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WAKE LEY. •'Valiant for the truth." *■ Uen that hazarded their Uvea for th« Name of our Lord Janu Christ* ELEVENTH EDITION. Corantor: William Brigos, 78 & 80 Kino Strekt East. MCWTRfiAU Q. I a W. OOATB& | BAUVAX. K.a t A. V. HUBSTIg. \ ■ t \ 1 ■ ' fae M il I-. /■ U i PREFACE. The world has had its heroes. The title heio has been applied almost exclusively to men who have distinguished themselves on the field of battle, or who have performed noble deeds of moral or physi- cal daring. But what is true heroism 'i And wlio are the true heroes ? True heroism " is the sacrijiee •of self for the good of others^'' says the Pev. William Arthur. Then the self-sacrificing man for the good of his race is the real hero. The Church has had her heroes. In its early ages there were Moses, and Joshua his illustrious •successor; Caleb and Nehemiah; at a later period, Isaiah and Daniel ; in the days of the Apostles, Ste- phen and Paul; afterward Wickliif and Zwingle, Luther and Knox, Wesley and Whitefield, Coke and Asbury, and other " Immortal names that cannot die." The subjects of this work were heroes in the loft- iest sense of the w^ord. With no sword but that of the Spirit, no banner but that of the cross, and no commander but our spiritual Joshna, the leader of the Lord's host, they went forth to glorious war, liaving for their motto, " Victory or Death." They were the heroes of Methodism ; their great object to promote " Christianity in earnest." \ iv PREFACE. The design of this work is not so much to give a history of the men, as anecdotes and incidents which iUustrate their character, and the times in ,which they lived. Anecdotes have beenjustly styled, "The Flowers of Biography and History." Those which illustrate the public or private character of distinguished per- sonages, have at all times been read with deep interest, because they show the disposition of the men, and furnish us with a key to their character. Furthermore, a striking anecdote or incident will bo remembered when a logical argument is forgotten. It will not onlj^ interest the reader at the time, but will awaken in his soul a desire to know more of the person concerning whom it is related. Some of the men described here are compara- tively unknown in history, or to the Church — such noble champions as Caleb B. Pedicord and John Easter. Some of the incidents may be considered trivial. It is all we have of the men. It is like gathering gold-dust; no matter how small the parti- cles, they are gold. My materials I have gathered from every availa- ble source. I have corresponded with aged minis- ters all over the country, in ordei' to gather anecdotes and incidents never before published. I have also conversed with a^ed ministers and members, and from their trembling lips have written much that would soon have been forgotten and lost. The reader will find much in this volume he has never seen before. Other anecdotes have been gathered from old magazines, which are seen and read by few ; many of them are from the other side of the Atlan- tic, and from biographies not publiiLod in this i PREFACE. T countiy, as well as a few that have been. Others have been obtained from fugitive newspapers that would soon have been numbered amonii; the thiriiis that were. Some anecdotes concerninoj tlie same men were widely scattered, a little here and a little there, so far apart that tliej appeared to have no rela- tion to each other. They are brought together, and there is perfect harmony, and they make quite an interesting family. I have been encouraged to go on in my labour by letters from beloved brethren in the ministry and laity, approving of a work of this kind, and promis- ing assistance. An extract from a few of the letters I have received cannot be out of place here. The following is from BishojD Simpson: Pittsburg, Dec. 14, 1854. Dear Brotiikr, — I fully endorse your views as to loscuing incidents, &e., from oblivion. It oiif/ht to he done, atnl done speedily. So numerous are my enjiagements that I shall not be able to contribute much, if any. I hope you will carry out jour plans, &c. Yours truly, M. SiMrsox. The Hon. John McLean, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, who has done a noble service to the Church by writing the lives of the Rev. Philip Gatch and the Rev. John Collins, writes thus : WAsmxGTON, Dec. 17, 1854. Dear Sir, — Should Providence spare my life, and time be aflbrded me, it will give me ])leasure to write two or three sketches or more, of clergymen, whom I have known, and who have gone to their account. John JMcLean. From Bishop Kavanaugb., of the Southern Meth- odist Episcopal Church, I received the following: L i! ^ !■ PREFACE. Veksailes, Kkktucky, March 20, 1855. My Dear Buothku, — I highly appreciate the object you have presented for my consideration. It is said, and I am clad of it, " the righteous sliall be in everlasting remembrance." I will give my attention to the laudable purpose you are cher- ishing, and hope to render you some assistance soon. This "Western and Southern country has been very rich in its mate- rials to furnish something interesting of the kind you ask for, and the present generation should preserve such incidents from oblivion. I hope to have leisure and opportunity to preserve something of the kind you have suggested. Most respectfully and fraternally yours, H. H. Kavanaugh. I make these extracts, not to show tluit the writers cndoi'se Ihis work, for they have not read it, but that they highly approve of a book of this kind. I am willing, yea, desirous to send it out upon its own merits. If it has in itself the elements of immortal- ity, it will live and be read when the hand that pens this sentence lies cold across the writer's bosom; if it is of no value, the sooner it perishes aad is for- gotten the better. ' I also received encouraging letters from Bishops Morris, Scott, and otliers. Bishop Ames, in a letter to Kev. F. G. Holliday, says : " Some pains have been taken by several per- sons to perpetuate the memory of those who distin- guished themselves in border warfare with Indian tribes; but, up to the prese.it time, little or no eflort has been made to rescue from oblivion the memory of those moral heroes, who, as spiritual leaders of the forlorn-hope, under the great Captain of our salvation, guided the Church to battle and to victory. Though comparatively unknown and un- honoured on earth, their 'record is on high.' But they ought not to remain unknown and unhonoured PREFACE. VII f among men It is a work both oi piety and j)a^riot- ism to embalm their virtues in history, and thus hand over their example for the re82)ect and imita- tion of posterity." These noble sentiments of the bishop will find a cordial response in many a heart. I am deeply indebted to Bishops Morris and Ames, as well as to Dr. Thomas E. Bond, Rev. Henry Boehm, Rev. Alfred Brunson of Wisconsin, and Samuel G. Arnold, Esq., as well as many others, for interesting incidents by which this work has been enriched. There is one thing to comfort the reader: the anecdotes are not fictitious, the incidents are not apocryphal. They are not manufactured to make a book. A lad was begging of a gentleman in England, when the man inquired why he solicited charity. The boy said his father was dead and his mother was a w4dow, or A very poor. The stranger inquired, " What did your father do when living ?" The lad answered, " He was an accident-rriaker for the newspapers." I am no anecdote-maker. But I have taken some pains to furnish the reader with some already made, which bear the image and superscription of t/i'uth. This book will be read by those who have never seen the writer, and by old " familiar friends" with whom he has " taken sweet counsel and walked to the house of God in company." In a ministry of nearly a quarter of a century, it has been his privi- lege to form a pleasing acquaintance with many Buch friends. Their parlours, tables, and firesides have witnessed the hearty welcomes he has received into their hospitable dwellings. The author need not say to them that for years he has had a fondness |i ( \ i V ^': ' f J i? i \ i ' 1 '^" riii PREFACE. for antiquity ; that he loves an "old chair," an "old book," an "old soldier of the Revolution," or an "old soldier of the cross." If it is childish, he is willing to be considered a child. They also know his de- light in anecdotes of olden times. For yeare he has been treasuring them up. The portfolio is now open, and the leader is permitted to look into it. It will remind some of bygone days and years, when it was the writer's privilege to sit in their dwellings, when some pleasant anecdote was related, and a little sunshine was thrown around the liearth stone, and smiles for a time took the place of tears. The " heroes" nJimed in this volume are all dead. " They sleep their last sleep, they have fought tbeirlast battle, No sound can awake them to glory again." "We also are " passing away," and should •' Walk thoughtfully on the silen*., solemn shore, Of that vast ocean rre must sail so soon. ' I will now, as the Indians say, " shake hands in my heart" with the readers of tliis book, invoking the favour of Him, " whose blessing maketh rich and addeth no sorrow," to rest upo'i them. If they enjoy half as much in its perusal as I have in writing it, I shall be amply compensated. In communing with the mighty dead, I trust we shall partake of their spirit, and "follow the example of tliem who through faith and patience inherit tlie promises." I cannot conclude without acknowledging my special obligation to the Rev. John M'Clintock, D. D., the able editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review, at wiioso suggestion this work Vv'as com- menced, and under whose kind supervision it is published. J. B. Wakeley, Nkw-York Dec. 14, 1866. CONTENTS. iraANCTS >SBURY Page 13 Bishop Asbury's Manner 21 Bishop Asbury could read Men 22 Bishop Asbury as a Preacher 23 Francis and his Mother 24 Bishop Asbury's Manner of Reading the Bible 25 Bishop AF^'xry's Illustrations 25 Bishop A-.iity on Temptation 26 Bishop Asbury on the Best Site for a House of Worship 26 Bishop Asbury's Advice to Young Preachers 27 Bishop Asbury's Punctuality 27 Bishop Asbury's Love for the Itiner.^ncy 28 Bishop Asbury's Regard for Children 29 Bishop As'.)Ufy and I'unch 29 Bishop Asbury and Hev. William Burke 34 Bishop Asbury and Primitive Methodist Simplicity 34 Bishop Asl)ury among tho Log-Cabins and in tho Quarterly Conference , 85 Bishop Asbury's Reproof to Conference Speech-makers 88 Bishop Asbury's Re^^ard for the Sheep of the V/ilderness 39 Bishop Asbury and the Appointments of Preachers 39 Bishop Asbury and His Portrait 40 Bishop Asbury ajid Tom Jenkins.... 42 Bishop Asbury anu t'^e Love-Feast 47 P-.shop Asbury on the Marriage of Preachers 48 Bishop Asbury and tho Rev. James Quinn 49 Bi?hop .Asbury and the Inquisitive Lady : 50 Bisliop Asbury and the Almoni' Nats 51 Bishop Asbury a.'\d the Crust of Broad 52 Bisho|» Asiiuryon tho DitftTont (ienenitions of Methodists 52 Bisliop Asliury and the Voung Minister 54 Bishop Asbuiy Impatient of Profitless Discussions 54 Bishop Asbury nnd the FiConomical Steward 65 Asbury in the 'amily — in tlie Ball-Rooni — at tho Ferry 65 Asbury Redeeming tho Widow's Cow ,.... , 86 ▲■bury the Monk and the Nuns 57 II .1, ' <♦ CONTJKJSTS. Asbury and his Fair Guide Page 58 Bishop Asbury and the Secretary 59 Bishop Asbury and the Soldiers 60 Asbuiv and a Troop of Preachers 61 Bishop Asbury and the Physicians 62 Bishop Asbury and the Duelliets 63 Bishop Asbury and R. Hubbard S5 Asbury and John Kline 66 Asbury and the Rowdies 67 Asbury and Seth Mattison 68 Asbury on Ministerial Popularity .... 68 Bishop Asbury and che Brandy Bottle 69 Bishop Asbury's Reasons for Celibacy 70 Asbury and the Charitable Society 71 P'rancis Asbury's Last Sermon in Ei\gland 72 Bishop Asbury Sowing Good Seed , 73 Bishop Asbury's Last Sermon 73 THE REV. THOMAS COKE, LL. D 77 Coke's First Interview with Asbury 80 Coke and the Useful Book 81 Coke and the Slanderer of John Wesley 82 Coke on Altering an Article of Faith 84 Coke and Miss Smith 85 CokeaJonah 86 Coke Producing a Calm 87 Coke and the Captain 88 Coke Bought at His Own Price 88 Coke aud His Hostess's Family 89 IITE REV. WILLIAM M'KENDREE 9S M'lvendree and the Aged Minister lUl M Kendree and his First Circuit 101» M'Kendree and Bishop Asbury 104 Two Poor Bishops 105 M'Kendree and Mr. M'Namar 106 M'Kendree aud the Enraged Brother 106 M'Kendree and William Burke 106 M'Kendree and the Extortioner ; or, the Power of Coniicience 107 M'Kendree and the Qeutloman 108 The Sermon that made M'Kendree Bishop 109 Bishop M'Kendree and the Penitent Ill M'Kendree and the Calvinists 113 M'Kendree and the Western Conference 113 M'K< idreeand the Quarterly Meeting 114 BUh p M'Kendree and the Conflagration 114 BUI p M'Kendree and Samuel Parker 115 Bisliop M'Kendree aud Rev. John F.Wright 116 Bishop M'Keudree's Sermon before the New-England Con- ference 116 * Bishop M'Kendree'8 Sermon at Paris, New-York 117 General Jackson and the Noisy Prayer-Meeting 119 CONTENTS. A Noble Woman and a Noble Toast Page 120 Bishop M'Kendreeand the Little Boy 121 Bishop M'Kcndree and the Union Meetiiig-House 122 Bishop M'Kcnd.-ee and his living Sister 123 Bishop M'Kendree's Farewell to the General Conference 132 Bishop M'Kcndree and the New-York Conference 133 Bishop M'Kendreeand the Young Preacher ''34 THE REV. ENOCH GEORGE 137 Enoch George's First Interview with Bishop Asbury 143 Enoch George's Personal Religious Habits 143 George and the Valley of Baca 144 George and his First Circuit 145 George and the Episcopal Clergyman 145 Bishop George and Abner Chase 146 Bishop George and his Portrait 147 Bishops George and Hedding, and the Landlord 148 Bishop George's Visit to Danbnry, Conn 149 Bishop George and the Rev. Moses Hill 149 Bishop George and the Little Girl ] 51 Bishop George preaching the People up to the Third Heiven 152 Bishop George and hisPurtuer 153 Bishop George and the Preachers of the Genesee Conference 154 Bishop George and the Impostor 155 Bishop George and the Preacher who wished to be accom- modated 157 Bishop George and the Unwelcome Preacher 15S Bishop George at the Maine Conference 1G5 THE REV. ROBERT WILLIAMS IfiO Robert Williams and the Rev. Mr. Jarrett 172 Mr. Williams and the Peoijle in Norfolk 173 \^'ilUams and the Lee Family 173 'HE RP]V. RICHARD BOARDMAN 177 Boardraan's Remarkable Deliverance 178 Boardman and the Mother of the Rev. Jabez Banting 179 Boardman and th<^ Soldiers , 181 Boardman and Pilmore , 181 Pilmore and the Parish Priest 182 THE REV. CALEB B. PEDICORD 185 Singing on his Way 186 Pedicord's Text and Sermon 187 Podicord, the Spiritual Father of Thomas Ware , .... 188 IVdicord receives the Thanks of Thomas Ware 190 Podicord and Joe MoIIinor 190 Pedicord and the Young Lady 194 THE REV. WILLIAM GILL 199 Gill and Doctor Rush ; 199 The Grave of Gill 200 >f'^, < I li I I t ! Ihi iii O CONTENTS THE REV. JOHN TUNNELL Page 201 Tunnell and the Sailor 202 Tuunell, General Russel and his Wife 203 Tunnell, Gill, and Pedicord compared 205 THE REV. RICHARD IVY 206 Ivy and the two American Officers 20b THE REV. JOSEPH BRADFORD .' 211 Bradford and John Wesley 212 Bradford and Mr. Wesley at Bristol 213 Bradford and Lady Huntington 214 Bradford and the Angel 215 Bradford, Wesley, and the Chaise 215 THE REV. JOHN EASTER 219 Easter, M'Kendree, and George 221 John Easter and Jesse Lee.., 222 Easter and Rev. Stith Mead 223 Easter and the Thunder-Storm 224 Easter and the Enraged Husband, and his Courageous Wife... 225 THE REV. JESSE LEE 22» Lee enlisted by Bishop Asbury 231 Lee and the non-committal Quaker 232 Lee and his lost Hat 233 Lee, Asbury, and the Superintendent of a Ball 233 Lee and the Calvinistic Minister 234 Lee's Reply to the Man who wished to know if he had a lib- eral Education 235 Lee and his Co-Labourers opposed in New-England 236 Lee's " Warm and Cold Reception" in Stratford 237 Lee and the Sr.ybrook Platform 238 Lee and the Aged Minister 238 Mr. Lee's First Sermon in Redding, and its Results 239 Lee and Elder Hull 242 Lee's Reception in Bridgeport, in consequence of a singular Dream 243 Lee and a Self-Conceited Bigot 244 Lee and the Baptist Preacher 245 Lee's German taken for Hebrew..... 246 Lee and Rev. Mr. Darrough 246 Lee's Cold Reception from Col. B. 247 Lee and the Yankee Training-Day 247 Lee and the Lawyers 248 Lee's Retort upon George Pickering 249 Lee Retorted upon by Asa Shinn 250 Lee's n»>.aicce88ful Prayer in reference ti Matrimony 251 Lee's Manner of Introducing Himself 253 Lee's Singular Dream 252 Lee's Preaching 253 Le«'i Ease of Manner 258 CONTENTS. Lee and his Host ^ Page 254 Lee letting a Fellow "Go for Slippance " 254 Lee Waking up a Congregation 255 Lee's Fitness for the Episcopacy 255 Lee and other Weighty Preachers 256 Lee's Pleasant Retort upon Bishop Asbury 256 Lee's Retort upon tlie Congressmen , 257 I,ee and tite Coloured Preacher 258 Lee Turning the World Upside Down 259 Lee and the Gentleman who was standing in his Own Light 2C0 Lee Cracking a Roue 2G0 Lee and the Angry General 2GI Lee a Captain 264 Lee and the Dogs 205 Lee and the Bajjtist Woman 206 Lee's Last Sermon 206 THE REV' SAMUEL BRADBURN 269 Bradburn and the Poet 271 Bradburn and the Gown 271 Bradburn and Dr. Adam Clarke.. , 272 Bradburn and Robert Robinson 273 Bradburn and Dawson 275 Bradburn's Poetry 275 Bradburn and au Opposing Clergyman 276 Bradburn and Betty the Servant Girl 278 Bradburn and Benson 279 Bradburn and Samuel Bardsley 280 Bradburn's Retort on Wesley 281 Bradburn and the Young Ministers 281 Bradburn and the Drunkard , 283 Bradburn and Sammy Hiuk 283 THE REV. SYLVESTER HUTCHINSON 287 Hutchinson and the Trilling Young Women 289 Hutchinson and the Traveller 290 Hutchinson, the Lost Presiding Elder 21 1 THE REV. DARIUS DUNHAM 293 Dunham and Elijah WooUey 296 Toils of the Pioneers 297 Scolding Dunham 3Ul Dunham's inexplicable Groan 301 Dunham and the Wild Fire 803 Dunham rebukes Levity 804 Dunham and the Squire 803 Dunham and the Infidel 805 Dunham and the Amen 306 Dunham and the Woman possessed with the Devil 806 THE REV. SMITH ARNOLD SOfl Ucars Mtttkadisl PrMcktag 3M i I, I. tl. 8 CONTENTS. Life in the Woods Page 310 A Warning 313 A Class Formed 315 A Change 316 His Theological Course 317 Licensed to Exhort 318 Othcial Responsibilities 318 The Sceley Family 319 Call to Preach 32t Arnold and the Rev. William Keith 325 Great Revival 32G The Itinerant Field 329 How Mr. Arnold failed of a Whipping 329 Sickness 330 Albany Circuit 331 Arnold and Tobias Spicer 332 His End, or the Closing Scene 333 THE REV. SAMUEL HAMILTON 337 Hamilton and the Infidel 338 Hamilton's Gravity overcome 339 THE REV. ARCHIBALD M'lLROY 845 M'llroy as a Preacher 346 M'llroy on the General Rules 347 M'llroy and the Drunkard 348 M'llroy and the Dutchman 348 M'llroy's Sermon on the Swine 350 M'llroy and the Dancing-Master 351 M'llroy and the Calviuistic Minister 352 THE REV. WILLIAM DAWSON 855 Dawson's "Railway Speech" 361 Dawson in Bristol 362 Dawson correcting Dr. Young 862 Dawson Stop])ing the Choir 863 Dawson's Coal-Pit Illustrations 363 Dawson's Bold Flights 365 Dawson Correcting Dr. Watts 366 Dawson's Response to Andrew Fuller 367 Dawson and the Pedler 367 Dawson and the Critic 369 Dawson and the Backslider 369 Dawson and the Gentleman •..• 370 Dawson's Power in Preaching 371 Dawson Silencing a Fault-Finder 873 Dawson Ending a Theological Dispute 873 Dawson on the Farthing Candle 874 DawBon and the Colt S7S Dawson and John Angell James 376 Dawson on Methodist Clerks 877 Dawson Next to Nobody 377 CONTENTS. tf Dawson's Lock of Strength Page 378 Dawson and the Jack Tar 378 Dawson and the Solemn Trifler 379 Dawson and the Editor 380 Dawson on "Reading a Speech" 380 THE REV. JOHN COLLINS 883 Collins and the Quaker 384 Collins Laying Down his Commission 386 Collins's Remarkable Dream 880 Collins's First Sermon 380 Collins's Sermon in Cincinnati 387 Collins and the Calvinistic Woman 388 Collins and the Drunkard 389 Collins and the Country Funeral 389 Collins and J. B. Finl-y 390 Collins and the Bank Note 390 THE REV. THEOPHILUS LESSEY 395 Mr. Lessey as a Preacher and Platform Speaker 398 Lessey and Dawson 399 Lessey and the Infidels 400 Lessey and the Country Preacher 400 Lessey's Punctuality 401 Lessey ' n Popery 401 Lessey and Old James 402 Lessey and the Drunkard 403 THE REV. JACOB GRUBER 407 Gruber's Conversion and Entrance upon the Work of the Min- istry 419 Grnber's Account of hie First Ten Years in the Itinerant Ministry 421 Gruber's Personal Habits 422 Gruber and the Veil 423 Gruber's Power in Prayer 423 Gruber and the Devil's Firebrand 424 Gruber's Possessions 424 Gruber on Extraordinary Manifestations 424 Gruber Lost among the Mountains 425 Gruber's Reproof of Parental Indulgence 427 Gruber and Father Richards 423 Gruber and the Quaker.. 430 Gruber and the Irishwoman 432 Gruber and Two Rich Methodists 433 Gruber on Gayety among Methodists 435 Gruber on Methodist Ministers using Tobacco 436 Gruber and the Man in a Cold Winter State 436 Gruber's Description of Camp-meeting Scenes 437 The Conversion of a Man with a Pistol 437 The Conversion of a Major 433 Camp-meeting Held all Night 4:- ghanics. I liave crossed with them the rivers east, west, north, and south. I have put up with tliem in tiie log- house and in the mansion, till it appears as if I had seen liishop Asbury, heard him "say grace at the table," oHi-r up "family prayer," heard him preach, seen him ordain, been in his cabinet, and '>eheid him station the preachers, so graphic and so life-like are the descriptions of the bishop of his preaching, and of the scenes through which they passed together, which father lioehm has given me. Francis Asbury was born in the county of Statibrdshire, England, on the 2d of August, 1745. His parents, .Josej»h and Elizabeth Asbury, were in humble circumstances, deeply pious, and consistent Methodists. They had a daughter, Sarah, who found an early grave, an early heaven ; and this was the means of leadina: Francis " To give his wanderings o'er By giving Christ his heart." IIow oft there is much mercy mingled in the cup of sorrow ! Francis being an only son, and the oidy remaining child, all the hopes of his parents centred in him. lie united with the class in 17G3, began to preach when lie was sixteen years old, and was twenty-one when he entered the travelling con- nexion. He bade adieu to his parents and the land of his birth, and came to this new world and landed in Philadelphia on the 27th of October, 1771. He immediately entered upon his work. Ho began to itinerate at once, and con- tinued to do so till the " Weary wheels of life stood still." He was elected and ordained superintendent or bisiiop of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Christmas conference hold in Baltimore, 1784. After performing an incredible amount of labour, and enduring many privations and hard- ships, travelling thousands of miles evf-.y year, he died in ^ fKANClS ASBURY. 15 holy triiimph, on the 31st of March, 1810. ITis faithful tnivelling companion, Kev. John W. Bond, cheered hiin as he was passini;^ the vaMey of the shadow of death, and com mended his departing spirit to Him who is th'i "Kesiir rcction and the Life." It was well the hishop had vsuch a travelling companion as brother Bond. What a staff on which the venerahle feeble old man could lean ! what a protector in the hour '^f danger ! what a support in the hour of weakness! Happy ])rivilege for the old Methodist patriarch to he thus comforted in the evening of life ! Hi.ppy privilege, too, for brother Bond to bo with the dying Asbury as his sun was descending low, and to see the " twilight of his eveninfj melt away into the twilirrht of the morning of an eternal day !" He accompanied the bishop down to Jordan's cold Hood, comforted him as the earthly house of his tabernacle was dissolving, supporting his languishing head till his thrcbbing temples ceased to beat, and angels whispered " Sister spirit, come away." Bishop Asbury, though dead, yet lives, not only in the memory and affections of grateful thousands, but in a higher and loftier sense, "in the upper, and better, and brighter world, of which the stars and the sunlight are the faint and the distant emblems." "They that be wise shall shine as the briffhtness of the firmament: and thev that have turned many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." The following beautiful tribute to Asbury is from a sermon, preached by the Rev. John Peott, president of the l^ritish Conference, on the first Sabbath in August, 1852, "showing that Methodism has sought to reproduce the moral trans- formations of apostolic times, and has succeeded :" — " There is no man whose character and career will furnish n more striking illustration of our position than that of Fran- cis Asbury : and yet we look in vain for any acknowledgment of the services he performed —services equally laborious, and )■ :6 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. of vrtstly greater importance than any military or political leader — or even the mention of his name by any jwpular his- torian of the United States. But the time will come when ])osterity will acknowledge its indebtedness to him, and jus- tice be done to his memory. ■ " Asbury seems to have been specially fitted by the hand of Providence for the work assigned him it- this new country. He was not what is called a r/enius, but he possessed qualifi- cations far superior to this. 'J'tiough he liad none of that splendour of intellect which would dazzle or be su{)remely attractive, yet he had those peculiar dispcjsitions — that mor- ally sublime motive, connected with that indomitable perse- verance which ever prevented him from being discouraged, and would have made him great in any sphere of action. In the whole history of the Church of Christ we could find no better model of a Christian bishop than the noble man to whom we now refer, impelled by a zeal which, was the ' pure flame of love' to leave his own country and friends, know- ingly to encounter perils both by sea and land, and if theso were escaped, to endure privations and hardships which would have sunk at once a common spirit, for forty and five years lie did not cease to thread the mazes of the American wilder- ness — now finding a resting place for a niglit in the log-cabin of the new settler, and then beneath ihci ' leaves of the green- wood bower.' " His labours were not confined to the Atlantic cities or older Bettlenients of the new continent, where he would have met with those comforts he had enjoyed at the parental home in the land of his birth ; but there was no part of the work which did not equally claim his personal superintendence. He was 'in labours more abundant' than even Wesley him- self. How much Methodism on the continent of North America is indebted to him we cannot now determine. We may in some degree know and feel how cheering the success was, as to the result of those labours, when we reflect that on bis arrival tliere were only six liundred members; l)ut ere he FKANCIS ASBURY. 17 ceased to labour there were no less than two hundred and twelve thousand enjoying the blessings of Christian fellow- ship. The name of Asbury must ever be remembered vvitli peculiar delight, whenever we refer to the history of Method- ism on this continent Doubtless before this many among the blood-washed throng have recognised him as the instru- ment of their conversion, when they have met before our l»eavenly Father's throne." Bishop Asbury is thus estimated by Rev. Thomas Ware : " Among the early pioneers of Methodism, by common con- sent Asbury 8too reached thai high and comprehensive flow of thought and expression — that expansive and appropriate diction — which always characterized his prayers. This may be ac- counted for, in part at least, from the fact stated by the late Itev. Freeborn Garrcttson in preaching his funeral sermon : * He prayed the best, and he prayed the most of any man 1 ever knew. His long-continued rides prevented his preach- ing as often as some others ; but he could find a throne of grace, if not a congregation, upon tlie road.' " The following portraiture of ]3ishop Asbury was sketched and drawn by the masterly hand of the Rev. Joshua Mars- den, and no doubt it is a correct picture of the old Christian liero, as he appeared many years since. It is no fancy sketch Hi I \. I ii s\ 18 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. —no picture of the imagination — but a true copy of the original. Mr. Marsden was in tliis country two years during the war of 1812. When he returned to Enoland ho wrote this sketch of Asbnry, and the reader will no doubt peruse it with pleasure. It is taken from the notes to a poem, entitled "The Conference; or, Sketches of Wesleyan Method- ism,'' published in London in 1815 : — " l:iishop Asbury was one of those very few men whom nature forms in no ordinary mould. Although possessed of little literature, his mind was stamped with a certain great- ness and originality which lifted him far above the merely learned man, and fitted him to be great without science, and venerable without titles. His knowledge of men was profound aiul penetratmg; hence, he looked into eharacters as one looks into a clear istream in )rder to discover the bottom : yet he did not use this pt?netration to compass any unworthy pur- poses ; the policy of knowing men, in older to make the niost of them, was a littleness to which he never stooped. He had only one end in view, and that was worthy the dignity of an angel ; from this nothing ever warped him aside. He seemed conscious that God had designed him for a great work, and nothing was wanting on his part to fullil the intention of Prov- idence. The niche was cut in the great temple of usefulness, and he stretched himself to fill it up in all its dimensions. To him, the widest career of labour and duty presented no obstacle. Like a moral Caesar, he thought nothing done while anything remained to do. His penetrating eye meas- ured the ground over which he intended to sow the seeds of eternal life, while his courageous and active mind cheerfully embraced all the difficulties grafted upon his labours. He worshipped no God of the name of Termima, but stretched his ' line of things' far beyond the hounds of ordinary minds. An annual journey of six thousand miles, through a wilder- ness country, (the best roads of which require patience and caution, and the worst set description at defiance,) would have sunk a feebler mind into despondency ; but neither FRANCIS ASBURY. 10 roads, weather, nor accommodations retarded his progress, nor once moved him from the hneot'duty. He pursued the most ditHcult and laborious course as niost men do their pleasures ; and although for many years he was enfeebled by sickness, and worn with age and infirmity, two hundred thou- sand persons saw with astonishment the hoary veteran still * staiiding in his lot,' or ' pressing along his vast line' of duty with undiminished zeal. " He knew nothing about pleasing the flesh at the expense of duty ; tlesh and blood were enemies with whom he nev^r V>ok counsel : he took a high standing upon the rugnfed Alps of labour, and to all that lagged behind he said, 'Come up hither.' He was a rigid enemy to ease — hence the pleasures of study and the charms of recreation he alike sacrificed to the more sublime work of saving souls. His faith was a con- stant ' evidence of things not seen,' for he lived as a man totally blind to all worldly attractions. " He had his stated hours of retiremeiit and prayer, upon which he let neither business nor company break in. Prayer Wfis the seasoning of all his avocations: he never suffered the cloth to be removed from the table until he had kneeled down to address the Almighty ; it was the preface to all busi- ness, and often the link that connected opposite duties, and the conclusion of whatever he took in hand. Divine wisdom seemed to direct all his nndertiikings, for he sought its coun- sel upon all occasions; no part of his conduct was the result of accident; the plan by which he transacted all his atiairs was as regular as the movements of a timepiece; hence he had no idle moments, no fragments of time broken and scat- tered up and down ; no cause to say with Titus, ' My friends, 1 have lont a day.' Pleading with God in secret, settling the various affairs of the body over which he presided, or speak- ing 'to men for their edification' in the pulpit, occupied all his time. "As a preacher, although not an orator, he was dignified eloquent, and impressive. His sermons v/ere the residt of 20 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ^ood sense and sound wisdom, delivered with great authority and gravity, and often attended with a divine unction which made them refi'eshinjx as the dew of heaven. One of tlie hist subjects 1 heard liim preach upon was union and brotherly love ; it was the greatest I ever recollect to have heard upon that subject. " His chief excellence, however, lay in governing. For this, perhaps, no man was better qualitied. He presided with dignity, moderation, and firmness, over a large body of men, all of whom are as tenacious of liberty and equal rights as most men in the world; and yet each submitted to an au- Tiiority tliat grew out of his labours — an authority founded upon reason, maintained with inflexible integrity, and exer- cised only for the good of the whole. A man of less energy Avould have given up the reins; and one of less wisdom, pru denoa, and moderation would have committed the same error as Phfeton, and the whole system would have been con- fused and distracted : but Mr. Asburv manafjed the vast economy with singular ability ; his eye was keen, his liand was steady, and his ' moderation was known to all men.' " In his appearance he was a picture of plainness and sim- plicity, bordering upon the costume of the Friends. The reader may figure to himself an old man, spare and tall, but remarkably clean, with a plain frock coat, drab or mixture, waistcoat and small-clothes of the same kind, a neat stock, a large broad-bi imed hat, with an uncommonly low crown; ^vhile his white locks, venerable with age, added to liis ap- pearance a simplicity it is not easy to describe. His counte- nance had a cast of severity ; but this was probably owing to his luibitual gravity and seriousness. His look was re- markably penetrating ; in a word, I never recollect to have Been a man of a more grave, venerable, and dignified ap- pearance." Bishop Asbury was distinguished for his moral heroism. ITe was a man of heroic courage, heroic fortitude, and heroic FKANCIS ASUURY 21 deeds. There was niucli of Christian chivalry about him. He was "valiant for the truth" — •• Bold to take up, firm to sustain The consecrated cross." "God had not given him the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." He was the Joshua of Dur Methodist Israel, leading them on to glory and to Iriumph. |tnKtf0tts Hull Illustrations. Hisnop asuL'hy's manner. Kev. Abner Chase, in his " llocolleotions of the Past," a little work full of historic incident, gives us the following de- scription of Bishop Asbury as a man and as a superintcMid- . cut : — " He was ccitainly, in several respects, a very extra- ordinary man; and had 1 the ability to do so, I would with j^leasure delineate his character, and the more readily as I think too little has been said and written of the Kcal, labours, and sufferings of this apostolic man. He commanded a respect and veneration which no superintendent of our Church at the present day can reasonably expect to receive; for though our present bishops may be worthy of honour, and, perhaps, * double lionour,* as ' ruling well,' yet they are but brethren, while Asbury had a claim to the title and rela- tion of father, which no other man in our Church had or can have. I do not mean to say that he stood upon or urged this claim, but that it was voluntarily rendered to him by most of those who were ca])able of discerning his character." The Rev. Dr. Bond was well acquainted with Bisliop k I !>' ^ :'i 22 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Asbury, and has given ine many graphic accounts of L^ person and manners. He said there never was a person on earth he was so afraid of as the bisiiop. There was an air of sternness about him that forbade any one approaching too near. His brother, John W. Bond, the traveUiiig companion of Asbury, generally rode behind the bisiiop a short dis- tance. There was no approaching him with any degree of familiarity until he was in a certain frame of mind. You must wait his time; but when he was in the Iiumour, you could approach him with perfect ease, and there would be with him the utmost simplicity and familiarity. He could be one of the most communicative of men, and for hours would entertain you with pleasing and amusing anecdotes. The bishop would appear often to be lost in thought as he was riding along. He was either studying his sermons, or planning the work in his vast tield of labour. At such times there was nothinof to be said to him. All at once his countenance and manner would change. He would beckon or call his friend to come ud and ride beside him, and enter into the most free and familiar conversation. Father Boehm gives a similar account of the bishop's manner. BISHOP ASBURY COULD READ MEN. l)r. Bond says, " There was not only a sternness of manner that would forbid a person's approaching iiim with too much freedom, but he appeared when he looked at you, when he lowered his dark, heavy eyebrows, as if he could read you — as if he understood your thoughts, and the motives that prompted you to action — as if you were transparent, and ho could look through you ; or as if you had a window in your bosom, and he could see what was there. Bishop Asbury had the best knowledge of men of any person I ever knew. i'KAjSGlS ASBUKY. 23 ** When the bishop made an appointment, it remained unalterable. The preachers and people ntiderstood that what was done was done. The bishop generally, at the close of a conference, had liis horse at the door, and the moment he bad read the appointments and pronounced the benedic- tion he mounted his beast and left immediately, not inform- ing them where he was going. In this way he avoided importunity. As he could not be found, none could urge him to change their appointments." Bishop Waugh has told me that "it was true Bishop Asbury was a great observer of men — he read them." Mr. Waugh being secretary to the Jialtimore Conference, Kat near the bishop, and observed his liabiUs. During con- ference he sat with his eyes nearly closed, and persons would suppose he was not observing what was going on ; but all the time he was studying character — reading men. Tlie bishop once spoke to Mr. Waugh of a certain man in the conference who was so voung; in the ministry Mr. Waugh supposed the bisliop had not noticed iiim. Said he, " Brother J. H. never speaks in conference, but I think no less of him for that.^'' Mr. Waugh said the bishop would write down on the margin of the minutes the character given to each preacher by his presiding elder, that he might have a correct knowl- edge of their talents, so that when he came to station them he would know where to place them. I ^ il n BISHOP ASBURY AS ^ PREACHER. Dr. Bond informs me tliat he often heard tlie bishop preach. Ilis sermons were not in general logically arranged, but more in the form of an exhortation. But when the bishop was roused, and warmed with his subject, ho was sublime; movinff and melting all who heard him. On such occa- sions he was a thunderstorm, a tornado, carrying every- thing before him. However, this was only occasionally. 24 TUE liEUOES OF AlKTHUDiSM. The doctor heard him preach before the Baltimore Con- ference many years ago, and after the bishop had eon chidijd his sermon, he said to the Rev. Joshua Wells, "What was the bishop at? I could not understand iiim." With a sigrniticant look, Mr. Wells replied, " We understood himJ^ Tiie sermon was exclusively to preachens, in reference to tlie important duties of their sacred otlice. The bishop desii^ned to be understood, and the preachers did understand him. Rev. Henry l^oehm said to me, "I have heard Bishop Asbury preach more than live hundred times, and never heard him without pleasure and profit. There was no tedious sameness, but a freshness and a variety in iiis sermons. Ho was not always methodical in his arrangements; he never named his division ; he did not write his sermons, nor any part of them in his latter days; but he was a very ablo divine ; his sermons were grave, and clear, and deep, la family lectures he excelled. FRANCIS AND HIS MOTHER. I give the following in Bishop Asbury's own words : — " My mother used to take me with her to a female meeting, which she conducted once a fortnight, for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, and giving out hymns. After 1 had been thus employed as a clerk f«)r some tin)e, the good sisters thought Frank might venture u word of exhortation. So, after rea\ ! I 44 THE HEROES OF METHODISM.* A moment after, one solid column of fire seemed to gush as from the crater of some volcano, widening as it sped its way through the apparently cloudless sky, and blazing in fearful grandeur around the tall peiiks of the mountain. This was succeeded by one long, loud, and deafening peal of thunder, which convinced the bishop that a dreadful thunder-storm was at hand. For an hour the storm raged fearfully. The oft-reiterated peals of thunder, as they broke in angry tones from the clouds, and reverberated among the hills — the lurid coroscations of the lightning— the torrents of rain that fell, with the bending and break- ing of many a sturdy tree — made it one of the most fearful scenes the bishop had ever witnessed. But the storm passed by, and through the mercy of God he was yet spared, and pursued his course. But he had not proceeded far when suddenly his pony halted, pricked up his ears, and stood still. " Mercy!" ejac- ulated the biohop, "what now!" He applied his whip; but his horse was not to be moved. He attempted to turn him round, (for manly courage now gave way to the wildest apprehensions,) but the beast stood as if bound by a spell of enchantment. For a moment the bishop was held in fearful suspense, and then a noise was heard near by, at which tne aft'righted horse wheeled round, and bounded off with the agility of a buck, leaving the bishop flat in the middle of the road. But the worst was now over; for he distinctly heard human voices, to which he hastily called, and received a friendly answer. They proved to be those of two young men who had been hunting in the course of the day, and had wandered far from home. They had killed a deer, which they were carrying home. Wearied with their load, they had lain down to rest. At first they rudely laughed at the bishop's manifest excite- ment; but finding his horse had left him, they evinced sympathy, and assisted to catch him. He asked per mission to go home witli them, which was granted. It wa* crac occas a stu they cut Chu Mr. J two h was moun FRANCIS ASBURY. 46 not long before they reached the end of their journey. It was a little log-hut buried in the recess of the noountains, and on every side stood huge battlements of rocks. A rail-pen secured his horse till morning. The old people were found to be plain and simple-hearted. A very rough supper was procured, on which the bishop hastily regaled himself. After supper he proposed they should have prayers. All v.as still as the house of death. He took out a pocket Bibie, fiom which he read a chapter aloud ; and then, kneeling down, ottered up a devout prayer, in which he ardently petitioned for the welfare of the family, &c. During prayer the old man stood back at the door, with a little urchin on each side holding fast to his clothes; the old dame stood close up in the corner of the great wooden cliiinuey, with two little ones — one in her arms, and the other by the hand. The other children all ran under the bed ; and the two young men who had conducted him to the house both left, and were not seen again until morning. The next morning the bishop proposed preacning there soon, as there were no churches in that part of the country. Silence gave con- sent ; so he appointed a day, and then pursued his journey. The day for preaching arrived ; the bishop appeared, when lol the mountain-land seemed to have poured forth all its sturdy population to witness the truly novel circumstance of a bishop preaching at the house of old Mr. Jenkins. Ere he got within a mile of the place he heard the sharp cracking of rifles, the sound of the huntsman's horn, the occasional cry of the hounds, and hearty laughter from many a sturdy mountameer. Suffice it to say that during service they were stili, — the word was not without effect. To cut the matter short, in less than twelve months a Methodist Church was organized in that place, including nearly all of Mr. Jenkins's family. Next year a conference was held not two hundred miles from the spot. On arriving, the bishop was not a little surprised to see several healthy-looking mountaineers, with their rittcs on their shoulderu; and • i r,'i 46 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. lU among them he recognised the features of Tom Jenkins, one of the young men who conducted him home that memorable night of his sad bewilderment in the mountains. Tom had applied for a circuit, and his simplicity and good- ness convinced the bishop he might be useful, so he sent him to a circuit far down the country. Here we lose sight of our young hero for three years, after which he appeari in conference almost as fine as a bird of paradise. He and the bishop boarded at the same house. During the first evening the bishop was busily engaged in poring over some old documents. Tom spent most of the evening in conversation with Miss Ann Nettleton, who, by-the-by, was prone to dwell very largely on the sublime. In the course of the evening T(im remarked that the cross to be sus- tained by an itinerant preacher was very great, as he must necessarily deny himself all the pleasures of a comfortable home, and not unfrequently be thrust into very rude society, &c. After some time the bishop, dropping his pen, turned round, and addressed Tom as follows: " Well, Tommy, I am glad to see you once more." Then, turning to the rest of the company, he said, " I shall always love brother Tommy. He was a good boy as far as he knew how. The first time I ever saw him, he took me home one dark, rainy night and treated me well. He had little idea then ©f ever being a preacher — when I went to prayers he ran out of doors. The hospitality of his father's house I shall never forget; when going there I always expected mush and milk of a superior quality. 