tude for the watchful care of a bentgu and tender providence. The following are the coincident parti- culars of our deliverance. It is probable these ani* mals might have tbllowed the vessel from the time we committed the body of poor Captain Blunt to the great deep. Had not the boat (which it would appear the sharks followed) left the ship at the time she did, the result might have been fatal. Had she gone a little later, or come back earlier, the voracious fish would have found us in the water, and have darted or their helpless prey. Thus the hand that delivered us was visible.; and he that wants eyes to behold, grati- tude to admire, and wisdom to record the timely deli- verance, must possess a strange insensibility of heart, and great want of spiritual discemmcat. It has been finely remarked, " He who notes down the providence of God, shall never want a providence to note.'* ** Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, write them upon thy memory, and engrave them upon the table of thy heart ! for this deliverance I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanks- giving 4 I will pay that I have vowed, salvation is of the Lord.'* We were now within sight of the American coast, bold, steril, and fringed with forests to the water edge ; but a fierce north-west gale had set in, and for some time we did little more than beat up and down,sometimes (to the further trial of our patience) within sight of Samborough Island Light-house, at the entrance of Halifax harbour. When the gale abated, with what emotions of pleasure did we enter the harbour on Sunday evening, the fourth day of October, after a long and tedious passage of six weeks ii'Qm the shores of England, all through tlie boundless VARRATIVE OF A MISSION u mercy of God, in good health, save our brother Bennet, who had been much indisposed during the whole voyage. Having conducted you to the forests of the new world, the theatre oi our missionary labour, 1 will take my leave for the present, and am very dear sir^, .1 Yours, &c. ' ■I: LETTER III. • Bi yon world of stream and shaded , ., , Many an Indian Wigwam trace J. And with words of love persuade ■ ' Savages to sue for grace. Evangelical Mintirel. DEAR SIBt ' V . , , We were now in a new world ; but the God of missionaries is every where, and his blessing had prepared our way. No sooner had we landed in Halifax, than the friend of the mission prepared to give us a> cordial and truly christian reception ; so that we- were abundantly consoled for the roughness of our voyage, and' the storms of the ocean, by the kindness and hospitality we met at our' first landing on the transatlantic continent. Christian friendship becomes doubly sweet, under such circumstances, it is an exhilarating balm to the heart of a stranger on the shores of a foreign land. Halifax, the capital of Western Scotland, though built of wood, wears an elegant, clean and pleasing appearance. The town rises from the water edge of the harbour, towards the oitadel, which commands it ; and having many gar- 16 NARRATIYE OF A MISSIOH* B? If I! '•' I ill: I!: 11 s ^ |>>,'I ij H N , 1 5 k I n Jf' \ ' ■ ; (' ■ i ' ■. 1 t i! •• ■ < I' dens mixed with the variously painted houses, affords to a stranger just escaped the waves of the ocean, an interesting spectacle. It was built by a colony from England, in 1749, and is delightfully situated in Chebucto harbour, one of the finest in all north America, in lat. 44 degrees 44 minutes north, and in longitude, 63 degrees 30 minutes west. The in- let of sea which forms the harbour, is lengthened out far into the country, and forms far beyond the town, a noble expansive sheet of water, called the basin, seemingly land-locked on every hand ; on the banks of this the governor and. several gentlemen of Halifax have elegant seats, and a good road curves along the north-western side of this fine Inlet for nearly ten miles. The town of Halifax is an oblong square, extending from what is called Fresh -water River, southward to the king's dock-yard in a northerly direction : its whole length is about two miles, an^ it contains a large garrison, a naval yard, and a population of about nine thousand souls. The mar- ket is ime,. and for plenty of choice ai:d cheap fish^ is superior to any place in the world. Salmon, mac- kerel, shad, lobsters, halibut and various other kinds are met \4th in the greatest abundance. An anec- dote is told of an English admiral who had lately arrived, and who having ta make an entertainment, sent his servant to purchase a dollar's. worth of lobs- ters, who to his master's no small surprise, brought a whole boat load on board the flag-ship. Halifax abounds with all the blessings of life, and considered as a garrison town, and the metropolis of the province; few places are more free from visible and ofieasive immorality. There are two Episcopal churches, one Presbyterian church, a Methodist chapel and mis- NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. n i. An anee- sion-house : a Roman Catholic chapel and school ; with chapels for the Baptists, Seceders, Quakoi's, &c. The government house is built of free stone, and is a large handsome edifice, commanding a fine view of the harbour. There is also a house for the second in command ; a court-house, a province-hall, where the provincial assembly meets. Ail arsenal, a naval yard, a marine hospital, together with large ranges of barracks both for officers and men. The town is the residence of the governor, the admiral, the bishopi of Nova Scotia, and a number of other officers be- longing to government, such as the judge, the attorney, general, the judge of the admiralty, &c. &c. and proba- bly contains about thirteen hundred houses, many of them handsome, and from their consisting of wood, and being often painted, they do not wear that dingy and sombre aspect of many towns in England. The Wes- leyan mission chapel is not handsome, but is well attends ed, and on the Lord's day in the evening always crowd- ed ; perhaps there are as few of the dark mists of bi- gotry obscuring the moral atmosphere of Halifax as in most parts of the world : many of the inhabitants are intelligent and moral ; and not a few I trust, con- scientious followers of the Son of God. The country round Halifax is by no means fertile, for although the land is clothed with sylvan scenery, the soil is rocky, and the trees are stunted and small : yet with a pleasing mixture of land and water, the prospects are romantic, and owing to the thinness of the soil, the roads are remarkably good. The climate is per- haps more moderate than in any other part of British North America ; the thermometer is, I believe, seldom lower than 16 degrees in winter, and not often higher than 76 in summer. A few Indians of the Micmac *^ c3 taaam li'i . (I 18 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. tribe live in the vicinity of Halifax, and at Dartmouth across the harbour, who get their liv iug by fishing; but alas, these natives of the wilderness are much diminished in every part of the province. In general they are civil and harmless, unless when intoxicated with liquor ; but I fear little pains are taken to en- lighten their benighted minds with the saving truths of the religion of Jesus. Having thus noticed Halifax, the place of my first landing, I must now beg leave to introduce you to a knowledge of that part of British North America, usually called Nova Scotia, or New Scotland : for as this vast and (in England) little known country is the field of my future, missionary labours; it is highly necessary 1 should present you with its general fea- tures and character, which I humbly hope you will not esteem an improper digression from the line of my narrative. You are a lover of mankind, and can- not be indifferent to the moral welfare of eighty or ninety thousand souls ; and as a friend of missions you will rejoice to know, that the Wesleyan and other missions have provided means for their moral welfare. How pleasing is the contemplation to a pious mind, that the christian missions supported in this blessed vatioHf are spreading light and truth not only through, out the British empire, but to the utmost bounds of the habitable world. Who that has the heart of a British christian but desires the conversion of the whole em- pire ? by means co-extensive with its vast territory, and adequate to its moral population. We carry the cross in our national flag ; why should we not carry it in our hearts and lips ? till the *< Redeemer's way be made known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations.** NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 19 / Yes,— his shall be the kingdom. He shall come, . Ye scoffers at bis tarrying ! bear ye not Even now the thunder of his wheels.— Awake Taou slumbering world : even the symphonies Of that blest song are floating through the air,^ "Peace be on earth, and glory be to God !" Nova Scotia is a large peninsula, reaching from the province of New Brunswick into the Atlantic ; it lies between latitude 43 degrees 30 minutes, and 48 degrees 4 minutes north ; and between 58 degrees 50 minutes and 67 degrees west ; its length is 307 miles, its breadth 154, and contains about 14,000 square miles. Most of this land is covered with vast forests of pine, maple, spruce, fir, beach, oak, black and white birch. The settlements are in many parts thinly scattered ; but where the land is good, and in the vicinity of rivers ruore numerous. The whole province is intersected with vast rivers ; there are also abundance of lakes, plentifully stocked with both fish and wild fowl. Its north-east boundary is the gulf of St. Lawrence ; where for four or five months every year, the shores are fiinged with a barrier of ice ; and the desolations of winter rage in all their hyperborean horrors. On the south and south-west it is washed by the waves of the Atlantic ocean. ■ Its western limits are the Bay of Fundy, and the province of New Brunswick, by which it. is separated from the United States of America. When it was in posses- sion of the French it was called Acadia, to denote its indefinite extent. From James the 1st. of Scotland, in the year 1601, it received its present name. In the year 1594, May, an Englishman, touched upon the coast ; and in the year 1598 the Isle of Sable was peopled by a number of French convicts left there by the Marquis De la Roche, who explored the western 20 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ! I . '! parts of Nova Scotia, but made no settlement. In the year 1605 Henry the IV. of France granted the S*««>ur de Mont, a patent of the American territories, from lati- tude 40 degrees north. In the following year that ad- venturer made a settlement in Port Royal, now called Annapolis. In 1613 Annapolis was destroyed by an English expedition from Virginia. In 1621 James the 1st. of Scotland granted Sir William Alexander, of Min- strey, a patent of Nova Scotia, under the n;reat seal of Scotland, and it was created into a palentine, to be held as a fief of that crown, the patentee having the usual power of a court palatine. In 1740 the English government published proposals for the establishment of a new settlement at Chebucto, now Halifax, and an expedition sailed from England in the autumn of this year under General Cornwallis, consisting of two thousand seven hundred persons. Many of the settlers however soon'der.erted, discouraged by the barren- ness of the soil, the severity of the climate, but per- haps more by the hostility of the Indians, who were prompted to war, and furnished with weapons by the Canadian French. The capture however of Canada, by the immortal Wolfe, in 1700, relieved the settlers frihn the dangers to which they were constantly ex- posed, and from this time a great number came over from England, the prospects of the colony began tO brightien, and since that period the province has ad- vanced rapidly in commerce and population. The number of inhabitants is from 80 to 100,000, tlie greater part of whom are of English origin, though considerable numbers have come from-Massa- diusets and Connecticut : there are also many Scotch, Irish, Germans, Dutch, and some few of the old Frenc h Acadians. The Micmac Indians were the MARBATIYE OF A MISSION. 21 ftboriginesy or first inhabitants of the province ; they are sprinkled up and down the interior, but chiefly inhaMt the eastern shores, between Halifax and Cape Breton ; they had about three hundred warriors among them, but now chiefly subsist on fishings hunting, and making baskets, which they sell to the white inhabitants : their moral state is truly wretched,, as well as their political ; for save a few shades of that popish superstition which debases the mind, and shuts out the pure light of the gospel, they know but little of true religion, and remain chiefly in the darkness of nature ; but as in the course of these letters I shall resume this subject, I vrill now proceed. . The principal towns in Nova Scotia are as follow : Halifax, the capital ; where we have a mission-house and chapel : Picton, on the north-east, here the Scotch Church has a iiouri»itiiig fii'tssioa. LivcrpoGl,, c;i tha shores of the Atlantic, has a good chapel, and the missionary visits Port le Have, Port le Bare, and several other fishing settlements in the vicinity. Annapolis, (formerly Port Royal) is another mis- sionary station ; here the missionary visits Digby, Granville, Wilmot Mountain,, Waldec settlement, Nictau, the residence of Colonel Bayard;, and several other places on each bank of the Annapolis river.. At Windsor, Horton, Shelburne, Barrington,, West- moreland, Granville, Sackville, Pont de Bute,. Ramshag, and many other places we have chapels, . most of which will hold from three to five hundred people, and on the Lord*s day are often well filled with serious and well-behaved congregations. Nova. Scotia is the diocese of a bishop, who has under- his jurisdiction, the province of New Brunswick,, the Islands of Cape Breton, and St». John*s,^ (pow NARRATIVE OF A MlSSIOlf^ 'I : Prince Edward's) and about thirty clergymen, who are missionaries, chiefly supported by the Christian Knowledge Society in England, and a glebe allowed them by the province. The Scotch Church has several missionaries, chiefly in the eastern part of the colony ; and the New Lights, a sect of the Baptists, who emigrated from the United States, have a number of ministers ; some of these last were pious judicious men, but others of them by their unguarded mode of stating the doctrine of salvation by grace, often wounded the practical and experimental parts of religion ; and by representing the yoke of obedience as a wreath of thorns, which the blei^ned Jesus having worn in our stead, asserted we were delivered from the obligation of putting it on. Of the other minis- ters I shall say little, it is not my province in these letters to turn censor, >* charity hopeth all things.** 1 trust they were serving the Lord in the gospel of his dear Son. The province was nevertheless greatly des. titute of both ministerial and pastoral aid, and many settlements along the shores of the sea, on the banks of rivers, and deep in the recesses of the forest, were deprived of the " joyful sound,** and might: plaim-. tively say, ** the sound of the church going bell, these forests and lakes never heard.** Ah, air, how solitary is that wilderness life,, that is never beguiled by the stated returns of the beautiful and heart-re- viving worship of God in- his lovely^ sanctuary ; and yet myriads of the settlers in America, have put themselves out of this pale of comfort^ to obtain ** the bread tjiat perishes** in the using. To reach these wanderers in the wilderness, the Wesleyan mission was divinely intended, and from the increasing num- ber and moral de, pure in motive, chaste in afjfectioii, and holy in life. I was entering upon a sphere of duty which requires all the zeal of a Xavier, the prudence of a Martyn, the patience nnd faith of an E'liot, the fortitude of a Brainerd, the self-denial of a Lopez, aad the nieekness and perseverance of a Schwartz : bift alas, sir^ I was young in the school of Christ; ofn* j} important lessons I only knew the alphabet ; and instead of bcii^g iit to tuke the helm in a storm^ I had hardly learned the points of tho com- pass. I had now in my reflection, and soon after in my experience; cause of deep regret, that J had not previously to my embarking on so important an un- dertaking, laid in a greater stock of wisdom, pru- dence, patience, and heavenly mindedness. ! oAen look back with .ictonishment and gratitude at the dealings of the Lord with me : a variety of trials soon taught me, tliat a loving knowledge of God, as a reconciled father, and a warm and ardent desire to glorify his name, are^but two of the many important qualifications necessary for an a'ble missionary : true, but you say " I was not going among savages and barbarians. " I grant a more dangerous mission might have requfred apostolic wisdom and holiness ; but any service of the blessed God, in the missionary field, demands much singleness of eye and purity of intention. Ifoung men not brought into ihe arena uf conflict, hardly know how little grace they possess ; they are apt to think their stock much greater than it is in reality; and having few ** fiery trials,* » to call into operation faith, patience, and wrestling prayer ; they mistake the absence of trials fcr the power of grace ; but when the weight and impor- >tance of the work rushes upon the soul, and the NARRATIVE OF ▲ MISSION 27 i arena ui trials of the ministry irritate the corruptions of the heart; when the danger of disgniceful failure stares one full is the face ;. when one has to preach com. fort one does not feel, and ^ress promises one can> not take hold of ; when we pledge ourselves to the faithfulness of God, and yet we have not brought him to redeem those pledges ta ooi .elves ; this is a state of thing.s that oftea extorts the cry " Lord help me'^l hold me up ! and wrings from the heart the "who is sufficient for these tilings/* I would not limit the holy one of Israel," and say that out of " the mouths of babes and sucklings he can. not perfect praise"; but there is the schooling uf the heart in the ways of God, which I still think indispensible to great usefulness, whether at home or abroad^ 1 had, while in England, earnestly be. sought the Lord to open a door in which 1 might act as a nyssionary. I believe^ 1 was. sincere, bat now I feared I had not sufficiently " counted the cost." It 's one thing to sail on the smooth surface of a calm and tranquil summer sea, and another to take the helm in the turbulence of a tempest, and in the midst of shoals and breakers. ** A missionary is peculiarly called to prepare for trials of the most formidable kind ; he must \ irtually bid fare, well to friends, pleasures, and comforts, and stand ii! readiness to endure the greatest sufferings in the work of his Lord and master. It is incon. sistent with ministers to pleasd themselves with the thoughts of a numerous a::aitery, cordial friends, a civilized country, legal protection, affluence, splen. dour, or even a competency : the slight and hatred of men, false friends, gloomy prisons, and tortures ; (he society of barbarians of uncouth speech, miser.. »2 28 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, u i ;J I !|' able accommodations in wretched wildernesses ; hunger and thirst ; nakedness, weariness, and pain- fulness ; hard work, and little worldly encourage- ment, should rather be the objects of their ex- pectations." * Thus, sir, the apostles acted in pri- mitive times ; they drew tho sword and threw away the scabbard ; they debarked on the enemies coast and burnt their ships, that they might have no temptations to retiirn. They provided no armour for the back, because they were resolved to face their foes ; having " counted the cost '* they rushed forward in the enterprise, and never flinched till they had "turned the battle to the gate of glory.'* This spirit I have often lamented the want of in the course of my mission; and if it wtio pro- per to make these letters a record of my many miscarriages, as I shall of some portion of my experience, I might point out to my young brethren in the missionary ministry, theScylla and Charybdis, on which I have often been in danger of ship- wreck. I was now cut off from the company and help of my senior brethren ; those, grave and holy men who might have safely piloted me aright through a critical navigation ; and having the helm left in my own hands, 1 was becoine painfully sensible of the difficulties of my situation, which the want of mature and deep experience rendered still more formidable. I will Miot say, sir, that these reflections occurred to my mind at one period, or that they were all presented as in a mental pane- rama, during the course of one journey, and that too the first I performed in the way to ny desti- nation ■ but this I will affirm, that a deep sense of ♦ Dr. Carey. NARB1.TIVE OF A MISSION. 29 my unfitness and unpreparedncss for so great a work was most painfully present to my mind. Per* haps, in part, my depressing reflections might be superinduced upon the stock of gloomy unbelief, which is frequently disposed to sink, and make the heart sad at the threshold,, or onset of a divine career; for even the hearts of the holiest,, and best of men,, may be in heaviness and fear, by the anticipation of trials, congregated and for- midable. The painful musing? of my mind, were not a little augpnented by the appearance of the country th; lugh which 1 passed ; which, save the wild solitary dreariness of a vast wilderness, offered v^otbing either to chacni the ey«, or cheer the .- fits. Thus my first journey in North America was both: tedious and uncomfortable. I was however going upon a good errand ; pleasant scenery and delightful landscapes, may please the mere traveller, but the christian missionary should have a nobler object than: the beauties of a flower, the genus of a plant,, or the altitude of a mountain. The honour of his master, the salvation of multitudes, and the difiusion of truth and piety, should sv allow up every minor consideration.. He is secitto save lost men, and whether his .3t may be cast t?^x>n the deserts of Tartary; the wilds of Missc> t> jf the snowy clifls of Caucausus ; he shou'd :' K >ep this object in view, and be willing to go to the «.! is of the earth in order to save perishing sinners. Were we to link eternity, to our present mode of thinking and acting ; did we keep full in our faith's eye the vivid impression of eternal realities ; did we live under the influence of daily anticipated death ; how would our zeal brighten, our spiritual-- d3 n T • ;( 30 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. mindedness increase, and the glory and grandeur of Christ* s kingdom appear in their all important light. O ye holy apostles ! who " counted not your lives dear, so that ye might finish your course with joy ; " and ye blessed men who have gone to Greenland, to La- brador, and to ^Tartary ! Ye have made it evident, that neither the charms of the country, nor the mild- ness of climate, had any influence on your god.like calculations. It was not a motive that weighed in your minds, whether the vallies were covered with ice, or grass, or sand, so that the ** word of God might have free co .'*' dnd be glorified. '* And shu.< .)t I, at God and duty's call. Fly to the utmmt limits of the ball ? Cross the wide sea, along the desert toil; Or circumnavigate each Indian isle. To torrid regions fly, to save the lost, Or brave the rigours of eternal frost ? I may, like Brainerd, perish in my bloom, A group of Indians weeping round my tomb : I may, like Martyn, lay my burning head. In some lone Persian hut, or Turkish shed : I may, like Coke, be buried in the wave : I may, like Howard, find a Tartar grave ; Or perish, like a Xavier, on the beach. In some lone cottage out of friendship's reach : '' I may— but never let my soul repine; *< Lo I am with you ;''— heaven is in that line : Tropic, or Pole, or mild or burning zone. Is but a step from my celestial throne ! Evangelical Minstrel. Late in the evening I arrived at Windsor, and was kindly entertained at the house of Mr. Church, a respectable and pious colonist, and here shall take my leave for the present, and am, dear sir. Yours, &c. > i NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 91 LETTER V. Sovereign of worlds display thy power, Be this thy Zion's favourM hour ; Bid the bright morning star arise, . . And point tiie nations to the skies. ,, , ■ Set up thy throne W!re Satan reigns. On Ai'ric^s shores, on India's plains. On wilds and continents unknown. And be the universe thine own. Anonymous. DEAR SIRf M V last letter left me at Windsor, on the way to my mission in the interior of Nova Scotia. Windsor is a small neat town, on a river of the same name, which falls into the basin of Minas, some distance below the town. The town is upon the hi^h road that leads to Annapolis, Royal, and the Bay of Fundy. It ig a pleasant and desirable situation, and is surrounded for a few miles, with some of the best land in all the province. The large quarries of gyp- sum in the neighbourhood make a brisk little trade from this place to the city of St. John. Near the town, upon an eminence, stands the university of British North America, — poor withering plant ; this is not the most congenial soil for such an institution : we should never go beyond nature in our calculations ; a land of woods may for these forty years to come dispense with such a foundation. The few lawyers, doctors, and clergymen, required for infant colonies can never furnish students for a large university ; and those who are probably destined to follow the plough- tail, cut down maple logs, and domicile in the forest, may very well spare a few scraps of Latin and Greek, 32 KARBATIVE OF A MISflON.. f 'rt The institution was, 1 am told, also intended for our Colonies in the West Indies ;; but alas ! few planters send their yellow offsprings here for education; a very little literature is necessary where the whip i» the only logic, aod^ sensual pleasure the sole element. Cruelty and avarice are seldom found in alliance with learning and genius. The Rev. Mr. Cockrane acted as. lecturer, professor and president, with one- or two inferior masters under his jurisdiction. During my stay in Windsor, I had an opportunity of preaching to a respectable little company in a private house. The mission-chapel was a little out of town, and as the weather had become vevy cold, a dwelling*> house w^s considered preferable. The custom of preaching in private houses prevails much during the winter, through most parts of the province ; many of the little chapels are built in the woods, and being frequently in- an unfinished state, and withal not h&ving stoves to warm them, are insufferably cold during four or five months in the year. Formerly, religion flourished in this town, and much good was done, but of late, whether from the want of mission- aries, or some other cause, the lovely plant seemed much on the decline, and great indifference, gaiety, and fashion prevailed in its place ; for though there was a church and a small Methodist chapel, I saw little vital Christianity ; still there were a few that worshipped God in the spirit, and Mr. Man, who had come up from Halifax, engaged to spend some time at Windsor, Newport, and the neighbourhood, to revive if possible the dying embers of their lo\e and zeal. After waiting a little while for the packet, I sailed down the Windsor river, and across the Basin of Minas NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. sa to my mission. This fine sheet of water is more than one hundred miles in circuit, it receives into its bosom the large rivers Picton and Cobbcquid, as well as the Windsor, Horton, Cornwallis, and many others; and then rushing through a narrow ^nd rapid strait, pours its copious tribute of waters into the Bay of Fundy. Here, sir, all is the wildncss and grandeur of primeval nature. Thie dreariness of many parts of this country are beyond dfeScription, particularly the sea coasts ; the rocks rise with a fearful and ab- rupt boldness from the edge of the )vater, so that in foggy weather you may run the bowsprit against them before you are aware, a circumstance which not unfreqnently takes place. Within the country there are myriads of acres of unciiltivnied woodland. O my poor countrymen ! could half 'a million of you, with pious and industrious habits, be trstAsplanted to this part of America, what a garden niight y6ii not render it. Under your auspices, trade, commerce, navigation, and religion would flourish ; these bays would be spotted with your vessels, these forests would resound with hymns of praise, towns would rise in the wilderness, and these rivers would bear your industry to the various islands of the sea. We should not see as now, a spot sloped here and there out of the vast woods, leaving all the m^st a conti- nuous sea of trees. In three days I arrived at the theatre of my mis- sionary labours ; they had long been destitute,. hence they received me with much kindness and christian affection; but you will observe, sir, they were not heathens, they were not blacks, I had no strange lan^^uage to learn ; you will ask, how then could I be a missionary ? that question I am ready to ask. 34 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. lit I;! ( !■ myself. He only is a true missionary, who carries his life in his hand, and who " counts it not dear*' to sacrifice among savages. He who plunges into the regions of idolatry, and bids defiance to " the rulers of the darkness of the worlds** The apostles were men of this class ; they who first converted the Gauls, the Sythians, the Goths, the Vandals ; they who preached the gospel where before the cross was never planted i whose mighty faith in God, lifted them above the fear of danger, and whose disinterested piety raised themauperior to every motive but that of doing good. 1 grant, th«re is a sense in which every dUigent, faithful, and laborioua minister of Christ, is a missionary ; still, however, not in those higher walks of danger and ua e fuine w s that call for the mightiest faith, and the most heroic piety. I found a loying, welLinformed, and hospitable people, and 1 entered upon my mission among^ them, under few disadvantages beside an humbling sense of my great unfitness for so important a work ; and yet, in the beginning of my poor labours,, the Lord did not " despise the day of small things,.** nor did the affectionate people despise my youth and inexpe. rience. The Westmoreland mission consisted of a chain of settlements, stretching from the river Nappan on the east, to the river Petitcodiac on the west, a distance of about forty miles ; it consisted of scattered planta- tions and villages, many of them newly redeemed from the forest ; with vast tracts of marsh land, over which man claimied divided empire with the sea. These settlements Were connected together by links of forest, from four to ten miles in extent ;. in some of which a few settlers demanded our labours, but P li IfAltnATIVE OF A M188IOV. 35 who carries it not dear** plung^es into Dce to " tho The apostles st converted h.e Vandals ; fore the cross n God» lifted disinterested e but that of which every 3r of Christ, those higher call for the Jtj. I found people, and 1 I, under few I of my great yet, in the ord did not nor did the and inexpe- of a chain of ppan on the t, a distance ered planta. y redeemed ih land, over th the sea. er by links it ;. in some abours, but in most of these solitary places, the word of God was scarce, and they had rarely an opportunity of hearing it, except they visited the more populous parts. The places which more especially shared my labours, were Pont de Bute, formerly a French colony ; Sackville, or Tantramar, about ten miles from the former ; in both of these we had neat little chapels, and from these two, as central places, I visited Membranoook, or Dorchester, the banks of the Petitcodiac river, on both sides of which there were settlements. Nappan, which was another ex- tremity of my line of labour : Amherst, Fort Law- rence,' Fort Cumberland, Bay de Vert, on the gulf of St. Lawrence ; as the whole sphere of my mission was only about twenty miles from the gulf. This part of North America forms the boundary Isthmus, between the two provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It is about twelve miles across from dea. to sea, which might easily be connected by lengthening the creek of Fort Lawrence, so as to make the whole of Nova Scotia a complete island, and one of the largest in the whole empire. My mission extended about twelvetniles into one province, as far as the river Nappan, and between twenty and thirty in the other, as far as Dorchester. I had arrived at the very worst time of the year, the beginning of winter, hence the roads were become dismally bad ; yet the people came far and near to hear the word: I found some old disciples, who had embraced the truth many years ago in England, and also in the United States. Ah, sir, could you have seen your solitary wanderer in this strange country, on his little white American horse ; sometimes pon- •dmng at the edge of a broken floating bridge, musing 30 KABRATIVE OP A MISSION. I I: ' with anxious solicitudo, how ho might pass in safety ; at other times posing which of the forest tracts would lead him to the place of his destination ; now sitting iu a canoe, while his horse, which he held by the bridle, swam alongside ; all his paraphernalia of study and improvement contained in his saddle-bags ; his mind often poised between hope and fear, whether the badness of the weather and roads would permit the people to assemble ; and perplexed in thought, how, or in what manner he might address them. Some of my trials in preaching arose from the want of previous retirement and prayer ; often from the fighting of dogs, which the settlers brought with them to the place, and not seldom from the smokiness of the room in which the meeting was held ; on some occasions a log school-room. Still, however, amidst all my discouragement, I felt graciously determined to devote myself wholly to the work of my mission ; the spirit of my blessed office fell upon me by degrees ; for though 1 was much too small for the niche I had to fill, 1 resolved unceasingly to preach the Lord Jesus, and to cleave to him with full purpose of heart. My firame of spirit in preaching was often tender, and many who attended were graciously moved, though I had to lament, that the word was not as a " nail fastened in a sure place.'* When my soul was in a sweet loving frame, it appeared as if I had but to speak, and the word would bear down all before it ; but ah, the depravity of the human heart ! Young preachers and missionaries should not be over san. guine, lest want of immediate success overwhelm them with discouragement, as was often the case with me : the " wind bloweth where it listeth ;" duty is ours, effect, impression, success, cometh from God. The NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 37 conversion of one soul is worth the labour of a whole life. Many wonder why missionaries are not more successful, but should they not reflect, how patiently ministers at home have to labour with comparatively little fruit ! Sinners are not converted under every sermon, even when delivered by the holiest and most eloquent preachers ; .the shield of unbelief repels the arrows of conviction, and thousands of God's ministcr^t are compelled to exclaim, ** who hath believed our report. and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed." In the midst of my discouragements, the people treated me with great kindness and affection, they bore with my weakness, youth, and inexperience, and some of the aged and pious nobly held up my hands in the Lord. Frequently a goodly company would ride with me through the woods, to my va- rious appointments ; who by singing hymns of praise, gave beautiful reality to those lines, Lo ! the wastes have heard a voice, Barren deserts now rejoice ! Truly the prophet's words were accomplished, " the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall blossom as arose." Fo- rests that were formerly vocal only with the growling of the bear, the croaking of th-i bull-frog in the swamps, and the yell of the savage Indian, were now consecrated with the voice of praise. In the place of the birch-covered wigwam of the Micmac, the sylvan chapel was seen to raise its head, amid stately pines, towering birch, and sugary maples. Ah, sir, what new creations in foreign lands, has the gospel effected, by the means of humble missionaries. Let E NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ? * the oiicmics of missions cast their eyes over our West I India plantations, whero ' Each Hunny island of the western main, Each orange grove, where bloom and heauty reign } Each fair plantation, river, hill, and dale, W here the cancit rise, or cedar scents the gale ; And negroes swarm along the fervid land, Has seen the lovely day-spring from on high, The pledge of peace the harbinger of joy. Let them turn their attention to the islands of ) the south -sea, ' were savages embracing the gospel have b^en moulded to simplicity, industry, truth, and love. ' Shifting the scene, let them glance an eye towards the ' Capo of Good Hope, and the in- terior of southern Africa, what do 1 see ? a village of Hottentot- christians ! what do I hear ! the voice ■ of praise > amidst the wildncss of the desert ; the decent mission chapel strikes my eye, and every bush is an oratory for prayer. Next let me con- ■ duct them - to India, have missions performed no transformations there ? yes, even beneath the shades •of the mighty temple of . Juggernaut, and on the plains of' Orissa. The gospel is read in Bengalee, in Sungskiri, in Tamu], in Telinga : In my mind's eye, I see the holy .nuuBsionary standing amid the bazaar, opening and applying >the scriptures to a group of eager and enquiring 'Hindoos. I sec him giving copies of the word of life. I hear it read by the Brahmin at the door of his temple, and by the Mahomcdan at the gate of his mosque. i view the millions of India enquiring the path of happmeps, and thirsting for the water of life. I next turn my attention to Labrador, to Greenland, to Tartary^ where the patient Moravian has planted the cross in fields of ice, and bade the rose of Eden i- NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 30 er our West to bloom amid tho dreariness of the desert. Have missions done nothing, sir ? What is tho whole of Christianity ? in Europe, in Asia, in Africa,. in America but the one grand and glorious work of missions. J will beg- leave to conclude this letter by a hasty tribute of respect to the memory of that great and , good n.issionary, bishop Hober. , The golden bowl is broken, . And loos'd the silver cord ; And Hcl)er, by this token, To Edcu'8 bowers butii sourMj The Roiil emancipated. Tor evermore iti free, The bishop saint translated, , To a celestial See. . . What though he cross'd tlic ocean, To Indiums coral strand, An altar of devotion, To build in heathen land ; Soon as the holy pastor, His Wiirk of love lie!j;un, To preach salvation's nhnsier^ His master said ** well done." Flow soft thou mighty river, From out thy snowy bower,* Who, who shall notv deliver. The east from erroi-s power ? • Cease muse thy plaintive story, . The Lord for ever reigns ! ; Though Hebcr's fled to glory. Light flames o^er Ganga's plains ! I am, with sentiments of respect, dear sir. Yours, &c. * Himmaleh Mountains. 40 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, LETTER VI. See Jehovah's banner furl'il, Slieath'd his sword — he speaks— tis done, Aiid the kin;^donis of the world Arc the kingdoms of his Son . He shall reij;ii i'roni pole to pole, With illimitable sway ; He shall rei{;n, when like a scroll Yonder heavens have pa'ss'd away. Montgomery. DEAR Silt, As I did not keep a regular journal, a circumstance which I have often greatly regreted, and which I would most affectionaloly rcconnnend to all who go upon missions: I can only fiirnit.h you v.ith h>;ch gencrr.' outlines as may serve to inform you of the nature of the mission, and some of the dif- ficulties arising out of travelling from place to pbce in a newly settled forest ecuntry. \ would not, however, enlarge upon th"Pe difficulties with the remotest view of reflecting a single lustre upon the writer of these letters. No, sir, 1 seek his praise whose eye is on the heart ; my record is with him. If my weak effoits in the best of all cause?, have been beneficial to one soul, it is enough. J trust the " searcher of iiearts" knows, that I write these letters to pro- n-ote the same blessed cause, for which, had I youth and strength, I would gladly employ all my bloom of life, and energy both of mind and body. Should , a general history of our missions ever be compiled, J these letters may serve to cast some light on our early British American mission. I wish I could so write as never to name myself, without at the siame 8-', . NARRATIVE OF A MISSION 41 time exalting my divine master. O that the worm aUuded to, might be the scaffolding on which the pious reader may climb to him ! 1 will assure you, I blush, I am ashamed at the meanness, weakness, and sinfulness of those duties, which 1 here solemnly disclaim ?3 unworthy of the least notice of God or man, and from my heart appeal to the fountain oi mercy, . Forgive my crimes,. forg:ive my duties too, Those lesser faults, half converts to the right. If in these letters I interweave here and there some remarks vpon the country, I hope 1 shall be excused, as perhaps there is not a country in the British Empire of ««rhich less is known than of this part of North America, and I am ashamed to say that a little while before I embarked for these shores, I was completely ignorant of all their grand geogra- phical features, and I am apprehensive, sir, that there are myriads of even well-iriformed people in this nation, who symbolize with me in this igno- rance. At the same time, lest I should promise too much upon this point, it i«! not my intention of in- terweaving with these letters things beyond my line. Had my previous knowledge qualified me for such subjects, and my active 9nd constant engage- ments permitted, 1 might have made excellent col. lections in botany, entymology, ornithology, concho. ^^SYi ^^^ many other parts of natural history. Many things which 1 have seen as .*arities in museums and collections, 1 could easily have , ac- cumulated, but I dzn not particularly sorry that I did not possess this knowledge, as it might have called off my mind from things of more vital iroportJ*" ;3. I fear, sir, this may be considered by £3 42 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. many as a plea for ignorance ; but however some may blush that missionaries are not in the train of science, the interest of bible truth will lose nothing by their coveting earnestly more excellent things. If I have any regrets upon this head, they arise from the reflection, that a thirst after curi- ous knowledge, and a taste for a variety of books too much damped the sacred flame, and called me off from that singleness of eye, simplicity of inten- tion, and oneness of business, which ought to have been the reigning temper of my mind, and the prin- ciple end of my life. To a missionary particularly, the glory of Christ, and the salvation of souls, should be all in all. He is i^ot sent out to make elegant drawings of landscapes, to fill a port-folio with things curious, to stuff birds and animals, to c ollect insects, shells, and minerals, in order to write a costly and scientific work when he comes home ; his great business is to save souls, and whatever bears not upon this, is irrelevant to his calling. Time devoted to other pursuits is sacrilege upon his precious hours, a departure from his high calling, and a wrong done to the precious souls of those he is sent to bring to God. I do not, 1 call truth to witness, make these remarks upon the prin- ciple of the fable of the fox and the grapes, but from a conviction of soul, that the one great work of a missionary preacher, is to lay '^all his time, talents, studies, labours, influence, nay, his whole '* body, soul, and spirit," his united man, all he hath, is, and can, under contribution to the glory of his covenant God and Saviour, the building up his church, and the forwarding of his purposes of mercy, wisdom, and love to a lost world : this, sir, [if NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 4f% wever some in the train I will lose re excellent head, they after curi- ty of books d called me ity of inten- ight to have nd the prin- particularly, in of souls, )ut to make a port-folio 1 animals, to •der to write )mes home ; id whatever his calling, rilege upon igh calling, Ills of those not, 1 call )n the prin- Ihe grapes, B one great lay '^all his , nay, his ed man, all to the glory building up purposes of I : this, sir, is the true spirit a missionary should breathe ; and all beside, *' though learned with labour, and acquired with care," though glittering in the eyes of the world, and calculated to enshrine his name with lustre, are but as " dung and dross." "I am determined," said an holy missionary, " to know nothing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified." O to carry the life-giving power in one's soul ; to have an unction in one's ministry ; to be spiritually-minded ;" to " live within the veil ;" to speak only '* as becometh the oracles of God ;" to be ** pure in heart," chaste in eye, and " crucified to the world, " with its affections and lusts, are what all true missionaries should labour after, as their '* special vocation," and principle pursuit. But lest you should think that in these letters I am turning teacher, and censor of my brethren, at whose feet 1 am not worthy to sit, I will return to the thread of my narrative. As you are doubtless curious to know in what manner 1 performed the labours of my missions, the following sketch of my duty will serve a tolerable clue ; I would, however, except some occa- sions, when I made a tangent from my ordinary duty, by visiting some new place, not within the immediate bounds of my mission : some of these visits I may hereafter note, and 1 trust the account of them will give relief to the picture. You will perceive, that as far as is practicable upon our missions, we preserve the itinerant plan, a plan which is the palladium of Wesleyan Methodism at home ; although we no where carry this plan to the extent thought ner;essary by that ever-to-be- lamented minister of Christ, the late pious and 44 NAIiRATIVB OF ▲ MISSION. I' f 1^ E ! ' :> 1 |H f , ! li* !| If J l: ^H 't amiablo Will' am Ward, Baptist missionary in Sa- rampore. His view upon this subject was, that after a missionary had in one place planted a church, he should proceed to the next uncultivated spot, and raising the standard of the cross, endeavour to plant a second, and a third, and so on : this would perhaps be more on the model of the apostles, and our first venerable founder than any other plan ; but the present regulations of our connexion, will by no means admit of such an undefined latitude in our labours. When my appointments were on the Lord's day at Pont de Bute, a chapel em- bowered in the woods ; on Monday 1 rode to Fort Lawrence, and preached in the kitchen of Thomas Roach, esq. On Tuesday I rode to Amherst, and the inhabitants collected in the court-house. On >Vednesday I rode to Nappan Piver ; where I put up and preached at Mr. Pike's. On Thursday I returned to another angle of the mission, and preached at the house of squire Wells, a pious magis- trate and truly excellent man. On Friday I returned to my worthy friend's, Mr. William Trueman, at Pont de Bute, my usual home, and on Saturday prepared to cross the marsh to Sackville or Tan- tramar, to be there on the Lord's day. This journey sometimes cost me trouble, and exposed me to dan- ger and peril ; as the marsh was frequently (from the overflowing of the watei ) a complete sea, and the danger of crossing it was great, owing to the various creeks and deep dykes which intersected it in all directions. At these seasons 1 was obliged to have a guide, who rode before me with a long pole in his hand, which as the waters were muddy, he frequently plunged to the bottom, some distance i' NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 45 lary in Sa- t was, that id a church, ivated spot, endeavour so on : this the apostles, other plan ; inexion, will ned latitude its were on chapel em- :ode to Fort 1 of Thomas mherst, and -house. On vhere I put Thursday I lission, and pious magis- y I returned Trueman, at )n Saturday ille or Tan- 'his journey me to dan. lently (from jte sea, and w'mg to the iit«rsected it was obliged with a long i^ere muddy, me distance before him, to ascertain the vicinity and direction of the creeks or dykes, into which, if we had unawares plunged, our lives might have been en- dangered. In this manner, 1 had to cross six or seven miles of overflowed marsh, but thanks to my preserving God, he taught me to sing In all my ways tby liaiid I own, Tiiy lulin*^ providence ? see. I usually preached at Sackvillo on the Lord's day, when on the western side of the marsh, and on Monday set off through the woods on my rout to Membrancook, or Dorchester, the western extremity of my mission. In this settlement I sometimes preached in one place and sometimes another, to meet the scattered state of the inhabitants. On Wednesday or Thursday 1 usually returu^ \ through the forest to Dorchester. This was one of my most dreary journeys, as I had to ride twelve miles of miserable road through a dreary wilderness ; but this, sir, is thought nothing of in America. In these woods Zimmerman might have realized his solitude to perfection. Not the solitude of an ele- gant and retired villa, in the vicinity of some populous city ; but a loneliness which probably would have extorted even from him, O solitude where are the charms That sages have seen in thy face ? There is, sir, a solitary loneliness in the woods of America, to which no language can do adequate justice. It seems a shutting out of the whole mo- ral creation ; a silence and separation from all noise, save the rustling of the leaves, and from all objects but the lofty trees, whose umbrageous foliage shut 46 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, i out half the day ; a solitude that turns the mind full upon itself, as though you were the only object in creation ; where there is nothing to disturb the communion of the mind with its own thoughts, or to divert it from intercourse with the God of nature and redemption. How might the pensive and me- lancholy Cowper have realized his own favourite wish, O for a lodge in some vast wilderness! Some boundless contiguity of shade ! I cannot here omit mentioning, a particular mercy of divine providence, which happened as I was one day passing this dreary portion of wilderness : in going down a steep hill, my horse threw me over his head ; and as I fell chiefly on my side and face, 1 was bruised and shook in a dreadful man. ner, and for some minutes, hardly knew whether my life and mission were not both about to ter- minate. After the severe stunning.had subsided, I got upon my feet, but my horse had run away, and was at some distance in the same direction I was going. Night was coming on, and what I should do, I knew not. I had nearly eight miles of the wood to pass, and that a miserable road : I had an appointment to preach the same night, was much bruised and withal weighed down, and impeded with my boots, and a heavy top-coat. In this dilemma, however, the hand of God appeared in my behalf, and sent to my aid two men, who were coming through the forest in an opposite direction. By their timely assistance, I was enabled to catch my horse, which remounting, I rode to my appointment, and preached away most of my soreness, stiffness, and fatigue; -■; l: ); NARR>TIVE OP A MISSION. 47 though the bruises on mv face were some time before they got well. Soir sir, may smile at the relation of what they may deem a tri vial incident ; but perhaps it may not occur to them, that the " hairs of our head are numbered," and that as nothing is too mighty, so neither is any thing too minute, for the interference of divine providence. Like the circumambient air, creation's lucid robe. Providence with tender care, encircles all the globe ; Every mystic link of love, in that golden chain I see, Reaching from the throne above, and touching even me. I mentioned above, that I arrived in time to preach at the house of my worthy friend, Mr. John Fawcett, at the upper end of the Tantramar iettle- ment : himself and his brother William, two worthy old English farmers, were staunch friends to the mission ; they had been long settled in the country and had brought their religion with them across the atlantic ocean. At the house of the latter, I had many seasons of comfort and profit ; they were truly godly people, of the good old English stamp, and with his two sons and daughter-in-law, greatly held up my hands, and ministered to my wants. It is often a blessedly adapted provision of providence, that such persons are raised up for the comfort of foreign missionaries. Christian friend- ship in such remote scenes, is like a stream in the desert, or the fragrant oil poured upon the head of the Jewish high-priest. At the house of Mr. Fawcett, jun. lived a young woman who was deeply pious, and exemplary in all her deportment, who sometime before this, had Iain three days and nights in a trance, and had seen and heard things of which she seldom would speak, but the vision 48 KARRATIVE OF ▲ MISSION. >li whatever it was, had left the deep impression of ^seriousness stamped upon her whole behaviour. I am, dear sir, with sentiments of respect and esteem, Yours, 5cc. i^^>» LETTER VII. i I \'\m im II ): O'tr a dark and a slumbering Morld, For ages involved in gloom ^ Tlie banner of Hgbt is uufurPd, A summer of glory shall bloom : And irutli like the silvery ray That springs from the womb of the morn, Ls sheding the twilight of day, O'er regions benighted and lorn : A light from the stars as they move, A soft silent radiance shall fail. But the Lamb in his glory and love, Tninsccnds and eclipses them all. Autlior. DEAR SIR, In the preceding letter, I endeavoured to give you some information on the subject of my first missionary appointment, particularly in relation to the routine o^ labour. In the present, I will en- deavour to supply some detail, that may cast more light on the features of our North American missions. 1 have no doubt, but the time will ere long arrive, when we shall probably have to take under our mis- sionary care, the whole of that extensive country, of which, at present, we hardly know the boundaries, A great part of Upper Canada is now under the care NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 49 of our dear brethren, belonging to the United Statog connexion; they have not "laboured in vain," in that vast province. Along the north-western shores of Lake Ontario, prosperous missions have boon established ; at Augusta, Bay of Quintie, Smith's Creek, Young Street, Niagara, Ancastcr, Long Point, and Detroit, they have formed mission openings. The American preachers are from their earliest habits admirably adapted to cultivate a wilderness country : they are active, laborious, and patient ; they publish the same free and full salvation ; they have nothing to cram,p their zeal ; and had they funds equal to their capacities, there are no difficulties which they might not surmount, in spreading the blessed gospel throughout the whole extent of that vast region. Still, however, in the event of a war between this country and the United States, (which may divine providence prevent) truth compels me to say, that their loyalty to their own government and country, might be put to a painful test, were they required to take the oath of allegiance to a British sovereign : and without this, they would probably be disqualified from spreading their missions in Upper Canada* During the late unhappy war, they were greatly cramped by the above circumstance ; and in some cases, had to leave their missions and stations destitute. Thus, sir, it is probable, that at no distant period, we may have the whole of British Ajnerica under our care ; even by the cordial consent of our trans- atlantic brethren. In which view, should these letters survive the common wreck of ephemeral publications ; they may furnish some useful hints to those young brethren who may hereafter go as luissiouaries to any British part of the new world, F T II i I )il! i i'-,;i I ill! 1 f^: ,. : * : fit. t'l i i; ii L SO NARRATIVE OF A MISSION^ Whilo upon the Westmoreland station, it vras my practice to spend the disposable portion of any vacant days I had, in visiting from house to house. In all countries, pastoral visits are important, but in none more so than in British America : there the people arc thiidy scattered, a visit is equal to a sermon; especially when religious conversation and prayer are interwoven. Preachers who visit, are sure to be popular ; great talents in the pulpit, are not such a magnet there as in England ; but visiting from house to house, embalms a preacher in the people's affections, and were I to return to that country, I would divide most of my time between pastoral visits, private prayer, and public labour . O sir, when I consider th« flaming zeal, and amazing usefulness of those great and good men, Wesley^ Whitfield, and Doctor Coke, how they flew from place to place, 1 blush, and am ashamed, that I have consumed so much time in the mere mental gratification of private study ; the temptation to which (though often under another guise) might after all, be nothing more than a finely woven net to catch the smile of popular applause. Unless in the proportion of one to ten, very studious men are the last that should be selected for missionary engagements. It was my custom on this mission, after I had done preaching, to speak to the society one by one, and other serious persons who might choose to stop, and as some who came from far brought their refresh, ments with them, and either eat them in the cha. pel or the yaru, that they might stop for the after- noon preaching ; my speaking to them formed a profitable link, connecting the two services. In the evening, 1 sometimes preached at my lodgings to NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 51 as many as the house wuuld contain, of persons living in the same settlement, and contiguous farms. The chapels in this part of the province were not generally used in the evening, as the bulk of the people live at too great a distance from them, often from five to ten mues. I have much cause of gratitude for my first station,- as it placed me in the neighbourhood of many of the old settlers, by whose means the gospel was first introduced. O sir, what a blessing it is ! when man carries his religion to a strange country a with him, and his first business is to build an altar to the Lord, and then worship. I doubt some who arc in the habit of travelling, make fearful inroads upon their souls, by leaving their consciences at home. It was not so with these settlers. Among the few pious emigrants from Yorkshire,, who first transplanted themselves to these * wilds, which were as destitute of religion as of cultivation, was a Mr. Newton, this good man was the patiriarch of the new settlements he established prayer-meetings, by which a concern for religion was awakened among many of the first settlers ; the flame spread wider and wider, and many who left England, only to obtain ** the meat that perishes," found in addition, the " bread of ever- lasting life.'