01" continued the bishop, "the life of an itinerant is one of toil ; but for my oton part I have never sustained many privations by it." It is said this mod- est reproof had a most happy effect on Tommy, as he never afterward made much complaint of the uncouth manners of the people, or his great sacrifices in the cause of religion.*— S. W. Virginian. "The name of Jenkins is fictitious, but the facta are said to have ooourred as related. FRANCIS ASBURT. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE LOVE-FEAST. 47 Bishop Asbury having travelled hard through a western wilderness to reach a quarterly meeting on his way to con- ference, was unusually tempted at not having seen for some time any direct evidence of his success in the conversion of souls. He felt inclined to believe that his mission had expired, and that he had better retire from the work. With this depression of spirit he entered the love-feast on Sabbath morning, in a rude log-chapel in the woods, and took his seat unknown to any in the back part of the con- gregation. After the usual preliminary exercises had been gone tlirough with by the preacher, an opportunity was given for the relation of Christian experience. One after another testified of the saving grace of God, and occasionally a verse of some hymn was sung, full of rich and touching melody. The tide of religious feeling was rising and swell- ing in all hearts, when a lady rose whose plain but exceed- ingly neat attire indicated that she was a Methodist. Her voice was fall and clear, though slightly tremulous. She had travelled many miles to the meeting, and her feelings would not allow her to repress her testimony. She remarked that she had not long been a follower of Christ. "Two years ago," said she, " I was attracted to a Methodist meet- ing in our neighbourh.ood by being informed that Bishop Asbury was going to preach. I went, and the spirit sealed the truth he uttered on my heart. I fled to Jesus and found redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of my sins, and have been happy in his love ever since. "♦Not a cloud doth arise to darken the skies, Or hide for a moment my Lord from my eyes.' ** She sat down, and, ere the responses which lier remarks had awakened in all parts of the house had died away. Bishop Asbury wixs on his feet. He commenced by remarking tha H i;» 48 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. " he was a stranger and pilgrim, halting on his way for rest and refreshment in the house of God, and that he had found both ; and," said he, with uplifted hands, while the tears of joy coursed each other freely down his face, " if I can only be instrumental in the conversion of one soul in travelling round the continent, I'll travel round it till I die." — J. B. Finley. This touching incident is full of instruction. The great and the good are powerfully tempted as well as others. We should not have wondered to hear of some young minister — not only young in years but young in experience — despairing of success, and feeling like retiring from the work; but from the laborious, persevering, and successful Asbury we should expect no such thing. But bishops are liable to temptation as well as the young- est preacher, and the preacher as well as the private mem- ber. Ministers are "men of like passions" with others, and subject to temptation. "This treasure is committed to earthen vessels." Ministers should not despair of success because of the want of visible fruit. Duty is ours — results belong to God. Fruit does not alwa'^'s appear immediately. We are to cast our bread upon the waters, expecting to find it after many days. " In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand, for thou knowest not which shall prosper." We also see in this incident the benefit of relating religious experience. Had it not been for this, the bishop might not have heard of his success, and might have Buft'ered long under his powerful temptation. That testi- mony broke the spell, and inspired him with new courage. BISHOP ASBURY ON THE MARRIAGE OF PREACHERS. "At the Baltimore Conference, held in Alexandria, D. C, in 1804 Samuel Monnet made application to be received on trial. One of the preachers said, ' He is married.' FRANCIS ASBUHY. 49 Mr. Ashury replied, 'What of that? Perhaps he is the better for it. Better take preachers well married than be at the trouble of marrying them after you get them.' '' — Bev. Henry Smith. A half century has rolled away since the wise, far-seeing Asbury uttered this sentiment ; and the history of the Church, as well as the observation of the thinking, con- firms the wisdom of the remark. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE REV. JAMES QUINN. In 1803 Rev. James Quinn, of the Ohio Conference, con- sulted Bishop Asbury in accordance with that rule of Discipline, — "Take no step toward marriage without first consulting your brethren." The interview with the bishop resulted in the following dialogue. The bi§hop first pleas- antly inquired, " How old are you ?" " Twenty-eight years." [That is a proper age for a Methodist preacher to take that important step.] "How long have you been in the work?" "Four years." "Then you have elder's orders?" "Yes, sir." All this is proper. When men enter their probation they have ministerial characters to form, and ministfjiial talents to exhibit to the satisfaction of the Church. Pru- dence says that they ought to form that character and exhibit those talents before they take that important step. But few novices have ministerial weight suflScient to justify them in bringing the expense of a wife and family on the Church. The people will feel, and they will make the men feel, and the dear sister of sixteen will feel too. Besides, in green age men do not always select such women as the apostle says the wives of deacons and elders must be— such as may be wholesome examples of the flock of Christ. "Well, how now? — locate?" "No, sir; that is net my intention." " Very well ; I supposed your call was not out. Some men marry fortunes, and go to take care of them ; some men marry wives, and go to make fortunes for them; I 50 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. and thus when for the time we should have ago and experience in the ministry, we have youth and inexperience ; and sucli have charge — this not of choice but of necessity. We must do the best we can." — Rev. James Quinn. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE INQUISITIVE LADY. " In September, 1810," says the Rev. James Quinn, " Bishop Asbury and myself crossed over the Ohio into Belpre, and were kindly received and lodged at the house of Squire B. Our hostess was an intelligent old lady from the land of steady habits, who had heard Mr. Whitefield preach, and was greatly delighted in seeing and conversing with the Methodist bishop. But 0, her regrets on account of the great privations on coming to the West! 'Yonder we had such fine meeting- houses, comfortable pews, organs, and such delightful singing I and then, such charming preachers 1 0, bishop, you can't tell,' &c. ' Yes, yes,' said the bishop ; ' old Connecticut for all the world ! — • A fine house and a high steeple, A learn'd priest and a gay people.' But where shall we look for Gospel simplicity and purity! "Let us go back to the days of the pilgrim fathers.' " * Well, bishop, whom are you going to send us next year I I hope you will send us a very good preacher.' " ' Send you a good preacher ? ' " ' Yes, sir ; do n't you send them where you please ?* " It was 3vident that the bishop was disposed to waive the subject, upon which one present said, ' Madam, I 'II tell you how it is : we send Am, and tell him to send us ; and then, besides, he must come and see us : for he must travel at large, and oversee the whole work, and must not stop without our leave.' "'Indeed 1 Well, well, well I Now I guess I understand it bettor. Bishop, where do you live 1 ' ^.: FKANCIS ASBURY. ft I " * No foot of land dc I possess, No cottage in the wilderness,— A poor wayfaring man.' " At this the old lady appeared much surprised ; and so the conversation closed." BISHOP ASBURY AND THE ALMOND-NUTS. The Rev. Abner Chase gives a description of a scene which shows what kind of a heart beat in the bosom of Francis Asbury — that he was grateful for the smallest favours, and had learned " in everything to give thanks :" — " In 1810, as Bishop Asbury w;is on his way to attend the first session of the Genesee Conference, accompanied by Daniel Hitt, Henry Boehm, and several other preachers, he called and spent a few days with us at a camp-meeting on Delaware circuit, where I was then stationed. From this meeting I accompanied them for a day or two, being ac- qi^ainted with the geography of that part of the country. It V s in the heat of summer, and after travelling until man and beast were weary and needed refreshment, we knew of no friendly family on whom we might call ; for Methodists in that country were then ' few and far between,' and I did not know that any of our company had money sufficiently plenty to justify our calling at a public-house. Riding on slowly and faint, we came to a wood, when the bishop or- dered a halt. When all had dismounted, and our beasts were nipping the stinted growth of grass by the wayside, the bishop announced that under the seat of his two-wheeled chair, on which he rode, he had a few almond-nuts, and directed that they should be taken out and spread upon the trunk of a fallen tree. When this was done he devoutly asked a blessing thereon, and we were all invited to share in the repast. When we had finished our dinner we started on again, the bishop appearing as cheerful as though he had dined at some richly-furnished table.'* 1 I > i! , 1 I : ■ •1 1 1 i I \ 1 53 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE CRUST OF BREAD. "As Bishop Asbury and I were travelling through the woods, we would often stop to refresh both man and beast. The bishop would sit down by a spring of water, take a crust of bread from his pocket, and ask a blessing over it with as much solemnity and gratitude as he would over a table spread with the richest and most plentiful provision. Blessed man ! many a time it drew tears from my eyes when I witnessed it; and often, since the good bishop has gone to feast in Paradise, I have wept as I have thought upon it." — Hev. H. Boehm. BISHOP ASBURY ON THE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF METHODISTS. "Bishop Asbury came to a camp-meeting in Ohio on a Saturday in 1814, in company with his travelling com- panion, the Rev. J. W. Bond. No sooner was it known that he had arrived than there was a general move toward him. All seemed to be anxious to see a bishop, and they pressed around him so closely that it was difficult to get into the preachers' tent. After he was housed, the people crowded around the door by hundreds. He remarked to me, on witnessing the curiosity of the people, 'You might as well have an elephant in your camp as to have me.' It seemed to annoy him to have them gazing at him in such numbers; and, to relieve him, I requested them to retire ft-ora the tent, and said that the bishop would preach for them, perhaps, the next day, when they all could have an opportunity of seeing and hearing him. " Brother Bond, his travelling companion, desiring to rmt his friends at Urbana, I took charge of the bishop, and made him as comfortable as circumstances would allow. On the Sabbath the bishop preached, and the vast concourse had an FRANCIS ASBURY. 08 opportunity of judging for themselves in regard to the ability of the Methodist prelate " That day the Gospel was preached in demonstration of the spirit and power of God. During the meeting many were converted, and joined the Church. At the close of the meeting I started, with the bishop, for Springfield, where we arrived on Tuesday afternoon. We stopped with a Method- ist family. As we passed through the parlours we saw the daughter and some other young ladies dressed very gaily. The daughter was playing on the piano, and as we moved through the room we doubtless elicited from those fashion- able young ladies some remarks about the rusticity of our appearance; and the wonder was doubtless excited, Where on earth could these old country codgers have come from? The bishop took his seat, and presently in came the father and motlef of the young lady. They spoke to the bishop, and t'len followed the grandfather and grandmother. *' When the old lady took the bishop by the hand, he held it, and looking her in the face, while the tear dropped from his eye, he said, ' I was looking to see if I could trace in the lineaments of your face the likeness of your sainted mother. She belonged to the first generation of Methodists. She lived a holy life, and died a most triumphant death. You,' continued the bishop, ' and your husband belong to the sec.>nd generation of Methodists. Your son and his wife are the third ; and that, young girl, your granddaughter, repre- sents the fourth. She has learned to dress and play on the piano, and is versed in all the arts of fashionable life, and 1 presume, at this rate of progress, the ffth generation of Methodists will be sent to dancing-school.' " This was a solemn reproof, and it had a powerful eflfect upon the grandparenti.. The first Methodists were a peculiar people in their personal appearance and manners, and could be distinguished at a single glance. Their self-denial led them to the abandonment of all the lusts of the flesh. They were simple-hearted, single-eyed, humble and devoted fol- i t .1 i:! 54 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. lowers of the Saviour. They loved God devotedly, and one another with pure hearts fervently ; and, though scoffed at by the world, hated and persecuted by the devil, they wit- nessed a good profession of godliness and faith." — Bev. J. B. Finley. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE YOUNG MINISTER. Bishop Asbury did not " mind high things, but condescended to men of low estate." He was the sincere friend of the col- oured race; and while he ministered to the spiritual wants of the master, he did not forget the slave. We have seen him conversing with " Punch," and leaving him melted into tears. " I was happy last evening," said the bishop, on one occa- sion, " with the poor slaves in brother Wells's kitchen, while our white brother held a sacramental love-feast up stairs. I must be mindful of the poor. This is the will of God con- cerning me." No wonder one adds : " To an observer, that house on that evening must have presented a scene of rare interest : the venerable Asbury, Bishop of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, instructing and encouraging in piety the slaves in the kitchen, while the preacher of the station, a young man who had been in the ministry less than six years, and remam- ed less than six more, was holding a sacramental love-feast in the front parlour up stairs 1" BISHOP ASBURY IMPATIENT OF PROFITLESS DISCUS- SIONS. It is a matter of surprise to see old men, gray and wise, wasting time and strength in discussing " trifles light as air" where no principle is at stake : " Behold how great a mat- ter a little fire kindleth I" Bishop Asbury was exceedingly grieved when such an unprofitable discussion occurred. At a certain time the bishop attended the Virginia Con- ference, and for hours the preachers discussed some trifling FRAJ7CIS ASBUBY. 56 matter without deciding the question. The bishop suddenly exclaimed, " Strange, that such an affair should occupy for so long the time of so many good men ! Religion will do great things, but it does not make Solomons." BISHOP ASBURY AND THE ECONOMICAL STEWARD. A. certain steward of a circuit, when urged to exert himself to make more ample provision for the support of the preach- ers, remarked that he had heard Bishop Asbury pray to the Lord to keep the preachers poor 1 The presiding elder, to whom this was said, replied, that " such a prayer in that place was quite unnecessary, as he and the people would, without any such prompting, see that this was done to perfection ! " — Bangs's History of Methodism. The hardships of the preachers were such, and their wants 80 poorly supplied, that the bishop might have supposed that, if they became wealthy, they would " desist from travelling," and the great itinerant work suffer. The bishop did not for a moment entertain the idea of some, which is to " starve the preacher into humility, and pinch him into sanctification." I \ ASBURY IN THE FAMILY— IN THE BALL-ROOM- THE FERRY. -AT The following is extracted from the " Life of James Quinn :" "In September, 1810, after attending a camp-meeting on my district, Bishop Asbury and I started one morning very early, and called at several farm-houses on the way down the Ohio River, whose inmates were not Methodists, and the good man prayed with them all. Indeed, I have seldom known him to leave a family without prayer, whether they were professors or not ; for he was always intent upon doing good. "At three o'clock he preached in a school-house opposite Blennerhasset's Island ; and truly it might be said of the ser i I ' 56 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. mon, ^s I once heard him say of Charnock's great law of con- sideration, ' It was a dagger to the hilt at every stroke.* "After preaching we were kindly invited by Colonel Put- nam, son of General Putnam, of the Revolution, to the house of his son, Major Putnam, where we were treated with every attention. Some six or eight of the principal men, with their ladies, came in to see and spend the evening with the Method- ist bishop. Most of these were Revolutionary men. The conversation of the evening was quite of an interesting char- acter, in which the bishop took a lively part. " But ever and anon an important religious sentiment was thrown in, or a moral application made, to which the com- pany bowed silent assent, their countenances, in the mean time, showing that the weight was felt. The evening closed with devotional services. The company retired, and we were conducted to our lodgings ; and where should we find our- selves but in the splendid ball-room ! ' Here,' said the bishop, ' they were wont to worship the devil ; but let us worship God.' I was informed that the decree was passed soon after that no more balls were to be held there. " Next morning we set out for Athens. As we were crossing Little Hockhocking, J aid, 'Here, Mr. Asbury, in 1800, the man used to set me over ferriage free, saying he never charged ministers or babes ; for if they do no good, they do no harm.' 'Ah,' said he, * that is not true of min- isters ; for the minister who does no good does much harm.' We reached Athens on Friday, at noon, and commenced our camp-meeting. It went on well, and closed well on the fourth day ; and the bishop left us in good spirits for Chillicothe, having preached two powerful sermons." ASBURY REDEEMING THE WIDOW'S COW. The bishop was a man distinguished for universal philan- thropy. Like his Master, " he went about doing good." He bad an eye to pity, a heart to feel, and a hand to relieve. ■^-n; FRANCIS ASBURY Bl Passing through a certain place in Ohio with his travelling; companion, the Rev. Henry Boehra, he learned that the cow of a poor widow woman was about to be sold for debt. The people had assembled, and the vendue was about to commence. It was the poor woman's all, and she felt ex- ceedingly grieved. The bishop stopped, and inquired into the circumstances; and, when he heard them, he declared the cow must not be sold. He contributed something him- self, and solicited from others enough to pay the debt; and the widow expressed her gratitude, with tears, to the stran ger who had compassion upon her in distress, and with joy she drove home her cow. This little incident shows the bishop's heart was in the right place; that he resembled his Master, who once had compassion on a widow, and all he knew concerning her was her affliction. ASBURY, THE MONK, AND THE NUNS. To Mrs. Mary Johnson, of Trenton, I am indebted for this and the following anecdote. In her hospitable mansion she has entertained Bishops Asbury, George, Hedding, and others. Bishop Asbury made his annual tour round his large diocese with the regularity of the seasons ; the people looked for him as much as for spring and summer, autumn and winter. Brother R 's, in Coventry, Penn., was one of the places where the bishop was in the habit of resting. In this hospitable dwelling he always found a hearty welcome. Their cottage always stood with unlatched door ready to receive him ; and their parlour witnessed the hearty wel- comes he received. There were three unmarried daugh- ters in the family distinguished for industry, strong com- mon sense, deep and genuine piety, and shrewdness. WhiUi they served with Martha's careful hands, they also loved witi. Mary's hearL They were decided in their Chris- i li If \ :f \ \f\ 58 THE HiSROES OF METHODISM. tian course — " their hearts were fixed." To tlie ques- tion, " What now is my object and aim, What now is my hope and desire?" they were ever ready to answer, " To follow the heavenly Lamb, And after his image aspire." The bishop had been entertained there several times, so that he felt perfectly at home. One day he canie rather unexpectedly, and on entering the house he learned that the family — the girls — were in an upper apartment engaged in sewing, lie went up stairs and knocked at the door. When it was oj)ened he inquired, " Is this the room where the nuns stay ?" " Yes," said one of the girls, " and where the monks have no business to come." ASBURY AND HIS FAIR GUIDE. At another of his annual visits, while stopping at brothor R 's, in Coventry, l^ishop Asbury had an appointment to preach a few miles from 0., a place where he had never been, and he was unacquainted with the road. One of the daughters proposed accompanying him to point out the way. He did not positively decline, thnugli he would have been better pleased to go alone, and let his fair guide remain at home. It was in the days when men and women rode on horseback ; for carriages, wagons, &c., &c.. were luxuries but little known and enjoyed. 'I'he horses were soon ready. The bishop seated himself upon his faith- ful animal ; and Mary, with the agility of a light horseman, was soon upon the back uf the family horse. Side by side they rode toward their place of destination. It was about six miles distant — a poor road, and but seldom travelled. When they were about half-way they came to a creek or FRA?rCIS ASBURY. bO stream of water, the banks of vhich were nigged, and there was no bridge. The bishop's horse leaped across, and stood safe on the other side. The bishop turned round, and congratulated hi i^ self that his guide would be una- ble to cross the stream, and that he could pui-sue his jour- ney alone, not caring about a female accompanying him to this new place, where he was a stranger, lie said to hei "Mary, you can't do th;,t?" Ho supposed she would not dare attempt it. But she was used to horses and to riding on horseback. Nothing could intimidate or alarm her. Said she, " I '11 try, Frank ;" and the horse leaped across in safety with its rider, and the next moment she was alongside of the bishop, and they wended their way to the place of worship, and after the bishop had preached they returned home in safety. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE SECRETARY. "At a confeience which I attended in 1807," says a writer in the Christian Advocate, " where Bishop Asbury presided, it appeared that some of the preachers had adopted the fashionable mode of wearing their hair. The bishop took occasion, during the session, to lecture us on the subject of conformity to the world, and dwelt particularly on this point. At the close of his address, and when about to take his seat, with his voice a little raised, ho said, ' I would as soon these remarks would hit my right-hand man as anybody else.' Dr. C, secretary of the conference, with much com- posure, grasping the long lock on tlie top of liis her.d, very respectfully inquired, 'Do you moan me, sir? Does my hair offend you ? If so, it shall offend you no longer.' Nothing more was said ; but it \vas evident when the doctor took his seat in the conference in the afternoon that ho had been with the barber. " I have often reflected upon this simple, yet to me interest- ing incident, — the faithfulness of the bisliop, and the ready 'I"' 1 - i ■.-I 1 ji* 60 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. acquiescence of the preacher, — and have been led to inquire whether we are as ready now, as formerly, to ' obey those to whom the charge and government over us is committed, following with a glad mind and will their godly admoni- tions. »» BISHOP ASBURY AND THE SOLDIERS. In 1812 the bishop, on his western tour, came to a camp- meeting near Uniontown, Fayette county. Pa. This was (luring the war with Great Britain, and there was in the neighbourhood a volunteer company preparing to march to the lines. They sent a request to the camp-ground to be permitted to march there in order, hear a sermon, and then retire. Their request was readily granted. But now the question arose. Who is to preach to the soldiers ? and they all desired that the bishop should perform that service ; but the old gentleman remarked that, being an Englishman, he had always been suspected of being inimical to the insti- tutions of this country, and even on that western tour he had been insulted on the subject; but if the brethren re- quested it, he supposed 'he must do the best he could. Accordingly, some of the seats were set apart for the sol- diers, and chairs placed in the aisles for the officers, and they marched to the ground in fine style. The bishop ascended the stand, and now, of course, the ear of the suspicious poli- tician was open to catch sorae'Jiing of a political bearing from the old Englishman ; but, after s.iiging and prayer, lie proceeded to read out his text as follows : " And the soldiers likewise demanded of him. saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them. Do violence to no man, neither ac- cuse any falsely, and be content with your wages," (Luke iii, 14 ;) from which he ])roceeded in a masterly manner to point out the peculiar position of soldiers, and the respective duties of officers and men, and to take them through what might bo termed a complete course of military morals. FRANCIS ASBURY. 61 In conclusion, he addressed them most solemnly and impressively on the shortness of time, and the uncertainty of life under all circumstances ; but more especially, as they were about to march to meet the enemy on the battle-field, where some of them must expect to fall, and be suddenly launched into eternity, he urged upon them the great necessity of being prepared for the solemn change. As he concluded he descended from the stand and walked to the altar, and as the officei's rose to retire lie shook hands with them, bidding them an affectionate and solemn farewell. Altogether, it was one of the most touching and affecting scenes that I ever beheld. If there had been any- thing like political prejudice or suspicion in the minds of any, it was completely conquered. There were few dry eyes in the vast assembly : the dignified and venerable appear- ance of the man, his time and care-worn visage, and the solemn tones of his noble and majestic voice, made an impression not soon to be forgotten. Although forty years have elapsed since the occurrence, it is as vivid in my mind as though it had transpired but yesterday. — Rev. William Monroe. I ASBURY AND A TROOP OF PREACHERS. "A quarterly meeting," says Rev. Asa Kent, "was held in the town of Valtham, Mass., in 1807. Brother E. R. Sabin was the pr< ling elder of the district. The preachers put up at brother liemis's, father-in-law to brother George Pickering. " Many of the preachers had come to this quarterly meet- ing, and we agreed to meet at brother BciUis's on Monday morning, and ride together into Boston, some dozen or four- teen miles, as the conference would commence on Tuesday. " At this time there were seventy-six preachers in all our part of New-England. Wo found in the morning twenty- five all mounted according to the order of tlie day, saddle* 62 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. bags and valises. The bishop advised us to ride in proper order, — two and two, — and not to be too much affected with external things ; ' for,' said he, ' we shall make such a demon- stration to-day as the people never saw before.' He led the way alone upon his noble steed, and the more aged brethren followed as he desired, and the younger brought up the rear. " As we proceeded, the faithful house-dog gave the alarm, and brought lots of smiling faces to the doors and windows. Boys shouted, ' Look there, look there !' and labourers in the fields within sight of the road suspended operations, and could be seen making motions with their hands or hoe- handles, as though they were counting the passing troop — a demonstration, truly, and not soon forgotten by the people." "imm^- BISHOP ASBURY AND THE PHYSICIANS. Dr. Bangs, in his " History of Methodism," relates the fol- lowing characteristic anecdote of Bishop Asbury : " On a certain occasion, being indisposed, two of the most eminent physicians were employed to aftbrd him their medical advice. When they had ended their services, the bishop asked them the amount of their demand. They very courteously and respectfully replied that they desired nothing more than his prayers. The bishop then remarked that ho never suffered himself to be in debt, and therefore he would discharge this obligation without delay, and instantly bowed upon his knees, and ofi'ered up a most fervent prayer to Almighty God for the salvatic. of his generous medical friends. This took them by surprise. It is said, indeed, that one of them was sceptically inclined, and was somewhat abashed to find himself so unceremoniously brought upon his knees for the first time in his life, to listen to the prayer of a Christian bishop, oflfered up in the name of a Saviour in whom ho had little or no faith. The other who was in attendance, the late Benjamin Rush, with whom Bishop FRANCIS. ASBURY. 68 Asbury was on terms of intimacy, being as eminent for his Christian virtues as he was for his medica^ skill, was no less edified than delighted in this opportunity of participatmg with his friend in an act of devotion so highly creditable to his head and heart." BISHOP ASBURY AND THE DUELLISTS. "Bishop Asbury was travelling through, I think, the coun- try parts of North Carolina into Virginia, and put up with a brother who kept a house of entertainment for trav- ellers. They had just risen from tea as a neighbour called at the door, and said that a duel had just been fought but a few miles distant, and that one had received a ball in his leg. "Soon a carriage drove up to the door, and some half dozen spruce young men alighted, and wished for supper as soon as convenient. Their business was at once understood, and their host brought them into the room and introduced them to the bishop, and they were seated till the table should be laid. He began a free conversation with them, and found they were young gentlemen of refined manners and education; and he studied some method by which he could approach them so as to do them good. " Supper was announced, and they invited the bishop to eat with them ; but he excused himself, having just left the table; still they desired it, and he went with them. He supposed that ho had designated the principal, second, and surgeon ; but they did not seem to have an idea that their business was known. He implored the blessing of Gf)d upon their souls, bodies, food, (fee. He took a cup of tea — a beverage not often slighted by him — and excused himself from eating, and proposed telling them some of his reflections for the day. I am sorry that I cannot give the exact words of the bishop ; the matter is familiar, and 1 think the substance is found in what follows: — ■u II )l 64 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. " * In passing over these bills and through these valleys to- day, I have been led to reflect upon the mighty changes which have taken place since I first passed through this section of country years ago. Then the settlements were " like angels' visits, few and far betv^een." " ' The pioneers depended much upon their rifles for sup- port, until they were able to obtain supplies from the soil. Now I am really delighted with the changes which I behold. " ' These hunters were a hardy class of men, and would give thrilling incidents of their exploits in those "days which tried men's souls." But, noble-minded as they were, they were apt, by habit, to fall into a besetting sin : they became reckless of life. The glorious Author of all life has permitted man to take the life of beasts when he needs their skins for use, or their flesh for sustenance. He may also kill wild beasts, or anything that would injure or destroy man, or the labour of his hands ; but some have a rare thirst for blood, even when tliey have no idea of making any use of either hide, flesh, or tallow. " ' Behold the sportsman, as he goes forth for his game. He hears the chirping of a bird ensconced in the foliage of that tree. He stops, and with his keen eye discerns his victim as she raises her grateful song to the top of her voice. He has no ear for such music, and holds a short consultation upon her life: " She is a fair mark, and I wish to tef,o my skill, and the correctness of my rifle, by putting a ball through her heart." He takes aim, the singing ceases, and the harmless creature falls dead to the earth. He leaves her to rot where she fell, and passes on with much self-complacency. "'Alas for that man! God has told him that not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice. God was there, and saw the working of his mind when he deter- mined upon blood, and the motive which induced him to present the deadly weapon. He lias taken what he cannot FRANCIS ASBURY. 65 restore, if it were to save his soul from death. We may try to excuse his thoughtlessness, but that^vill not suffice ; there is a depravity of nature that must be removed. " ' There has been a company out hunting in these woods to-day. With cautious steps they approached the place where they expected to find their game, and coming suddenly to an open space, they saw a noble buck standing still, and looking intently at them. One fired ; but, instead of sending the ball through his heart, it took effect in his leg, and with one bound into the bushes he made his escape. Who can tell what he may suffer from that wound, and, it may be, go halting upon that leg all the days of his life?' " The bishop said he harl watched their agitation as he progressed ; their hurry increased, with downcast eyes, until he came to that point. 'Then thoy rose simultaneously, bowed me a good evening, leaped into their carriage, and were scon out of sight.' " — Hev. Asa Kent. BISHOP ASBURY AND R. HUBBARD. " It was Bishop Asbury's invariable practice to request all the preachers who attended conference to be present at the beginning of the session and remain till the close, unless something special should prevent. He wished them to feel an interest in the business to bo done, and know what they had done, so that they could inform those who might inquire of them. "At the conference in Boston, June, 1807, two or three appeared to feel no great interest in what was going on, especially brother R. Hubbard ; he would come in late, and soon be away again, &c. The secret came out afterward, for ho was preparing to enter tlie 'Apostolic Succession !' " On the second day, I think, the bishop pressed punctual attendance upon the members, when a brother moved, and it wjis voted, that if one came in after the list had been called, li m 66 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. he might explain the cause of his detention, or lay ninepence on the secretary's table, to be put with the conference collection. " Brother H. supposed this was for him, and prepared a speech, and came late next morning, and took a short slip at the left hand of the president. One said, ' Brother H. appears to have forgotten the vote yesterday.' He started to his feet, and, with a graceful bow, said, ' Mr. President, I was aware that the Church of Rome had incorporated the laws of penance into their ecclesiastical economy ; but I never knew, until yesterday, that the Methodists had adopted the system ; but — ' The bishop saw what was coming ; he turned, and beckoning to him with his left hand, said, 'Brother, pause just one moment.' Then looking round, he said, * You who will give brother Hubbard liberty to come and go at his pleasure, raise your hands.' Hands went up as by enchantment. He turned to him, ' There, brother Hub- bard, the matter is all settled ; we shall not need your speech now ;' and casting his eyes upon his book, ' We will pro- ceed in the business,' while brother H. stood, and looked this way and that, but saw no way by which to get off his speech, and finally took his seat. " I mention this as a specimen of his unwillingness to have the time of the conference wasted upon any unimportant matters." — Mev. Asa Kent. ASBURY AND JOHN KLINE. Mr, Kline was a member of the New-York Conference, — a good preacher, but not great, — a man of very sweet spint, esteeming others better than himself. Rev. Abner Chase says that Bishop Asbury " used to keep a private memorandum of all the preachers throughout the whole connexion, where- in he noted down their various talents and qualifications for the work of the ministry. Brother Kline informed me that ho called at the lodgings of the bishop, who was then spending FRANCIS ASBURY. 67 a few days in the city of New- York, and the bishop, stepping out for a few moments, left him in the room alone. Seeing a book lying upon the table near him, he took it up, and opening it, the first thing upon which his eye rested was : 'John Kline, a man of small preaching talents, but thought to be very pious and useful.' He did not seem displeased at the discovery of the estimate made of his preaching tal- ents, but went cheerfully on his work for several following years »> ASBURY AND THE ROWDIES. "In 1812, Bishop Asbury, with Bishop M'Kendree, at- tended a camp-meeting at Rushville, Ohio. " On Saturday, about twenty lewd fellows of the baser sort raised a row. They had come upon the ground intoxi- cated, vowing they would break up the meeting. One of the preachers went to the leader of the gang to induce him to leave the camp, but this only enraged him ; he struck the preacher a violent blow on the face, and knocked him down. Here the conflict began. The members saw they must either defend themselves, or allow the ruffians tp beat them, and insult their wives and daughters. It did not take them long to decide. They very soon placed themselves in an attitude of defence. Brother Birkhammer, an exceedingly stout man, seized their bully leader, who had struck the preacher, and with one thrust of his brawny arm crushed him down be- tween two benches. The aide-de-camp of the bully ran to his relief, but it was to meet the same fate. Here they were held in durance vile till the sheriff and his posse came and took possession ; and binding them, with ten others, they were carried before a justice, who fined them heavily for their misdemeanor." This was certainly conquering a peace. It reminds us zf the old gentleman who declared, " lie would have peace in bis house if he had to fight for it.'* 68 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. "As soon as quiet was restored Bishop Asbury occupied the pulpit. After singing and prayer he rose, and saying he would give the rowdies some advice, addressed thera in the following language : ' You must remember that all our brothers in the Church are not sanctified, and I advise vou to let thera alone ; for if you get them angry, and the devil should get in thera, they are the strongest and hardest men to fight and conquer in the world. I advise you, if you do not like them, to go home and let thera alone.' "The work of the Lord commenced at this point, and meetings ^'ere kept up without intermission till Tuesday morning. Over one hundred were converted to God, and united with the Church." — F'mley''s Autobiography. ASBURY AXD SET] TATTISON. The Rev. Abner Chase relates the following : " Our con- ference (Genesee) for 181.3 was held in Westmoreland, N. Y., and was attended by Bishops Asbury and M'Ken- dree. The former exhibited the strength of habit in his dis- approbation of the practice which had very generally ob- tained among the preachers, of wearing panialoortf. Of the whole number belonging to our conference, Setli Mattison alone wore his knee-buckles and gaiters, which was the bishop's manner of dress. On the arrival <'f brother Matti- son the bishop manifested his approbation of his costume by embracing him most cordially." ASBURY ON MINISTERIAL POPULARITY. "While raeraory lasts," says Rev. Henry Smith, "I never can forget a lecture our venerable Asbury gave us a grea*, many years ago, in the Baltimore Conference, on popU' larity. " He related a case of a Wesleyan preacher who had been sent to one of the islands, where he preached the Gospel !Pg:iyiiil!'i! FRANCIS ASBUHY. 69 with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, and ^^eat was his success ; but he was very unpopular and dreadfully per- secuted, perhaps cast into prison. But he bore up under all this like a primitive Methodist preacher ; and even re- joiced that he was worthy to suffer persecution for Christ's sake. The climate, his excessive labour, together with his sufferings, soon wore him down ; and he came to America to recover his health. In this country he became popular — very popular indeed. " When the bishop came to this part of his history he half closed his eyes, and raised his hand, and said: 'The breath of the people came down upon him, and he sunk I' Yes, he sunk low enough. Strange, indeed, that the breath of the people in this land of liberty should prove more fatal to the preacher than rough persecuting hands in another place." According to this, popularity is far more dangerous to a preacher than persecution. BISHOP ASBURY AND THE BRANDY BOTTLE. Mr. Asbury was remarkable for his temperance. He was once the guest of a very genteel family who were profuse in their hospitalities. At dinner a decanter of brandy was placed upon the table, and he was invited to drink by the lady of the house. He declined, "believing that he that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." She blushed and said, " Bishop, I believe that brandy is good in its place." " So do 1," said Mr. Asbury. " If you have no objection," added he, taking the decanter, " I will put it in its place ;" so he put it in the old-fashioned cupboard, in the corner of the room, saying with emphasis, " That is its place, and there let it stay T And there it did stay, never to be brought on the table again. \s 70 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. BISHOP ASBURY'S REASONS FOR CELIBACY. It is well known that Bishop Asbury, Hke Whatcoat and M'Kendree, was never married. Not because he doubted the declaration, " that it is not good for man to be alone;" or "that marriage is honourable in the sight of all men ;" or that " a bishop should be the husband of one wife ;" but for reasons which he assigns in his journal as follows : "If I should die in celibacy, which I think quite probable, I givc the following reasons for what c; i scarcely be called my choice. " I was called in my fourteenth year ; I began my public exercises between sixteen and seventeen; at twenty-one T travelled ; at twenty-six I came to America : thus far I had reasons for single life. It had been my intention to re- turn to Europe at thirty years of age ; but the war con- tinued, and it was ten years before we had a settled, lasting peace : this was no time to marry, or to be given in mar- riage. " At forty-nine I was ordained Superintendent Bishop in America. Among the duties imposed upon me by my office was that of travelling extensively ; and I could hardly expect to find a woman with grace enough to enable her to live but one week out of the fifty-two with her husband ; besides, v/hat right has any man to take advantage of the atfections of a woman, make her his wife, and by a volun- tary absence subvert the whole order and economy of the marriage state, by separating those whom neither God, nature, nor the requirements of civil society permit to he put asunder; it is neither just nor generous. I may add to this, I had but little money ; and with this little administered to the necessities of a beloved mother until I was fifty-seven. If I have done wrong, I hope God and the sex will forgive me. It is my duty now to bestow the pittance I have to spare ried n I tl sufl[ici( blessec conder pruden Aga celibae f)attern being i married daught( I have A Rev. Ab the folio "He always An illus friend, would s ference, an anniv into life, possible arrived, a long wsLi' cro read f< ment, bti prove th( of the dii FRANCIS ASBURY. 11 spare upon the v. idows ant fatherless girls, and poor mar- ried men." I think none will say but that the bishop's reasons were sufficient to justify his remaining in a state of "single blessedness ;" and that neither the fair sex nor his God will condemn him for pursaiing a course that reason, philosophy, prudence, and religion dictated. Again, the bisl\op said : " If St. Paul might commend celibacy in tlie present distress, might I not take him for a [)attern, rather than St. Peter, without incurring censure, as being in fkvour of Papistical celibacy ? But if I have not married a wife, I have, as a son of Adam, provided for a daughter of Eve — my own mother. She is now gone, but I have adopted one in her stead." — James Quinn. ASBURY AND THE CHARITABLE SOCIETY. Rev. Abel Stevens, in his " Sketches and Incidents," relates the following characteristic anecdote of the bishop : "He was frequently humorous, happy at repartee, and always ready for any labour, however onerous or sudden. An illustration occurs to my memory. At the time my friend, E. H., was stationed in B , knowing that he would spend a night there on his way to the L Con- ference, he made an arrangement for the bishop to preach an anniversary sermon for a charitable society just struggling into life, and advertised the appointment as extensively as possible in the public prints. Toward evening the old bishop arrived, (knowing nothing of the appointment,) wearied with a long and tedious journey. At an early hour the house wat' crowded. The services commenced. He arose and read for his text, 2 Cor. viii, 8, " I speak not by command- ment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love." The felicity of the text and of the discourse was universally observed." p 1 . ri:j- i. ; i I : ( 72 THK HEROES OF METHODISM. FHANCIS ASBURY'S LAST SERMON IN ENGLAND. The Rev. James Quinn gives the following touching rerainis- cence of Bishop Asbury : " Said the bishop, ' The state of the preacher's mind, in connexion with surrounding circumstances, often suggests the texts and the method of discussion. Thus, when 1 had otiered for America, and had been accepted and appointed, taking leave of my parents, the loving society, and my native land, I stood up ami took for my text. Psalm Ixi, 2 : *' From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee," etc. My plan : " ' 1. Where should the missionary herald be? The end of the earth. " ' 2. And whose heart should be overwhelmed, swallowed up, if not the heart of him to whom a dispensatiou of the Gospel is committed ? " ' 3. And whence should he look for succour but to Christ, the rock that is higher thjin he? " * 4. How should he obtain that succour but by constant, fervent prayer? ' , ' "'Ah!' said the good bishop, as we -.ode along, Uhis might not have been of high interest to the hearers, but it has been of vast interest and importance to the speaker; for often has my heart been overwhelmed during my forty years' pilgrimage in America. And if I had been a man of tears, I might have wept my life away ; but Christ has been a hiding-place, a covert from the stormy blast; yea, he has been the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.' Ilore the bishop's voice tvembled a little — his lip (juivered — I looked, and the tear had started from his half-closed, clear blue eye. But presently he was gay; 'for,' said he, 'if T were not sometimes to be gay with my friends, I sh* uld have died in gloom long ago. " ' Give mo to feci tho grateful Loart, And without guilt be gay.'" FRANCIS ASBURY. 73 BISHOP ASBURY SOWING GOOD SEED. When the bishop was old, and pressed down by many infirmities, when the " ahnond-tree was flourishing, and those that look out of the windows were darkened, the grinders ceasing because they were few, and the keepers of the house began to tremble," his brethren wished him to retire, as God had raised up many i.t!\)ng men ; but the bishop, like the apostolic Wesley, did not wish " to live to be useless," and replied, " No man eau do ray work." For- ward he would go in his Master's employment ; and though he was not able to preach as formerly, he would place a number of Bibles in his wagon and distribute them, saying, " Now I know I am sowing good seed.^^ Yes, the sainted Asbury was sowing good seed — the seed of truth, which no doubt will produce a glorious har- vest. *'For he that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." BISHOP ASBURY'S LAST SERMON. As Bishop Asbury was making his last annual tour around his large diocese, he felt that the shadows of eveninjj were gathering around him, when he could no longer work. After riding forty-three miles one day, over a very rough road, he records in his Journal : " This will not do ; I must halt or order my //mw." But on he went in his Master's work. lie was literally worn out with labour, and wasting away from disease ; but his great soul was strong and vigorous as ever, and he was still anxious to preach *' Jesus and the resurrection." Impelled onward by an ardent desire to be useful, which had moved him forward for more than half a century, he continued journeying from one place to another with his faithful travelling companion. Rev. John W. Bond, till he came to Richmond, Virginia; and there r^i f I 1 1!^ I '» u THE HEROES OF METHODISM. preached his last sermon, March 24th, 181C, in the old Methodist church. Before the bishop entered the pulpit, some of his friends tried to persuade him not to preach, as he was so feeble in body ; but all in vain. The old hero was anxious to make another effort to wield the sword of the Spirit once more, in the name of the God of battles. He said, " Gcd had given him a work to do there, and he must deliver his testimony." They then yielded to his dosire. He was so feeble that he could neither walk nor stand, so they carriad him from his carriage to the house of (Jod, and then into the pulpit, and seated him on a table; and the aged, trembling, dying riinister delivered, in falter- ing accents, his last message to a lost world. His text wis, " For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteous- ness: becavise a short work will he mako on the earth." Romans ix, 28. He frequently paused, during his sermon, to recover breath and strength ; and these very pauses made his sermon — of an hour's length — more weighty and im- pressive. We cannot wonder that ho audience were deeply affected, for the scene was peculiarly touching. They were listening to an old pilgrim, whose feet were already wet with Jordan's water, and who was n.bout to cross the river. They were beliolding the venerable ^'ethudist patriarch, whose beautiful silver locks indicated his weight of years, which were adorning the sanctuary for the last time — one whose pale cheeks, and sunken eyei*, and trembling limbs, pro- claimed to tliose who heard him that his end was nigh ; and yet, amid all the melancholy symptoms of decay, to see his soul rising above the infirmities of nature—his aged, wrinkled, pallid countenance glowing with celestial splenuuur, and his fading eye shooting forth the fires of immortality — must have been a scene of surpassing beauty, grandeur, and sublimity, such as earth seldom witnesses, such as angels delight to behold. He was then carried out of the pulpit, to enter it no more. The next Sabbath he bade adieu to earth, and entered into the "joy of his Lord." liEV. THOMAS COKE, LL. D, I ft TaouA of hen if fullj facts I Sam lie fitting He father ' only cl sixteen at Jesu mind v in that Discoui In 1 dismiss had his and hi Confer€ he was Method tr_y on the firsl Americ crossed his own lence wf the pior De»3eml: THE REV. THOMAS COKE, LL. D. lit). f Thomas Coke was one of the most remarkable of that band of heroes that sprung up about John Wesley. His life, if fully written, would read like a tale of chivalry. The facts of his career are well given in his biography by Samuel Drew; but, like Wesley, he has yet to find a fitting and adequate biographer. He was born in 1*747, at Brecon, South Wales, where his father was a surgeon of distinguished eminence. He was an only child, and great care was taken of his education. At sixteen he went to Oxford, where he completed his education at Jesus College. Here he fell into irreligious society, and his mind whs fast tending toward scepticism, when his progress in that direction was arrested by the reading of "Siierlock's Discourses," and of " Witherspoon on Regeneration." In 1775 he became curate of Petherton, but was soon dismissed by his rector, as being "pious overmuch.'' He had his first interview with Mr. Wesley August 18th, 1776 ; and his name first appears in the Minutes of the British Conference in 1778. On the 2d of September, 1784, he was ordained by Mr. Wesley as Superintendent of the Methodist Society in America ; and he sailed for this coun- try on the eighteenth of the same month. Dr. Coke was the first bishop of the Methodist Church in America. The American Methodists owe him a debt of gratitude ; for he crossed the Atlantic Ocean no less than eighteen times, at his own expense, to serve his American brethren. His benevo- lence was unbounded. He did not live for himself. He was the pioneer in the cause of modern missions. On the 30th of De^jeraber, 1813, he sailed for the East Indies, to establish a < ' » i 18 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. mission in Ceylon. On the 3d of May, 1814, he was found dead in his cabin, lying on the floor. Sudden death, but sud- den glory. His body was committed to the deep that day, there to remain till the " sea gives up its dead." The doctor, when he died, was in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Bishop Asbury preached a funeral sermon in reference to him before the New- York Conference, and at their request, in Albany, May 12th, 1815. lie bore ample testimony to the purity of character, the Christian and ministerial virtues of his friend and colleague. He said, "Dr. Coke was of the third branch of the Oxonian Methodists, of blessed mind and soul, — a gentleman, a scholar, and a bishop to us; as a minister of CI 'isit, ir zeal, in ^abours, and in services, the greatest man of the last century." His personal appearance is thus described by his biographer ; " Dr. Coke was low in stature, and as he advanced in age was inclined to corpulency ; but he was finely proportioned, and exhibited a pleasing figure. His skin was remarkably fair ; his eyes were dark, lively, and piercing. His hair bor- dered on black until his declining years, when it became sprinkled with the hoar of age. His face was particularly handsome. A peculiar freshness, through every otage of life, distinguished his countenance, which was generally animated with an engaging smile. These, in their combined eflfect, gave to the whole a degree of expresnve softness that refined the masculine features without I'educing them to a state of effeminacy. His voice correspondevi with his appearance. It was soft, engaging, and mekxlious; and unless carried beyond its natural tone — when it became rather harsh and dissonant — it raivly failed to captivate tl iRe who heard it. To his enthusiastic admirers he seen>«d tk) want nothing but winafv eo become an \ngel." The ft^llowing deHcripnon af Dr. Coke, by tho Rev. Joshua Mnrsden, is truthful and bo i^ wt ifeil, and I CAiuiot withhold it from the reader : — " Where in the man in the pre(««at *^Q who has done as THOMAS COKE. 79 liit , much for the cause of God as Thomas Coke ? Who has travelled more miles? Who has oftener crossed the Atlantic Ocean to carry the light of salvation to the Western world ? Who has, with such a spirit of condescending charity, laid aside the gentleman, the philosopher, and the scholar, to teach negro slaves, and soften, hy the healing balm of salvation, the rigours of tl:eir captivity? Who has more cheerfully borne the burning sun of the equator, or the rage of the marine tempest, that he might carry the consolations of peace to thousands of the distressed ? Witness, ye mighty forests of the Western world ! witness how often Coke, amid the silence of the sylvan teniple, has called the cottagers of the wilder- ness beneath the shade of some spreading maple, to behold the sinner's Friend. He preached the Gospel from the Mis- sissippi to the Bay of Penobscot, and from the Chesapeake to the waters o.'" the Ohio. Where is the man who was more lavish of llf 3, more abundant in labours, or more willing to suffer ? To the ardour of a seraph he added the wings of a dove ; and besides crossing the Atlantic Ocean eighteen times, how often has he crossed the turbulent British Channel and Irish Sea 1 Who can stand up, and in the presence of Coke {)ut this inscription upon his own brow : — ' In labours more abundant P His means were largo ; his charity was larger ; but his heart was larger than all. He was the most inde- fatigable missionary that this or any former age has pro- duced ; and, had he lived in times of greater veneration for such labours, he might have been canonized for a saint of the first class, or dignified with the title of an apostle. To the toil-degraded African he was an unparalleled benefactor; and if his labours to succour those outcasts of man are not ranked with Clarkson's and Wilberforce's, if is only because thoy are less known. These gentlemen nobly broke their civil chains ; he preached deliverancio to their captive souls, nnd brought thousands of them into the glorious liberty of the Son of (r^ v.. The preaching of the cross was a darling object of ^'is hoart, and few manifested equal ardour in ditj- '' i ) f •\ ■ I ii^ 60 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. pensing the great truths of salvation. If he had not the commanding and irresistible eloquence of a Whitefield, his discourses were impressive and affectionate; the zeal of his life was not the blaze of a meteor, nor the coruscation of a northern light ; it was steady as the brightness of a lamp, and constant as the fire of the Magi. In the decline of life he manifested the ardour of youth ; and ceased not to preach, beg, travel, and write, with unabated diligence. To the foreign missions he was the almoner of the. bounty of thousands ; and if he wanted that correct, calculating pru- dence which the rigid economy of a Franklin might have suggested, it was because his great soul considered every pound wisely wasted which saved an immortal spirit. Those who blamed him in this respect never moved in the same sphere; and those who slighted him, made it manifest that they valued his friendship and labour much less than their own money. He was a drudge of charity , and by the warrath of his solicitations often became obtrusive to the parsimonious, who, afraid of their purses, wished to ciicum- scribe his usefulness. But be is gone to answer to his own Master for the management of his stewardship, who, I doubt not, has put his valde proho upon his faithful servant's labours, and graciously welcomed him to the joy of bis Lord." ^nt)iz\n m)i %\\uUMm. COKE'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH ASBURY, Dr. Coke first landed in New-York on the 3d of Novem- ber, 1784. Not finding Mr. Asbury, he proceeded south Rij far as Delaware. Here he was kindly entertained by Mr. Basset, afterward governor of the state, who was at THOMAS COtE. 81 'f SfBf *»' that time erecting a large chapel, at his own expense, for the accommodation of the preachers, the congregation, and the society. Dr. Coke had never seen Mr. Asbury, but was very desirous to meet him, as he had a message from Mr. Wesley to Asbury, and as they were to be yoke-fellows. On Sunday the 14th he went to the chapel, built in the Diidst of a vast forest, in which an unexpected concourse of people assembled from every quarter. To this congregation he preached, and administered the sacrament to between five and six hundred communicants. Scarcely, however, had he finished his sermon before he perceived a plainly-dressed, robust, but venerable-looking man moving through the con- gregation, and making his way toward him. On ascending the pulpit he clasped the doctor in his arms ; and, without making himself known by words, accosted him with the holy salutation of primitive Christianity. This venerable and apostolic man was the excellent and laborious Asbury. What a meeting of noble souls, of large hearts, that beat responsive to each other, and each responsive to the great heart of Deity ! What a mingling and commingling of kin- dred spirits! What a scene for a painter's pencil! What a sight to gladden the eyes of angels, and to cause joy in the bosoms of seraphs ! They were both overjoyed ; and while rbey encircled each other in the arms of Christian friendship, and saluted each other with " a holy kiss," the scene affected the audience, and they were baptized with tears. Mr. Asbury had heard of Dr. Coke's arrival, and expected to find hiiu at the forest- chapel, and was not disappointed. Since that time what has God wrought! :i ■ ? i 1 M COKE AND THE USEFUL BOOK. " Dr. Coke was travelling in Virginia in 1785 ; he happened to call at a house where resided a mother and seven sons, and their wives. At this time the whole family were igno- !, J ' 82 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. .;ii 51' ii F rant of Methodism and iy^norant of God. On leaving their house, Dr. Coke presented them with an extract of Mr. Law's Treatise on the Nature and Design of Christianity. The perusal of this book had such an etFect on their minds, that the whole family were stirred up to seek the Lord. The result was, that the mother, her sons, and their wives, — making fifteen in all, — were converted to God, and be- came members of the Methodist society. One of the family became a proncher. Six years after Dr. Coke met the young man, — who had been converted and called to the work of the ministry, — and received from him an account of the conversion of the whole family ; and he was thus encouraged to cast his bread upon the waters, expecting to find it after many days." COKE AND THE SLANDBRER OF JOHN WESLEY. The enemies of Methodism not only slandered the charactei of John Wesley while living, but would not let him rest in the grave when dead. Not long after Mr. Wesley's death, which took place in 1791, D,r. Coke's attention was arrested by a pamphlet professing to give a short history of Wes- ley's life, and to derive its information from authentic sources. This pamphlet, which was not destitute of lit- erary merit, nor deficient in those ingredients which tra- duction always finds it needful to employ in the garb of plausibility, f.oon found among the dissolute and the gay a number of admirers, who gladly availed themselves of the sanction it afforded to lessen Wesley's reputation, by retailing the stories which it contained. Among other things, the author published two letters, which he declared to be the genuine production of Mr. Wesley's pen, addressed to a young lady on the subject of love, at a time when he was far advanced in years, and when all his friends had beheld him making preparations for leaving the world. These letters contained nothing which the world THOMAS r )KE. 83 would call dishonourable ; but, being written in a peculiar strain of canting gallantry, they excited much notice, and, in the estimation of those who believed their authenticity, — to insure which every artifice was employed, — they greatly injuriid Mr. Wesley's character. From this pamphlet, these letters found their w.iy into many of the London and provincial papers, and in some publications they continue to be circulated until the present time. To prevent all suspicion of their authenticity, the author declared that the original letters, in the handwriting of Mr. Wesley, were then in hi.« possession, and that they should be open to the inspection of any person who would call at a given place to examine them. With this open decla- ration many were satisfied ; but others, who continue incredulous, actually called. Unfortunately, however, they always happened to call either when the author was en- gaged, or when he was from home, or when these original letters were lent for the inspection of others 1 It so happened, that though they were always open for examination, they could never be seen. Ten years had passed away from the first appearance of this publication before the secret was disclosed. In the interim, those who had been interested in the issue, after being divided between credulity and dis- belief, had suffered the affair to rest in peace ; but peace was not the portion allotted to the author. Stung with remorse for having wronged th^j character of a worthy man, he voluntarily sent to Dr. Coke the following letter dated "London, Jan. 24rA, 1801. "Rev. Sir: — As the author of a silly pamphlet published some years ago, entitled 'An Impartial Review of the Life and Wr dngs of the Rev. John Wesley,' I have taken the liberty of addressing you on the subject, for the purpose of disburdening my mind, in some degre« of that intolerable weight with which it iias been oppressed, in consequence of the folly and wicked tendency of that publication ; and I now 1 i\ i / ^ ..A> %. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) r "€< /. .<»1%^ f^ ^bs 1 1.0 2.5 '- Ilia '" '" 1 2.2 2.0 1.8 I.I i. IS. tut 1.25 1^ 1.4 1.6 6" — .^^ Photographic Sciences Corporation !^ ^x^ « '\ S '^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) a72-4)03 o \ ' % ij'.. 84 THE HEROES OP METHODISM. candidly declare to you and the world, that most of the pre- tended facts are groundless, the charges sometimes false, and the characters, as delineated therein, both of the Rev. Mr. Wesley and others, are generally unjust, and unsanctioned even by my own opinion, &c. Your humble servant, "J. Collet. U m "P. S. — I forgot to say that the two infamous letters in the pamphlet, attributed to Mr. Wesley, are fictitious, being the invention of my own disordered imagination . J. C." Dr. Coke's anxiety to mate this letter public was not less ardent than his joy in receiving it. He wrote to Mr. Collet, requesting of him liberty to seiid copies of his letter into the world, through the medium of the press — that where the poison had been diffused, the antidote might follow. Mr. Collet complied with his request. These letters were accordingly made public in newspapers and periodicals. Tills account shows the readiness of Dr. Coke to vindicate the character of his deceased friend, and his high sense of honour in omitting to publish them till he had obtained permission from their autuoi*; and, above all, it exhibits to others the power of conscience, even after many years had elapsed between the crime committed and the confession which it extorted. COKE ON ALTERING AN ARTICLE OF FAITH. In the General Conference of 1804, a member, who wished the Eighth Article of our Discipline to " be made plain, so that it could bo understood," having neither the fear nor the knoAvlodge of Latin before his eyes, offered a resolution to substitute "assisting" for " preventing." The proposition took Dr. Coke so entirely by surprise that lie lost control of himself for p moment, and cried out, with his shrill, piercing voice, "The brother's afoot" THOMAS COKE. 35 COKE AND MISS SMITH. In pursuit of gold for the mission, he obtained something better than gold. Solomon says, "Whoso findeth a wife, nndeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." The doctor was passing through England, raising from varicuR persons funds for missions. In 1805 he visited Bristol. Mr. Pawson advised him to call on a Miss Smith, a lady who was at once generous and rich ; but who was indis- posed, and was then at the Hot Wells for the recovery of her health. Mr. Pawson introduced him to her. Dr. Coke hav- ing stated his object, Miss Smith, with a countenance beam- ing with generosity, immediately subscribed one hundred guineas; but observed that, as at that moment she had no money to spare, she would thank Dr. Ooke to call on her at Bradford, wheu she would pay her subscription. At tlie same time she invited him and Mr. and Mrs. Pawson to dine with her in Bristol, with which invitation they complied, and found her soul iruly alive to God. Astonished at the gift, which became enhanced in its value by the manner in which it was bestowed, Dr. Coke remained some moments absorbed in silent admiration, on tho discovery of one hundred guineas being added to her name; and found himself at a loss for language to express the gratitude of his heart for this evidence of her strong attachment to the cause of God. He called afterward for thy one hundred guineas, and he was overjoyed when she gave bim two hundred. This led to a more intimate acquaintance; and in April, 1805, she was no longer Miss Smith, but Mrs. Dr. Coke. A very suitable companion — a helpmeet, indeed. She had not only wealth, which was consecrated to God, biit was amiable as well as deeply pious. The doctor went to advance the missionary interests, and ho promoted his own ; he went after gold, and found a diamond of uuusuuJ J I 86 THE HEKOES OF METHODISM. brilliancy. " Who can find a virtuous woman ? for her price is far above rubies." " Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." But the doctor was called to mourn her departure, and to learn " that they that have wives will be as if they had none." She died on the 25th of January, 1811. The doc- tor says in her epitaph, among other things, " She fed the poor by her bounty, and instructed the rich by her example." fm COKE A JONAH. Dr. Coke sailed with other missionaries for Halifax. It was a perilous voyage. Storm followed storm, and hurricane succeeded hurricane. During the succession of storms, Dr. Coke and his associates addressed themselves to God in prayer for the preservation of the ship, and of the lives of all on board. The captain, instead of approving of their piety or joining in their devotions, became visibly agitated, and betrayed symptoms of an approaching storm within, attributing the calamities with which they .were su rounded to the means made use of to avert the growing danger. At first he pa- raded the deck, muttering, in a species of audible whisper, " We have a Jonah on board," — " We have a Jonah on board ;" and, consequently, it was natural for him to conclude that a Jonah's conduct deserved a Jonah's fate. In this condition he continued until his fears, superstition, credulity, and agitation had wound him up to such a state of frenzy that ho entered the doctor's cabin, and, in a paroxysm of fury, seizing his books and papers, throw them immediately into the sea. He was about to proceed further; but on seizing " the Jonah," he satiated his vengeance by grasping him with angry violence several times, and by giving loose to his passions in expressions of horrible imprecations. He did not offer Lim any further outrage ; yet on retiring he swore THOMAS COKE. 87 that, if the doctor made another prayer on hoard his ship, he was ftiUy resolved to throw him into the sea. But this gust of passion was of no long continuance. The removal of danger soothed the spirit of superstition to rest, and ^he cessation of the storm without reduced to a calm the tempest that raged within. During all this the doctor was tranquil, feeling that Christ was in the vessel, and that he had an interest in the Ruler of the storm, who could say to the winds and waves, " Peace, be still." f COKE PRODUCING A CALM. On the 6th of February, 1797, Dr. Coke sailed for Europe from Charleston. The ^ ssel was driven by a favourable wind across the Atlantic, and brought into the mouth of the Irish Channel in twenty-five days. But the vaves were so vio- lent as 10 carry away the bulwarks on both sides of the vessel, so that the doctor durst not make his appearance on deck during this tempestuous voyage. One extreme often follows another. This tremendous storm was suc- ceeded by a wonderful calm, which lasted sixteen days, during fourteen of which they saw no vessel of any description. This continued calm the captain attributed to Dr. Coke's reading a folio volume which he had on board. In the early stages of the calm he would some- times hint his wishes that the book were finished. At length, being impelled more violently by a tide of super- stition, than his vessel was by the natural breezes, he exclaimed in unequivocal terms, " We shall never have a wind until that book is finished 1" " Sir, I will put it aside," replied Dr. Coke. " No," rejoined the captain, "that will not do; it must be finished, or we shall have no wind." Dr. Coke continued reading. " I doubt not," he observes, " that the captain wtvs somewhat confirmed in his opinion ; for just as I had finished the book the wind 1 -i r i 88 THE HEROES 01 METHODISM. sprung up, and in six and thirty hours brought us into harbour." COKE AND THE CAPTAIN. Dr. Coke was in the habit of making personal applica- tion for money to sustain the cause of missions. Some- times he would succeed where he did not expect to, and again men would refuse him where he had no doubt of suc- cess. A singular incident of this description occurred near Plymouth, England. He called one day on the captain of u man-of-war who resided there, and introduced the case of the negroes in such an affecting manner as to prevail upon him to give a sum much larger than he expected. This he gratefully received and reined. The captain, who knew nothing of Dr. Coke, happened, in the course of the day, to call on a gentleman who had long resided in the place, and to whom Dr. Coke had frequently made successful applica- tions. After conversing together for some time, " Pray, sir," said the captain, " do you know anything of a little fellow who calls hmiself Dr. Coke, and who is going about beg- ging money for missionaries, to be sent among the slaves ?" " I know him well," was the reply. " He seems," rejoined the captain, " to be a heavenly-minded little devil. He coaxed me out of two guineas this morning." COKE BOUGHT AT HIS OWN PRICE. It was a favourite maxim of Dr. Coke, as well as Sir Robert Walpole, that every man might be purchased, if the person intending to buy him could find his price. Whether this be a libel on human nature, as some have contended, forms no part of the present inquiry; but it is certain that Dr. Coke, in adopting it, was far from being singular. One day, having advanced this proposition before a crowd- ed congregation, he was requested, on .the conclusion of the ' ' THOMAS COKE. 80 service by some persons present, who belonged to a town about six miles distant, to visit their place and preach. His route being fixed in his own mind, and this town not lying in his way, he refused to comply with their request. Being unwilling to abandon their object for a solitary re- pulse, they consulted together to contrive how they should procted in their second attack so as to insure success. In this consultation it was observed by one, " The doctor told us in his sermon that every man was to be purchased, if the buyer could find his price. Let us tell him, that if he will come we will hold ourselves responsible for a good collection for the missions. Perhaps this may purchase him." His friends, assenting to this proposition, agreed to make the attempt, and the writer of this anecdote was delegated by them to introduce their contrivance to Dr. Coke. On hear- ing the manner in which they had applied his own principle to himself, he could not but smile. He paused for a few moments, and then, with joy sparkling in his eyes, exclaimed, "They hnve hit upon it most effectually ; this is exactly my price, and I will endeavour to go to-morrow." He went accordingly, and was so well pleased with the collection, that in most of his future visits, Mevagissey, in Cornwall, was included in his route. COKE AND HIS HOSTESS'S FAMILY. Dr. Coke, in attempting to cross a river, when in America, missed the ford and got into deep water. He and his hoi-se were carried down the stream, and were in considerable dan- ger; he caught hold of a bough, and with some diffi- culty got upon dry land, and his horse was carried down the stream. After drying his clothes in the sun, he set out on foot, and at length met a man, who directed him to the nearest village, telling him to inquire for a Mrs. , from whom he had no doubt he would receive the kindest treatment, Pr. Coke found the good lady's house, and ny ir ^. f ] 90 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ceived all the kindness and attention she could show him ; messengers were sent after his horse, which was recovered and brought back. The next morning he took leave of his kind hostess, and proceeded on his journey. After a lapse of five years Dr. Coke was again in America. As he was on his way to one of the conferences, in company with about thirty other persons, a young man requested the favour of conversing with the doctor, and with Christian politeness he assented. The young man asked him if he recollected being in such a part of the country about five years ago; He re- plied in the aflSrmative. " And do you recollect, sir, in at- tempting to cross the river, being nearly drowned ?" " I remember it quite well." " And do you recollect going to the house of a widow lady in such a village ?" " I remem- ber it well," said the doctor; "and never shall forget the kindness she showed me." " And do you remember when you departed, leaving a tract at that lady's house ?" " I do not recollect that," said he; "but it is very possible I might do so." " Yes, sir," said the young man, " you did leave there a tract, which that lady read, and the Lord blessed the reading of it to the conversion of her soul ; it was also the means of the conversion of several of her children and neighbours, and there is now in that village a flourishing lit- tle society." The tears of Dr. Coke showed something of the feelings of his heart. The young man resumed : " I have not, sir, quite told you all. I am one of thai lady's children, and owe my conversion to God to the gracious influence with which he accompanied that tract to my mind, and I am now, Dr. Coke, on my way to conference to be proposed as a preacher." . EEV. WILLIAM M'KENDEEE. i rf! 7 i i ■ ) 1 i ( ■ i 1 !' f r 1 THE REV. WILLIAM M'KENDREE. One of the most renowned heroes of Methodism, a distin- guished leader of the Lord's host, was William M'Ken- DREE, the colleague of the laborious Asbury, his succossor in the office of senior bishop, one who ca 'ght the falling flag- staff from the palsied hand of his dying father, and bore it on to glory and to victory. M'Kendree is a name very dear to American Methodists. This great champion for the truth, this hero of a hundred battles, tli^ conqueror of a thousand foes, is one whom the Church delighted to honour in life, and who is held in grateful remembranoe now he is dead. There is no name on the pages of her history that shines with lustre more brilliant, and none will be more enduring. William M'Kendree was born in King William Coun- ty, Virginia, July 6th, 1757. In th-e year 1787 there was a glorious revival in Virginia under the ministry of that Boanerges the Rev. John Easter, of precious memory. The youthful M'Kendree heard him ; an arrow of truth reached his heart, and he followed the preacher from one place to another, as he went preaching the word with power. While Mr Easter, in a certain sermon, was showing the " way of salvation" by simple faith in the atonement, the arrow was withdrawn by the band of mercy, the bleeding heart of the young man was bound up, the balm of Gilead was applied, and he was enabled to exclaim with Doctor Young: " With joy, with grief, the healing hand I see, That form'd the skies, and yet that bled for me, That bleeds the balm I want." t iHI 1^: iHH| 1 ^ '! .' 04 THE HEKOES OP^ METHODISM. Soon after his conversion, Mr. M'Kendree was called upon to pray in public and exhort sinners to " flee the wrath to come." In June, 1788, he went with Rev. John Easter to the Virginia Conference, which was held in Petersburgh. Mr. M'Kendree felt that the " glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to his trust," that necessity was laid upon him. He trembled in view of the magnitude of the work, and his great responsibility, feeling that " 'T is not a cause of small import, The pastor's care demands, But what might fill an angel's heart, And fill'd a Saviour's hands." At that conference Mr. M'Kendree v/as received into the travelling connexion, though he had been converted only nine months, and had not been licensed as a local preacher. For twelve years his ministry was confined to Virginia, except a short time spent in South Carolina. In 1800, Bishop Asbury and Whatcoat travelled into the Western country, taking with them Mr. M'Kendree. The far-seeing Asbury saw the importance of that great Western valley, and the necessity of having the right kind of man to take the general oversight of the work ; and he selected William M'Kendree, and his fidelity and success show the wisdom of the bishop's choice. Mr. M'Kendree was appointed presiding elder, and had the great valley of the Mississippi for his district. For eight years he was presiding elder in the West, and was then in the very prime of manhood, and exerted a most poweiful influence in favour of " Christianity in earnest." His preach- ing was in " the demonstration of the spirit and with power." The work of God received a new and mighty influence, and several new districts were formed. At the General Conference held in Baltimore, May, 1808, Mr. M'Kendree was elected and ordained a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and during the eight following years, acted as a joint superintendent with Bishop Asbury, WILLIAM M'KENDRER. 