* Mr. William Black, whose father, a respectable farmer, had emigrated from Huddersfield in Yorkshire, was among our pious colonists, or to speak more correctly, was at this time brought to the knowledge of divine things, and though a very young man, the great head of the church entrusted him with excellent gifts, which being directed and influenced by the hallowing principle, soon rendered him the chief speaker in this little colonial church. * Westmoreland and Cumberland. ill n ' I' ! I i i I I ■ 1 ' !i' ■ ' N NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. To this truly excellent man, who may probably never 8eo these lines, or again grasp the hand that writes them; I would hero render a testimony of my warmest and heart-dictated gratitude ; by his moro than brotherly kindness, I was most judiciously di- rected in this early noviciate of my ministry. 1 have scores of his excellent and instructive letters in my hands, which bear testimony to his prudent counsel and paternal care. Mr. Black has for many years been n laborious missionary in these colonics, and more than any other man, well merits the title of ** Apostle of Nova Scotia." He has been the father of the Wesleyan work, and by his ministry, and those who co-op?- rated with him, the gospel has been preached from Cape Canso to Cape Sable, and from Halifax to the Gulph of St. Lawrence. Blessed man, my heart is united to thine ! ma}' we finally meet on the calm shores of eternity, where there is no sea to separate, and adieus and farewells pass the lips no more. But to return, I was speaking of the first settlers, some of whom, at this period of my mission had gone to their reward ; but several of their children had embibed their parents' spirit, and possessed much of the divine life ; among these I preached wherever a door opened, or else spent my time in pastoral visits ; these were precious seasons of spiritual refreshment, the rcmemberance of Jhem is sweet. I did not, it is true, see much visible fruit in the conversion of groups ; but professors were much quickened, and now and then a soul found the pearl of great price ; our sylvan oratories were filled with the presence of God, and I have often felt " The sprechless awe that dares not move,i And all the sileot heaven of love." ^ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION 53 My social visits among tho pooplu were both pro. fitabio and pleasant, and I was often led to think, I hud fallen into the niche intended for me by a kind providence. Probably, there is no people in the world more kind than the inhabitants of British North America ; for though a missionary to this country has to boar hardness from tho weather, from tho difticulty of travelling, especially in winter, from the great difference in his accommodations, and from other na- tural causes ; yet in relation to the kindness of the peopli , unless they are greatly changed, each house he enters is the hall of hospitality, and in unaffected christian kindness, many who entertain him are justly entitled to the appellation of Gaius or Philemon. And 1 do not think that there is a place in the world, where a missionary, if faithful, might live more happily than in North America. Jf his heart glow with znl, and he desires to do good, the field is large that in^ "tes his attention. If his disposition be friendly, the social affections of the people will pay him large interest for his capital. If his means be moderate, provisions are cheap. The little foxes that in England consume so many of the grapes, do not there exist ; they pay no taxes, they give no tythes, the duties upon imported articles are very small, tho means of living are in the hands of all who will labour : a lover of retirement may realize all the pleasures of Zimmerman*s Solitude, or Bate's Rural Philosophy : a lover of creation may hero admire her primeval grandeur, Where rais'd sublime on her unpolisli'd throne, Wild nature reigns unrival'd and alone, And the man of God, in the silence of the forest, may shut out the world and its vanities, may have f3 54 K/iRRATIVE OF A MI8SI0K. '; m ! one of his three grand enemies put out of the com. bat ; while in devout coiitemplation, he real'r.es the presence of a God of Love tranquilizing his spirit ; sees around him by an eye of faith, the opening heavens sheding their selectest influence, and taking hold of the promises by prayer, draws himself up to God, and draws down upon his head, a stream pi glory, and a shower of grace. As a set off to the above, your correspondent had to cross deep and rapid rivers in miserable log canoes, when in order that the frail bark might not overset, I had to squat at the bottom on a little straw, while the worthy boatman paddled me over. 1 had frequently to face the keen north-wester, and the blinding snow-drift. Sometimes my lodging was a cottage in the v/ilderness. I had often to ride over broken and floating bridges. 1 will explain this, a number of logs are laid over a deep creek, or the narrow part of a lake, these are nailed to transverse beams, which extend from side to side, still floating upon the water ; hence, should any of the logs get loose, there is a fearful gap, which in crossing a deep creek, is calculated to dash a fear in the face of weak faith, and compel a timid traveller to wish that he had stayed at home. He must how- ever cross it, he has to preach the gospel a few luiles distant on the opposite side. I know, sir, these are nothing compared to what some undergo, when the magnet is science, gold, or fame ; and nhall a minister of Christ count any service, suffer- ings, or sacriftce too great, when the honour of his God, the glory of his Redeemer, and the salvation of immortal men are concerned. I should blush to mention these things, were it not to give you an ■ .1 V 1 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 55 exact portrait of a North American mission. Let none be sent out ** who are afraid to die/' said a zealous American preacher, who was labouring in the Indian territory, in the interior of the United States ; and who having sent to the Conference for a helper, informed his brethren that the Indians in those parts murdered all the white people they could surprise. O sir ! how pleasing the thought, that the kingdom of Christ will come, and every minute effort made to promote it, is a mite cast into the general treasury. As you have sometimes expressed your approbation of my poor verses, I will conclude this with an effusion that is the true language of my soul : _ O'er the green earth long" benighted, Truth, shall like a morning star. Shine on lands for ages blighted, Shed its radiance wide and tar. Watchmen say the morning cometh, Lo! it gilds the mountain peaks ■, Moral spring in beauty bloometh, ' Lustre all tiie orient streaks. In his chariot love-paved, Jesus shall to earth descend ; Millions of the heathen saved, Lowly at his footstool bend. Verdant isles in either tropic, On the mild Immanual call ; (iirace and mercy all their topic, Rich and free and full for all ! Evangelical Minttrel, I am, dear sir, Yours, &c. 5d NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. , ! ' 'li 1 • '- ■'. km I *< } ' I'll LETTER VIII. Lifers river of crysfal shall every where flow, Till flowerless deserts a paradise growj And wilds bleak and barren, burst out in the gloryj Predicted by seers, in prophetical story. Evangelical Minttrel. DEAR SIBy Since my return to England, I have frequently been asked questions relative to the Indians in North America ; under the idea, that at least a part of my labours was employed in their conversion ; and so much did this idea prevail, even in the large and populous town of Liverpool, that when we were about to embark from that port to Nova Scotia ; our pious brethren prayed in the public chapels, that we might be rendered useful to the poor savages. As it is necessary to rectify this error, I know not a more suitable time than the present, and will here observe, once for all, that the Wesleyan missions in North America, are not 'missions to Indians of the country, but to the colonists, or settlers ; and that such is the claim of the whites on our entire labours, that no avenue is opened for devoting any portion of our at- tention to them. I have already remarked, that there are comparatively few Indians in this part, perhaps not more than two or three thousand in the whole province. As you have in other works read much upon the appearance of these children of the forest, and have frequently offered up the prayer " The dark American convert. And shine in every pagan heart." r. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 67 he glory, Mirutrei. id, I have the Indians t at least a conversion; in the large en we were Scotia ; our •els, that we ^ages. As not a more re observe, s in North 16 country, luch is the ts, that no of our at- that there rt, perhaps the whole read much the forest, I need not pourtray their physiognomy in this place. In relation to their moral character, 1 would observe, that in all the intercourse I had with them, 1 found them harmless, civil, and intelligent. I have some- times met groups of them in the recesses of the forest, where if their propensities had been savage, they might have murdered me with the greatest security ; but save the aversion my horse felt to the smell of bear's grease, with which they often anoint them- selves, I waF never on any occasion disturbed by them. I havb frequently entered their wigwams, and purchased their porcupine quill boxes, which they contrive to dye a variety of lively colours, and to finish in a neat and elegant manner. Their canoes, which are also of their own manufacturing, are models of beauty, and withal so buoyant, that you are in the utmost danger of being tossed out, unless you balance yourself with the greatest care. Their mode of living is truly wretched, as well as preca- rious, as it depends chiefly upon what they take in hunting and fishing ; in the last, they are singularly adroit, in spearing salmon by torch-light. The game they take in the woods are moose or elk, bears, foxes, martins, otters, beavers, musk rats, lucifees, and por- cupines, as well as wild geese, ducks, partridges, pid- geons, &c. &c. They generally eat the animal, reserv- ing the skin for sale. Their process of cooking is both summary and disgusting ; as a specimen, take the following : they take a salmon, and just as it comes from its native element, they put it on live coals, and when half broiled, they fall to, and eat the whole animal. In this manner they devour dogs, cats, rats, and many other animals. As long as they have any thing to eat, they keep a large pot boiling in 58 NARRATIVE OP A MISSION.. >;V f -■;:Hi ' ilM 1 I ii their wigwams. After eating they smoke, then lie down, or should they rise in the night, they fall upon the contents of the great pot, and then smoke and lie down again.. Their general appearance, is the most wretched and squalled imaginable. They seem in nastiness, to symbolize with the filthiest of the Hot- tentots. Their females seldom wear anything but a ragged dirty blanket, thrown over their shoulders ; a jacket is made of the same materials for the men, with mockesons, made of the skins of the animalg they kill, to cover their feet. Their wigwams, or temporary sheds, (for they migrate from place to place) are made of the boughs of convenient trees, curved downward, and fastened in the earth and then covered with the bark of the birch tree. Their whole stock of furniture consists of their canoes, a great pot, a kettle, and some few trifles. Their arms are a musket, a knife, and a toma- hawk. In this manner, . you sometimes meet a group of them in the woods. , The man with his musket and dog, a pipe in his hat, a knife in his belt, where also he places his tomahawk. His wife, or .squaw, with a little wooden box strapped round her shoulders, in which she carries her papouse or child ; some- times one carries the canoe, which being made of birch bark desterously stitched together, is not too heavy to be borne upon the head. Their inter- course with the Canadian Ihdians has given them some notion of the Roman Catholic superstition, hence they wear beads, rosaries, and crucifixes. As far as I could learn, in my frequent conferences with them, the object of their devout superstition is the Virgin Mary, and to her they direct their prayers. Sometimes they repair to the priejsts, at the different ■m N.. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 59 )ke, then lie ley fall upon moke and lie is the most ley seem in of the HoU thing but a shoulders ; a or the men, the animals ngwams, or m place to enient trees, the earth birch tree. !ts of their few trifles, nd a toma- aeet a group his musket belt, where , or .squaw, ir shoulders, hiid ; some- ng made of f is not too rheir inter- given them mperstition, cifixes. As rentes with tition is the sir prayers, he different ■;J stations, for pardon and absolution ; and doubtless, the holy fathers make a profitable trade of their intercourse with these children of nature. It must, however, be confessed, io the honour of the Romish clergy, that their zeal to convert these poor out- casts to a gaudy superstition, exceeds that of other ministers to convert them to true piety. I have been credibly informed, that an estate left by the hon- ourable Mr. Boyle, is, or should be, devoted to this purpose, if the church missionaries receive an annual stipend for this, it is a pity they do not take some pains with these poor creatures, I rejoice to see that our Committee, have lately appointed a missio- nary to labour among the Esquimaux, on the Labra- dor coast. May the blessing of the God of missions rest upon this attempt ; and may it be the happy beginning of many a blessed undertaking, to evangelize the whole north-west region of America, from Hudson's Bay, to the shores of the Pacific ocean. But to return, the field of labour which our North American missionaries have to cultivate, independent of the Indians, requires all their time, piety, and zeal ; and even after all, whoever knows the nature of the country, will regret that ** the harvest is so great, and the labourers so comparatively few.*' The dif- ficulties of a new country, thinly settled, and covered with vast forests, lakes, rivers, bays, and inlets of the sea, cannot easily be comprehended. There are many settlers, who are so deep in the recesses of the wilderness, that they need a distinct journey to come at their habitations. There are others, along the intervale of unfrequented rivers, whom you can only visit by boat excursions ; and then only in the sum- mer months. In the winter, the ice affords a solid f n 60 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. i> ■' I ,1' ff'' m tiiji 'i ill -I I ' ii I 'I f »j i ; ;'! bridge ; still, however, they are difficult of access ; and nothing less than a yearning pity for their souls, and an ardent zeal for the glory of the Redeemer, will give to missionary zeal, that resolute and deter, mined tone, so indispensible to surmount difficulties. Many are settled along the shores of bays and creeks, far remote from old settlements, and regular roads, and almost cut off from the rest of the world. Yet these children of nature's solitudes, are the sheep in the wilderness ; and who shall " care for their souls ?'* Who shall carry them the bread of life ? Who shall visit their lonely settlements ? to which the purest love to souls can be the sole attraction : I answer, the Wesleyan missionaries, under the patronage and protection of the British Conference. They have penetrated these solitary wilds — they have plunged into the depths of these vast forests — they have carried the light of salvation into these desolate and umbrageous retreats. In writing thus, I mean not to pronounce a panegyric on my brethren ; what they have done, comes far below the original standard of missionary zeal, and greatly short of the heroic labours of many others. Alas 1 sir, the most zealous among us, are but as drones in compa- rison of that " burning and shining light,** the apostle Paul ; the lustre of whose great example, casts into shade our tiny light. Still, however, in this new world, God has condescended to honour their labours, and when the great records of eternity are unfolded, I doubt not, it will be found, that thou- sands gathered from these woods, will rise up to «all them blessed, and even now Full many a cottag^e which the woods emboss, Hails with delight these heralds of the cross; •a. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 61 Smitefi, artless unbought smiles, their coming greet. Smiles such as only faithful pastors meet : And oft beneath the interwoven trees, Whose ru.stling leaves make music to the brcezr, The gosp position, and laid the foundation of a wound in my constitution, 1 may carry with me to the grave. I had laid by a little at my worthy friend Mr. Truemans, at Pont de Bute ; but feeling a little better, on the Lord's day, I ventured out to preach, at the nearest chapel ; on my return I was taken with violent shivcrings, and these were succeeded by burning fever, certain indications of some formidable mis- chief in the system. 1 had now to take my bed in good earnest, to which, and my room, I was confined eight weeks. My disorder was an inflam- mation on the lungs, attended with spitting of blood, which reduced me to a mere skeleton, and brought me to the porch of the immortal world. During this afiRiction, I had an experimental proof of the power of religion. The evidence of my sonship and adoption was truly clear; I felt I could resign all into the hands of God, who took from my mind all solicitude and anxiety, and gave me sweetly to rest in him. Peace of conscience, patience under the affliction, and an unshaken reliance upon the friend of sinners, made my thorn to put forth many a rose, such as sweet communion with Jesus ; the ravishing manifestations of whose love to my soul, exceeded all my previous ideas of spiritual enjoy- ment. My room was an Eden, and my bed ap- peared as the vestibule of heaven, I could have been willing to bear an age of suffering, for such an heaven of enjoyment. Pain and weakness did not prevent my weeping for joy, and praising God NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. (C) all the day long-. I could challenge him to re(hMMii the pledges of his love, I had given to others, and he did redeem them ; I had not gone too I'ai* in holding forth his truth, love, and faithfulness, at; a refuge in the time of need. With the ** comfort wherewith 1 had comfoiMiMl others," the Lord plentifully watered my own soul. In this time of trouble, " he led me to his pavilion." He hid me in the ** secret of his presence," and though deeply and utterly unworthy of his morry, " made all his goodness to pass before me." At first the affliction was a great trial to my faith, and reason, I had but just entered as it were upon the threshold of my mission, ** my sun seemed to bo going down in tlie morning of my days.!' Had I crossed the ocean only to die in a foreign land ? to be cut off in the outset of my mission ; far from my native country, separated from my brethren in the ministry, among comparative strangers, in the midst of a wintery wilderness, and with but indif- ferent medical aid. Ah ! how few can conceive the painfulness of such a situation ; nevertheless, I had abundant reason to be thankful. I found a home and hiding-place in God. Brethren of the tenderest hearts, even among strangers ; and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were rich cordials to my soul. The following lines, written under a subse- quent affliction, will with equal truth, express my reliance upon the promises and mercy of God iu this visitation. They were penned as a paraphrase upon the words of Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." ' ' '" " ' '' Place me where the orb of day. With destructive fervour glows j g2 04 \ It »••■ i 'U m i'> >i ■ f 1' 11 '1 . ' t fl •1 ;• ' : 1 1 If ' H ■' ill .; ,1 I, NARBATIVE OF A MISSION. Where the bumin{r breezes play, And the golden orange growi : Still I will, I dare believe ; *< Mercy, judgment, sweetly sing !" Yellow fevers, ask his leave. Ere they taint health's vital spring. Land me on some barren rock, Round which scowling tempests rail ; Where the screaming sea-mew flock> Or the plaintive bittern quail : Still, 'mid every sad extreme. In my God, alone 1*11 trust, Love, shall every pledge redeem ; Life inspire my fainting dust. Let my nerves with torture thrill. Let my throbbing iMMiom swell j Pain is balm to curb the will ; Grief dissolves earth's magic spell : I will trust and nobly dare. Though my shrinking flc mplain^ God is truth, and hears my prayer. Love, and will assuage my pain t Ro!)y joy may quit my breast. Surging sorrow overwhelm, Patience, scarce abide the test j Reason, abdicate the helm : One by one my friends retire. Soothing sympathy restrain. Still, ni trust him in the fire. Love him in the floods of pain. Let me in a Greenland gloom. Desolation's darling clime. Where no vernal violets bloom. Count the leaden steps of time $ In that outhouse of the globe, Step^ame nature orphan'd heir, I will trust with holy Job, Trust Him, oud feel summer there J am, dear sir, aiTectionately, Yours, &c. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION 05 LETTER IX. Where mild Hesper, lovely star, Glances o'er the western world j Holy heralds wide and far, Have the banner cross unfurlM : They have bid the desert bloom, Where the wild-fowl build their nest, And the sea-fog spreads a gloom, 0*er yon island in the west.* In the wilderness a voice, Soft and sweet, yet loud and clear, BidH t S'ew Scotland's wilds rejoice ; They Imve taught salvation there. Amutementt of a Mission. DEAR SIR, MY' last letter left me in the furnace of affliction, a good school for those who have to sym- bolize and suffer with Christ ; for if to believe, love, and suffer, be the enamelled trio of a follower of Jesus, much more are they the jewelled badge of a faithful missionary. How precious is that promise, " to you it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer ;" where- fore, " lift up the hands that hang down, and confirm the feeble knees." Ah, sir 1 how many poor suffering saints, ** are writing bitter things against themselves," while they pore over the dark volume of unbelief ; and are casting many a melancholy glance, over the long catalogue of past unfaithfiilness ; every item in which, is fringed with a black rim of ingrati- tude to the best of masters, the kindest Saviour, and the truest friend. Ah, sir ! we are like Joseph's * Newfoundland. f Nova Scotia. g3 N III ii (Kk' NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. brethren, wo think in onr troubles, our sin has found U8 out ; not considering, that we are thercupt ) ap. puinted ; and that we must have ** this baplism uf fire," as well as that of the Holy Ghost. In this furnace, so many were my comforts, that I could not symbolize with patient, labouring, zealous, suffering Xavier ; who had for his motto, " forsaken of all men, dying in a cottage.'* I had not thy strength of mind, thy vigour of grace, thy holy, mortified, sub. dued, and elevated spirit ; hence, my merciful father gave his helpless infant nourishing milk : for though this affliction was *' as the gate of heaven** to my soul, yet I could not ascribe these luminous comforts to any remarkable antecedent faithfulness ; nor yet, to deep and profound experience in divine things. i was but a young pilgrim, a babe in grace, and as it respected ministerial growth, just in my infancy. To what cause then, was it, that I was so much cheered, comforted, supported, and borne up ? To what, but the boundless goodness of my gracious Saviour, who *' not according to my works of righte- ousness,** but according to the counsel of his own will, gratuitously bestowed these blessings upon a poor, weak, and forlorn creature. Perhaps, in a secondary point of view, the following reasons might influence the divine compassion : I was just entering upon an important career of duty, and being stopped at the threshold, might have sunk into dejection, had not Gud, wonderfully and graciously supported me. 1 had, when I embarked in the undertaking, stipulated for no exemption from the cross, come in what shape soever it might. I was well aware, that the soldier of the cross must ** prepare for trials,'* and my heart said. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. -%t Did I but purpose to eml>ark with thee, On the Ninootti Hurfacc uf a Hummer ttca? And then tu leave the ship and make the shore, When the winds whiutle, and the tempests roar. In my first stages of experience, I had tasted much of the sweetness of religion, and walked ia the enjey. ment of serene unclouded light ; but now the Lord gave me a deeper and more delicious draught, though mixed up with suffering, to prepare me for the blessed work, to which, in humility, I had good reason to think and believe his providence had called me. Till this time, I was partially a stranger to the deep mysteries of sanctifying love ; but now I had an inward witness, that he had " sprinkled clean water upon me, and cleansed me from all my idols, and from all my filthiness.*' And if " perfect love casting out all fear ;** invincible patience, humility^ and meek- ness, were sure signs ; these were wrought in my heart by the Holy Spirit. The friends watched my bed with affectionate at- tention, and marked every step of my disorder with the tender anxiety of christian friendship. Prayer was made for my recovery in all the different settle- ments connected with the mission, and the minds of the people were remarkably affected, looking upon the affliction as a dispensation of judgment for their past unfaithfulness to God. I had now an opportunity of examining myself, (" a sick bed is a detector of the heart") in relation to my motives and views in under- taking this mission ; and truly I found, upon examina- tion, good reason to conclude, that my principles, inten- tions, and aims, were not altogether unworthy the sacred ministry. I had not come to this wilderness region, in quest of either gold, honour, or ease, but with an humble desire to serve God, and seek the i II 1* !.. ' I M 68 VARRATITE OF A MISSION. -wandering souls of men. In the early part of my illness, 1 was uncertain what the Lord was about to do with me, till this text was applied to my mind with weight and sweetness ; ** I shall not die, but live, and declare the work of the Lord :'* and although 1 was by no means anxious to live, yet the prospect gradually opened, that I should recover, and continue to labour in the delightful work. I was, during this sickness, greatly led to meditate upon the blessed truths, of the gospel, each of which, shone with new evidence upon my soul, and brought along with it, some divine consolation. Never did the Redeemer of men, and the ministry of reconciliation, appear either so lovely, desirable, or important, as upon this occasion ; hence, if a wish for recovery would some- times steal across my mind, it was while reflecting upon the precious love of Christ to sinners. 1 desired to have life lengthened out, only to " preach him to all, and cry in death, behold, behold, the Lamb.*' Nothing gave me greater consolation, than the su- preme and eternal divinity of the blessed Redeemer. To me, this presented such a rock of confidence, and fountain of comfo^-t, that I could have staked my eternal all upon this grand truth ; '* a truth so grand, t*were bold to think it true, if not far bolder still to disbelieve." If St. Athanasius, in addition to the testimony of holy record upon this point, which is full and explicit, had such an internal evidence, as at this time shore upon my spirit, 1 do not wonder at the bold, decided, and persevering stand he made against arianism ; nor yet, that he should call this direful and pestiferous error, ** the sin against the Holy Ghost,»* The divinity of Christ appeared to me, the key-stone of the beautiful arch of Christianity ; the MARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 69 art of my i about to my mind t die, but I although e prospect \\ continue luring this ie blessed ^with new g with it, Redeemer n, appear ; upon this ould some- reflecting 1 desired ach him to e Lamb." m the su- Redeemer. denee, and staked my so grand, ler still to on to the lich is full as at this ler at the de against lis direful the Holy 3d to me, mitv ; the centre of union, and palladium of the whole system. For if we rob Christ of his glory, by tearing this noble jewel from the creed, what is there in revealed religion, but a farrago of idolatry, or a system of deism ? During my illness, some of my friends from the different parts of the mission, came to visit me, and upon one occasion, as the room was full, I r«>!quested to be propped up in bed, that I might onee more have the pleasure of preaching a crucified Saviour. It was a most solemn and affecting hour, sighs, tears, weeping, and prayer, pervaded the little audience, and truly it was *' a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." After a confinement of eight weeks, the Lord was pleased to give a favourable turn to my disorder ; the spitting of blood, cough, and fever abated. He raised me from the bed of languishing, he snatched me from the grave. I had more work to perform in his blessed vineyard, the *• appointed time was not fully come," the graces of the spirit, had not been wrought out to their trial and proof. I had still more experience to gain, of the love, truth, faithfulness, and wisdom rf the blessed God. May the Redeemer grant, that whenever the moment arrives, the best wine may be kept till the last ; my heart's prayer is, Because thou didst for sinners die, Jesus in death, renaember me t As my strength recruited, I longed to resume the blessed work of my mission, to which 1 now seemed to have a new commission from the blessed Jesus, and a new anointing with the oil of gladness ; that my heart may always be as deeply en- 'r i I * I f i '.it * f 'til 'iV\ 70 NARRATIVE OF A MISSIOtV. gaged in the things of God, as it was at this time. The first sermon preached after my recovery, was with " the Holy Ghost sent down from above," th(y hardest hearts were smitten, as when a- rock is broken to pieces by the strokes of a mighty ham- mer ; and the excitement to bursts of weeping was ditficult to be suppressed : surely God enabled me to speak as a dying man to dying men. Jn looking back upon this short portion of my mission, what a rapid succession of events crowd through my mind ; — whirled over the Atlantic ocean, — im- mured in the interior woods of Worth America, — my lot cast among perfect strangers,— a poor solitary ^ man, — a wide and vast sphere of usefulness opened,— my heart enlarged as a mighty man, to run the race of duty, yet suddenly stopped short in my career ; cast upon a bed of pain and sickness, and yet here I find the power of religion ; friends who never saw me till of late, minister to my comfort, weep around my bed, and importune heaven with prayers for my recovery. What have 1 learned in these forests, and upon this bed of aftiicti^>n ? 1 have learned that the blessed God is every where, in the Void waste, as in the city full ! I have learned that there is mercy in every place ! I am, 1 trust, more prepared for my mission. This affliction has been a crucible ; much dro&s rose to the surface, and the fire swept it away. The people seem to set a greater value on my poor labours, and consider me as alive from the dead — as raised in answer to prayer. Many came from far to see me, and when they had " seen the grace of God," they were comforted. 1 was too far, considering it was the depth of winter, for any of my brethren in the ministry, either to know, visit, or sympathize with NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. n y mission, me, so I had none but God to lean upon ; but did I regret that 1 came to America to seek the lost sheep in the wilderness ? Ah no ! my language w.'is, my talents, gifts, and graces, Lord, into thy (gracious hands receive ; aud let me live to preach thy word, and let me to thy glory live. However weak my graces were before, I had now a deeper baptism in the " fountain of eternal love.*' God thus set to his seal, and the deep impression is still upon my spirit, that I am a child of God. O sir, I wish I could tell you these things witheut speaking of my vile self^ but I do it not, ** God is my record," that any shadow of praise may be cast upon the worm that writes. Ah, sir, if it were proper in these letters, to lay open my weakness, my unfaithfulness, my pride of heart, my sinful self-seeking, my slothfulness and want of self, denial, the vile lurking* enmity of my nature to a life of strict godliness, the base proneness to a man-pleas- ing spirit, the sinful self-coinplr.cency in God's gifts, as though they were mine ; the desire of human praise, &c. Sec, what a melanchoiy catalogue could I furnish, as a set-off for any little '^^ood the blessed Lord made me the instrument of effecting. I would say, "know all men by these presents," that I renounce, abhor, and detest the thought, of making myself prominent in the present narrative, except only as a pen, the blessed God might condescend to write with. 1 am, dear sir, affectionately. Yours, &;c. n NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ' Mi II ii 1' ! ,! LETTER X. Now brighter and brigliter the heavens appear, And missions, and biblet, and pastors abound ; ^Tisthe « golden age" spring} the sabbatical year. And ** Paradise lost" in the gospel is found. O England, my country ! beloved and blest ; This latter>day glory in thee is begun ; Already thy rays, have illumined the west ; And far to the east, shall thy silver light run ! Evangelical Minstrel. ! I DEAR SlRt A little after my recovery, and early in the month of March, 1801, I visited liamshag, a set- tlement on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, whose inhabi. tants were chiefly old Acadian French, or emigrants from the United States of America, who having left that country after the war of 1776, had qujetly spread themselves along the western shores of British America. In travelling to this settlement, I had to pass through fifty or sixty miles of wilder. ness, by a path chiefly marked out by blazed trees ; these are notches cut in the bark with an axe, in the direction you have to pass. The first persons who travel the wilderness have a compass, and steer by that, and for the benefit of those who come after, they blaze or notch the trees as they pass along, If I mistake not, Mr. Wesley travelled by the dint of a blaze, in his journey from Savannah to Charleston. In this path, I had however, a good guide and com- panion, Mr. John Black, the brother of the mis- •>A\ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 73 slotiary ; who havings crossed the forest in the same direction, understood the bhized trees much better than myself. In our first day's journey, we came to a birch bark-covered log- hut, in the midst of the wihlerness ; which to all appearance seemed more Hlte poverty-hall, than the habitation of plenty. Here we took up our abode for the night, and standing in need of refreshment, the worthy mistress of the mansion prepared her materials for the tea- table. I would here beg leave to remark, that in most parts of British America, however plain and humble the style of their buildings, and the appear- ance of these, is sometimes wretched beyond dis- cription, their mode of living by no means corres- ponds with their houses ; you find abundance of the substantial blessings of life ; as milk, butter, cheese, eggs, fowls, fish, salted meats, dried and preserved fruit ; vegetables in the greatest abun- dance and variety, with maple sugar, cyder, spirits, tea, coffee, &c. &c. nor are the inhabitants at all deficient in that golden precept, '* given to hos- pitality ;" but more of this by and by ; to return, the tea-table of our generous host was soon covered with the various productions of three of the elements. 1 will, by your leave, give you a bill of fare, pro- vided as the appendages of the tea-table. In IIiIh log-built mansion ; which, with all its disadvantages, abounded with the blessings of a kind providence ; from whence you may learn, how many of the colonists live in this " boundless contiguity of shade." We had upon the table two wild ducks, a cold ham, a plate of salted herrings, with another of boiled en;^S!i, which, with a large dish of vegetables, and bread and butter, constituted the substantial parts of our II 1 ^ Ki- r^ h\ \h V. !l 'III 74 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. jlirmor ami toa-tiiblo, for it was a united meal. You will be ready to ask, from whence did this profusion tome, in the midst of a wilderness ? I answer, their j)ii^:j, runnings at lar^e in the woods, supplied them with hams ; wild ducks arc found in the greatest plenty, in all the lakes and rivers of the country : hennngs, alewives, shall, and salmon, swarm in the various rivers, and form a profitable article of expor- tation to the West Indies. Their barn-door fowls, supplied them with plenty of eggs, so that all was su])plied by their own little farm or plantation. In the evening, I had a pleasing opportunity of making the only return my kind host required, by preaching to those tenants of the wilderness, "the words of this life." In these solitary wilds, exchanges of temporal for spiritual benefits, is as much to the taste of the inliabitants, as it is agreeable to the spirit of the gospel. When a missionary, travelling, stops for the j'est of the night, nothing is more common, than to solicit from him a sermon ; upon which, a boy or young man, is sent on horseback through all the set- tlement, and if early in the afternoon, to the noiul - bouring plantations, for several miles round, to i* lorm the people at what hour there will be pre.ivhing. Thus, amid these solitudes of the wilderness, the *' word of life" is published, and it often happens, that after preaching, the missionary has many kind invitations from those belonging to contiguous settle- ments, to prolong his stay, and preach in the house of some friendly colonist, perhaps the next neighbour. 'For it is not at all uncommon, in these woods, to find persons who live under the power of true piety, though nearly destitute of all the outv.^ard means of •grace. In many cases, a journey of twenty or thirty I NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 76 \. You refusion er, their ed them greatest country : n in the >f expor- or fowls, t all was Ltion. In f making preaching rds of this F temporal ste of the rit of the )ps foT the n, than to a boy or ill the set- the nei&i- to i" lorm >re.!x:hing. rness, the 1 happens, many kind lous settUv the house neighbour. )ds, to find true piety, d means oi" ty or thirty miles is necessary to bring them to the nearest place of worship ; but even this distance, is not ahvays thought too great a hardship for the benefit of a sor- mon. They are not afraid of the cold and snow, honco it is, in the woods of the new world, that we ro(» great crosses taken up to hear the word of life. Ah, how will this conduct, rise up in judgment against many in this highly favoured land ! who often from the slightest grounds, frame pitiful excuses to neglect the house of God, though even within a few paces from their dwelling. On my arrival at the settlements on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the whole scenery exhibited prospects dreary, wild, and revolting to the senses. The tra- velling was all upon the ice ; the communication from settlement to settlement was chiefly across bays, rivers, and portions of the sea, bridged with a solid pavement of frost. The gulf itself was terrible, as far as tho eye could command, immense masses of ice, lifted up like hills, and in some places like a solid wall, rose in all directions, as though it had been formed during the action of a storm. On the land, the dark green woods, composed chiefly of pine, spruce, and fir, rising from a bed of snow whiter than the purest silver, formed a singular and rather pleasing contrast to the wildness of the icy landscape, which is most exactly delineated in the following picture, by Mr. Phillips. Tlie hoary winter here conceals from sight, All pleasing objects, which to verse invite : The hills and dales, and the delightful woods, Tlie flowery plains and silver-streaming floods, By snow disguised, in bright confusion lie. And with a dazzling waste fatigue the eye. O'er many a shining league, the level main. Here spreads itself into a glassy plain : h2 76 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. f>i M ; ! il : i f I) 11 ^' '. V '';1 |i': :;: I' I'. :!;. ;# ls There H<»lid billows of enormous nize, Alps olgraen ice, in wild disorder ri^e. To beguile, however, and compensate for the dreari. noss of tlie scenery, 1 found a " people prepared of the Lord ; '* hungering and thirsting for the bread and water of immortal life ; and yet, with- out temple, without ministry, and without ordinances. How mysterious is the way of divine providence ! thousands who live in a land of spiritual plenty, loathe the food God^ hath provided for them, while others with eager appetites, are deprived of the regular means, and only indulged with a fragment now and then. The visit of a missionary was a now i!ra to these icelanders ; it had not taken place for severnl years, hoiice, 1 was received with much aithvss love, and notwithstanding the seeming dif- ticulties of travelling, people flocked in great num- bers from the diffijrent setllomcnts, to hear the word. 'Ilio Lord was pleased to bless my unworthy labours, and those of my companion, who though not a regular missionary, greatly assisted me. Wo had refreshing seasons, the presence and blessing of God wore sensibly felt in our meetings, and such was the loving simplicity of the people, that they hung npon the word, and almost devoured that which was delivered. It is delightful to preach, when the j heart, like the thirsty earth, catches the falling [; showers, and repays the moisture by its fruitfulness, verdure, and beauty. Whilo preaching to these hunger- ing and thirsting souls, under great disadvantages of accommodation ; I did not envy my dear brethren at home, their spacious chapels, neat pulpits, and crowded congregations. It is true, the smoke of the log houses, in which I preached, greatly annoyed NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 77 mo; tl)0 modo of livinj?, tlio want of relit cukmjI, and the peculiar difficulties of travoiling-, as al.so tht; severity of the weather, all conspired against ine ; but still, I was more comfortable, and bettor pro- vided for, a thousand fold, than Hans Kg'udt! ;i!i(l his companions, on the Greenland mission; or than Jans Haven and his laborious, and patiently ptr- severing colleagues, in Labrador. Indeed, when 1 reflect upon these holy, siift'ering, self-dying srr- vants of God, I blush, to be writing the " nar- rative of a mission," in which I never lay t»Mi nights upon the bare ground, fur the space; o f tliirteen years. O my Lord ! may I not be found in the day of judgment, to have spoken idle words respecting any privations, labours, and suft'erings, tiu'ough which I have passed : I am conscious that they are light as the small dust in the balance. 1 have neither sacrificed, suffered, nor served as I ought. God be merciful ta me an unprofitable ser- vant! Had I followed the wandering tribes of Indians through the interior wilderness of America ; had I united myself to the miserable Kalmucks that trav ^.<.* A '^ .'^^.^ ^. - ^\^^ K, ^ ^c 1.0 1.1 11.25 S^IM 12.5 1^ K m ^ us, ■ 2.2 I lllnl 2.0 ^1^ p /i •9; '^^'V* ■> Hiotographic Sciences Corporalion 23 WE^T «AAIN STMS1 WiBSTIR.N.Y. , 'iiO (71«)I73-4S03 ^>^ '^ ■■■ 80 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. I \ \« M , I ; f! I ^11 between forty and fifty persons who regularly meet together, and the Lord hath strangely preserved them b y his power and grace. From the eagerness with which they came to hear the word, the ditHculties they surmounted for this desirable end, and the ten- derness of spirit visible among them, 1 judged, that if a missionary were stationed here, or could more frequently visit this part of the gulf coast, all the contiguous settlements would soon feel the blessed in- fluence, and might become christians, and members of the society. It was not uncommon for persons t > come ten, twenty, or even thirty miles to hear preach- ing : and yet, an hour or two before the sermon, all seemed silent as death, and dreary as desolation itself. Nothing could be seen on one hand, but a landscape of ice, frozen rivers, bays, creeks, and the dreary gulf stretching its rifled masses, and affording a solid pavement, to an extent of nearly twenty miles from the shore : while on the land side, a few log houses, thinly sprinkled along the dark and impenetrable woods, which skirted the icy bays, and waved their evergreen tops, in defiance of the deep snow that covered every part of the ground beneath. As the time of preaching, however, drew near, the people were seen coming in groups from all quarters ; some in sleds, some on horseback, some skaiting, others on foot, and the French settlers in their little carioles, (perhaps a corruption of cabriolet), though nothing but a few boards nailed together, and fastened to a horse, with a seat for the driver, and one more. Thus were they hastening to that shore of the bay on which the house wherein I preached was situated. My method was on these seasons, to preach two sermons, leaving between, an interval only long NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 81 y meet ;d them ss with ficulties the ten- :d, that Id more all the ssed in- nbers of •sons t> preach- mon, all [)n itself, andscape ! dreary ; a solid les from ; houses, •netrable ed their 10 w that As the B people i some thers on carioles, nothing ed to a e. Thus bay on situated, ach two dy long enough for some to refresh themselves, and to allow mo the opportunity of speaking Individually to the members of the society, and such as had received good impressions. For in these wilds, where people came so far, and where the eye could not in all the wide prospect glance over more than probably, half-a-dozen houses ; it was necessary that both the services should be com- pressed into one, that the people mi^ht have suffi- cient time to return home before it was completely dark Ramshag is one of those places on our Nova Scotia station, which under the . blessing of God, owes much to the labours of Wesleyan aiissionaries. The settlement had been remarkably dissipated and ungodly, till the following events took place, which greatly alarmed some of the most thoughtless, and prepared others to reflect, and receive the word of God. The Almighty chastened them with a most njurtal and infectious dysentery, which visiting almost every family, left the foot-prints of death in all the houses. In addition to which alarming visitation, a number of men having one day met together, to carouse over their favourite beverage, rum ; one of the party who had been sent to fetch a jug full, suddenly fell down dead upon the i/e, which damped the mirth of his companions, and issued, by means of the missionaries, in the reformation of the settle- ment. 1 have great reason to believe that my minis- try was, through the tender mercy of God, a great blessing. My visits to the people at their houses, seemed peculiarly acceptable. I preached on both sides of Ramshag bay, also at the settlements of Tatmagush, Malagash, and on each bank of Ramshag 82 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. mw i'':i h tf ' t; i, m< river, in most of which places, much hlessed influence was felt, and gracious feeling excited. The case of a poor Indian deserves notice in this place ; he had attended my preaching, and one day observed nie much affected, while enforcing upon the people, the necessity of an immediate closing in with Christ and salvation. After the service, he came to the fire- side, where 1 was sitting, and addressed me in the following manner : " why you cry ? me never cry ! no man make me cry, dat like squaw," meaning wo- man. 1 strove to convince the poor untutored savage, that we ought to weep for our sins ; and had the satisfaction in the course of my remarks, of seeing him much affected, and the big unbidden tears freely rolling down his tawny cheeks. Hearing that he had a family, 1 enquired in what manner he brought them up : he observed, poor Indian much wicked neglect their papouse, (children) me hab one very bad, hah a talk wid him, say to Tom, me flog you such time, take him to de wood, me neber fail, no passion, no anger ; say to him, Tom, you too much wicked, you much disobedient, you run away, me flog you for dat, me no passion, no anger, you one bad chap ; me said flog you such time, now not tell lie, so me flog him ; he better boy, dat my way : but many Indians flog deni big passion, dis make dem no better, dis no good, no good.'* How well would it be for many parents, to take a leaf from the book of this poor native of the wilderness, and learn, that to correct children in anger or passion, is both improper, and subversive of the end intended. During my travels on the ice in this visit, I had two or three merciful hair-breadth escapes, but the Lord interposed his arm, and saved me as by the I m KARRATIVE OF A MISSION 83 influence The case )lace ; he observed le people, ith Christ > the fire- ne in the ver cry ! ining wo- d savage, had the of seeing ars freely lat he had ught them id neglect >ad, hab a nch time, ssion, no eked, you u for dat, me said flog him ; dians flog no good, parents, ve of the ildren in ubversive it, I had but the by the "skin of my teeth" from imminent danger. One day, I was riding in a little sled upon Ramshag river with a Iriend, who was returning with me from the preaching ; and all at once, without any visible cause, my horse became unruly, kicking, plunging, and, at length, got so ungovernable, by having got the bits between his teeth, that I could no longer manage him with the reins ; upon which, he set ofl* full gallop towards a part of the river, which the rapidity of the current had prevented from freezing ; inevitable death stared us in tlve face., but just as the mad animal had gallopped to the brink of the rapid, he turned short about, and flew with equal rapidity to the opposite sid€ of the river ; here the bank rising perpendicular from the ice, I had, by the assistance of my friend, Ihe good hap to get out, and stop him, and thus were wc rescued from a watery grave. Folly may smile at such £tn incident, but piety says, ** In all my ways tliy hand I own, Thy ruling |»rovidence I see. " Another remarkable providence, was as follows : twenty or thirty persons, in six or seven sleds, had agreed to accompany me to Tatmagudi, a settlement of Acadian French, where I had made an appointment to preach. We had to cross a wide bay, probably ten or fourteen miles, which branched from the gulf ; upon which, when we had travelled in great order and peace a few miles, the horse that preceeded my sled, became unruly and rampant, kicking and rear- ing upward, upon which my horse took fright, and galloped off" full speed. The horses in the other sleds followed the same example, so in order to escape being dashed against each other, and bruised to death, 1 threw myself out headlong upon the ice. 84 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION^ r ' ■ I ,■ 1 1 i- . t ">\ m , !'*■ f i ; hiMS !. I ; i wliirh being covered with snow, broke my fall. AVhen I had recovered myself, and could look around, such a scene of horror and confusion, 1 cannot describe ; the death of many appeared inevitable, as t'lc horses galloped, some in one direction, and others in another, but all seemingly under the influence of extreme panic. Some of the sleds contained whole families, with many women and young children, a few had imitated my conduct, were scrambling upon the ice, others still remained in their sleds, in vain endeavouring to curb the blind fury of the animals, which, as if possessed by a thousand demons, con. tinued to race round the bay ; springing over each others sleds, while most of the people were sittin;^- upon the ice, weeping, or standing petrified with horror, at what might be the fatal consequence. However, the providential hand of God was most visibly displayed, for although several sleds wore broken to pieces, not a single individual was in- jured beyond a scratch or a bruise. Thus mij^iit we sing of both " mercy and judgment." After the furious animals had galloped from the bay into the woods, (for wc were not more than a mile from the shore) the depth of the snow, and the close- ness of the underwood, stopped their mad career, and with some toil and patience, we got them all together again, though still foaming, trembling, and fearful. Thus, thou Lord savest both men and beast! The case of one of the sleds was singularly provi- dential, it was a double-horsed one, and after the driver had found ho had no power with the reins, the whole family (Mr. Purdys), tumbled out, as tlic horses were making with fearful velocity towards the woods, where the probability was, ail would NARRAtlVE Of A MISSION. e5 a (laughtei* be crushed to death. A youn^ woman, of Mr. Purdy, who was lame, remained when the horses dashed into the wood, which they scarcely had entered, when two trees entangled the polo and harness, stopped them, and saved her life. After a time, we pursued our journey on foot, and with some difficulty reached the settlement, where the congre- gation had already assembled* The divine influence was most powerfully present, and a gracious quicken, ing and melting was felt among the people. Su Satan missed his aim, if it were through his diabolical agency that the scenes on the bay were instigated, who can account for these things ! pride will refer them to chance, prudence to second causes, but true piety, which believes both in diabolical and an- gelical agency, will look at the " wheel within the wheel." The following anecdote, which took place during my visit, 1 will relate, not in honour to myself, but to exalt the pious intrepidity of some of my brethren, who had been in these parts before me. I had one day made an engagement to preach at a house, about nine miles across a bay, but the appointed time brought with it such a snow-storm as 1 had hardly ever beheld ; the wind blew a tempest, and the snow fell in torrents, and how to face it we knew not ; however, my friend, who undertook to pilot me to the place, was willing to brave its fury, so we mounted our horses, and attempted to cross the bay ; but such was the violeDjce of the storm, that we could neither see ahead, nor sit upon the saddle, so to elude the storm, we htJSi to take to the woods, and skirt the bay as well as we could, till coming to the narrowest part, we made an effort, and with great difficulty succeeded I I. li)} 80 NARRATIVE' OF A MISSION. iU r i m getting- to the place. Not an individual had come to the hgiise ; it was not likely, but I asked the man, did you expect me ? '* expect you, said he, yes certain. ]y ; a mcthodist preacher will go through water and tire to be at his appointment." 1 mention this to show in what light the people view the hardihood, puni^tuality, and perseverance of methodist mission, urics. And truly, those faithful men, Messrs. Black, John and James Man, Wray, Bishop, and Grandin, had taught them, that there are no hardships, but a zealous preacher, iired with the love of Christ, and zeal for the salvation of souls, will encounter. What has not ardent, patient, and persevering zeal effected ? O ye frozen shores of Greenland ! and ye dreary woods of Labrador ! O ye patit^nt translators of the holy scriptures at Serampore ! O ye blessed men who have turned the islands of the South Sea to a terrestrial paradise ! and ye despised Wesleyans, who have laboured among the captive slaves of the West Indies, and in the noblest sense have said, ** Thy chains be broken, Africa be free ! Shall I mention the Coke's, the Elliot's, the Brainerd's, the Martyn's, the Ward's : ah ! they are above all praise, they need not this testimony. O sacred worthies! men of other days, Forgive a worm, who glories in your praise ! Though far, too far, beneath your brighter sphere : He follows, trembling with respectful fear : Who sketches character, like yours should feel, At least, a spark of your seraphic zeal : Then vrith a flaming pencil boldly draw. Your piety, and copy it with awe ! I was now within sight of the beautiful and fertile island of St. John, now Prince Edward's, in honour of t he late lamented Duke of Kent, who for some time NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 87 was commander-in-chief, in this country. To this island, where we have now a missionary, there has been a great emigration from England, attended with many vexatious circumstances ; and by your leave, sir, I would in this place, suggest a caution or two to any of my countrymen who may desire to emigrate to our North American colonies : as I havcin tiio course of my mission, met with many, whocoming out with wrong views and unnatural disgust at their native country, have been stung with grievous disap- pointment. 1 would address them in the following language ; first, never expect, " take it for all in all," to find a bolter country than England. Secondly, make your removal a matter of fasting and prayer. Thirdly, prepare for trials, a sea voyage, and the hardships of a first settlement in the woods of Ame- rica, are not trifles. Fourthly, do not emigrate with any idea that you can live without labour : do not let l(jo flattering accounts seduce you : those who have enlisted are sure to boast of the pleasures of soldier- ship, that they may entrap others. Many of the things written by emigrants who have gone to America, are mere puffSy tubs to catch the whale. America is a good poor man's country, if he be sober, indus- trious, and pious ; and withal have a large family who can help him to cut down trees. Fifthly, never buy land before you leave England, sometimes those who sell it are little better than mere swindlers. Here is the mystery, a favourite of government, gets a grant of five or ten thousand acres ; this land is advertised in England, and sold in lots ; the simple- tons who buy it, go out to take possession of their Utopia ; and lo ! they have to seek it in the heart of a vast wilderness, foyty, fiifty, or sixty miles from i2 il 88 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. li: niiy settlement ; where there is neither road, nor river, nor couimunication with any market, but through a waste and impassable forest. Disappointed, fur the land in question was not worth receiving as a gift ; some have returned home, and others, not caring to take possession of their purchase, have bought upon the spot more eligible lots, nearer the mart of trade : for of what use is land, to which the cutting a road would cost ten times the value of the lot : in a word, land in the interior of the wilderness, is good for little, except in the neighbourhood of a road, a river, or a creek, by which you may carry your produce to market. This last circumstance, I was informed, caused a great deal of distress and iiiioasiness to many emigrants who came from England to the above island. 1 was also informed, that every few years, the mice so completely overrun the land, that they eat oiT every thing in the shape of food that ronics within their reach ; and though the people surround the fields and provisions with trenches filled with water, yet they pass them in such vast numbers, t hat they make a bridge of their drowned companions, and cross by myriads. Some have assigned as a reason fur the encroachment of this vast army of mice, that it is owing to the failure of the beech nuts, upon wliich they usually feed, hence they sally forth upon the settlements in quest of provisions. While 1 continued at Ramshag, I had an oppor- tunity of observing, the curious and artful manner in which the Indians decoyed and killed great quantities of wild geese. They go out upon the gulf, to a great distance from the land, and construct themselves little huts with blocks of ice, they then curiously shape the snow into the resemblance of a large flock of ■^i NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. m geeso, this dono, they wait in their ice huiisps till a flock appears in sight, upon which they iiuike a noise as much resembling that bird as possibl(>, the serial travellers hearing the sound, look down from their lofty region, and seeing withal the shapes of geose upon the ice, descend till they arrive near the spot, when the wily Indians rush from their ambush, and letting fly a shower of shot among the deluded Hock, often succeed in destroying great numbers. 1 am, dear sir, Yours, &r. LETTER XII. I believe the scripture story, rris the voice of truth from glory j) That upon his «holy hill, " Ancient record to fulfil, God will set the sinners friend. Every knee to Christ shall bend j Pagan, christian, fall before him, Jew and mussleman adore him ; He who once the wine-press trod, Wisdom is and power of God. DEAR SIR^ In the spring of 1801, I returned to my mission at Westmoreland, much profited by my visit to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the sincere and simple-hearted people of Ramshag, and the other settlements : and shortly afterward, I set off to, meet my brethren in Annapolis, the other extre- mity of the province of Nova Scotia ; at which ' i3 I': 90 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. h '■ r i I "r m place we had appointed to meet, and confer togother, how we niij^ht best fulfil our mission eii{>;agement8, and with greater success promote the cause of our dear Lord and master. The missionaries in Nova Scotia, have always had an annual conference upon a small scale, similar to that of their brethren at home ; at which they adjust the plan of their respective stations, previously to their being sent home for confirmation, at the general annual conference. A discretionary power of this kind, should always be in the hands of foreign missionaries ; who being well acquainted with the localities of the country, can, where a number labour in the same province, or archipelago, best adapt their resources to the existing exigencies of the place. Meeting with my dear brethren, was a social refreshment to my spirit, for as " iron sharpencth iron, so doth the face of a man his friends." In a foreign land, the sight of an old friend, or countryman, affords an infelt pleasure, and is like a stream in the desert, or a fine day in the midst of winter : in North America, this pleasure is heightened, by the circumstance of being separated from each other all the rest of the year. At the request of the people, I was re- appointed to labour on the Westmoreland mission another year, but as Mr. Black's permanent resi- dence was at Halifax, it was judged expedient I should change with him for a few months. At Halifax, I had large and attentive congregations, and my mind was frequently both quickened and refreshed by public ordinance, but a sense of duty compels me to say, that 1 had lost a large portion of that tender, humble, devout, spirit,, into which 1 had been baptised during my affliction, NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 01 (montionoci in a formor letter), lity natural levity often gained the victory over me, the neglect of frequent secret prayer, and reading the word, superinduced a leanness of soul ; and though in my public ministration I had great enlargement and fluency, 1 Wiis inwardly conscious, of a serious and severe loss of spiritual-mindedness. 1 am often led to wonder at the helps God gave me in public ; helps which [ was sensible could not be placed to the credit of my personal piety and deep devoted- ness, but rather was bestowed for the edification of ihe church, and so had little to do with my cltristian experience. 1 suffered loss upon another head also ; in Halifax I was greatly caressed, p.nd and much invited out ; the injudicious kindness of some, prompted them to write verses ; and the less fTuarded conduct of others, to offer the poisonous incense of praise to a poor worm, and though I had a deep sense of my utter unworthiness, to keep me down, and counterbalance the ascending beam, yet if 1 may judge by the frame of my spirit not a little of this secret poison had instilled itself into mv soul. O p)piilar applause ! what heart of man is proof agfoiiist tliy sM'eet seducin;; rliarms ? Tlie wiscait and the best feel urgent uee»l Of all their caution in thy gentlest gales ; But sweird into a gust. — Who then, alas ! >Vith all his canvas set, and inexpert, And tlicrefurc heedless, can withstand thy power ? Cou'per. The natural prido of my heart was not a little intlamed, and 1 have to lament that a spirit of levity !Mul facetiousness \\\ conversation and company, often h'(! lae astray. 1 cannnt look back upon these seasons, without unfeigned sorrow, as the time 1 should have 02 NARRATIVE OF A MlSSI'>N. ■ I I ? n Ei k^ spent in my stud/, and on my knees, was often devoted to company, and little parties : where though religion was the ostensible object, the tender plant was blighted in the bud by sallies of youthful levity, and unpro^table small talk. How careful should the ministers of Christ be, not to give countenance to whatever is not truly interesting, and spiritually good. During my continuance in Halifax, I had an oppor- tunity of visiting several deserters under condemnation of death. Ihis crime was greatly aggravated by their having deserted an important post, and when pursued into the woods, they fired at the party sent after them. When I first entered the guard.house prison, I found the three unhappy men preparing for their fate, but without the true knowledge of that divine remedy, by which alone they could be saved from the " wrath to come. *' I observed one of them had a paper in his hand, which he was reading with great earnestness ; I requested to see it, and found on examination, it was a prayer, in which, after depre- cating the divine displeasure, the author had inserted these unguarded expressions, ** Lord give us peniten- tial sorrow, that by the tears we shed, we may atone for the crimes we have committed.'* Alas, that any one should suppose there is any other way of pardon and salvation, than by Him " who gave himself to be an oblation and atonement, satisfaction, and sacrifice, for the sins of the whole world ! '* Any other atone- ment, whether by prayers, tears, restitution, alms- deeds, or penance, is as contrary to the doctrine of the word of God, as it is to the articles, homilies, and excellent liturgy of our established church. That this prayer had been composed for them by the chaplain NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 93 of the garrison, I will not say, but I conceived it my duty to point out its dangerous tendency, and withal to exhibit before them, the only true and scriptural way of a sinner's salvation from the wrath of God. Aftor different visits, accompanied by several friends, who united with me in prayer, reading, and verbal instruction, 1 had the satisfaction of seeing that the word of God had entered into their understanding ; two of them particularly, evinced a willingness to come to God, as miserable, guilty, and lost sinners ; to whom 1 urged a closing in with Christ, as the "only hope," surety, advocate, and saviour, of who- ever will turn to him. They appeared to receive ** the record God hath given of his Son, *' and were, so far as I could judge, willing to be saved by grace ; though in such cases you must hang a great deal of your con- fidence upon the me;rcy of God, and hope to the end. One of the three who was less humbled than his com- panions, but had more information and natu«*al strength of mind than the others, wished to die as a philosopher and an hero ; but when I informed him, that unless he came to Christ as an humble penitent, he would sink v'lown to everlasting ruin, he was willing to come down a little from the lofty elevation of his own vain mind. How difficult is it for sinners o*" a certain cast to come to Christ ; anything to break their fall ; works, merit, philosophy, innate virtue, alms-deeds, goodness of heart. — They must share some portion of the glory of their own salvation ; admit this, and they are willing enough that Christ should have all the rest : but to rob them of ail their stock, to take away all their gods, and throw their idols of vain confidence to the moles and to the bats, shocks the natural pride of the human heart, which, cQmbined with unbelief and m 1 1 ii.pij t ': vv' I ;■ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. U |. mil'' .}: presumption, its legetimate offspring, causes many either to overshoot, or build below the rock of their salvation. Having sat up in the prison all night, previous to their execution, I attended them early next morning to the fatal spot. At four o'clock the whole garrison was under arms, the tone of scores of drums gave awful note that the hour of trial was fast approaching ; the chaplain and some officers enter d the guard-house prison, and the poor male- factors and myself joined the awful procession. On our way, 1 used all the means in my power to encourage their faith, and un two of them a holy placidity of comfort seemed to rest, one of whom said, it was a day more joyful to him, than that on which he was married. Having attended them to a little platform, in the centre of the whole gar- rison, where after the chaplain, I joined them in prayer, and took an affectionate leave ; an officer stepped up, and read a pardon for the youngest, and the dreadful signal was given, by which the other two were shot into an eternal world. They died with an humble reliance upon the mercy of God in Christ ; and some degree of holy deli- verance from the fear of death. The one pardoned, was by no means elevated with the favour, assert- ing that he feared he should never be more willing or ready to die. In the evening I improved the circumstance of their death, from the history of the penitent thief, and the Redeemer* s consoling decla- ration, " To day shall thou be with me in paradise.*' In the month of August, Mr. Black, having returned from Westmoreland ; 1 had to bid adieu to the truly affectionate, and to me greatly endeared people at Halifax ; deeply regretting that my want of habitual NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 95 seriousness, and singleness of eye, had prevented my " profiting fiom appearing to all." On my re- tarn to my mission, I preached at Windsor, and Partridge island ; at the last of which, I stopped to spend a few days with two amiable families, squire Rachford's, and Mr. Shannon's. Passing through Parsborough, I spent a little time with Mr. Shreve, the church missionary for those parts ; who kindly rode with me, to the half-way river, where at his request, I expounded to a few people at a school in the woods. During a considerable part of this winter, my mind was greatly depressed, partly by indis- position of body, but more through a painful con- sciousness of my unfaithfulness, and unfitness for the work, and want of success. I was the subject of deep and manifold temptations, and often wept and lamented in secret places, over the corruption of my nature, and the hardness of my heart. I often preached comfort to others, when 1 was deso- late in my own soul ; still I was enabled to per- severe in the path of duty, though with much heart- lessness. I had none to whom I could lay open my suul, most of those among whom I laboured, looked upon me as placed out of the range of temptation, and I was afraid of discouraging them, by laying open the map of my own miseres. Were these letters only a diary of my own experience, 1 might relate many things res^jecting the workings and exercises of my heart ; its pride, unbelief, discontent, its proneness to murmur, its opposition to duty, its various lustings after ease, leisure, popularity, and curious knowledge ; its propensity to be elated with respect, honour, prjiMse ; on the other hand, its re- pugnance to labours, reproach, obscurity, and want i I f.' : I < ' in f ■ 96 NARRATIVE Ot^ A MISSION. of attention from others ; how often have my hands hung down, because my will was not fully subdued to the divine will. After all the deep things God had showed me in my late illness, I found 1 had no stock ; I must maintain the warfare every moment ; the work of believing, watching, praying, working-, must still go on ; no rest in this war, no dallying, no sleeping at the post of duty. O ! how much grace does it require to make a thorough christian ; how much more to make a faithful pastor ; but most of all to make a zealous, patient, and laborious mis- sionary. I had all 1 wanted, or could reasonably expect, of earthly enjoyment ; the people in the dif- ferent settlements, were affectionate, kind, and much attached to my person and ministry ; the Lord had not said ** write this man childless ; ** my accom- modations were in general as good as I had a right to expect ; I had a horse to ride in summer, and a sled during the winter, the few books I had, were select, and well chosen, but all these things availed little, r did not see religion flourish, the plague of my heart shed its poison upon most of my sweets, the want of close communication with God, joined with levity and unwatchfulness often covered me with shame and blushing ; while indisposition of body, the badness of the roads, the inclemency of the weather, often heightened and aggravated my gloomy thoughts, and caused me to move huavily along : and yet, the Lord did not desert my poor ministrations, nor leave my mind without occasional blinks and visits of con- solation, though the sunshine was short, and the ** clouds often returned after the rain." I preached hard, and laboured constantly, but some thought 1 was too legal, and laid too great a stress upon works ; NARRATIVE OF A MISSION 97 |r hands subdued tgs God had no noment ; working, dallying, ch grace ,n ; how most of 9US mis- iasonably a the dif- md much Lord had y accom- ad a right er, and a lad, were rs availed plague of sweets, ,d, joined me with )ody, the weather, thoughts, d yet, the nor leave its of con- and the preached thought I on works ; and certainly they had cause to think so, who laid no stress upon them at all, as 1 opposed the following per- nicious antinomian delusions, which had obtained too much currency in many parts of the province. First, that a believer, though he sin never so scandalously, is still pure and " complete in Christ.'* " He hath not be- held iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel." Secondly, that the body only sins, and not the soul ; as a nut cast into mud is only soiled in the shell, and not the kernel. Thirdly, that the body of a child of God, may get intoxicated, and commit abomination, but not the soul ; that being a spiritual essence, is not affected by such fleshly- lusts. Fourthly, that a sheep, though he render himself filthy by going into mud, and make his fleece black by rubbing against the stumps of burnt trees,* is nevertheless a sheep still, as nobody ever heard of a sheep be- coming a goat. I am, dear sir. Yours, &c. LETTER XIll. All nations they shall teach j for from that day, Not only to'thesons of Abraham's loins. Salvation shall be preached ; but to the sons Of Abraham's faith, wherever through the world : So in hi« seed, all nations shall 1^ blest. Paradise Lost. DEAR SlRy . . • jlN the fall of this year I visited Petitcodiac river, called by the settlers Petticoat Jack ; many settlemerics along the banks having no preaching, and but seldom any ordinance. My good friends, * In Nova Scotia, to clear the land, they burn the woods. K ''a 98 NARRATIVE Of A MlSStO^. m p. :l Justice Dixon and Wilding, accompanied me on this rather perilous tour of duty, in which we had to navigate that formidable and rapid river in a very frail boat. But our divine protector was with us, and though the accommodations were poor in the extreme, we were upon a good service, and that gave lightness to the heart, and cheerfulness to the eye. In one settlement we were all three crowded into a small bed and as the worthy magistrates were both portly men, 1 think it might safely be affirmed, (as the stripling in the middle remarked J that it never at any one time before, contained so much law and gospel. Another night we had no bed at all, but lay all night on the floor, and found even this no great sacrifice to endure in his cause, who had not where to lay his head. To recompense these tri- fling temporary privations ,wehad "times of refresh- ing" while worshiping in the tall forests, the God of nature, providence, redemption, and salvation. This river, which is one of the most dangerous and formidable in all Nova Scotia, "being nearly a mile wide, and withal so rapid and furious, that it occasions the loss of many lives, and the destruction of many boats every year. Situated at the head of the bay of Fundy, the indraught of the tide is prodigiously strong, and as it rises nearly forty feet, it causes some curious and dangerous phenomena in the river. Two of these are called by the settlers, the boar, and the quicksand. The for- mer is created by the rapid influx of the tide, which rushing up against the descending streai^i, raises the ' water like a wall, and has sometimes swallowed up 1)oth men and boat. The second, for which it is •more difficult to account, is attributed by the people, m NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 99 >n this vigaie i boat. hough le, we htness n one . small portly as the ver at :w and ill, but this no had not ?8e tri- refresh- he God Ivation. ous and a mile that [\d the lated at LUght of s nearly ngerous called The for- !, which lises the ' owed up ■ch it is people, tO' the quicksands moving at the bottom of the river, in an undulatory manner, which creates a violent ripple, and dangerous broken water, that threatens to swallow up the boat. In the last of these I was myself involved, while descending with the tide ; though the temporary agitation of my mind prevented my calmly and minutely observing the phenomenon, yet the opinion of the people is very probable, Wa were silently falling down with the stream, the day was fine, the sky beautiful, and the river smooth as glass, when in an instant, a violent ebullition surrounded the boat ; the waves rose in quick and violent succession, and according to the best of my recollection, with a singular noise. 1 expected every moment that the boat would bo swamped, but the men seemed to think there was no danger ; it quickly subsided, but had agitated the water to a considerable extent. Many families of the old Acadian French reside on the banks of this river ; but so immersed in the superstition i\nd priestcraft of popery, that they are almost inaccesible to the light of scriptural truth, and blind to the beauties of a more simple and less gorgeous manner of worshiping God in the spirit. [ could not but observe the influence of superstition upon their social habits. They are indolent in the extreme, seldom cultivating more land than is suf- ficient to supply their present wants. Their habi- tations are despicable log-huts, consisting of one large room, where they both sleep, cook, eat, and perform their devotion. Their language is a dialect of the Canadian French, and their general manners, about the half-way house between the Indians and. the white people. In them it was easy to observe, k2 H I »■ I! ri well-furnished library are out of the question. A fear of danger would be a great impediment to his useful- ness. He should be a pioneer to the cross ; that his brethren who come after him, may find the roads made, the hiljs levelled, and the bridges built ; this, I hope, vras in a degree done for the brethren who are now stationed in that wild part of creation. Still, whoever labours in British North America, will need for his motto, "endure hardness as a good sol- dier of the Lord Jesus Christ." A. fine taste, a weakly body, and a sedentary and studious habit, would greatly disqualify him for being useful on such a mission, where long rides, fatiguing walks, wild woods, and rapid rivers, expose to hardship, and require activity. God, and perhaps a few solitary individuals, are the only witnesses of his toils and difficulties ; and prayer (when he can retire into the woods,) the only refuge to which he can fly. He leaves to the ease-loving, and fashionable minister, in the fastidiousness of self- ■ indulgence, to lean over a velvet-cushioned pulpit, and tell an admiring and sympathizing audience of his toils and trials, and then hasten back to his snug parlour, and qijiiet study. Do not, dear sir, think me cynical, many blessed men may enjoy these advantages with a good conscience ; but the missionary to North America, must ofiten ride twelve miles through a snow-storm, or cross a wide and rapid river in a log-canoe, to preach to half-a-dozen or twenty settlers on the opposite shore ; , where he has a log-hut for his chapel, a stool for his pulpit, and is himself both priest, precentor, , and choir. As I have mentioned log-huts before in , k3 , .;,, '•} I , f 1 '.'V' H? 102 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. the course of these letters, it may be necessary here to say, that these are the first productions, of architec ture in this wilderness country. Perhaps more than two-thirds of the settlers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, at least those iii the interior, reside in them. These sylvan mansions, are made of the solid trunks of trees, thirty, forty, or more feet long, and from fourteen to eighteen inches in diameter. They are cut down, and then roughly squared, (for a Nova Scotian, like a Spartan, uses only the axe, adze, and saw, to build his house), after which, they are dove-tailed at the ends, and then laid one upon another, the upper and lower side of the tim- ber only being squared ; when they are raised to twelve or eighteen feet, ( for they are seldom more than one story high,) the rafters arc laid on, ahd ■ these are covered either with birch-bark, shingles, or rough boards : a door, which sometimes serves for a window too, is made by sawing away an oblong square of the trees which form the walls of the house. The chrmney is generally built at one end, sometimes of brick, but more generally of clay and rough stones. The spaces, or crevices between the trunks of the trees, are filled with moss or clay, but often in so miserable a manner, that the wind and the snow too, pour in from every quarter, and make them in winter excessively cold, even though they may have half.a.load of wood upon the fire at once. Sometimes they have partitions of rough boards, and at other times sheets are hung up, to separate the sleeping portions of the mansion from the rest. Two or three mtra will build a log-house in a few days. They cost little, as most of the materials grow round the spot. These, sir, are the farm-houses of a new settlement 1 '■ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 103 iiry here irchitec lore than ind New Bside in the solid ng, and •. They , (for a the axe, r which, laid one the tini. raised to [om more on, aiid ngles, or ves for a 1 oblong le house, lometimes id rough he trunks it often in he snow them in [lay have ometimes at other sleeping or three hey cost the spot, etllemen t made in the woods ; in them I have preached, studied, slept, and spent many happy hours ; walking out into my sylvan oratory, the woods, under the shade of which, I could pour out my soul to God, and sweetly enter into the sentiment of the following lines : In desert woods with thee my God, Where human footsteps never trod, How happy could I be! Thou my repose from care, my light Amidst the darkness of the night. In solitude my company. ' Neuton. I cannot take leave of this part of my early mission, without remarking, that some blessed fruits attended my poor labours ; and many blessed testimonies, in letters now in my possession, were afforded, that the word had not fallen as ** water spilled upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again,** and much enlarge- ment was felt in secret prayer while retired in the woods, yet I was by no means satisfied with myself, I was far from being that humble, serious, spiritual, and heavenly-minded man 1 ought. I had to lament the want of singleness of eye, and inward purity. I endeavoured to put my whole soul into my sermons, and was often deeply aiTected myself with the truths I delivered to others, yet 1 did not follow them out, in being myself the exact model of my ministry ; my foolish inexperienced heart, was too much pleased with the approbation of others. I had great cause to be humbled on account of my too great levity of spirit, and then dejection. I had none to take me by the hand, who were acquainted with the deep things of God. Examples of deep devotedness are every where too rare, but abroad, the want of rich and abundant means of grace, will easily account for their scarcity. 1*04 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ' :b I'l m Mi 1 had no aged and exporienood ministers of Christ to watch over me, and being separated from my brotlior missionaries for twelve months together, was a lut>8 which 1 had to deplore. Frequent invitations to parties, and being much caressed, was a poison to my soul, and left behind much deadncss and spiritual lassitude. The reading books, not immediately of a spiritual tendency, damped the sacred flame, and moot- od up desires to be popular, and noted ; this greatly ministered to double.mindedness, and took the eye of my soul fr»m the blessed Jesus. The frequency of my being in fanuHes not deeply devoted to God, ofton led me into conversation not at all profitable. These things reduced me more to my f(*rmer level, than was either for the good of my soul, or the succoss of my liibours, and made me weep and sigh in secret places ; still, however, the people loved me, and did not " despise my youth," many tears were shed at my departure from them, and for my own part, J could not help weeping aloud, as I rode through the woods. 1 will close tins letter, by a prayer for America, the moral and spiritual welfare of which, next to my native land, is still the dearest wish of my heart. ■' i, , . Mighty Father, hear my prayer, Make yon new found world thy care ! From thy throne of mercy bend. O'er the western waves extend Go<«pel light — let lake and wood. Valley, hill, savunnah, flood, Echo u ith redemptioifs tale. Borne along by every gale ! Where the war-whoop, shrill and clear, . Fell like death upon the ear ; Let Hosannalis liorn of love. Warble sweetly through the grove. ' Where the rattle-snake in coil, Slept insidious like a pile j ii ' m NARRATITE OP A MISSION. 105^ Chriht to ly brotlior ^as a lobs tutions to son to my 1 spiritual ately of a and nioot- lis greatly the eye of quency of God, often le. These evel, than le success li io secret e, and did e shed at 't, 1 could he woods, erica, the xt to my y heart. And the panther and the licar, In the briuhwood mode their lair. Where tlie white man's blood was «pi!t». Lord be peaoefiil temples built. Long where fair Ohio glides, Forests fringing both his sides, « Like a stream of silver seen* On a ground of emerald green ; Wide may truth its power dispread,, Soft as dew its influence shed ; Till the forest world shall bloom Sweet, as with the rose perfume ! From its stony mountain bed,-f> Where Missouri lifts its head, Rollinj( through a waste of woods. Till it meets the Sire of Floods ; % May the red men of the west, 'Neath their vine and fig-tree bleat,. To Columbia's utmost bound. Hear the gospel's joyful sound j Hear it and convey it far, As the range of Helper's star ; Till their kmdred tribes shall hear. Round Superior^t § waters clear,. Tidings of the crucifled. Pardon flowing from his side. Every wilderness rejoice, Beauteous as a Paradise : All the happy forest land, Simply good and wildly grand. Pure in morale, wise in creed. On the cross salvation read ; And ihe light of gospel mom. Beam from Greenland, to Cape Horn. **• 1 am, dear sir. Yours, &c. * The rivers id America gliding through the green forests have this appearance i The Missouri rises from the Stoney Mountains, iathe western regions > , . , of America. ... i So the Miflsiwippi is called in the Indian language. { Lake Superior. ** The length of America. 106 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. LETTER XIV. '• f'A From far Columbia—- world of forest shade, Where EIHot, lon}!^ the bleeding cross displayed ; The western wood», their Indian tribes shall send, Tu crown the triumphs of the sinners friend. Thy red men, Mayhew, shall in glory shine ; And 1 ere, O Brainerd !' thou shall meet with thine. Whitfield, his transatlantic conve.is view j And I, evtn I, may hope to see a few ! M' DEAR SIRy After a most a/Tectionato ixnd sorrowful parting with the dear people on this mission ; in the spring of the year 1802, 1 set off once more for Annapolis, to meet my brethren. At Cornwallis, I called on the Rev. Mr. Twining, church missionary of the society for the Propagation of Christian Know, ledge. This worthy minister had derived much bene- fit from an acquaintance with Mr. Black, and he now with much simplicity and zeal, preached the doctrine of salvation by grace. He kindly enter- tained' me at his house, and affectionately requested me to preach in his parish, bringing his wliole family to the meeting. During my continuance at his house^ he related several anecdotes, touching the opposition he met from some of his parishioners. He had used Doctor Watts* psalms and hymns in bis church; at which some of his rigid hearers took great offence, and wrote to Doctor Inglis, the Bishop of Nova Scotia. Mr. Twining finding he was likely to get into trouble, wrote home to the society, by whom he was employed, but that venerable body, l^ARRAtlVC Of A MISSION. ia7 yed; end, thine. sorrowful m ; in the more for •nwallis, I nissioiiary an Know. inch bene- , and he ached the \y enter- requested lis whole nuanee nt King the lers. He ns in his rers took le Bishop tras likely ciety, by le body, with a liberality truly christian, sent him a box of the psalms and hymns in question, at the same time, testifying their approbation of his conduct. The missionaries met at Annapolis, and after prayer, and mature deliberation, it was deemed highly expedient, that the young preacbers* from England, should visit New York, and be more fully set apart for the work of God on the missions. We sailed from Digby, in the month of May, and after a rough, but speedy passage -of six days:, arrived in New York. Here £ had an opportunity of contemplating the vast extent of the work of God, in the western world, and particularly that branch A^hich at first sprang from the wisdom, tea\, and labours of the ever-to-Tbe- venerated Wesley, and the faithful labourers he sent to cultivate this vast field. I was greatly surprised to meet in the preachers assembled at New York, such examples of simpli- city, labour, and self.denial. Some of them had come five or six hundred miles to attend the con- ference. They had little appearance of clerical cos- tume, many of them had not a single article of black cloth, their good bishops set them the ex- ample ; neither of wliom were dressed in black ; but the want of this was abxindantly compensated, by a truly primitive zeal in the cause of their divinis master. From these blessed worthies, I learned tha:t saving of sov'", is the true work of a missionary ; and felt somewhait ashamed thai i so little resembled men, who appeared as much dead to the world, as * It was the intention of Doctor Coke as one of the bishops of the Wejleyan chut-ch in America, to have done this before we left England, bL'; je could not get down to Liverpool before the ship sailed. 108 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ,' - 'I: Ml <■' I ' I Mi ■ thoug-h they had been the inhabitants of another planet. The Bishops, Asbury and Whatcoat, were pain, simple, Tenerable persons, both in dress and manners : their costume was that of former times ; the colour drab, the waistcoat with large laps, and both coat and waistcoat without any collar, their plain stocks, and low-crowned broad.brimmed hats, bespoke their great deadness to the trifling ornaments of dress. In a word, their appearance was simplicity itself, they spoke but little, and appeared utterly averse to the frivolous compli. ments of the world. They were perfect antipodes to " the thing that mounts the rostrum with a skip ; " and had something truly apostolic in their general demeanour. I felt impressed with awe in their presence, and sooniperceived that they had established themselves in the esteem and veneration of their brethren ; not by the trappings of office, or the pomp and splendour of episcopal parade, but by their vast labours, self-denying simplicity, and disinterested love. These obtained for them the homage of the heart, they were the first ia office, because they were the first m zeal. Venerable men ! ye are now gone to your reward ; riches and honours ye had none upon earth ! labour was your element, and love your motive ; no niche in the temple of fame is reserved for you, your work was with God, your honour was from him, and you have now entered upon your immortal rest. Most of the preachers appeared to be young men, yet, ministerial labour bad impressed its withering seal upon their coun- tenances, an indica)tion that they had seen some 45ervice in the vineyard of the Lord. 1 cannot contemplate without astonishment, the great work NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 1UU another it, were ress and it times ; y collar, brimmed e trifling )pearance ttle, and compli- antipodes a skip ; " r general in their established I of their the pomp their vast interested L«je of the ause they |e are now •s ye had lent, and ^e of fame God, your m entered preachers ial labour Iheir coun- Iseen some 1 cannot •reat work (Sod has performed in the United States by means, humanly speaking, so utterly unlikely. Had the mag. net of great names, profound learning, or human authority been employed, we might cea ^e to wonder ; but without any of these, the cause of Wesleyan methodism, may I not be permitted to say, sir^ a modification of vital piety, has spread throughout the whole extent of this vast country. Along its mighty lakes, and sylvan solitudes, where the popu- lation is but thinly scattered, circuits have been formed, chapels built, and the remote settlements, out of the . reach of regular pastoral help, have greatly benefited, by the visits and labours of the Wesleyan preachers. Their laborious ministry has been crowned with a rich harvest of saved sinners. Truly might that hardy veteran John Wesley say, With my pastoral cl'ook, I went over the brook, And behold I am spread into bands. It is in America we see methodism in its grandest form. The indefatigable and heavenly.minded author of the above lines, could never have contemplated the amazing spread of this pure form of christian piety through this immense country; all is here upon a scale of magnitude equal to the grandeur of the lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains of the country, were I to make a comparison of the societies at home, and in the new world, I would say, English methodism is more refined, in America it is more lively and laborious. In England there is more talent, information, and learning ; in tho United States more simplicity, poverty, and zeal. In England there is more study, the circuits are more contracted : there, they labour more, and enlarge their sphere X 110 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION* ' uf action. In England there is more system and rog^ularity : in America more enterprize and eccen« tricity. The British methodists have more eloquence and judgment, they, have more earnestness and enthusiasm. In England they accustom the people to method and order ; there, they are not careful otiough about fencing the societies round with a wall of discipline. In England more pains are taken in a pastoral way, to shepherd and build up the ^societies. There, they, preach more, and. «re more solicitous about cutting down timber than cultivat- ing and clearing well the land. In England me thodism is like a river calmly gliding on. There, itis a torrent rushing along, and sweeping all away in its course. Methodism in England is the metho. dism of Wesley, methodical, inteltigent, and neat; in America it resembles Asbury, it has more rough- ness and less polish. Our form of government is modelled upon' presbyterianism. In America it is epis- copal ; there is a wide difference between their book of discipline, and our minutes of conference ; still the doctrines iu both connexions are exactly the same. The methodists in America, in point of wealth, learn- ing, and respectability, are behind several other bodies of professors in the same country, but in activity and adaptation to the wants of a new country, 'second to none. The good they have done to the blacks, is beyond calculation; and the new Kcttlcments in different parts of the interior, with- out such a ministry might have degenerated into heathens. The presbyterian church is the most l^opular, the Dutch reformed highly respeetab'- t1ie episcopal church is the richest, but in the great work of awakening careless sinners, and exploring KARRATIVE OF A MISSION. Ill the new settlements, the methodists have no equals. There are no temptations to worklly minds, in the American methodist ministry ; the preachers are plain laborious men, of good sense, and well acquainted with the doctrines of the gospel ; they are much opposed to any compromise with the spirit of the world ; they have not much opportunity of culti- vating human learning, and are not enough atten- tive to building good chapels. They have more than thirteen hundred preachers, and nearly half a million in the society. We may truly exclaim, " what hath God wrought ! '* has the sun in its course through the heavens, ever looked down upon a work like this ? in what page or sectiou of church history does it occur ? In the course* of about sixty years,, there have been about twenty- five hundred preachers admitted into the travelling connection in America, many of these have died in the glorious work, the survivors are spreading the gospel of Jesus from the northern extremities of the province of Main, to St. Mary's, and the Altamahaw river in the southern extremity of Georgia ; and from the sea-board, in the Atlantic States, to the lakes £ri and I>etroit ; to the rivers Muskingham, Wabash,, and Missiouri in the west. And south westward, to Missisippi, Natches, upper and lower Louisiana, to New Orleans, aud the Tombigbe settle- ments. In a word, the influence of Wesleyan me- thodism in the United States, has generally been, (especially to the south and westward) coeval, as well as co-extensive with the new settlements. At different times, a number of enterprising persons have emi- grated into the interior, and formed establishments and colonies out of the reach of a regular ministry* h2 ! IC! 112 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 'i -1 : .,1^! ^m-% ,;i Im it i' I WM i such insulated places affording no field for a settled pastor, they would have been altogether deprived uf the means of grace, had not those itinerants, who were most contiguous generously visited them ; until, in process of time, a cluster of such settle- ments has formed a circuit, and by their extent and magnitude, have required the labours of several preachers. In this manner, the states of Ohio, Kentucky, the Gennesse, and thf Tennesse countries, as also the western territory, and several other places, have grown up in the truth , and flourished in the best sense of the word, under the influence of Wesleyan mcthodism. To this, in many cases, thoy owe their present dignity, extent, and opulence. Indeed, there is hardly a settlement of any conse. quence, to the west and south, but has been visited by active and faithful labourers from the different conferences, who have left behind them traces of saving light and real usefulness. The '* rose of Sharon," planted by their hands, and watered by their tears and prayers, has greatly flourished in the midst of these wild woods, and thousands from the banks of the Ohio, the Allegany, and the Sciota, have taken their flight to the mansions of bliss : and such has been the spread of piety and truth in these western wilds, that some might sup- pose the good Herbert ja. prophet, when he said, Reli^on stands on tiptoe in our land. Ready to pass to the American strand. Methodism has been a peculiar blessing to this new world ; which having no religious establishment, is in many of its remote parts, more dependant on such a ministry, than can well be conceived by those who never visited the country. Many thoti- l!t ' ' NARRAtlVE OF A MISSION. 113 sands of the settlers \irould have been left to pre. carious, and contingent religious instruction, had not the niethodist preachers, with an alacrity and zeal, worthy the ^apostolic age, spread themselves abroad in every direction, And become every man's servant, , for Christ's sake. ^ Thft venerable bishops, Asbury and Whatcoat, who were then alive, treated us with affectionate sim- plicity, and with much solemnity and prayer, (assisted by many of the elders) by the imposition of hands, more fully ordained us for the work of the ministry. My mind was deeply impressed during this solemn ordinance, and I felt a strong and lively determination to give myself more fully to the work of the Lord, and to be " in labours more abundant," in his blessed service ; my desires on the occasion, were breathed forth in the following verse : . t My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord, Into thy graciouH hands receive ; And let me live to preach thy word; - And let me to thy g'ory live ; My every sacred moment spend In publishing the sinners friend. . The following is a fac simile of the two parchments presented to us on the occasion by the good bishops, with their signatures and seals affixed. [ preserve them as sacred mementos of that solemn designation, and for the sake of the venerable men whose signatures they bear, and not because they superadded any espe- cial validity to my original call to the work of the ministry. ItnOfD all tncn lbs tf^tiiC T^ttHtnH, That /, mchnrd IVhatcoati one of the Bishops of the Mfthodiat-Episcopal Churchy in America, under the protection of Almighty (iOD, and %rif(i a sintfle eye to hit Glory, by the imposition of my hands and l3 it- yj I: ■i: 114 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. prayer^ har« this day tet apart Joshua Manden for iht Office of a Deacon in the taid Methodist- EpUcopat Churchy a man whom I judffe welt qualified Jbr that worh : And I do heriby recommend him^ to all whom it may concern^ a* a proper perten to administer Baptism^ Marriage^ and the Buried of the Dead^ in the absence of an Elder ^ and to feed the flock of Christ, so lony as his Spirit and Practice arc suc^i a* becometh the Gos. pel of Christ. IM TESTIMONY 'WHKREOF, / hove hereunto tet my hand and sealy this First Day of June, in the Year of our Lordf One Thousand Eight Hundred and Two. New York. Richard Whatcoat. IKnotD all meu (g t!)r4e pre^enlfS, irhat /, Francis Asburyt one of the Bishopsqf the Methodist-Episcopal Churchy in America, under the protection of Almighty God, and with a single eye to his Glory, by the imposition of my hands and prayer (being assisted by tlie Elders present J have this day set apart Joshua Marsden for the Office of an Elder in the said JUetliodist- Episcopal Churchy a man whom I judge to be well qualified for that work : And I do hereby reeommend him, to alt whom it may concern, as a proper person to administer the Sacraments and Ordinances, and to feed the flock of Ctirist, so long as his Spirit and Practice are such as betometh the Gospel of Christ. In testimont \tiiereof, / have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second Day of June, in the Year of our Lord,One Thousand Eight Hundred and Two. New York. Francis Asbury. Had the archbishop of Canterbury, or York, per- formed the cererrtony, I should not esteem it a whit more estimable ; although those venerable prelates may smile n . my simplicity, and treat my assumption with profound disdain. Yet I have no need to tell those distinguished individuals, that there is not a popish bishop in the land, but would with equal contempt smile at their pretensions. In New York, I saw several missionaries from Upper and Lower Canada, NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 115 and also from the vicinity of the larger lakes ; the recital of whose manifold hardships and perils, caused me to blush at my own weakness, and want of courage. From their affecting accounts, 1 learned that a Nova Scotia mission, is not even to ** flesh and blood/* the most forbidding scene of labour in the world. I had frequently thought in my solitary wan- derings through the woods, and along the frozen path, that I was alone in my difficulties, but now 1 learned, that there were others who were far larger co-partners in the cross of Christ than myself. Bunyan's Pilgrim, when passing through the valley of the shadow of death, did not know that there was another in similar circumstances until he heard the voice of Faithful, and then he took courage : so in my own trials, when trudg- ing through the deep snow, spent with weariness and fatigue, or preaching in a smoaky log.hut, to a dozen hearers, or groping my way by night through the dark and swampy woods, 1 had sometimes, in the gloominess of unbelief, been ready to conclude, that of all others, mine were the greatest hardships. Thus, a young and raw recruit, will swell into formidable dangers, what a a hardy veteran would tres^t as trifles hardly worth mentioning. I now learned that I had been only upon the borders of the desert, while others had actually crossed that dismal and dreary waste. The dangers and hardships of many of the preachers in the new world, a land of rivers, forests, swamps, and lakes, are not to be paralleled by anything similar in an old country like England. Not unfrequently has a preacher to sleep on the bare ground in the woods. Sometimes a circuit is from one to two hun. dred miles in extent; the roads frequently bad, and the country a wilderness. In some cases the mode of i^ll PVi 116 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ^1 living is not very grateful to a tender constitution, or a sickly appetite; for although fat bacon, buck-whcut cakes, fiery whisky, bohea tea, and maple sugar, nuiy do very well for strong ploughmen, and hearty wood- cutters, the man who preaches the gospel will often , be obliged to own, that his work has made such inroads upon his health, that the above fare would operate only as an emetic upon his stomach. At the general conference, I attended in New York, there were present, some who had to ride from five to thirteen hundred miles, in order to attend the meeting. The delegates from south Carolina, had to travel more than five hundred miles ; those from the states of Kentucky, at least seven hundred ; from Ohio, better than five huiu dred ; from the Tennesse country, more than a thousand; and from the western territory, the banks of the Missouri, and Louisiana, from twelve to four- teen hundred miles. A preacher in the United States, has many- severer difficulties to encounter, than those of mere* travelling. J f he be a married man, there are often no accommodations for his family, ^e may ride from one end of his circuit to another, and after all be glad to put up with a miserable log-house ; and probably, may not be more than one week at home in four or five ; yet notwithstanding all the difficulties and dangers of an itinerant life in America, there are nevertheless some excellent preachers ; men who possess strong minds, considerable information, and powerful eloquence. An English traveller, thus describes a forest solemnity of preaching, and other religious exercises — '' It was one Sunday as 1 travelled through the county of Orange, that my eye was caught by a cluster NARRATIYE OF A MI!iSIOIf. 117 ition, or k-whcut ;ar, inuy y wood- ill often de such re would ch. in New to ride order to n south hundred , at least ive hun. than a Ihe banks to four- e United ncounter, I married for his is circuit up with y not be five ; yet jers of an less some g minds, loquence. solemnity ses — *' It le county a cluster of horses, tied near an old wooden house, in the centre of the forest, not far from the road side ; having frequently seen such objects before in tra- velling through these states, 1 had no difficulty in understanding that it was a place of religious worship, devotion alone, would have stopped me ta join in the duties of the congregation ; but 1 con- fess, that a curiosity to hear the prear.her of such a wilderness, was not the least of my motives. On entering, 1 was struck with his preternatural ap- pearance ; he was a tall and very spare «ld man ; his head was covered with a white linen cap, his shrivelled hands and voice, were all shaking under the influence of a palsy, and a few moments ascer- tained to me, that he was perfectly blind. The hrst emotions that touched my breast were those of mingled pity and veneration ; but ah I how soon were all my feelings changed — his subject was the passion of our Saviour ; and little did I suppose, that in the wild woods of America, I was to meet with a man, whose eloquence would give to this topic, a new, and more sublime pathos, than 1 had ever witnessed. He drew a picture of the suf. ferings of our Saviour, his trial before Pilate, his ascent up calvary, his crucifixion, and death. I knew the whole history, but never, till then, had I heard circumstances so selected, so arranged, so coloured ; it was all new, and I seemed to have heard it for the first time in my life. His enun. ciation was so deliberate, that his voice trembled on every syllable, and every heart in the assembly trembled in unison; his peculiar phrase had that force of description, that the original scene appeared to be at that moment acting before our eyes i 118 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. Pi- !.' 'I i> but when he came to touch on the patience, the forgiving meeknccs of our Saviour ; when he drew to the life, his blessed eyes, streaming with tears to heaven ; his voice, breathing to God, a soft and gontlo prayer for pardon on his enemies, ** father forgive them, for they know not what they do." The effect was inconceivable, the whole bouse re- sounded with mingled groans and sobs, and shrieks of the congregation." In the United States, the worthy bishops tlicm- selves, take their full share of all the toils and labour, attending an extensive circulation of divine truth, in this vast world of woods, this ** bound- less contiguity of shade." Bishop Asbury, in a pastoral sermon, which 1 had the pleasure of he-r- ing him preach, in showing that they were not a whit behind any of their brethren the preachers, in labours, travels, and exposures, illustrated his position, by the following simple, but appropriate anecdote, which had a wonderful effect on the whule conference. During the revolutionary war in America, a small fort was besieged by a part of the British army, and the little garrison was reduced to the greatest possible distress. Fatigue, labour, and privation, excited a spirit of murmuring and dig. content among the privule men, some of whom, thought that while they were suffering all but famine, their commander was farcing much better, he remonstrated with them, and after pointing out his more than equal hardships, held up his pint of rice, (which was all their daily allowance) ob- serving, that if any of the men were dissatisfied, they might share his portion among them. And now said the good bishop, if any of the brethrea p j I NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 110 I complain of their pint of rice, lot them take miM and share it among them. 1 am, dear sir, ' Yours, &c. LETTER XV. OVr fair Co!unnbia*H late discovered shores, The hallowed crotu a rich resplendence ])ours: Where high the Allegany mountains frown, And wide Missouri rolls his waters brown, The li;>ht of piety serenely glows. And makes the forest " blulsum as a rose." Author. DEAk SlRy After the accomplishment of our objoci in New York, brother Bonnet and myself, re» embarked for the cold and rugged shores of Nova Scotia ; a complete contrast to the milder skies, and well cultivated vicinity of the city of New York. After a delightful |)dssago of five days, we arri^^erl at Digby, in the bay of Fundy. And as it was Sunday, and we could not reach Annapolis, we went ashore, hoping for some opening to speak a word fur our master ; but, alas ! the blessed Immanucl did not appear to have one foot of ground in all Digby ; (the Nazareth of Nova Scotia.) So, after a solitary walk on the sea.shore, we hailed Ihc boat, and returned on board the vessel, where we had the blessed solace of our bibles and christian conversation, still we were constrained to say with David, ** my soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord." Sabbaths spent on ship- board, especially in harbour, are of all others, to J n ' :f m 120 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. hi I 'M W i M |! ■ a chfisiian, the most ted'iQus. Digby appeared given lip to sinugglir and it was probably owing to this, that the bussed gospel had found no entrance into the town; although several attempts had been made by different missionaries. At night, a band of s ingglers came on board, to carry their con- traband wares ashore ; who greatly disturbed us by their prefane and ungodly conversation ; at length, we reproved them, but this brought upon us a flood of reproach and invective, and one of them, who appeared more dt ent than the rest, quoted a sciap of latin, but upon my calmly telling him, we did not deal in scraps, his fury became ungovernable, and had it not been for fear of con- sequences, they would doubtless have inflicted upon us some serious mischi3f. The next day we procured a boat to take us to Annapolis, where J vas appointed to labour for three months. This beautiful little town, formerly the capital of Acadia, was called by the French, Port Royal, its present name was given to it in honour of Que3n Anne. It is situated on the river, and near the basin, of the same name, than which, a more en. chanting sheet of water, cannot easily be found. The climate of the county of Annapolis, is the mildest and most sheltered part of the whole province, and it may in truth be called, the Eden of Nova Scotia. The town 'z small, but finely situated, it has a church, a Wesleyan chapel, a court-house, a fine garrison, fort, and barracks, and many good houses. The river, which washes the town, and forms the harbour, floiws through one of the best cultivated districts in the whole province ; on both sides, it is fiill of meadows, gar- dens, and orchards. The circuit is large and populous, li ' ■ IJARRATIYE O? A MISSION. 121 red given owing to entrance had been , a band heiv con. :urbed ns tion ; at ight upon 1 one of the rest, ily telling y became r of con- cted upon ake us to for three nerly the ach. Port honour of and near more en. md. The lildest and i it may in le town 'i Wesleyjn fort, and Bf, which through le whole )WS, gar. populous, and there are many truly pious people residing on both sides of the river. We have a chupel at Gran- ville, ten miio«« from Annapolis ; also a small one on Wilmot mountain, a majestic eminence that command's the whole bay of Fundy, and in fine weather the op- posite shores of the province of New Brunswick. On this mission, I laboured with great -" ^light and satisfaction, the work of God prospered from Wil- mot mountain to the Waldeck settlement, on the basin of Annapolis ; our meetings were much crowded, many were greatly quickened, and seldom did we assemble together, without a refreshing sense of the presence of the Lord. At Granville chapel, and also at Waldeck settlement, the vast numbers that attended, constrained me to preach, and administer the Lord's Supper, in the woods. The stillness of this sylvan chancel, overhung with lofty pines, and waving birch trees, the echoing melody of the hymns, reverberatin<^ through the forest, the table covered with the elements, the surr^^unding and often weeping congregation, left impressions upon my mind, that neither time nor j)lace will ever be able to remove, for often, when I think of these seasons my heart springs in desire acoss the wide Atlantic, to preach the gospel in the woods of North America. 