05 The senior bishop died in March, 1816, and the whole weight and responsibility rested upon Bishop M'Kendree, and he showed himself just the man for the emergency. As a preacher, Mr. M'Kendree possessed most wonderful power. All who heard hira pronounced him the prince of preachers. He was like Apollos, *' mighty in the Scriptures," and mighty ir the burning logic of heaven. He was endued ^vith power from on high. Judge M'Lean thus speaks of him as a preacher : " Bishop M'Kendree was not a classical scholar, and yet there has not appeared in the Methodist connexion a finer model as a preacher. He was eloquent in the true sense of the term. Few men ever filled the pulpit with greater dignity and use- fulness, and the beautiful simplicity of his sermons was per- haps unequalled in our country." As a presiding bishop, M'Kendree had no superior, and as a superintendent, he was worthy to catch and wear the mantle of the ascended Asbury. No man ever loved Methodism with a purer and st*" )ger affection ; no one ever laboured to promote it with more burning and unquench- able zeal, and few have employed in its advancement more distinguished talents. His memorable deeds commend him to the Church and to posterity. " He made fulF proof of his ministry." The bishop fell at his post loaded with honours, covered with scars, and crowned with imperishable laurels. Twelve years he was presiding elder, and for nearly twen- ty-seven years a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. For half a century he stood upon the walls of Zion, but on the 5th of March, 1835, he died at the house of his brother, near Nashville, in the TOth year of his age. The following portrait of the bishop is from " A Layman." It is sketched and drawn by a masterly hand, and will be read with pleasure and profit : — " As yet I have seen nc sketch of this eminent preacher of the cross, which does justice to the high qualities with 96 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. which he was endowed ; and I shall not now attempt to do justice to them, but merely give a hasty view of his charac- ter. I shall consider the elements of which his character is composed as embracing the entire qualities of the man, phys- ical, moral, and intellectual. " No man, either learned or unlearned, ever saw Bishop M'Kendree without being struck with the dignity of his per- sonal appearance. It was said by Johnson of Edmund Burke, that if any man should meet Burke under a tree, in a shower of rain, ho would at once conclude that he was in the presence of no ordinary man ; and the same might have been said of Bishop M'Kendree. He was about the com- mon height, and his form was finely proportioned. By his countenance were sliown great mildness and intellectual vigour. His forehead was high and well turned ; his eyes black, very expressive, and somewhat protruded wheu look- ing upward ; his eyebrows heavy ; his mouth exceedingly intellectual ; his chin square and well proportioned. His like- ness is faithfully given in the numerous engravings which are in the possession of his friends ; and I doubt whether a finer countenance, one more expressive of benignity, piety, firmness, and intelligence, has been seen in any age cr country. " In early life Bishop M'Kendree had not the advantages of a classical education, but he employed a long life in the accumulation of useful knowledge. His acquirements were various, extensive, and accurnte. With almost all the inter- esting topics of the day, ana especially 'hose connected with religion, he was well acquainted, and could converse on them with ease and fluency. He was deeply read in the Holy Scriptures, which were made the rule of his life; and both in his conversations and sermons he showed that he had not only read them with care, but that they had been the sub- ject of his profoundest meditation. '' The prominent characteristics of hia mind were the powei of analyns and the faculty of drawing correct conclusions His process of reasoning was clear, simple, and conclusive but lang was in th( offeoti from about moutl ed up l0U8 beauti the er si St it! of Si and t hearer peal V WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 97 In the pulpit I have never seen Christian dignity, liumihty, firmness, piety, and persuasiveness so admirably blended as in Bishop M'Kendree. "He had neither learned nor studied in the schools the arts of eloquence ; but he was learned in the school of Christ. Natare had cast his form in the finest mould, and the in- spirations of his subject seldom failed to give him tiiat power which enlightens the judgment and opens the fountains of the soul. " Never bad an orator less pretension in his own estimation. While instructing others, you could see by his countenance and his whole demeanour, that he was himself willing to bo instructed. His mind was full of his subject, and his earnest endeavour was, in all meekness, to impart to every hearer all that he knew and all that he felt. " I have ofte" thought that his illustrations and language approached neaier to the simplicity of the teachings of his Divine Master than any other preacher I have ever heard. He never indulged in rhetorical figures or uncommon words, but always used the most appropriate and the most simple language to convey his ideas. The eloquence, the power, was in the conception, the thought, the sentiment, and not in the words with which it was clothed. And what thrillinjr eft'ects have T, and others who have heard him, witnessed from the bursts of eloquence with which his discourses often abounded. You could see the thought kindle : his eye, his mouth, his counten.ince, his whole frr.me seemed to be light- ed up with more than ituman fires ; and then, in a tremu- lous voice, soft as the evening zephyrs, would flow that beautiful stream of eloquence which carried upon its bosom the enraptured audience. None were able or willing to re- sist its orce. Occasionally he would invoke the thunders of Sinai, and sometimes with such effect, that dismay and terror would bo depicted in the countenances of his hearers. On one occasion, at a popular meeting, this ap- peal was made with such power as to fill the tl.ou&anda ( 1 ■1 V t <, m \ 08 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. who heard him with the utmost consternation , and the orator, as if moved by compassion, released his hearers from tlic ho/ror which had seized them, by thanldng God that they were not yet subjects of hopeless torment. But this was not a strain in which he often indulged. His com- mon theme was the love of God ; and in so persuasive a manner did he commend this love to the hearts of his hear- tha^ I do not believe he ever preached a sermon in ers vam. "Bishop M'Kcndree was eminently qualified to fill the im portant station he occupied in the Ohurch. It could not boast of a wiser or a better man. He had become closely identified with the early triumphs of Methodism in the United States, and with its rise in the Western country, After the death of Bishop Asbury, he was looked to by the preachers and the people as the patriarch of the Church ; and all seemed willing to be instructed by his experience and piety. No man was. better calculated to soothe excited feelings, and bring those heart burnings whicii, from the im- perfection of our nature, arise among the most exemplar^* and pious men, to a happy issue. And when the honour of tin Church and the cause of God required firmness, no man was more immovable than Bishop M'Kendree. " His intercourse with his fellow-men was such as became a Christian minister. He never for a moment forgot the re- sponsibility under which he acted ; for he seemed never to do or say anything on which he could not ask the blessing of heaven. While his soft and pleas;ng manners and intelli- gent conversation were adapted to the most enlightened and polished society, he was equally beluved in every circle. He never suflV od a favourable occasion to pass without recom- mending religion of his Master, and I doubt whether he ever associated with any individual, or in any circle, large or small, without fixing in the mind of every one a remem- brancer of his deep and unatfected piety. His remarks were, indeed, like bread cast upon the waters. Prayer, solemn, WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 00 fervent prayer, was the element in wh^cli be movea and had his being. "This is a short and /ery feeble outline of this man of God. His death was as peaceful and as eminently triumphant as his life had been devoted and useful. His body rests by the side of his father, the spot selected by himself, in the state of Tennessee. That tongue which charmed by its elo- quence, exciting the fears of the sinner, and warming the heart of the believer, is now silent in death. Preachers, you shall never again hear in conference that mora than parental admonition and advice which you have been accustomed to hear from your beloved M'Kendree. l^ut he has left for you his precept and example, and what could he have left of so much value to you and the Church ?" At the request of the New- York Conference, Bishop Hed- ding preached a funeral sermon on t\ie occasion of the death of Bishop M'Kendree. It was delivered in the Washington- street Church in Brooklyn, N. Y., in M^y, 1835. Bishop Emory was the presiding bishop at the conference, and was assisted by Bishop Hedding. The bishop's text was 2 Timothy iv, 6-8 : " For I am now ready to be offer&i^ and the time of my departure is at hand. I have foiujht a good fighl^ I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid tip for me a croion of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his ajypcaringJ'^ It was an appropriate text and an excellent sermon. The main points were, T. The apostle's exercises. (1.) He had fought a good fight. (2.) The faith he had kept. (3.) He had finished his course. II. The apostle's reward. The crown c)f righteousness, s magnificent voice. Suddenly he would descend to a lower key, and employ under-tones, sweet and soft as the ^olian lyre. At times the feelings of the audi- ence would become, under his stirring appeals, most intense, and one simultaneous shout would leap from a hundred tongues. Young as I was, I was deeply affected with wonder and delight at the powerful eloquence and commanding ap- pearance of the distinguished stranger. The man, the man- ner, the voice, and the discourse, all made on my youthful heart an impression, which the long years that are passed have failed to wear away." 4 <■ BISHOP M'KENDREE'S SERMON AT PARIS, NEW-YORK. "During the session of the Genesee Conference in Paris, N. Y., in 1816," says the Rev. Abner Chase, " Bishop M'Ken- dre*^ preached on the Sabbath a sermon which is remem- bered by many until the present time. The multitude 118 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. It ^^m m 1 ' ' ' % ' i . .'I • i •If mi assembled on the occasion was very great. The entire church was given up to the female part of the assembly; and even then, perhaps, not one-half of that class were able to get in. A staging was prepared, reaching through one of the windows of the church — the sash being removed, sc that the bishop could stand within or without the house, as he might choose to vary his position — and seats were pre^ pared on the north side of the house, where the bishop stood; but not sufficient to accommodate more, perhaps, than one- fourth of the assembly. The greater part were obliged to stand, or lose the opportunity to hear. The bishop took his stand; but the current of air was so strong through the window, and his asthmatic affection was so severe, that he hesitated to commence. After standing a short time, he called me to him, and said, ' I think I cannot succeed in an attempt to speak here.' I told him if he thought he could not preach there, we would clear his way to the pulpit, and those who could not hear must bear their disappointment. The bishop paused again for a moment, and then stooping toward me, as I stood upon the floor, said, with a smile which was peculiar to himself, * I will try it here, in the name of the Lord.' That expression and that smile are as vividly before ray mind now as though it were but yester- day. He commenced and gave out a hymn ; after this was sung he knelt upon the staging, and while at prayer his voice became more and more clear and strong. He arose and gave out his text, 1 Cor. i, 22-24 : * For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom : but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.' He proceeded for a few minutes, and was evidently rising above all his embarrassments, and exclaimed, ' Thanks be to God, the shackles are all off; there is no tram- melling here now I' I can only say, What a sermon ! and what power attended it I There were present to hear this sermon WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 119 several ministers of ditFerent denominations besides our own ; and when the services were closed there was an inquiry among them, one after another, what they thought of ike sermon. * Why,' said one of them, ' Doctor cannot hold a candle to him.' " Bishop M'Kendree was an acquaintance and warm friend of General Andrew Jackson ; and in the course of this ser- mon he gave some striking anecdotes of the general, which produced a fine eflfect upon the congregation. I will relate one of them. GENERAL JACKSON AND THE NOISY PRAYER- MEETING. The memorable 8th of January, the day of the battle of New Orleans, was a Sunday. The general, expecting every hour an attack from the British army, had, in the morning, given orders that no man should be far from his place, and that the strictest order should be preserved, and no unusual noise made in the camp. There were some pious men in the army, who hud assembled in one of the tents after breakfast, and engaged in a prayer- meeting. Becoming fervent and animated in prayer, one of the offi- ceis came to the tent and ordered them to discontinue the meeting, alleging that they were disobeying the orders given in the morning by General Jackson. They assured the oflScer that they had no disposition to disobey, and if he would allow them the privilege, they would appeal to the general. To this proposition the ofiicer assented, and agreed to accompany two of their number to the general's quarters, to hear his decision of the question. They went, accordingly, and the officer stated the case to the general, remarking that he had forbidden the continuance of the meeting because they had become warm and loud in their prayers, which he considered a violation of the general's order given in the morning, that no unusual noise should be 120 THE HEROES OF METHOLiSM. made in the camp. Upon which the general replied, " God forbid that prayer should be an unusual noise in my camp." They returned, and the prayer-meeting went on until they were called into the field of battle. A NOBLE WOMAN AND A NOBLE TOAST. The other anecdote related by Bishop M'Kendree was this. There was in New Orleans, soon after the battle, a meeting v>f the ofiicers of the army, to celebrate the victory which had recently been obtained, to which celebration the officers, whose wives were in the vicinity, v/ere invited to bring their ladies with them. After dinner toasts were given by the dif- ferent officers, in praise of General , Colonel , Major , Captain , (i'is touching incident. Never neglect or overlook a child. The example of Bishop M'Kendree is worthy of imitation as well as admiration. BISHOP M'KENDREE AND THE UNION MEETINQ- HOUSE. Union meeting-houses have been no blessing to us, but a great injury. For two years I was stationed in a Union Church. From ever being stationed in another, "good Lordf deliver me." WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 123 The following incident, related by the Rev. Abner Chase, will illustrate the evil : " We had in the town of Litchfield, N. Y., what was called a ' Union meeting-house,' built by Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists ; but, as is the case in most instances of the kind, instead of a union it was a contention house. In 1814 we had a love-feast and a sac- ramental season appointed there. Bishop M'Kendree was passing through that part of the country, and he spent a Sabbath with us. When Sunday morning came, a certain man, who claimed to be a proprietor in the house, went early in the morning and took one of the doors from the hinges, laid it down upon the floor, and sat upon it, to prevent our holding the love-feast in due form. Having learned what was going on, I asked the bishop if he was willing to preach in the grove, which was near by, to which he consented. We therefore gave up the love-feast, and before preaching held a meeting for prayer and speaking in the grove, having previously posted a man in front of the church-yard, to notify the people where the meeting was, and to request all not to go to the church, so that the man had the privilege of sit- ting upon his door unnoticed by any one, until he was weary and ashamed ; and then he got up and went home." m)^S^: BISHOP M'KENDREE AND HIS DYING SISTER. We have seen the bishop on the circuit, in the pulpit, in the chair presiding at the conference : we are now to behold him in a diflferent attitude — in the room of his dying sister. We enter the chamber where the dying sufferer lay, and behold the brother, an angel of mercy, watching by her dying bedside till angels whispered, *• Sister spirit, come away." We read of a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Then a brother will stick very close; the love of a true brother indeed is pure, genuine, lasting. This was the case with Bishop M'Kendree. The following pages show the ii mim^.. 124 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. kind of heart that beat in his bosom ; the sympathy of hia nature, the tenderness of his soul. Never does ho appear greater or better than in the room where his sister exchanged mortality for immortality. The bishop's sister, Frances, was converted under the la- bours ofthat mighty man of God, John Easter, July 22d, 1*787. Two years after, her mother sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. In 1810 the family moved to Tennessee, where the father died triumphantly in 1815, having lived four-score and eight J'ears. A few weeks before the death of the venera- ble father, the daughter, Frances, was married to the Rev. Nathaniel Moore. In 1823, consumption began to undermine her constitution, and threaten her dissolution. "Oil the 18th of November, her brother. Bishop M'Ken- dree, in company with Bishop Soule, arrived at Mr. Moore's, and found Mrs. Moore sinking very fast under the pressure of disease ; but her mind was composed and calm. She had felt the want of religious conversation in that free and par- ticular manner which treats of the feelings of the heart, and the peculiar exercise? of the mind under various and com- plicated afflictions ; for her friends had by some means omitted indulging in that degree of freedom with her which would have led to this point. The way being opened by the bishops, she converaed very freely and frequently on the important subject of religion, in which she unrei:>ervedly spoke of her experience and manner of living for thirty-six or thirty- seven years ; of the evidence she had of her acceptance with God, her faith in Christ, and her hope of eternal happiness. She said she felt no condemnation, yet she was conscious of not having improved the gn.ce and opportunities afforded as she ought; that she was sensible of the want of more grace, and earnestly desired a more free and easy access to a tlir jne of mercy, and more intimate communion with Jesus, She said she was not willing to finish her course without clearer views and a stronger evidenoe of everlasting happi- ness. on WILLIAM M'KENDHEE. 125 " On the 24th the bishops left Mr. Moore's to attend the conference in Columbia ; and having finished the business of conference, they returned to Mr. Moore's on the 2d day of December, and found her mind nearly in the same situation as when they left her, while her system was rapidly declin- ing. She earnestly prayed for clear views, and a strong evi- dence of future happiness, and was supported by an encour- aging expectation that her prayer would be answered. She knew that God was with her, and believed that he *vould take care of her. She was not flattered either by her phy- sicians or friends : they had for some time given up all hopes of her recovery, and she was informed of their opinion, nor did she manifest any symptoms of alarm ai the information ; for she believed as they did; and her desire to know God more fully increased as her health declined. " On th6 16th her brother left her to visit a neighbouring society, and on the 20th he returned, and found her mind still calm and composed, and much resigned to the will of God : her comfort was increased, but her strength fast de- clining. She was very free and particular in conversation on her situation and prospects of future bliss and happi- ness. " On the night of the 23d, about midnight, the bishop was waked up and called to visit Mrs. Moore. Ho hastened to her apartment, and found her, for the first time, much ex- cited, and her sister, who was watching alone, deeply aflfected : neither could comfort the other. Mrs. Moore's mind was strongly excit|d, but there was no appearance of confusion or fear: it assumed the character of deep concern, produced from conviction. With nerves, countenance, and voice firm and regular, she bnefly rehearsed her walk with God, her faith in Christ, and her hope of happiness after death ; * but now, said she, * when the time draws nigh, I am afraid. I have been thiiiking on the dreadful consequences of being deceived. How if I never had religion ! If it has all been delusion ! IIow shall J appear "o^fore my Judge ! It is an Mil \ i i 126 TPIE HEROES OF METHODISM. awfiil thought ! I feel fear, and it alarms me.' This was an eventful and important moment. The grand enemy had assailed her with all his art and subtilty, and was about to succeed in depriving her of those comforts and enjoyments which enable the Christian to die triumphantly ; but, for- tunately for her, a minister of Jesus was at hand, who was mot ignorant of Satan's devices, and who reflected as she made those statements, and at once saw the design of the enemy. When she had finisheo her observations, the bishop took up the subject of temptation^ and made some remarks on its nature^ the design of the tempter, the artfui form of his insinuations, and the consequences of admittinej ti. ■ probability of his suggestions, and reasoning on ther , I . a situation like this he pointed out to her the Christian's re- course, showing that the strength of Jehovah was pledged for his deliverance, and the safety to be enjoyed by trusting in it ; how the enemy ought to be met on such occasions, and the way of exercising faith in the exceeding great and precious promises given us in the word of God, together with the certainty of help and deliverance from the Most High. To these statements Mrs. Moore Hstened with silent and solemn attention; after which she paused, as if her mind was examining their force; then asked some questions, in orde.' to remove more fully every shadow of difficulty from her mind ; after which she reflected some moments, and said, *I am satisfied,' and requested that she might lie down. After remaining composed for some time, she was asked if her mind was at rest. She replied, * Yes, bless the Lord !' * Has your confidence returned,' said the bishop. She an- swered, ' Yes, glory to God ! it is stronger than ever.' After this her mind remained, as usual, tranquil and calm, her faith firm in Christ, and her hopes and confidence in God strong and unshaken. "On the morning of the 26th, about six o'clock, the bishop was requested to hasten to her room. He found her Bitting in the bed, supported by her nephew and his wife, ■C:\ m WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 127 her sister and two servants, all bathed in tears, expecting her hour had come, and that she was just about to take her flight from this world; but it proved to be a transport of holy joy, altogether out of the ordinary way with hei. She exclaimed, ' Jesus is come ! Glory I 0, the joy — the consolation — the fulness of free salvation ! There is enough for all as well as me I Bless the Lord, my soul ! I am not only happy, perfectly happy, but my pain is all gone. I feel well and strong enough to run a mile. Glory — honour ! 0, love Jesus 1 for he is good — very good to me.' Her observations and her actions throughout this extraordi- nary season of transport and joy were fully expressive of an entire exercise of reason, a firm and unshaken faith, together with a satisfactory knowledge of the evidences on which her faith rested. It was divine love filling the heart, and run- ning over; and the sacred flame was felt by all in the room. " On Wednesday, the 29th, the bishop visited her very early in the morning, and found her composed and happy : but she observed, *Last night in my meditations, as I thought seriously on death, I tried to bring it as near as I could ; but in approaching it I felt some fear. For some time I have felt no fear of death ; but now, as he approaches nearer, I am afraid. What can be the cause ? Ts it want "•f grace?' He asked her if death, the solemnity and pain of dying, was the object of her fear ; or was the object of her tear beyond death. To this she replied, without the least hesitancy, ' It is death ! Dying appears to bo very solemn and awful ; but, thank God, there is nothing beyond death but what appears to be desirable to me : but why sliould wo fear to die V This seemed to be the last effort of the enemy to assail her, and, if possible, to deprive her of uninterrupted comfort; but the Lord, in his mercy and providence, had sent her affectionate brother, Bishop M'Kcndree, as an angel of peace, to minister comfort and consolation to her in. this trying moment. After some remarks on our innate aver- • \ 128 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. fiion to pain, which in its nature is an object of fear, he observed to her that affliction is not joyous, but grievous ; that our Lord prayed, if it were possible, that this cup (of suffering) might pass from him ; and that if martyrs and saints in every age, and to the present day, triumphed over death, it was not because death and pain were changed in their nature, or ceased to be what they really were, the last enemy we had to contend with; but by obtaining such transporting views of Jesus, heaven, and glory, as St. Stephen and many others have had, by which their faith and con- fidence are so confirmed and strengthened that they are enabled to pass triumphantly through death, in anticipation of the joys which enable us to say, ' death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Her mind from that time appeared to be perfectly satisfied: the enemy was not permitted to molest her, oi mterrupt her peace. * Not a cloud did arise to darken the skies, Or hide f'^r a moment the Lord from the ej'es.'' "On the morning of the 31st, immediately after prayer, which was by seven o'clock, her brother took a seat near her bedside, but said nothing. * Brother,' she said, with a very feeble voice, ' I am very sick this morning. I am sick all over.' He replied, * Yes, you are sick ; we see it, and none of us can help you.' 'No,' said she, 'you cannot help me; but you would if you could.' 'But,' said he, 'the Lord can help you, and he is all-sufficient.' Her countenance instantly revived, her voice resumed its usual tone, and ohe said, ' Yes, the Lord can help me : in him is my trust ; to him T constantly pray when I am awake, and I have confidence that he will stand by me and support me to the last.' About twenty or thirty minutes afterward she was raised and sup- ported on the bed, and prayer was again proposed, of which WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 129 she approved, and desired all present to pray constantly for her, and to bear her up. While at prayer she would add very fervently, * Amen ! Lord, hear prayer.' The company rose from their knees weeping, and deeply affected. Being supported as she sat up on the bed, she rejoiced and praised God. Said she, * I have an abiding confidence in God : my joy is inexpressible. I am perfectly easy : no pain — no dis- order about me ;' and for a short time her actions in some degree corresponded with what she professed to feel. She said, ' I am resigned to the will of God. The Lord is good. I have no cause of complaint. He has wiped away all ray tears. I have no tears to shed with you.' Those who were present remarked the change from extreme debility to a sur- prising degree of strength, and also her composure and deliberate manner of expression; but the surprise ceases when we consider the astoui&hing effects of the grace of God manifested to a believer in Jesus. This being the day in course for preaching at the meeting-house, she was in- formed that the bishop desired to go to meeting, if it met with her approbation. She said, ' Yes, O yes ! go to meet- ing.' Sometimes she was suddenly attacked with overwhelm- ing sickness ; and when asked what part was most affected hy those sudden attacks, she would say, ' I am sick all over ; my feelings are indescribable.' Once she observed, ' I feel very strangely ; it affects me all over ;' and very composedly asked, ' What can be the cause ? Is it death ?' On this day, about eleven o'clock, a very sudden attack of thia sickness took place. She appreheisded approaching dissolu- tion, and expressed a wish to see her brother. The afflic- tion progressed to an alarming degree. She became pale as a corpse; the organs of speech ceased to perform their office ; she was perfectly limber ; and <5very one present ex- pected that death must ensue. However, she survived. Thirty-five minutes after twelve her brother returned, and found her considerably revived, tolerably easy, quite com- posed, and perfectly resigned ; but nhe wa8 exceedingly Jy^liirir ■' mill 1 1 1 i * : i ') ■ i , ,, ; [ 1 ■ \ Hf m 130 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. weak and feeble, and from this time she sunk very fast. " On the morning of January 1st, 1825, she was very feeble, having been much troubled by her cough, and slept but little the preceding night. At half past ten o'clock she was asked, ' How do you do V She replied with a feeble voice, ' I have no pain : I am easy, except a pressure on the lungs, which makes it hard to breathe and cough. I am very feeble. I am going fast, as you see.* She was asked if she had supporting faith; to which she replied, ' Strons: in faith — all is well — bless the Lord !' One present said, ' Lei ire die the death of the righteous :' to which she responded, *And let my last end be like his.' "On Sabbath morning, January 2d, she said in broken accents, ' that I could talk I' About four o'clock, as hei nephew and sister stood by, and supported her — for hei cough was so troublesome she could not lie down — she said, 'Children, how is your faith for me?' He replied, ' Mine is very strong.' She said, ' Nancy, how is yours V The answer was, ' Our faith is strong.' * So is mine,' said she, and added, ' I wanted -to know, for I am almost gone, but have a strong hope.* "Between five and six o'clock on the morning of the 3d, her brother came down stairs, and on entering her room, ho asked, ' Is all well ?' She answered, ' Yes, I am easy.' ' Have you peace and comfort still V said he. She replied, ' Yes, my peace is like a river.' He again asked her, ' Can you trust the Lord V and she readily answered, ' I have full con- fidence in God — bless the Lord.' About nine o'clock her brother was called in haste into her room. She sat leaning on her nephew, supported by his wife and her sister, who were all absorbed in tears. Her aspect was indicative of dissolution. After a solemn pause, the bishop asked her, 'Is all well?' by which expression she knew he mef.nt much; and she answered, 'Yes, Jesus is come.' He siid, WILLIAM M'KENDREE. 181 * Amen — even so, come Lord Jesus !' when, with her hands feebly raised, she responded, * So be it ! Glory ! 0, the beauty 1' These were her last words. She was gently inclined, leaning on her nephew, and supported as already mentioned ; and in this position, as one sweetly falling asleep, she remained perfectly calm — no cough or appear- ance of pain. Once, on attempting to swallow, her throat being very sore, a wrinkle was seen in her face ; but it was only for a moment, and her face resumed its natural smooth- ness. In about fifteen or twenty minutes her breath grew shorter, but she breathed easily with her mouth closed : her hands and eyes were in their usual praying position. At length she extended her arms, with an easy, regular motion, and moved or straightened them twice ; her chin gradually dropped; and without a struggle, or the least appearance of any exertion, reaching after breath, a groan or sigh, she fell asleep as in the arms of her Saviour. An exit from this world 80 composed and easy, and at the same time so triumphant, falls to the lot of but few ; and as her nephew's wife said, a few minutes after she ceased to breathe, so will I say, 'O that my last end may be like hers.'" Such is the description given by the Rev. Thomas L. Douglass, of the bishop and his dying sister, Frances, who was lovely in life, and still more lovely in death. The account was published in the Methodist Magazine in 1826, from which I have made the above extracts. It is singular that the words which the bishop twice ad- dresses to Frances, " Is all well ?" were his own last words as he was " passing away." The dying hero exclaimed, " All is well I" Long ago the brother and sister have met where all will be eternally well, in the regions of perpetual sunshine, " where no friend goes out, no enemy comes in." % I li n w ]•: li, mtmtmmtmtmtf-i 132 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. BISHOP M'KENDREE'S FAREWELL TO THE GENERA^ CONFERENCE. • " I was present," says the Rev. James Quinn, " when Dr. Coke presided for the last time in the General Conference; also when the sainted Whatcoat for the last time sat in the chair of the General Conference. So, also, when we were blessed for the last time with the presence and godly counsel of the never-to-be-forgotten Asbury. I was present at the General Conference in which George — the holy, fervent, spirited Bishop George — last presided. I also heard with strong emotion our dear M'Kendree's valedictory, which he de- livered, placing his right hand on the shoulder of Bishop Soule, who leaned forward to support him, while Bishops Roberts and Hedding supported him on the left, and Bish- ops Andrew and Emory sat before him, within the railing around the communion table. As the venerable man re- tired, supported by Dr. Bangs and Bishop Soule — one on either hand — I said to brother Akers, 'I think we have seen his face, we have heard his voice, for the last time in the General Conference.' " -It was so. The General Confer- ence spoken of was held in Philadelphia, May, 1832. When the venerable M'Kendree was leaving the conference, conscious that it was the last lime, he bade them an affec- tionate farewell. Most touching was the scene, worthy of a painter's pencil. It is thus described by Dr. Bangs, and nothing in his whole History is more graphic. He says, speaking of the venerable M'Kendree : " Like a patriarch in the midst of his family, with his head silvered over with the frosts of seventy-five winters, and a countenance beaming with intelligence and good-will, he delivered his valedictory remarks, which are remembered with lively emotions. Rising from bis seat to take his departure, the day before the conference adjourned, he halted for a moment, leaning on his Btaff; with faltering lips, his eyes swimming with WILLIAM ITKENDREE. 133 tears, lie said : ' My brethren nnd children, love one another. Let all things be done without strife or vainglory, and strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.' He then spread forth his trembling hands, and, lifting his eyes toward the heavens, pronounced, with faltering and affection- ate accents, the apostolic benediction." Says another: "They all gazed upon his bowed and feeble form as he passed from their midst, and felt but too ^earful forebodings, that he was present for the last time. Prayers and tears marked his exit ; but there was joy in his heart — the joy of a weary labourer who feels that the sun has well-nigh approached the horizon, and that its setting will bring him the sweetest repose." BISHOP M'KENDREE AND THE NEW- YORK CONFER- ENCE. Bishop M'Kendree, in his administration, was generally mild, and a^ the same time firm as the hills. Even the vote of an annual conference could not induce him to perform an act he knew unconstitutional. " A debate once arose," says Dr. Bangs, " in the New- York Conference, respecting electing a man to elder's orders, who had been a travelling deacon only one year, because he had travelled for several years in connexion with the Wes- leyan Conference in England, and he was finally elected. In the course of the debate, one of the speakers, averse to the proposed election, pleaded that if elected, the presiding bishop would be compelled to assume the character of a pope, and refuse to ordain him. After the question was de- cided, the bishop arose and informed the conference, in mild but firm tones, that, with all his respect for the decision of the conference, he must decline to ordain the brother ; ' But,' said he, * in doing this, I deny the imputation that I, assume the character of the pope, for I act according to your laws, by which I am forbidden to consecrate a per- I ^! / : t It t ; . 1 ' J m m If I 184 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. son to the oflSce of an elder until he shall have travelled two years as a deacon, unless in case of missionaries, and this brother does not appear in the character of a mission- ary. Were I, therefore, to ordain him according to your vote, I might be impeached at the next General Conference for an unconstitutional act, for which I could offer no reason- able excuse. Hence it is not an assumption of unauthorized power, in imitation of the Pope of Rome, in defiance of law and order, by which I refuse to comply with your request, but it is a deference I feel for constitutional law, made and sanctioned by yourselves, and from the infraction of which I am bound, by my oflSce, alike to protect both you and my- self. Repeal your law, and make a different regulation, and I will bow to it with all "eadiness ; but while the law exists, I am bound to obey it, and to see that it is obeyed by others.* This sensible appeal induced the conference to reconsider its vote, and the motion to elect was withdrawn. Thus the good sense of the bishop, united with such a com- mendable firmness, saved both him and the conference from perpetrating an unconstitutional act" M'KENDREE .VND THE YOUNG PREACHER. The historian of Methodism says, " I remember, on a cer- tain occasion, a young preacher of more confidence than pru- dence, who had left some small business to become an itin- erant, was boasting of the great sacrifices he had made for the cause, when Bishop M'Kendree checked him by asking, in his peculiarly soft and mild manner, ' Brother, 'have you made greater sacrifices than St. Paul resolved to do when he said, " If meat make my brother to oj'end, I will eat no more meat while the world standeth ?" Or those who said, "TFe have left all for thy sake?^^^ I need not say a sense of shame sat on the countenance of this vain boaster." REV. ENOCH GEOEGE. '« i> 4 ^ 1, \ 1 . 1 1 ■ 1 r 1 1 , ^* 1 i'. i i < 1 1 i t ' \ '^ : . i' 'iW'- W-^ ' f 1 i^B^^^H 1 i ■■Bi i ■1 ■ I * '■^ '- i^y WW '« THE REV. ENOCH GEORGE. Virginia is not only the mother of presidents, hut the mother of bishops. To her we are indebted for two of our excellent bishops, William M'Kendree and Enoch George, as well as another who was worthy of the office, and came very near it, namely, Jesse Lee, the apostle of Methodism in New-England. They were not only natives of Virginia, but were both converted under the la jurs of the Rev. John Easter. Enoch George was bom in Lancaster county, Virginia, in 1767 or 1768, he could not tell which, the family records having been consumed by fire. John Easter was the first Methodist minister he ever saw or heard ; and young Enoch was disposed to ridicule his parents, who attended his preach- ing, and were seriously inclined. His father overheard it, and said to him in a tone of parental authority which his son never forgot, " Let me never hear anything of that nature escape your lips again." Soon after this he was converted to God, and identified himself with the Methodists, whom he had formerly affected to despise. Afterward he was thrust into the ministry, for, through diflidence, he reluctantly obeyed the heavenly call. He travelled firat with the Rev. Philip Cox, who was al that time " book steward," and who was a father to young George, and to whom he felt under a lifetime obligation for his kindness to him at this critical point in his ministerial career. . In 1791 Enoch George was received on trial in the travelling connexion. His h^^lth. CaUed,^ and in 1801 he ! , '* K wm IV-i I , \ i t '» fj,if-imm 1S8 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. located, and was employed in teaching school. The reason for his location was very commendable, and showed the heart of a man — that he might not be supported by the conference funds, while he was not doing the work of an evangelist. When his health was restored, in 1803, he again with joy entered the itinerant ranks, and never located till he located in the neighbourhood of the throne of God. In May, 1816, he was elected and ordained bishop. For twelve years he performed the arduous and responsible duties pertaining to his office, and then died in the triumphs of our holy religion, at Staunton, Virginia, August 23d, 1828. "Sishop George was a man of deep piety, of great sim- plicity of manners, a very pathetic, powerful, and successful preacher; greatly beloved in jife, and very extensively la- mented in death." — Minutes, 1829. What a testimony to his character as a man, as a preacher, as a bishop! Wiiat more couM any person wish said concerning him when the clods of the valley cover him 1 It can be truly said. of him as of one of old, " Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him." The following description of his person and of his preach- ing is extracted from a memoir by the Rev. S. Lucke^, D.D.: "Bishop George vi'as a man of an interesting personal appearance, especially for the grave profession of the minis- try. He was about five feet ten inches high; the frame of his body was largo and well-proportioned, with something of an inclination to corpulence ; and he appeared every way formed for physical strength and er-igy. When standing, whether in conversation or otherwise, he usually maintained a very erect posture, with his hands thrown behind him; but when walking, he inclined a little forward, with his hands in the same position, and moved with a short, quick ctep. "Tlie aspect of his countenance, as well as the frame of his body, impressed the beholder with an idea of strength ENOCH GEORGE. 139 and energy. His face was broad; the forehead prominent, and well spread ; the nose large, and rather fiat ; the eyos of a blue cast, and deep set in their sockets; the eyebrows dark, and considerably projected ; the mouth and lips in due proportion with the other features of the face : a full suit of hair, dark and mixed with gray, rather neglected, yet grace- ful, hung about his neck ; and his complexion, which was once probably fair, had become sallow through excessiv^e exposures and fatigues. Whatever impression his strongly- marked countenance might have been calculated to give, had it been moulded by the internal workings of corrupt and malignant passions, in the light of the holy affections which beamed in it, there were charms displayed which rendered it lovely, calculated to impress the image of it in- delibly on the affectionate remembraiico of the numerous friends who had tlie pleasure of his acquaintance. "His body and mind were symmetrically constituted, with a renijjrkab'o adaptation to each other. Like the former, the latter was fashioned after an enlarged model. Under all circumstances it appeared to be of an original cast and independent bearing. He was everywhere the thinking, active agent, rather than the sequestered, plodding tlieorist. All his powers were employed in carrying into eflect such measures of practical utility as he deemed best calculated to promote the cause of Christ. To do was, in fact, his motto ; and no man ever adhered more strictly and perseveringly to the true import of it. Everything about him, mind or body, was energy. He thought rapidly, spoke fluently, decided promptly, and permitted nothing in which he was engaged to hang heavily upon his hands. Ho detested tardiness, as the murderer of time; and never failed to signify his disapprobation of a dull and languid course of proceeding in the transaction of business, or of unimport- ant discussions calculated to retard its progress. Wherever he was, everything with which he had any connexion was destined to feel the impulse of his propelling energies. 140 THE HEROES OF METHODISM, •'As a preacher, Bishop George was a burning and sliining light. He was possessed of rare and commanding talents for a public speaker. His voice was {-trong, yet sweet and musical, and incomparably adapted to grave and pathetic subjects. These captivating and attr"-cting peculi- arities gave to his ecstatic effusions, in which he abounded, an air of solemnity, which apathy itself could not resist. Nothing could be calculated more effectually to touch the feelings of the human heart, to wither the shoots of pride springing up in it, and to melt down its hardness, than was the strain of original eloquence which characterized the preaching of this excellent man. Originality was, indeed, a prominent feature of his preaching. Endowed with all the qualifications which are necessary to constitute an impressive natural public speaker, he imitated no one, and drew always from his own resources. The ornaments and flowers which embellished his sermons were not gleaned from the fields and gardens cultivated by any scientific master; but were the natural production of his own fertile mind. His style was a mixture of the sublime and the pathetic, and might be con- sidered, alternately, a very good specimen of each, in purelj extemporaneous productions. To the rules of rhetoric, oi the arts of studied eloquence, he paid little regard ; bwt il the true eloquence of the pulpit be, as Blair defines it, *to make an impression on the people — to strike and seize their hearts,' he was a master, and, in comparison with thousands who claim to be such, more than a master. No man ever succeeded more uniformly to move his congregation to tears, and, sometimes, even to trembling and loud cries, than did Bishop George." The late Abner Chase, of the Genesee Conference, who was intimately acquainted with Bishop George, and frequently corresponded with him, thus describes him as a man and a preacher : '* I was more familiarly acquainted with Bishop George tUar. with BXij other of our superintendents^ having be^n h\» ENOCH GEORGE. 141 travelling companion at different times for many hundred miles. I am aware that my powers of description are quite too meagre for my subject ; yet I will state a few things of the man, and his manner or style of preaching. For apos- tolic simplicity and zeal, I believe he has had few equals, and no superiors, since the commencement of the present century. Many solemn and pleasant seasons have I spent with him in prayer, when in the evening shades we have walked together into the fields or groves. The bishop had nil utter aversion to everything like show or parade, and cared but little for appearances or the customs of the world, and, therefore, would never have his likeness taken. Though he was a warm friend of learning and science, and spent a great number of years in teaching, yet he loathed the appearance of a pedantic display, or the foppery of learning. As to his style in preaching, those who have had the privilege of hearing him will not think themselves under any obligation to me for attempting to describe it ; yet for the sake of those who have never heard him, I will state that his style was simple, chaste, and flowing, and at the same time pathetic beyond comparison; and his flights of eloquence were often overpowering, when he would carry his congregation away as with a flood, which was raised they knew not how. Often he would say, ' It is the gram- matical eloquence of the Holy Ghost that deeply, lastingly, and profitably affects the hearts of men,' " The f6llowing was written by Dr. Wilbur Fisk, late Pres- ident of the Wesleyan University. It shows the exalted estimation in which the doctor held the pathetic George. Long since they have met in that world where •' Perfect love and friendship reign To all eternity." It waa written in a lady's album, and was the spontane- ous effusion of a heart full of love and veneration for the de- parted bishop : !: ;, l» ■^■H 142 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. " Bishop George has gone to heaven. He left this world for glory on the 23cl of August last; and from the known tendency of his soul heavenward, and his joyous haste to be gone, there can be little doubt but his chariot of fire reached the place of its destination speedily, and the triumphant saint has long ere this taken his seat with the heavenly company. And since he is gone, the owner of this, to whom I am a stranger, will pardon me if, upon one of her pages, 1 register my attectionate remembrance of a man whom I both loved and admired, and at the report of whose death my heart has been made sick. I loved him, for he was a man of God, devoted to the Church with all his soul and strength. I loved him, for his was an affectionate heart, and he was my friend. But the servant of God — the servant of the Church and my friend is dead. 1 admired him, not for his learn- ing, for he was not a learned man ; but nature had done much for him. She had fashioned his soul after an enlarged model, and had given it an original cast and an independ- ent bearing ; into the heart she had instilled the sweetening influences of a tender sympathy, and infused into the soul the fire of a spirit-stirring zeal, sustained by a vigorous and untiring energy ; but to finish his character, grace comes in and renews the whole man, and the Spirit anointed hira to preach the Gospel, and the Church consecrated him to be one of her bishops. He superintended with dignity and faithful- ness, he preached the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. The unction that attended his word was not merely like the consecrating oil that ran down Aaron's beard, but it was like the anointing of the Spirit that pene- trates the heart. He preached with his soul full of glory. No wonder, then, that his dying words were, * I am going, and that's enough 1 Glory! glory 1' Yes, thou triumphant spirit, that is enough. ' May 1 die the death of tlie righteous, and may my last end be like his T " ENOCH GEORGE. 