1 know, sir, you will pardon me, for dwelling so much upon the simple annals of thes(« our liTi*:sh American colonists. If, like myself, yon had formed some of your earliest and dearest associa- tions in these woods, if in them you had passed' throagh the severest trials, and received some of your sweetest consolations; if, sir, you had kft spiritual children, sprinkled up and down the forest, and had been treated with a kindness truly parental; 1 am sure, the recollection would not be barren of interest M \m i I. '«,'! • mi ' urn ■■!l N'/^ 122 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. I>! ' I- and pleasure. Here all was spotaneous, affectionate, and sincere ; truth was not cut into a variety of shapes by ceremony, the devout worshipper gave way to his warmest impulses. The divine influence was like *' the dew upon Israel;*' creating emotions of devotion in the heart, which were not shaped and modelled to the formal decorum of a large and splendid congregation. The apostolic amen^ did not call down a reproof from the officiating clergyman, " sir, I pay my clerk for saying, amen,** nor did a sob, a tear, or a sigh, break in upon the monotony of religious propriety, and attract the attention of half-a-thousand demure and unaffected worshippers. I am in no danger of departing from truth, in saying that I have seen as much pure faeling, genuine devotion, and holy excitement, in the forests of Nova Scotia, as ever solemnized the finest temple made with hands, or ascended to heaven from the sincerest heart. One day, while I was preaching, James Whethe- ral, a man remarkably moral, and who had lon§^ been noted by his neighbours, for his regu. lar and self-righteous habits, mixed with the con- gregation, the word fell upon his heart, he was deeply convinced that he had not built upon the right foundation. The sin-convincing spirit blew, and blasted and faded every flower of self.righteousness, hence throwing aside his fig-leaf covering, he came to the Lord Jesus Christ for the garments of sal- vation. The change wrought upon his mind was wonderful to all who knew him, he became as simple and humble as a little child, following the unworthy instrument of his conversion from place o place, till in a little while, he was taken sick and died in the full triumph of faith. Soou after this, a pious LV NARRATIVE OF A MISSION* 123 friend in Annapolis, requested me to visit a woman of a very different stamp, who when I entered the room, i found propped up in bed, and to all ap- pearance within a few hours of the ^final limit of human life. She no sooner cast her eyes towards me than her looks expressed an aversion to my visit, which greatly pained my mind. I ventured, how- ever, to ask her, whether she had any reason to believe herself in a state of salvation « to which, with great acrimony, she replied, " What have I ever done, th.'>t I cannot be saved,'? immediately adding, " I do not know why I cannot go to heaven as well as another." Strong delusion ! and yot, hi* ' 01 dying deceiver, had the day before, been V ceiving the sacrament, and not m^iny hours elapsed, before, unhumbled, and I fear unrenewed, she de. parted for an eternal world.. While 1 continued upon this mission, my visits lO the different settlements upon the borders of the Annapolis basin, were most refreshing and precious to my soul. 1 had sweet communion with the people of God, some of whom were as simple, hearted as little children, for God had given them the spirit love, of power, and of a sound *nd, 0! how eac^y it is to preach, and how sweet to converse ■ 1th nople in such a case ; to these my poor mil ib > ' v) is a great blessing, and yet, I never felt mc t euuse to be deeply humbled, my faithless heart was continually starting aside, and £ felt that if God did not save me, I should, through my great unfaithfulness, be lost after all. Some- times, in my happy moments, I was led out to pray, that 1 might be taken from the earth, and lUe evil to come. I saw myself defective in every m2 r\ M 124 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. M J *viU \ > : VI iiiiS m in possible way, but the want of deep seviousness^ and a pronencss to levity, gave me the greatest stings. Yet in my ijublic ministry, I was greatly assisted, ' though my inward conflicts with the power of temptation, were sharp and severe. About this time, an accident happened that had like to have cofit me my life. Mrs. B. the lady at whose house 1 lodged, wished to accompany me to the Waldeck settlement, in order to hear preaching, and visit her sister, who lived in that neighbourhood. We were riding -v'ough the woods, and had arrived within a mile >e place where 1 was to preach. J was driving the ^lorse at a smart trot, and much engaged in conversation, did not see a tree that lay along side the path, till the gig was overturned with a considerable shock, and we were both thrown out io the distance of several yards. In my first ap- prehrnsion, 1 did not know, so much was 1 stunned, but I had fallen to rise no more, poor Mrs. B. called out, O ! sir, my jaw is broken ; and one equally ignorant how far he had sustained injury, replied, in strains truly plaintive ; alas, madam my ribs are all fractured ! however, after a few moments mutual condolence, our alarm was con. verted into grateful thanks ; we found the injury each had sustained, was not equal either to the shock, with which we were thrown out of the carriage, or the apprehensions we felt in the first moments after the fall. We were, nevertheless, both sadly bruised, and my clothes were much torn. When the gig upset, through a kind providence, the horse stopped, otherwise it must have been broken all to pieces, as it was in the midst of a wood. As soon as I was able, 1 helped up mj NARUATIVE OF A MISSION. 125 poor fellow-traveller, pnd after some difficulty in restoring things to order, we managed once more to resume our places, and pursuing our journoy, devoutly thanked our almighty Preserver, that w«f had not both been killed upon the spot, ** Thou Lord savest both man and beast,*' and thy name shall be adored to endless ages. I know, sir, you will unite with me, in esieeming this a merciful preservation ; nor will I ask either the lover of chance, or the unbeliever in a particular providence, whether or not I shall record it in these letters. The people were v/aiting for my arrival in a large barn ; so after pinning together (as well as I could) the rents in my clothes, i preached away all my sense of soreness. It was far otherwise, however, with poor Mrs. B. she being more advanced in life, did not recover from the bruises she received for a long time. In reviewing the past year of my missionary life I can truly say, it has been a period full of events, both profitable, interesting, and curious.. I have be- come acquainted with a new and vast empire, — with a new and extensive connexion^ and the principle actors in the great work, who are truly holy men. i have been more sacredly set apart for the ministry. I have seen men of different political creeds growing together in the living vine. Blessed Jesus ! thou art the same to all thy people, whether under the line, oi' under the pole ; whether beneath the morning or the evening star. I have seen a form of church govern* ment differing greatly from that to which I have been accustomed, and yet training thousands up for glory. Methodist bishops, presiding elders, ordina- tion by imposition of hands, and all without pomp and m3 ; , h:i v \ ■■ iip il 126 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. rare show ; chrifitian simplicity, bishops, and yet *' brethren in Christ ; the dignity of ofhce preserved iu Iwimility and love. Yes, my dear sir, they who are chief in honour are first in labour, in suffering, in zeal, in self-denial, in holiness. No mitre ! no crosier ! no palace ! no lawn ! no ring ! but watchings, fasting, weariness, perils. Who will covet such an episcopate? Who will ride six thousand miles an- nually ? Labour the gain, and holiness the price. Yes, sir, these are bishops of the primitive stamp, ** living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men." Such were the early fathers, burning with zeal, yearning over lost souls with pitying love,, and compassing sea and land to bring the wandering sheep into the fold of Christ. Riches and honours had not then blighted the buds of episcopal simplicity, and swept like a withering simoon, over the verdure of the churchy turning the garden of the Lord, into a sandy desert, and corrupting the minds of holy men of God. Peace to the simplicity and poverty of the Wesleyan bishops in America ! and long may they ride round their sylvan diocese of six thousand miles, drawn along the woodlands, mountains, and savannahs, by the con- straining love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and tender compassion for the souls of dying men. I am sure, sir, you as sincerely join me in this prayer, as I subscribe myself Your affectionate, &fc.. Tl NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 127 nd yet jserved ;y who iFering, re ! no chings, ;uch an les an- B. Yes, * living Such earning ling sea J fold of blighted , like a churchy y desert, Peace bishops nd their long the 16 con- tender jm sure, ;r, as 1 LETTER XVr. Oft has the mystic comfort warmM my hcaii,. Tiiat iuission>luve and mis.'«ion-iuils impart ; As 1 have kncclM lieside the negro's Ited, Or preached the cross, beneath an humble shed :• Or ^itid the silent green, umbrageous grove, lii-«,,ens'd the symlwls of atoning love. Happy and cheer'd I've fac'd the snowy blast, And in my 'ilt e sled, the wild-wood pass'd: Or when a milder planet shed its ray, Leep in the shady forest took my way, - ' Beneath the sugar maple's leafy screen To pray, read, sing, and meditate unseen. Author. DEAR SIRi. My time at Annapolis being expired, £ took an affectionate leave of my friends, and early in the fall of the year, crossed the bay of Fundy, for the city of St. John, the capital of New Brunswick, oil which mission I was appointed to labour during the winter. The Wesleyan mission was first planted in St. John» by that holy and useful missionary, Abraham John Bishop, from the island of Jersey. He was, under God, the chief instrument of the first revival of evangelical religion, both in the city, and along the banks, of the mighty river of that name ; and his memory will long be as fragrance to many, who date their early impressions of divine things from his loving labours. He was in the noblest sense of the word, a man of Grod, and possessed a large share of th? genuine missionary spirit. Wise, prudent, loving, he feared neither small nor great, but would lovingly invite, or mildly reprove, all with whom \te 1' . 128 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. M^ f'i* ii i II had any intercourse. What is sometimes dignified hy the name of prudence, was in his estimation, (when it shunned the cross) lukewarmness in disguise. Blessed Jesus ! how often do we hide our want of zeal, simpli. city, and love, under this rose of prudent silonco ; when truth and honesty require us to speak out. He however, rarely met an individual in the streets, witlu out speaking to him, if an occasion afforded, on the great concerns of his soul and eternity. In a word, he was " instant in season and out of season ;** and although a man of fortune, he was humhle as a little child, and self-denying as a hermit ; adding, by his rank in society, a lustre to his zeal, and making, even his reproofs (by the loving and affectionate spirit in which they were given) an " excellent oil that did not break the head." — But he is no more, he was early snatched from the toils of warfare, to the triumphs of glory. The Wesleyan Conference wanted a missionary fur the island of Grenada, who could preach both in French and English, and as he was eminently qualified for this mission, he was sent to the West Indies. Where, in those ever-blooming regions of perennial death, that blight of mortality, the yellow fever, trans, mitted his spirit to glory, and cut him off in the prime of his life, and in the midst of his usefulness. — Holy shade, farewell ! thou feelest no more the cold torpid blasts of New Brunswick, nor the scorching fervour of the torrid zone.— Gentle missionary, may my spirit be with thine in the regions of repose, and the man- sions of eternal blessedness ! The city of St. John, the theatre of my present mission, is situated at the mouth of the river of the same name : it is on the western side of the bay of Fundy, in latitude 45 degrees north, and about 65 t f lis fm ' ll NARRATIVE OF A MISSION'. 129 degrees 30 minutes west longitude. It is nearly opposite Digby, in Nova Scotia, and about thirty miles distant from the bay of Passamaquody ; and probably, about fifty miles from the lines, or the river St. Croix, which separates British America from the United States. The town, or city, for it has a royal charter, is but about fifty years old. 1 1 was first settled by royalists, who were emigrants from the United States, when the city of New York was evacuated by the king's troops. It has neither beauty of form, nor loveliness of skuation to recom- mend it ; all around it is sterrile and barren, and nothing could have recommended so unsightly a spot, but its being at the mouth of this fine river, which pours its produce down into the bay of Fundy. The town contains about five or six hundred houses, with a population of three or four thousand inhabitants, who are chiefly employed in mercantile, timber, and fishing speculations. If we except, the church,, and the Wefleyan mission-chapel, it cannot boast of many public buildings. On the foundation-stone of this last edifice, as you will read in the sequel of these letters, I had the pleasure to preach. It will hold more than a thousand people, and is one of the best and largest Wesleyan chapels in all British North America. There are also in the town, a court-house, on the hill, barracks for the soldiers, and an academy. The river is wide, and has a noble fishery for salmon, shad, herrings, and sturgeon ; which furnishes employment and wealth to more than two-thirds of the inhabitants. The tide in the river rises nearly forty feet, a circum- stance that renders the bay of Fundy famous through- out the world. For, perhaps, in no other part of the ocean does this phenomenon, the tide, bear suck V i a I' I <• I p 11' I 1 ti r 130 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. marked and striking characters. It rolls along these shores with a majesty and grandeur I never saw in any other place ; and in some parts of the bay, with a rapidity of current, from seven to nine miles an hour. The trade of St. John, is chiefly to England and the West Indies ; to the former they send masts, spars, staves, scantling, and lumber of all kinds; and to the latter, fish, potatoes, pork, beef, butter, cheese, oats„ staves, &c. &cc. in the time of peace they carry on a brisk trade with the United States, tu which they send gypsum, (plaister of Paris) and grindstones ; but this commerce involves much smug, ling, and great quantities of contraband goods are hence brought into the province. Two miles from the city, are the falls of the river ; these at ebb tide, arc grand and terrific ;. a body, of water nearly a mile wide, and from twenty to thirty feet in depth, is all at once compressed between a bed of rocks, which frown over its roaring waters, and through which it rushes with an Impetuosity and violence no language can possibly describe. The descend is about twenty feet ; the noise is terrible, and gives something like a tremulous motion to all the surrounding scenery. It covers the whole han jour of St. John with foam and froth, and spreads a hollow roaring noise for several miles around. Mighty Father, how grand and sublime arc thy works ! at what period did this spacious river burst through this wall of granite, and tear in sunder the stupendous cliffs by which it is overhung ? All around these falls the scenery is savage and sublime ; and well adapted to the pencil of Salvator Rosa. Yet, even this dreadful cataract is navigable, for when the powerful tides in the bay of 14ARRATIYE OF A MISSION. 131 Fundy rise to a level with the waters above the falls, vessels glide for a few minutes through this dreadful chasm ; hence the river is navigable for about a hun- dred miles above the city ; and as if for the purposes of navigation, its rapidity is arrested by this rocky barrier. Round the city, for several miles, nothing either beautiful or charming attracts the eye ; the whole scenery is rocky, bari^en, and forbidding j perhaps, even the Falkland Islands themselves, are not more dismal ^ hence, wlioever travels through the western vrorld to behold verdant scenery, and lovely prospects, must avoid the neighbourhood of St. John,whcre the whole landscape (if such it may be called) unites an assemblage of the most dreary traits of nature that the traveller could select. Here are irregular clumps of stutited spruce growing among the rocks ; salt marshes, bounded by jutting and fearful crags ; muddy creeks, where swarms of pesti- ferous musquitos annoy the neighbouring inhabitants. In a word, nature has stamped the impression of barrenness on all around, as if to serve as a foil to many of her lovely and enchanting departments. The country looks the best when a veil of wintery snow has covered its nakedness, and concealed its sterility. But to compensate for these defects of nature, all the blessings of life are raised on the banks of the river, and brought down to the city, in the winter by sleds, and in the summer by boats and small sloops ; hence the market is remarkably cheap ; good beef may be brought for two-pence per pound, mutton for a half- penny more, and a fine fat goose for twenty-pence. Salmon for two shillings and sixpence each ; and potatoes and turnips a shilling per bushel. As a part of my circuit lay upon the banks of this river, I will. 13*2 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION, ii.iJ 1 1 with your perraisRion, fnrnish a brief doscription of it ; and the account will assist you in reading our mis- siunary notices and reports ; for we have now three tnissionnry stations on that ground, which then formed the mission of St. John alone. This river, Uiough not famed either in song or story, is a sea, compared with the river Thames. It is more than three hun- dred miles in length, extending toward* Lower Ca- nada ; and about four thousand feet, or nearly a mile wide. Two hundred and twenty miles above Fre- dericktown, or nearly three hundred from its influx into the bay of Fundy, are the grand falls, a cataract ninety feet perpendicular. Along its bankisi arc Hue tracts of upland, and intervale. It receives the tri- bute of a number of small rivers, and noble lakes, and in one part of its course, it spreads out into a bay, (Belisle Bay) more than twelve miles across. The woods through which it glides with silent ma- jesty, are fiill of lofty pines, some of which are the largest in the world, and would form fit masts for some high admiral ; also with spruce, hemlock, oak, beech, birch, hiccory, and maple; from the last of which the inhabitants extract their sugar, by boiling the sap, which is sweet and limpid, to the consistence of treacle, and then pouring it into large moulds, where it cools, and grows hard. There are many settlements on either side of the river, but the country is by no means populous. In the spring of the year, the inhabitants are obliged frequently to retreat to the highlands with their cattle on rafts, as the copious freshets that roll down, over- flow the banks, and inundate all the intervale country, and frequently sweep away houses, barns, cattle, and even chapels. The woods contiguous JiARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 133 , and beat him with the butt-ends of their skets ; but in the struggle, he got his paws upon edge of tl>e canoe, and upsetting the vessel, our hero's had to swim for it. The poor shattered bear got upon the bottom of the canoe, and there he sat, till the father and son, who had landed safe, obtained more help, and dispatched him with a shower of bullets. Another instance that came to my knowledge, is as follows ; a bear that was mortally wounded, ran past a man who was felling timber, who seeing the animal bleeding, left the tree be was cutting down, and with his broad axe, aimed a stroke at poor bruin ; the bear, with a dexterity for which these animals are famous, snatched the uxe from the hand of his assailant, and with a stroke uf his dexter paw, tore him down from the chest to the abdomen, by which the unfortunate inau was killed. The bear also died of the wounds tiu had received. ' • I I , hi 'iiii \ t ki 134 NARRATIVE OF fA M1S8IOK. On my arrival at St. John, the severity and contiauaucc of the fugs, created great . pulmonary oppression, and difficulty of breathing. Sometimes (lip sun did not appear for a whole week ; hence, ^he climate appeared hostile to my constitution, and created iin apprehension, that, eventually 1 should not be able to labour ^pon the ^mission. .However, in this instance, juy foreboding fears- were more than my subsequent foelings ; fur in a little while, ine inconvenience j>assed away, and a sense of the goodness of God, united to a strong desire to be useful, fully recon- ciled me to my new situation, Tliere's mercy in every place, . And mercy encouraging thought ■, ..Gives even affliction a grace. And reconciles man to his lot. .] fuund in the city, a livel;/ and united little church, and entered upon n>y labours emong them with much comfort. They were few in number, but warm-hearted, and zealous^ and as I had to ^o from house to house to get :my food, I had soon an opportiuiity of becomii^ personally acquainted with each individual. Besides tbe whites in society, wc had a number of free blacks, some of whom, were truly pious, and greatly -helped me by their prayers. I found much .prejadice existing in the plaie, which even the piety -of -that ange) of hu- manity, Mr. Bishop, had not been able to subdue^, yet, my poor labours, if nc'. -::r.arkably successful ,at first, were in the end greatly blessed ; and I ploughed and sowed in hope, our little chapel (for we did^not erect another for several years after this period), ;was, greatly crowded, and both blacks and whites were very attentive aitd much quickened. In tl the' ice scttlemt the Gr the miss town, tl large ch excursio violent entering river, s< erasei a furious, the hors to keep the bott to the 1 in the { dud the as the journey, tile and \ \ ( ' ».JFi'- »J.J'JU-.J1J ITARRATIVE OP A MISSION; 135 In the printer, when the frost had set in, and the' ice would well bear, I went up the river. Th& settlements at Sheffield, Majorville,' Nash-Walk, and the Grand L&ke, had" no preaching, save when the missionary in the city visited them. At Frederick, town, the seat of government, we had a tolerably large chapel, but no missionary. Dufring one of these excursions, I was upon -the point of perishing in a violent snow-storm.-^ Night approached as we were entering upon the bay of' Bellisle, a part of the river, several miles across. The powerful drift had erasei al! vestige of a road, and was so thick and furious, t'iat it prevented our seeing further than the horses heads ; even the driver had much ado to keep hi» place, ap<^ the rest of usr lay down in the bottom of the sled, and commended ourselves i9 the mercy and protection of God. There were in the sled, beside myself, two women, a child, dud the driver. . Our situation was truly perilous, as the bay across which we were pursuing our journey, was full of air holes, occasioned by the> tiJe and currents^ . While round us night resistleff^ closed (aal, • • With file wiM tempest howling o'er our heads. Nothing can be more terrific ' than a snow-storm on these rivers ; the tempest drives tl:c sncw with great velocity ; where it meets with opposition, it' drifts to an immense height. It sweeps along the ground, and curves, and eddies in its course, while the howling of the wind, which becomes, as it were, visible, ][>y the snow, forms one of the most dread- ful features of a Nova !b>?otia winter. Th^ deep and accumulating snow greatly impeded the sled, our horses were getting exhausted ;: night had set in IT 2 t ] 'I M ^ l\ iS,' ^i!ii' ii n m If I sH. .} 1 '! '■' ■■ Si '■ , i m iiV ■ ii ' i ii 136 NARRAV«VE OF A MISSIOIT. -with all its darkness^ and we knew not which ^ay to take, the drift was full in the face of the horses^ and driver, who could hardly look out, er the horses face the furious element. For some time we were bewildered with onr difficulties ; as the driver did not know which way to g;nide his horses, and the pros-* pect of bein^ benighted and lost, stared us in the face ; as the severity uf the cold would soon have put an end both *o our hopes and fears, and would have left us bleaching beneath an inclement 8ky»« God, however, did not reject our supplications, he was not slow to hear, or impotent to save ; we continued pursuing our journey, hoping and pray- ing, and at last, to our inexpressible satisfaction, saw a light ; . we made for the spot, it was a bouse upon the edge of the bay. Thus divine pro. vidence (the infidel tt^ould say chance,) interposed for our preservation, but as 1 know of no such deity, let God be praised for his goodness in the ♦ The excel'ent editor of the Evangelical Magazine, in review uig the first edition of this Narrative, in Vol. 25, ))age 522, remarks, that in publishing what re!ates to ourselves we are greatly in dan. ger of egotbn ; but would that worthy critic have me to suppress deliverances of this kind ? I will assure him that I do not relate ttiein in the spirit of '* egotism." Nor am I convinced of the truth of m hat he remarks of the Apostle Paul ; ** tliat we should never have known of his dangers and perils had he not detailed them, ironically :" but I would ask my reverend friend, where is this done ? I am sure not by St. Luke, in the Acta of the Aposties, which form a complete chain of difficulties- and dangers. Loes the Apostle himself do it ironically, in the 11 Chap. 2d. Corinthians } I think he does not. My reverend friend, will, I hope, give me credit for si:eaking the truth, when I say, **Ciod forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." If my narrative ''is exceptionable only for nritiuteness in hazatds and hardships ;" I ho|'e I shall be piurdoned if Fmention tbem^ only to glorify the Providence uid goodness of God j the reooUection of which, feeds my foith, and excites my gratitude. Lord thou knowest I would glorify thee. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 137 hour of extremity, and may my soul love hitu, who hath so often heard my prayer, and so sig- • nally appeared in my behalf» In the course of these letters, I shall often have to advert to an overruling providence, as the great ■ agent in various deliverances, and escapes. If this seem like enthusiasm^ I must bear the stigma; if like pride and egotism^ t believe I shall never be humble. One from above has taught roe, '* to ac knowledge him in all my ways.** He hath told me, that ** a sparrow cannot fall to the ground vrith*- out his notice ; *': ** that the hairs of my head are all numbered ; '* <* that he is about my bed, and my path ; ** and though such knowledge is too won- derful for me, I cannot soar to its heights, or sound its depths, still I believe and adore, and if it be a weakness, it is a weakness that makes me happy ; and 1 cannot much regard such chance mongers as the elegant writer of the following lines ; *< \VIiien the loose mountain- trembles from on high f Shall gravitation cease if you go by ?^' Yes ; he who knew the mountain would fkH, knew also that I should pray for deliveranccj and su pended the ruin, until 1 was safe beyond the rolling of the furthest ston«e. I know, sir, there- is in the world a philosophy that would exclude Jehovah from the minute concerns of individual christians ; though it might allow him the government of the world. Aristotle has asserted, "that it is unworthy of of a prince to know what is going forward in the kitchen; " that may be true, but it cannot be truth that the God, " whose eyes see,and whose eyelids try the children of men," can be ignorant of any thing that relates to the meanest of his children ; for ihougb N 3 * m 138 NARRATIYS OF A MISSIOll. IhtflKM 'PI Si ! ■f:;.;^ ♦* l!e moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to |:erfonn j** yet the plan of a minute, all-seeing, and particular providence, is full of consolation to a devout mind. It is clearly the foundation of hnmbl6* prayer and adoring gratitude. Of all other men, travell^s, and especially missionaries, n^ed the pursnasion of this: doctrip'j ; and I am certain, that if we keep the eye of faith upon the hand of God, we shaH arrive at the conclusion of the inconsistent po^t above, mentioned ; who has built up, what in another place he endeavoured to pull down. A}| nature is but art unknown to thee. All chance direction, which thou canst not see, AU discord harmony, when understood. All partial evil, universal good. Pope. The next day we pnrsued our journey up the river, though the intensely cold north-west wind blew full in our faces, and rcndeiod us so torpid with its severity, that in a little time, I could scarcely tell, whether my hands,, feet, and legs, made a part of my body or not.. Towards evening,, one of our horses gave up, and fell down upon the snow ; so we had no choice, but to leave the river, and make for the first house, which though but a log-hut, and greatly destitute of accommodation, we were, obliged to make our asylum for the night. I have often been surprised, that so many of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia an(' New Brunswick, who possess property, should nevertheless live in these wretched hovels ; sometimes with scarcely a pane of glass in the window, and under other cir- cumstances, that would to a stanger indicate extreme poverty ; and yet, 1 have known even respectable fanners live in such habitations. With some help. NARRATIVE OP A MISSIdN. 139 we got our poor fallen horse from the river, and in the morning our friends from the next settle. ment, who knew we were coming up, and fearing that the violence of the storm had exhausted our horses, sent down a fresh sled and pair, with which we safely arrived at Sheffield, the place of our desti- nation. In this settlement, we had a simple-hearted, and affectionate society ; to w'hom, and the con. giegationa that attended, on hoth sides of the river, I generally preached e^ery night ; and was oflen especially favoured with the presence and blessing of the God of missionaries. My heart was much, and blessedly in the work ; but I have notwith. standing to legret, that when 1 let the full light of that ** candle of the Lord," the bible, upon my conduct, many parts were very defective, and it is often a matter of surprise and astonishment, to me, with how great weakness God will bear, when there is any portion of that jewel, " sincerity in the inward parts." One of my greatest difficulties arose from a cowardly timidity, in not introducing spiritual conversation among the persons whom 1 visited ; for however this may be deemed cant by the world, it is one of the glories of the christian ministry. 1 see how I might have been tenfold more useful on all my mission stations, and I regret from my soul, that so many golden opportunities should have been lost. O sir, how much prayer, simplicity, faith, love, and courage, does a minister of Jesus require ; and those especially, who are sent to seek the wandering souls of men upon foreign missions. In going to new places, the people will take the tone and cue of religion from our conduct, aud if they see embodied the doctrines I t 1 1 II* ?s ^1 ! 'J^ rl ■»! ti i'^'i ' t. 'i mm I I' I , /^ «^^ i!'( ' 'Ml i to I Ml ii ■■■mw mm i; 1 y' iflM? 140. MXRRATtVE OF A MISSION.. which they hear» our piety will shed a fragrance- over our mission^ and the people will rejoice when* they- have *^ seen the grace of God..'* The society to whom a minister belongs* ave identified with him, and tho opinion of stranger» respecting a whole body of people,, will often be governed by what they see in the conduct of one official individual. 1 have often been greatly pleased when abroad,, with the high opinion of certain individuals (not in immediate connexion with us) of the whole Wes- leyan body, which I found arose from their having seen a miniature, in the holy life and conversation, of some missionary or preachec, with whom they had be^n slightly acquainted. O sir, may both we at home, and our missionaries abroad, ever hang out such colours, as shall make it evident to all, that we are the true subjects of the King of Heaven. I am, dear sir, Yours, kc. LETTER XVir.. Brighter glows the happy day, Wider spreads the joyful sound) >Softly steals the moral ray, O'erthedarkenM nations round. Truth, almighty in her sway. Shall degraded nature bless; Chase the misis of night away ; Fill the world with righteousness. Author. DEAR SlRy During the time of my remaining in the set- tlement at Sheffield, a circumstance occurred which from its novoity, will, I am surc,.awakcn some interest in your NARRATtYli' OF A MISSION. 141 brea»t. A number of pious presbyteriaAB, from one of theNewEHgpland sUtes, resided c thi« part of the river» and as they hud bo minister of their own, they generally attended at our littliB chapel, or invited me to preach in a house in which they held their prayer-meetings. When 1 had been some time in the place, and had visited, and spent the night at some of their houses, they gave me an invitation to preach in their large chapel, which was at that time shut up. With this invitation 1 cheerfully complied, and addressed nearly the whole of the inhabitants in a spacious place of worship, of which the following is the history. The prcsbyterian chapel at Sheffield, was a church.like building of frame.work, with a spire steeple, and a spacious gallery. This chapel, sir, had been drawn down upon the ice of the river, more than five miles. Nay, do not smile, and I will relate the circumstance, wKich was as follows : it had first been erected at Majorville, upon a litigated lot of land, which the society not choosing to bring to the issue of a law- suit, they determined to remove the chapel bodily to their own glebe, five miles lower down the river. The whole settlement, men, horses, and more than one hundred yoke of oxen were present to assist in this more than herculian enterprise. The chapel was raised from its stone foundation by immense lever screws. Prodigious beams of timber were then intro- duced under the whole length of the building, into these were driven large staples, to which the oxen were yoked with strong chains of iron. When all things were ready for a movement, at a given signal, each man standing by bis horse, or oxen, this great building, capable of holding eight hundred persons, was drawn along, and dovm the batik of the river, to rn hi lif y 1 ' t I I' li • .1 si i }. 142 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION* m "W, ' ( (• fi iV [i H its appointed place, where another foundation having been prepared, it was again raised by levers upon it, with very little comparative damage. Mot a single pew in the gallery or bottom, having been removed in the process. In this emigrated chapel, I had the satisfaction of preaching the gospel of the kingdom; to a large congregation. Perhaps,. you will wonder how the ice of this mighty river, bore upon its bosom so ponderous a body y but your surprise will cease,' when I inform you^ Uiat in the depth of winter, it i» from two to three feet in thickness, making a bridge of aqueous crystal, capable almost of bearing up at whole town. Travelling on these rivers, in the depth of a North American winter, is one of the hardships of a missionary life, that calls for no ordinary portion of courage, fortitude, and patience. Frequently you have in your progress to encounter dismal snow storms, which on so wide a river, are particularly violent. Your body is rendered torpid, by the* severity of the cold.. In some cases,, your accom.- modation is in a log-hut, in others the shell of a large unfinished house, where your sleeping room , is cold in the extreme, and your bed-clothes, in- some cases, hardly sufficient to keep you from shivering. Ah ! how often have 1 longed, and anxiously waited for the light of the morning, and the maple fire,, at which,, 1 might warm my cold and benumbed limbs. These are some of the phy. sical trials, for which a missionary upon the river St. John must prepare himself. And yet, how much greater hardships do many brave, when only mere worldly advantages are the object. Shall a Biuce explore the mountains of Abyssinia ? a l!! ' i' ■KARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 143 flumboldt pitch his tabernacle among the snow, crowned Cordilleras of America ? and a Parry, spend winter after winter among the ices of the polar seas? and shall 'a minister of Christ, think any sacrifices too great for the love of God, and an ex- ceeding and eternal weight of glory ? shall the mea Of the world Ihame tis, brave us, and out.do us ? Ah! where is our faith? where our fortitude? where our enduiring hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ ? Have we not oflen sung and desired *■ soul innurM to pain, 'i'o hardships, g^ief, and loss. Bold to take up, firm to sustain, The consecrated cross. 1 know, sir, you will pardon ihese digressions, 1 make them to meet the case of some of my young brethren, into whose hands I 'hope these letters may fall ; for I write them not merely as a narrative of my own mission, but as a manual for their use, «of the thoughts and reflections that have been suggested to my own mind, both in the course of my labours abroad, and since I returned to England. 1 could, (th ough 1 did not, as observed in another 'letter, keep a continuous journal,) have mentioned how often 1 preached in each place, what texts I expounded, where I slept, and how many miles intervene between one place and another. I could, sir, have borrowed a great deal from natural history, and botany, about the genus or species of an animal, or the nature of a plant Or a mineral. I know there is a way of writing about these things, and grinding down the science, and sayings of other men, without much scientific knowledge. Technical phrases may be used and all may be very well, when a man wishes to ?! i I I! ■ i; i: lit i ! ' n ] ' ^ I i y 144 NARRATIVE OF A MI88IOK. M I make a book out of books, as is the fashion of the present day ; for we have descriptions of countries from persons who never were abroad, find histories of missions written by ministers (worthy and good men) who perhaps, save an occasional sermon or two, never travelled further than to and from their own pulpit ; and this may have arisen from the paucity of public genuine missionary narrative, written hy the actors themselves. For of the many sent out hy the Wesleyan Conference, how few have written nar- ratives of their labours and trials in foreign lands ? f am sure, this has not arisen from either want of ability, or defect in zeal ; but, perhaps, in most cases, from inattention to all other objects but that which swallow- ed up their minds, the glory of the Redeemer, and the salvation of men. 1 do, however, hope that some of my foreign brethren, will take the hint, and make minutes and memoranda of the principal incidents of their missions. We might then have narratives of missions to the Cape of Good Hope, Canada, Sierra, Leone, Malta, Gibraltar, the West Indies, Madras, Newfoundland, &c. Whence, some competent men might form a general and complete history of the whole of the Wesleyan missions, in their rise, progress, impediments, success, and present features. In this age of '^ book making," this would be a book worth making, worth reading ; it might combine the charm of novelty, with the beauty of holiness. Jt would supercede some of the trash, that is tlie last dull droppings of superannuated brains. Nu people have more reason than liurselvcs to mark the providence of God ; we have been raised up in an extraordinary manner. All the linos of tho great Wesleyan work, have been written with the I ' V ••( MAIIIIATIVE OF A MISSION. 145 V I broad nibbed pen of Providciicu. Our niiiiistry, our missions, our institutions, our economy, our nso, our progress, are all rcinurkable; out of tlie coninioii; order ; all marked, strongly marked, by the Hnger of some extraordinary agent. Oh ! that we might be a holy people, rendering to dod according to his benefits, and marking the foot-prints of his wonderful progress ; but, 1 forget myself, and will rc^uMie the thread of my narrative. Amid the severity of tbe weather in this excursion upon the river, I had some most blessed and precious seasons, the simplicity and affection of the people, beguiled many tedious (and througb the plague of my heart) unpleasant hours ; for my soul mourned in se- cret places, that it was not so well with me as in times that were past, " when the candle of the Lord shined bright upon my head. *' my want of a fuller con- formity to Christ, of more purity, and spirituality, often bowed me down, and I felt that I needed the reproof of the Prophet, " and now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor ? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river ? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee ; know therefore, and see that it is an evil thing and a bit- ter, that thou hasi forsaken the Lord thy God. There are many ways, sir, to lose much of the life and power of religion out of the heart, without any visible change in the exterior of the man. 1 make no doubt, when 1 was lamenting my own coldness, there were others who envied my spiritual state, and looked upon me as highly advanced in Uie life of God. 1 wanted more privacy, both for- study, reading, prayer, and self-examination. 1 had not learned the art of bein^ u H 140 NARRATIVR OF A MISSION. !1 'M present with God by recollection, and at the same time ^ith nion by cheerful conversation. 1 have always suffered more from society, than from seclusiun. And yet, 1 would not covet either the tomb, the cloister, or the forest. I know, man is made for social inter- course. I could not, in this severe weather, walk in the woods, as in the summer season, and few of the houses at which 1 visited had any spare apartments with a fire, but that at which the family sat. A great portion of my time was taken up in visiting the nearest settlements ; in several of which, we had little societies; though but seldom any preaching. On these occasions, a little party was often formed, and sometimes two or three sleds would set off in company. The preaching was frequently in some house, where a social entertainment was provided for the whole party. After preaching, I spoke severally to the members, regulated their little aflfuirs, and then (un- less I stopped all night) returned in the same man. ner I came, riding nine, ten, or twelve miles upon the ice after preaching in the evening. These excur- sions upon the ice, are not so perilous as a stranger might imagine, though they are seldom without danger, from the currents underneath, and the num- ber of air-holes, and springs at the bottom : so that I have known places open, or but slightly covered, when all the surrounding ice was two feet thick. To guard against dangers and accidents from these causes, they use the following precaution : each horse has a piece of rope tied round his neck, with a running noose ; sometimes one person sits upon the edge of the sled : 1 have done this for hours together, while ridiiig upon suspicious ice, or in the spring, when it was worn thin by the increase of an under current of NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 147 melted snow, and the action of a rather warm sun upon its surface. When the ico gives way, the people in the sled endeavour to jump out. and if the horses have plunged into the water, they have no method whereby to save the animal, but by draw, ing the ropes tight, so that the horse suffers a tem- porary strangulation ; his body becomes full of wind, and floating upon the top, ho is more easily dragged upon the Arm ice, when the cord round his neck is loosened, and he is suffered to respire. This me- thod is often practised both upon the rivers and the lakes, a ad generally succeeds; but sometimes both men, horses, and sleds, go down in an instant, many melancholy instances of which fell under my own observation. In travelling upon the ice, your quantity of cloth- ing is generally proportioned to the severity of the cold. My travelling dress was as follows : woollen stockings and socks underneath ; over my boots and unde/.^ress, a large thick pair of knit woollen socks, shod at the feet with leather, and reaching to the upper part of the thigh ; a surtout coat, and over thi8,.a fear.nought ; on the hands, worsted or lambs-wool gloves, and over them, thick mittins, a fur cap with a large silk handkerchief tied round the lower part of my face. Thus clad, with the living principle within^ I have bid defiance to the cold, and rode twenty and thirty miles at a time. Some gentlemen wear muffs and tippets, made of fur, with bear skin carpets in their sleds, but even all this, is insufficient on some occasions to brave the piercing intensity of the cold : wherever your breath comes, all is frozen stiff; and your horses have a number of icicles dangling about their months, o2 h ,; h I! I ! ■I ill llil II tl I I ■! i i\ )! «!.' 1^ 148 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 'm\ 1/1? and the lower parts of the jaw. Yot, with all fhis severity, a North American winter, is by no means un- healthy. The sky is generally clear, stoves, and good fires within doors, make some of the houses co.ii- ♦brtable. Colds are not so common as in our chanjrinir climate ; fevers are little known, nor is the rheuma- tism more common than it is in England. During this visit, I preached with much prcfit at Sheftield, where we have a chapel, on the banks of the river ; though, alas, ihe great freshets had floated this little sanctuary from its stone foundation, rnd set it down in -the middle of the road. 1 also visited Majorville, Nosh-Wnlk, St. Anns, or Fro. dericktown j together with the Grand Lake, and several other places. The Grand Lake, is in summer, a lovely sheet of water ; its length is about forty miles, and its breath from four to seven, but in winter it is dreary in the extreme. At St. Anns, we had a good chapel, but the town being the re- sidence of the governor, and others connected with the government, we did little good. At Sheffield, and lower down the river, religion had been greatly revived, under the ministry of Mr. Bennet, many ;i>oung people had been truly awakened, and others had found the pearl of great price; in a word, the whole settlement was greatly quickened and excited. Thus, through the blessing of God, upon the Wesleyan missions, in these cold snow-clad forests, the light of piety has shed a serene beam ; these wastes have heard a voice ; these lofty trees have often beheld the humble colonist kneeling beneath their shady covert, and pouring out his soul to God in prayer, but the day of judgment will tell the rest. 1 am, dear sir. Yours, &c. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 149 LETTER XVllI. But not alone on British islands we ' The li;> ht of truth':! serenest morninp^ see ; Columbia\s shores, and many a tntpic is'e, Flame with her light, and glory in her smile. O'er darkened Africa, she faintly gleams Athwart the gloom, and newly risen scenes ; While pa!my India, sees the orient ray ; And spicy (Jeylon, hails the new-born day. Author, DEAR SlRy spring of the year 1803, I re- In the crossed the bay, ta attend the annual meeting of the missionai ics at Windsor, in Nova Scotia, when my brethren appointed me to labour on the Liverpool mission ; after spending a short time at Halifax among my old friends, i sailed for my appointment. This was the most compact and comfortable station I had ever laboured upon since i came to America, and 1 soon found myself at home among this friendly, , civil, and respectable people. Liverpool is a neat little town, upon the eastern shores of the Atlantic, chiefly supported by its trade in lumber to the West Indies, and its fisheries on the Labrador coast. The town is small, and has only two places of worship, the Wesleyan chapel, a large neat building, and a chapel for the new- light baptists, already mentioned. In the course of my labours on this mission, I visited Port Mut- ton, Port Jolly, Port Medway, and Port la Bare, small fishing settlements, stretching along the coast ; they were chiefly inhabited by men who did business o3 !! , j^ I H f M 150 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ^ll'' if un the mighty waters, many of whom, in no small degree, possessed the spirit of the gospel. While stationed on this mission, I resolved to devote myself anew to my blessed master's work. My heart had been re-baptised in the fountain of divine love ; 1 resumed, my four o'elock in the morning rising, and as I thought the strictest abstinence would conduce to my health, further my studies, and assist my soul in its warfare with flesh and blood, I abstained altogether from animal food ; a practice, which after some time, I was obliged to discontinue, as it brought on a painful com- plaint in my bowels. With this united and loving congregation and society, 1 spent the season of my nppointuteut in much harmony and peace. I was an inmate of the family of Joshua Newton, Esq. a respectable magistrate, and collector of the cus. toiiis. In the house of this truly worthy man, and sincere christian, I saw a model of domestic piety, order, and family government. They rose every morning at six o'clock, and about seven all the family were called to prayer. The same exactness closed the day, at nine o'clock the family again assembled for prayer, and at ten each one retired to his apartment. In this family, and the house of colonel Perkins, Mrs. Newton's father, at which I spent a part of my time, and was kindly enter- tained, I saw much of the beauty of family religion ; the latter was, I believe, a descendant of some of the worthy puritan families in New England, and in his conduct preserved the dignity of a venerable patriarch.* * For a more full account of this excellent man, now in glorvj the reader is referred to the 17th Vol. of the Evangelical Magazine, uOCth page. ^JiH NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 151 During^ this winter I had both at Liverpool, and also alung^ the shores, many blessed and profitable seasons of divine influence ; I was more spiritually«minded, and alive to the duty of visiting from house to house. It is true, among fishermen, my fare was not so excellent, as a diilicate and squeamish appetite might have craved, but I pity the missionary, who if cir- cumstances require it, cannot sit down with a poor fisherman to a little cod-fish and potatoes. In these cottages I have sat reading my bible, conversing with the poor inmates, or to amuse myself, writing scraps of verse*., forgetting both the busy, the splendid, and the learned world ; and retiring inti> myself, I have tasted the joys of Eden, while the sublime Atlantic rolled its mighty billows in front of the little hut, and the dark towering woods served as a back ground. You will perceive, sir, by this simple sketch, that a missionary, even to these not most forbidding scenes of missionary labour, neods to be much mortified to the world ; " the world forgetting, by the world forgot.'* But when he is called to labour in the wilds of Africa, the woods of Labrador, or the islands of the south sea ; he should be the missionary altogether. To human fortitude, should be superadded a patient, laborious, heavenly-minded, spirit. How glorious will bo the eternal crown, of such a missionary ! If they, who under any form of missionary or ministerial labour, " turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the stars for ever and ever,*' how much more they who have hazarded their lives for the cause of God. The tine preacher, the elegantly popular minister — the man of refined taste and varied literary accomplishments, (unless \ ! 152 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. lif ri Li I ; . J' I "I like Martyn, the lamented Martyn) are not to be put into the scale v^ith such giant souls. For though gifted and learned men may find their proj er level at home, and,' if faithful, may be a blessing to the e'egant and cultivated ; yet, let them not plume them- selves with being above that which is many degrees above them ; for he who makes the wigwam of the Indian, the kraal of the Hottentot, the cot. tage of the fisherman, or the hut of the Negro, the theatre of his humble labours, takes a higher stand in the scale of ministerial excellence than the most splendid bishop in the nation, and will, 1 doubt not, have a greater reward. A missioh to such a waste howling wilderness as Nova Scotia, cannot furnish incidents either so splen- did, or so interesting as those undertaken to old and populous countries. There all is classic ground, here all is simple nature and under such circumstances, the picture of a missionary may be easily imagined. Is he in the West Indies ? You see him in the decent, but low mission-chapel, addressing from the pulpit, an attentive and clean congregation of blacks, inter- spersed with well-dressed and handsome malattoes of different shades, from the deep-olive, to the colour, less and sickly pale ; a few whites sitting aloof by themselves. Do you behold him in the interior of the Cape of Good Hope, " under open sky,*' addressing a group of wretched and filthy Hottentots, the sketch is easily drawn. Would you, in your mind's eye follow him to Nova Scotia, perhaps you are at a loss, 1 will help you ; figure to your mind beyond the western main, an immense continent, spreading a vast and lengthened barrier to the Atlantic waves ; bays, rivers, lakes, woods, on the largest plan of nature. ii' h NARRATIVE OF A MISSiaN. ir>3 Imagine here and there a li'tle settlement of some twenty houses scooped out of the forest, one of these a log-school, or little chapel ; next inuigine that you see a man upon horseback emerging out of tlie forest ; view him riding up to one of the plantations, while the door opens, and the kind family all ap- proach to welcome the stranger. Towards evening, imagine you see the whole settlement all alive, a messenger has been dispatched to the surrounding farms. They are all tending to the lug.chapel, where the afoiementioned personage, the missionary, has taken his station, and is conducting the worship of God. This service he repeats, each night of his stay among this simple people ; for it will be a month before he returns with the same message of love. Probably, during his stay, he visits every family in the infant colony, and after suitable discourse, sings a hymn, and spends a few minutes in pray er ; some of these, are probably united in church fellowship, and the rest are friendly and hospitable, if you please take the picture in verse, A niral binhop, he will often proach. Beneath the spreadinp^ oak, or towering beech ; In sylvan scenes, proclaim the saving word, The wood his chapel, skies his sounding board ; Or to each log-hut, in the forest maze, This woodland priest the light of litie conveys ; Where waving forests fringe the mck-bound shore. That breasts the wide Atlantic's dreadful roar j l)r where the wilder gulf, or rajiid bay. Cover New founswick's shores with fog or spray. You will perceive, sir, that in this work, I have not made a distinct and specific record, of every individual instance of usefulness that came under my own obser- vation. It is sufficient for me, that the day of judg- ment will unfold all this ; " my work was with God, i t ■ 1 ^H fl ■^^^^^^H SI ;( n^^^^H 1 liJ mm ^ f.*^' ^^m ll' 'I ! ! Il i :.i :lfi i U IMS' 154 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. and my reward is with him." I wish not to be tho chronicler of my own praise ; 1 have, sir, a sufficient counterbalance in my own weakness, meanness, and sinfulness. I have need to lay my hand npon my mouth, and hide my blushing face in the dust, and guilty, guilty, guilty, cry. Thou Lord knowest, ] take no praise for what 1 did, but shame and sorrow for what I did not do ;. and if these letters, sir, are fly-blown with the self-approving sin, 1 hope you will sprinkle the salt of your prayers over both me and them. My tour of labour being nearly finished on this mission, I hope, in some degree, both to the glory of my blessed master, and the satisfaction of the people, and having now nearly completed four years of my mission in these woods ; 1 can look back with some degree of pleasure, that I have not laboured in vain. My heart has been much knit to my dear brethren, Messrs. Black and Bei^iet, tho former has been a father, and the latter " a brother born for adversity." Affection in a foreign land, is like a cooling gale in a tropical climate. I thought previously to my leaving England, that four years would appear a long period of service in a world of woods, where few social or literary advantages could be reaped. But amidst a variety of scenes and changes, the time has passed rapidly along. A<;tive labour, frequent change of place, the kindness of friends, and above all, the blessing and presence of God, both shortened and sweetened the season of service, and at the end of four years, I felt no desiie to leave the flock in the wilder- ness. In every place the Lord added seals to my unworthy ministry ; and though my unfaithfulness was great, he never made the ** heavens as brass" NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 155 I to my prayers, or said, " write this man childless.'* The waterer of others hath been watered himself, and though ** in deaths oft,'* is still alive, and can raise his ** Ebenezer, his stone of help,*' and say, How are thy ^rvants blest, O Lord, How sure is their defence ! Eternal wisdom is their guide, Their help omnipotence. In foreii^n realms and lands remote. Supported by thy care, Throui^h burning climes Tve pass'd unhnrt. And breathed in tainted air. When by the dreadful temjKst borne. High on the broken wave, I knew thou wast not slow to hear, Or impotent to save. .1 am, dear sir.. Yours, &c. I , v il LETTER XIX. Sun of righteousness to thee, Let the nations bow the knee ; And the realms of distant kings Own the healing of thy wings ; Lift their eyes and from afar. Hail the light of Jacob's star. Merrick. DEAR SIR, In the spring of the year 1804, at the request of Mr. Black, I left Liverpool, to supply his place on the Halifax mission, he having gone to Baltimore, to attend the general conference in that 'i! i! m T^ 156 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. U>M'i:>k> u ^ m city, and meet his friend Dr. Coke. I sailed fur Halifax in the brig Rover, formerly a Nova Scotian privateer. The morning (the tenth of April) was delightful, the wind was fair, and we expected to arrive in Halifax the same night ; but, alas ! in this we were painfully disappointed. When we were within sight of Samborough lighthouse, at the entrance of the harbour, a north-east gale of wind set in, and blew with such violence as forced us out to sea. A fearful and ominous ring encircled the sun, the sky became black and hazy, the tempest came on like a mighty giant. The roaring and whistling wind lifted the agitated water into frightful heaps ; our little bri^ was tossed from wave to wave, and pitched and rolled amidst the broken and tumultuous billows. We were in as critical and unpleasant a situation as can possibly be conceived ; the captain, who had calculated to get into Halifax the same night, had made no provision for the vessel ; we had not a single candle for the binnacle, the men were mere landsmen, hired only to carry the vessel to Halifax to be refitted ; hence, in the midst of the gale, they skulked below. The captain was greatly agitated, fearing if the storm continued, we should be obliged to bear away for the Wost Indies ; which in our situation would have been a famishing alternative, as the ship had no stores ; and some of the passengers, flattering themselves we should arrive the same night, had made no provision beyond the limits of a day. My friends, however, as if actuated by some wise foresight, quite unac- countable to me, had put on board for my use, two baskets of provision, and also liquors^ and this, by the providence of God, was a seasonable supply for us all ; as both the captain and passengers shared the little 'f MAIIRATIVE OF A MISSION. 