148 ^uH'iiaU$ uli lUttiStratiijns. INOCH GEORGE'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP ASBURY. Shortly after Enoch George commenced preaching, while travelling with Philip Co\, they met Bishop Asbury. Mr. Cox said to the bishop, " I have brought you a boy, and if you have anything for him to do, you may set him to work." Mr. George, in his autobiography, says, "Bishop Asbury looked jit me for some time; at length calling me to him, he laid my head upon his knee, and stroking my face with his hand, ho said: 'Why, he is a beardless boy, and can do nothing.' I then thought my travelling was at an end." But it had only just begun. The next day the bishop accepted of his services, and gave him a circuit. Young George, without "conferring with flesh and blood," entered upon his new and untried field of labour. The bishop would often treat young preachers in the same way. He pursued a similar course with Thomas Ware and many others. It appears to have been his design to see if they had any moral back-bone, the boldness necessary to be a successful hero at that period of the history of ihe Church. ENOCH GEORGE'S PERSONAL RELIGIOUS HABITS. The following account I have received from a friend who was intimately acquainted with Bishop George : " I had a better personal knowledge of Bishop George than of any of the other of our bishops. I have heard him preach often. His sermons were full of energy, pathos, and the Holy Ghost; they were calculated to do much good* ! h u- II > • ;l 'rnr 144 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. I. I: i IH: I |i I Early in the winter of 182G the bishop visited Elkton, the county town of Cecil county, Maryland, where I then lived and travelled Cecil circuit. I had the privilege of entertain- ing him and of accompanying him to several appointments. He was deeply pious, grave, ar.d dignified, yet was social and courteous, and very humble. He certainly exceeded any per- son I ever knew in private prayer. Having lodged with him, I have personal knowledge of this. He would wrap his cloak around him, and no matter how cold, he would con- tinue over half an hour praying, groaning, wrestling, agoniz- ing ; thus he had close and intimate communion with God. This accounts Tor the holy unction that generally attended his preaching. He was a good minister of the New Testament, great in zeal, great in energy, great in usefulness, and, if he had nc abiding-place on earth, he had a Y jme in heaven." GEORGE AND THE VALLEY OF BACA. Enoch George was emphatically the weeping prophet. His soul was full of sympathy, and his eyes often filled with tears. He could say with David, " Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law ;" or, like Paul, " I have told you often, and tell you again, even weeping," &c. He would take his fingers and wipe the tears from under his spectacles in a peculiar manner. His sermons were steeped in tears. Some suppose it a mark of weakness to weep. Was it weakness in David, in Jeremiah, in Paul, in Jesus ? No. It is manly to weep when there is cause for tears ; manly to feel when there is cause for feeling. It was the overfiow of the bishop's soul. It was the gushing forth of his amaz- ing sympathy. His tears did not lie directly under the sur- face, where they could be called for at any time, but they came from a deep spring within, a fountain of feeling, tha* told what kind of a heart beat in his bosom, and what kind of a soul dwelt in his body. The bishop sowed in tears, and no doubt is reaping in joy. He went forth weeping, bearing ENOCH GEORGE. 145 } precious seed, and will doubtless come again with rejoicing, oringing his sheaves with him. Dr. Bangs says, Bishop George was " naturally eloquent, and his eloquence wsa all natural." Another says, " His deep and irresistible pathos rendered him one of the most popular preachers that were ever raised up among our fathers. His was the talent to move the heart." i GEORGE AND HIS FIRST CIRCUIT. The "beardless boy" went to his circuit and commenced his work ; it was new, large, rough, and mountainous. He fared poorly, and had often to put up with irreligious people. He was without money, and his clothes were worn out. He became disheartened, and wrote to Bishop Asbury, describing the diflSculties under which he laboured, and requesting to be removed to some other circuit. Bishop Asbury answered his communication in his own affectionate and pleasant way, saying, " It was good for him and all others to bear the yoke in their youth ; that itinerant labours must be hard if properly performed, and that it was better to become inured to poverty and pain, hunger and cold, in the days of his youth, that when he was old and gray-headed the task would be easy." — Autobiography. This advice he followed to the letter, and continued on his rough circuit, in the midst of hard rides and poor fare, to '* preach the unsearchable riches of Christ." Enoch George over after remembered the sentiment of Bishop Asbury, " Itinerant labours must be hard if properly performed." GEORGE AND TH3 EPISCOPAL CLERGYMAN. In 1790 Enoch George was travelling a circuit in North Carohna, which was that year blessed with a revival of religion. The success of this good work, which excited joy in the bosoms of seraphs — for there is "joy in the presence of the •\y^-\ \ ! ■1 r I i i MMlMht.. w 146 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. angels of God over one sinner that repenteth'* — excited a ditierent feeling on earth, a feeling of jealousy and a spirit of persecution. "An Episcopal minister and some of his offi- cials expelled the Methodists from an old church, at a certain point on the circuit, where the little society was accustoraei to meet for worship. They came into the altar armed with heavy clubs, and when the service commenced they ordered Mr. George and his congregation to depart, as they were dis- senters from what they were pleased to call the Church. When it was perceived that they were prepared for carnal warfare, Mr. George left the house, and begged his brethren to follow him. They therefore worshipped in the open air. This persecution resulted in their favour ; for religion spread, and the wicked clergyman was soon without a congrega- tion." BISHOP GEORGE AND ABNER CHASE. On their way to the conference held at Lundy's Lane, Upper Canada, in 1820, on this side the line the country was new and the roads very rough, and the ride most uncomfortable. The bishop frequently asked during the day, " Can you con- ceive of a more disagreeable situation for a man to be in, who has his health and liberty, than to be riding over a log cause- way on wheels ?" " The business of the conference," says Mr. Chase, " had not proceeded far when Bishop George notified me of his de- sign to appoint me to the charge of a district. With this notice came a time of trial Buch as I had never known be- fore in relation to my work as a Methodist preacher. Up to that time I had never asked a bishop or presiding elder to give me this or save me from that. We did not in those days, so far as I was acquainted, go to conference with arrange- ments previously made, either in our own minds or with preach- ers or people, as to our field of labour. But believing that by submitting it, under God, to the authorities of the Church, wo ENOCH GEORGE. 147 should be more safe than in choosing for ourselves, we went cheen*ully to the fields assigned us. But now I was brought into a strait : for though I had previously felt, in some de- gree, the responsibilities of a Christian minister and pastor, yet this was little in my estimation when compared with the charge of a district. I therefore remonstrated, argued, and entreated, day after day, while the conference was proceed- ing with its business. But the bishop was inexorable, and on a certain day he took me far down into a meadow, and there assured me that he should appoint me to the Ontario district, unless I absolutely refused to go. He then, after kneeling and praying for me, said he would relate the cir- cumstance of the first appointment of the Rev. J. B. Finley to the office of presiding elder. I will relate it, because it may be useful to others. The appointment was made by Bishop M'Kendree, and the circumstances, as near as I can renember, were as follows: Brother Finley had been set down in the list of appointments as presiding elder of the Ohio district, without his knowledge of the fact, and wher the appointments were read out, brother Finley came to the bishop much agitated, and in tears inquired, ' Do you think, sir, that I am fit for a presiding elder V To which the bishop replied, ' We think if you go to your work, and diligently in- quire and search to know, and faithfully perform what you find to be your duty, you will become more fit for the office.' " Mr. Chase yielded, and his labours and success on the district showed that Bishop George had not misjudged in making the appointment. BISHOP GIiiORGE AND HIS PORTRAIT. It is to be regretted we have no likeness of this distinguished and holy man. The bishop could never be induced to sit for his portrait. He said to a friend of mine, " that he would not have his likeness sold for three cents all round the country when he was in bis grave." Bishop George, i mmmmmmBmmamm IW mm 148 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. 1; when speaking on this subject to Rev. A. Chase, said " If any painter ever gets my likeness to exhibit, he shall steal it, or catch it flying." This is the reason we have no image left of the bishop. His countenance is daguerro- typed upon the hearts of the few that remain who knew, and valued, and loved him. But the last one that had a personal recollection of Bishop George will soon pass away, and he will live only in the brief records of the Church. BISHOPS GEORGE, HEDDING, AND THE LAND- LORD. In 1824 Bishops George and Hedding were on their way to attend the Canada Conference. " They often," says the biographer of Bishop Hedding, " found it diflScult, in their journey through the new settlements, to procure food for themselves and their horses ; and still more diflBcult to ob- tain comfortable lodgings. One day they had been unable to procure anything to eat. Jaded and hungry, they at length came in sight of a log-cabin, with a tavern-sign hanging out Their courage revived, and they drove up to the door, and asked if they could have entertainment. The landlord looked at them quizzically, as if he would say, 'What kind of entertainment do you want?' They in- quired, 'Can we have hay for our horses?' The laconic reply was, 'No, have none.' 'Oats?' say they. 'No, have none.' 'Pasture?' 'No, ha: .^ none.' 'Well, can you furnish us with anything to eat?' 'No,' replied the landlord; 'have nothing to eat in the house.' 'What have you, then V they inquired. ' O, plenty of whisky !•' Satis- fied with their colloquy, the hungry and weary travellers resumed their journey, and at length found a hut where they could obtain food for their horses and rest for them- selves. ENOCH GEORGE. 149 BISHOP GEORGE'S VISIT TO DANBURY, CONN. In 1826 Bishop George came to Danbury, Conn., and spent a few days, and preached in the old house, that remained for many years unfinished. The Rev. John Luckey was his travelling companion. It was the first time I had ever seen a Methodist bishop ; and the first sight generally makes a lasting impression. I yet remember his venerable form, his benignant countenance, his mild eye, and the tears that rolled down his cheeks. It was on a week-day, in the fore- noon. I remember the text and some of the sermon, though about thirty years have passed away since it was my privilege to hear this distinguished servant of God. The text was one I never heard preached from before or since, 1 Thess. v, 14, 15 : " Now we beseech you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man ; but ever follow that which is good both among yourselves and to all men." A practical text, and we had a practical sermon. Well I remember how he ex- Qorted to warn the unruly, and with what touching tender- fless and melting pathos he dwelt on comforting the feeble- minded; how they in their feebleness needed comfort. Then supporting the weak ; how the weak needed support, and what a claim they had on our sympathy. Then the grace of patience — patience toward all men. Then the caution not to render evil for evil, under any circumstance whatever. BISHOP GEORGE AND THE REV. MOSES HILL. Bishop George, while in Danbury, was entertained at the house of Rora Starr, a local preaclier. The state of Maine at that time was very destitute of preachers, and Bishop George was trying to enlist volunteers to go there to preach It ' . f } : 1 1 1 • l-h • i 1 - 'i ■ 1 1 i i j 1 t ' i V 160 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. the Gospel. Moses Hill, a young man of much promise, who had been employed in teaching school, but was just engaging in the work of the ministry., had an interview with the bishop at the house of Mr. Starr, and there volunteered to go to Maine. A great portion of the state was then rough and uncultivated. Bishop George was so overjoyed to find Mr. Hill ready to go, that he encircled him in his arras, and thar, in the most feeling manner, as he laid his hand upon his head, pronounced upon him the apostolic benediction : " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you." That benediction made a lifetime impression upon the mind of Mr. Hill. Nearly thirty } jars after, with much emotion, as the tear started in his eye, he told me of the bishop's bene- diction. He also told me of his father's frown. His fathei was a Methodist, and was glad to have Moses become a Meth- odist preacher, but was unwilling he should go to Maine. He himself had travelled in Maine a few years befoie, and fared hard, and had a great prejudice against that state. When he heard that Moses had volunteered to go, he w?s so displeased that he dis^herited his son. Young Hill left his father's house and the home of his child- hood — the scenes he could not but love — with a heavy heart. The parting scene was affecting ; the sundering of ties, and then the going away under his father's displeasure. The young preacher had learned that he " that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ;" and the words of the Psalmist : " When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." Not " conferring with flesh and blood," not consulting his own ease or temporal interest, young Hill went to Maine, and preached, nf>t far from a quarter of a century, "the unsearchable riches of ( arist." He filled important stations, and was several times a member of the General Conference. Noble service he did 1 jr God and truth in the state of Maine, when the country wat new. His father was reconciled before he died, and gave Moses ENOCH GEORGE. 161 Lis benediction. The bishop and the father are now, no doubt, in paradise, while the son yet lives, but holds a superannuated relation to the Church — no doubt the eflFects of his early labours — but he never regrets that he was a volunteer to go to Maine. BISHOP GEORGE AND THE LITTLE GIRL. Tlie bishop was not one that overlooked little children. He never forgot the value of a child, and the relation it sustains to two worlds. He ever remembered who it was that took them in his arms and blessed them, and who said, " Suflfer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." He would instruct them, bless them ; let them see that, like his Master, he was the children's friend. A year or two before his death. Bishop George was in Philadelphia, stopping at the house of Rev. Lawrence M'Combs. The bishop was going to preach in the evening. A very little girl from Trenton, N. J., was visiting there, and she cried to go to meeting with the rest of them. The bishop seated her upon his knee, kissed her, gave her some good advice, and his blessing, and urged her to stay at home and learn some verses of the hymn, beginning, •'Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sov'reign die ? " While he was gone to meeting, Rosetta, a coloured woman, who lived with Mr. M'Combs, taught the child that hymn ; and when the bishop returned he requested her to repeat what she had learned, which she did to his great delight He said it had always been a favourite hymn of his; and he commented on the beautiful sentiments it contained. The little girl has expanded into womanhood: the bishop years ago passed on to the spirit world; but Bishop George, that sweet hymn, that evening at Mr. M'Combs', all are as frt" i 152 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. , ! BISHOP GEORGE PREACHING THE PEOPLE UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN. Bishop George preached at the session of the Genesee Con- ference, in 1820, a sermon of great beauty and power. " I wish," says the Rev. Charles Giles, " I could give the reader his sermon with all its beauty, nower, and eloquence ; but it is beyond my reach. Near the close, as he was bringing the strong points in his discourse together, that their united strength might impress the assembly effectually, he produced a climax the most sublime and thrilling I ever heard. He ascended from thought to thought in his towering theme, like an eagle soaring and wending up the distai;t sky. "I heard with admiration, and almost trembled to see him rising to such a fearful eminence. Several times I imagined that lie could go no higher, but he would suddenly disap- point me. At the very point where expectation fixed his re- turn, he seemed to inhale new fire, and soared away on the wing of thought again ; then higher and higher still, till it seemed that his inspiration would become his chariot, and, by the grasp he held on the enchained assembly, would take us all with him to the third heaven. "Some of the hearers appeared motionless as statues, ab- Borbed in thought and charmed with the grand scene before them, while strong emotions were rolling in waves through the excited congregation ; and as tlie man of God was about to descend from his lofty elevation, thrilling shrieks burst out from the awakened crowd in the gallery. Immediately some of the preachers who were acquainted there pressed through the multitude to conduct these sighing penitents down to the ftltar ; and soon they were seen weeping and tremblinj^, and urging their way along to the consecrated spot, where a prayer-meeting was immediately opened, and ardent suppH- caiions offered up to heaven in their behalf. The time was well improved, and it was a season of groat power and glory ENOCH GEORGE. 1 53 Some, I believe, found the great salvation before the exercise was closed. It is believed that more than one hundred souls wcc awakened during: the session of that conference." BISHOP GEORGE AND HIS PURSUER. For the following characteristic anecdote of Bishop George I am indebted to the Re\'. John Luckey, who was his travel- ling companion. The bishop was in constant fear of being catechised by curious strangers. " On our way to the New- England Conference, some twenty-five years ago, he espied a New-England farmer, in appearance, on his horse along side of the road. The farmer was in conversation with a neigh- bour, and therefore did not perceive us until our carriage was nearly opposite to him. ' Stop,' said the bishop to me, ' stop, bub, and let me get out ; for I perceive that old body is preparing to fire a platoon of questions at me, which I can never answer.' " I of course complied with his request, and the bishop was oflf at double quick step. " The farmer was off also, belabouring his old nag's side with his boot-heels most unmercifully. " The bishop, looking over his shoulder, perceived the in creasing speed of his persecutor. The bishop travelled still faster, but all to no purpose ; his tormentor was close upon his track ; there seemed to be no way of escape ; he must be made prisoner, for the enemy was upon him, and about to open his battery and shoot his questions at him, which he feared more than some men do arrows or bullets. Just as lie thought he roust surrender, when there appeared to be no hope and no alternative, an unfenced thicket came in view. Hope sprung up in the bishop's bosom, and he darted into the thicket with the swiftness of a hunted hare, and was soon where his pursuer could not find him. ^Vhile the bishop, was rejoicing that lie had thus fortunat-^Iy made his escape, .intj found f\ refuge, the farmer paused, looked cheap, and I i —■■■ m i D i maJiXiWWM WWIWWP'.BrtWilt.. mmm mmmm 154 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. muttering his disappointment in monosyllables, passed slowly up the hill. " The bishop positively refused to leave his asylum, till he could be assured that his disappointed pursuer was fairly out of sight. When he was satisfied of this, he consented to leave the thicket, to which he was so deeply indebted for his protection. " * Did I not tell you,' said the bishop, ' he was preparing to catechise me V The bishop added : ' It is very annoying to me, as I cannot answer their principal questions, which generally are these : I'irst, " Where do you live when you are at home?" Now the truth is, I cannot answer this question, for I have no home. The second question is, " How old are you, if I may be so bold ?" This question I cannot answer, as the family records were destroyed at the commencement of the Revolutionary War. Therefore, as I cannot answer their principal questions, neither can I others, and I do not wish to be perplexed by a constant catechetical course ; and I will run at any time, if I can only avoid such tormentors.' " ! I BISHOP GEORGE AND THE PREACHERS OF THE GEN- ESEE CONFERENCE. Rev. Abner Chase, in his reminiscences, says: Bishop George ever manifested a deep interest in the cause of God in general, but especially for the Genesee Conference. He seemed to have a very favourable opinion of the piety, zeal, and usefulness of the preachers in this section of the Church. I will relate an incident which will confirm this statement. At the General Conference of 1820, which was held in th3 city of Baltimore, I was invited, with several delegates from different conferences, to dine on a given day with a certain gentleman of the city. When I arrived at the place, Jamea Bateman, of the Philadelphia Conference, was relating what he heard Bishop George say of the preachers of tho (Jenesee ENOCH GEORGE. 155 Conference. The bishop said that he always knew, from his first acquaintance with Methodist preachers, that they would get men converted who would convert; but he never knew until he visited the Genesee Conference, that Methodist preachers would get men converted whether they would or not : that when he came to this conference, he found the preachers laying siege to the hearts of men, and to a throne of grace, and that they took no denial from earth or heaven, but struggled till they prevailed with both. BISHOP GEORGE AND THE IMPOSTOR. The following is from the Rev. Abner Chase's " Recollection of the Pasi." The Genesee Conference for 1820 was appointed to commenc:, at Lundy's Lane, Upper Canada. Bishop George had, on our return from the General Confer ence at Baltimore, agreed to be at my house, in Oneida, on a given day, as he passed from Nantucket, the seat of the New-England Conference, and I had agreed to carry him to ours. We did not in those days travel by steam, as we do now, except on some of the most important waters. Our land journeys ere tedious and wearisome. The bishop and myself started from my house in a buggy on Saturday, and proceeded to the town of Madison, Madison county, where we spent the Sabbath; and the bishop gave us a good sermoii in a private house, as we had no churches built in that &• tion of the country at that time. On Mon- day we put up .it the house of William Ferguson, living be- tween Vienna and Clifton Springs, Ontario county; and here T witnessed an instance of what has always been a mystery to me, that is, that a human being should assume the garb or profession of piety, under which to serve the devil. There was at that time living near to brother Ferguson a preacher who had been an acquaintance and class-mate of mine in the days of our youth. I called on this brother in the evening, who stated that a member of the Ohio Conference was stop- s' ' 1 1- It i ' IW 156 THE iip:roes of METIIOmSM. \i ping at his house, who had been on a visit to his friends in the east, and was now returning, and was intending to take our conference in his way, and spend a few days witli us, and that his name was Cornelius Springer. I knew from the Minutes that there was a preacher of that name in the Ohio Conference, but I had never seen him. On being introduced to the stranger, and hearing some of his statements concern- ing his journey, I was immediately impressed with the idea that he was an impostor, and had imposed upon the ftimily who had received him, and with whom I learned he had been staying for a day or two previous to our arrival ; and that the family had been furnishing him with some articles of apparel, he having stated, as nearly as I can recollect, that he had lost his horse, and had, therefore, been under the necessity of leaving his portmanteau, in which was his clothing. Believing that he was an impostor, I went directly back to brother Ferguson's, and inquired of Bishop George if he was personally acquainted with Cornelius Springer, of the Ohio Conference. He answered that he was. I then requested him to give me a description of his personal appearance, and told him of the stranger to whom I had been introduced. The bishop's description in no way cor- responded with the appearance of this stranger. The bishop assured me at the time that Cornelius Springer was a man of property, and would not be found abroad under the circutnstances in which this person appeared. I took some of the b'-ethren with ine, and went immediately back, and asked the stranger to show me his parchment, or cer- tificate of ordination ; but this he said he had left with liis portmanteau. I then told him I doubted the truth of his statements, and believed hiin to be an impostor ; but if he was the man ho professed himself to be, he could readily sat- isfy us of the fact by going to the bishop's lodgings. This ho declined doing ; but said, as we had such views of him, he tliciught ho would stay no longer; arose and adjusted hit' ENOCH GEORGE. 157 If apparel, for he was partly undress.d for the night, and hastily left the house. I followed him, and insisted that be- fore he left he should confess the truth, and the deception which he had used. He, however, started from me, and, taking the road westward, ran with great speed. There was a young man in the company who was extremely light on foot. I asked him if he thought he could overtake him ; if so, I wished him to pursue him. The niglu was dark, and we could see nothing, but we heard the race for some distance, and then the voice of the young man, saying, " I have got him 1" We went where he was ; but not knowing what to do with him, as no peace officer was near, we agreed to let him go if he would confess he had imposed upon the family who had received him. This he finally did, still saying his name was Cornelius Springer, but not the person whom he had pretended; and so we parted in the darkness of the night, after giving him such advice as we thought suitable. The preacher who had kindly received this unworthy man, had from one to two hundred dollars of book monev in his possession, which he had that day been arranging for Conference, and which had been deposited in a drawer in a room where the stranger was to 'lodge, and of which he had knowledge, and with which he would undoubtedly have been missing the next morning, had he not been detected. BISHOP GEORGE AND THE PREACHER WHO WISHED TO BE ACCOMMODATED. In May, 1827, the New-York Conference was held in Troy. Bishop George presided, assisted by Bishop Hedding. " At this conference one of the preachers, who was wanted for Vermont, came to the bishops and desired to be appointed elsewhere, alleging that it would be inconvenient for his family, and that his wife was then with her parents on a circuit quite down toward New- York. He therefore asked to bo appointed near to her. Desiring as much as possible St i \ 1 i 1 II 168 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. i i ;il :|? ■ I' ^' If ill: i'? i:ii to accommodate him, the bishops sent him to a circuit in that region. It appeared, subsequently, that he wanted to go to the circuit where his wife was. After the conference had adjourned, and the bishops had retired to their lodgings, the preacher came stamping and frowning into their room, and said, 'I thought you were to give me an appointment to accommodate me, near where my wife is.' Bishop George replied, * We could not appoint you to the circuit where your wife is, but we have appointed you as near as we could.* The preacher said, 'You have not accom- modated me at all ; I cannot go to the circuit.' Bishop George then said, 'Go home, then, and take care of your wife, and stay with her.' The preacher replied, ' And what will you do with the circuit then?' Bishop George an- swered, ' Never mind the circuit ; we '11 take care of that ; you take care of yourself, and go home and take care of your wife.' The preacher turned on his heel, and, grum- bling, went away. But, on sober reflection, he concluded to go to his circuit, and notified the bishops to that effect." — I/ife of Hedding, BISHOP GEORGE AND THE UNWELCOME PREACHER. In the fall of 1823, the Methodists of a certain town in Ken- tucky concluded that they were able, though but twenty- two in number, to support a preacher by themselves. Ac- cordingly, they wrote, to the conference, requesting the bishop to make a station of their village. But, considering their want of numerical and financial strength, it was deemed all- important that the minister sent them should be a man of popular talents ; because, unless he could command the admiration and conciliate the favour of the people, there was danger of failing to support him. They therefore asked for a brother Johnson — at that time one of the most popular and effective ministers in the state — and made the getting of that particular man the condition - ENOCH GEORGE. 159 jpon which they wished to become a station. To them it was clear that the destinies of Methodism, if not of Christian- ity itself, in that particular region, depended upon their sav- ing the man they wanted that very year. It was thought advisable, however, to station brother Johnson elsewhere. There was in the conference at the time, a young man who had just been received into full connexion, without ex- perience or reputation as a preacher, and by nature singularly unqualified for any position where his sensibilities were likely to be tried. Tender-hearted and addicted to gloom, ex- posure to rude treatment, or, what would be worse, a cold reception from those to whom he might be sent, would dishearten him at once. Some such treatment most proba- bly awaited any man save brother JohnsoU; who might be sent to the town of wliich we speak ; yet this young man was selected to go, Fortunately, however, the bishop was to accompany him. It is known to as many as were acquainted with Bishop George, that his most noticeable characteristic was prayer- fulness. The frequency, fervour, and singular power with which he addressed the throne of grace, are mentioned as oft- en as a reminiscence of him is mt.de. During their journey of some two hundred miles, on horseback, the young preacher had abundant opportunity to observe and imbibe the spirit of this excellent man. Whenever they stopped for meals, rest, lodging, or to see and encourage some pious family, whose residence by the way was known to them, they had a season of prayer. When about twelve miles from the place of the young man's destination, at the house of a brother S., the bishop was attacked with asthma, a disease to which he was very liable. The remedies which usually relieved him were tried without effect ; the man of God got no bettei . At hingth he sent for the young preacher, and directing his attention to the sublime description of the new Jerusalem, contained in the book of Revelation, desired him to take his Bibid iil ;f 'i '.' ' J ; \ •lil A 160 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. into the grove, meditate upon that passage for a season, and then come in and preach to him about it. " For," said he, " I want to get happy. If my soul were powerfully blessed, I think it would cure my body." The young man, ever distrustful of his own powers, was alarmed at the idea. He begged to be excused ', and, prompted as much, perhaps, by fear as by faith, r^^commended to the bishop his never-failing expedient for " getting happy " — prayer. " Well," said the sick man, " go out, my son, and shut the door ; let me be left alone." His wish was complied with. Tn another moment he was composing his mind to his favourite employment: Elijah, wrapped in the mantle of prayer, was alone with God. For a moment all was silent ; but at length loud and repeated praises issued from the sick room. The family gathered round to rejoice with the man of prayer; and the immediate effect of the excitement was a cure of the malady so effectual that the travellers proceeded on their journey in the morning. But, before they started, the good brother with whom they were sojourning, broke to the unsuspecting young preacher the shocking intelligence, already in the reader's possession, that lie would be an unwelcome arrival at the place of his appointment. Of course he was sunk at once in the deep- est dejection. Possessed of keen perceptions of the painful, nervously sensitive to any unkindness, he was the very man to be overwhelmed in such a situation. Personal danger, trial, toil, would not have daunted him ; but to be coldly pushed off as not welcome, to feel that he was imposed upon a people who did not want him, was what he could not bear. Instantly resolving, therefore, not to submit to suoli a mortification, he hastened to communicate his discovery and his purpose to the superintendent. The bishop, aware of the feeling of revolt with which his protege was liable to ENOCH GEORGE. 161 be met, exhorted him, nevertheless, to determine upon noth- ing rashly ; to wait until he saw the place and the pec'ple, and, in the meanwhile, to give himself to prayer ; add'ng, that he had felt persuaded all the while that the appoint- ment was "n^/i/," and in the end would prove providential. This advice was reluctantly taken. Arrived at the new station, they were guests of a promi- nent member of the Church, known for many years after- ward as the usual host and fast friend of the preachers. The next morning, as the bishop was preparing to pursue his journey, he and the good brother of the house were con- versing together in the parlour, while, unknown to them and without design, the young preacher was sitting on the porch near the window, with nothing but a thin curtain between them, so that what passed within was distinctly audible to him. "Well, brother," said the bishop, "how will the young man do ?" "Not at all; he will not do at all, sir; we might as well be left without a preacher altogether," was the emphatic reply. "O, I hope you will like him better after a while," rejoined the old man. "Treat him kindly, and I am per- suaded he will do you good." " I have no objection," returned the host, " to his staying at my house a few weeks, if you desire it; but it will be useless; he is not the one we wanted." The poor young man could bear no more ; he crept from the porch almost blind with mortification. The thought that he was to remain with a people who considered him a tolerated burden — that every mouthful he ate was to be a charity — that he was to be a young and healthy mendi- cant — sickened him ! » He was lying in wait as the bishop sallied forth, and, irawing liim to a spot where they were sheltered from ob «ervation, he burst into tears, exclaiming, " 0, bishop, I can- p. I 1' '■ t : ;■" 1 ' •'! i ! i 1 1 i 1 tl:l 'I rfT- i!l 162 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. not stay 1 I heard what passed in the room, and, indeed, you must release me." " Can you get your horse and ride a little way with me?" This he did with alacrity, glad of even an hour's respite from his painful position. After riding a few miles they turned off into the woodsy and, dismounting by a fallen tree, engaged in solemn and importunate prayer — prayer for light and help in that dark and trying hour; then, taking the hand of his companion, turned upon him a look of love, which none but a strong, stern heart can feel, so deep and genuine was it, so full of serious concern and earnest sympathy. There is a smile too brig to be deep ; it is bom and dies on the surface. Not such was the expression of this good man's face; it shone clear up from a heart con- strained by the love of Christ. It did not glitter, but its glow seemed to pervade and warm its object. A truly pious man is always gentle; and he only can impart that look which, like the remembered smile of a mother, will sometimes soothe us into, delicious tears twenty years after the face that wore it has perished. He concluded an address fraught with parental feeling and sound wisdom, with, " Now, ray son, I will make you a proposition ; see if you can fulfil the conditions of it : "Go back to town; if you find a cross there, bear it; diligently and lovingly p«'rform every part of your duty; * do the work of an evangelist ;' fast once a week, and spend one hour of each day in special prayer, that God may open your way in that community : do this for one month, and if, at the end of that terra, you do not feel willing to stay, consider yourself released from the appointment. Can you do this?" He thought he could ; upon which they took an affection- ate leave of each other, and Enoch George — what signifies a title to such a man ? — turned toward the southwest, and ENOCH GEORGE. 163 resumed his pilgrimage of hardships. The young man sat upon his horse watching the receding form till it sank out of sight below the horizon. Not until that iiiomeut had he fairly tasted the exquisite bitterness of his cup. The " man- angel," upon whom he had leaned, was gone, and ho was left to grapple with his trial alone. He could have sobbed like a boy. Faithfully did he comply with the conditions of his prom- ise, through all the tedious month, without discerning any material change in his own feelings or in the bearing ol the people toward him ; albeit one wicked man and iiis wife had from the beginning endeavoured to encourage him. Finally the last Sabbath arrived of the month during which he promised to stay. The glad village bells were pealing their summons to the house of God as our hero — was he not a hero? — arose from the struggle of the last covenanted hour of prayer. He walked toward the little attic window, which commanded a view of most of the streets, wiping his eyes and thinking of the few reluctant hearers who awaited him, when, lo ! what a sight met his gaze ! Group after group of citizens were tlocking toward the Methodist Church ! At first a sense of awe came over him, and then a class of mingled feelings, as if confidence, and strength, and joy were storming the heart, while fear, and weakness, and mortification still disputed the right of possession. He hastened to his pulpit, and as he arose from the first silent prayer the thought of victory thrilled through him like the voice of a clarion. His text was Isa. vi, 4: "And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that criod." The attention of the audience was arrested by the announcement, for the voice that had been wont to tremble with embarrass- ment now rang clear with a tone of authority; his eye, hitherto confused and unsteady, now kindled with "a liglit that never shined on sea or shore." Fresh from the chamber where he had just accomplished his thirtieth hour of special i\ \ '» '• '■ i 1 i ( ■ 1 1 ! 1 ^^1 t 1 m i-v 164 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. prayer, the live coal had touched his lips; li-' was with ^ wit- ness, " a man sent from God," and gloriously baptized with the Holy Ghost. He referred his text back to the point n^ which Christ first interposed for man's salvation — the voice that cried, " Lo ! T come to do thy will ;" he applied it to the sacrificial offering of Jesus — the voice that cried, "It is finished;" he carried forward the application to " tlie right hand of the Majesty on high," where the Intercessor makes his dying words im- mortal, crying with infinite iteration, " Father, forgive them ;" to the di. ■ when sound shall make its next nnpression upon "the dull cold ear of death," when at the " voice of the Son of God, the dead, small and great, shall rise." The power of the Highest was manifestly upon the audience, and the presence of an ambassador of Christ was attested by sobs and groans from every part of the house. The preacher descended from the pulpit without pausing in his discourse, and invited to the place of prayer those who desired to flee from the wrath to come. With loud cries for mercy, sinners came streaming down the aisle ; and before the congregation was dismissed seven souls professed to find peace in believing. When the meeting broke up, the pastor hastened back to liis closet. Many a time had he entered it disheartened and sad, never before in triumph. He thought of good Bishop George, and his steady persuasion that the appointment was "right;" of the fastings and prayers — all the way down to the last hour's experience — and his faith in God and in the efficacy of prayer, then and there settled down into a sub- stance upon which time has made no impression. Thirty- one years of toil and change have passed over him since that sweet Sabbath ; the vicissitudes of an itinerant's life have led him, through heat and cold, by night and day, from one end of Kentucky to the other, till •' He is known to every star, And every wind that blows." ENOCH GEORGE. 165 Forms then unknowii, afterward became dear as life, and then j/erished from his sight; "sickness and sorrow, pain and death," liuve left their scars upon his form and heart, but noth- ing has ever shaken his confidence in the God tliat answers prayer. The memory of that bright morning is as fresh be- neath his gray hairs as it was beneath his locks of jet. Like trampled chamomile, the virtues of his spirit took deeper root from being bruised, and shed a perfume that has sweet- ened life's atmosphere ever since. For four weeks very little else was attended to but the revival. Stores and shops were closed during the hours of worship, which occurred twice, and often three times a day. At one of the meetings, held in a private liouse, (where the venerable John Littlejohn was present,) a call was made for those who wished to join the Church, and one hundred and eleven persons presented themselves for admission I Thus the permanent establishment of Methodism in Russellville, Kentucky, was eft'ected, under God, through the instrumentality of the unwelcome preacher. It will doubtless add to the interest of the foregoing nar- rative for the reader to know, that the subject of it is now the worthy Book Agent of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Rev. E. Stevenson, D. D. — From the Southern Ladies' Companion. ii \ I I BISHOP GEORGE AT THE MAINE CONFERENCE. The Rev. William C. Larrabee gives us the following " pen portrait" of Bishop George : " I saw him once, and once only. It was at the session of the Maine Conference, at Gardiner, in 1825. I was deeply impressed with the striking ap- pearance of the venerable bishop ; he was then approach- ing sixty years of age. He was of manly form, large, but well-proportioned in figure, strong and energetic in his ap- pearance. His features indicated independence, resolution, firmness, and activity ; yet was his countenance often lighted r i 4 / r i If I wmwAOwmiSi 166 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. lip by h smile of 1 onignant emotion. His hair, tinged with the frosts of half a century, hung at will in graceful locks about his temples and his neck. He was sitting at ease, regardless of a studied dignity, and conducting the business of the conference with such despatch and off-hand style, regard- less of what some call dignity, that it greatly amused and interested me. It auited my notions of Methodistic sim- plicity. But when the hour of service cu, j, and he stood up in all his manly proportions, before an audience collected from all the villages along tl -i Kennebec, and from far into the interior, and with his clear and pleasant voice, in his earnest, solemn, and pathetic numner, began to utter 'Thoughts that breathe tvod words that burn,' my heart and eyes gave way. I wept, vhether for joy or sadness I could not tell ; I wept, and could not help it. I had, however, no reason to try to help it, for, on looking over the congregation, I perceived all others as much aftected as myself, and even Wjore so; for many of the people were laughing, crying, and shouting at one and the same time. There was in this discourse no attempt at logic, none at or- atory, none at greatness, none at me: . efl'ect. It was a plain, vigorous, simple exhibition of Gospel truth, in a manner pointed, earnest, and original, and in a style of whose chaste and natural beauty it may be said, as of the beauty of woman, * When uuodoru'd adoru'd the most.' " EEV. ROBERT WILLIAMS. ':Vi ii THE llEV. ROBERT WILLIAMS. Robert Williams was a local preacher in England, and came to this country in 1 7G9. The circumstances of his emi- gration are so peculiar that tliey deserve a permanent record. IIo had received a permit from Mr. Wesley to preach in America, under the direction of the re^-'-'ar missionaries. Afr. Williams had not the means to pay his passage, but rrovideiu'O strangely opened his way. Mr. Williams had a conversation with his friend, Mr. Ash- ton, in Ireland, in reference to emigrating to America. Mr. Athlon (!