157 stock. The night was tempestuous and dark, th«^ winds roared, and what might be the event of our being driven to leward every one trembled to aj)pro- hend. In the midst of our extremity however, i had recourse to my old and never-failing refuge y the bible and prayer, which in difficulties, dangers, and afflictions, have always been my sheet anchor, my strong refuge, and my fountain of comfort ; nor did they fail me in this time of trial. 1 am no advo. cate for bibliomancy, ♦ yet I would equally avoid that frigid incredulity which would deny suitable application! of the blessed record in the time of extremity ; the history of universal christian ex- perience confirms such a use. The chapters to which, in the course of my reading, 1 was directed, w ere first, that in which the astonishment of the dis- ciple was expressed, at the sublime majesty of Christ ; *' behold what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the seas obey him " ! The next was the one hundred and seventh psalm, in which we have David's graphic description of a marine storm, in these appropriate words, ** then they cry unto the Loid in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still, then they are glad, because they are quiet, so he bringetli them into the desired haven. On these passages 1 reasoned thus ; Is not God the same as hereto. * The use of Scripture Cards to determine our moral state ; or the dipping into scripture, and making the tirst text we cast an e}c upon, the standard by which we arc to judge and determine what is the will of God concerning any step we contemplate taking • ur the seeking comfort or condemnation from the first passage we turn too, is probably too much like a spiritual lottery, and yet it would be too much to say that God never directs in such cases. I i f i. ri 158 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. i T: fore ? has be not all power in heaven and upon earth ? tlo not the prayers of his people still coiuo up before his throne ? are not all the elements, all events, all nature, under his control ? even the winds and the waves obey bitu. Were not " the things that were written aforetime, written for our in. struction, that we, throuj^h patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope;" From these re- flections, there sprung up in my breast, a firm re- liance upon the divine veracity, faithfulness, and power of God ; and J felt satisfied he would deliver us ; nay, 1 did more, 1 went upon the quarter, deck, with my heart full of the contfort and confi. dencc of hope, to encourage the captain. I am fiilly persuaded, that on special occasions, and for particular purposes, God gives to is podr un- worthy ministers, what the apostle Paul calls ** great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus." Be this as it may, the wind which had blown from the north-cast lulled, and came round to the south.west, and though the storm had driven us during the night, as far to the westward as Cape l.a Have, we got into Halifax the next night. O ! that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and magnify his holy name. Seine may call it superstition, cant, folly, pre- sumption, to suppose that tbe great God will arrest the course of the elements at the request of a poor worm. Shall buminw Etna if a .^^c requirca> Forget its thunders, and recal its firett * Ou earth and heaven, new motion be imprest, O blameless retl;el ! to relieve thy breast ? Wliv not ? is not the whole Old Testament a history il MAklRATIVE or A MISSION. ir>9 of the interposition of providence in honour of faith, and in answer to prayer ? Is the blessed and adoral)lo God less wise, less good, less able, or loss willing^ than ho was in days of old ? why are we told in our prayer-book (the expositor of the national faith,) to pray in a storm ?♦ " O send thy word of com- mand to rebuke the raging wind, atid the roaring sea, that we being delivered from this distress, may live to serve thee, and to glorify thy name, all the days of our lives." Are we not taught in the same book to pray for rain, for plenty, for fair weather, for peace, and for deliverance from the plague ? and shall we, in compliment to either Pope, Hume, or Mid- dleton, or any other poet, philosopher, or diviiie, give up, and deny a particular providence. — \Vo might as safely give up the whole of religion alto- gether, and go back to the old chance^ atom, falc^ and fortune systems ; divorce our bibles, consi;;u the prophets, and apostles to dotage, and ombraro the opinions of Lucretius. Thank God, sir, *' wo have not so learned Christ." What ! shall wo over- look the many particular answers to prayer, with which God favours his people in the hour of need ? what ! shall we overlook his watchful care over his church ? and say, that Jehovah is only an uncon- cerned spectator of his children's afflictions? perish the page of mine that would make an unrighteous compromise with such men, merely to avoid the old, stale, and unmeaning hue-and-cry of suporstitior . enthusiasm, fanaticism. If, sir, we concede our bible, and vital religion, to the humour of every objector, who chooses to new model the word of truth, arid the way of righteousness ; the mere moralist may fritter away the new birth, into I kt;r>w not what, • !?ec in the liturgy " forms of ; iav( r to le m^cU at vcu."' !, J J ! I' 100 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 'M^ I'tr, it of watfr baptism, and regularity of life. The iiiyKtory-hating, rational rcligioiuHt, may rob tho K(.Mle«>iiicr of his equal and essential Godhead, Hjvi (>lory in the horrid sacrilege. Proud philosophy, will resolve all spiritual and heart-felt influence into mere human excitement. Each self-sufficient pharisee, will tear the richest jewel of grace from the Saviour's crown ; while the latitude-loving antuiomian, will divei^t the blessed gospel of either condition, mo- rality, or holiness. Bigots will strip religion of candour, to make it pimp to their own narrow views ; and the pompous will destroy its simplicity, aiul make a raree show of that which should be heated iti the In-art. Thus among the whole, lovely religion, th.tt maKler-pioco of the wisdom and goodneiss ot' (iSod, would fare like the beautiful statue left by the ancient sculptor for inspection in the market-place, everv bonuty would be erased till the whole were a mutilated and shapeless mass of deformity. Providence is the glory, and the inheritance of every faithful christian missionary. What man in his senses, would leave his native shores, would go upon such an errand, encounter perils, privation, contempt, fatigue, disease, and often death, in distant climates, without the confidence a particular providence inspires, or the consolation of believing in an all-seeing, prayer- hearing, and protecting God ? It is this that enables the christian missionary to say Should providence commund me to the verge Of the green earth, to distiuit barlmroiis climes, Rivers unknown to song ; where Hrst the sun (iilds Indian mountains, or his netting beam F!umts o'er the Atlantic isles j 'tis nought to me : Since (iod is ever present, ever felt. In the void waste as in the city full ; And where be vital breathesi there must be joy. Thomson. KARRATIVE OP A MISSION. IGl and Answer, ye holy men, who have gone to lh« ends of the earth to preach the gospel ! who have faced the burning south, braved the blustering north, ventured your lives among treacherous Malays, savage Indians, or wild Caffres; did not you derive coiaft>rt from an overruling providence, when the tyger,* tho • On onftofiiiy voyages either to or from Quoda, ^for I liave forgotten the prcc'me time) a l.^aniith ship huilcd ih, ami a| proarh- in:r iiicatitidiiH y, ran foul of our Htern, ami broke imr Ha : ->>ta(l'. We tliervt'urc put into a creek, and Mime of our men landed near ' a wood, to cut down a tree to make a new one. Hoping to lt« able to procure some fresh moat fur supper, I accompanied theni, armed with a double- barreled gun. Whi.'e they were at their work, 1 walked on the outside of the womi, ea<;erly looking' tor some game, and stMin discovered, among the high grass, an object, which, by its ni'ttions, I mistook for the Itack of a hare. 1 tiM»k aim, and was just going to lire, when the animal rose up, and - proved to be a tygcr, of which only the top of the head had been - visib'e. My arm involuntarily sunk do\vn ; I stoo|.'osite the boat, thinking that I might >et tind some game, u hen, seeing' the men labouring hartl to drag the iree they had felVd, towards the water, I altered my course, and went to their assistance. No sooner had I entered the boat, than I dibcovcred on that side of the jungle, to w hich I w as first going, close to the beach, a large kayman, watching our motions, whom I should certainly have met, had I gone round by the way 1 intend- ed. Thankful as 1 now felt for this second preservation of my ' life, I could not help discharging my piece at the animars head, .ind by the sudden plunge he made into the water, and the ap. pearance of blood on the surface, as he was swimming towards the opposite shore, it seemed that one or both of the shots had penetrated his eye or throat. We saw him reach the shore, and crawl through the nuid into the jun;:r|e. — Letters on the ytcobat IsluntUf by a Moravian missionary, p3 i i< • '! h \ w ■ f. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. serpent, the kuyman, wore overcome or eluded? did yon not sec the hand uf God ? yes ; — it was this providence that cheered your spirits when depressed with grief, that supported your bodies when wasted with sickness, worn down with fatigue, or enerv ated by the debilitating langour of tropical climates. Harassed by wild beasts, or savage men, your ** lives were in jeopardy every hour ;'* but you knew they were in the hands of God, Dangers stared you in the face, but they were under a curb. The elements conspired, but you saw ono sitting above the water, floods, who had the winds in his fist, and the waters in the hollow of his hand. The golden link that unites providence and promise, was ever in your view ; this aflforded scope for your faith, and called into exercise your prayer. You saw the finger of God upon the springs of the v/onderful machine, and his hand regu. luting the wheel within the wheel. You perceived the moving economy instinct with eyes, and you often heard a voice whispering to the soul, Z^' surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust i his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou j^l.alt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pesti- lence that walketh in darkness ; nor for the destruc- tion iliat wasteth at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand ; but it shall not come nigh thee." 1 know, sir, you will pardon ♦he digression, and permit me to close this letter, by inserting a few lines on prayer, which, whatever other merit they may possess, are, 1 am sure, suited to the above re- mar miss exp( 'M NARRATIVK OF A MISSION. Kia marks and deliverances; and in the cuurso of my mission, have often been brought to the test of experience. Prajer its way to God can finil. From earth^s deepest centre j Though a wall of steel contin'd, Prayer that wall would enter : Who can trace a beam of lii;ht» From the day-star parted ? Prayer; more rapid in its flight, From the mind is darted. Prayer to God ascends with ease From the Polar ices ; From our isle's antipodes, From the land of spices ; From an Inquisition's gloom, Where the wretched languish. From the margin of the tomls And the bed of anguish. Place the Christian where you will. Scripture doth aver it ; Heaven's eye is fixed still On the praying spirit : Though on dreary wilds alone, Outcast and distressed, Prayer's a pathway to the throne ;. Find it, and be blessed. Rocks of granite, gates of brass^ Alps to heaven soaring. Bow, to let the wishes pass. Of a soul imploring ; From the belly of the fish. From the sea^s recesses, From the lion's den— the wisb Up to heaven presses. Diety, in every place, Oil tlie earth or ocean, 'Opens wide the gates of grace To sincere devotionj, ■ > J it l\] ! r' \m ■ ii n , i li. m ^- --i J : .1, 411 Hii m^'i ■'■'■ * '■( 164 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 'Neath the sccytrc of (he ro fl >\lh ',1 imi^ \ W from house to house. Once a week, 1 catechised the children, and every Monday evening, had a select meeting at my own house for reading the lives and experience of christians. During this winter, several were deeply awakened, the society was much edified and quickened ; my own soul was like a watered garden. how sweet is sailing to heaven, when we are wafted along by divine influence, and freighted with humble luve and holy 2eal. Surely these were times of the Son of Man. Never was my bible more sweet, or my Saviour more precious, the Lord was my light and my salvation, and 1 walked upon my high places. Perhaps, sir, you will say, that this was the true missionary spirit, and that into which every foreign missionary ought to be baptised. I am, however, sorry to say, that 1 was not always thus diligent on my different missionary stations : sometimes weakness of body, sometimes unbelief, and not unfrequently a desire after unprofitable knowledge, and curious and pleasing books and studies, would slacken my ardour, and repress the spirit of holy diligent exertion. 1 have before remarked, that t* iuissionary to a forel^gn land should rather be a diiigent, than a contemplative man ; his great object should be more to save souk, than to gain knowledge ; activity is the soul of a mission. I would rather see a preacher travel ten miles to preach to a few enquiring souls in a thicket of trees, than descant never so elegantly on polite learning, A diligent man, may glean much rare and profitable knowledge while in the active prosecution of his duty ; the light from above will not suffer him to walk in darkness, who is pursuing that path of duty, on which the sun shines all the year round, lie who cultivates the spirit of zeal, power, and NARKATIVE OF A MISSION^. 171 humble love, shall have wise ilisceruiitcal uiul cun- vincing speech, added, or thrown into the scale. [ would have a foreign missionary let nothing that is interesting escape his observation, but make minutes in his pocket memorandum-book, of all useful and lively incidents, i have often in a log.cottage, heard the most singular and striking occurrences ; and flashes of christian wit in skies that never were illuminated with human learning. Fragniei.ts of such conversations as 1 have sometimes heard in the soli- tary wilderness, details of curious adventures and experiences,' from some who had lived in the bosom of the forest, and who had never been drilled into tho nomenclature of a sect, or taught the cognomen of the christian world ; I have heard these speak with a vividness on divine things, which shewed, that what they said was warm from the heart, and faithful to its fires. 1 say, such memoranda, if preserved, would agreably and beautifully adorn the pages of a narrative, or the numbers of a magazine. Crantz's History of Greenland is full of these interesting and heart-touching details. Of this description also are the following works : the Life of Elliot, David Brainerd's Journal, Loskiel's History of the Bre- thren's Missions to the North American Indians, Coke's Journal, Harvard's Mission to Ceylon, Hu- channan and Martyn's Lives, the Life of Xavier, and Ellis's Tour through the Sandwich Islands, Wesley's and Whitfield's Journals, and many other that time will not permit to name. I am truly sorry that [ did not keep a diury of the most minute circumstances of my mission ; such fragments are like grains of gold, when separate they amount to little, but col- lected together, they rise in value. The imperfect q2 ■ v.. 172 NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. ^'M % m notices and scrapfl of journal, from which these letters are formed, have put me too much upon turning over the pages of memory, a book that is very liable to be worm-eaten. Still, however, 1 am thankful that in most of the materials the general features of my mission arc given, as the true images of things. That 1 have not gone into a more minute unfolding of my own christian experience, I know you will excuse ; I am satisfied tha* '< my record is on high." In those occasional interweavings of my mission, ministry, and personal state, I have not ** dealt in the false commerce of unfelt truth." I have put nothing down in malice, and if I have dwelt more upon the man than the mission, the Lord pardon his servant in thi^ thing, I am, dear sir. Yours, &c. kf! !&1, LETTER XXL Soon the gospel shall expand, ^!!oon the day-star shall appear. Visit every gloomy land, Brino; the bright millennial year ! I.<>! we sec the day begim, On the nations it hath smii^d, Like a newly-risen sun, (;^er a mornin*; datk and wild. Amutementt of a MistUm. DEAR SIKy 1 well remember one sermon I preached at this time, from those awful words, " be instructed O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee ;" and ; if NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. I7:j surely this was delivered with the power of th«.> Holy Ghost sent down from abovo ; a brokeiiness of heart, and many tears, indicated much of (h«; divine influence ; some wept aloud, and others woro powerfully agitated, and the blessed eifocts of this solitary address were visible for many months ; although I know not that I ever preached a sof. mon under greater anxiety or depression uf mind ; my soul had boon harrowed up by some heavy and unexpected trials, and I almost began to doubt whether or not 1 was called to the ministry. How- ever, the above gracious attestation broke the snare, and filled my heart with renewed comfort, zcnl, and courage. It is at such seasons as these, that the Saviour comes walking upon the waves, and in the midnight of their grief, cheers his tempted mourning people ; and can there be a greater proof of the divine omniscience and compassion than such visitations. Where is the true missionary or christian, who is not a ii ing witness of such seasonable interpositions ? The disciple when sinking, is gra- ciously taken by the hand, and • hoered by the pre- sence of a sympathizing Saviour. As the spring opened, my trial.- ncreased ; 1 was led to deal very faithfully with m^ congre^^ations, but the more faitii fully 1 discharged my conscience, the more the old serpent and his brood of vipers hissed upon me. I had to preach against sabbath break- ing, and the magistrates thought that I reflected upon tneir conduct, because during the herring, salmon, and shad season, they allowed the people to tish upon the Lord's day, and assigned as a reason, that Hsh ran more abundantly on that day than any other. But they were merchants, bad > .ught the fish, and sordid; q3 t f i' !i i ! m .:(9 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ >. % /. :/. ^ 1.0 ill I.I l^|2£ |2.5 ^ 1^ |Z2 1.25 111.4 III 1.6 ' H 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAiN 'TH^ WMSTII.N.Y. l4St«« (716) •72-4503 «^ <*\. ^r\\ ^ U.i \ \ 174 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. i interest will never want a plea for breaking in upon the most sacred duties. Dancing and revelling pre- vailed in an unusual degree : 1 had to take notice of these, hence some of the gay ones, who occa- sionally came to the chapel, thought themselv'es implicated, and came no more. Conscience and duty required me to preach against drunkenness, and as this was the besetting sin in the place, " master by so saying thou condemnest us,*' was felt by a number of delinquents. J had to animadvert upon smuggling, and this came home to the very doors of the church of God ; an official brother, possessing some property, and more influence, would hardly speak of me with charity, or treat me with com- mon civility. The following lines, if they have not the elegance of poetry, possess the merit of truth : When pride, or lust, deceit and gold bear sway, God's faitbftii legate, has a rugged way ; Ee treads on snares, which way soever he tend, Andliurts a stranger, or he wounds a friend ; Thal^ hates to hear him galling truths dispense, 1 his, thinks him person^ and takes offence : Thus he who serves mankind the best he can. Must brave the base ingratitude of man ; Kor sink dejected at the sight, if those He sought to succouT) prove his bitterest foes. One Lord's day evening, I preached from this text, " my name is Legion,'* from which I took occasion to remark, that all wicked men are under diabo. lical agency, led captive by the devil at his will, and that satan in various forms, rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, making it , , , A ca;,e of unclean birds, a robber's den ; - Folly's foul workship, satan's gloomy pen, -. Or common-place book, for the world to write in ^ An ocean of iniquity entire. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 175 Whose restless waters cast up dirt and mire j An ainpliith'jutre fur fiends to fight in. I observed, that according- to the temperature and cir- cumstances of men, a variety of evil spirits were eng-ag^- ed in the bad work of prompting them on to sin ; and that one man is under the influence of the daemon of unbejief, another is actuated by a lying spirit, a third is governed by a cheating devil. This is the dupe of a proud, revengeful fiend : these are seduced by a pleasure-loving dancing devil : some are moved by a backbiting evil-speaking temptor. That the unclean spirit has taken possession of one, antl the dumb devil of another ; that mammon has his subject.^, and belial his servants : in a word, that all wicked men are *' of their father the devil, because his works they do." This ser- mon furnished a tea-table topic of conversation to th^ gay and wealthy for some time ; and a certain lady, not a novice in the art of detraction, (whose domestic, a serious, sensible young woman, belong, ed to the chapel) came one day into the kitchen full of this strange subject, and thus accosted the servant : " Hannah, I hear Mr. Marsden has been preaching about devils, but which devil did he say was the worst :" "a backbiting devil, madam," re- plied the recollected girl ; it was enough, Hannah's mistress left the kitchen as quick as though she had been bitten by a tarantula, and bitften she was, for con- science, when left at full liberty to make the ap- plication, is worse than any tarantula, it is a mere scorpion to the ungodly. Some thought I was too pointed, others said I ought to be stopped ; thus did I prove the truth of Luther's remark t4 Ma- lancthon, that faithful preaching will either make IL I 1 \;i IM ,! ii 176 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. men enemies to their sins, or to their ministers. Never did 1 more need the wisdom of the just, the innocence of the meek, and the buldness of the daring, than on these occasions. At one lime, I was upon the mountain of leopards, and at another in the den of lions, but the Lord was with me, I had a good conscience, peace within, and was en- abled to outride every stonn, though 1 had to hold the helm with a steady hand, and watch the sails with an eaglets eye. No preaching is so un. popular as that which condemns sin, and follows the sinner into all his lurking and hiding places. A merchant one day conversing at a dinner party with bis companions, on some of the methodists, who were tradesmen and formers, remarked that they were honest, worthy fellows, but added, 1 hate them, they are so d strict. Ah ! this preaching against sin, when you know your con. gregation are committing it, here's the rub, espe- cially should they be rich and obstinate ; can you double this cape ? can you steer boldly forward in these broken waters ? there is the scylla of God's wrath, if you neglect your duty ; here is the chy- ribdis of man's dis};leasure if you are faithful : what are you to do ? why Undismayed in deed and word. Be a true witness for the Lord j And having done your duty, commit your cause into the hands of God, with All hail reproach, and welcome pain ; Only thy terrors Lord restrain. Notwithstanding all my discouragements, the little mission' greatly flourished, and 1 have now in my isters. lljkRRATITE OF A MISSION. 177 possession many interesting letters from some who were pious, which contain pleasing testimonies, how much the word of God and the ordinances of his house, were rendered precious blessings to them ; but many of these are gone to their eternal reward. A part of the society in the city of St. John, consisted of black people ; two of whom, by their holy and cir- cumspect lives, were a great blessing to the rest; and much esteemed by all the congregation. The names of these were Jonas Murdock, and Sibbe Weeks ; Sibbe was one of the most pious and gifted negresses I ever knew ; her talents were as remark- able as her zeal, and her fervour and eloquence in prayer, rendered her a singular blessing to many. I gave her permission to conduct prayer-meetings among her own colour, and to meet the class of black people belonging to the chapel. In this poor black 1 had an evidence how much the grace of God can raise the abject mind, for althpugb she was a slave and could not read, there was a propriety in her manners, and a shrewdness in her conversation, whieh gave a decided negative to Mr. Jefferson's theory of the non-improvability of the blacks. Sibbe had a mind capable of considerable inipfovement ; her master, one of the first merchants in the place, greatly esteemed her, for as she was **' a livings epistle, known and read of all men,** she had a good report of all, and even of the truth itself. You are well aware, sir, that on the continent of America, as well as the Islands, the blacks are the subjects of our missionary zeal, and this 1 esteem one of the brightest jewels of our pastoral crown. The West India missions to the negros, under all the difficulties laid in the path of our faith and patience, has been, and even now is. I i i ! »<■ fl I i i I r 178 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. [ ' , ►' I 5 ■ one of the most flourishing in turning men from darkness to light. In other missions, solitary indi- viduals have been turned to God, here thousands and tens of thousands have been set as stars in the Redeemer's diadem. To them truly the preaching of the cross has been the power of God to salvation. Christian benevolence never had a higher aim or n. humbler walk, than the conversion of these outcasts ; But t>lanter, not to thee the thanks are due^ Nor thy inliuman negro-driving crew ; Thou hast opposed their claims with hellish spite ; Thou hast refused the negro heaven^s light > Thou hast^ to prove intelligence a clod, Denied the Africans access to God ; ' And made as pride, or avVice ruiM thy breast. Thy slave an animal machine at best. TVas Coke, the man of God, the friend of man. On the blest, godlike errand nobly ran, ' He felt a brother thus depressed to see, .He fblt, and said the negro shall be free I With such a liberty, as God supplies, Freedom divine, the charter of the skies t O sir, how will the labours of that blessed man. Doctor Coke, for the good of this despised race, en- balm his name. Their salvation will be his noblest monument. What are great actions that centre only 4n the aggrandizement of the individual > that he was the friend of the negros, is a golden panegyric. Our extensive missions in these islands, are the tree- which . has grown out of the germ he first planted in the island of Antigua. The Wesleyan Conference supported him, but he was the active agent, the ■ life and soul of this herculean charity. Now, however, it is the glory of this great body* that this mission so honourable to their zeal, re- ceives the willing suffrage of all the friends uf human nature in every part of the world. Nor VARllATITE OF A MTSSTON. 178 ^oes the sun in his circle through the skies, look down upon a mission where zeal has been more disinterested, and love more compassionate. For neither have the graves of the missionaries who have been martyrs to the climate, the yellow fevers that waft death upon the wings of the sultry humid breezes, nor the menaces of the angry planters, nor the furious wreck-muking tornado, been able to frighten away our missionaries from these shores ; and now, in many of the islands, they are hailed both as the friends of the slave, the patrons of humanity, and the true promoters of the planters* best and most lasting interest. Permit me, sir, to close this letter with a few recollections, which if not in the higher style of poetry, 1 hope for their truth, at least, you will find touching and pathetic. Yes, I have taught the sable race, Have heard the sigh, 'have seen the tear, A diamond, on the jetty face, Reading a silent lecture there. It seemM to say, there is a soul, A deathless vital spark within Shall live when planets cease to roll; Though huckra mtuaat ban the skin, Yes, I have seen them neat and trim, Tite negress drest in muslin white Have heard them warble many a hymn, That thriird my bosom with delight. And 1 have in their cabins been. Partaker of their simple fare. Neat viands, and apartments c!ean. All, all but liberty was there. The ills of thraldom cannot bar Religion from the negroes cot i I i\ i«e NARRATIVE OV A MISSION. HvA: Who wean a coronet and atar^ Has often not to blest a lot. For I have heard their matin prayer, And round the veoper altar kneel'd ; And sure the blUt otblUt was there, If God, his presenoe ere revealM ! And I have seen them bought and sold. By an unfeeling auctioneer, A deathless soul for sordid gold. Oh ! let roe write it with a tear ! m »iVi I am, dear sir. Affectionately, yours, &c. LETTER XXII. '*< Like tlie sun going forth *' in his mighty career. To gladden the earth, and illumine each sphere j llie ctmriot of truth, shall in majesty roll, 0*er climate, isle, ocean, to each dbtant pole. A glorified course it shall nobly pursue. Encircling with radiance both Gentile and Jew : And millions of heathens, their idols despisuig. Shall bask in the light, and exult in its rising ! Evangelical Minstrel, DEAR SIR, In in the spring of 1805, I crossed the bay of Fundy, to pay a visit to Annapolis, and ex-> change with brother James Man, who was stationed upon that mission. In this, as well as in some other parts of Nova Scotia, I had some plants of my hand, and children of my prayer ; some .who could call me father in a higher and nobler sense^ NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 181 than if born of my body, and to these, and others, 1 was pleased to have an opportunity once more, on the banks of this fine river, of dispensing thi; bread of life. Prior to my visiting Annapolis this second time, colonel Bayar^l, who had retired upon half-pay, and lived upon his estate at the foot of Wilmot mountain, wrote me, as 1 passed that way, a very polite note, requesting that I would do him the favour of a call, and if convenient, take a bed at his house. At first 1 hardly knew what to make of this note, as I had heard that the colonel was a great persecutor, so, as 1 could not make it con- venient at that time, 1 let the matter sleep. Hear- ing, however, again, and finding from public rumour, that a change had taken place in his mind and life, I went to visit him. I found him a complete coun- terpart to his former self. The late colonel of the Nova Scotia regiment, had in his countenance and deportment, the dignity of the gentleman, blended with the heaven-illuminated sweetness and affability of the christian. As this change had recently taken place, it shone in its new born lustre, and the beautiful moral transformation descr'bed in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah was realized. The colonel had been a man of pleasure, gallantry, and dissi- pation, and, as is usually the case with such, an infidel and contemner of religion* Having, however, many baptists, and niethodists in his neighbourhoodt he sometimes fell into conversation with them ; although he would not let Mrs. Bayard*s nurse, who was a pious and zealous methodist, speak a word upon the subject of religion. At length, at the request of lawyer Aplin, he was induced to read Mr. Wcstley's sermons, which the lawyer, though i^ ' li : ^' i'i.. tr ilj 182 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ,LI ■? p;il m not a motliodist took a pride in lending^ to his gay friends, iifght from tlie Holy Spirit, darted upon his benighted mind, a new world was opened to him, the truth of God, like a sharp two.edged sword pierced his soul ; the delusions of his former infi. delity vanished like a black and ugly mist ; his con. science was roused from it$> deep aud awful slumbers ; in fine, he became a true penitent. Wherever he was couscious upon reflection, that he had injured or wronged any man, particularly the disbanded soldiers of his late regiment, he manifested in a particular manner, his compliance with good old bishop Latimer's adage, " restitution, or no remis. sion ; ** hence he made ample satisfaction lo the aggrieved party. He soon came down from bis lofty standing ; and although he moved in the highest circles of life, he was not ashamed of the gospel, the ministers, or the followers of Christ ; for those he formerly despised, he now choose, in defiance of proud custom, as his associates, companions, and friends. His whole soul seemed absorbed in the things of God, hence at his own house, and in the midst of his family, I have seen him read the bible upon his knees, watering the holy testimony with a plentiful effusion of tears. After some deep and gracious exercises of mind, the consolations of hope visited his soul, and God filled his heart with peace and joy in believing. A radical and genuine change was apparent in all his conduct. The man of gal- lantry and pleasure, kneeled as a weeping penitent at the feet of mercy. The proud, daring, high- minded ofiicer, was transformed into a little child, and the trophies of infidelity were laid at th" feet of the cross. Never did religion gain a ^. eater s gay on his NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. I8;i triumph, or infidelity loose a warmer frioiirl ; hut what is there that divine grace cannot cllnct. The perfiecutor Paul, and the Pagun emperor Cons^nti- tine, the deputy Sergius Paulus, and the Arihjxip^iti^ Dionisius, colonel Gardiner, in Groat Britain, itiid colonel Bayard, in Nova Scotia, have all adorn* ed its triumphs. Monarchs have laid their crown» and purple, warriors their deathless laurels, and poets their bays and sweet mini;trelsy at thy feet. O grace how great and glorious are thy victories ! it is thine to soften the high, and rear the abject mind — to melt the rocky heart, and to humble the lofty and aspiring sinner. If the desert become a garden, and the lion a lamb, it is by thy power. Thou canst raise the serpent to a seraph, and the worm to a throne. The poor in. solvent bankrupt sinner, becomes rich in thy riches ; the ignorant, wise in thy wisdom ; and the weak ones mighty in thy might. Thou touchest the rock with thy wand, and the waters cover the desert. Thy harp is sounded, and the soothing strains bring the wild beasts out of the forest to lick thy feet. Of polluted, degraded, and miserable sin- ners, thou formest the redeemed, the holy, the spotless inhabitants of heaven. 'Tis thine to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Is the Babel of false hope pulled down, and the dark vale of despair illuminated, thy hand has per- formed the stupendous work^ and thine eye with its bright beams has illuminated the benighted soul. Thou hast brought up the prisoner from the pit of sin, and the debtor from the iron grasp of the law,, thou hast delivered. Thy banner has upon r2 ! : i 184 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. m irf" 'iln ,.\ii ■I ' f li it a dying lamb; thy soal a bleeding cross; and thy crest a mystic dove. Thou puttcst into the hand of' the mourner a chalice of comfort, and givest the humble pilgrim a clue to guide him on his way to bliss. If peace and joy visit the awakened sinners conscience, it is from thy smiles. Thou givest balm to the wounded, and takest the burden from the back of the weary heavy leaden soul. Precious truth, " by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.** Salvation is all of grace. By this we lay the founda- tion, edify the temple, and bring forward the head, stone with shouts of |i:race grace unto it. — Grace tunes the harps of redeemed infants in glory ; it is the song of young men in Israel. Fathers in Christ join the blessed anthem — ^join it, O my soul — sing the blos'^'rg of grace — sing the triumphs of grace- sing, O sing to all eternity, the fountain of grace — the giver of grace — the spirit of grace— the gracious Saviour — hallelujah, praise the Lamb. Myall, My theme, my inspiration, and my crown ; My strcn{;th in aj^e, my rise in low estate ; My sou 1*8 ambition, pleasure, wealth ; my world ^ My light in darkness, and my life in death j My homi through time ; bliss throug^h eternity. Eternity too short to speak thy praise ! Young. Having received the Lord Jesus Christ by faith into his heart, he now wished to entertain the servants of God at his house, hence I was always a welcome guest. And i shall never forget the kind offer he made of receiving my whole family into his house, should I choose to go on the Ber- m m M NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 1fl5 muda mission alone. The missionaries at his request, made his house one of the regular preaching stations of the Annapolis circuit : in consequence of which, his gay and high-minded former frlnndA became deeply offended, at what they were pleased to call his meanness of spirit. The good b p of Nova Scotia told him, he could not come to visit him as usual, because he kept low company. The governor, his former intimate friend, rude pant his house without calling. The governor's lady choose to be very witty at his expense, asserting that the colonel had lost his senses. Ah sir ! how truly pitiable is the case of the rich and great; frequently placed out of the range of those power- ful means, that might arouse the guilty conscicnco from its delusive slumbers, or bring homo the truth of Gud to the heart. Perhaps they seldom read such works as Wesley's Appeal, Allien's Alarm, Baxter's Call, or Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. They are often without a faithful friend to reprove, or a search- ing ministry to probe the conscience. Life passes in a circle of amusement, compliment, and frivolity : fashion and pleasure, are the order of the day. Truth, in its pure form, they are taught to call fanaticism ; religious conversation, cant ; strictness in religion, mothodism ; and the vital experience of godliness, enthusiasm. For their amusemeut, the buffoon and the mimic, dress true piety in the fool's coat of caricature, and the theatre, not the bible, gives the cue to religion. The poor in spirit are deemed hypocrites, the evangelical christian is nicknamed a saint, and places where the gospel is preached in its purity, conventicles. How truly r3 1^ I If Hi;' iA 186 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. thankful should we bo, that our lot is cast in the middle walks of lift , far from that magpie circle, where the gay throw fortune, conscience, health, and time away. While colonel B. was wicked in the worst sense of that term ; an unbeliever, a man of pleasure, a carousing, profane, and dashing officer, no fault was found with hiui ; but alas, he had become moral, serious, and godly, and withal was united to a body of christians odious in the sight of many of the rich and gay : hence, a certain c n, offended that God had m'?.de the methodists the humble instruments of conveying his truth to the colonel's mind,, was pleased to observe, that his religion was only the half. way house to atheism ; and he was no longer deemed .fit company, either for the Clergy, or the venerable bishop. But God forbid, that a line of mine should ever underrate the character of those who are set apart to serve the sanctuary, for whether he be in or out of the- established church. \\U I venerate the man whose heart is warm, Whose hands arc pure, whose doctrine, and whose life Coincideni^, exhibit lucid proof That he is honest in the sacred cause : To such I render more than more respect, Whose actions say tliat they res[.ect themselves. .,,■■-. i ■ v„.,,> ^."-...•-' .- " i-,-^- •• C'owper. a bishop or a clergyman is an enemy- ion, save and except what flows through m But when to all roli the channel of canonical or high church episcopacy, when all others, whatever good the blessed God may do by them, however amiable in their lives, respectable in their acquirements, or various in their learning, are deemed unauthorised teachers, and out of the true pale. I am ready to say in llli NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. la? the language of a pious formula ** from envy, hatred^ and all uncharitableness, good Lord deliver us/* For vrhere in such a case, is the liberal and catholic spirit of the blessed Redeemer ? where is the love that hopeth all things ? where is the ** meekness instructing those that oppose themselves ; *' if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth ; that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.'* Some of the colonel's relations, in writing to him, after the garbled accounts they had heard, begged of him for God*s sake to think upon his military honours, and not tarnish his respectable family and name, with such a low drivelling thing as fanaticism, aiiaSy enthusiasm ; alias, methodism ; alias, experi- mental and vital religion. The witty said he kept three chaplains to pray for the good of his soul, and the wicked and incorrigible hated him, be- cause, as a magistrate, he put the law in force against swearing and sabbath-breaking. Thus, when a man of dignified station becomes truly godly, his former gay companions stigmatize and vilify him, and consign him over as a person of a little mind to oblivion • so it often fares, O blessed Jesus I with thy pure religion and gospel, Not many wise, rich, nob'e, or profound In science, vin one inch of heavenly ground ; And is it not a mortifying thou&;ht, The poor should gain it, and the rich should not ? I am, dear sir, Yours, S&c < ■• 1 fl - :' • li !^' '% ! I! 188 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. LETTER XXIII. iiif S-,!. Soon shall the red^roas bannet waye sublime, In golden India, and each southern dime j O'er every peaceful sea and ocean wide, Wh^e gillant ships and stattely nav^s ride ; A1> ^geach spicy isle, or paIm-crown*d shore, >Vhere commerce spreads her sail, or plies her oar, Salvation^s joyful tidings shall ' prevail, And-Uie irbrid echo with redemption's tale. DEAR SIR, In the conversion of colonel- Bayard, Annapolis mission received an accession of strength and pr6sperity; that greatly lifted up our ha..ds. His piety and zeal, had a blessed influence upon the ne^hbourhood and contiguous settlements; but alas, sir j we can' seldom on our missions boast of' such convierts to the power of religion, nor do our labours in general derive much benefit from the support of men in power and authority. But per- haps, this is rather a blessing to us, than other, wise ; in the splendour of great n&mes and great patronage, we might loose the simplicity of religion. ** Mot many mighty, not many wise, not many noble, are called : ** A great man esteems it an honour to serve his king, his country, his friends, or his mistress ; to face danger with' the intrepid, or to pursue glory and fame with the ambitious; but to support missions, ah there^s the rub — No sir, they must stand upon their own legs. Hon- ourable, or right honourable patrons they have few ; still however, in the calm sequestered vale NAaaATIVE OF A MISSION. im of usefulness, they have kept the noiseless tenor of their way. The footsteps of the dew, that walks forth to refresh the earth, are silent, so has it been with our missions ; without pomp, without parade, or great patronage, they have spread and prospered, and many *' dark places' of the earth, the habi- tations of cruelty,*' have been divinely illuminated. We have only to regret, that the great men in our foreign colonies, should at any time so far forget themselves, as to interfere with the labours of men,, whose professed and sole object it is, to seek and to save the lost. Did the government at home, in the majesty ot its power, punish such petty and- vexacious aggressions, they would cease : but till the power vested in the hands of kings, and cabinets,, be as the *' clear shining of the sun after rain,'* this cannot be expected. When the nations in their political and constituted power, unite to promote the glory of God, then will persecution for righte- ousness sake cease, then will missions be protected. Chapels will be no longer pulled down. Godly men will no longer be interdicted, fined, imprisoned. Then in- deed, the reproach of the cross shall be wiped away ; ** the earth shall help the woman,** Zion, in the eyes of even politicians, shall put on her beautiful garments, and Jerusalem shall be a praise mthe earth. Statesmen and rulers, shall vie with each other in promoting the prosperity of the church of Christ, they shall bring the honour and the glory of the nation into it. Hail happy period ! thou true golden age, when every wind shall waft our missionaries round the green earth, and every gale shall bear upon its wings, tho peaceful sound of the gospel of Jesus. But till this, happy period arrive, you will unite with we ioi t!| I ¥ r I i i^^K 1 SI t;,'-! ABB >. m 1 ' -; J 'at 'i'' i ' iifffl*" l' ' ^^HflK ^^P 'm ' 'W ii'.aLjiit IMS i' iiTifi ' jHH Wk f '' ' !Vi Mi m f:] f ,i . |m 1 '■ ^ [sMf^ 1: iflla HI iii t'?: 100 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. lamenting^, that even the most &voared. country upon the surface of the globe, in its national capacity does so little Pnr missions. Were the millions an- nually spent in supporting* the siave systeniy de- voted to the cause of Christ, and the conversion of the heathen^ what a dcfenco would it throw around our UHtional glory. Then instead of being cold and repulsive to our missions, hardly affording them even an exterior of patronage, and tender and chary of the bloody and cruel superstitions of our heathen subjects, we should come' forward in the grandeur of our national resources, to the help of the Lord against th^ mighty, if righteousness exalteth a nation, and sin be a reproach to any people ; and if national prosperity walk hand in hand with na- tional piety ; for nations, as nations, must be rewarded or punished in time ; one cannot but lament the little interest political governors feel in the kingdom of Chriiit. I know it is not for an humble individual like myself to reform the state: still, I have an interest in my dear country, as true an interest, as the wisest statesman in the cabinet, or the proudest captain in the tented field. Her welfare commands my fervent prayers, and her moral glory is in- wreathed with my warmest vishes. 1 see in the light of truth, how she might be truly great.. How her institutions might more abundantly bless the world, and her statesmen draw down upon them- selves the blessings of millions who are ready to perish. How her king might be a nursing father to the church of God, and her iAimense resources might- be brought to bear on the glory of Christ, and the prosperity of missions : lb my mind*s eye, i behold her ffAg in every part of the round- world ; VARJ^ATIVE OF A UliMQlf, 191 I see her colonies e^ejading to the re^io^s of the morning star ; and catching light in i^ie west, from the last golden beams vf day^ She says to the north, give up thy whales, and to the south, keep not back thy gold, silver) and «mera)ds. that she was employed in sending the gospel to every mart, vand in planting the banner of the oT'OSS in every iregion of the earth ! Britain say, Hast thou no trae aUution to despoil Ganges of worship ? no pure rite, no prayer. To tell the widow her Redeemer lives, .And snatch her from- the flaqoes ? O teach those groves To echo other sounds than Branch's name. Be the songs of Zisn heard from fertile Malabar, To sandy Aroot, to th« beauteous shores Of rich Orissa, and Bengal pcofuse Of all life needs, save tluit for which we live. O spread those echos on the peopled sea, Peopled with barfc9 innunterons * Let them sound in every isle, and palm-crovnM bay, Where commerce spreads her tent, or stays her oar. Wherever waves thy banner, bid it shade The house of God ; wherever thy tongue is heard, O let it like an angePs trumpet tell Messiah's kingdom of gTtod-will and peace i Exalt the full hosannah, Jtiil it soar High as the lofty mountains of the moon. Then cross th' Atlantic j teach Canadian tribes, Who wander vast ColumlMa's northern wild«, To hope a better heaven, than lakes fiingM round With rorests stor*d with game, and sunny plains. . Teach Africa, O teach those men of woes ! Whom thou hast reft of country, and difgoin'd From nature's ties— the God thou worshipest ! I continued labouring in Annapolis, and on the banks of the river, till I received a letter from the doctor who attended - her, stating that my dear wife was in a most critical and dangerous state. This induced roe to hasten my departure, though that haste, but for a merciful providence, had cost me II t! • I';; i ■ f' ; 102 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. the loss of life ; for passing in the packet through the Gut of Digby, a rough and dangerous strait, J was standing on the quarter-deck, observing the agitation of the waves, and the velocity of the -|)acket, when a gust of wind struck the vessel, ■and shifting the main boom with a dreadful jerk, the sheet knocked me against the taiferel, but God gave me perfect presence of mind, and as 1 was falling overboard 1 caught hold of a rope, and though the vessel was going about nine knots an hour 1 studk fast, and to the astonishment of the captain was saved from a watery grave ; thanks to my preserving guardian, whose eye was not turned away from the danger to which his poor servant was exposed, and whose arm was stretched out and made bare in this deliverance. The life of a missionary in a foreign land, who is often crossing the sea is a life of peril and danger, but can the Messed Jehovah ever be surprised. Careless slum- bers cannot steal on his all-seeing eyes ; Israel is his sure defence, Jacob all his care shall prove, Kept by watchful providence, and ever waking love. My chequered pilgrimage has been through perils both by sea and land, but I have been protected under the shadow of the Almighty, and in my greatest straits and difhculties, know all men by these presents ; I have always found the promises both an antidote to fear, and a source of comfort. Hope in the divine mercy, has been my sheet anchor, and shall be till I exchange mortality for eternal life. For though 1 have rode hundreds of miles upon the ice, have sailed thousands upon the ocean. Though I have been lost in snow-storms, bewildered in the perplexing mazes of the forests NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. 19) of North America ; I have often been benumbed with cold, and sun-strvck with burning heat ; in perils on the sea, in perils in the woods, in perils on the ice ; but I call heaven and earth to witness, 1 have never found one promise to fail. 1 have deeply to regret that i have not oftener gone to God, as my first, instead of my last resourse ; a conduct no way honourable to christian faith and love, and a mournful proof of our propensity to the dire sin of unbelief, one of the blackest recorded in the doomsday book of God. Lord, forgive my unbelieving fears^^ pardon my un- believing prayerSy and help my unbelieving infirmities, O sir, may we believe and show the reason of a man, believe and taste the pleasures of a God, believe and look with triumph on the tomb. On my arrival in St. John, I found both my dear partner and her new.born infant, (for she had been delivered in my absence,) in an afflictive and delicate state ; my dear wife had been so dangerously ill that her life had been despaired of; however, this had been kept from my knowledge, for being in the other province, and the bay-of Fundy between us, I had no knowledge of her extreme danger, or I might have been tempted prematurely to have quitted my labours on the Annapolis mission^ which, in several instances the Lord bad condescended grsiciously to bless. Sepa- ration from wife and family is on^ of those trials to which all foreign missionanes must prepare to submit. The work of God will often strike at the little blossoms of domestic comfort, and make the feeling heart mourn fur its Rachel, or weep for its children ; but surely a servant of God is prepared to make as many sacri- fices for his):heav^nly master, as (^ficers of the army and navy^ are called to pake for their king and country. 1^' 104 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. |.^! \ ■ i "^ I am afraid there is a more intimate connexion be« tweon ** unbelief and effeminacy *' than many are willing to allow. Strong faith inspires undaunted courage. The standard bearer should be the last in the army, to yield or give out ; and every mis- sionary bears a banner that should have upon the one side " conquer or die ; *' and on the other, a cross, with "by this overcome.** I am, dear sir» Yours, &c. LETTER XXIV. God's eye at once the world looks throug^h, A vast uncultivated field ; Mountains and vale in ghastly show, A barren, uncouth prospect yield. ClearM of the thorns by civil care, A few less hideous wastes are seen j ' Yet many still continue bare, And but a few, alas! are green. Moravian Hymns, ,J)EAR SIRy My wife recovered but slowly, and our merciful Father was pleased to take our infant to the haven of rest ; but the language of rey heart was then, and is now, in relation to an afflicted child, whose life the blessed Lord hangs in daily suspense : ' I dare not wish, to thee resigned. Or ask their fife or death ; ' ' ■ Only to good dispose their mind, Or early tdce their breath. On thismission,my heavenly Father was pleased to strike .me four times in the same tender part; and I havethepre- MAKRATIVB OF ▲ MISSION; 105 eiotts dust of four dear lambs sleeping in foreijgn climes. During the winter of 1805, the mission in St. John flourinhed exceedingly, we had. a number of awakenings, and in the midst of a most sc. vere season, much life^. harmony, and love. The cold was indeed intensej and the snow was nearly six feet deep. Indeed in British North America, there are only- two seasons, summer and 'winter; and the polar and the dog-star may be said to hold deviddd empire in the heavens. Oiir hogsheads of rain water were frozen solid, and on some oc. casions, 1 had in a morning to stand breast high in the- snowj to clear thie drift' from the windows before we could get light. We had some Madeira wine, which was frozen to the consistence of cream, almost every thing, less strong then ardent spirits, (iinless kept in frost-proof cellars)' is penetrated and frozen. Ttie province of New Brunswick being connected with lower Canady, and withal more full of woods, rivers, and lakes, is far more cold than Nova Scotia ; (than which no region needs be much more severe), here my journies up the river, with the piercing north-west wind in my teeth, were often performed under circumstances of great en- durance from the severity of the weather. My heart, was however, in the work, and as suffering dc pends greatly upon the state of the mind, i was borne above it. My mode of travelling, as I have already observed, was in sleighs, not sleds, as I have misnamed them in some of the previous letters, thinking that sled, as a general term, would be better understood : the difference however, is as great as the difference between a coach and a cart. The sledj^^ or- sledge, though they are never called by s2 ::1 ■1 ■ ) I ■i U ' ■ ( r--V m 1: il ' m 1 J- lOG NARRATIVE UF A MISSION* the luiter name, is a mere bottom placed upon nm < nnrs the same as a sleigh, but having no bodies covered in, and being withal much lower, they are generally used only for luggage or merchandize : the sleigh is sometimes open like a gig, but many of them resemble close carriages, having a complete body by which you are partially screened from the weather. When the snow is well beaten, you may travel in these vehicles from six to eight miles an hour, with the greatest possible ease ; and save where the snow is formed into what they call cradle hills, which cause an undulating motion like the sea^ you glide smoothly along. The path when upon rivers or lakes, is often marked with a line of fir branches stuck in the ice, between which you generally shape your course. Though this mode of travelling is the only one the country will admit during the winter solstice, yet almost every season numbers fall a sacri- fice to these ice journics, and some who set off from home are never again heard of by their families. This was the case with one of my own friends of the name of Watton, who riding down the river on horseback, plunged into some weak part of the ice, and was never more seen. Another friend* Mr. Wilson, a local preacher, and member of the house of assembly, riding in company with some others, the sleigh and horses plunged in, and went directly under the ice ; he was saved by being pitched forward, but his three friends never rose. Some are lost through their imprudence and rashness, riding upon this fragile bridge, after it is worn so thin, as to give frequent warning of the dan- ger. A terrible disaster of this kind befel one, who had been a serious man, and member of the MARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 197 St. John*s society, but who having left, gradually dc- clined, until he had lost both the form and puwor of godliness : being a master tailor, he frequently finished and sent home his work on the Lord's day, and when reproved for thus profaning the sabbath, would with impious humour, reply, " it is no harm to borrow a little from the Lord, provided we pay him again ! ** This wicked practice he continued, till from working upon it, he began to make it a day of amusement and (Measure ; but horrible to relate, he was one Sunday riding upon the. ice. when the horse and vehicle plunged in, and he was seen no more.. How often does JehoiFah, write our sin by the finger of his justice. Sabbath-breaker, be- ware ! it is awful to trifle with the Almighty, he is inflexible in j ustice, and terrible in wrath ! Though this winter was the coldest I ever kne\ we were graciously visited, both in the cfty ar along the banks of the river ; when the weather permitted, our congregations increased, both in number and respectability. Several who had been awakened, found "the pearl of great price;*' we had much peace in our borders ; I had health of body and joy in my soul, and my merciful Father, in my various journies, preserved me from danger. For a little while, so severe was the weather, that our meetings in the chapel were imperatively sus- pended ; and even in my house, we were obliged to take our bed from the stead, and put it close to the stove, in order to keep ourselves from freezing. Several persons were frozen to death. And a man and his daughter, who were only going from one settlement to another, at a little distance, were arrested in their progress, the girl died in het s3 fi I h\ 198 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ?; t ijr '*• father's arms, and he, poor man, lost both his leg^s. Before, nnd also after the amputation took place, I visited the mournful sufferer, and never in my life did I see a fellow-creature so inangied by tho frost. His feet literally dropped off, and bis hands, face, nose, and ears, were all dreadfully scorched by the tremendous cold. I had, however, great reason to believe, that the shocking calamity was permitted in mercy for the healing of his soul. Several vessels coming upon the coast, were so laden with . ice, that they foundered in the bay of Fundy ; and others, having all their ropes, blocks, and sails frozen, were driven on shore, and the crew of one perished in the woods, where they had ^vandered till tho frost-sleep of death laid them stiff and bleaching upon the bed of snow. An intensely cold vapour hovered over both the earth and the sea, through which the sun, with sanguine beams, ineffectually strove to penetrate. Iron, if exposed to the weather, was so frozen, that it became quite brittle, and if in that state, the axe was used, the edge was sure to fly. Vessels in which water was left during the night, were found broken in the morning. My ink has congealed while 1 have been writing, and in some houses, though sitting before a large cord- wood fire, I have had to wear my surtout, and have seen the tea, spilled upon the table, become cakes of ice. If I walked out for any length of time, my whiskers, and my eyelashes, were tipped with little icicles. The houses would crack with such violence, as to alarm a stranger to the cause. The thermometer was thirty degrees be- low the freezing point, and sometimes below zero. "While I was reading the fVineral service over a woman NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. U)0 who had died during the intenae cold, my nose, ears, and face, had frequently to be rubbed, to pre- vent their freezing ; and so much during the short period had the cold penetrated my body, that my breathing was with difficulty and labour, and till my wife gave me a large glass of Hollands, I scarcely knew whether I possessed sensation or not. In my public ministry, 1 was sometimes obliged, though from a far different reason than influenced Cowper's beau parson, to huddle up my work in fifteen minutes, and even during that space, was obliged to preach with my top.coat closely buttoned. In the week nights we had to quit the chapel altogether, and I preached in private houses ; these were more tolerable than our frost-bound sanctuary, which by reason of its standing exposed, and being without a stove, was cold enough to induce one to imagine that it was situated in the neighbourhood of Tobolsk in Siberia. With a little variation, the language of Thomson, is a lively picture of such a winter : Nought around, Strikes the sad eye, but forcMts lest in snow^ But heavy loaded groves, and solid floods, I'hat stretch athwart the solitary vast, Their icy horrors. Notwithstanding the severity of the cold, several were added to the little flock ; my heart sweetly em- braced the Lord*s work, and I had generally some- thing useful to attend. Then only is the life of a missionary happy, when he is always doing some- thing for God ; and mixing up all with prayer, this is the seasoning that makes all pleasant ; the fire that burning upon the mean altar of his own heart, is sure to kindle others ; for if you glow, 1 can warm myself by your heat. My journifes i'i I ill 200 NARRATIVE OF A HlSSIOff. r I upon the river and Grand Lake, were performed as mentioned above, amidst great severity of weather, sometimes the intense cold made me sick and faint, but never brought on that irresistable drowsiness which frequently ends in death. My greatest inconveniences arose from having, when op the river, sometimes to travel ten or twelve miles upon the ice, after I had preached ii. the evening, this generally aroso from the extreme affection of the people, as the persons with whom 1 came, generally wished L.e to go back with them in the same sled. Thus, the kindness of my friends, and the comfort of labour- ing for the Redeemer, shed smiles over even this mode of life, and 1 could say, ** labour is rest, and pain is sweet, if thou my God art here." Our co- venapt meeting, held in St. John, on the beginning of the year 18U6, was the most powerful 1 had ever attended ; so great was the Holy One in the midst of us, that an emotion of solemn awe, mixed with a&tonishment and self-abasing humility, was evidently felt by many hearts : these were succeeded by such a general melting, wailing, supplication, and pathos, as rendered every heart like dissokving snow before the glorious sun. In a \^ord, neither the frost nor snow, neither the piercing air, nor the cold earth, were able to hinder many from attending the r«eans of grace ; the divine blessing was poured into many hearts, the Lord was with us of a truth ; and with all I suffered from the cold by travelling in open sleds, or sleeping in log- huts, I liever recollect those days, but I wish to live them over again ; they were some of the hap- piest of my life, I prayed three times a day with my wife and family, also frequently in secret j and NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 201 in every company I strove to introduce something spiritual. I was diligent in redeeming time, rising at four o'clock in the morning ; this, and taking up my cross, made most other things com- paratively light ; in a word, the Lord consecrated the cold of winter by the warmth of his love» If, dear sir, you wish to knov/ how to be warm in winter, take the recipe in the following hasty lines, written amidst the desolations of frost and snow. " Who can stand before his cold," When the pierdng breezes blow, And all nature we l^hold One white waste of driven snow ? He who lives within the «un. Basks in Christ*s reviving blase; He has Eden^s spring begun, Warmth in winter^s coldest days. « Who can stand before his cold"— • Bear the hyperborean ire ? He who, wbetiier young' or old Keeps for ever near therfire ; . He, whoite heart the word retains. Feels the hallowing zephyrs blow : . Though His winter on the plains, All within has summer glow. " Who can stand before his cold*'— Winter's rigid, rage disarm ? He who, like the seers of old. Ever gtirrinffy always warm. Labours on with holy love. Patient hope and working faith ; Till he gain tiie crown above, Win the palm, and wear the wreath. «< Who can stand before his cold"— Cold that detiolates the globe ? .He who, with affiance bold. Wrapt him in saivation^a robe. In <*piire Hnen clean and white," Let the saints for conofort dress, f''-:jer aU that robe of lights Jesus' blood and righ^ousness ! p 1 1 202 MARBATIVE OF A MISSION. ((Who can stand before bis cold"— Brave the brunt of winter, weather? He who keept ufithin. the fold ; Saints like coa's are warm together : (( No one can be warm-alone j" Love and. union, gface» cherish. Who, forsakes this social zone, Leaves the flock, is suro- to perish ! 1 am, dear sir. '« Yours, &c. T101 4noi by I -ha! Br^ fital LETTER XXV. The record pnc^hetical opens apace,. The latter-d'iy glories expand ; Glad tidings of mercy, salvation, and gracQ Fly swiftly to every land. Ihey shall come from the east, they jhall come from the south. From the west, and the region of snow ; With joy in their bosom, and songs in their mouth. For all shall. Immanuel know. Author. DEAR SlRy. In the early part of the year 1800, h recrossed the bay. of Fundy,* with my dear wife. . Our annual meeting was held at Horton, a pleasant and well-cultivated part of Nova Scotia, near the basin of M inas. On the day of our assembling, we had a total eclipse of the sun, which tooL place about two o'clock in the afternoon. The* naissionaries and their wives were all well, and felt much pleasure and affection at. the sight of each other. Our va- * Crossing the bay o£ Fundy, is Uke< crosnng from Ireland to England. 'ITARRATIVfi xaV A MI9SI0R« 203 Tious conversations together "were conducted in liar-i mony and love, and in a few days, accompanied by Mrs. Marsden, I set off for Halifax ; Mr. Kack -having engaged to -supply the missi'^n in New Brunswick. We spent a pleasant and a truly, pro- fitable summer in Halifax, were my dear friends, and some of my spiritual children, after an absence of two, years, were rejoiced to see us, and by their kindness and sympathy, greatly contributed to my com. fort. In the fell of the year, we set off for Annapolis, and having a most affectionate invitation to visit our esteemed and worthy friend colonel Bayard, he kindly sent his gig and a servant nearly sixty miles, to meet 41S on* our way. We found him full of faith, zeal, sim- -plicity, and loving meekness. The interview was a great blessing to my soul ; I saw in him what a christian ought to be, ** A man on earth, devoted to the skies, *^ - His conduct so humble and devout, so serious and spiritual, was an excitement to holy emulation, as well as a tacit reproof of my own tlronishness in the service of Jesus. During the morning worship of God in the family, it was his custom to read the scriptures kneeling, and with so much devotion and many tears, as made it evident, that God frequently gives the same spirit to the humble reader, as of old inspired the hearts of the venerable penmen. I preached several times to a number of the colonel's tenants, and the neighbouring settlers, and then embarked at Annapolis for my station in New Brunswick. In crossing over the bay of Fundy, we were over- taken with a tremendous white squall, which before the mariners could let go either the sheets or halyards, M m . m \m '!l m 111 m \:' 1i 111 I 204 DARRJITIVE OP A MISSION. blew the yessel upon her beam ends, and brought the main.sail down into the water* The sea poured down the cabin like a torrent, which greatly terrified the females and passengers. During this dangerous crisis, my mind was kept in peace ; our cargo could not shift, or the pack«t must have gone down, she was laden with flour, up to the Tery coombing of the the hatchways; in a short time theisquall ceased, and the vessel righted again. How necessary is it to live continually in the fear of God, for in the midst of life we are in death. We arrived the same day at our own ^habitation, and among our «kl friends ; thanks be to God for all his mercies, both on the waves .and in the wiU derness ! During this fall /^my mind was deeply ( pained at the little prosperity attending the mission in New Brunswick ; which being, as it were, my own field, I felt a livelier interest in its welfare, than if the labours had been divided among seve. ral. Save good old Mr.^Mc'Coll, whose mission, which he never quitted, was down upon the lines, 1 seemed to stand alone. The magnitude and difficultiv^s of the work were like a mighty' mountain in the way of ray faith. ? had been three years in the pro- vince without accomplishing any extensive good; though I ought not to omit, tnat a few had been V brought to God. 1 had often gone forth weeping, bearing precious seed, but upon a few occasions, till two or three in the morn- ing : although 1 generally dismissed them myself about ten o* clock. These, with several other things, equally strange and unusual, and hence, forbidding in the eyes of una wakened persons, created a great outcry ; but after weighing all sides, and comparing what was going forward, with all I had read and heard of the work of God, I did not hesitate to give its leading features, my unqualified approba- tion and support, at the same time, I saw it my duty with as little of show, and as much tender- ness and prudence as possible, to check any thing that might assume so much of extravagance, as to NARRATIVE OF A MISSION^ •2(19 bring the whole into odium and contempt. Prior to this awakening, the society consisted of about ninety members, most of whom had tasted that the Lord is gracious, and the congregation on the Lord's day, might probably amount to three hundred persons ; some of these were moral and steady, a few were members of the church of England, and others were of that class, which has no distinct religious character, and may, for want of a* more suitable name, be termed nothingarians. The former of these took great offence, and as they had never before seen anything of the kind, neither had they themselves been the subjects of religious emotion, hence we need not wonder, they should find fault with what they did not understand : humbly pray- ing that the Lord may revive his work in every part of the world, ... -' ' ■ I am, dear sir, . Yours, &c. i\ LETTER XXVI. The spirit of universal grace. Father of glory pour, And deluge all our ransomed race ' °> . With one eternal shower. ' i.!„ / . - Wesley. DEAR SIR, -'ji^'JU'.. '.:. '^.:'''1a i,r-: S' U.\ ../v^' ' • ' It is a fact that can neither be denied, T nor well accounted for, that revivals of religion are more common in America than in most other countries. . t3 II-? If: ■ !' P.r ■i \ i ,!!'"■ 210 NAllRATIVE OF A MISSION. Nor are those revivals, mere human feelings, or ex« citements of animal passion; they are attended with such striking features, as must convince every true christian, that the finger of God is employed. In the course of this year, several distinct works of this kind broke out in different parts of the two provinces ; all re- sembling each other in their leading features : first, an unusual excitement to, and concern for religion ; second* deep distress on account of sin ; third, a more sensible and divine influmice attending the word when preached ; fourth, a visible change in the conduct of those wrought upon ; fifth, a sudden transition firom distress of soul to comfort and peace ; sixth, a rapid acquisition of know, ledge in the plan of salvation ; seventh, the sudden at- "■tainment of spiritual gifts for prayer and exhortation. Before I proceed further to describe the work in St. John, permit me to trace the simultaneous influence of the heavenly cloud in diffeient parts of the two provinces, and you will perceive, that we did not labour in vain, or spend our strength for nought. Mr. Black writes from Port Jolly, a little fishing place on the shores of the Atlantic. ** Last sabbath-day 1 administered the Lord*s Supper at Port Jolly to about sixty communicants, it was a gracious season, many were on the mountain top, one found peace and as- surance. While I was preaching, some of the young converts lately brought to God were so engaged, they could not contain themselves, so I sat down and left the work to them." Mr. Bennet, another of the missionaries^ in a letter dated from Annapolis, says, "The other day we had a most blessed meeting about twelve miles below Annapolis, one man cried out aloud in the meeting, Lord have mercy upon me ! Lord have mercy upon me I I am sinking into hell ! We wrestled with or NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 211 God upon our knees for about twenty minutes, when he rose instantly, and sung^ aloud, glory ! glory to God ! The whole company present was greatly moved, numbers of them fell into each others arms, and praised the God of love. O ! what a meeting we had, before we could break up ; some were exhorting, some were praising, some were weeping, and others groaning for mercy ; about three weeks ago, we had a similar time at the Granville meeting- house, and we have blessed and glorious prospects of a revival through almost all the circuit.'* Another writes, ** we have great and glorious times at Halifax, twenty or thirty profess faith in the blood of Christ.'* In a letter from Joshua Newton, esq. of Liverpool, in Nova Scotia, he says, ** the work is so great and general, that it even exceeds the prayers and expectations of God's people. There has been an entire suspension of business for one w hole week. Little has been heard or attended too, but praying, exhorting, and praise : the street has been crowded with persons, either crying for mercy, or shouting aloud the praises of God ; so that the air has been filled with acclamations. Mr. Sutcliife has been scarcely able to credit his own eyes or ears ; a number of deists have been convinced of the truth of the gospel, converted to God, and have burnt their books ; and what few deists re. main, have been afraid to shew themselves ; so gloriously hath the Lord triumphed in the chariot of his gospel. The fire is still burning, and the flames of holy love spreading further and wider." But to return to St. John, the subjects of the" work, as observed above, were chiefly young peo- ple of both sexes, with about ten children from ^ I .i r^ n t 212 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. eight to twelve years of age. These had been in the habit of attending the chapel, and wcr» more or less connected vrith the members of the society. In its more general influence, however, the revival was felt by most of the old members, who were much quickened and stirred up, and an increase of love, simplicity, and zeal, was visible among ^ them. O sir, what a dry husky thing is religion, without vitality and power ! The children were ' much and unusually wrought upon, they prayed much for their parents and relations, and several of them stood up, and at the prayer-meetings, they exhorted others, to the admiration of all that heard them. Truly was that saying accomplished, •* out of the mouths of bnbe<; and sucklings, thou hast perfected praise." The spectators were deeply af- fected with the novelty and fervency of these ju. venile preachers, and the revival became the topic of thfe whole place. Though in the depth of win. ter, the meetings were attended by greater numbers than the places in which we held them would contain ; and though intensely cold, the meetings were continued till midnight, and frequently much later. Some who before this revival were low and lukewarm in their souls, became much engaged. An uncommon earneBtriC. s in prayer and supplication was poured out upon those who exer- cised in the meetings : and with regard to myself, 1 had great and unusual enlargement in my pub- vjic ministrations. God gave me singular liberty in opening the doctrine of justification by faith ; and in tracing the first emotions and views of awakened persons seeking to be justified by the deeds of the iaw. I was also enabled to point out with greater NiREATIVB OF A M188iON. 213 clearness than usual, how a sinner should come to Christ for pardon and salvation. The chnpel wan much crowdsrd, and generally a solemn and affecting sense of the presence of God, rested upon the as- sembly. After sermon, I usually came down into the desk, and invited the mourners, and newly awakened persons, who wished to be united to tho society, to come forward ; many of these pressed through the crowd under strong emotions of mind, aud deeply affected, and with words interwoven with tears, expressed their wish for christian com- munion, and were thus publicly received into the society. Others encouraged by the boldness of those who came forward, broke through their own diffidence, and joyfully cast in their lot a- niong us. In this revival, none of the rich and great re- ceived the truth. ** Have any of the rulers believed ' on him ?*' was an old question ; where trutiA ia concerned, God often casts into shades, the pride and glory of man, and stamps an utter insignifi- cance, both upon the glitter of wealth, and the pomp of grandeur and learning. In this revival, there was little of what may be termed wildfire, or extravagance in expression ; although numbers cried aloud for mercy, there was no clapping of hands, and shouting ; some irregularities could not be altogether prevented, but these were very few. The whole town, which is but small, felt the in- fluence ; an air of morality pervaded it, and the profaneness of the streets was greatly diminished, A great and visible change had taken place in many persons, and this even the proud opposera of the work could not deny ; yet they lh';nght» i •■Ml'V 214 NARRATIVE OF A M13SIUN. or affecled to think, it was all sham and pretence, and would vanish iu.o smoke. One cf the prin- ciple enemies of the work, who got some doggerel verses printed in handbills, and circulated through the towp, came to nothing, and was obliged to fly from the place ia disgrace.* Old bickerings were done away, and mur.h love rmd harmony prevailed in the society. Upon the whole, there have been few revivals of re.igion, attended with less irre. gularity, or with more of thoee pK in and decided marks, which plainly indicate a genuine and scrip- tural work of God. One hundred new raembers -were added to the society in the space of a month ; which in a place containing only about three thou- sand inhabitants, is no inconsiderable proportion ; most of these aiforded pleasing evidence of a change of heart, by the outward reformation which took place in their lives ; ay prior to this revival, many of them were both utterly ignorant, and outwardly \ wicked. Wishing you every blessing, 1 am, dear sir,. Yours, &c. m 1 I ! ! mt'i"^'. |l;§jd , IhI^S j! ' f 1 lilt' \ i .^■^: N, I am happy that it is in my power to send you a pleftsingaccount ofthe work of God, in this formerly barren |;art of the universe . For some time religion was at a stand in this and the neighbouring province. It is Irue, a few now and then were added to the people of God, to supply the places of those who emi. grated to other parts ; but no revival of true piety had taken place in this country until this winter. About a month ago the Lord bejan to piu'* out his Holy Spirit upon us in a very remarkable manner, shaking the kingdom of darkness in maiiy hearts, so that an alarm and distress became risible in the faces of numbers, and a cry was heard <* What shall I do to be saved ? " This blessed work is stul continued ; some stonchearted sinners have been awakened, and a number of little children both boys and girls have been evidently ^changed by the power of the Holy Ghost. About seventy persons have joined the society, and perhaps there are not ''' ver than thirty more under sUght awakenings or deep convic- tions. Curiosity, or similar motives, bring many to the meetings. i: ;i! I n 1 b ! ;i 1 ! 1 ' M,;i! I 216 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. wheta either the criesof the distressed, or the exhortations of such aH have lately found peace with God, touch their hearts, and fre* quently from gaxing and mocking they are brought to solemnity and grief. Some who have come with the professed design of ridi. ruling this work of God, have been struck down, and constrained to cry for mercy and salvation in the most heart-piercing manner. A few have been set at UKrty under the word, yet the work has been .chiefly carried on in prayer^meetings, to which great numbers resort, and will noi: go away until a very late hour. Early this mom. ing two young men oame to my house, andno sooner had I opened the duur than they both fell upon their knees,begg^ng earnestly that I would pray for them ; I commended their case to the Lord in prayer, and t!^?n exhorted and encouraged them to look to the Lord Jesus for a present salvation;— one was much comforted, but the other went away in deep distress. Not a day passes but I hear of three or four that are struck to the heart; and seance is there a meeting but some join the sodety } indeed, it appears to me, that if the work continue, all the young people in the place will turn to God. Ic this Mtuation of things yon may naturally suppose that the enemy of souls is not idle^ but endeavours to support his falling kingdom. But, glory be to God, all his stratagems have hitherto foiled ! Much offpoi ition has been made to this work. Calumny and blasphemy, scripture and ridicule, promises and menaces have all been euiploye^ but, thank God, without success. Nothing can equal the firmness of the young converts ; they stand unshaken, though almost every engine of hell has been made use of to cause them to 8ts^;er and turn aside from the good way. The magis- trates and principal inhabitants cannot deny that there is a great change in the place for the better, as many of the young men who are subjectsof this work, were once both loose in their principles, and irregular in their practices, but they are norr new creatures ; and one can hardly go through a street of this little city without hear- ing the voice of praise, or seeing the young men assembling together for prayer. What appears to me a pleasing circumstance is, that several of the young men have very promising gifts, both for prayer and exhortation, which, if piously improved, may render tliem truly useAil at a future time. It would astonish you to hear with what propriety youths of fifteen or sixteen years of age pour out their souls to God in prayer ; the fervency of their spirits, the evangeUcalness of their language, and the solcnuiity of their man- DDs of such I, and fre- ) solemnity ign of ridi. constrained ng manner, e work has at numbers r this mom. id I opened nestly that I rd in prayer, ; Lx)rd Jesus it the other lear of three e a meeting , that if the turn to God. K>se that the t his falling ave hitherto . Calumny lenaces have s. Nothing id unshaken, > of to cause The magis- re is a great ing men who rinciples, and iatures j and ithout hear, ling together ance is, that th for prayer render them to hear with age pour out • spirits, the of their man. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 217 ner tend not a little to impress the minds of such as hear them, and promote the work. Some have been awakened by hearing the prayers of children, while others liave been ready to say that we put words into their mouths, and teach them how tu express them, selves in their prayers. Our little chapel is so crowdetl, that you can scarcely seo any thing but human heads; and the meetings are so'ema beyond any thing seen in this place for a long time. Often, towards the con- clusion, a cry for mercy begins, which spreads from jne to another, till the union of the voices of those who are either praying, crying, or rejoicing, forms what worldly people call confusion. On the!^ praise a sin-pardoning God. Most that 1 have closely « vr'iii : ■. give a pretty clear account of being cut to the heart foi Jn, feel thankfulness that they are not in hell, see their need of a Saviour, and are convinced they must lead a new life or be lost ; hence, they are led to implore forgiveness through the Re- deemer''s blood, and grace to help them on their way to heaven. What makes this appear the more 8ingul&,7 to some well-minded persons, is the order and stillness which were observed in the meet- ings prior to this period ; hence, some who once thought well of us, now take the alarm at what they think enthusiasm. A revival of religion is like Ithuriars spear, it makes persons assume their prope** shape and character, and shews the carnal mind in its native and utadisguised colours. Our meetings are becop'"' the common topic ol° conversation. Some wonder, some mock, .iome acknowledge tip roiwer of God, and several not in society defend the cause to . •*; ■'•"t .st of their power. But, as yet, none of the rulers hare b > 'v. rl m Him. The good that is done is chiefly among the |luot c.! 'i .aiddling classes of people. Since this quick- ening began, thets has been a continual cry for books, especially hymn-books. It would be a work of mercy indeed if some of our rich friends at home would send us two or three hundred pamphlets and little hymn-books. It pains me to the heart that I have not ixioks to distribute among the young converts, as many of them will be in danger from seducing spirits, and that doctrine of devilt«, antinomianism. I have sometimes feared that the work of God among thv tncthodists would corr.c to nothing in this province, but now 1 ^\o^ atbundantly encoviraged ; my heart dances wiien I i J)« U 218 KARRATIVE OF A UtSSIOIf. »h^i ii! ! !*J'l km\ i\ ■) ' 1'' [*l i.i W'k yl ?M' 1 i 1^. i i if i r ' i, ' ' ^ \ '■■ i :ii ii: 1, ! li wr tlkc young Converts crowding to the meeting!*, or when I hear thrin declare their experience in the things of God, in a manner which is chiefly clear, simple, and affecting. - ( liare now been seven years in this country, and, if consistent witii my duty, would wish, in about twelve months, to retura home ; not that I am tired of a missionary life, no, blessed be Ciod, I am determined to spend my strength and my all in the cause of Jesus ; but my health has suffered, and does suffer daily ^ the extreme cold winters affect my breast in a very painful manner, and sometimes render me quite unable to undergo the toils of my mission, ye', by the M^^ssing of God, I have seldom flinched, though sometimes the < " '"nces have been very painfuL In the discharge of my dut> ' e had many discouragements both from within and without, bu„ what I have seen this month past more than recompenses me for all my trials. The life of a mis- sionary in such a climate as this is both perilous and laborious, but the presence of Jesus can sweeten every toil, and "make the wilderness blossom as a rose." One of our principal difficulties arises from our being too weak-handed, too far separated from each other : hence our labours, for want of being seconded and continued, have sometimes failed of success. O for more young men of steady zeal, unwearied patience, and active lives ! then we might expect to see more fruit, and more flourishing societies. We are only six preachers in this immense tract of wilderness, and if Mr. Black goes to Bermuda our number will be reduced. This circuit, of which this little city is the heady extends more than one hundred miles towards Canada, and there is no preacher but my. self to supply it. I should esteem a line from you or any (^ our l^ndon friends a great favour. In the mean time, may the Lord direct you in the great work of saving souls, and make your life ho'iy and happy . ^^ - . I am, dear sir, yours, &c. I did not iiiiaginc when I wrote the aboye letter, that instead of Mr. Black, I myself should be appointed ht. And yon bright forfeit biis;), by dying dearly bought. Now take my farewell, in these homely rhymes, Before 1 cross the wide wave-dwelling sea. And scape thy rigours in much milder climes, Tliough none will ever be more dear to me, * A storm in the woods makes travelling; dangerous from the treei blowing iown, and tUe spray or broken braacbea falling upon you. misi >vill \ have for si NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. The nurse of my poor infant ministry ! I've heard tliy woods made vocal with the song Of haUowM praise, and every forest tree \\ ith echo did the joyous notes prolonfi;', 'Iliat flowed from Scotia's swains with tuneful tongue. Hence 1*11 remember thee, when fUr away, Althounli thy woods are nurieries of snow ; And witen tlirough fragrant* ceiiar groves I stray In Somers IsIch, f wheic tepid billows flow, And orange { groves and sweet geranium blow ; § IMI lecollect how duth the evergreen Of piety in thy cold regions grow. Truth, kindness, love, three wood nymphs oft are seen Along tliy glades, and I Ituve with thent txiea. 225 I am, dear sir, Yours, &c. LETTER XXIX. " These leafy islets on the ocean thrown,'* ** Like studs of emerald, on a silver zone, *' Now hear the gospel, and in accents sweet, B'ess every peaceful hei aid's welcome feet j Checr'd with the grateful sound, o'd ocean smi'es. And truth is welcome in these sunny isles. Author. DEAR SIR, Before I enter upon the detail of my mission to the Bermudas, or Somers Islands, you v/i\\ permit me to give you an account of their * Tlie common woods in Bermuda are all composed of cedar. f To wlitch the author went on a mission. t Orange!) grow in the woods, and lemons, and limes. \ The geranium or stork's bill, seems indigenious to the Bermudas. I ba vr seen them grow ing alongside the path, and dififusin^ a sheet of fragrance for some distance. Mil i': ^ 'J WTT 220 NARRATIVE OF A MII810N.. ht If U '-1 ii present geographical features. The Dermiidas were first known to the English; through the medium of the Spaniards. Thoy were discovered by the latter in the year 1522, and by them designed to bo the rendezvous of the return fleets of Mexico. A situation so convenient, a design so important, could not have escaped the other countries of Eu- rope. To the government of England, Bermuda must have been known, to individuals it certainly was. Cabat, 1 think, mentions it : and William May, who was shipwrecked here in 1502, speaks of it as a place generally known, and much avoided by all western navigators ; but it was not until the year 1601^, that it excited much attention, and became an object of Brilish speculation. In that year. Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Somers, crossing the Atlantic, to relieve the infant colony of James Town, in Virginia, met with a violent storm near the latitude of Bermuda, which separated them from the rest of the fleet, and reduced thom to so leaky a condition, that the Sea Venture, (the ship in which they sailed) was a mere wreck, and was kept from going to the bottom, only by the good providence of God, and their continually working the pumps, which they did for three days and nights without intermission. And when thoy were so far exhausted with their toil, as to give up all thoughts of being saved, and had partly resigned themselves to the mercy of God, and a watery grave. Sir George Somers, who had sat upon the poop of the vessel the whole time, most happily discerned land ; whereupon he encouraged the men to resume their labours at the pumps, if by any means they might reach the jso much TfARRAtivt: or A iiissiort. 227 flcsircd shore. Ilupo inspired their lang^uid bodies >vith new energy, they made another efTurt to gain Upon the V ater, so that beyond all human probability, the ship was kept from sinking, till she struck upon the rocks. You will here observe, sir, that it is not the cas<}, as is generally thought, and men- tioned in our geographies, that Sir George was shipwrecked here, but on tbc contrary, he found the reefs of Bermuda a desirable refuge from the gulfs of the western ocean. Nor is this a solitary case, thousands besides himself, have had cause to praise the God of nature for placing these islands in so favourable a situation, as in crossing tho ■p^'ellel of 32 degrees north, from the gulf of Mexi- North America, or from Europe to South • ^^.oiina, Georgia, or the W«st Indies, many leaky tind half sinking vessels, battered by the storme- of the western ocean, find here a safe and secure as- •sylum, and their crews are delivered from the hor.'ors of a sub-marine grave. ^ Tho rocks on which Sir George Somers struck, were so near the shore, that with little difficulty, all the crew, about one hundred and fifty in num- ber, were enabled to gain the Islands, and to praise the God of the ocean for a most wonderful and manifest ^leliverance. It does not appear, that in landing upon these shores, our distressed mariners escaped one danger to encounter another ; or that they leaped from the waves of the ocean, upon the tomahawks of Indians, the clubs of savages, or the bayonets of blood-shedding, gold-loving. Spa- niards. In short, all was the silence, and inno- cence of primeval nature. The sun and moon only, in their circles through the heavens, looked down i;i %'t\ ■"-HH T H. ! i , '228 NARllATIVE OF A MISSION. ! : 1 sni It V. ^ ■\i'\ «pon these lovely spots ; the birds sang unmolcstod, I he fruit blossomed, ripened, and decayed untouched. — In fine, they found the whole group of islands uninhibited ; the Spaniards, who had first visited ihese peaceful shores, were not satisfied with the simple bounties of nature ; hearts corrupted with the lust of gold and plunder, saw m beauty in fra- grant groves of cedar- and in islands of which it juay be said, — — — There efernal snmtncr dwells^ And west-winds, with a musky wing, About the cedar*n alleys fling, Maid and Cassia's balmy smells. Orange trees loaded with golden fruit, skies de- lightfully serene, and a climate peculiarly spIu. brious and tertile,^ offei od no inducements to them, to colonize the Bermudas ; in a word, they dis- carded this lovely group of islands, because they contained no quarries of f^idralds, or mines of glittering gold and silvrr, Alas ! how has that infatuated nation been, fast verging to ruin, since she murdered the Indians of Hispaniola ; deceived, robbed, and butchered the unopposicg and simple.hearte«1. Blexicans ; and opened the amazingly productive mines of Potosi, which though they have enriched Europe and the world, have left Spain poor and infsolvent, wretched and tottering to her fall. The clime she won, drew down an instant curse j The fretting' pla&^uc is in the public-pur.se. The cankei M spoil corrodes the rising state, •Starved by that indolence, their mines create. Cowper. She who gave the inhabitants of South America <« b'ood to drink," has received back the cup into I* .' nolcstod, itouched. ' islands it visited with the ted with ty in fra- which it skies de- ;rly s?lu. 3 to them, they dis- ause they mines of leen, fast Indians )utchered ans ; and of Potosi, and the wretched )cr. America cup into NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ±20 her own hand, and her g;olden colonies, like so many gems, are rent from the parent crown, and the justice of God has made it evident, that pro- vidence in this worid punishes states, though hn reserves the punishment of men to another tribunal, aud a future period. But to return to our countrymen, by this tiino we may be sure, they had come to thoir appetites, and began to cast a wishful look towards the pro- ductions of the islands; * No* were they long left to doubt, whether or not a bountiful providence, had smiled upon these sea-circled rocks. They soon discovered, that the Bermudas abounded with shoals of fish, plenty of hogs (probably left by tho Spaniards,) wild fowls in abundance, and such storo of eggs, that one thousand were gathered in a few hours. The country was well stocked with herons, the woods seemed alive with a variety of other birds, and the shores swarmed with turtle. The common instinct of nature, had drawn these her children to these quiet, beautiful, and fertile islands, where the birds unmolested might carol their songs to the author of creation, the fish glide ah.ng the ciear pellucid wave, or play among the coral reefs, without finding the treacherous hook, or encircling net ; and the quadrupeds rove through the woods, and live upon the berries of the palmetto, mulberry, and cedar, f without becoming a mark for the mur- derous gun, or heart-piercing arrow. In a word, from an old account I itbtained while in the islands, which had been handed down from father to son, 1 understand that our tars found plenty of the pro- • W .1 had tie Spaniards done with the natives? f Much like juniiier berries. *l^ .5' (i } i i^i ' I 3 4 i 4 i^ Uir ■11 1 ! ■' ;i •230 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. diictions of nature, and lived pretty well, till they built a pinnace, and sailed for the riouth of the Chesapeak, where they arrived the fourth of May, in the year 1610, after a pleasant passage of fourteen days, I am, dear sir. Yours, &c. LETTER XXX. \ ' Soon on the negroV gloomy night, The western star shall shed her light. And Jesu^s hallowed reign control . The stormy passions of the soul. ISo shall Messiah^s influence cheer His humb!e cot, which still is dear ; And heavenly hope his soul pervade. Though life, and time, and worlds shall fade. ; Chrittian Observer, DEAR S/iJ, At what time the Bermudas, were re- gularly and fully colonized, it is not in my power to inform you, the slender information I possess upon this subject, is covered with so much mist, and darkness, that unless it was during the civil wars between ' Charles the first and his subjects, or when the royal cause gained the ascending scale in his son's time, and Wal'er the poet, and other uf the republican party, took refuge in these islands of the western ocean. It is more certain, how- ever, that bishop Berkley intended to found here a transatlantic university, and make it the emporium of learning, for the western world ; the good bishop's ship, however, missed these dots on the ocean, and T power possess mist, le civil ibjects, 5 scale other islands how- here a NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. •2:31 SO to make a good land.fall, they run fur the broad continent of America^ and the benevolent scheme came to nothing. The Bermudas are in 32 degrees, north lati- tude, and 65 degrees, west longitude ; the islands are about SCO in number, beautiful indeed in all that relates to climate : they are favoured with a serene and temperate atmosphere, blue skies, green vales, and constant summer. No -appearance of nature could be more poetical ; and I am sure your fine taste and genius, would here find materials for perhaps one of the sweetest poems you ever wrote, for to say nothing of oranges and lemons, Cedar and branching palm Which, together with the smallness of many of the group, make them appear to a stranger like fairy land. The entrance into the harbour of St. George is romantic beyond description. The passage is narrow and serpentine, and fringed with cedar to the water edge. The water is perfectly limp J, and through the clear medium submarine plants, madripores corals, spunge beds, and conch shells, may easily be discerned: The islands that form the entrance are low, and here and there spotted with houses, perfectly white, which contrasted with the evergreen of the cedar, palmetto, pride of China, and other trees, seem like bowers of bliss in groves of paradise. The sky is almost perpetually clear and blue, and the balmy softness of the air, impregnated with cedar, conveys to the delightful voyager Sabean odours from the spicy shore. Such as might justly give to thes6 emertnlds on the x2 m 2.32 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. li' ■ n ■A'.'i liri-ii! illl ocojiii, a picturesque beauty, equal to that for which the Hesperian islands of old were so famous. Nothing ran exceed the loveliness of Hamilton Sound ; here, standing on an eminence, you have a bird's. »^ye prosppjt, of more than 200 islands, scattered over an azure surface, for the sea appears calm, blue, and char, even to the bottom. Many of these islets arc not inhabited, they are nevertheless co- vered with tufts of cedar, and even the barren- ness of the rocks is made to appear verdant, by the cape-weed and sagebush which covers them to the water edge. Other of the islands have only a few scattered white houses, for it is the custom of the inhabitants to white lime all their habitations, and this where there is verdure in all besides, gives to a Bermudean landscape, a ^:auty, that is not easily described ; besides your being able to see at one glance the bounds of every island, makes them appear like studs of emerald, set upon a surface of silver. And yet when you are on shore most of this vanishes ; you behold evident marks of barrenness, and want of cultivation ; the enchantment only appears when you are at a distance, for save in the miniature smallness of the group, and in each individual landscape, there is nothing that can in reality vie with an Ent^lish prospect in the month of May. The fruit found upon the islands are oranges, lemons, grapes, figs, pomegranites, bananas, tamarinds, pappas, melons and shaddocks. They also cultivate a little coffee, cotton, arrow-root, cassada and barley : and in their gardens, pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and onions, with most of the other esculents, common to an English garden. The trees are the juniperub Ber- NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 2:33 ir which Nothing I ; here, bird's- icattered :s calm, of these sless co- barren- dant, by I them to re only a custom of bitations, besides, y, that is r able to r island, set upon are on evident tion ; the distance, le group, nothing rospect in he islands egranites, laddocks. row-root, >umpkins, onions, Dn to an erub Ber- mudiana, or cedar, of which they build all their ships. The palmetto used in making huts and ropes. The orange, olive, tamarind, the 'mulberry, both red and white, the pappa, pride of China, and also the fig-tree, pomegranite, the myrtle, the mangrove, the spiral bamboo, and the pnckly acacia ^ also the calabash, bearing an enormous fruit, of which they make bowls, &c. There is also the caster nut, or palma christa, and aloe-plant, the latter is often a fence for the fields and gardens. The islands are divided into nine parishes, St. George, Harris Bay, Baylis Bay, Port Royal, Heron Bay, Crow Lane, Brackish Pond, Spanish Point, and Somerset Island. The principle islands are named as fol. lows : St. George, Main Island, Long Bird Island, David*s Island, Tucker's Island, Somerset Island, and Ireland Island, most, if not all of these were inhabited. The population of the whole group of islands amounts to about twelve thousand persons, whites; blacks, andmulattoes ; probably about equally divided. There are few towns, if we except St. George, Hamilton, and Saltkettle ; the population is scattered up and down the different islands. St. George is called after its patron. Sir George Somers, who ended his days here, and was hurried in a spot that is now used as a garden, where there is a little monument erected to his memory. Waller has given us a very splendid, although en- tirely poetical account of these islands, which upon the whole, although embellished with some fancy, and he "excelled more infancy than truth," has nevertheless some little versimilitude. Bermuda walled with rocks — who does not know ThoaC iiappy islands, where huge kntuni^ grow, X 3 i Hi |l SI m^ii isM I'; ■ !M u ' ■! M 234 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. And orange trees, which golden fruit do bear ; I'lie Hesperian garden boasts of none so fair. 'I he fifty cedar, which to heaven aspires, The prince of trees, is fuel for their tires. The sweet pa'mettos, a new bacchus yield, AVith leaves as ample as the broadest shield. Figs, there unp'anted, through the fields do grow. Such as fierce Cato did the Ronoans show ; With candy'd plantains and the juicy pine. On choicest melons and sweet grapes they dine ; And with potatoes, fat their wanton swine. Ripe fruits and blossoms on the same tree live : At once they promise, what at once they give. So sweet the air, so moderate tlie clime, None sickly lives, or dies before his time. Although this account of the Somers Islands has much poetical license, yet it must be confessed, that when you can keep that iiend the yellow.fever away, there is not, perhaps, a pleasanter, or more healthy spot on the surface of the earth ur ocean, not excepting even the Madeiras, or the Canary Islands. But alas, sir, what are cedar hills and serene skies; what is the bloom of spring, or the beauty of creation ? what boots ambrosial gales and sunny glades ; It is the sunshine of heaven alone that makes the soul happy ; and what is the sunshine of heaven ? but sabbaths hallowed, and sanctuaries crowded ; truth preached in its purity, and means of grace enjoyed in plenty : christian faith and holy fellowship ; few of which blessings were either known or desired in those islands. When your friend first visited them, dark- ness and sin spread their desolations through every part of the otherwise lovely domain. There were only three clergymen on all the group, and one presbyterian minister, who preached in a small chapel at Heron Bay. The parishes in general were only favoured with one sermon every fourth NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 235 lands has jonfessed, llow-fever or more earth ur , or the pedar hills }f spring-, ambrosial nshine of and what hallowed, ;d in its plenty : of which in those m, dark. gh every |»ere were and one a small general ry fourth sabbath, and even to this scanty morsel of the bread of life, many of the poor blacks and coloured people had no access. No calculations of either ministers or people embraced their moral prosperity, they were not allowed to marry, or approach the Lord's table ; their children were denied the rights of bap- tism, and themselves were hardly esteemed for any thing, but the strength of their limbs, or the value of their labours. Ah, sir, you have justly said, that " a man must be destroyed, before he can immerge into a slave.** Slavery is the death of morals, the blight of mind, and the curse of man. The contracted and ill-constructed buildings ap- prupriated for religious worship, were in several places, far too small to contain even all the white inhabitants ; hence, the blacks who were not em- ployed in domestic avocations, were left to spend the Sunday either in idleness, amusement, or vice. They were sheep for whose souls, no shepheid seemed to care. To a gentleman pastor the work was too mean, and to a slothful one too formidable. That they were not totally vicious, is a circum- stance for which 1 am at a loss to account, unless it arose from some measure of the restraining grace of God. With regard to the generality of the white inhabitants, 1 have few evidences to believe, that vital godliness formed any part of their religion ; a very religious and truly polite lady, to whom I was one day speaking of the new birth, very em- phatically remarked "that she should be very sorry not to possess that greatest accomplishment oi all human hearts. " Decency, politeness, softness of manners, and an agreeable vivacity, the ottsprlng of a pure and equal cliinaie, constituted with a few "■I '^ ■ 1 - 1 i 1 ; ' 1 i • k I iMi mm i u mi »i |l 1 ! 1; ll! iV 1' 1 1 ' ii'i 236 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. exceptions, all that either male or female could boast, as having the smallest resemblance to true piety. . In 1708, the moral state of these islands became an object of the solicitude, of that zealous and successful promoter of missions. Doctor Coke. He had received a letter from a Mr. Mackie, an officer on board one of his majesty^s ships, representing the necessity of a mission being established upon these islands, and from that time, his zealous care never abated, until in the year 1799, in conjunction -with the conference, he sent John Stephenson, an Irish preacher, to act as a missionary, and preach the gospel to the black and coloured people. A race of abjects, for whom Doctor Coke felt the truest regardj whose moral and spiritual welfare he pro- moted with unabated assiduity, and to promote whose eternal salvation, he spared neither cost nor pains. Precious man of God ! zealous apostle of the negros ! when will the African slave find such another friend, or humanity such another advocate ? If the name of Coke be not ranked with those of Clarkson, Wilberforce and Sharp, it will be found in the circumstance of his being a Wesleyan clergy- man. I know, sir, that I assert an opinion in unison with your own sentiments, when I say, that our West Indian missions, have been in time past, and still are to the present day, in whatever relates to the true conversion of the negros, the most pro- ductive of all our missions. Thousands of the poor slaves have been turned from the deepest darkness and superstition, to the marvellous light of the gospel. The most blessed fruits have arisen, of comfort to themselves, and benefit to their masters. 111! NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 237 lie could 9 to true s became ilous and oke. He an officer >resenting hed upon Bilous care tn junction inson, an >reach the A race [he truest e he pro- promote r cost nor stle of the ind such idvocate ? those of be found n clergy- pinion in say, that time past, er relates most pro- the poor ; darkness it of the irisen, of masters. from the preaching of our missionaries ; not indeed the preaching of mere morals, for that never will convert a soul, as the experience of all mission- aries abundantly attest, but salvation through the cross of Christ. For what all the punishments, chains, stripes, flogging, famishing, shooting, hang- ing, whipping, &;c. &cc. &cc. have never been able (u accomplish, has been done by the gospel ; a new moral creation has taken place under its soul- transforming influence. Poor degraded captives have tasted the swc As of heavenly liberty, and the mis- sionaries have prosecuted their labour of love, sur- rounded with persecution. God has rendered them double for all their sufferings. Thousands of con- verted Africans rise up to call them blessedj and the planting of the Wesley an and Moravian mis- sion, as many of the planters can testify, if they would come forward, has formed a new era, both of light, happiness, and love, in many of the West India islands. The negro slaves under the care of the missionaries, have been trained up in habits ef honesty, sobriety, and cleanliness ; adorning the doctrine of God thehr Saviour in all things. From such a noble and sublime charity, what christian that feels for the oppressed, will withhold his mite ? beloved of the Lord ! you do well to help these poor strangers in their bodds ; they cannot recompense you, but the God of mercy will not overlook this your benevolent imitation of his dear Son ; think how they toil to procure you many of the comforts of life, withhold not from them the precious blessing of hearing and knowing the ** joyful sound," and they will pray for your welfare, 1 am, dear sir, Yours, &c« ; ^l- II -.i II t i ji • ii') t ni It' Hlfi S- |uM| Wj': In m Bit It ■ m' ii t^^ i IV 238 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. LETTER XXXI. The sun shall quit his throne of lip^hf, I'he moon no longer walk the skyi The stars anil planets sink to night, And all creations beauties die ; But ti uth shall lift her prci less head, Above the ruins of the I all, Sliall smile when time and tide aie (led, The words of Jesus ne'er shall fall ! Emngelical Miiutrel. DEAR SIRf Mr. Stephenson arrived at New York, on his way to Bermuda, on the 16th of April, 1790. He had, however, scarcely landed and made known the purport of his mission, when the most scandal- ous and ill-founded reports were circulated, to the injury of his character, and the discredit of his mission. Hence, he commenced his ministry, under all the disadvantages that prejudice, bigotry, and malice, could ttcatter in his path. The man that mentioned him, at once dismissM All meicy from his lips, and snecrM and hissM : His crimes m e: e such as Sodom never knew ; And perjury stood up to swear all true. His aim was miscMef, and his zeal pretence : His Kpccch rebellion again«t ccMumon sense. Cou'per. The fact was, he had come upon an errand, of all others, the most unwelcome ; he had come to instruct the negros in the knowledge of salvation, utrel. w York, il, 1799. J known scandal- 1, to the ; of liis Yf under try, and 'and, of come to alvation, NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 230 but the inhabitants dreaded the illumination of their slaves ; a dread that was strcng^thened by the belief, that should the light of true religion beam upon the soul, the darkness and iuj istice, the unrighteousness, and inhumanity of slavery must be more apparent. Hence, the missionaries are viewed in a suspicious light, for darkness is the best cover of fraud, whether it be that which priestly superstition imposes upon the deluded papist, or that which the West India planter practices upon the slave. That scripture and religion, shed a light upon the rights of man, there can be no doubt, but do they not shed equal light upon christian obligation, and teach the servant to be obedient to his master. Sound policy should therefore dictate to the pro. prietors of slaves, the utility of a system which teaches contentment, patience, and submission to our lot ; and I am sure, sir, that neither yourself, nor any other well-wisher to the poor abject negros, would wish for any sudden revolution, inconsistent with the claims of justice, safety, and the legal rights of the planters. That religion will gradually work a great change in the West India islands, there can be no question : meanwhile, a pious slave, will serve not for wrath, but conscience sake. The gospel, which conveys comfort to his soul, will always impose a restraint upon the violence of his passions. He who has heaven in his eye, and love in bis heart, will not have insubordination in his conduct, or insurrection in his desires. Kind usage in the master, will generate gratitude in the slave. It is not true, that they have no sensibilities ; their feelings are often remarkably fine, and ill usage alone makes thcni stupid. iL'J m 'niii .w^ 'P ' ' 1 ' I 240 KARRATIVE OF A M ISRtON. Sense is an ke^ n where Coiiko'h itons rr*i<1rs« Ah Mhrre proud Tiber rollH hid classic tidr. The difference between a good and a bad mastor, is evnry thing to slaves ; let them have liberty to worship God, let them know their rights (for a slave has ris^litH) are not trampled upon, and they will b.^ won by love. HI usage makes them gloomy, sour, and discontented ; and would it not operate the same on men in every latitude and meridian ? and of all colours. Blacks have the common feelings of human nature; they are not more deeply fallen than whites. But to return, the governor of the Bermudas, General Beckwith, was not disposed to be very friendly to our newly arrived missionary ; and from the first moment they knew his errand to the Islands, some of his ex- cellency's parasites and minions, were his sworn enemies. My predecessor, sir, in this mission, was a plain, blunt, honest man, of the old school ; hence, both in his preaching, and in his letters to the governor, and others, (many of which I have in my hands,) he did not enough study to set the edge of reproof upon the oiled hone of courtesy. He boldly denounced sin, and preached against female prostitution, polygamy, &c. Had he been more cautious, he might have disappointed his enemies ; but, whether a sin was deep-rooted, long established, or grafted upon the stock of profit and interest, was to him of little moment, he made war upon it in the boldest manner ; hence, his preaching gave huge offence, and finally, his guilt attained the deepest stain, and greatest possible altitude. He had ventured to preach in the house of a man of colour, of the name of Socco, tu several blacks, whom Socco invited (for hitherto ht? had only preached to the white people who would hear 1 )4XRRAtlVE OP A MISSION. 