(>nhiiij)lal!.'(l a removal fritni the Old to the New World; and Mr. Williams promised to a(!Coinpany him if lie laco is famous in the early history of Methodism. A Methodist Hociety was early formed here, of which Mr. Ashton was the first member and the principal pillar. Tb'' Chun h (ulifice was erected in 1788. It was I he first Methodist house of worship erected north of the comity of Dutchess. The New- York Conference held its session, in 1803, in Ashgrove. Mr. x\shton showed his love for Metln|dist ministers by pro- ^ fl H W- 170 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. s 1 if! H viding a "prophet's room" in his house, where the weary itinerant always found a welcome, and by leaving a legacy of three acres of ground on which to build a parsonage; also a cow for the use of the preacher, that they never should want milk ; and an annuity to the end of time of ten dollars, to the oldest unmarried preacher of the New- York Conference. The name of Mr. Aehton — the friend of Robert Williams, the friend of Methodism, the friend of Methodist ministers, when friends were "few and far between" — de serves to be held in grateful remembrance. To him we are indebted for bringing Robert Williams to this country, and for the glorious results which followed his labours here. Mr. Williams came to New-York in October, 1769, and preached in the Methodist chapel ou Golden Hill. He preached some time in New-York, and tl.er -Isited Mr. Pil- moor in Philadelphia, who, "fter examinuig him, granted hira a general license to preach. He then visited Rev. Robert Strawbridge, in Maryland, and with him, and the Rev. John King, recently arrived from London, " began a good work in Baltimore county, and other parts of the state." In 1771 Mr. Williams made a suecessful missionary tour upon the eastern shore of Maryland. In 1772 he made his first visit to Virginia. Mr. Williams had the distinguished honour of introducing Methodism into the " Old Dominion." He was the pioneer, the apostle of Methodism, in that state. After preaching in various places he was received into the travelling connexion, at tiie first conference ever held in America, in Philadelphia, June, 1773, and appointed to Vir- ginia. In 1774 lie was married, and ceased to travel. There is something peculiar about the Jirst in any series. Mr. Williams was not only tiie first pioneer of Methodism in Virginia, but ho was the first preacher that ' ''.^''rhcJ a religious book in America; Iliy first to empir./ the prtas tu advancing the great interests of the Redeemer's Vvi »:d')n rn connexion with the faithful mini-stry vi the wcr i \i( '\» ROBERT WILLIAMS. 171 the first conference he had reprinted many of Mr. Wesley's books, and had them spread through the country, to the great advantage of religion. Wesley's Sermons did much good. At the conference in Philadelphia, June, 1773, the following rule was adopted : " None of the preachers in America are to reprint any of Mr. Wesley's books without his authority, (when it can be gotten,) and the consent of their brethren." It was also decided that "Robert Williams shall be allowed to sell the books he has already printed, but to print no more, unless under the above restrictions." His republishing them shows the spirit of enterprise he possessed, as well as his large plans for doing good. The reason he wjis interdicted was, that the profits might go to the denomination, for the spread of " Scriptural holiness over the land," and for the support of the aged and worn-out preachers, as well as the widows and orphans of such as have died in the work. He was not only the first publisher of books, but the first Methodist minister in America that left r state of single blessedness for matrimonial bliss. He was also the first itinerant preacher that located. The name of Robert Williams heads the long catalogue of names which answers to the question, Who have located ? He was also the first Methodist minister that found a grave in this country, the first Methodist preacher that went from America to Paradise — the first that angels escorted from this new world to the •' Land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign." Mr. Williams, after his location, resided in Virginia, on the public road between Norfolk and Suffolk. His house was H regular preaching place, and he always gave his brethren a cordial welcome, and there they felt at home. He did not live long to enjoy his pleasant, quiet home. Death entered there the 20th of September, 1776, and cbimed Robert Williams aa one of his trophies. 12 I :• If ■ 1 ^B : . i ^H ^^^K' ■' 1 ■ - . f -^^^_ ! ■■ m PH il I 172 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Mr. Asbury preached his funeral sermon, and gives this testinoiony concerning him, that he " has been a very aseful man, and the Lord gave him many seals to his ministry. Perhaps no man in America has been an instrument of awakening so many souls as God has awakened by him." Splendid eulogy! wonderful testimony! Jesse Lee bears the same honourable testimony. He says, " Although he is dead, he yet speaketh to many of his spiritual children, while they remember his faithful preaching and his holi/ walk" No monument or tombstone marks the place where his dust is sleeping; but he should have a monument deep in the hearts of A iLorican Methodists ; and though he ha« no epitaph over him, his name and record are on high; it is engraven on the pillar of im mortality I gnuk0t^5 ani |llttstratijans. BOBERT WILLIAMS AND THE REV. MR. JARRETT* Mr. Jarrett was an Episcopal clergyman in Virginia, who was very friendly to the early Methodist ministers. In 1773 Mr. Williams spent one week in the family of Mr. Jarrett, and preached several times in his parish. Mr. Jarrett speaks of Mr. Williams " as a plain, simple-hearted, pious man ;" and adcK " this was his ^Ji-eneral chRr«oKd.^* He sa^ s " L felt much a^taokment to Mr. Williams." ROBERT WILLIAMS. 173 MR. WILLIAMS AND THE PEOPLE IN NORFOLK. Great excitement was caused by his preaching in 1772 in Norfolk. There was an earnestness in his manner and a pointedness in his matter that made his sermons very impressive. We have the following account of his first visit to Njrfolk: "Without any previous notice being given, he went to the court-house, and standing on the steps of the door, he began to sing; the people collected together; after prayer he took his text, and preached to a considerable num- ber of hearers, who were very disorderly, as they thought the preacher a madman ; and while he was preaching the people were laughing, talking, and walkincj about in all directions. The general conclusion was, that they never heard such a man before ; for, said they, ' Sometimes he would preach, then he would pray, then he would swear, and at times he would cry.' " The people were so little used to hearing a preacher say hell or devil in preaching, that they thought he was swear- ing when he told them about going to hell, or dying in their sins. As he was believed to be a madman, none of them invited him to their houses. However, he preached at the same place the next day, when they found out he was not insane, and they were glad to get him to their houses. This may be considered as the beginning of Methodism in Virginia; and it was not long before a Methodist society was formed in the town of Norfolk,"* ■r"' i f I WILLIAMS AND THE LKE FAMILY. H« ft^ued the first regular circuit in Virginia, and planted dM tree of Methodism there which has yielded such abun* • «• Hlftory of the Methodistf/' p. 41. lU THE HEROES OF METHODISM. dant fruit. He was the spiritual father of Jesse Lee. Mr. Lee's parents opened their doors for Mr. Williams to preach. They were converted ; two of their sons became Methodist ministers, and their other children shared largely in the rich blessings of the Gospel, which he preached with such flaming zeal, holy ardour, and great success. • I I k- I REV. RICHAED BOARDMAI. t h ^ ■ (■■' [, ■ \ ! i 1 m ■ ^ THE REV. RICHARD BOARDMAN. Mb. Boardm. n was one of the early heroes of Methodism, known and beloved both in Europe and America. The work in this country had been supplied by local preachers ; but in 1769, at a conference held in Leeds, Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor volunteered to come to this then new world. During Mr. Boardman's stay here his ministry was blessed to hundreds ; but the Revolutionary War breaking out, circumstances made it necessary for him to sail for England, and he never returned. In both hemi- spheres he was useful, and left behind him the fragrance of a good name. Mr. Boardman died suddenly at Cork. The Sabbath before his death he preached from, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." He was buried at Cork. There is a plain tombstone over his dust with the following inscrip- tion : , h I <' RICHARD BOARDMAN. DBPAETED THIS LIFE OCTOBEE 4th, 1T88, JBTATI8 44. " Beneath this stone the Just of Boardman lies, His precious &oul has soar'd above the skies ; With eloquence divine he preach'd the word To multitudes, and turn'd them to the Lord. His bright examples strenpthen'd what he taught, And devils trembled whei or Christ he fought; With truly Christian zeal he nations fired, And all who knew him mourn'd when he expired.'' 1 i r| IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /. "'M^., -% i< Ua V (/. i.O I.I M 1.8 LI ill U 116 ^/ ' O ^ / Photographic Sciences Corporation iV ^ ^ ■^ \ \ "O^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER W.Y, 14580 (716) 872-4S03 %^ 4^> <^ <€?■ ^ /#: c-^. 'Mo 6> Is r> o \ 178 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Jinu^jates u)i lllustrattjans. I BOARDMAN'S REMARKABLE DELIVERANCE. The Rev. Ricuard Boardman related, a short time befors his death, the following remarkable interposition of Divine Providence in his behalf: " I preached one evening at Mould, in Flintshire, and next morning set out for "^ark- gate, After riding some miles, I asked a man if I was on the road to that place. He answered, ' Yes ; but you will have some sands to go over, and unless you ride fast you will be in danger of being enclosed by the tide.' It then began to snow to such a degree that I could scarcely see a (Btep of my way. I got to the sands, and pursued ray jour- ney over them for some time as rapidly as I could ; but the tide then came in, and surrounded me on every side, so that I could neither proceed- nor tu'-n back, and to ascend the perpendicular rocks was impossible. In this situation I commended my soul to God, not having the least expecta- tion of escaping death. In a little time I perceived two men running down a hill on the other side of the water, and by some means they got a boat, and came to my relief, just as the sea had reached my knees, as I sat en my saddle. They took me mto the boat, the mare swimming by our side till we reached the land. While we wero in the boat, one of tho men said, ' Surely, sir, God is with you.' I an swered, ' T trust he is.' The man replied, ' I know be is, and then related the following circumst^noe : ' Last night I dreamed that I must go to the top of such a hill. When I awoke the dream made such an impression on my mind that I could not rest. I therefore went and called RICHARD BOARDMAN. 179 upon this man to accompany me. When we came to the place we saw nothing more than usual. However, I begged him to go with me to another hill at a small distance, and there we saw your distressed oituation.' When wja got ashore I went with my two friends to a public house not far distant from where we landed ; and £is we v/ere relating the wonderful providence, the landlady said, 'This day month we saw a gentleman just in your situation ; but before we could hasten to his relief he plunged into the sea, supposing, as W8 concluded, that his horse would swim to the shore ; but they both sank, and were drowned together.' I gave my deliverers all the money I had, which I thmk was about eighteen pence, and tarried all night at the hotel. Next morning I was not a little embarrassed how to pay my reckoning, for the want of cash, and begged my landlord would keep a pair of silver spurs till I should redeem them ; but he answered, ' The Lord bless you, sir, I would not take a farthing from you for the world.' After some serious con- versation with the friendly people, I bade them farewell, and recommenced my journey, rejoicing in the Lord, and praising him for his great salvation." I i I i ' j 71 '1 ) r \ BOARDMAN AND THE MOTHER OF THE REV. JABEZ BUNTING. In August, 1769, a strange man passed through the quiet village of Moneyash, in Derbyshire. It was noised abroad that one who was on his way to embark for America as a missionary, would preach in the Methodist chapel. His name was Richard Boardinan, the first missionary sent out by John Wesley. At that day, and in that place, a mission- ary was a strange phenomenon, and many came to hear. His text was 1 Chron. iv, 9, 10, the prayer of Jabez. To the seeking heart of at least one young woman the Lord sent, by his hand, a saving message. Ten years afterward she was rejoicing over the b'rth of a first, and, as it proved, 1 I 1 1 ' • 1 . 1 - ., . \ I t , 1 : ,] I i \ m 180 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. an only aon. She remembered the words that had been made a balm to her soul, and vowing her child to the Lord, " called his name Jabez." Full oft did that pious mother put uj^ for her little one the prayer of Jabez : " O that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me 1" While he was yet an infant she carried him to Oldham-street Chapel, Man- chester, and there presented him to John Wesley. Well stricken in years, the evangelist took the child in his arms, and pronounced upon it a blessing. Nearly twenty years from that day two young men of about the same age are seen walking out from Manchester. The younger of the two is about the middle size — slender, pale, and delicate. His countenance has an engaging air of purity, generosity, and sense ; and at his head you cannot but look again, for, though bearing no poetic promise, it has a remarkable look of compactness and power. The two friends reach a cottage or a farm-house, where a few humble people meet to hear the Gospel. The one we have described, Jabez Bunting, begins the service; his companion, James Wood, watxjhes earnestly. In that look mingles, with the kindness of no common friendship, real curiosity, and a little of critical attention ; for he has been for some time in the habit of preaching, but his friend Jabez is making his first attempt. No wonder that he is curious to know what will be the success of a youth so unlike other youths. " Ye believe in God, believe also in me," is the text of the modest beginner. All of curiosity or anxiety that marked the expression of his friend passes gradually away; confidence, satisfaction, de- light, positive triumph, steal over his intelligent features; and finally you see him in a perfect rapture, every lineament exclaiming, " I never heard a better sermon 1 Jabez shall be more honourable than his brethren 1" — London Christian Times. Ill RICHARD BOARDMAN. BOARDMAN AND THE SOLDIERS. Mr. Bo&rdman, in a letter to Mr. Wesley, duted New- York, November 4th, 1769, says : "When I came to Philadelphia 1 found a little society, and preached to a great number of people. I left brother Pilmoor there, and set out for New- York. Coming to a large town* on my way, and seeing a barrack, I asked a soldier if there were any Methodists be- longing to it, ' O yes,' said he, ' we are all Methodists ! that is, we should all be glad to hear a Methodist preach.' ' Well,' said I, ' tell them in the barrack that a Methodist preacher, just come from England, intends to preach here to- night.' He did so, and the inn was soon surrounded with "oldiers. 1 asked, ' Where do you think I can get a place to preach in V (it being dark.) One of them said, ' I will go and see if I can get *he Presbyterian meeting-house.' He did BO, and soon returned, to tell me he had prevailed, and that the bell wj»? just going to ring, to let all the town know. A great company got together, and seemed much affected." This must have been about the first Methodist sermon in Trenton ; though Captain Webb preached there just before, or soon after Mr. Boardman's visit it BOARDMAN AND PILMOOR. The names of Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor should be associated, as they were the first regular Wesleyan min- isters who volunteered to come to America; they also returned to Europe together. We will give one character- istic anecdote of the colleague of Boardman. It is found in " Mr. Boardman does not name the town ; but I think it must have been Trenton, N. J., which was then a large towu, and the soldiers were stationed there at that time, and there are buildings still remaining which they occupied for barracks. f-r-* fin'if 182 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. i|illt the " Life and Times of Jesse Lee." I believe it was related by William Waters. PILMOOR AND THE PARISH PRIEST. Noifolk, Virginia, was distinguished for its wickedness. William Waters speaks of it as "the most wicked place he ever set his foot in." Mr. Pilmoor had preached there, and his preaching produced considerable eflFect on the public mind ; but his fidelity and zeal had brought upon the infant society the vigorous opposition of the pailsh minister. During the absence of Mr. Pilmoor from Norfolk, and just before his return, the clergyman preached a sermon, in which he up'lertook to represent the Methodists as enthusiasts and deceivers. The text selected for this notable purpose was, "Be not righteous over much." In the discourse, among other things, he told the people — what none of them would have otherwise suspected — that he knew from experience the evil of being overmuch righteous. He failed to establish his positions, and said so much that his friends were dissatisfied. If he thought Mr. Pilmoor would not return, or that he would take no public notice of the matter, he was sadly disapp:,int3d in his expectations. Mr. Pilmoor returned in a few days, and gave public notice of his intention to preach on the verse next following the parson's text : " Be not overmuch wicked." At the hour appointed the tov/n seemed to be in motion, and a great crowd collected in the place of preaching. After reading his text, Mr. Pilmoor said he had been informed that a cer- tain divine of the town had given the citizens a solemn cau- tion against being over-righteous. Then lifting up his hands, and with a very significant countenance, he exclaimed, " And in Norfolk he hath given this caution 1" That was enough. The conduct of the parson was rendered odious and con- temptible, and the people were unexpectedly but severely rebuked. REV. CALEB B. PEDICORD. \ i i ! t ( IL .1 \ 1 ; ; f [ ■! s The soul ter, poss ter; and one the of ( witl brie hav« ton^ sucl houi Nev wall his ' E ter. cord he c E min vvitl is t] "W Ped THE REV. CALEB B. PEDICORD. The mention of the name of Pedicord will thrill through tlie souls of the readers acquainted with his brief history, charac- ter, and end. Caleb, like the one whose name he bore, possessed another spirit from the timid, time-serving minis- ter ; a spirit that did honour to the cause he had espoused, and the Commander whom he served ; and we regret that one so eloquent, so .vreet and heavenly-tempered — combining the courage of Caleb with the meekness of Moses, the zeal of Cephas with the affection of John, the decision of Paul with the eloquence of ApoUos — should have lived such a brief period; that such a bright and shining light should have been so soon extinguished ; that such an eloquent tongue should have been so soon palsied in death ; that such a sweet and heavenly spirit should have dwelt in that house of clay no longer ; that such an able minister of the New Testament should have been so soon removed from the walls of Zion I But we have this to comfort us, " God buried his workman, but carries on his work." He suffered heroically in promoting the cause of his Mas- ter. The Rev. E. Cooper says, " In Dorchester, Caleb Pedi- cord were whipped, and badly hurt upon the public road ; he carried his scars to the grave." Eight brief years were the period he spent in the itinerant ministry, and then exchanged labour for rest He united with the conference in 1777, and died in 1785. That year is the first in which the question is asked in the Minutes, " Who have died this year ?" The answer is, " Caleb B Pedicord." [■^iiir« I It I' ' 1$ 186 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. This is the first record of the kind in the Minutes, but not tlie last. The record increases — the list of the names of those over whom death has triumphed swells ?\nd enlarges, till it becomes a great multitude. His character is thus drawn in the Minutes by the masterly hand of Asbury, who seems to have followed the example of Wesley for brevity : " Caleb B, Pedicord, a man of sorrows, and, like his Master, acquainted with grief; but a man dead to the world, and much devoted to God." In a few words the character is finished, the portrait is complete, and we gaze upon it with admiration. SINGING ON HIS WAY. Thomas Ware informs us that once, while he was in a thoughtful mood, in a tnicket, a stranger passed him. The traveller, who could not see Mr. Ware in his concealment, began to sing as he passed by : *♦ Still out of the deepest abyss Of trouble I mournfully cry, And pine to recover my peace, And see my Redeemer, and die. «• I canuot, I cannot forbear These passionate longings for home ; 0, when shall my spirit be there I 0, when will the messenger come V* Mr. Ware goes on : " As he walked his horse slowly, I heard every word distinctly, and was deeply touched, not only with the melody of his voice, which was among the best I ever heard, but with the words he uttered, and especially the couplet, CALEB B. PEDICORD. * I cannot, I cannot forbear These passionate longings for home.'" 18V Mr. Ware was so charmed with the melody of the v'oice and the sentiments of the hymn, that he followed on at a distance, hoping to hear another of the songs of Zion. The stranger stopped at the house of a Methodist, and dismounted. Mr. Ware then concluded he must be a Methodist preacher, and would probably preach in the evening. This happy stranger, cheerful as an angel on an errand of mercy, was Caleb B. Pedicord. Some Methodists in the town informed Mr. Ware that Mr. Pedicord, a most excellent preacher, would preach in the evening, and invited him to come and hear him. This was at Mount IloUy, N. J. Mr. Ware told hini he presumed he had seen the preacher, and heard him sing along the road. Mr. Ware inquired of the brother if he knew such a hymn ; he replied he did very well, and immediately commenced and sung it to the same tune; and, as he was an excellent singer, it so thrilled through the soul of Mr. Ware that it melted him to tears. PEDICORD'S TEXT AND SERMON. Tn the evening Mr. Ware went to hear this sweet singer of Israel preach. The singing had charmed him ; what effect would the sermon have? He says, " Mr. Pedicord sung and prayed del.ghtfully." Ilis text pleased him. It was just such a one as an early pioneer of Methodism would have taken — repentance and remission of sins, the atonement, "the sinner's short way to God," the fulness and freeness of salvation. His text was from the 24th chapter of Luke : "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it be- hooved Christ to suffer, and to Hse from the dead the third 13 f\ 188 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." " Soon," says Mr. Ware, " was I convinced that all men wore redeemed, and might be saved — and saved now, from the guilt, practice, and love of sin. With this I was greatly affected, and could hardly refrain from exclaiming aloud, * This is the best intelligence I ever heard.' " PBDICORD THE SPIRITUAL FATHER OF THOMAS WARE. There are periods in a young man's 1 istory when he reaches a crisis, from which he rises or falls. It is evident that this was such a fearful crisis wi^h Thomas Ware. " About this time," says he, " I contracted an acquaintance with a young man of insinuating manners, who was com- pleting the study of navigation. He was expecting to go to sea with a brother-in-law, who was an experianced com- mander, as his mate, in a brig, which was nearly fitted foi the voyage. He had, the address to induce me to engage in the same study with him, promising to give me all the aid he could until the brig was ready, and that I should have the steward's berth on board, when he would avssist me in my studies until I had acquired a knowledge of the art; and he said he doubted not that we should make our fortunes. The brig was to carry a few long guns, have a picked crew, and outsail everything on the seas. Such were the inducements held out to me to enlist in the enterprise ; but I knew not the deep-laid scheme. The truth of the matter was, as it turned out, that the owners were their country's enemies; and the brig was designed to carry on a contraband trade with the British. Between the owners and the enemy there was an understanding. The vessel, laden with provisions, was to be thrown in their way, and to be captured; and then a liberal price was to hi) CALEB B. PEDICORT). 189 paid for the cargo, and she permitted to escape./ Some of the per80i)3 ergaged in this adventure had held offices under the government, and were still deemed friends to tlieir country. They had, besides, enticed some' who had borne a conspicuous part in the service to favour their plot, not doubting of success ; and, if they could not persuade those who were not in it that their capture was real and unavoid- able, they hoped to quiet them with money. " Ignorant of all this design and treachery, I was drawn to the very verge of the abyss, and suspected it not. The brig was ready to sail, and the captain was in our village. I had been introduced to him, and the time was set for me to prepare, at a moment's warning, to embark and enter upon the duties of my office. Thus things stood, when a merciful Providence interposed, and prevented my name being enrolled upon the scroll of infamy. I was as a frail bark tossed upon a stormy and unknown sea. The sea had become calm, but I had neared a vortex, and had been well-nigh swallowed up. But a iirid breeze sprung up at the time of immippnt danger, and I was wafted into a harbour of safety md delight. " When the meeting closed, I hastened to my lodgings, retired to my room, fell upon my knees before God, and spent much of the night in penitential tears. I did not once think of my engagement with my sea-bound companions, until the next day, when I went and told the young man who had induced me to enlist into the project, that I had abandoned all thoughts of going to sea. They, however, proceeded in their perilous undertaking, were betrayed, their officers thrown into prison, and the brig and cargo confis- cated. When I heard of this, I praised the Lord for my deliverance from this danger and infamy, which I considered worse than death. " I now gave up the study of navigation, and abandoned all company but that of the pious. The New Testament ^ read over and over, and was charmed with the character of ||! ! '\ H . '.V i^^K ::!! ■ ■■ ' :8 :$ \ll mmm 190 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. God our Saviour, as revealed in it ; and I esteemed reproach, for his sake, more desirable than all earthly treasure." PEPICORD RECEIVES THE THANKS OF THOMAS WARE. "Mr. Pedicord returned again to our village. I hastened to see hira, and tell him all that was in my heart. lie shed tears over me, and prayed. I was dissolved in tears. Ue prayed again. My soul was filled with unutterable delight. He now rejoiced over me as a son, * an heir of God, g.id a joint heir with Christ.' I felt and knew that I .vas made free: and, a-^. I had been firm in my at* lohnent to the cause of civil freedom, I did hope that I should be enabled to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made me free. " Soon after I wrote to the good man, in a manner ex- pressive of my feelings when I first heard him preach, as well as those which followed. In the ardour and simpli(;ity of ray soul, I said, * A thousand blessings on the man vvho brought me this intelligence. On my bended knees I owned the doctrine true, and said it was enough — I may be buppy — heaven may be mine, since Jesus tasted death for all, and wills them to be saved ! But I am not myself; my hopes aad fears art new. O, may I never lose this tender- ness of heart I Yes, my friend, I am thy debtor. To me thru hast restored my Bible and my God ; and chall I be ungrateful? i.'o; I will see thee, and confess the whole. Tny God and thy people shall be mine.'" — T. Ware, PEDICORD AND JOE MOLLINER. *'Tt must hfve been in the year lY81,that the notorious refugee and tory, 'Joe Molliner,' was captured and impris- oned. This man, while his country?nen werr in the battle- field, fighting for liberty, equality, and all the rights of man ; CALEB B. PEDICORD. 191 and the women of his country were at home, suffering all b"t starvation and death — as neglected fields, and empty granaries, and many other disorders, could fully display — this man, with a band of miscreants, lived by plunder, rapine, aud blood ; robbing those who had anything to lose ; burn- ing by fire, wantonly and maliciously, that which could not be conveyed to the recesses of the swamp, where the tory robbers camped. "The daring, lawless depredations of this MoUiner and his gang — committed for several years, and all along the Atlan- tic shores, through the counties of Monmouth and Atlantic, by land and by water, by day and by night, taking advan- tage of the absence of the youthful and strong men, and com- mitting intolerable outrages upon aged men and helpless females — at length roused the wrath of the people, until it took the form of vengeance. Pursuit was instituted ; and Molliner was taken, and conveyed to Burlington, the seat of justice for the same county at that period. Here he was imprisoned for about six weeks; in the space of which time he was tried by the court, condemned, and sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead. " During the terra of hie imprisonment, Caleb Pedicord and Joseph Cromwell visited the unhappy wretch. William Budd, of New-Miils, a man of deep piety, sound mind, and respectable preaching abilities, joined with the loving, weep- ing Pedicord, and the powerfully persuasive Joseph Crom- well, to induce this soul, so guilty, and so nigh God's judg- ment bar, to hear the words of warning, and to accept the offers of grace, through the crucified Jrsus. He became alarmed, and repented most sincerely, confesaii ^ all his base- ness. Thev uttered to him the words of invitation, and the trembling, repentant sinner believed on the name of Jesus, and was pardoned. Yes, this nefarious sinner, as those preachers testified, exhibited positive proof ' that God, for Christ's sake, had pardoned all his sins.' His soul was happy in the old jail of Purlington; the cell of the con- mv 192 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. demned criminal became the altar of his salvation — the place of his reception among the saved by grace. What an act of majestic mercy ! In this case, the extent of God's clemency in Christ Jesus surpassed all human conceptions. Yet it was so; the soul of that deeply-stained sinner was washed in the blood of the Lamb of God; and the prayers, tears, and songs of the saved soul of Molliner, min- gled with those of the servants of Jesus, who brought him, perhaps for the first time in his life, the tidings of Gospel grace, a kLowledge of the plan of salvation, and the efficacj" of faith and prayer, even in a case so desperate. "Some, perhaps, will say, 'Ah, well, if so abominable a sinner as Joe Molliner can go to heaven, nobody need despair.' How many thousands, not so blackly dyed in sin, have resisted and rejected a thousand calls, and still remain, alas ! unsaved ; and they may so die, and be lost forever. The ways of God are equal ; thy ways are unequal, child of mortality ! How often, under such melancholy circum- stances as those ot Molliner, when the graca of God is dis- played ia the salvation of the <.dlprit, do we hear such sophistical reasoning, and unwise murmurings, and unholy resolutions to continiie in the negloct of the means of grace; and yet these same persons exp^jct salvation and happiness after death, forsooth, because ' a thief upon the cross ' was saved, or a murderer in his cell is converted, and leaves his dying testimony in proof of the ama/ing mercy of the Most High. The moral of this subject is, Let none presume ; let none deupair. "On the day of the execution, our informant, the Rev. John Walker, then a young man seventeen years old, resid- ing in Mount Holly, united with a friend and procured a horse ; and, mounted one behind the other, in this manner rode to the scene of the last act of Molliner's eventful life. Thousands of people, it was computed, were there collected from all parts of the country, in all manner of convey- ances, from the humble equestrian we have described, the CALEB B. PEDICORD. 193 ox-te&ni, and its load of living curiosities from the interior of the Pines, even to the more aristocratic and heavy coach, of which but few could bo produced, down to the thousands on that means of locomotion, the feet, that the Lord made for mortals. The military were also there, in their tarnished uniforms, and with their glittering arms. The music sound- ed dolefully as the wagon approached, containing Molliner, his coffin, and the faithful three — the ministers Pedicord, Cromwell, and Budd. The huge procession passed out of Burlington, over Ewling's bridge, to a place called ' Gallows Hill.' The wagon halted under the fatal tree, and the sol- 'llers were arranged around the vicinity in a square. The dense mass of anxious spectatore pressed closer and closer to the object on which all eyes were now fixed. Molliner arose, and gazed upon the crowd ; his countenance seemed changed ; he spoke at some length, acknowledged his guilt, and begged the people to pray for him; then, closing his eyes, he sat down, and appeared to be in an agojiy of prayer. " Mr. Pedicord, standing in the wagon beside the cof- fin, gave out a text, and preached a suitable sermon, which afiected all hearts within hearing of his sweetly musical voice, whose melting tones seldom failed to draw tears from all eyes. The people wept and sobbed while they heard. After the sermon, a prayer was oflfered by one of the other preachers. On standing up again, Molliner requested them to sing, and a hymn was sung. At the close Molliner was deeply exercised, clapping his hands ex- ultingly, and exclaiming, 'I've found Him! I've found Him! Now I am ready.' He adjusted the rope to hia neck, took leave of thoie around him, and then said again, •I am ready; drive oflfl' Tlie horse started, the wagon passed from beneath his feet, he swung round a few turns, settled, struggled once for a moment, then all was still ! The spirit of the daring refugee was in the pr^enca of his God 1" — Bev. G. A. Rayhold, »l 194 THE HEROES OP METHODISM. PEDICORD AND THE YOUNG LADY. We know so little of this excellent man of God, long since in Abraham's bosom, that it is very refreshing to find the following letter to a young female friend. It is a beautiful specimen of his correspondence, and strikingly illustrates his character : " ViKOiNiA, January I2th, 1783. " Miss Patty, — Your friendly letter came safe to hand a few days since. I have read it again and again, and was so happy as to catch the tender spirit in which it was written. It affords matter of real joy even to hear from my dear friends; but to receive a letter, containing an account of their spiritual welfare, is cause of more abundant consolation. You are pleased to thank me for my former letter, and also express your approbation of the thoughts hinted in favour of early piety. I am more than ever persuaded of the propriety of them, though I feel myself very insufficient to give instruc- tion to those who are surrounded with every helpful and favourable circumstance. I take knowledge from your let- ter that you entertain low thoughts of yourself. Our souls prosper the most under the shade of the cross ; and it is wel' to go down the necessary steps into the valley of humiliation When praying as in the dust, our devotion is in character, but, in the meantime, let us remember, help is laid upon One that is mighty. ' Look unto me,' is his language ; he blesses the broken in heart, and comforts the contrite spirit. He is the strength of the weak, the overflowing fountain of all goodness, who delights in administering suitable comfort according to our various cases. Let faith (which is the eye of the soul) momently behold a reconciled God ; ever re- membering that, in striving to believe, and in the exercise of faith, it is obtained and increased : the secret, inward, pow- erful effects of living faith are almost a mystery to those who CALEB B. PEDICORD. 195 feel them. Salvation by faith is what the Scripture strongly recommends. It is true, God is the author, Christ the ob- ject, and the heart the subject ; but, notwithstanding this, it has pleased our great Author to bestow this precious gift in proportion to our willingness to receive and improve *t. Love also is the glorious spring of all outward and in- ward holiness. Happy for us when we feel this holy, heavenly, active principle operating, and sweetly attracting our willing hearts into all the graces and virtues of living religion. Hope, O blooming hope, which constantly eyes the future promised inheritance ! O Patty, let these three graces be in lively exercise ! Indeed, I am at a loss to describe the many blessings that flow from a conviction of our being in- terested in the favour of the Lord. Those comforts and graces do not naturally belong to man ; it is fruit that grows not upon nature's tree. It follows, that in order to abound in them, we must eye His will, who is the author and giver of them; which, no doubt, calls for the mighty exertions of all our ransomed powers, carefully walking in, and con- stantly looking through, all the means of divine institution. So shall we sail as upon broad waters, and our feet stand in a wealthy place. "I continue a son of affliction, but still fill up my appoint- ments. Remember me affectionately to your grandmamma, who behaved to me as a mother, sister, Christian, and friend. " The blessed God bless you, and keep you blooming for a blissful immortality. Yours, » ** Till th > • weary wheels of life stood still. BRADFORD AND LADY HUNTINGTON. After Mr. Wesley's death, a tract, written with beautiful simplicity by his friend Elizabeth Ritchie, was published, containing the interesting particulars of his last illness, with the expressions to which he gave utterance in the immediate prospect of dissolution. A copy of this document fell into the hands of Lady Huntington, who read it with superior interest, because, according to the natural course of things, the time of her own departure was at hand. She sent for Joseph Bradford, who for many years had been Mr. Wesley's travelling companion, and asked him if this account of Mr. Wesley was true ; and whether he really died ac- knowledging his sole dependence upon the meritorious sacrifice of Christ for acceptance and eternal life. Mr. Brad- ford assured her ladyship that the whole was strictly true ; and that from his own knowledge he could declare, whatever reports to the contrary had been circulated, the principles which Mr. Wesley recognised upon his death-bed had invariably been the subjects of his ministry. She listened with eager attention to this statement ; confessed that she JOSEPH BRADFORD. 215 believed he had grievously departed from the truth; and then, bursting into tears, expressed her deep regret at the separation that h. 1 taken place between them. The particulars of this interview Mr. Bradford related to the Rev. George Morley." — Jackson's Life of Charles Wesley, p. 662. BRADFORD AND THE ANGEL. "In iVYS," says the Rev. John Murlin, "there was a division in the society at Halifax, about an angel with a trumpet in his hand, which one party would have fixed on the top of a sounding-board, over the pulpit, but the other would not consent to it. And so warm were they on each side, that the circuit preachers could not reconcile them ; so the affair was left to the decision of Mr. Wesley. When he came, he gave judgment against the angel ; and, to put an end to all future strife, Mr. Bradford made a burnt sacri- fice of the angel on the altar of peace ! and thus the apple of discord was removed. Is it not strange that men of common sense, and who profess an uncommon degree of religion, should contend so warmly about such trifles as these ?" )s BRADFORD, WESLEY, AND THE CHAISE. In 1785, Mr. Wesley, with Joseph Bradford, visited Adam Clarke on St. Austell circuit. Mr. Clarke relates the fol- lowing, which took place during their visit. I was with Mr. Wesley one day, when his chaise was not at the door at the time he had ordered it ; he immediately set off on foot, and I accompanied him: it was not long, however, before Mr. Bradford overtook us with it. Mr. Wesley inquired, " Joseph, what has been the matter ?" Mr. B. I could not get things ready any sooner, sir. Mr. W. You should have urged the people to it • •11 h ' ¥k i ►! i 216 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. i- Mr. B. I spoke to their to be in readiness, sir, no less than nineteen times. Mr. W., (pleasantly.) You lost it, you blockhead, for want of the twentieth / thus giving Joseph and his young friend a gentle hint on the propriety of perseveraLce. Mr. Everett, to v/hora Dr. Clarke related the above anec- dote, told it tc the poet, James Montgomery, Esq., of SheflHeld, who remarked that "Mr. Wesley's punctuality was very likely the result of early instruction ; and, in all probability, he carried up from his childhood the recollection of a similar case. His mother had one of the children before her one day, who was very slow at learning. Her husband came in, and said, 'Why do you sit there, my dear, telling that dull child a thing twenty times over V ' Because,' replied Mrs. Wesley, * the nineteenth is not enough.' " *1 ^^mm f ^i\ REV. JOHN EASTER. I! ; \ ! ill I I THE REV. JOHN EASTER. The Rev. John Easter joined the travelling connexion in 1782, and located in 1792. Ten short years in the itinerant work, and his name disappears. We know but little of this " son of thundei \" and that little makes us anxious to know more. His rainisnrial career was short but brilliant; his success was almost unparalleled. His name is embalmed in the memory of the Church ; he is enrolled among her dis- tinguished heroes. On Brunswick circuit, Virginia, eighteen hundred were added to the Church under his labours in one year. This mighty ingathering of souls occurred in 1787. What pentecostal scenes he must have witnessed ! what a memorable time! What will the records of eternity show in regard to that never-to-be-forgotten year? The Rev. Thotnas L. Douglciss speaks of Mr. Easter thus : " In the year 1787 the Rev. John Easter, a man of great faith and power, was appointed to Brunswick circuit, which at that time included Greensville county, where the father of Bishop M'Kendree lived; and his labours bemg greatly blessed, an uncommon revival of vital religion took place, m which some thousands professed to find peace with God, in that and the adjoining circuits. Mr. M'Kendree and his family, although favourably disposed toward religion, had hitlierto lived without a knowledge of its comforts; but, under the impressive and convincing ministry of this man oi God, Mr. M'Kendree, his wife, and several of his children, were happily converted to God." "The facts which have come down to our times," says the autiior of the Life and Times of Jesse Lee, " of the almost 15 ! : i) \: it t ,i i : 1 'i 220 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. miraculous labours of the Rev. John Easter, his strong faith, and his astonishing success, are far more surprising than any of those recorded in the days of the Son of man. But we may not detail them. Yet respecting the character of the work, it ought to be said that convictions for sin were sudden and strong. The whole moral nature was wrought upon by deep and powerful emotions, that found expression in con- fession of sin, and in cries for mercy. And conversions were no less sudden and powerful. Supplications for pardon were quickly succeeded by songs of rejoicing and shouts of tri- umph. Many who came to the house of God careless and scoffing, returned clothed and iit thv ; -"ight minds, with new joy in their hearts and a new pathway for their feet. The change was wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, and its genuineness received a thousand attestations in the altered lives, persevering fidelity, and increasing holiness of those who, in that gracious effusion of the Spirit, were brought from darkness into light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Father Boehm says : " I have heard Bishop M'Kendree speak of John Easter in the highest terms, and with filial affection, as a sou reverences his father, as a man, and as a successful minister. I travelled over the g~ nnd where Mr. Easter formerly preached, and his name ai^ s > r^:s were still remembered. I conversed with a number .a \new him personally and intimately, and they spoke of iii..! with pro- found respect and veneration." John Easter died a number of years ago in Virginia, hav- ing held forth his integrity until the end. Nor did " his faith forsake its hold, Nor hope decline, nor love grow cold." Mr. Easter left one son, whose name wa.