241 mastpf, >erty to a nlave will hi f, gour, he same I of all human whites. General y to our moment his ex- s sworn n, was a [; hence, overnor, ods,) he oof upon iced sin, »lygamy, fht have sin was jpon the of little manner ; A finally, greatest :h in the Socco, to lerto he uld hear ^ini) and from that critical niomont, pcr<«ocutiun as- sumod a more lowering aspect. Ho had preached in the house of mulattos, he had shook hands with the blacks, ho had assembled them together to worship God ; not to dance, there would have been no harm in that ; and this could not be tolerated ; he was called before a magistrate, and the following are the particulars of the interview given in Mr. S's own words ; ** I waited upon his worship, and after some time, h > appeared, and bid me sit down, addressing mo as follows :" Justice Green. " The blades are very well in these islands, they are kindly and humanely dealt with." . Missionary. <' Please your worship, 1 do not doubt that, when compared with their treatment in some of the VVcsi, India Islands ; but, sir, I have nothing tu do with the treatment they receive, it is my duty to assist them in saving their souls.*' Justice Green. " But, Mr. Stephenson, you shook hands with them, and this is an innovation that can- not be allowed." Missionary. ** Why yes, sir, when I had done praying with them, they came forward and bowed, and returned me thanks, and to encourage them in the ways of God, 1 did shake hands with them, and bow to them too ; and surely, your worship would not wish me to be less polite than a negro." Justice Green, But, Mr. Stephenson, I can send constables and take up the blacks, wherever they are found after such an hour." Missionary. 1 do not doubt your power, sir, but they are allowed to dance all night, and 1 did not keep them beyond six o'clock in the evening." w '242 NARRATIVE OF A MlSStOtf. m 'i V. W' : . t %\ 11' ■ Justice Green. " But you will meet with greieit opposition,' we cannot allow the blacks in these islancls lo he taught, and if you proceed you must do it at your peril." Missionary. " Well sir, I am a subject of ^o6d King George, and if I am put in jail, 1 shall carry a good conscience, and my master will bring me out." Justice Green, " But I have another charge against you, Mr. Stephenson, you, preached against our ministers, you said no man was called of God who preached the gospel for silver or geld." Missionary, " Sir, J wonder you should blame me ' for this, your worship is not unacquainted with the church prayer-book, and particularly the ordinatioR of priests and deacons, every man who enters into holy orders, according to the mode and form there laid f? own, must declare " He is not moved from any worldly views, (not for silver or gold) but that he is inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to preach the gospel ; " therefore in saying what I did, I have de- fended the church ordination, and the purity of the ministry, and if they construed my words to a wrong use, it is themselves who condemn their clergy, and not me." Justice Green. " But Mr. Stephenson, this preach. ing to theblacks may be very dangerous; you know what has taken place in the Island of St Domingo." Missionary. Please your worship, that has no bearing upon, my mission, I exhorted them to become real christians, by turning from evil, and especially thai great evil, polygamy, which is sufficient to bring a curse upon the islands. I also exhorted them by honesty and obedience to please their masters, to be kind and courteous, not answering again, that tJioir y NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 24:3 owners might know they were the better for coining to hear the preaching." But alas, sir, all this would not do. Justice Green summoned the parish to meet, and petition the go- vernor, that this preaching might be put down. This, sir, was a perilous moment {'or the friends of the poor negios ; those who had been in the habit of buying the bones and muscles of men, were smarting under the abolition of this inhuman traffic, which had recently taken place, and they were not wholly without their fears of the further interference of the British legislature, in behalf uf this injured portion of the human family. Slavery is as jealous of its power, as freedom *5 of its liberty ; he who touches that, touches the apple of a planter's eye ; hence, at this period, whoever appeared in the character of advocate for the negros, was sure to be detested. Few could bear the thought of having them taught religion ; cutting throats, murder, arson, rebellion, insurrection, and, in a word, all the horrors of St. Domingo, were con- nected wilh the idea of enlightening these unfortunate beings ; as though the pure, pacific, and mild religion of Jesus Christ, were the parent of crime, and savage ferocity of manners. Will you, sir, permit me to conclude this letter, with, if not a poet's prophesy, a wish, in which I am sure you will cordially unite, although it be not penned in your own elegant manner. Yon emerald islands that glow in the west, Where sorrowful Africans bleeds j With jubi eeglad, from oppression shall rest, And beauties to ashes succeed. Already a lustre than Hesper more bright, Shines uver their legalized thrall 3 v2 < iii ir^ '1 i': I ■rf , 244 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. A balm to their ftorrowfl, a fttar in their night, . A drop in their clmiicc' uf gull. I-Vom hcavcn^rt hig^h palace, Hhall tlow a dtTrte, The edict of mercy divine, O African ne^ro, the Lamb makes thee frre ! Redemptiuirs bright' charter in tiiinc ! I am, dear sir, LETTER XXXIl. Yours., &ic. fly 1 1 1 In k |H firp' '^H 1 K, Jesus shall reign wherever the sun Duth his successive journies run ; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore I'i'l moons shall wax and wane no more. iratu. DEAR SIRy The above worthy Justice Green, who. had come to the islands in the capacity of an itinerant portrait painter, accumulated a little money, and was finally lifted upon the stilts of the law, that he might overlook his surrounding neighbours. 1 say, this worthy magistrate, being informed that Mr. Stephenson had been preaching in the parish to a few blacks, first called together the principle persons in the neighbourhood, to deliberate on this deadly crime, and then hastened to the governor, to lay the whole of their proceedings before his excellency. General Beckwith had already imbibed a strong prejudice against our poor persecuted and forlorn missionary ; not indeed for having been guilty of immoral conduct, but because he had not studied ill. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 245 &Cv /*. en, who. of an money, le law, ibours. icd (hat parish rincip'o on this vernor, ore his mbibed ted and 1 guilty studied greek and latin in the British universities, in order to qualify himself to instruct the slaves of Ber- muda, who could not read, how they might serve God, and save their souls. Mr. • Stephenson fearing from the few specimens he had' received of his excellency's candour and good will, that he might prejudicate the matter, waited upon him too, and demanded the oath of allegiance, but his prejudices had passed the rubicon ; and a bill, under the patronage of hic excellency, was brought into the House of Assembly of the islands, to hinder the most dangerous, mischievous, and disloyal practice in the world, preaching the gospel to negro slaves. The following is Mr. Stephenson's account of his interview with his excellency, I give it in his own words, from a manuscript journal. . " When the bill was introduced, I hastened away to the go- vc.nor, and in the presence of four or five gen- tlemen, I told his excellency I humbly requested to take the oath of allegiance. He stood with all the pride and haughti ness of a military man, his two hands a kimbo, and said with evident marks of displeasure, " sir, you had as good go to the king's attorney general. " 1 went to the aUorney general and told him what the governor said, he replied, ** Mr. Stephenson, I cannot tender any oath, it is the governor or his secretary that must give you the oath of allegiance. " 1 returned, and told the governor what he said, his excellency, in an angry tone, replied, " I knew that sir, as well as either you, or the attorney general. " I re- joinAd, please your excellency, shall 1 go and re* quest the attorney general to wait upon you. Go- vernor, " you may do for that as you please, sir." y3 •-U i;;f ' ?fr 240 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. t:i' plvVi' "I ■Bt^ ?tl H !■ 1 1 1, 1 1 Iiastcned to the attorney general, and told him ; l>o returned with mo to the government-house, and I waited in the porch, while they held a consul . tation ; in a little while the governor passed hy me, making a low bow, with a great sweep of his^ arm, intimating that 1 might go about my business, and the attorney general coining to the door, told nie the governor would have nothing more to say to me, so I came off. " The bill that was before the house passed the assembly by a great majority, as a curious specimen of West India legislative toler- rance, I will gratify you witb the document itself. *' An Act to prevent persons pvetending, ov having pretended, to be Ministers of the Gospel, or Missionaries from any religious >Siiciety whatever, and not invested with Holy Orders, according fa the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, or the Church of .Scotland, from acting as Preachers." " Whereas it is conceived extremely essential for the due preser- vation of order and good government, as also for the better main, tenance and support of the religious principles of the community of these Islands, to exclude all persons pretending, or having pre. tended, to be ministers of the gospel, or missionaries from any re- ligious society whatever, and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the church uf England, or the church of Scotland, from propagating any doctrine upon the gospel or otherwise; WE, therefore, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the general assembly of these, your Majesty's Bermuda or Somers Islands, in America, do most humbly beseech your Majesty that it may be enacted. And be it enacted by your Majesty'is governor, council, and assembly, and it is hereby enacted and ordained by the authority of the same, that no person whatever, pretending, or having pretended to be a minis, ter of the gospel, or missionary from any religious society, and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ce- remonies of the church of England, or tlie church of Scotland, shall be allowed to preach or propagate in these Islands, any doc- trine upon the gospel, by writing or printing, or by speaking to, teaching) or in anywise lecturing or exhorting any public or collect- him NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 247 ed audience whatever, and that any ^lerson who shall violate or act repugnant to this law by preachinfi^ or propagating, writing or printing, or by speaking to, teaching, or in anywise lecturing or exhorting any public or col'ected audience whatever as aforesaid) shall be subject and liable to a fine of fifty pounds, and to be im- {irisoned for the space of six months without bail or mainprize. "And be it further enacted and ovdained by the authority aforesaid, that any person or persons admitting, or allowing in his^ her, or their house or du eliing, to any person j retcnding, or having pretended to be a minister of the gospel or missionary from any re'igious society whatever, and not invested with holy orders, ac- cording to the rites and ceremonies aforesaid, fjr the purpose of preaching or propagating any doctrine upon the gospel, by writing or printing', or by speaking to, teaching or in anywise leicturing, or exhorting as aforesaid any public or collected audience whatever, shall be subject and liable to a fine of fifty pounds, and an imprison- ment of six months without bail or mainprize." " Passed the assembly this 25th day of April, 1800, and ordered to be laid before the council for concurrence." JAMES TUCKER, Speaker. « Concurred to by the council, this 23d day of May, 1800." HENRY TUCKER, President. "Assented to this 24th day of May,. 1800." GEORGE BECKWITH, I will not here, sir, enter into the propriety or impropriety of Mr. Stephenson's obeying that precept of our Lord, " if they persecute you in one city, flee to another," Where could he fly? the law covered the whole Bermudian archipelago. He must cease to preach the gospel for the present, or be- come a transgressor. If we say he did wrong to violate this law, we implicate many of the apostles and martyrs; they knew that the laws prohibited their preaching, and yet they did preach in defiance of those laws. <* Did we not forbid you to preach in this man's name." But every resolute christian ':^ \i '' I *>j. 1 ant sure, sir, you will join me in saying, wo do not ask any thing unreasonable for the slaves ; we do not say they shall be instantaneously emancipated ; we do not say that the slaveholder shall be robbed of the property guaranteed to him by the sanction of legislative enactments ; we only request, do not tear the black man from his wife and children ; allow their marriages to be lawful ; do not hinder them from hearii^ the gospel ; give him^ what is *• just and equal ;'* let him have the Saturday for his market, and the Sunday for worship t do not make him a brute by flogging, and then blame him for sullenness and despair : let his labour be with reason, and his food what labour requires ; let the smile be given frequently, and the lash but seldom ; reward him for well doing, and do not punish him through caprice or cruelty. While you claim his bodV) remember his soul is God's, and i! ^ 1 f, \1 m ni 1'l if ', ' "H 254 NARKATIVB OF A MISSION. i'r ■ ' his consoiunco his own. You have a master in ht'uvon, lh(M-etbro uvoid tyranny upon earth. — — I'athrr of inon;ieH ! Iiefricnd the opprrnt, .\1 ttie vuitf! ot'tiiy |{oit|>el oi'prucf ; May tlie wirrows of AiricunH cease ; And ttic nIuvc aiiilhiN muster devuiitly unite ' 'I'u walkin thy trecduiii and dwell in thy n;;ht ! M(mt(,omery. But to return to Mr. Steplienson, it appears from ]i'\H manuscript journal, and several letters in my possession, that the consolations of the Holy Spirit >Vorc most sweet and abundant during his incarce. ration ; he found the joyful experience of that beautiful stanza, And prisons will palaces prove, If Jesus would dwell with me there. At the sitting of the special court or assize, his trial came on, and though he employed one of the most able lawyers in St. George, (the honourable Mr. Easten, the present worthy chief justice of Bermuda,) who made a most able defence* of liberty of conscience, toleration, and the right of private judgment in all matters of re- ligion; yet the jury were requested by the chief justice * I am sorry that •my limits will not allow me to insert the whole of Mr. Eastcn*s most able and eloquent defence of Mr. Stephenson, and liberty of conscience ; however, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of giving my readers a short analysis of it : he began l>y observing tliat tJlie prisoner at the bar stood indicted for worship- ing God according to his conscience, or, in other words, he stood charged with violating a law that it was l)oth improper and impos- sible to obey ; for it would be «asy to prove that legislators miglil nuke laws which it would be the most exalted virtue tu violate, as, t()r instance, should they make a law to prohibit the wurship of Ciod altogether : and that for his part he saw no diflTcroiice between enacting a law to prohibit the worship of Golity (jiod hath created the human mind free, con>er|uently the right of private jitdgnteiit in matters of religion is and ever nuist he (he unalienable right of mankind, and ought always to lie he'd sacied and invio able ; the provisions of the Act are, that all protestaiiis shall have free liberty to exercise their leligion, and by S| eakin:;, writing, and pub iNliing, or by all and any of the siiid ways and means, to investigate re- ligious subjects, and by preaching and teaching to instruct persons in the duties of religion, in such manner as every such person respectively shall judge the most conducive to promote virtue, the happiness of society, and the eternal felicity of mankind." He also read extracts from the writings of > by the social compact, if indeed such a compact was ever made, at the or- ganization of sciciety, as some theoretical writers have supposed. The above is only a faint outline of a most nervous and compre- hensive defence. The subject covers a great deal of ground, and cannot be analyzed without evaporating the beauty, the strength, and the suitableness of his clear reasoning,.eloqr.cnt language, and judicious remarks. z2 'liile through the grates which iron bars engross, I'he captive missionary lifts the cross. And listening blacks the holy word revere, Tropping upon the preacher's woes a tear, \\'ho day by day his prison to beguile. And teach unjust captivity to smile, Pray'd, warbled hymns, and cut this bass relief. The graphic record, of his woes in brief: A record which the doomsday book shall show. Writ in God's adamantine folio ! So Paul and 5i!as sbar'd a kindred doom,* Thrust in an inner prison's deepest gloom j The same their fate alike their noble zeal. To save the lost and human woes repeal : These from a demon free'd the female slave ; He from the fiend poor negros sought to save. The damsel's master saw his prospects wane, The ''Moodian ■)- fear'd his mistress and his gain, The § devil rose in wrath and pride at last, He could no more — so both in piison cast. Tiie mission being thus suppressed, the infant work of God was nipped in the bud, and the few gleams of light ihat shone upon the poor Bermudian negros, • Acts, Chapter 16, from ICth to 23d verse. + So they pronounce the word Bennudiau, J Revelations 2, v. 10, W ai m S( fr cl til sa CO a B vc an Wl b( B t NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 250 were darkened by the lurid clouds of persecution, and were followed by a partial night. Things re- mained in this state, from the year 1800, until 1808. Several missionaries had been appointed, but, either from want of resolution, or some other cause, none chose to venture. Mr. William Black had at one time so far arranged his affairs, as to engage a pas- sage to the island, and was only prevented from ac- complishing his object, by the discovery that he was a methodist missionary, the passengers, who were Bermudians, refused to allow him to proceed in the vessel ; so he was obliged to fetch his trunks ashore, and relinquish the undertaking. I am, dear sir, Yours, 8cc. ! ,1^ LETTER XXXIV. Waft, Maft, ye winus, liis story, And you, ye waters, voll, Till, like a sea of glcTy, It spreads from poif to pole ; Till o*er our lansoiu'd nature The lamb for sinners slain. Redeemer, king, creator, In bliss returns to reign. DEAR SUty Having taken a most affectionate fare- well of my dear friends in New Brunswick, 1 went on board th? schooner, Mary Ann, captain Beatie, bound for the island of New Providence, one of the Bahamas ; it being the intention of the captain r 260 NARRATIVE OF A MISSIOV. ,V ■:i. > (according to agreement) to touch at the Bermudas, and put myself and wife ashore. We sailed from the harbour of St. John, the 17th of April, 1808; winter still lingering in the sky, and much snow on the ground. While we were getting under way, the captain, a civil man, and one of my former hearers, cursed one of the men who was heaving the anchor, upon which 1 gently tapped him on the shoulder, he stood reproved, and never to my know- ledge, swore afterwards during the whole passage : a word in season, how good it is. For several days, the weather was fine, and we had no soo'jcr passed the gulf stream, than we got into a warm and delightful atmosphere. Every morning and evening we had prayer in the cabin, and such was the attention of all on board, to this duty, that profaneness was banished from the vessel, or at least suspended ; and 1 do not recolloct that 1 ever saw any state of things at sea, that so much resembled a christain church. The captain, the mate, the supercargo and his wife, had all of them, an exterior of seriousness ; hence we had much harmony and love. 1 frequently gave out hymns, and we sung the praises of God both above, and in the cabin. On the Lord's day I read on the quarter-deck those solemn and impressive sermons of Mr. Benson, on the second coming of Christ. This method, when introduced, by singing and prayer, J have sometimes at sea found preferable to preach- ing, for when a minister speaks closely and pointedly, sonic one is apt to think the reproofs are intended for him ; probably the captain takes offence, and the whole address often loses its effect. 1 would here observe, sir, that at sea, particularly a mis- f: NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 261 irmndas, ed from I, 1808; ch snow ier wav, former heaving on the y know- )assage : several soo'.jcr a warm ng and luoh was ity, that b1, or at ret that that so captain, kI all of ad much hymns, ve, and on the sermons Christ, prayer, preach- intedly, n tended ce and would a mis- sionary, should endeavour 'to cultivate the spirit of his master, and manifest llie holy benevolence of his office, such a gentleness and affability, will win upon both the passengers and the sailors, while the loving seriousness that beams from his conduct, will overawe the careless and the profane. Thus the consistency of his actions, will speak more forcibl}' to the heart, than the most elo- (pient addresses, and every one on board, will look to him as a kind of palladium for their own security. The vessel will seem like a marine temple, and the waves and the winds will often hear the sound of praise and prayer ; by thus grafting affability upon religion, a missionary will be better prepared to gain access to others, without auy sacrifice of the sanctity of his office. When we had been about twelve days out, and were about two hundred leagues to the leeward off Cape Hatteras, in North Carolina, we were overtaken with a tremendous storm. I had observed during the greatest part of the afternoon, a portentious black cloud gathering in the west, and spreading over a large portion of the windward sky, becom- ing still darker and darker in its aspect, till at length, it burst upon us, in a terrible squall of thunder, lightening, hail, rain and tempest. It was so sudden, and impetuous, that >ny help was re. quired to assist the little crew in taking in all sail, lest they should bo torn in shivers from (hi* viiidHi and here my former little seamanship became of great use, as we had only about half>a.dozen hands. The ocean was ihrown into terrible heaps, and so piercingly cold was the tempest, that it seemed half an hour had pitched us into another latitude. My dear partner was much alarmed, and was also the wife of the supercargo, but that beautiful aud eu- ^1^ 1 i; ^v-^ il :it ll. .' 'i''i 262 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. ':!;: ii ■! Wi couragin* hymn said to be written by Luther, to console himself under his troubles, was a balm to my spirits, and a source uf support and consolation. Commit thou all thy giiefs. And ways into his handii, To his sure trust and tender care. Who lieaven and earth commands ; AVho (Joints the clouds their course, Whom winds and seas obey : lie >4iil direct thy wandVing feet, He will prepare thy way. Thou on the -Lord rely, So safe shalt thou go on ; Fix on liis work thy steadfast eye, So shall thy work be done; A strong confidence, that both the faithless ocean, and the florid earth, are under the immediate con- trol of divine providence, Calmed my own mind, and as the tempest became more and more terrible, enabled me to administer comfort to my dear Mary. She had never before been in a storm like this. The wind resembled successive discharges of ar- tillery, the Mary Ann pitched and staggered, heolod and rolled, with the giant surges that dashed against her, and such was the violence of the gale, that some allowance may be made for even .i christian feeling an apprehension of danger. Oi\ the following morning, (Sunday) the white-toppf^l fi'flves curled and crested their summits in a grand kud yet formidnble manner, but our little schooner with her head to the sea, for we were obliged to lay too all night, vaulted lightly- over the immens(! ridges, and though several seas broke upon her, she rose above them, with far greater dexterity than some bulky and ponderous ships would have done in similar circumstances. 1 sat up all night, NAIIRATIVE OF A MISSION. 263 and truly it was a season of faith, prayer, and much assurance of deliverance. The captain was very uneasy, as we were near the latitude of Ber- muda, but my mind was quiet, believiug that we had the *' Gallilean pilot " on board, and that all would be well. When the gale subsided, we stood to the cast- ward, the long roliing swells, left by the storm, helping us forward on our destined course, and on Monday, tlie 14th day from the time we sailed, in the horizon of a clear and amber sky, we saw a hummock which on a nearer approach, proved to be one of the Bermudas. In the after- noon we made the south side of the islands, which is the least rocky, as a coral reef runs to the extent often or twelve miles from the shore to the north, and renders that part dangerous and difficult of access. While we were standing off and on (for the captain deferred entering the harbour of St. George, till the following morning), 1 had full liberty to give vent to the melancholy musings of my mind. The softness of the air, with a balmy sweetness coming from the green cedars, full in my view, the prospect of being soon on shore, all failed to give elasticity to my "ipirits. 1 was uncer- tain what reception 1 should meet. My faith was staggered with fears that I should not be received. None on board knew the weight that was pressing upon my spirit. The islands were near, but 1 felt a trembling anxiety about the future. The mission oil which i was about to enter had a non-descript rharactor. Not a christian of my own denomination to welcome me ashore. 1 was four thousand miles of wild and fathomless ocean from the shores of m I ■ '■;■ I-' i': I ■1 l" •;•! '264 NAItRAtlVE OP A MtSSIOV« my dear native country. I was a solitary man^ ready to be dropped in the midst of enemies. Nature and unbelief whispered " what dost thou here, Elijah ?*' all but myself looked forward to the morning with pleasure* I often looked ashore as the mild evening fell upon the sky, but there 1 saw no anchor ground for my aching heart ; the courage and confidence in God that had given my mind a fearless tone during the late storm, had now fled, 1 could have wept, but 1 strove to save appearances. Ah sir, what does a missionary feel in such circumstances ! this was indeed a bap^ tisra of grief, neither the soft blue skies, nor the <;alm sea just undulated with a gentle breeze, could raise my spirits, I felt pensive and dejected with the uncertainty of my future prospect, and the only consolation 1 had, was in God and my bible. I am, dear sir. Yours, respectfully, &c. K 4 LETTER XXXV. :, i. Come from the west,— the bond, the free^ His easy aervice, make your choice j Ye Isles of the Atlantic sea, Like halcyon nests, in God rejoice. Montgomery, DEAR SIR, In the morning a pilot came from the shore, and carried us into the little cedar-circled harbour of St. George. Here I was a stranger in KARRXtlVE OP A MISSION. •2(i5 a Strang land, I knew not a sin<>;lc person in all the islands and ^as tu most, come upon an un. yrelcome errand, hence my reception was likely to be unpleasant, and the final issue of my mission doubtful. 1 had it is true, that precious promise made to the first of all missionaries, *Mo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." After we had cast anchor in the harbour, some gentlemen came on board with a view to commercial speculations, to whom the captain communicated the object of his visit, and the nature of my character as a missionary ; also my intention of remaining to preach the gospel to the negros and coloured people. During this con- versation, 1 was in another part of the vessel, but by the unpleasant manner with which they received the intelligence, and the scornful and contemptuous looks they cast towards that part of the vessel where I was standing, I could easily divine how unwelcome such an event was, at least to the inhabitants of St. George. When they were gone, the captain informed me how ill they received the information of his having brought a methodist missionary, assuring him that if I landed there was a law in force, to apprehend and send mo to prison. This, though it pained my mind, did not give rae much surprise, but my greatest difficulty arose from not knowing a single individual in the place : nor was there one to whom I could apply for direction. My trust, however, was in God, and this in my present situation, was to me more than all the world beside. Ah ! how forlorn should 1 have been, how utterly dejected and cast down, if God had not been my present help in this time of need. Having a letter of introduction and recommendation to the governor, from my esteemed friend colonol A a 'i\ ! II nir *2(;o NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. m IP '■, 1 1 inf Dayard, of North Amorica, 1 resolved to go on shore, wliutovor might be the consequence, and as soon as we landed, 1 hastened to the government-house to j)rcsent myself and letter, but his excellency being engaged, requested 1 would wait upon him in the morning. 1 enquired in vain for a methodist, the hateful sound seemed to startle even some who appeared as if they wished to show me civility. It I had come upon any other errand, whether as a swindler, tk. buffoon, a dancing-master, or a conjuror, 1 might have been welcome ; for the Bcrmudians are naturally civil and polite, but coming as a methodist missionary, (a name they had been taught to hate) to preach the gospel, yea, and to preach the gospel to the negros ; this shut up every avenue, and rendered my person as for- bidding, as my errand was disagreeable. After much difficulty, 1 learned that an old man of the name of Pallas, who was a methodist, lived at the west end of the Main Island; pleased with this information, 1 re- turned on board the schooner, and after informing my wife, I hired a boat to go in quest of the old man. After sailing through a miniature archipelago, more beautiful than any thing I had ever seen in nature ; though the. beauty of the island scenery did not dispel the gloom of my mind. In three hours we arrived at Hamilton, where I found a sickly old man, pressed down to the earth with poverty, affliction, and per- secution. He gave me a long detail of the trials and persecutions he had met with, adding withal, that the religious state of the isliinds was most deplorable ; and that the few^ persons raised up under the ministr y of Mr. Stephenson,' were dead, or had fallen away; — in fine, that the prospect was most unpromising, and I NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 207 that as nothing had transpired, rolutivo tu tho repeul oftho penal statute, it was doubtful whether or nut ( should be allowed to preach ; at least ho was afraid no person would admit me, for fear of incurring tho pcnut- ty. This information added a deeper shade to the gloominess of my prospect, and fell with indcscribahln weight upon my spirit. I now began to think, that God had brought mn to Bermuda for the trial of my faith. I could not refrain from weeping at tho moral desolation of the place, and probable failure of tho mission, which had been the object of so many sacrifices, solicitudes, and prayers. 1 returned to Sr. George with a heavy heart, and not without frequent gushing tears, and mingled desires to change my gloomy and unpleasant situation, for the quiet of tho grave; and but for my wife and infant, an inmiodiatc; escape from the *' windy storm and ttunpest," would have been a desirable change. My mind was sorely exorcised with the Situation and distress into which 1 had brought niy dear partner, who was far advanced ill her pregnancy, and with our only . hild, S(>venteon months old, still (,n board the vessel No door had ,'et opened to admit us even to lodgiu. every house being full of army an- navy officers, wi.o were then rendezvousing at Bermiida, previously to their sailing to accomplish the capture of M irtinico. \et, O the pity and kindness of the Almi<;hty ! He sup- ported me in the hour of conflict, and having tried my taith to the utmost, he realized the expedient my situation required. For after my faith had blindly groped for a path, and my thoughts had boon running to and fro, to find out what measures I should adopt, divine light, like the first r^ys of the morning upon a benighted traveller, broke in Mpon my mind. 1 re- Aa 2 n 'i . , ' '■■ 1 ' 1 1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 III I.I UitZA |2.5 12.2 IU£ II— II *^ 1''^ * ■^ 6" ► Photograjiiic Sciences Coiporation 23 WiST AAi'.lN STtEST WltSTER.N.Y "4S03 ple be- idful, r > gospel ginning" lot dis- ings of I fulness despise ttempts regard, itutions lerable f arise es and 3, and 1 more i ] NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 273 visible in their deliverance. Man begins with pomp and ends in nothing. God uses small and insig' niticant means and the results are grand and glorious. How formidable were the trials that checkered the path of the first chiistian missionaries, the seed they sowed was like an " handful of corn upon the top of the mountains," deposited in bleak and barren spots the furthest removed from fertility, but a blessing was in it, and soon ** the fruit thereof began to shako like Lebanon and to flourish even in the city like the grass of the earth. •♦ Missionaries ought not to be cast down because they do not all at once meet with rapid success ; the excellency of the power would then appear to be of man, and not of God, the Lord will have his people to wait for him, as well as to wait upon him, and perhaps there is no disposition more necessary to a labourer in God's vineyard than christian patience. It is not for him to command a a favourable issue to his ministry, — the times and seasons are in the hands of God. If we ** sow our seed in the morning, and in the evening withhold not our hand," we have scripture reason to believe that either the one or the other will prosper. Did that patient man, Schwartz, when at twenty years of age he arrived at Madras, among millions of Hindoo idolaters, did he form an idea that in sixty years India through his labours, by the blessing of God, would become a grand theatre of missionary exertions, and a rich field of converts to the christian faith ? Could the venerable and indefatigable Carey, have imagined when he first arrived in India, friendless and ■almost alone, that by his patient perseverance, the scriptures would even in his time be translated into all the languages of the east ? Or, had the first mis. , .!'. ! ■>? II * ft m T ^ 1 < P\'' P 274 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. sionaries who visited Great Britnin the remotest pros- pect that their labours would issue in the universal spread of I eligion through all sections of this highly, favoured land ? Did the Lord sl^ow his servants be- forehand, as in a panorama, the success of their labours, what room would be left for faith ? or what reason would suggest the necessity of prayer ? Let the patient missionary remember laborious Paul, cou- rageous Luther, persevering Wesley, and flame- tongued and ardent Whitfield. Let him also reflect upon the trials, the fortitude, the meekness, the patience, and the years of tedious waiting for success, which exercised your excellent brethren, the Mora- vian missionaries, in the West Indies, in North America, in Labrador, and particularly in Greenland, where for six years they hardly saw a single fruit of their ministry, and yet after all succeeded in their labours beyond all human expectation. " Be patient therefore brethren, behold, the husbandman waitcth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Earth and hell may oppose its majestic progress, but his kingdom shall come, hence while we look forward to a gradual unfolding of the gracious designs of Jehovah, let us remember that as the stars of an evening sky do not all appear at once, but one after another, so does divine providence step by step open the way for the march of divine truth, and illumine the darkness of the moral world, till in due time the whole hemisphere shall bo spangled with light, and the day will dawn that never more shall close. " He that believeth shall not make haste," dejected missionaries may take comfort in looking back upon tho history of God's i NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 275 y church ; for several years our blessed Lord had but few followers. The apostles in some places were attended only by solitary individuals, perhaps a few women, as in the case of Lydia, and others. The reformation sprung from a solitary monk and a few of his companions. From the insulated labours of John Knox, and a few others, arose the church of Scotland. The Quakers from George Fox and William Penn, and the Wesleyans who in Europe and America, are more than half a million strong. Ninety years ago consisted of no more than half- a.dozen young men in the university of Oxford, directed by the indefatigable Wesley. Thus sir, it is that the infancy of many blessed institutions resembles a grain of mustiird seed, which in time spreads its branches and soon becomes so large as to furnish the birds a refuge, and the beast a shade, 1 am, dear sir, Yours, &c. LETTER XXXVIL >i I' if ;;i ■ Go ! to many a tropic Is7e, In the bosom of the deep ; Where the skies for ever smile, Au'l the blacks unceasing weep ! O'er tlie negro's night of woe, Pour the living Hght of heaven ; Chase away the fiend despair. Bid him hope no be forgiven ! Author. DEAR Silt, The moral state of Bermuda presented, perhaps ?s many difticuliies in the way ofaWesleyan mission, as most other islands in the western ocean. ",'< tj ! .I'" 276 NARaATIVE OF A MISSION. .» ( ,M ( ■■, ' t, The labourer in this vineyard had to encounter throe titrinidable evils, prejudice, ignorance, and bigotry ; in opposition to these, he had to lift the banner of (he cross with much patience and prudence, and with many fears of iinal success. 1 he poor blacks, as 1 observed before, were hardly ever beheld in the light of moral agents, hence .every attempt to convey instruction to their minds, ap. peared to their owners, in au invidious light, and excited the suspicion, that in proportion as they became enlightened, they would deteriorate, and thnt instruction would make them less subordinate, and more unwilling to be governed. Indeed with some, a monstrous opinion prevailed, that they had no souls. A lady of my own acquaintance, furnished not long after my arrival on the islands, a lucid proof of this. Mrs. N. was esteemed compassionate, humane, and re. ligious ; both myself and family, were much obliged by her polite attentions, and as we lived next door to each other, much friendly harmony prevailed, till on a sudden, 1 found that I had offended her with- out knowing the cause ; at length, however, I found out that tlie head and front of my crime was, I had without her knowledge, baptised the child of one of her slaves ; which she roundly affirmed was a prostitution of the hallowed ordinance ; assigning as a reason for her opinion, that she believed blacks bad no soul ; and that to administer to them, either baptism or the Lord's supper, were most flagrant abuses of those sacred ordinances. In other respects, the Bermuda negros were well treated, for with regard to the cruelties which have so disgraced the West Indies, very little comparatively is practised upon these islands. The blacks themselves, are NARRATIVE OP A MISSIOKT. 277 uften goud natured and civil to one another, and as clean in their persons as many of them are neat and gay in their apparel. They compose a race entirely different from the West India negros. 1 mean the mere plantation slaves. A Bermuda black man thinks himself a gentleman compared with one of these ; hence a greater punishment is not dreaded, than that of being sent to the West Indies. In the Somers Islands, there are no plantation slaves, they compose the principle house-servants, pilots, seamen, mechanics, and fishernien of the place. They are somewhat polite in their address, and rather acute in their intellect.— In a word, they want nothing but systematic instruction, and the influence of good example, to bring them over to the knowledge and practice of piety. Their habits of thievishness, are grafted upon the system of slavery, and with the mastjers, the fear of loss in the prosecution of the culjprit ; hence, not a capital punishment occurred during four years I spent in the Bermudas. One slave-owner, who has detected a thief, goes to the master, and addressing him, says, **your Jupitejr has stolen one of my sheep, and has been caught in the fact,*' ** I am sorry for it neighbour, but I will give you another, and the rogue shall have a good flogging.** So here the matter ends, no prosecution takes place, no example is made, and yet they are for ever ringing the old changes, la, what thieves are these negros ! A Bermuda black was one night taken in the act of stealing, upon w[hich the detector addressing him, said, Cato what is the reason you are such a thief ? have you meat enough ? O yes, massa, plenty, plenty. What then is the reason of your stealing > *< Massa, Bb IS': ; 1'^ ! '■•! I. I I "I- if ri >'W 278 NARRATIVE OF A MtSStON. mo steal to keep my hand in.** That disposition to theft, with which they are branded, muRt be uscribed to their peculiar situation, and not to any superadded depravity of the moral sense. The man in whose favour no laws of property exist, probably feels himself less bound to respect those made in favour of others. Laws to be just, must give a reciprocation of rights, and without this, they are mere arbitrary rules of conduct, founded in force, and not in conscience. And it is a problem, which I give to the slave-holder to solve, whether the precepts against the violation of pro. perty were not formed for him, as well as his slave ; and whether the slave may not as justi- fiably take a little from one, who has taken all from him, as he may slay one, who would slay him ? that a change in a man*s relative situation, should change his ideas of moral right and wrong, is neither new nor yet peculiar to the negros, Homer tells us it was so 2600 years ago.* « Jove fix*d it certain, that whatever day Man makes a slave, takes half bis worth away." I ought, sir, in mentioning the faults of the blacks, to remark that they have many redeeming quaiities^ ; they are hospitable and generous to a fault, and to- wards the sick, tender and affectionate. The black women make the best - nurses in the world, and will manifest a degree of solicitude and assiduity, seldom witnessed elsewhere. I had one day, (in riding to my appointment,) to cross from one island to another, but as my horse showed some unwillingness to go into the boat, I turned to touch him with the whip, this so quickened his pace, that he came all at once upon me, * Jeffcrson*!i Notes on Virginia. fn; NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 279 and in making good my retreat, I rlirngcd into tho midst of a prickly pear bush, many of which planted themselves in the cap of my knee, and breaking oft', occasioned so much pain and anguish, as obliged me, Mrhon 1 arrived in St. George, to preach sitting, and afterwards through the violence of the inftamation to take to my bed ; in this state, Jenny Burges, who was near at hand, examined my knee, and with much care, tho help of a pair of tweezers, and the poultices of herbs, she applied to the inflamed part, in a few days brought me about, and I was able to ride home with- out "^ny further inconvenience. It may render them careless about speaking the truth, because they know their evidence is not re. ceived, and if they are often lazy and careless, it is because they reap little or no benefit from their labours. Their want of purity may arise from the great obstacles placed in the way of their regular marriage. Their flexibility of character is a great obstacle to their establishment in piety, whenever they embrace religion ; but as their feelings are re- markably quick and tender, they are more easily won upon. They are very aflectionate and remarkably social ; their resentments are short, and easily can- celled, having a good deal of the child about them ; their light-heartedness and cheerfulness are prover- bial, and if at any time they are sulky, ill us ge is often the cause. Treachery they are unacquainted with, they have not the cunning and knavishness necessary to this depth of satan. They seldom step out of their place, but it is owing to the unwarrantable and improper liberties taken with them by the whites, who often know no medium between criminal famili. arity, and repulsive rigour. In general, they are far Bb2 1 280 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. Mi less profane than ttie lower orders in England, seldom using a more c-;;)probriotis term to each other when in a passion, than ** you black negur.** As for bigotry, they have that common effect of pride, ignorance, and superstition to learn. In their houses, they are clean and hospitable, *'and though their portion is but scant, they give it with good will." Those who are pious feel as much love for their pastors as any people in the world ; and if, as the white people say, that their religion is all cant and hypocrisy, they might retort upon them in the language of the poet : I>em our nation brutes no longer, Till some reason ye shall find, "Worthy of regard and stronger Than the colour of our kind. Slaves of gold, whose sordid dealings. Tarnish all your boasted powers, Prove that you have ((lious) feelings, £*re you pi oudly question ours ! In a word, many of the vices of the blacks, are the consequences of slavery ; J hope, dear sir, you will -pardon the warmth of my feelings in the following lines, with which 1 shall close this letter. Can a man be!ieve his creed ? At dev'otion^s altar kneel ? Truths immortal volnirte read ? Yet his fellow-creature steal ! But if this be deemed too bold. Shall we traffic in our kind j — Purchase with ignoble go'd, Bemj^ with a deathless mind. He the worth of souls can tell. Who redeem V by bliDod the lost ; Wilt ivou^ planter, bye and sell ? Who such price of prices cost ! Why despise their wooUey hair ? Why condiemn their sable skin ? NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. itif or ebony may bear Stamp of deity within ! Hast thou reason ?^they can think ; Waim affection— they can glow ; Dost thou weep when others sink ?— They have tears of joy and woe. Ha<)t thou an immortal mind ?— They possess a vital spark. For celestial iife designed, Though the outward man be dark. We our brother made a brute, All his heaven-bought rights withstood, For our sugar, rum, and fruit. Paid the price of negros blood. O base avarice of gold ! Sorest curse beneath the sun ; Pen of spraph cant unfold. Half the evils thou hast done. Britons ! ye of justice boast. And the equal rights of men. Deem your islands freedom^s coast, Why is slavery suffered then ? I am, dear sir, 281 ;n Vours, &c. LETTER XXXVIII. All the islands of the deep, In the mild or burning zone. Shall behold the Lamb and weep. Bending at a Saviour's tlirone. Amutements of a Mission. DEAR SIR, I still continued ir the island and town of St. George, preaching several times a week, and often walking with my testament, or Doctor Bb 3 282 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. Young's Night Thoughts in my hand, through the cedar groves contiguous to the town, or by tiie sea side, communing with my own thoughts. 1 appeared to myself a solitary man, a speckled bird, a sparrow upon the house-top, or like a partridge upon the mountains. 1 had none but my wile, with whom I could exchange thoughts on the sub- ject of my mission or religion; all beside seemed to wonder wherefore 1 had come. The whites doubt- less thought I was a strange being, to come upon such an errand. Men of worldly minds seldom rise higher in their calculations than profit and loss ; the springs of such a conduct must have been en- tirely concealed from their view : serving others to the seeming detriment of your own comfort and profit, must always appear' in a very problematical light to those who never pursue any object but their own interest. It was generally believed, that 1 came to preach to the blacks and coloured people, and what could they do for me ? By others, their friendship would have been esteemed a blot, their favour a disgrace, and their good word a libel ; and yet, the strangeness of this circumstance brought (perhaps from curiosity) many respectable white people to hear me, though my prospects of doing them good were rather gloomy; yet, the cloud had a bright side, for while 1 laboured on with many prayers and fears, and with hopes interwoven with doubts, a glimmering of extensive usefulness among the blacks often revived my spirits, and cheered my path. 1 saw that I had no rival in this labour of love, this was a right none disputed with me, a parish none wished to invade, a bishopric few (if given) would have been careful to receive, doing cloud I with I NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 1283 but which 1 nevertheless esteemed an honour. My little congregation continued to increase, so that by the time 1 had preached six weeks, the half-dozen, which at first attended, were multiplied to between sixty and an hundred, and some of these afforded visible signs, that the word was not as chaff blown away by the wind of carelessness. At first, 1 observed, that several whites, and a few coloured people seemed thoughtful, they kneeled at prayer, and when the congregation withdrew, they lingered behind, that I might speak to them concerning their souls. Several little presents were sent in, of water, which at time was very scarce, and also of fruit. As I passed them in the town they seemed more respectful, and if in any thing 1 required their assistance, they came forward with alacrity. After a while, several of them, without my knowledge, made up the sum which I had given to some black carpenters, to fit up my large room with benches ; this expense (fifteen dollars) they one morning came and begged I would receive back, alleging, that as 1 came for their good, they hoped I would allow them to bear some little part of the burden, and this I esteemed a sign that they had received some benefit by the word. But their kindness did not stop here, they even went so far as to pay the hire of my lodgings, which amounted to a pound, that currebcy, per week. Several indications convinced me, that the word preached in many tears and temptation, began to have a place in their hearts ; and one day. Rath Bascomb, and Letitia Hervey, two free persons of colour, came to my house, and after some hesitation, informed me that they wished to save their souls, and begged me to direct them what they should do. These 1] l) 13 ■'*' 111 IM - %: 284 NAIIKATIVE OF A MISSION. i,,A v/ere some of the first buddings of a work of grace that 1 had seen since my arrival, and they were as pleasing to my heai t as the reviving sun to the eyes of a benighted Greenlander. Tony Surges, a venerable old black man, with all his family, be- came constant hearers, and in a little time God took the scales from the old man's eyes, and though hard upon seventy years of age, he began to learn to read, and by dint of close application, before I left the islands, could with the help of his spectacles, and spelling a few words, read a psalm. Jane Burges, Tony*s wife, seon followed the example of her husband, God enlightened her mind, and becom. ing deeply convinced that &he was a miserable sinner, was thankful to hear of a Saviour's love : she was in truth, one of the most pious, humble, and affectionate blacks, I ever knew. Several of their children followed in the same train, and the whole family was drawn to God. Sally Tucker, a truly respectable black woman, who lived near my lodgings, desired permission to attend family prayer, in which God touched her heart, and Sally in her turn, began herself to pray earnestly for salvation. One day when I was passing her house, she came out, and taking hold of my coat-lap, kissed it with earnestness, and lifting up her hands and eyes to heaven, she exclaimed in a most touching and im- pressive manner, " O Mr. Marsden ! 1 shall bless God for ever for sending you to Bermuda, he has made you my eyelid opener." My landlord, Mellory, and his wife , who were among their own [class, respectable people of colour, began to show some evidences of a gra- cious nature, and regularly attended family prayer. I should not omit mentioning, that several young NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 285 Tiicn, a Mr. John Datrel, and Richard Higgs, together with the three daughters of a captain Rankin, all be- came close attenders of the preaching, and were gra- ciously brought to a serious and impartial enquiry after divine things. These with many others, whose names 1 will omit, inclining the same way, and be- coming reformed and serious, 1 formed into a christian ^; society ; reading the rules, and pointing out to them the nature of each, for all was new and interesting respecting christian fellowship. This was the first methodist society ever raised in the Somers Islands. They consisted of whites, coloured people, and blacks, and were about forty in number : over these 1 rejoiced as a tender father over a first-bom son. The seed that was sown in tears, I now began to reap in joy. The design of providence in my appointment to the mission began to unfold itself, I was no longer a solitary and mourning exile, unconnected with all the world, and standing alone in the islands, I could now say, here 1 am Lord, and the children which thou hast given me. For a great part of the first year, 1 confined my labours to the little town of St. George, which though it contained only about twenty-five hundred inhabitants, was at that time, the capital of the Bermudas. I visited the blacks at their own houses, and to those who were learning to read, I gave little patnphlets and tracts ; 1 took some pains in learning them to sing, to which they manifested a great love, tor in a little time, the hymtis they learned, were sung up and down the islands ; as they taught one another, and greatly delighted in this part of divine worship. In visiting'the blacks, my custom was aot only to pray with them, but 1 Ji I I II 286 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 1 J il m m m also to partake of their little refreshments, and by following the precept of the apostle, " condescend to men of low estate,** to break down as much as possible, the hateful middle wall of partition. During all this time, I made excursions into the other islands, preaching at Brackish Pond, Baylis Bay, Hamilton^ Spanish Point, and also at Somerset, the west end of the islands. My congregations were respectable people, who treated me with attention, politeness, and hospitality ; but, alas ! in most cases, they had need of nothing, being chiefly of that class who had never done any harm in their lives, and were by far too innocent, moral, and good, to need a Saviour. At first, my principle endeavour was to remove prejudice, that a way might be opened for the reception of divine truth in its purest forms. The people in general knew little of those differences which agitate the christian world, and enwreath so many thorns in the bands of brotherly love. They went to church once a month, and to them, the church of England was in religion, what the sun is in the firmament ; and bad they been experimentally acquainted with the pure and holy doctrine of the establishment, this would have been all right ; but going to church, with them was an apology for both the power of faith, and the obe- dience of love ; and the best account of their re- ligion 1 could ever get, was comprised in these two articles, first, doing no harm, and never having done any ; and secondly, doing all the good that lay in their power. To show them that I was not an enemy to the church of England, I frequently at. tended the service on the Lord's day morning, and carefully avoided preaching in any parish, during the My religj pray) panic preji pure I their i a mi 1 , racte ■ mere ■ is a 1 the NARRATtVG OF A MISSION. 287 the time that service was performed in the church. My subjects, which were the first principles of religion, were illustrated by q stations from the prayer book, which I generally used as a com- panion with my bible ; and by this means, their prejudices gradually g^ve way, and light, even the pure light of gospel doctrine, shone by degrees upon their hearts. They saw that going to church once a month, is not enough to form the christian cha- . racter, that there is something more in religion than mere exterior decency ; in a word, that true piety is a work of the heart. My texts were such as the following ; " except ye be born again, &c.** *Vafter the manner that they call heresy, so wor- ship 1 the God of my father." i am, dear sir, Yours, &c. f N ( LETTER XXXIX. Already a glory has flam'd in the west, The isles of the ocean Salvation hath blest ; The palms of the South show its beautiful blaze. And the Boreal pines have been tipt with its rays. A voice in the desert, a voice in the wood, A voice o^er the island and billowy flood, - ' « Thy glory is come," abject negro arise ! And shine like a new-risen star in the skies ! JSvangeUcal MiMtreU DEAR SIRy By the above means, I was enabled to conciliate the minds, and remove the prejudices of those who attended my ministry, and inany respecta- 1^ M 11 t M i (268 NABRAtlVE OF A MISSION. 1!