* Ira. He was a very useful local preacher for some years, and afterward be- came a Protestant Episcopal clergyman, and was pastor of a Church near Baltimore, Maryland. He died in Baltimore a )ii. M JOHN EASTER. 221 few years ago, leaving an only son, a young man of much promise, who was an engineer. He was suddenly killed, and thus that family of Easters ceased to exist. ^nt)izU% u)i lllttstra:ti0ns. w EASTER, M'KENDREE, AND GEORGE. Among the distinguished converts of that year (1*787) was William M'Kendree. He became seriously alarmed for the salvation of his soul. His own account of it will be most acceptable to the reader : " My convictions were renewed ; they were deep and pungent. The great deep of the heart was broken up ; its deceit and desperately wicked nature were disclosed, and the awful, the eternally ruinous con- sequences clearly appeared. My repentance was sincere ; I became willing, and was desirous to be saved on any terms. After a sore and sorrowful travail of three days, which were employed in hearing Mr. Easter, and in fiisting and prayer — while the man of God was showing a large congregation the way of salvation by faith, with a clearness which at once as- tonished and encouraged me — I ventured my all ujicm Christ. In a moment ray soul was relieved of a burden too heavy to be borne, and joy instantly succeeded sorrow." Mr. M'Kendree felt that this " glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to his trust;" the awful responsibility mad< him hesitate. So he visited and consulted his spiritual fi\ther, Mr. Easter. Mr. Easter not only gave him good advice, but took M'Kendree on the circuit, and he travelled with him some time. M'Kendree hesitated, became discouraged, re- t i^ I: 'Ml I K i h nil 222 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. turned home, and resolved to abandon the work of the ministry ; but the "Woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel," so pressed upon him, that he offered himself to the Vir- ginia Conference, and was received in 1788. Could Mr. Easter have seen the future character and history of' William M'Kendree when he received him into the Church, what would have been his feelings? He also received into the bosom of the Church Enoch George, who also became a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church. No other min- ister has been thus honoured, in receiving two persons into the Church who afterward became its superintendents. This distinguished honour belongs to John Easter alone. If nothing more was known concerning him, this should give him an immortality : the spiritual father of the eloquent M'Kendree and the pathetic George, two of the purest spirits that ever adorned the Church or blessed the world 1 Long since Easter, M'Kendree, and George have met I ( iy '• Where saints of all ages in harmony meet, Their Saviour and brethren transported to greet ; While anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, And the smile oT'the Lord is the feast of the souL" JOHN EASTER AND JESSE LEE. So little is known of this distinguished servant of God, that we gladly avail ourselves of any scraps or fragments we can find, and are as careful to preserve them as we would gold- dust ; for, however small the particles, it is gold. Jesse Lee, in his Journal, speaks of Mr. Easter. He first saw him in July, 1783 : "In Warren county I met with John Easter." The next day they went to Halifax county, where John Easter *' preached a profitable serinon." They continued together several days, going from place to place preaching the word. Mr. Lee says : " We had a good deal of life among us at these JOHN EASTER. 223 i» •meetings." The next month (August) " they met at a quarterly meeting, at the Tabernacle, on Roanoak circuit. Mr. Lee preached, then James O'Kelley and John Easter exhorted." Mr. Lee says : " The love-feast was lively. It was, indeed, a day of the Lord's power, and many were converted ; one was converted that day who afterward be- came a travelling preacher." This young man was Mark Moore, who entered the itinerancy in 178G, and located in 1799. EASTER AND REV. STITH MEAD. These were holy men, "full of faith and the Holy Ghost." A volume might be written of their mighty deeds in win- ning souls to Christ. The latter was greatly blessed as an agent or instrument in the conversion of sinners. Wher- ever he went, wherever he preached, the word was blessed. The writer knew him when '* in age and feebleness extreme ;" and even then he was honoured of God in saving souls. He was simple and sincere of heart; took God's word as a living and powerful agent of the almighty Spirit, and preached it in full assurance of faith, both as to its truth and eflBciency ; and it was not in vain. Sinners were cut to the heart, mourners in Zion were comforted, and believers were edified and blessed. Mr. Mead joined the conference in 1792, and died in 1836. The former was distinguished for his strong, unwavering faith, and also for his ministerial success. On the last day of October, 1798, a meeting was held at Paup's meeting-house, Brunswick county, Virginia. Bishop Asbury preached a "good discourse," Jesse Lee exhorted, and the power cf the Lord was present among them. Many wept, and some cried aloud with deep distress. After the congregation was dismissed, the class-meeting was held. The Rev. Stith Mead then began to sing, and in a little while many were afl'ected, and tliore was a general weeping i 1 / li \ * i 'A ii Hi II I 224 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. in the house. At this stage of the meeting, the Rev. John Easter proclaimed aloud, " I have not a doubt in my soul but God will convert a soul to-day." The preachers then requested all that were under conviction to come together. Several men and women came and fell on their knees; and the preachers for some time kept singing, and exhorting the mourners to expect a blessing from the Lord, till the cries of the mourners became truly awful. Then prayer was made in their behalf, and two or three found peace. — Life of Jesse Lee. EASTER AND THE THUNDER-STORM. John Easter was a wonder to many for the childlike trust of his belief in "every word of God." The Gospel was (xod's voice of mercy and grace, and the Bible the words of its utterance to men. Faith had no mystery in it to him, beyond the mere exercise of power. What he wanted, he asked of God. Answers to prayer are promised. He al- ways expected its fulfilment in the things he asked. The following incident will serve to show his faith, and illustrate the doctrine of asking in faith : He was preaching once to a large crowd in the open air. In the midst of his discourse a storm arose. A dark and fearful cloud, vivid with forked lightning, and vocal with hai-sh thunder, " muttering sounds of sullen wrath," and driven by a mighty wind, was hurry- ing furiously over the congregation. Consternation sat on every face, and fear filled every heart. The storm Wc^xed louder and more appalling ; and the panic-struck assemL' - 1 i II f' .-; -'• Hi 226 THE HEKOES OF METHODISM. her husband she believed it to be a duty which she owed to God and herself, to go and hear Mr. Easter, and begged his permission ; but he refused. She then said she should be compelled, from a sense of obligation to a higher power, to disobey his command. At this he became enraged, and, in his fury, swore if she did, he would charge his gun and shoot her when she returned ; but this tremendous threat did not deter her. During preaching she was remarkably blessed and strengthened ; and, on her return, met her infuriated husband at the door, with his gun in hand. She accosted him mildly, and said, 'My dear, if you take my life, you must obtain leave of my heavenly Spouse;' and, thus saying, approached him and took the deadly weapon out of his hand, without meeting any resistance. This virulent temper God in due time softened and subdued, so that the tiger became a lamb. When on my way to my first quarterly meeting in Mecklenburg, in this district, I called on Mr. Jones, and had the whole his- tory of this transaction from the parties themselves, who, now united with one heart in the service of God, accom- panied me to the meeting. it THE REV. JESSE LEE. The Rev. Jesse Lee was born in Virginia in 1758. At the age of fifteen he responded to the call of Heaven, "My son, give me thine heart." Soon after he identified himself with the Methodists, and was appointed class-leader, then exhorter, and afterward preacher. He was admitted into the travelling connexion in Virginia, 1*783, and accom- panied Bishop Asbury on a tour to South Carolina in 1*785. Here Mr. Lee became acquainted with a young man from New-England, who gave him such a description of that people as to excite in his bosom an irrepressible desire to be a herald of a full, free, and present salvation to them. He mentioned it to Mr. Asbury. The desire continued to burn in his bosom till a few years after, when he was gratified. Mr. Lee's name will ever be remem- bered with gratitude, as the pioneer of Methodism in the eastern states, as its apostle in New-England. He planted the tree there which has taken deep root, and extended its branches until thousands now refresh themselves under its shade, and partake of its delicious fruits ; while its leaf does not wither, but continues as green as those on the tree planted by the river of waters. He was a superior man, largely endowed by nature both in bodily and mental power. Mr. Lee was a man of excellent talents as a preacher; his discourses exhibited ingenuity and variety. He especially understood the power of illustration. Mr. Lee was one of Bishop Asbury's first travelling companions. He was the first Methodist minister elected chaplain to Congress; and, to \ 230 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. bLow the estimation in which he was held, he was elected six successive terms. Since then, Nicholas Snethen, H. B. lias- corn, George Cookman, Henry Sheer, and several other Methodist preachers, have been elected to the same oflBce. Mr. Lee was a man of superior wit; he knew how "to answer a fool according to his folly." There is a vast dif- ference between pure native wit — as sharp as a razor, as keen as a briar — and buftbonery : they have no affinity. There is as much difference as there is between pinchbeck and gold. Mr. Lee made his wit profitable to promote truth, to defend himself, and also to silence and abash the opposers of religion and the advocates of error. Should he have used it or not? It is possible that he sometimes went beyond the bounds of prudence; but there can be no doubt that his wit aided him much in th^ culiar work he was called to perform. His last station was Annapolis, Maryland. He attended a camp-meeting on the eastern shore of Maryland in Septem- ber, 1816, and was taken sick, and died there. Rev. Henry Boehra was presiding elder on that district, and remained with Mr. Lee — ministering to his wants, smoothing his pil- low of agony, wetting his parched lips — till his great soul left his suffering body ; the one to return to dust, the other to God. I have often heard my venerable friend describe the dying scene. The room where the patient sufferer lay was filled with glory. The sick and dying man was not only patient, but cheerful and happy. The same degree of pleasantry and the same spiritual wit he manifested during his last illness; though father Boehm thinks there was nothing like levity in Jesse Lee, but remarkable shrewdness, the sharpest irony, and the keenest wit. His death was honourable to the religion he so long professed ; his last hours were not only peaceful, but triumphant. Frequently he shouted, " Glory ! glory ! glory I Hallelujah ! Hallelu- jah ! Jesus reigns !" His remains were interred in the old Methodist burying- v-EidOu i-iCiCi* 231 ground in Baltimore. On his plain marble tombstone ia 'iiscribed the following: IN HBMORY OP THE REV. JESSE LEE. Born in Prince George's county, Virginia, 1768, anil Entered the itinerant ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church 1783, and departed this life September, 1816, Aged 58 years. A man of ardent zeal and great ability as a minister of Christ; His labours were abundantly owned of God, Especially in the New-England states, in which he was truly the Apostle of American Methodism. Those who wish to learn more of him can read " The Life and Times o Rev. Jesse Lee," by his nephew, Leroy M. Lee ; or Dr. Bangs's " History of the M. E. Church ;" or " Memorials of Methodism," by Rev. AIkjI Stevens. To the former of these I am indebted, as well as to several other sources, for a number of the anecdotes and incidents recorded here, that I have no doubt the reader will peruse with pleasure and profit, sometimes smiling, and then, again, dropping a tear, over something that will touch the springs of the soul. 1 1 M . 1 \ 5nu^0tts anJr |llii$trati0ns. LEE ENLISTED BY BISHOP ASBURY. Jesse Lee attended the Conference whicii began at Ellis's Chapel, Virginia, April 30th, and ended in Baltimore, Mai-yland, May 28th, 1784. As a spectator, he witnessed its proceedings with thrilling interest. lie says, "At the close of the Conference Mr. Asbury came to me, and asked r fi WTZ 232 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. me if I was willing to take a circuit ; I told him I could not well do it, but signified I was at a loss to know what was best for me to do. I was afraid of hurting the cause which I wished to promote, for I was very sensible of my own weakness ; at last he called to some of the preachers stand- ing in the yard, a little way off, and said, ' I am going to enlist brother Loe.' One of them replied, ' What bounty do you give ?' He answered, ' Grace here, and glory hereafter, will be given, if he is faithful.' " I i i LEE AND THE NON-COMMITTAL QUAKER. Travelling in Virginia with his colleague, Rev. Mr. Drum- gool-^, they met with a vei-y inhospitable reception at tlu close of the first day's journey At a late hour in the even- ing they stopped at the house of a Quaker, and asked per- mission to remain all night. He neither consented nor refused, but said, " If you choose to get down, I will not turn ycu away." They knew not whether to go in or not, as he had neither granted them permission to stay nor denied their request. However, as the night was dark, and they were strangers, and as there were no public houses in that part of the country, they entered the house, and, notwithstanding the cold re- ception, tried to make themselves welcome. They were surprised and gratified with their hospitable entertainment. When they were about retiring to rest they proposed family prayer. Ilere the Quaker was non-committal again, lie neither expressed approval nor disapprobation ; out said, " If you have a mind to pray, I will leave the room." He 'lid 80, and shut the door, and left them to perform their eveniniz devotions as they saw best. JKSSEi LKE* LEE AND HIS LOST HAT. 233 Mr. Lee and several ministers were once fording a river somewhat swollen. He had on a new hat. A flaw of wind suddenly drove his hat into the river, and the current rapidly bore it away. He checked his horse, and silently watched its course. On, on it went. Turning a rueful f:,ce to one of the brethren, he said : " It is written, ' All things work together for good to them that love God.' I am sure I love God ; but," sending a longing look after his hat, he added, " how that is to work for my good, I am at a loss to perceive." The hat had gone down the stream, and disap- peared, and hatless he was obliged to pursue his journey. ■ LES, ASBURY, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF A BALL. Bi«}hop Asbury and Mr. Lee reached Georgetown on the 23d of February, 1 785, Mr. Asbury preached the next even- ing to a large and attentive audience. As they were leaving, to go to the place of worship, the gentleman at wliose house they were putting up wished to be excused from going with them, " as it was his turn to superintend a ball that night." Mr. Lee says, " He had been praying earnestly, that if the Lord had sent him to that place, he would open the heart ana house of some other person to receive them." Heaven heard and answered his prayer; for after meeting, Mr. Wayne, a nephew of the celebrated general, Anthony Wayne, invited them to call upon him ; and from that time his house became a home for the ministers. They took breakfast with him the next morning ; he accompanied them to the river, and paid their ferriage. He also gave the Rev. Henry Willis a letter of introduction to some gentlemen at Charleston, which secured for the Methodist preachers a cordial reception in that city. i \ 1 1 2:u THE HEROES OF METHODISM. LEE AND THE CALVINISTIC MINISTER. m f; 1 ^': !r Mr. Lee travelled Flanders circuit, in New-Jersey, where there were many Calvinists. He went to hear a Calvinistic minister preach, and took his seat in the congregation in front of the pulpit. The clergyman read for his text, " Thy people shall be made willing in the days of thy power," Psa. ex, 3. Mr. Lee did not believe in adding to or dimin- ishing from God's word. He was exceedingly uneasy. The minister read his text the second time — slowly, dis- tinctly, solemnly — placing the emphasis on the word '■^made^ Mr. Lee's righteous soul was stirred within him. Quick as thought he arose, and, addressing the preacher in a respectful manner, inquired, "My dear sir, have you not mistaken the text?" The minister, very much surprised, replied that he had not. "Will you please to read it again?" said Mr. Lee. He read it again, and in the same way. "Are you quite sure you read it riffhtP' again asked Mr. Lee. " Quite certain of it," was the cool reply. "Well, that's very singular; it don't read so in my Bible," said t'.e Methodist lover of free will and free grace, holding up a small pocket Bible toward the pulpit, and asking, " Will you bo good enough to read it onf'e more, and see if tlie word made is in the text?" Ho commenced reading slowly and surely : "Thy — people — shall — be;" he made a solemn pause, looking earnestly at the words, and read again: "'Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.' True enough, there is no such word in the text." Mr. Lee sat down. The people saw and felt the force of his criticism. But the minister could not see how God's people could be willing unless they were made so by an ir- resistible grace ; and he preached tUo doctrine — the text to the contrary notwithstanding. It is a matter of surprise that to this day that text is frequently quoted in the same way, " shall be made willing," J£oSK Lii!i£. 235 as if it were possible for the Infinite to make the finite willing. I may make ray child obey me, but I cannot make him willing. The will must be free, or it is no will at all. "l^e will not come unto me (says Jesus) that ye might have life." Again, " How oft would I have gathered you," &c., " but ye would not." What makes this misquotation still more astonishing is, that there is ifot only no made in the text, but no " shall be ;" fur these are in italics, having been supplied by the transla- tors. If the doctrine of irresistible grace is true, in opposition to the freedom of the will, it must find its proof somewhere else besides this text il-'i i' 'I LEE'S REPLY TO THE MEN WHO WISHED TO KNOW IF HE HAD A LIBERAL EDUCATION. Mr. Lee asked permission at Fairfield, Connecticut, to preach in the court-house. Two persons, to whom he applied, inquired if he had a liberal education. With characteristic shrewdness, ho replied that "he had nothing to boast < t", though he believed he had enough to carry him through the country." He was permitted to preach in the court-house. " At length," he says, " the schoolmaster and three or four women came. I began to sing, and in a little time thirty or forty collected." He preached from Romans vi, 23 : "For the wages of sin is death : but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." A deep solemnity sat on the faces of the people, and they were ready to say, " We never heard it after thii faclnon." Fairfield is a beautiful place, on the Long Island Sound,. four miles from Bridgeport. I have bad the honour of preaching in th? venerable old court-house, that stands on the green, in the centre of the town. A new church edifice was erected in Fairfield through the indefatigable labours of Rev. Anson F. Beach, who now rests from his U)ils. In November 1843, it was dedicated to the service 10 \ " 7r it ii I 236 THE HEROES OF METHODISM, of Almighty God, Rev. Francis Hodgson preacliing in tlie morning, L*8V. J. B. Wakeley in the afternoon, and Rev. J. L. Gilder in the evening. It was a great day for the Method- ists in Fairfield. Several of the ministers who were present on that occasion now rest in Abraham's bosom : the be- loved pastor of the church, whom I have named; also the presiding elder of the district. Rev. Charles Carpenter, a man who possessed a " meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price," and Rev. Daniel Smith, of precious memory, who was then stationed in Str-itford. The Meth- odists have built a neat and beautiful cliurch in South port, in Fairfield town, and about two miles from the centre. This is a much larger and more prosperous society than the first-named. How the great soul of Jesse Lee, the pioneer of Methodism, would rejoice, if he could return and witness the change since he first went there — without a patron, with- out a friend, without a guide, without a letter of introduction — alone sowing the seed of truth, which has produced so great a harvest! Those villages into which he first entered, where Methodism was unknown — all along the shore of the Long Island Sound, as well as in the interior — are studded with beautiful temples, in which is preached a free, full, and present salvation ! LEE AND HIS CO-LABOURERS OPPOSED IN NEW-ENGLAND. The pious ministers of New-England were alarmed at the appearance of the Methodist preachers ; and they cautioned their flocks against them as "wolves in sheep's clothing." One of them sent out the note of warning, declaring that there were "six hundred Methodist preachers going through the country, preaching damnable doctrines, and nicking men's pockets.''^ J£SSJ!i lifjjiis 237 i ^ I LEE'S "warm and COLD RECEPTION" IN STRAT- FORD. Mr. Lee preached in Stratford, and was kindly entertained at the house of a Mr. Curtis. "I don't know," he says, "that I have had so much kindness showed me in a new place since I came to the state." What a pity the history could not stop here. It was the calm that precedes the storm. It is an unfortunate fact, says his nephew. Rev. Leroy M. Lee, that this " milk of human kindness" that so delighted Mr. Lee, so far from yielding a rich and generous cream, had, by the time of his next visit, curdled and turned sour. He rode to Stratford and put up at Solomon Curtis's, as usual. " When I went in, his wife did not ask me to sit down. Her husband came in, but did not appear as friendly as formerly. At dark I asked Mrs. Curtis if her husband was going to meeting ? She said ' she guessed not.' So I went to the town-house alone, and was hard put to it to get a candle, but I bless God I felt quite resigned, and not ashamed to own my Lord. After preaching I returned to Mr. Curtis's, and found he had but little to say. He went to prayer with- out saying anything to me, and then I waited to see if he would ask me to go fo bed. After some time, he got up and asked me to cove up the fire when I went to bed." This was remarkably cool; cool as an iceberg, frigid as the north pole. Mr. Lee philosophically remarks in his Journal, " I often wonder that I am not turned out of doors." The reason of this unkind treatment was, that Mr. Lee believed in the possibility of falling from grace. Therefore, he was dandled on the cold liand of indifference, and permitted the next morning to depart " without family prayer or break- fast." But the scenes have changed. Methodism has been firm- ly established in Stratford for many years. We have a ueautiful house of worship, a convenient parsonage, a flour- p 238 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. !^ :'■ i ishing society, and many who have long been "given to hospitality," whose parlors have witnessed the hearty wel comes which the servants of God have received. LEE AND THE SAYBROOK PLATFORM. A short time after Mr. Lee had preached a powerful sermon against Calvinism, a tinker came to Weston in pursuit of work ; some one told him he could find employment in the place; that "the Methodists were likely to beat a hole through the Saybrook platform, and if he could mend that, and stay long enough, he could be employed." This amusing inci- dent shows the impression the sermon made upon the people. Since then many more holes have been made in the old platform, and rr.any theological tinkers have been employed in tryifig to solder them up, but all in vain ; it seems im- possible to stop the leak. After preaching that sermon, Mr. Lee had new friends, new homes, new preaching places, all proving its utility. Soon after, he preached in Newtown, on "the w jrth of the 8oul, and the danger, of its loss," in the Congregational meet- ing-house. It was a sermon full of terror. He says, in reference to it, " I did not give them velvet-mouthed preach- ing, though I had a large velvet cushion under my hands." He met with much opposition in Reading; but he com- forts himself by saying, " The lion begins to roar very loud in this place ; a sure sign that he is about to lose some of his subjects." LEE AND THE AGED MINISTER. ** At Stratford," said father Woolsey, " I saw an old gentleman, a Calvinist minister, who, when he was a hundred years old, went into the pulpit and made a prayer ; and I understood that when the Methodist preachers first came into the state of Connecticut he went to hear them. The late Rev. Jesse Lee JiiiSS£ L££< 239 was one of the first. He went to hear him, and when preach- ing was over, he came to liim and said : ' Sir, I do not find much fault with your preaching, but I am afraid you are not on a good errand.' ' Why so V said the preacher. ' Why,' said he, ' I am afraid you have come to break up our con- gregations.' Mr. Lee said, ' Have you any sinners here V *Yes,' said he. *Well,' said Mr. Lee, *they ar<^ the ones after which I came. I am on the errand of our Lord ; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' The old gentleman said, 'If you think you are called to preach, you ought to go to the wilderness, and preach to the people there, /or it is as muck as the people can do to sup- port the preachers that they have already? * Well, then,' said Mr. Lee, ' it is the money, not the Hock, you are in pur- suit of.' ' No,' said the old gentleman, ' but it is our duty to take care of the people here.' 'Then,' said Mr. Lee, 'I am afraid you are like the dog in the fable, who would neither eat the hay himself, nor suft'er the ox to eat it.' (The reason why Mr. Lee said this was, the old gentleman had lately given up preaching, because his eyesight had failed him, and he could no longer see to read his sermons.) The minister re- plied, 'I am an old man.' ' Never too old to do good,' said Mr. Lee. At this the old gentleman was ofiended, and thus the conversation was brought to a close." MR. LEE'S FIRST SERMON IN REDDING, AND ITS RESULTS. The Rev. Elijah Woolsey, of sweet and precious memory, who travelled Redding circuit, Connecticut, as early as 1796, and was intimate with the men who were well acquainted with Jesse Lee, and his first visit to that place, gives the following account of it in his interesting work, called " The Supernumerary," edited by the Rev. George Coles. Wliat invests it with additional interest is, that he received it from those who were eye and ear vntnesses. Most of them, like nrr 240 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. |,l; rW:p the venerable Woolsey, " have fallen asleep ;" I know of none of them who have continued to this day. The account is as follows : " I have received my information from one of the parties concerned, a local preacher, now hving. He told me that there were four men, of whom he was one, that used to have their feasts together fre- quently, and it cost them a great deal ; they had not been in the habit of hearing any preaching, except by the Calvinists. When Jesse Lee came into the town he inquired for the preacher of the place ; and being directed to his house, he rode up to the door, and inquired of the gentle- man if he were the minister of the place. He said he was. Mr. Lee then said he was a preacher also, and asked if he might preach in his pulpit. The minister asked him of what denomination he was. Mr. Lee told him he was a Methodist. The minister then said, 'No.' ' May I preacii to your people V said Mr. Lee. The answer was, 'No,' Mr. Lee said, ' I will preach on that rock,' pointing with his hand to it, ' in two weeks,' at such an hour, and said he wished he would give notice of it to his people, and come and hear him himself. Mr. Lee had but little trouble to give notice, for the news soon spread like lire ainong dry stubble, and almost the whole town came to hear him. Before he arrived at the place some said, ' Mr. Methodist, you would not come here to preach, if you knew to whom you had to preach ;' but wh-n he came there, one said he looked like a good-natured fellow, but guessed that he did not know much. But when he took his stand for preaching, he gave out his hymn, and asked if any one would raise the tune, but no one sung but himself. After he had been preaching awhile, one said that he did know something ; and when he had gone on a little further, one said that he knew as much as their minister ; at length he said he knew more, and at the conclusion he said he thought that his preacher knew nothing, and he believed that his preacher thought so him- self. The word had taken guch etlect on these four men, JKSSK LKK. 241 one of whom was a lawyer, that they were all convinced, and soon after converted, and ail of them became preachers of the Gospel. The lawyer used to plead at the court, and in the intermission used to preach. The judge one day heard him preach, and, when he had closed his sermon, came to him and said, ' How is this ? do you plead law and preach the Gospel too V He answered, ' I think it will do very well ; for it is necessary that there should be lawyers to investigate the law, and it is necessary that they should be good men in order to do justice; and it is necessary that there should be preachers in order to investigate the Gospel, and it is necessary that they should be good men too, in order that they may do good.' * True, true,' said the judge, and left him. Brother Smith (for that was his name) told me that he would not undertake a bad cause for love or money ; he once had done it, but he suffered for it, and never would do it again. But when the people came to him to plead their cause, he would examine them as criti- cally as he could, and if their case was bad, he would advise them to go and settle as soon as they could, and never would ask anything for his advice. But to return. When Mr. Lee had closed the service, he inquired if there were- any who would open their doors to such like preaching, and if so, he would preach again in two weeks. Brother Aaron Sanford said that his door was open, and that he must go vith him, and make his house iiis home. So he permitted th .^ Methodist ministers to preach in his house, and when his house became too small, he enlarged it, and had a swing partition, so that it could be raised up ; and we used to hold our quarterly meetings there until we were straitened for room. The friends then thought they would build a house for worship ; but they had opposition from the 'standing order,' who blocked up their way, so that they could not get the place they anticipated. Brother Aaron Himt, having a farm near the Presbyterian church, gave our tVionds the otl'or of a lot to build on, and the people came to 'I ' I !| 1 : ■ 1 ■I ■: 1 y H h I ^9 242 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. work to clear off the lot. The Presbyterians then consulted what to do ; for they said if the Meth<^ists built their house 80 near to their place of worship, it would ruin them, for they preached so loud that they could not hear their preacher preach, it being so close by. Thoy then concluded to accom- modate the Methodists with a building lot at another place, not far off. They succeeded in building a house, and at length that was too small, and then they built the second, and now they have a stationed preacher there, and support him well. God has been very gracious to brother Sanford's family; I believe nearly all of them have been converted. One son is a preacher, and three grandsons are dispensing tha word of life. Brother Aaron Hunt, one of our old preachers, married into this excellent family." LEE AND ELDER HULL. The following incident will serve to illustrate the nature of the hostility everywhere opposed to the establishment of Methodism in New-England. On one of Mr. Lee's early visits to Redding, Connecticut, he preached on " the way of salvation." Setting forth Christ as the Saviour of sinners, he described, with great clearness and force of application, the way of repentance and faith, as leading directly to Christ, and as the means of obtaining salvation. Elder Hull, a Baptist minister, was present, and listened to the sermon with considerable impatience. The sermon was no sooner fi*^ * ihed than the elder rose up in the congrega- tion, and said, " I differ from the preacher. He says that in order to be saved you must repent and believe ; but he did not say whether you could repent in one week, or three weeks, or six weeks. He says, ' repentance is sorrow for sin.* It takes some time to be sorry for sin. He says, 'rej)entance is confession of sin ;' and it takes some time to confess sin : and he says, ' repentance is forsaking of sin ;* and it takes forae time to forsake it, especially if you have been some J£boJ!j IjJilXja 243 time committing it. And then, after all this, he says, ' You must believe in Christ.' All this will require a long time. Now for my part," continued Mr. Hull, " I believe religion may be obtained in a very short time." Surprised, no less at the objection than its frivolousness, Mr. Lee straightened himself up in the pulpit, and, after a keen and somewhat satirical gaze at his opponent, said iii reply : "The gentleman seems to be otfended with me for not saying how long it would take anyone to embrace religion. True, I did define repentance, but I did not say how long it would take any one to repent; that is no part of my business. I know it will take a sinner as long to be converted as it will- take him to come to Christ by repentance and faith. It may all take place in a very short time. A hunter goes into the woods to hunt, and presently finds a deer ; he levels his gun, 'that takes some time;' he brings his sight along the gun to bear on the deer, ' that takes some time ;' he pulls the trigger, ' that takes some time ;' then the flint strikes the pan, ' that takes some time ;' then the fire kindles the powder, ' that takes some time;' then the powder catches in the barrel, &c., then the ball flies out, &c., passes along the distance, &c., and finally hits the deer, &c. Now all this takes time ; but it does not take a week to kill a deer ! Is the gentleman satisfied ?" If he was not satisfied he was silenced ; and the repetition of the ridiculous objection, " that takes some time," draw led out, as it was, at the end of every sentence, con- founded the captious objector, and created no 'small diver- sion at his expense. It was as fatal to his cause as the un- erring rifle cf the huntsman to the life of the deer ; and left him quite as dead in the field, so rashly entered. I I I LEE'S RECEPTION IN BRIDGEPORT, IN CONSEQUENCE OF A SINGULAR DREAM. A singular incident is related in connexion with the introduc- tion of Methodism into Bridgeport, which went to confirm I. \ 1 1 i 244 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. '* ; the impression of Mr. Lee, that he was providentially desig- nated for the work upon which he had entered in Connecti cut: One afternoon a Mrs. Wells was at the house of hei neighbour, Mrs. Wheeler, taking tea, and stated that, during the preceding night, she had dreamed that a man rode up to a house in which she was, got oflF his horse, took his saddle- bags on his arm, and, walking directly into the house, said, " I am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and have come to preach to the people of this place. If you will call your neighbours together, I will preach to them to-night." She moreover said that she retained so vivid and perfect a recollection of the man's face and general appearance, that she should certainly know him if she should ever see him. While she was yet speaking, she looked through the win- dow and exclaimed, " Why there is the man now I" And it was so. Mr. Lee rode up, dismounted, took his saddle-bags on his arm, entered the house, and addressing himself to the women, said, " I am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have come to preach to the people of this place. If you will call the neighbours together, I will preach to them to- ri' ht." He was welcomed to the house, and that night preached the first sermon ever delivered in that part of Con- necticut by a Methodist preacher. The house stood on what was then called Mutton Lane, and Mr. Lee, in relating the circumstances, would sometimes say, he " preached in a house in Mutton Lane, and the Lord gave him three ewe-lambs" — two of these were Mrs. Wells and Mrs. Wheeler. — Eev. Thomas E. Bond^ Sr. LEE AND A SELF-CONCEITED BIGOT. Mr. Lee then went to Farmirizton, and had been but a little while in the house of his host before he began, according to his custom, an examination ' the principles of his guest. He was a violent advocate of like " infallible perseverance of the sainU;," and avowed it as his belief that "if David had '»» ' JESSE LEE. 245 died in the act of adultery, and Peter while swearing, they would have been saved." " Then," said Mr. Lee, " after a man is converted he must be saved — he can't help it ?" " Yes, he is obliged to be saved whether he will or no ; for it is impossible for him to help it." And he added, " I would as soon hear you curse God at once, as to hear you say, that God would give his love to a person, and then take it away again !" " I do not say God will take his love from them, but they may cast it away." '* If God sent the leprosy upon a man," it was replied, "no one but God could take it away." "So," said Mr. Lee, "you think religion and leprosy much the same — sent as a judgment upon a person P'' The application of his argument silenced the man ; he was mortified and chagrined at his defeat, and so vexed, withal, that he absolutely refused to give Mr. Lee and his compan- ion the necessary directions to find their next stopping place. LEE AND THE BAPTIST PREACHER. Lee was preaching once at Suffield when a Baptist min- ister who was present began to catechise him publicly as to his " conversion and call to the ministry." Declining to argue, he consented to give a brief account, and began by saying, " I sought the Lord and found him." The Baptist preacher's righteous soul was stirred up within him — he felt a thrill of holy horror as he scented the heresy. He abrupt- ly denied the correctness of any such statement, and vehe- mently protested, " that no man ever sought God before he was regenerated, and that God was always found of them that sought him notP If i| y 't '■if : si 246 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. LEE'S GERMAN TAKEN FOR HEBREW. A minister anxious to ascertain whether Mr. Lee liaJ a .iberal aducation before giving his permission for liim to preach in his church, addressed some question to him ia Latin. A reply was returned in German, such as Mr, Lee had learned in his early ministry in Nortli Carolina. Thif* greatl}' surprised the minister. He repeated it in Greek. Tt v;as again answered vi German. Not understanding the language, and supposing it to be Hebrew, of which he knew nothing, he concluded Mr. Lee knew more than himaelf, and granted him permission to preach in his church. LEE AND REV. MR. DARROUGH. But there were lights as well as shadows to the itinerancy. Lee found ministers who were free from bigotry, atid were very different from some that have been described. At New- London a Baptist minister, by the name of Darrough, came in and took tea with him in the house of a widow. A very friendly conversation as to the progress and success of religion ensued. In the course of it Mr. Lee " told him, if he did not take care the Methodists would outdo him." " I don't know how they will go about it !" " Why we will out-preach you, out-live you, and out-love you." " Well," was the true Christian reply, " yon may, but if you do you shall have hard work for it : for I intend to love God with all my soul, and then if you out-love me your vessel must he bigger than mine." Heaven and earth must admire such spirits — big- otry would blush in their presence — striving to excel each other in spiritual attainments and in exhibiting the excel- lences of Christianity. How well it would bo if the Christian world were baptized with such a spirit! JESSE LEE. 247 LEE'S COLD RECEPTION FROM COL. B. The climate soon changed, and Mr. Lee encountered a man of a very different spirit, one who had been born under another planet. He went into Rhode Island, and !'*■ hau been directed to call upon a Col. B. in Coventry ii. did 80 about sunset, when the following dialogue took j.lact^. Mr. Lee inquired, " Have you not entertained Methodist preachers sometimes ?" He answered, " Yes, I have sometimes." "Would you be willing to entertain another ?" " I would full as leave, if it suited them as well, if they would go along." " Well, then I will go along." And (/o along he did, horse and all. He was a stranger; it was dark; he gave his horse the rein ; the faithful animal bore him in safety to the hos})i- table residence of Gen. Lippett, where he was kindly enter- tained, though the family had retired to rest, and were obliged to rise to receive their thrice welcome guest. LEE AND A YANKEE TRAINING DAY. A number of singular incidents occurred at a place called Mount Desert Lee went by water in a canoe, and was ac- companied by a physician. It proved to be training day, and there was a large collection of both sexes ; the women waiting for the muster to t.omiinate, that they might join in the festivities of the danco. But when they learned Lee's purpose to preach, they were sore perj)lexed. Some said, "We will have a dance;" others said, " Nay, we will have a sermon." The woman of the house said, " If they will not hear the Gospel, they shall not dance." The man of the house cried out, " If the Lord has sent the )nan, let us hear him; but if the devil has sent him, let him take him away '!