^, ' . ''' ...r „:?l f i'tV le ble people expressed their satisfaction, that I had cuino to the islands. Stowe Wood, Esq. a rc<. fipectablo magistrate, invited me to his house, as did also captain Walker, Mr. White, captain New^* bold, and a number of others. Meanwhile, I omitted po opportunity to bring forward my little black and coloured flock in St. George : some of these afforded me inward delight, both by their simplicity, their artless christian affection, and the clearness of that measure of experience in divine things, to which they bad attained. I was much pleased with their novel remarks and curious ques. tions : some of them could give a pretty clear account t)f their conversion ; others appeared to have had only comfort, as they expressed it from the first : under the word, they were silent and still as death ; sel- dom (unless prevented by their owners) omitting an opportunity of assembling together : those who were slaves could not always attend ; but even these wil. lingly submitted to the greatest hardship, that they might come to hear the word. To the bouses of the free blacks I was always a welcome guest, and Oft have I in the bliiclu ma,n''s cottage spent The silent night in ^ety and content } Or, at his littte table sweetly sat, Have puq>le figs and soft bananas eat ; Thrn joinM the sab'e family in prayer: And askM and felt God^s sacred presence there. My mind was grieved that although a gracious work was begun among the blacks, yet most ,pf them were unable to read, so that I had no pledge of their stability and continuance ; however, providence di- rected tne in this also ; I persuaded one of the young men who had joined the society, to open a school for the children of the black and coloured people ; this was the first thing of the kind that had taken place in NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. 280 Bcrmudu : I also wrote to Halifax for some spelling books, and these with the help of tracts, united with uncommon diligence and application on their parts, brought many of the boys and girls quickly forward, and these again taught their parents, so that I had the pleasure of seeing many of them make consider- able progress in their spelling-books and testaments. Some ladies also, under the patronage of Lady Warren, opened a Sunday School in St. George for black chiU dren, and even adults, which was very useful. With regard to teaching them to sing, 1 had much less trou- ble ; the blacks have in general fine clear voices, and strong retentive memories ; they possess a musical ear, and great facility of catching a tune ; hence, the singing was soon very respectable ; but at first I was myself ** precentor, chaunter, priest, and choir ;" till an excellent young man coming from Eng- land, greatly assisted me in this beautiful part of the Lord's service, by taking upon himself the trouble of teaching both the whites and coloured people the rudiments of psalmody. All this lime I preached in my own -faired rooms, unless when in the tiountry. In St. George some of the respectables bad ceased to come, because they were incommoded with the blacks, with whom they would not intermix, even to worship God ! Several of the slaves were cruelly treated, because they would not relinguish this way. The little society was called the ** Negro Club,** and they did me the honour to call me the *' Negro Parson.*' In the country, the poor blacks were not admitted into the apartment where I preach- ed, but were obliged to stand round the doors and windows, listening with the the. East Indies, so- that none who set much value, upon -the opinions of others (however deeply im. pressed they were with the necessity of inward reli- gion) durst come among us. Several of the blacks at- tained much experience of the divine goodness, parti, cularly lame Hannah, a poor bed^ridden black, whom several of the negros carried to the meeting, where slie received the word in the love of the truth. Peter Hubbert, a mulatto, was a pattern of piety : Mellorey, the coloured man before mentioned, had begun to ex- hurt ; several others had greatly reformed their lives, and hud cast off the practice of outward vices, The little congregation, (for there was now a place fitted up i>n purpose, with a pulpit and benches) mostly blacks. wai mai in soU NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 291 T I 1 was an interesting spectacle,*— clean, decent, and many of them genteel in their appearance ; they joined in prayer, sung, and heard the word, with all tho solemnity, reverence, and decorum, that might bo expected from an old and well-established congrega- tion of chistians. They made me the arbiter in their litigations; 1 baptized all their children, and now that they were formed into congregation order, 1 gave the Supper of the Lord to those who were thi; most serious, humble, and exemplary ; and during my absence in the country, 1 committed the care of the whole to the young men alluded to above, who, having, begun to manifest considerable fitness, were remarkably useful. I soon found that my situation at Brackish Pond was by many degrees too temperate a climate for nty spiritual prosperity ; 1 preached on all occasions at my own house, and all round the neighbourhood, but little fruit appeared ; the word fell upon stony ground, the people were too polite, obliging, and affectionate, to contradict any thing that 1 said, and yet too moral and religious, to receive the humbling doctrine — " God be merciful to me a sinner ;'* hence, after maturely considering the subject, 1 concluded to remove to Hamilton. This place had been in Mr. Stephenson's time, the very focus of persecution, and from thence he was carried to an ignominious jail : however, I did not reason with flesh and blood, but took a house at I'itt's Bay, and hired a long room over some stores to preach in. 1 had occasionally preached at Hamil- ton in an inn, but few would come ; yet now my hired room was crowded upon the Lord^s day, and often on the week night. 1 had not been long here cc2 (! I *i92 NARRATIVE OF A MISMOH. If I before tlie place became too strait for me ; several respectable white females were deeply impressed witli a lively concern for experimental religion ; and also Willi the complete nullity of ali forms and profe«. sions separate from saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, love to God, and divine communion with him. Two of thesis have since become united to two of our missionaries, and adorn the precious {(ospel they then found to be the power of God to sulvutiun. Encouraged by those promising buddings, :inen Holy Spirit say, pray on, pray on, tell how Jesus Christ, God*s Son, stand wid arms stretched out to save poor sinner. Den temptation say, say Sophy too bad, too wicked. Den I tink I see his blood flow from de blessed side far my poor soul,^* Some, however, were not without a considerable portion of intellect, and in these, the knowledge of divine things was more distinct, their experience more uniform, and in many respects not inferior to many whites ; their passions are easily kindled, so that all they know is warm from the heart, and stamped in the mint of sincerity. The Hamilton blacks wished me to teach them to read, as many of the blacks in St. George looked over the heads of their fellows in this respect ; and, whimsically herculean as this task may appear, I did not think it either foreign from my province, or beyond my power, and I am persuaded if our mission committee were to make some provision for African schoolmasters, and our missionaries would take more NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. aaa pains on this head, the good we do in thve West Indies woidd be more permanent, the societies would be less fluctuating, and the benefit confeired upo« those poor outcasts of men would be teu to one greater than at present ; for how painful i.. it- to be preaching from a book, the contents of whidh they are utterly unacquainted wit^, and to the beauty and excellence of which they must, at least, be partially blind. I am convinced that Sunday Schools in our West India plantations, would be the noblest work of charity that mau could engage in, and the greatest help to a mission that could posssibly be contem- plated. 1 am, nevertheless, well aware that they would meet with decided opposition from these who wish to consider negros only as beasts of burden, and sink their minds to a level with their circum- stances. A host of arguments, the body guard of oppression, would withstand their being taught, " they will not be so subservient^-they will be discontented, rebellious, and insubordinate— they will not keep their place — they will think themselves upon a level with the whites," would be the logic used ; however, a thousand such assertions have not the weight of half an argument. The objection that they have no ca- pacities, is both foolish and untrue ; for, how can we tell unless we make the trial ? but those who have made the trial can refute the allegation, which, at best, has but the shadow of truth. 1 know an emi- nent writer (Mr. Jefferson, late president of the United States) has said a good deal upon the sub* ject, but to what purpose > surely he has not proved that they cannot become good men and true chris- tians ! A black will learn to read nearly as soon as a white, has an excellent memory, a fine ear for P! !i' t V ! >' 11.1 208 ITARRATIVE OF A MISSION. m •sR. ringing, and a voice as sonorous as an instrument ; and, whether we follow them to the wilds of Africa, or the cane plantations of the West Indies, with a few exceptions, . they possess a feeling and friendly heart. But, to return, I began a Sunday School, and, to encourage others, attended and taught in it myself ; and a pious female (now married to one of our missionaries) : devoted herself to the instruction of the slaves in the chapel, so that numbers learned to read the New Testament whose minds were formerly covered with the rust of ignorance, and degraded by the practice of vice. In my peregrinations up and down the islands, it gave me heart-felt satisfaction to see them frequently, sitting in the- read- with a spelling-book in their hands^v conning over the part they wished to learn ; and when they had made some improvements, I gave them testaments, and tracts, and as they had but few hymn-books, composed a little pamphlet of hymns purposely for their use^ This gave rise to some considerable opposition on the part of those who had no plea for their conduct toward the blacks, but the absurd idea of their being incapa- ble and unsuitable subjects for instruction. Some .said the book was calculated to inflame their minds with a desire of freedom, because, in some of tl^ hymns, 1 had used ■ siroilies respecting liberty and slavery in a moral sense ; .however^ one wa» sent to the attorney-general, and another to the governor, and the former was pleased to say that ** it was ad- mirably calculated to promote their instruction." I -am, dear sir. Yours, &c. KARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 209 LETTER XLI. •To negroes benighted, how sweet is the pity ? That sends the rich gospel wliich leads them to bliss ; Mo stream in the desart, no joy in the city, Can equftl the mercy, the beauty of this ! JEvangelical Minstrel. DEAR SIRy On more occasions than one, we had to 9tand the brunt of much opposition. When I began an evening lecture for the blacks, the mayor of Hamilton wrote me a very severe letter ; but rather than relinquish my plan of instructing and preaching to them, I would have left the islands ; — I had to measure my steps by the line of prudence, and to maintain my ground with iindeviating firmness. Meanwhile, the work of God was going silently for- ward in the hearts of many : the preaching was well attended; much prejudice was removed ; and many blessed impressions were made both upon young and old. There were a few serious black and coloured people in almost every parish of the little archipelago, in St. George, Hamilton, Brackish Pond, Heron Bay, Crow Lane, and Spanish Point ; these frequently held meetings amongst themselves, on the Lord's day, and as many of them had gifts in prayer, some few in exhortation, and almost all could sing the praises of God ; they were often rendered profitable to them, selves. Mellorey before mentioned, would frequently go into the country parts of the islands and read ser- mons, and expound himself : I have happened to ride ^ast when a group of black and coloured people have '■\\ > II I' • if > W\ ''• ft I ' ^00 NARRATIVE OP A MlSSlOtt. t m \j'' 1 i been collected to hear him ; amongst whom I have seen several whites listening with attention. — He liad a clear voice, a tolerable degree of boldness, and, fur a coloured man, a good personal appearance. Thus, I had remained in the islands until a seed Was sown that shall bear fruit unto endless life : the lowering clouds of persecution gradually dispersed, or only muttered at a distance : ihe bitter enmity of most had subsided : many of the former .persecutors had pews in the chapel ! a remarkable chartge had taken place with regard to the observance of the Lord's day. Some of the blacks, who were formerly vicious in the extreme^ had outwardly reformed, even though they did not belong to the meeting ; and, others, degraded to the very dust, began to feel that they were men : for the goEtpel stamps a dignity upon abjects who have hardly a name. A few whites were still averse to the mission ; but even these, though they did not ap. prove, became silent, and now and then ventured to tome and hear for themselves. Sev«ral respectable young females were savingly brought to the Lord Jesus, and joined the society^ two of whom are now in the rest of paradise. The family of Stowe Wood, Esq. one of the first merchants and magistrates upon the island, received the truth in their hearts, and its messenger into their hospitaible mansions. Mrs. Tuzo and Mrs. Albouy, with her whole family, united in saying — " blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." It is not my intention in this narrative to go into the circumstances of the awakening and drawing of each individual, though I have ample documents by me which would furnish much information ; but as there is generally a sameness in christian experience, it NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 301 > might become tedious tlirough repetition. The lit- tle society amounted to one hundred and thirty-six persons, thirty of whom were whites ; the rest black and coloured persons : most of these afforded convinc- ing evidence of a work of God ; and though in some of the very ignorant, it was amazingly superficial, yet who, that reflects upon their degradation and ignorance, can wonder at this — an ignorance not arising from a total want of intellect, but from the perversion of that intellect by slavery.; however, the genuineness of tho work in others, left little room for doubt ; so that I could, with gratitude and pleasure, say, " with my pastoral crook, 1 went over the brook, and behold f am spread into bands.** Should any minister of Christ, under discouraging circumstances, read this narrative, let him remember, that when the writer came to these islands, all things seemed to make against him ; he was considered an impostor, an enthusiast, or something worse : he had indeed his bible, a throne of grace, and his God ; but human encourage- ment he had none ; yet he scruples not to say, that had he been inviolably faithful in the improvement of every opening, and the discharge of every duty, the hundred and thirty-six members he left in the islands might have been five hundred, for which deficiency he takes all the blame, and blushing to himself, praying, *\God be merciful to me, an unprofitable ^servant." Thus, after spending four years in the Somcrs Islands, (with what success the day of judgment will i . . . ji*. • This was a grace fur which I was truly thankful, as it opposed no hindorance in the way of roy ministry, and allowed mc to be a calm spectator of passing events. 1 could not, however, help regreting that my way of returning to England seemed blocked up ; but I more regreted the unnatural collision of two such nations ; fur however bold and prejudiced spirits may have distorted the subject ; America in its monl features is a true fuc simile of Great Britain, both in its excellencies and defects. Proud of their country, tenacious of their liberty, they are enterprising, ac tive, and industrious ; with less of the gloom super- induced by our hazy island and thick atmosphere, they have all the Are and enthusiasm of Englishmen. Perhaps they are more communicative, but not iess shrewd ; more scheeming, but not so ingenious. Many accuse them of speculation, cunning, and ^om. kee trick ; but this is far from being just, if applied to the great mass of the people. In few countries is there more hospitality ; and if they are greatly ad- dicted to politics, the fault is in the freedom of govern- ^h ■!'' 308 NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. II m tnent, and the frequency of elections, which give a a new impulse to the Anglo-American propensity of talking over the wars an ^ reforming the state. The Americans are excellent husbands and fathers, erring, ^'^erhaps, in the extreme of indulgence to their children more than ih& English. In general they are better educated thaii the mass of Englishmen, though pro. bably the number of profoundly learned men is much smatller than with us. Provincial dialect does not prevail much in Ameri'^ ., l.'you except the whine of some of the least educated of the Ne"" Englanders. Pauperism and mendacity, the disgrace of England, are there comparatively little known. Crime is not so prevalent as in England, and yet the punishments are much lighter, and the penal laws far less severe. These things, I know, may appear truisms to you, but they will riot be so to many, who know the coun.> try only through the medium of misrepresentation. A conceited pragmatical Englishman dashes through some small section of this vast Union, finds fault with every thing he meets, he?irs, and sees ; brings to a country where every man is equals the saucy and as- suming airs of a Bashaw ; gets heartily despised, and to vent his spleen, sits down, and allows prejudices hastily formed, to take the pen from the hand of truth, anB instead of drawing a portrait, he gives a caricature of the whole nation ; and his bungled nar- rative is handed about as a true description of American manners. The Methodist general conference, ".->:' mild summer bids the earth assume A ^ . ai- '' i/chness and empurpled bloom, Tc tt - * K.-^ shady woodlands crowds repair, Who ii ^l r. ' e solemn grove a house of prayer. Author. DEAR SIR, During my continuance at New York, I had an opportunity of attending several camp meetings, and as the nature of these stupenduous means of grace m2 ■MARRATrVE OP A MISSIOV. m is not distinctly known, I wiM spend a few moments in making you acquainted with them. Camp meetings are now a regular and orderly part of the Methodist economy in the UnitedlStates ; and one of the questions at the annual conference is, ** when and where shall our next camp meetings be held ?** Hence, they are not as some people in this country suppose, either disorderly or irrej^utar, but wonderful means in the hai'-^s of God. The time and place being appointed by conference, it is next advertized from the pulpits, and as th(> day approaches, each of your friends asks you — " are you go t '*• lamp meeting.** Great jpre- paration is made, ano .ch excitement prevails upon the occasion. The one held for the city and district of New York, is generally at Croton, about forty miles up the Hudson river ; a select part of the forest is chosen, rising like an amphitheatre.; this is gene, rally cleared from brush and sylvan rubbish, so as to have little but the grass beneath, and tall trees waving above. At the appointed time, the trustees of the New York Methodist churches, delegate one of their body to attend and make tlie proper arrangements for the occasion. A number of tents are employed ; sloops and small-vessels are hired by the trustees, who charge each person a small piece of money for his pas- sage, and also debar improper persons from embark, ing ; — the joyful hour is at length arrived ; the sloops are all freighted with the tents, camp meeting equi. page, &c. and only wait for the proper number of pas- sengers : these crowd from every part of the city to- ward the well-known wharf. Some of the sloops have ** camp meeting *' waving on their colours ; others have the words painted on boards, which they hang in the rigging. The people crowd on board, until each NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 313 sloop above and below contains from three to four hundred persons *. it is ofteu the case that there are se- veral local and itinerant preachers in each vessel, who regulate and lead the worship on board ; for from the time they leave the wharfs until they arrive at the place, sometimes a period of seven or eight hours, singing, prayer, preaching, and exhortation, alter- nately follow each other in re«7ular succession ; and truly it is enlivening to a dull, and enchanting to a devout and well.tuned heart, to sail along the silent and towering woods, singing the praises of God, and joining in the various exercises of religion ; at a time too, when nature is in a state of beauty, the sun shin- ing over your head, and the morning star irradiating the heart ; this is certainly a combination issuing in much internal peace and harmony of soul. — One of the hymns sung on this occasion is the follow- ing : *< Children of the heavenly king, As we journey let us sing. Sing our Saviour^s worthy praise. Glorious in his works and ways. We are travelling home to CSod, In the way the fathers trod j They are happy now, and we Soon their happiness shall see." When the vessels reach the selected spot, the pas- sengers hasten as quickly as possible to the camp ground. The tents are generally pitched in t\\e form of a crescent, in the centre of which is an elevated stand for the preachers, round which, in all directions, are placed rows of planks for the people to sit upon, while they hear the word. Among the trees, which spread their tops over this forest-church, are hung the lamps, which burn all night, and give light to the E e i I' 1 '\ ■■ vh I S14 NARRATIVE OP A MtSSldlT. variouts exercises of religion, which occupy the solemn midnight hours. As it was nearly eleven o'clock at night when 1 first arrived on the borders of a camp : 1 left the boat at the edge of the Wood, one mile from the scene, though the sound of praide from such a multitude, and at such- an hour, in the' midst of a solitary wilderness is difficult to describe ; but when I opened upon the camp ground, my curiosity wa6 con- verted into astonishment, to behold the pendetit lamps among the trees ; the tents- half encircling a large space ; ' four thousand people in the centre of this, listening with profound attention to a preacher, whose stentorian voice and animated manner, carried the vibration of each word to a great distance through the now deeply umbrageous wood ; where; save the twihk- 4ing lamps of the camp ; brooding darkness spread a ten-fold gloom : all excited my astonishment, ami forcibly brought before my view the Hebrews in the wilderness. But, to return, when the tents are ' pitched, the preachers*' stand raised ; the carts, waggons, Chais&s, horses, &:c. of those who come, all disposed round the outside of the tents ; the preachers then go hand in hand, through the camp, singing some appropriate hymn ; the one sung on this occa- sion began with the following lines : ~ "O thcu, in vrhose presence my soul takes delight. On whom in aiiliction I cati, My comfort by day, and my sonpr in the night, My hope, my salvation, my all." The meetings generally begin on Monday and on the Friday morning following break up ; the daily exercises are carried forward in the following manner : in the morning, at five o'clock, the horn sounds through the camp, either for public preaching f NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 315 I solemlk clock at a camp : lile from such a 1st of a when £ va6 con. fit lamps a large of this, r, whose ried the Dugh the le twi^k- spread a ent, and vs in the :ents are le carts, come, all >reach6rs , singing [lis occa- t, and on the daily following the horn >reaching or prayer, this, with smaller exercises, or a little in. termission, brings on the breakfast hour, eight o'clock ; at ten, the horn sounds for public preaching, after which, until noon, the interval is filled up with little groups of praying persons, who scatter them- selves up and down the camp, both in the tents and under the trees : as these smaller exercises are pro. ductive of much good, a powerful spirit of prayer and exhortation is often poured forth. 1 have not un. frequently seen three or four persons lying on the ground crying for mercy, or motionless, and without any apparent signs of life, except pulsation. After dinner, the horn sounds at two o'clock ; this is for preaching. I should have observed, that a female or two is generally left in each tent, to prepare the proper materials for dinner, which consists of cold meats, pies, tarts, tea, &c. (the use of ardent spirits being forbidden), and a fire is kept burning in different parts of the camp, where the water is boiled. After the afternoon preaching, things take nearly the same course as in the morning, only the prayins; groups are upon a larger scale, and more scope is given to animated exhortations and loud prayers ; some who exercise on these occasions soon lose their voices, and at the end of a camp meeting many, both preachers and people, can only speak in a whisper. At six o'clock in the evening the horn summons to preaching, after which, though in no regulated form, all the above means continue until morning ; so that go to whatever part of the camp you please, some are engaged in them ; yea, and during whatever part of the night you awake, the wilderness is vocal with praise. Jn the calm and solemn hours of sleep, to hear amidst the deep silence of a wood, the gloom n > ) r 11 I'i 316 NARRATIVE OF A MI88IOK. filled with hymns of piety to the God of love, is to a gracious and heaven-aspiring soul, a spiritual luxury that cannot be described. 1 have, at one and two o'clock in the morning, gone from tent to tent, to ob. serve what filled the hour, and but few engaged my notice, where the inmates were lying asleep upon the clean straw. J should have observed, that there is generally a partition or ^curtain between that part of the tent in which the men sleep, and that in which the women sleep ; alt things are done decently, and in much order ; nor do I believe that there is a place in the world where wicked thoughts find such difficult access to the mind as at a camp meeting : the world cannot claim an hour of abstraction from divine things ; nor can the devil stick a nail to hang his temptations upon. At the expiration of the allotted time the camp meet- ing is broken up, the process of which is as follows : there is a sacrament and love-feast near the preachers* stand, which is often a time of powerful influence and much spiritual benefit; the preachers then walk through the camp, singing a hymn ; after this they stand in a line, and all the people walk round the camp singing, and as they pass, the preachers shake hands until the whole are passed, then the preachers ascend the stand, sing the parting hymn, and bid each other farewell in the presence of the whole camp. At this (Croton) camp meeting there were twenty preachers, two hun- dred and twelve tents, and upon the most moderate calculation, not less than forty or fifty carts, waggons, gigs, &c. On several of the days there were present about six thousand persons; the tents, reckoning fifteen persons to each, contained three thousand one hundred and eighty ; but some of the tents had from il NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 317 , is to a luxury md two t, to ob. iged my ipon the there is part of k which , and in place in difficult e world divine ang his ip meet- follows : eachers* nee and through ind in a singing, until the le stand, farewell ;Croton) wo hun> loderate aggons, present ckoning 3ind one ad from twenty to thirty inmates. Perhaps not less than one hundred persons were awakened and converted to God ; and many professed to have received the sanc- tifying power of divine grace. During the meeting I observed a number of persons in a circle who were struck down ; they appeared perfectly stiff, and sense- less ; some lay in this state for hours, and when they resumed their faculties often began by either crying aloud for mercy, or testifying the grace of u sin-pardoning God. What renders this circumstance more mysterious, some who were thus struck down were in the habit of mocking, laughing, or trifling, and in this state were seized by an invisible power, and fell instantaneously. However embarrassed prior to the meeting, the mind, when upon the camp ground becomes peculiarly abstracted, and taken up with God and divine things ; the world is shut out, not only by the seclusion in a wood, but more fully by the sensible influence that is felt attending all the duties, drawing the mind and. the affections upward, and inspir- ing a calm, heavenly, and divine frame. I have heard many say that they never heard such praying, ex- horting, and preaching any where else ; and those who engage feel such a divine afflatus, that they are carried along as by the force of a delightful torrent ; indeed this has been so much the case with myself, the several times that 1 preached and ex- horted at these meetings, that 1 was sensible of nothing but a constraining influence, transporting me beyond myself, carrying me along with a freedom and fullness, both of emotion and language, quite unusual ; and yet I had no very friendly views of camp meet- ings until I attended them ; however, 1 am now satis- fied that they are the right hand of methodism in the £C3 ■HB" 318 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. l^'i United States, and one main cause why the societies have doubled and trebled there within these few years ; I grant there is some enthusiasm, and un- necessary shouting, singing, and clapping hands, but 1 will not condemn camp meetings, lest I should hurt the generation of God's children in that country, and more especially lest 1 should offend God, who has put his broad signet upon these ordinances of the forest world. I am, dear sir. Yours, &c. LETTER XLIV. The thrones of time shall pass away. Like Elg;ypt> Nineveh and Tyre, Earth's mighty cities all decay, And kings and conquerors expire j Bnt truth shall in eternal bloom Survive the sceptic's angry rage. Baffle the pride of hell and Rome, And flourish one eternal age. Author. DEAR SIRt During my detention in the city of New York (through the kindness manifested by those in power) 1 had the indulgence of visiting and prf>ac-h. ing at Long Island, the Jerseys, and also Phila. delphia, which is one of the most beautiful and regular cities I ever saw, though I hardly think it merits the title it bears as well as New York. During my visit to this city, the celebrated Dr. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 310 Rush died, deservedly esteemed, and lamented as a great and good man : to the Africans he was a distinguished benefactor. Hence, in this city, they stand upon dignified ground, having several good churches, and ministers of their own colour, chiefly through his former liberality to them, and to his influence with others in their behalf. The funeral of this great physician and philanthropist, was one of the largest I ever saw, extending probably a mile in length, and attended by nearly a hundred coaches. One of his pupils related to me a singu- lar anecdote respecting him :— he was at one time, attending his lectures, and remarked, that in one of them, he branched out upon a subject, which he. Dr. Sergent had read, more largely treated upon in a work of Mr. Fletcher's, and meeting with Dr. Rush, afterwards, my friend asked him if he knew the writings of Mr. Fletcher. — Ah ! yes, re- plied the doctor, I know the writings of that great and good man well ; and can assure you, he was the first that knocked the shackles of absolute unconditional predestination from my mind ; before 1 read his works, I could not pray for all men, but he set me at liberty ; and if I. meet him in heaven, I will thank him, and say, ** you Mr. Fletcher, gave me just views of God's love to the human family.*' This anecdote may be depended upon as an absolute fact. On my return to New York, I visited the city of Albany, on the Hudson river, the first theatre of (that good man) Captain Webb's labours. From Al- bany, 1 went with several friends to see the shaking Quakers* at their own settlement, which is called Niskeana. We staid all night at one of their estu- 320 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. r li,- 9 i blishinents, for bolievors, as thoy aro called ; and had an opportunity to witness the manners, worship, and doctrines of this singular people. Aboi/t eight o'clock, the hour of family worship, we were called into the great hall, or chapel, in the centre of the building ; and when we were seated the men and women marched into the room, in two ranks, occu- pying the whole length, the men on one side, and the women on the other ; a profound silence ensued until two men and women separated from the rest, and tiled off to the head of the room ; these began to hum a lively jig tune, to which all the rest kept time, first with a gentle vibration of their hands and whole body, and then by a more violent gesticulatioii, which ended in a rapid dance, that lasted about eight minutes, when they stood still ; until another tune being struck, they proceeded as before, and continued dancing about twenty minutes in the whole, and then in two regular lines, marched out to their respective rooms, having finishing (what they call) the devotions of the evening. This was an establishment of believers ; only such as have renounced all sexual intercourse are admitted i:ito this higher order of things : separation of hus- band and wife is an indispensable condition to this dis- tinguished dignity. Marriage is by these, held in the greatest detestation and abhorence : they consider it as a damning sin, in a word, as the cause of all other sins ; yea, they assert, this was the forbidden fruit, of which Adam and Eve eating in paradise, brought death into the world and all our woes : hence, most of their exhortations to others, are to beware of this great transgression, as being offensive to God, and ruinous to the soul. I asked the elders to give me a candid statement of their doctrine : the substance of which NARRATIVE OP A MISSION. 321 amounts to this — '** that they had received a new dis. pensation superceding the hible and all old established forms of religion ; that Mother Ann, their foundress, was the elect lady mentioned by John, likewise the woman mentioned in the Canticles and Revelations, and in various other parts of scripture ; that she was equal to Cod, and in all respects above Jesus Christ, and when 1 .'«sked whether she was present at the same time at all their church establishments, both at that in Lebanon, Connecticut, and also that on the Ohio, more than a thousand miles distant, and at Niskeana, where we were then conversing ; he replied in the affirmative. 1 enquired the reason why they did not pray ; to which he answered, " that they had no need of prayer, — prayers being the crutches of rotten reli- g^ 8 ; but that theirs was the new Jerusalem, coming ( from Gud out of heaven, as a bride adorned for her Husband :** in short, 1 could get nothing out of them, but what savoured of the grossest delusion f.nd blasphemy ; and yet these people have their admirers, their advocates, and their numerous proselytes ; the whole settlement belongs to them ; they have flocks, herds, farms, and riches. Several handicraft trades are carried on among them ; they live in a regular manner ; keep all in a common stock ; dress with plain uniformity ; and use the plain language, thee, thou, yea, nay, like the Quakers. Several who have left them, say they dance together in a state of perfect nudity, and have some other abominable and wicked orgies among them. Alas ! that such a disgrace should scandalize the human mind. 1 took my leave of them with a mixture of pity and disgust ; for yon might as well reason with the tempest as persuadQ them that they are wrong. 322 KAREATIVE Ot A MISSION. n During my residence in New York, 1 received a pressing invitation to visit the Gennessee counrty^ and various other parts of the interior ; and as 1 felt a wish to gratify an innocent curiosity in the line of duty, Jl gladly embraced the opening ; a worthy friend, whom the times had compelled to retire from business, agreed to accompany me on this route, as well as bear my expences. My intention was to visit the interior, the lakes, both of New \orkand Ga- nada, and also the celebrated falls of Niagara, having no immediate prospect of returning home, as the government had refused to give a flag of truce to any more veissels ; and I was the more disposed to this journey, hoping to have an opportunity to scatter the seeds of life more widely and extensively by such an excursion. In the early part of the month of May, 1814, w^ took our passage on boaru -tt a sloop packet, bound for Albany. We passed with an easy gliding course, t hose stupenduous cliffs, the highlands, rising in awful grandeur more than a thousan'! lieet above theredge of the river, and compeMing this noble stream to take a serpentine course through this vast chain of uiountains ; of whose summits the rattling thunder and forked lightning hold indisputable possession. A New York writer has given the scene u poetic cha. racter in the following lines : A shai^gy mountain fro'wns amon^ the clouds, O'er whose vast craggs a wilderness -• '♦--'iq. Interminable, pathless, unexplored. Save where the Hudson rolls his silent wave, CompressM to narrow bounds by the vast ridge. Yet nobly urging on his woodland course. As we passed along the rivers we were delighted lyjth the picturesfjue scenery, the vili.'iges that slope MARRATtVE OV A MtS&tOlT. 303 from lis very edge, the neat little towns of New- burgh, Athens, Rhinebeck, Hudson, and many others which do business upon its waters, all render the summer navigation of this river an highly interest- ing sail. Many gentlemen's seats adorn its banks, while its own fine swells, expanding in some places two or three miles, together with its graceful bends, curving uoti! its continuance is lost to the eye, give it a romantic and charming appearance; the the number of sloops sailing between New York and Albany, e.dds a beauty and richness to the scenery, while in some places vast forests extend to its very banks. The Kaatskill mountain, nearly opposite Rhinebeck, rises with a majesty and sub- limity from the river which language cannot describe ; it is within a few miles of the water, and may well j'lstify Mr. Barlow's description : The hoary Kaatskill, where the storms divide, Wouid lift the heavens from Atlas iauouruig pride, 1 am, dear sir. Yoursj &c. LETTER XLV. These shades where once the growling bear, And savage panther found a lair ; Now hear the ever-warbled h>mn, At morning bright or evening dim. DEAR SIRy After a delightful passage of four days we arrived ii: Albany, where 1 was kindly enteilained by my worthy English friends, Mr. John Taylor I 824 NARRATIVE OP A MISSIOK. >'*' ' r;'i and family. Albany still bears evident marks of its Dutch original, both in the conical tops of many of its houses, {whose gable ends face the streets) and also the bustle and hurry of business, of which it is still a crowded theatre ; being the emporium of commerce to the great western territory, which stretches to- wards that vast region of lakes which will hereafter be spoken of. The principal denomination in this city is the Dutch reformed, who have several large churches, and being amalgamated with the Presby- terians (betwixt and whom there are only a few shades of diflfcrence) form a large mass of the religious of the state : the Baptists, the Methodists, the Episco- palians, and the Quakers, have all their churches ; but the above is the principal body. Religion, how- ever, does not, in Albany, wear those lovely charac- ters of liveliness and zeal with which she is attended in New York. The Dutch religion is somewhat like the Dutch character, heavy and formal, though there are doubtless many true christians in this church, and some eminently learned and good men. I preached with much liberty and comfort in the niethodist church, (a new, spacious, and lightsome building), and during my stay in the city visited the grand and beautiful falls of the Cohos, upon the Mohawk river. Were it not for these falls, the Mohawk would beautifully glide into the Hud- son, and so form an immense chain of inland naviga- tion from Lake Ontario to the city of New York : the cataract is about forty feei, and the river about a quarter of a mile wide ; the best view of them is either from the bridge, or the left bank of the river turning from the road which leads to Saratoga ; from this eminence you have a charming view of the im- M It I NAKR.VTIVE OF A MISSION'. 3-26 upon falls. Hud. nienae cascade, which makes the earth trcutble be neath your feet. After spending a week in Albany, where we purchased two good horses (for now wc had to pursue our route by land), we took leave of our worthy friends, Mr, Taylor's femily, and on the 28th of May, after a pleasant ride of two hours, we arrived at Schenecdady ; this city (for so every place of con- sequence is called in America) is the beginning of the navigation of the Mohawk river ; it is a mart of con. siderable trade, though too near Albany to beconre a flourishing town. After refreshing ourselves, we walked upon an eminence which commands a fine view of the city, the neighbouring country, and the majestic Mohawk gliding at the foot of a high range •f mountains. The grandeur of river scenery, adds greatly to the beauty of an American landscape. Surely in the order of Providence this country is cal- culated to be a mighty empire, or rather more proper. ly« many. But who can look into the future destinies of nations ? He alone by whom kings reign and princes decree justice. ' Schenecdady too was formerly a Dutch town ; i' contains a Presbyterian, an Episcopal, a new Dutch, and a Methodist cl^urch ; the last, however, is a mere unfinished shell. The episcopal church is nearly in the form of a sugar loaf, and the gable ends of the houses, as in Albany, front the streets; it is, nevertheless, plea, santly situated at the feet of lofty hills. The bridge over the Mohawk is a large and noble work, built entirely of wood, and covered over like the Schulkill bridge, near Philadelphia, and the Delaware, at Trenton. The old college is a venerabio pile ; I walked round it, but all seemed like the silence of the grave : a larger and more extensive one has been erected under the !» . Ff T 326 NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. auspices of Dr. Nott, the pre^dent. Sunday the 29tb, wan a rainy day, nevertheless 1 preached in the unii. nished methodist church : this term though not pro- per when applied to a mere building, is certainly better than conventicle ; for I apprehend that in^ England the manner of speaking in these matters, implicates in the ohargoof '*^aU false doctrine, heresy, and schism,*' whoever does not belong to ** the cAurcA.** While I was preathing we had one of the most tremendous thunder storms I ever witnessed ; the concussions shook the church, while darkness spread an awful gloom, attended with most vivid flashes of lightning ; the congregation was greatly alarmed, and as the crashing peals drowned my voice, I discontinued, that Jehovah might be heard aiid attended to ; and then I changed my subject for that of the day of judgment. The effect was such as I had desired ; an inexpressible solemnity and awe rested upon the people, while the voice of God in the clouds seconded the voice of God in his word. ^ On one occasion, that truly apostolical preacher, father Abbot, as the Americans called him, was preaching, when a similar ^nd more awful thunder, storni begaii, and when the loudness of the successive claps had well nigh drowned his preaching, and the alsLrmed congregation were excited by fear, with a powerful stentorian voice, he addressed the trembling Hudience, and warned the wicked against the terrible consequence of rebelling against such a >eing as God^ ever- and anon exclaiming, — '* thunder away Lord! thee before, ^nd thy poor servant behind, we will kill the sinner betwixt us ! '* However, such a mode of ex- pression from this truly zealous and devoted .preacher was exceptionable, the consequence on* that occasion was, a powerful awakening, from which a revival of religion began and spread thro^igh all the settlemo'it. NARRATIVE OF A MISSION. 327 »20th, leunfi- ot pro- r better and the i in the histo,*' Vhile 1 lendous ussions 1 awful lining ; as the id, that then I lament, ressible lile the of God >stolical ed him, under- ;cessive md the with a ambling Iterrible IS God, Lord ! ill kill ofex- Ireacher Iccasion ;ival of |lemc"»t. In contemplating the ruinous condition of the me. thodist church here, and several other shells uf churches 1 had seen in this state, 1 am led to con. elude, that in the interior of New York, methodism is in the rear of all other denominations ; to what cause can this be imputed ? is it politics, avarice, or want of pure zeal, that the methodist churches are only shells, or mere frames just boarded in ? I appre- hend the people are as rich as others, and yet their places of worship are most miserable : probably one reason is, the want of more regular preaching; a preacher has to cover too extensive a field with his la- bours ; hence, a large portion of it must necessarily remain either poorly cultivated, or not cultivated at all : another cause of this poverty in chapels is, many people in this state neither properly . ader- stand, nor cordially approve of the itinerant plan. Monday the 30th, at five in the morning, we set off on our western tour, through roads as bad as deep ruts, broken bridges, and rapid torrents could make them. We had, it is true, the delightful Mohawk river on our left hand, (the reader will observe, we did not go the Cherry Valley road, or the Mohawk would have been on our right) whose banks are covered with finely cultivated plantations, affording some beauti. fully romantic landscapes. The former inhabitants of this river (the Mohawk Indians,) the most warlike of all the Aboriginal Americans, being friends to the British, renioved to Upper Canada, and now inhabit the country aboQt Little York, so that not an inhabitant of the whole nation is left upon their former domain ; their places are, however, supplied with Dutch and Germans, who have converted the hunting grounds of the Indians into delightful farins, Ff2 3-28 KARRATIVE OF A MISSIOM. I m^y'' Hi.''' RkK'!' Hllli Ui- I and cheerful villages. We were inucii surprised to find the roads so intcrsspersed with inns. As we expected to ride through much forest country and deary solitude. The inns or taverns as they are called on this route, are generally connected with farms, the accommodations are substantial, but upon a plain scale, and rather homely style. In many of them nothing could be obtained but ardent spirits, whiskey princi- pally, and new rum ; indeed such is the gust of many Americans to these noxious liquors, that they desire no other. Cider, ale, porter, or wine, were rarely to be had. .'. The dinner was chiefly bacon and eggs, or salt pork or beef. The Americans are famous for salted meats, and this perhaps during the heat of summer is the best diet on account of its anteceptic qualities. We passed the pleasant villages of Amsterdam, Palatine, and Cocknahage, (the last is an Indian name) ; in each of which there is a church of the Dutch, or Lutheran persuasion ; but we asked in vain fot Baptists, Methodists, and Episcopalians : the geniuis of Methodism is not suited to the dull phlegmatic gravity of Dutchmen. Finding on this route but few Wesleyan societies, and no chapels from Schenecdady tu Utica, 1 was deprived of the pleasure of publishing the sinner's friend ; I had, nevertheless, the comfort of woodland devotion ; the christian can admire God in the scenery of the forest, and can make the grove a vestibule to the heavenly world. The people at the taverns where we stopped, joined us in prayer. O sir ! how happy should we be ifthis were the case in Eng. land. The sultry weather not a little diminished the comfort I felt, and yet 1 could, on the scaffolding of nature, delightfully climb to the God of the universe. 1 am, dear sir, «! mrimm -»<*' i^v^.ir yquts, &c. IfAHBATlVE OF A 511S8ION. a29 a Edd- ied the ing of erse. .1' i,iVKh\i LETTER XLVI. h. -v ■ • ' J ^ J. The signs of the times are as clear as the suD) The chaiiot ot truth its bright circle shall run j ^^ ^*** '. And jron flaming orbs shall decline from their sphere, ) V . ' Ere; joercy shaH stop in its mighty career. < DEAk SIR, ■'(ij !>ni> Bocks, caverns, frightful torrents, meet the gaze ; Ridgex, and frowning cliffs, in daring style, At whose wild base the roaring waters boil ! 1 preached at the Little Falls, (foi this is the name of the village through which the canal runs, that interiocks with the upper part of the Mohawk) and bad the pleasure of dispensing the mysteries of the {UiM'dili'J NARRATIVE OF A MISSIOlt. 6S1 M'l gospel in the Free Masons Lodge, from the grand master's chair. From hence we rode to Herkemer, k lovely little town, situated upon the German Flats, a large tract of level land, which it is more than proba- ble, was once an immense lake, till the disrupture of the ridge at the little falls, afforded a vent for the waters of the Mdhawk. Here, at the request of Mr. Whittlesey, the presbyterian' minister, 1 preached in the court.house, a more commodious pl&ce than the . church ; we had moKt of the inhabitants of the village present. The following morning we rode to Utica, the emporium fur the interior of the state of New York ; this is just one hundred miles from Albany, and two hundred and sixty from the sea ; it is built upon the scite of Old Fort Schaylee. The houses are in the first style of elegance ; and the tclwn contains about three thonsanNi n I My preaching at the market place, at six in the morning, roused many to attend the forenoon service, at which a peculiar solemnity pervaded the people. In the afternoon, 1 attended the service in the Epis- copal church, a neat and beautiful edifice ; and in the evening, by permissioa of Mr. Baldwin, the minister, preached in the same pulpit to one of the largest con- gregations ever known in Utica. Many people pressed me to stay in the place, and several gentlemen were both liberal and urgent, but my desires had taken their flight to another climate. >..,' \ Monday we continued onr route westward, and passed through Hartford, Clinton, Senecka glass works, and to Brpthers Town, on the Oneida Lake : here the Indians have a chapel, and have for some years lived in the habits of partial civilization. Occum, the celebrated Indian preacher, resided here for some time, and was very successful among his countrymen : from these circumstances, 1 should have formed very favourable conclusions of the state of this Indian na^ tion, through whose ter^ritory wo were now passing, had not some things occurred to induce a change of opinion. In the evening, greatly fatigued, we arf> rived at Sullivan ; and on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, continued our route, and. passed the beau- tiful lakes Onandagua, Skeneptples, and the Se^ necka, stopping at the beautiAi} town and lake of Geneva. — Nothing can be mor^ :grand and magnifi- cent than the appearance of these laHes. Their limped waters, like a silver mirror, let into an immense ver- dant ground : the wild fowl that abound in them, occasional plantations slooping from the woodland to the water edge : the vast forests that fringe their banks : the wigwams of the Oneida Indians, sprinlu k a b< h( m NARRAtlVE Olf A MISSION. 33d •nrri' kled hero and the'rd,'' all, ihaWe ttiem to a stranger an interesting sfrcctaclo. And yet with all their beauty, a residence near the banks is by no means healthy ; the lake fever, a nondescript disease, makes dreadful' ravages. In thfse solitary forests, all the substantial blessings, and many of the comfort^ of life abound. The gospel is preached in purity,' and Dothirig'caii ei^ceed the external neatness o^ many of the little churches, that rise in all directions, sur- rounded with clamps of trees. One btnssed trait of the American character is, they carry their religion with them. Enterprise leads them deep into the forests of the interior, and religion cheers them in the midst of their s^y'lvan solitudes. You seldom pass a little American town without observing one or two churches. Most that we noted in this route were of the Episcopal, the Dntch reformed, or the Presbyterian, persuasion. The foundation of the latter was laid by the puritans, who fled from the bitterness of persecution in the da^rs of worthless Charles the S^cdnd, and emi« grated to Boston. An Englishman travelling in America has no antiquities save those of nature to contemplate, every thing human is new ; and not as is often the case in England, new in an old style* Republicaris whose calculations are all economical, — have little money to bestow on dark, glopihy, and expensive gothic struc- tures ; and wliat pnrpose but for show, do such buildings answer ? they build for themselves and not for posterity ; Ikhow in writing to a poet I aim treading upon delicate grbund, but in such' buildings is not devotion out of the question ? Poefi'y, 1 know may talk of ** the long dhivim aisle and fretted vault, and the pealing anthem swelling' the note of praise,'* but God requires from the temple of the heart, " thie li dd4 HARRATIVE OF A MISSION. living sacrifice, which is a holy, ac{Ceptabl», and roasonable service.** 1 blame not (he Americans for not laying out their money on piety's raree shows ; beside their posterity will he lietter able to build temples of stone,, than they ar^ at present to build them of wood, Geneva contains about a hundred houses^ and is a pla^e of much tr^de. The houses are chiefly frame buildings, neat and well pai^ited.; all possess a full view of this charmin{|» luke, from the banks of which they rise in gradual slope. Having refreshed, we rode to Canandarqua, on a luke of the same name. This is the county town of Ontario ; from hence we intended to visit the falls of Niagara, as this is the last place of any note before you arrive at that cele. brated cataract. Walking through the main street of Canandarqua, I was recognised by a Mr. Beal, who, with affectionate hospitality, invited me to his house, and begged 1 would make it my home during my stay, .i^eiiig one of the trustees of the fine now independent church, he procured me liberty tp preach in it on the following day, which was the sabbath. While at Bloomfield, near Caoaadarqua, we learned,, with regret, . that we could not^ with any safety, visit the falls at Niagara, as we should have in the first plaoe to pass through General Brown* s army,— a circumstance that mijght have excited some suspicion, as we were both Jp^nglishmen : and secondly, that the British had Jsuilt a block-house upon the op- posite bank, i»qd , frequeptly fired, grape shot at per- sons viewipg the falU from the American side ; and that several travellera had newrly paid too high a price for their curiosity, by hearing the balls whiz aboHt th^ir ears among the bushes : and, although NARRAl'lVL or A MISSION. 8S5 and h. we any have )wn*s some udly, e op. per. and gh a whiz ough we werfe both Britons, we liad no great dosiro to fio kilted by the bullets of our countrymen ; so we were relaciantly obliged to forego the gratiflcation of be- bolduig one of the most stupendous wonders of the globe; The state of religion in thrs fine eounttry, (Cenn^issee) does not, by any means, appear flourishing : indeed that is hardly to be expected, considering the state of excitehient the present uAhappy quarrel has caused. In religion, Arianisn^, has spread its paralyzing influ- ence tiitough the community ; we found but few Methodists, and these not in the most flourishing state. AtX^anandarqua, however, I was enabled to deliver my soul, and preach plain and searching discourses to senators, congress men, lawyers, doc- tors, and merchants ; all of whom Composed the con- gregation of this elegant church. The gentlemen of the plnce treated me with marked kindness, although they knev ihat I was an Englishman : indeed, amoiig the federalists and many of the respectable part of the community, there is much liberality and noble- ness of sentiment'; an Englishman is not a mark for opprobium amongst these, — they still {respect the old country, though they are nevertheless the warm and consistent >friends of their own. I was much impor- tuned to stop, for "Cod blessed his word to several individuals, who said ** that they greatly needed plain searching preaching.** While in this town, Mr. Myron Holley introduced me to see a war dance of the I ndians of the Oneida nation, who were then going to assist the American army, at the r>!iagara frontier : this shew of savage military tactics exceeded in sublimity of horror any ihing that I had ever witnessed, and made uie deeply i 3SG NARRATIVE OP A MtSS^ONn ^' ,1 deplore that civilized nations shouM.ries^rt to 9nch bar* burotts allies as the Indians: your ,t>wn st,ropg and poetical iraiagination could hardly fancy anything, more horrible than a number qf these engaged in ar war dance ; — imagine you see twenty oi' thirty of these ^arriprs, half D^ked, painted in vaiious forras^ so aa to increase, an appearance of ferocity; theif hair 4,iro^s(^d in war stile, and their arms covered with plates of brass nr silver ; each with a scalping knife in his belt, and brandishing a tomahawk or small ave as bright as silver ; a kind of gong is struck by one of them, which emits a dismal and un- musical sound, the whole number of warriors flourish- ing their tomahawks, set up the war whoop,^a sound so terrific and savage, that it capnot be hes^rd without a chilling emotion pf terror, that penetrates to the very soul ; the rest Consisted of running, springing, creeping, gashing witli the tomahawk, and scalping ; all accom- panied with such barbarous yells aifd ferocious looks, such writheing and twisting of the body and dis^ tortious of the countenance, that if & little colony of demons ivere to emigrate from the bottomless pit, their eKhibiUona would hardly be more terrific. Such is .a4 indi||iii( Vraf dt^Qce, which, in fact, is no other than a real representation of their ferocious and inhuman mode of fighting ; and yet these Oneida Indians have been somewhat civilized ; have bad missionaries among them ; and have^ in a limited degree, learned .^he arts of agriculture. 1 am, dear sir. Yours, &c. iu hiu> i*M HMdM' • M. to 9iich bar* s^ro^ and Y ADyikmg igaged in a ^ 01' thirty in v&j'iotis 'f ferocity^ their arms ach with a I tomahawk of gong is ol and un. rs flourish, a sound so I without a the very , creeping, all accom- ioua looks, 7 and dis- tie colony miess pit, > terrific, n fact, is ferocious Be Oneida lave had a limited &c. W'