-lf m 248 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. again But the preacher told tliera he would not preach in the house at all ; and he left it to seek a place where he would be less likely to violate the prohibition of an improper use of pearls. On his way to this modern Babel a man call- ing himself a Christian and a Baptist went with him. T)-o man was a strong fatalist, but brimful of religious talk. He soon discovered Mr. Lee believed that Christ died for all men, and that all were called by God, and might come to Christ and be saved. This discovery put him in a violent passion ; he denounced it as a damnable doctrine, and seemed ready to swear outright, and •' Prove his doctrine orthodox, By apostolic blows and knocks." LEE AND THE LAWYERS. The following anecdote has often been repeated, but has lost much of its interest because many have supposed it was too good to be true. But it was related by Mr. Lee to one of his intimate friends and contemporaries. Its confirmation gives it additional freshness and interest. It will also teach a certain class of men who love to make sport of gentlemen of the cloth, that it is possible to " wake up the wrong passenger ;" that there are those who have intelligence enough to know theiv rights and their wrongs, and who have wit enough to " answer i fool" according to his folly. The amusing circumstance occurred between Boston and Lynn. Mr. Lee was riding slowly along the road to Lynn, ■when he was overtaken by two young lawyers, who knew him to be a Methodist preacher, but he know nothing of them. They were full of life and hilarity, and determined to have a little innocent sport with the parson. After salut- ing him in a friendly manner, inquiring after his health, (fcc^ the following singular conversation took place : "■ ' ' believe vou are a preacher, sir ! iwyer. pre JESSE LEE. 249 Mr. Lee. Yes ; I generally pass for one. First Lawyer. You preach very often, I suppose ? Mr. Lee. Generally every day ; frequently twice or thrice. Second Lawyer. How do you find time to study when you preach so often ? • Mr. Lee. I study when riding, and read when resting. First Lawyer. But do you not write your 'sermons ? Mr. Lee. No ; not very often, at least Second Lawyer. Do you not often make mistakes in preaching extemporaneously ? Mr. Lee. I do sometimes. , Second Lawyer. How do you do then 1 Do you correct them ? Mr. Lee. That depends on the character of the mistake. I was preaching the other day, and I went to quote the text, "All liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone," and by mistake I said, " All law- yers shall have their part — " Second Lawyer (interrupting him.) What did you do with that ? Did you correct it ? Mr. Lee. O, no, indeed ! It was so nearly true, I did n't think it worth while to correct it. " Htimph !" said one of them, (with a hasty and impatient glance at the other,) "I do n't know whether you are more a knave or a fool." " Neither," Mr. Lee quietly replied, turning at the same time his mischievous eyes from one to the other; " I believe I am just between the two." This was the climax. His keen, piercing wit, his cutting sarcasm, his talent at repartee, made them feel exceedingly foolish ; and Uiev drove hastily on, leaving Mr. Lee alone in his glory. LEE'S RETORT UPON GEORGE PICKERING. At one of the early confcences, in Lynn, when the examin- ation of character was going on, the bishop asked, '* Is tliere 250 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. t ,' 1 I U ?,, i anything against brother Lee f " Yes," said the Rev. George Pickering, springing to his feet suddenly, as if he was impelled to speak, "I have an objection to brother Lee." "What is it?" inquired the bishop. "I think brother Lee is too self-willed ;" and the members of the conference smiled all over their faces. " We have no law against that" said the bishop ; " brother Lee can retire." The next name on the list was George Pickering. The presiding officer inquired, " Is there anything against brother Pickering ?" " Yes, sir," said Mr. Lee, who had just come in ; " he will have his own way." This admirable retort caused the preachers for a moment to forget all their gravity, and the important business that had summoned them to- gether, and they all enjoyed a hearty laugh, in which the chairman joined as well as others. -, I M Ml LEE RETORTED UPON BY ASA SHINN. In 1812, the first delegated General Conference was lield in the city of New- York. The question of ordaining local preachers was discussed and decided in the affirmative. Mr. Lee opposed it strongly, and, among other arguments, showed that a local man could not perform his ordination vow& Asa Sliinn replied to him ; and showed that the same form of ordination required an elder to "rw/e well Jiis own family f^ that brother Lee had promised to perform this duty twenty years ago, and had not kept his promise to that day, and was therefore a delinquent, and ought to keep his own vows, &c. This was a shot at the very centre of his " single bless- .edness," and provoked a hearty laugh at the expense of the bachelor, which no one relished better than himself. Mr. Lee was overcome, and that with his own weapons, which he had often wielded so successfully. His opposition ceased ; he found himself in a minority, and ever since the question has been settlcHl, and local preachers liave been ordained wheD they have been properly recommended. pp V JjiibSri LEKi 251 LEE'S UNSUCCESSFUL PRAYER IN REFERENCE TO MATRIMONY. T4ie Virginia Conference was called the Old Bachelor Con- ference, there were so many single men of ripe years in it. The preachers that got married lost caste ; and, as but little provision was made for wives or families, a number were obliged to locate : so to get married and locate were synony- mous, and hence the prejudice against ministers marrying. At the Virginia Conference, in 1808, a preacher assigned grave reasons why he had changed his relation in life ; why he thought two were better than one ; why he thought it not good for man to be alone ; how he had not entered into this state hastily or unadvisedly ; that he had consulted his elder and judicious brethren ; he had also made it a subject of devout meditation and earnest prayer ; and, after obtaining light from every available source, in view of all the circum- stances in the case, he had felt it his duty, and believed it would be far better for him ; and therefore he had married ! There was no law prohibiting marriage, and therefore no transgression — and, of course, no penalty — the statement be- ing perfectly voluntary on the part of the brother, the confer- ence making no such requirement. It amused the old bache- lor, and, rising slowly from his seat, he said he was afraid the brotlier had fallen into a mistake ; he had been in that way himself, and would like to tell his experience : "I once thought I might to marry," he said, " and I thought a great deal about it too. And I. thought I must pray about it ; but somehow or other I always found myself praying, ' O Lord, let thy will be done — but do let me have the woman!' I wanted the woman, and my prayers always ended there. Perhaps the brother wanted the woman, and she and the Lord were willing ; but they both opposed me 1" This experience would apply to so many cises, that it was too much for the gravity of tlie conference, and they not only smiled, but also laughed freely at the relation. ^ 17 If 362 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. LEE'S MANNER OF INTRODUCING HIMSELF. " Nevv-Englari was remarkable for its small towns. Mr. Lee, »n going through those towns, would ride up to a door and knock with his whip, and would inquire of the persons pre- senting themselves, in his soft and pleasant way, ' Do you know me ? I am a Methodist preacher ! Will you let me preach in your house V The reply would perhaps be, ' No!' 'Farewell,' he would say, and so proceed through the vil- lage without any encouragement. He would then put his horse at the tavern, and go to the school-house, and ask for liberty to preach there. If denied the use of the school-house, he would select some spot in the open air ; go to the school, and request the children to inform their parents and neigh- bours that a Methodist preacher would preach at such a time and place as he would name. " After preaching in those places, and before dismissing the congregation, he would remark that, if any would open their door, he would preach agaia in two weeks ; and most generally he would receive an invitation, and thus procure at once a place to preach and a place to lodge. In this way he would form a two-weeks' circuit, send for a preacher to take charge of it, and so pass on to form another." LEE'S SINGULAR DREAM. " In the year 1 800, 1 travelled on what wf.s then called Essex circuit. Jesse Lee was appointed to New- York city, but obtained liberty of Bishop Asbury to visit the New-England states, and especially the circuits he had formed in his extended tour. "Jesse Lee must have been at this time between forty and fifty years of age, but had never yet considered it duty to take to himself a wife. He told me, when he visited me at Missisque Bay, in the southwest corner of Lower Canada ■H rn JESSE LEE. 253 that he liad dreamed of being married to a lady of great wealth, and that he had left the itinerancy, and settled down ; and that he had tu.ven his chevaval'^s (overalls) and hung them up in his parlour, to remind him o{ former days. Before he re-iched us the people had heard that he weighed three hundred pounds, and rode on tivo horses ; they were at a loss to tell how he could contrive to ride on two horses, but when he came they discovced that he rode them alternately. The next morning after his arrival at Peter Mil- ler's, his lodging-place, being Habbatii, I told him we were to have a love-feast; and, the meeting being about two miles off, I proposed that he should tarry, and come with brother Miller at the preaching hour ; but Jesse said, ' I will go with you, and see if you have any love among you.' So he attended love-feast." LEE'S PIIEACHING. " He preached at ten o'clock, and requested me to close, and publish that he would preach again in five minutes. After preaching twice, he returned to brother Miller's and dined. After dinner we rode twelve miles to St. Albans, in Vermont, and preached in the evening on, ' For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should Hve soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.' Titus ii, 11, 12." LEE'S EASE OF MANNEIt. "Monday morning he took his departure for New-York. I gave him directions where to call and get his dinner. When he arrived at the house, and asked if such a man lived there, the reply was that he did. Jesse said, that ' brother Van- aest directed him to call and get his dinner, and his horses 'I I 264 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. fed. Will you do it?' 'Yes, sir; please alight,' was tho reply. When he reached the city he was asked how he lived among the poor in the new country ; he replied, ' On the very best the people had to give.' " — Peter Vannest. LEE AND HIS HOST. ir.' i Ml i Mr. Stroud of Virginia related the following anecdote of Rev, Jesse Lee : After preaching he invited Mr. Lee to go home with hira. When they arrived at the house Mr. Lee inquired, Brother Stroud, what have you to drink ? He replied, "I have Ap- ple-Jack, I have Jamaica Spirits, I have Holland Gin, and wines, brother Lee ; which do you prefer ?" " Neither," said Mr. Lee. " I have not touched any liquors in twenty years.' This was about the year 1800, over fifty years ago. Wo see from this, that he was a staunch tee-totaler more than half a century ago ; that he practised as well as preachec* it. This was long before the Temperance reformation What was his object in asking this question ? To ascertaib if the brother used spirituous liquors, that he might iutroduc« his own example in opposition. It had the desired eftect upon the brother. After\va"C he was careful not to be able to tell a minister he hac' fc variety of liquors in his house. — Gabriel P. Diaosway. LEE LETTING A FELLOW " GO FOR SLIPPANCE." On one occasion when he was commencing divine service, he perceived the gentlemen intermixed with the ladies, and oc- cupying seats appropriated to them. Supposing they were ignorant of the rule on that subject, he stated it, requesting the gentlemen to take seats on their own side of the house. All but a few complied with the request. It was again JESSE LEE. 265 repeated, and all but one left. He stood his ground as if ds- termined not to yield. Again (he rule was repeated, and the request followed it. But no disposition to retire was indi- cated. Leaning down upon the desk, and fixing his pene- trating eye upon the offender for a moment, and raising himself erect, and looking with a peculiar smile over the con- gregation, he drawled out : "Well, brethren, I asked the gen- tlemen to retire from those seats, and they did so. But it seems that man is determined not to move. We must, therefore, serve him as the little boys say, when a marble slips from their fingers — let him ' go for slijipance.^ " To say he slipped out of the house, is only to describe the fact in language borrowed from the figure by which the re- Duke was conveyed. LEE WAKING UP A CONGREGATION. At another time, while engaged in preaching, he was not a little mortified to discover many of the congregation taking rest in sleep, and not a little annoyed by the loud talking of the people in the yard. Pausing long enough for the ab- sence of the sound to startle the sleepers, he raised his voice, and cried out, "I'll thank the people in the yard not to talk so loud ; they '11 wake up the people in the house 1" This was "killing two birds with one stone" in a most adroit and efiectual manner. 1 ■ - ; \ « \ LEE'S FITNESS FOR THE EPISCOPACY. Mr. Richard Whatcoat was elected to the episcopal oflSce by a small majority over Mr. Lee, at the General Conference held in Baltimore in 1800. Yet Mr. Lee exhibited the very best spirit under the circumstances. Some time after, sorno friend referring to the subject of his non-election, pleasantly suggested that ho was probably thought to be too full of wit 256 THE IIEROKS OF METHODISM. '^1 ii and hurnour for tlie Episcopacy. His reply was, it would be unnatural to assume the gravity of the office previous to receiving it ; put me in, and I will sustain its dignity. LEE AND OTHER WEIGHTY PREACHERS. There were weighty men in the Baltimore Conference that assembled in Baltimore, May 1st, 1799. • Men with weight of years, weight of cares, weight of responsibility, weight of character, weight of talents, weight of influence, as well as physical weight. This is evident from Mr. Lee's Journal. He says, " After we had finished our business in conference, four of the larg<'st preachers among us went to a store and w weighed. My weight was two hundred and fifty-nine ftounds ; Seely Bunn's, two hundred and fifty-two; Thomas Lucas, two hundred and forty-five ; and Thomas F. Sargeant weighed two hundred and twenty ; in all, nine hundred and seventy-six pounds. A vwndcrful weight for four Methodist preachers, and all of us travel on horseback." There were giants in those days. I like to see great men with great souls in great bodies LEE'S PLEASANT RETORT UPON BISHOP ASBURY. At the General Conference in 1812, what is called the " Presiding Elder" question was discussed. Some were for having th(i presiding elders appointed by the bishop, others for having them elected. Mr. Lee was in favour of the lat- ter, while I3ishop Asbury was as decided on the other side. Mr. Asbury, in presiding, would show his opposition by turning his back upon the speakers, and sitting with his back to the conference. Mr. Lee made a strong argumenta- tive speech, and some one who answered him remarked that " no man of common sense would have adduce«^. #:& IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) y ^1 ^ "mJ'O / ^<., -# ^W % ^> .'> ^> /. )>'' -^ ^^. Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ A 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) B72-4S03 ^ o^ ^ # % MP. 272 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. St i ' 1 y. '1 I'M'! s La I m men of the connexion. He says, "Mr. Bradburn preached, as on former c^casions, in the chapel occupied by Rev. Eilward Parsons. But it was the last time he appeared there," said Mr. Dawson to Mr. Everett, when relating the circumstance of his having heard him on the occasion, and " no won lev. He had preached delightfully : but on coming out of the vestry, when a person was about to assist him off with the gown, he assumed one of his queer looks, doubled his elbows by his side, clenche'i his hands before his breast, having taken a portion of the gown in each, then suddenly sending forward his elbows, and shooting out hi?, back at the same time, vent it from the shoulders downward, making an open- ing sufficient foi him to escape by, without the necessity of seeking egress in the ordinary way. It was a most unmin- isterial act. The friends felt the insult ; and as to himself, after the mood was over, he had the full space of lime for repentance, which intervened between the act itself and the grave." — Life of Dawson. BRADBUEN AND DR. ADAM CLARKE. In 1790 Mr. Clarke was stationed with Mr. Bradburi\ m Manchester. Mr.* Clarke was at Flixton, whence he had previously promised to return after preaching. It was winter, and the evenini; closed in with a heavy snow-storm. Mr. John Wood, with whom the preachers domiciled in that part of the circuit, persuaded Mr. Clarke to tarry till morn- ing. Mrs. Clarke, knowing her husband's punctuality, be- came uneasy lest he should have braved the storm, and lost his way in the wildness of the night. She went into Mr. Ih-adliurn's two or tliree time.'*. He had retired to rest ; bui perceiving, from what Mrs. Bradburn had said, the state of mind in which Mrs. Clarke was, he immediately, on hei* leaving the house, most kindly arose, took a lantern, and calling on a friend, they proceeded through the almost im- passable lanes, narrowly examining every ditch with which SAMUEL BRADBURN. 273 he was acquainted, as they passed along. They arrived at the house of John Wood about twelve o'clock at niglit, jaded, wet, and weather-beaten, having travelled several miles. Knocking up the family, and gaining admittance, Mr. Bradburn ordered Mr. Clarke down stairs with jocose authority ; when, after a few words of explanation, they set out, and footed their way through the storm to Manchester. On arriving at the house of Mr. Clarke, about two o'clock in the morning, Mr. Bradburn, with the frolic of youth, pushed him into the doorway before him, and said to Mrs. ClarKe, " There he is for you, take him ;" then instantly turning on hk heel, he repaired to his own house, to repose himself on the couch he had left a few hours before, lost to the dreary interval, with its pains and perils. BRADBURN AND ROBERT ROBINSON. The interesting account which follows was originally com- municated by a Methodist minister to the British Wesleyan M agazme : " T'le following ciicumstance occurred at the district- meeting at wliich I and ten others were examined as candi- dates for the Wesleyan ministry, the Rev. Samuel Bradburn being the chairman : " When the examination was concluded, several of tlio senior ministers present gave us advice on different subjects. The late Mr. Gaulter particularly advised us to read 'Robert Robinson's PjV?a for the Divinity of Jesus.' He said it wao one of the best books ever written on the subject, though, unhappily, its .author afterward ' fell into the dregs of So- cinianism.' On hearing this expression, the chairman rose; a flush of feeling came over his countenance, his lip quivered, and he was evidently strongly agitated. At length ho address- (\] the meeting, as nearly as I can recollect, in the following v.ords. The few who knew Mr. Bradburn will be able tc \ 1 irH' t 1 1 1 i Ml Pf %M W I m r-i 2U THE HEROES OF METHODISM. conjecture how bespoke them. To them who did not know him, a description of his manner would be vainly attempted. They were spoken with all his own peculiar emphasis : ' I knew Mr. Robinson well. He was my particular friend. He trifled sadly with sacred truth. He was playful where he should have been serious. He got to the very brink ot heresy. But he did not fall into the dregs of Socinianism. I remember the last time he came to London. He was on his way to visit Dr. Priestley at Birmingham. He had en- gaged to preach on the Sunday night for Danitl Taylor, and 1 thought I should like to see him once more. I asked Dr. Whitehead if he would accompany me, and he said he would. I had to preach that Sunday night at City-road ; but I made the whole service short. I preached one of Mr. Wesley's sermons. W^e had a hackney-coach ready ; and when 1 had done, we set oft'. W^e heard the latter part of the ser- mon; and wlien the congregation was dismissed, we went into the vestry. After speaking a word or two, Dr. White- head said, "Mr. Hobinson, will you answer me a question ?" " I will, if I can," he replied. " Well, then, if you had it to do now, would you publish your Plea for the Divinity of Jesus ?^^ He paused a momei: t, looked very serious, and then said, slowly and solemnly *' Doctor, I would." From Lon- don he went to Birmingham, to see Dr. Priestley. His friends had often felt grieved that he seemed to hold lightly what they held as sacred. He preached for the doctor. [ know that he had often said that he hoped he should die quietly, suddenly, and alone. And so it was. He was found in the morning dead in his bed, and the clothes unruffled.' The speaker paused for a few moments, and then said, with a look and tone never to be forgotten by those who were present, ' Ho had trifled too much with sacred things ; and I verily believe that God Almighty sent the angel of death thus to cut him down to save his soul from hell !' " il! i:: eJ SAMUEL BKADBUKN. 2V5 BRADBUKN AND DAWSON. William Dawson, before he became a local preacher, having heard of the fame of Bradburn as an orator, went to Leeds in 1793 to hear him. He preached in the Rev. Edward Parsons's church. His commanding figure, powdered hair, and advanced age, at once fixed Dawson's eye and captivated his heart. The subject was the kingly office of Christ. It was a masterly performance, and Mr. Dawson was filled with admiration. Mr. Bradburn, on giving out the last hymn, inclined his person over the front of the pulpit, and looking to the pre- centor, who either had not pleased him, or preferring it for some private reason, said, " I will give out the last two verses myself." He read, " The government of earth and seas Upon his shoulders shall be laid, His wide dominion shall increase, And honours to his name be paid. Jesus, the holy child, shall sit High on his father David's throne, Shall crush his foes beneath his feet, And reign to ages yet unknown.'* Dawson liad never heard these words before, and vet Bradburn's manner of repeating them caused him ever after to remember them. The specimen of simple, free, powerful, and impassioned oratory which he had in Mr. Bradburn, gave him a more favourable opinion of the Wesleyan preachers, and a more kindly bearing toward the body. Before thi.i he had been leaning strongly toward the Established Church. — William Dawson. BRADBURN'S POETRY. Mr. Bradburn was a shoemaker in early life, like Samuel Drew, and many others*, who have risen to distinction in the \ ■^.3^1. 4 a M i« i Hi 276 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. world. He never forgot his former calling, and never waa ashamed of it. Mr. Bradburn had the confidence of his brethren, and they manifested it by electing him President of the Wesleyan Conference which was licld in Bristol in 1798. During one of i*s sessions, Dr. Adam Clarke went to speak to him jis he sat in the president's chair, and found that he had ju.st turn- ed poet. Being in one of his pleasant mo(« is, he had just written the following vei-ses on the " Office of Conference President :" Exalted in Dignity high, To write for this wonderful crew ; No Cobbler at present am I, Pray, therefore, take care what you do. My Kit, t' .:gh some time laid aside, I can still with dexterity use ; And like Leather I'll cut up your Hide, If you dare my high office abuse. My Tools arc all made of good stuff, Well wax'd and well bristled my End ; And my Awls will make holes in your Bulf, Unless you to business attend. My Pincers will hold very fast. My Nippers the Jack-heads can pull; And if I'm in want of a Last, I can easily work on your skull. My Lapstone the stroke can endure, My Hammer wcll-temper'd and sound ; The Faults in the Leather can cure, And make it wear well on the ground; My Sticks make the Soles and Hides shine, Wht>n with Paste I them thoroughly vub; And should you to the Baptists incline. I will give you a Dip in the Tub. BRADBURN AND AN OPPOSING CLERGYMAN. Samuel Bradburn having heard that a clergyman of the Establishment, who was a magistrate, residing in a small 1 ! il SAMUEL BKADBUKN. 277 town in one of his circuits, had violently opposed the intro- duction of Methodism into his parish, resolved, if possible, to defeat him in his opposition. Various attempts had been made by the Methodist preachers to preach there, but with- out effect ; the ministers having, as was common in the early days of Metliodism, been driven oft' by the mob, head- ed by the clergyman. Mr. Bradburn, however, was deter- mined to make an attempt, and sent to a few poor Method- ists in tlie neighbourhood, requesting that they would publish around that a stranger would preach on a large stone, in the centre of the town, on a certain iSabbath day, at three o'clock, which they did ; and the clergyman being informed of it, as usual, ordered constables and others to be in readiness at the place to arrest the preacher, or drive him off. Of this Mr. Bradburn was apprised ; but not being in tlie least intuni- dated, he went to the place on the day appointed, and with- out making himself known to any person Jiere, he attemled the morning service at Church ; placed himself in a conspic- uous situation, so as to attract the notice of the clergyman ; and, when the service was closed, he went up to him on his way out, accosted him as a brother, and thanked him for his sermon. The clergyman, judging, from his appearance and address, that he was a minister of some note, gave liim an invitation to dinner, which Mr. Bradburn thankfully accept- ed ; and having entertained him until dinner was over with his extraordinary powers of conversation, he said that he should like to go to the preaching which was to take place in the open air in that town, at three o'clock, and asked the clergyman if he would accompany him. He rej)lied, tiiat he intended to go there, not, indeed, for the purpose of hear- ing the preacher, but to take him into custody, and to put a stop to the service. Mr. Bradburn, however, begged him to de.;ist from his purpose, •'nd succeeded in inducing him to go and give the preacher a candid hearing. They tlierefore walked together to the spot, where they found a large com- pany assembled, who, on seeing them approach, made wav «|f ■ iiiiMiii 1 L II.. "-Jf ! 1 278 THE PIEROES OF METHODISM. for them until they got to the stone; where, after waiting m silence some time, the clergyin.in said he thought that the preacher would not come, and that it was best to dismiss the people ! Mr. Bradburn said, he thought it would be a pity to disappoint them, and highly improper to neglect so favourable an opportunity of doing good, and urged the cler- gyman to preach to them. But he excused himself, saying he had no sermon ready, and asked Mr. Bradburn to address them, which, of course, he readily consented to do, and com- menced the service by singing part of the first hymn in the Methodist Hymn-Book ; and, after praying, delivered an im pressive discourse, from Acts v, 38, 39 : " And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone : for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." This no; only deeply aff'ected the people, but so delighted the clergyman, that, although he knew, as the service proceeded, that he had been duped, he heartily thanked Mr. Bradburn for the deception he had practised on him, and ever after, to the day of his death, entertained the Methodist preachers at his house. — George Brereton, , BRADBURN AND BETTY THE SERVANT GIRL. The Rev. Thomas H. Smith says this anecdote was related to him by the Rev. John Wesley Button, one of the old preachers in England: "Mr. Bradburn was appointed to preach a jubilee sermon in reference to King George the Third. Weeks rolled away after he was appointed, and he could not fix his mind on any text. The last week, the last day, the last hour, and the last moment arrived, and no text. For days and nights he had been in the utmost perplexity and anxiety. With a throbbing heart and trembling nerves he put on his cloak, and was proceeding to the chapel, which was I :it^ 1 n-' SAMUEL BKADBURN. 279 thronged to hear the ' Demosthenes of Metliudism' on a suhject of such intense interest — one that wculJ call into ex- ercise all the powers of his imperial intellect, and all his powers of eloquence. When he reached the door, he met his servant girl, and said to her, ' Betty, can you not give me a text from which to preach the jubilee ^sermon to- day ?' * yes !' said Betty, ' Mr. Bradburn, take this : " O king, live forever!"' 'Just the thing,' said Mr. Bradburn; • I '11 take it.' His anxiety was all gone, his embarrassment removed ; the servant girl had relieved him from a difficulty. He went to the house of God, and delivered one of the most eloquent and impressive sermons man ever preached ot listened to. Mr. Bradburn on that day excelled himself. He felt under a lifetime obligation to Betty for the appropriate text she furnished him with for such a mc ^nentous occasion." BRADBURN AND BENSON. \ On one occasion, at the examination of character in the Wesley an Conference, tliere were a number of men that were large and weighty, who looked as if they lived well, and as if their work agreed with them. Among them were Brad- burn, Bardsley, and many others. Mr. Benson was always thin and spare, and was sometimes a little touchy or nervous. He said, " Some of the preachers were so fleshy that they could not do their v. uik very well, or he was sure they would not be so large." Mr. Bradburn arose with a smile upon his countenance, and said, "They were not in such good order because they neglected their work, but because they were so good natured ; if Mr. Benson was only as good natured as we are, he would not be as poor as he now is — he would get fleshy too." The retort was so admirable, the hit so good, that the whole conference was convulsed with laughter, in which Mr. Benson joined as heartily as any of them. 1 I i It j I ■! I '280 THE UEROES OF METHODISM. BRADBURN AND SAMUEL BARDSLEY. Bratlburn sometimes indulged in sullies of wit with Samue' Bardsley, who was himself a character. He was a man of extraordinary size, clothed in homely attire. He was the personification of simplicity and almost kindness embodied. "Come, come, Sammy," said Mr. Bardsley to him, "recollect that, though you may have many brethre!i, you have but one father in the Gospel." He was Mr. Bradburn's spiritual father. Pleasantry disappeared; wit atid repartee were at an end. That moment Mr. Bradburii started from his seat, threw his arms around the neck of Mr. Bardsley, and. while the tears gushed from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, at the recollection of bygone days and bygone scenes, with a trembling voice and with deep feeling exclaimed, while putting his arms around his neck, and hanging on him with the doating fondness of a child, "The Lord knows I love you in the Gospel next to my Saviour." However, the scene would toon cliange. In the course of an hour — such was his fine flow of spirits, his cheerfulness, his vivacity — he would again be i.: a mood fur pleasantry ; but as innocent as a lamb, as harmless as a dove, and as unsuspeciing as innocence itself. He was walking the streets of Sheffield with Mr. Bardsley on one occasion — both of them men of gigantic size, arm locked in arm — pufling, blowing, sighing, perspiring, under the scorching rays of an August sun. A friend met them ; they paused, and, as Mr. Bradburn wiped the great thick drops from his brow, he exclaimed, " Here we are, the two babes of the wood," aUuding to the childlike simplicity which distinguished the life and manners of hia " true yoke- fellow." T SAMUEL BKADIJUHX. 281, BRAUBURN'S RETORT ON WESLEY. Something unpleasant had occurred between Thomas Olivers and Mr. Bradburn. It was brought up at conference to have the matter adjusted. " Brother Bradburn," said Mr. Wesley, " you do not love Tommy Olivers." " Sir," returned Mr. Bradburn, " I love him as much as you do John Hampson." This was a sudden and unexpected retort. Mr. Wesley was a little suspicious that there was not the most cordial feeling on Bradburn's part ; and Mr. Bradburn availed hinisolf of the fact of Mr. Wesley leaving John Hampson's name out of the Deed of Declaration, which was interpreted into a matter of prejudice, and gave offence to Mr. Hampson and his friends. BRADBURN AND THE YOUNG MINISTERS. It is most humiliating to hear some ministers talking of the sacrifices they have made in becoming preachers of the Gospel. Some have made great sacrifices ; like the disciples of old, " they have left all and followed Iliin." But others have been elevated in all respects by the change ; called from the most humble walks of life to fill a most exalted station, to be heralds of the cross, and ambassadors fur Christ. The Church does not owe them half as much as they owe the Church. To it they are indebted for what they are on earth and for what they hope to be in heaven. The} ought not to talk of their sacrifices, but thank Him who has " counted them faithful, putting them mto the min- istry." It is this ungrateful spirit that the noble Bradburn wished to reprove in the characteristic anecdote that follows: " A number of young preachers were speaking once rather whiningly of having ' given up all for the ministry.' They put too much emphasis on their sacrifices, in Bradburn's 1 j ,282 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. '«.' i eslimation; he wished to rebuke ffiein, and did it witli hia usual felicity. He had been a cobbler himself, as well as a tinker, and most of the young men in the company had been in equally humble occupations. ' Yes, dear brethren,' ex- claimed he, 'some of you have had to sacrifice your all for the itinerancy ; but we old men have had our share of these trials. As for myself, I made a double sacrifice, for I gave up for the ministry two of the best awls in the kingdom- -a great sacrifice truly to become an ambassador of God in the Church and a gentleman in &oc\Qty y —National Magazine. BRADBURN AND THE DRUNKARD. A drunken person came reeling to the door of a place in which Bradburn was giving tickets to the members of a class, insisting on admission, and with just sense enough leed lightly p.c-oss the floor to one of her sons, and said to him, " My son, what can be the matter with this man ?" He answered, "I am not tell, 1 do not know." Then all was silent, and she re sumed her seat, and the children were as lively as ever. But soon another groan proceeded from the unknown visitor. The < M lady again arose from her seat, and approached her son, and said, " My son, what can be the matter ? Has he murdered any one ?" He replied, " I do not know, mother." But when he came to preach and pray, they were well satisfied as to the reason of his groaning. The old people and their children were awakened to see their lost condition; pnd I believe from this time the Methodist preachers con- tinued to visit and preach at their house. Many of their pos- terity have become the happy subjects of converting and sanctifying grace, and some of them eminently so, and have died and gone to their reward in heaven. — Rev. Samuel Howe. DARIUS DUNHAM. 303 DUNHAM AND THE WILD FIRE. ■)(t8- land ave luel In Upper Canada a gracious revival commenced in 179Y, chiefly through the InstrumentaHty of Hezekiah Calvin Wooster. At a quarterly meeting on the Bay of Quinte Circuit, after preaching on Saturday, while the presiding elder, Darius Dunham, retired with the official brethren to hold the quarterly conference, Mr. Wooster remained in the meeting tQ pray with some who were under awakenings, and others who were groaning for full redemption in the blood of the Lamb. While uniting with his brethren in this exercise, the power of the Most High seemed to over- shadow the congregation, and many were tilled with joy un- speakable, and were praising the Lord for what he had done for their souls, while others, with " speechless awe and silent love," were prostrate on the floor. When the presiding elder came into the house, he beheld these things with a mixture of wonder and indignation, believing that " wild- fire" was burning among the people. After gazing awhile with silent astonishment, he kneeled down, and began to pray God to stop the " raging of the wild-fire," as he called it. In the mean time, Calvin Wooster, whose soul was burning with the "fire of the Ho'y G\ost," kneeled by the side of Dunham, and while the latter was earnestly engaged in prayer for God to put out the wild-fire, Wooster softly whis- pered out a prayer in the following words : " Lord, bless Brother Dunhsim 1 Lord, bless Brother Dunham !" Thus they continued for some minutes, when at length the prMy«'r of Brother Wooster prevailed, and Dunham fell prostrate on the floor ; and ere he rose, received a bajitism of that very fire, which he had feelingly deprecated as th« effect of a wihi imagination. There was now harmony in their prayers, feelings, and views, and this was the commencement of p revival of religion, which soon spread through the entire province ; for, as Brother Dunham was the presiding elder, -'I wW m 304 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ho was instrumental in spreading the sacred flame throigh- out tlie distriet, to the joy and salvation of hundreds of im- mortal souls. — Bangs^s History of the M. E. Church. It is, indeed, matter of regret, that such a man should have been under the necessity of locating three years after for the want of support DUNHAM REBUKES LEVITY. Are not ministers sometimes so anxious to swell their num- ber that improper persons are received into the Church ? those who have no particular desire, or do not care, but are willing to do so to accommodate their friends or the minister. Should we be so anxious for members as to build with wrong material, "hay, wood, or stubble ?" "For other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ." None should join the Church except those who have an ardent desire to flee the wrath to come, and secure a home in lieaven. The conduct of Dunham, in the characteristic an- ecdotes that follQW, is not only worthy of admiration, but of imitation : Once, in the neighbourhood of the " Head of the Lake," after " preaching and meeting class," as there were several strangers present, he gave an offer to any who wish- ed to "join the society," to manifest it by "standing up," according to the custom of the times. Two young women were observed sitting together; one seemed desirous of join- ing, but seemed to wish her companion to do the same, and asked her, loud enough to be heard by the company, if she would join also. Her friend replied in a somewhat heartless manner, "I don't care if I do." " You had better wait till you do 'care,'" chimed in the grum voice of Dunham. He was for having none even *' on trial," who had not a sincere " desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved fiom their sins.** ill DAKIUS DUNHAM. 30C DUNHAM AND THE SQUIRE. A new-made "squire" bantered Dunham before some com- pany about riding so fine a horse; and tola him he was very unHke his humble Master, who was content to ride on an ass. Dunham responded with his usual imperturbable grav- ity, and in his usual heavy and measured tones, that he agreed with him perfectly; and that he would most assuredly imi- tate his Master in the particular mentioned, only for the diffi- culty of finding the animal required, the government having " made all the asses into magistrates !" DUNHAM AND THE INFIDEL. An infidel, who was a fallen Lutheran clergyman, endeav- oured one niglit, while Dunham was preaching, to destroy the effect of the sermon, by turning the whole into ridicule. The preacher affected not to notice him for a length of time, but went on extolling the excellence of Christianity, and showing the formidable opposition it had confronted and overcome, when all at once he turned to the spot where the scoffer sat, and, fixing his eyes upon him, the old man con- tinued, "Shall Christianity and her votaries, after having passed through fire and water — after vanquishing the oppo- sition put forth by philosophers, and priests, and kings — after all this, I say, shall the servants of God, at this time of day, allow themselves to be frightened by the braying of an ass?''^ The infidel, who had begun to show symptoms of uneasiness from the time the fearless servant of God fixed his terribly searching eye upon him, when he came to the climax of the interrogation, was completely broken down, and dropped his head in evident confusion. : t 1' i 1 1 306 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. DUNHAM AND THE AMEN. Dunham was distinguished for fidehty, faith, and prayer, as well as 'for wit and sarcasm. Religion was much injured by the war of 1812, and continued very low for some time afterward ; but a few held on, and Dunham con- tinued to preach under many discouragements. One day he was preaching with more than usual animation, when some in the congregation responded " Amen,** to some good senti- ment that was advanced. On which the preacher paused and looked about the congregation, and said, in his usual heavy and deliberate manner : " Amen, do I. hear ? I didn't know that there was religion enough left to raise an amen. Well, then, A-men — so be it !" He then resumed his sermon. But it really appeared, by a glorious and ex- tensive revival which took place very soon after, that this amen was like the premonitory rumble of distant thunder before a sweeping, fructifying rain. I DUNHAM AND THE WOMAN POSSESSED WITH THE DEVIL. A woman who first lost her piety, and then her reason, was visited by Dunham, and pronounced to be ^'■possessed with the deviV^ He kneeled down in front of her, and, though she blasphemed and spit in his face till the spittle ran down on the floor, he never flinched nor moved a muscle ; but went on praying and exorcising by turns, shaming the devil for " getting into the weaker vessel," and telling him to " get out of her," till she became subdued, fell on her knees, and began to pray and wrestle with God for mercy ; and never rose till she got up from her knees in possession of reason, and rejoi f 1 ^ . ^ 1 1 1 I'ij h.uM U-i .ila ;:1^ ' 1 f i ■1 THE REV. SMITH ARNOLD. T I Smith Arnold was born in Waterbury, New-Haven county, Connecticut, March 31st, 176G. His parents were members of what was then tlie Established Church. His father was educated for a physician, but the French war proved more attractive than the saddle-bags, and he yielded to its allurements. Smith's mother died a few months after he was born, and he was placed with an uncle, by whom he was reared and educated. The Revolutionary War, which broke out when he was nine years old, occupied the attention of the people so much, that education and religious teaching suffered greatly; so that, although Smith grew up without any marked vices, he was a thouglitless, wild, giddy young njan, a lover of pleasure, and quite regardless of religion as he afterward understood it. At the age of twenty-four he married Erea Judd, the daughter of a widow, and of the old Puritan stock. She was a sister of the late Dr. Judd, of Oneida county, New- York, whose son has been so long and so honourably connected with the Sandwich Islands. Slie was two years his junior, and having been trained on a better pattern than he, the union was greatly to his advantage; and, indeed, to the advantage of both. They lived together most happily, to a good old age, died within a few months of each other, and were buried at Mount Hope, Rochester, in the same grave. HEARS METHODIST PREACHINO. In a few months after their marriage they took a farm on shares in Montgomery county. New- York, where they first ; 1 \ ^ -i id tsti '! fl^^^^^B „„,...„, nio THE IIKKOES OF METHODISM. heanl a Methodist prencber. It was Philip Wager. He j>reached at the house of Pliineas Leach, in the fall of 1790. He was followed, two or three weeks after, by Jonathan Newman, who preached in the same place. Preaching was an event in those days, and everybody went; but on this co casion his wife had a young child, which prevented hei from leaving home, and he went alone. When he returneo she asked him how he liked the preacher. The answer was not favourable. He said he was a very singular man, an(^ told him all about his prayei-s out of a book, and pronounced such praying to be nonsense. " ' When you pray,' said ho, and he looked over to where I sat, ' you say, "Our Father, who art in heaven :" whereas if you prayed the truth you would say, "Our Father, who art in hell."' This made ma angry, and I got up and left the house ; for I k.iew that somebody had been telling him that I was a ChurchmaK. As I left, he called after me and said: *Take care, young man, lest God shall smite tli oe, thou whited wall.' To which I answered : * Better take care of yourself, or somebody will amite besides God !'" The next day he was greatly ashamed of his conduct ; and, having occasion to go to the house of Mr. Leach on business, his state of mind was not improved by meeting the preacher at the gate. He had his saddle-bags on his arm, and was about to depart ; but he seized the occasion to talk kindly to the offended oian, and urged him to a better course ; nor did his words fall to the ground : on the other hand, they made a strong impression, and long after, when Mr. Arnold began to feel concern about his soul, he longed to see the preacher who told him about his formal prayers. LIFE IN THE WOODS. Deacon Walker, one of his neighbours, whom he calls " a zealous, praying man," was about to remove to a new town- ship in Herkimer county, to settle, and prevailed on Mr. 1 t SMITU ARNOLD. sn Arnold and his wife to go along. In that day all central New- York was a dense forest, and the pioneer settlers were only beginning to take up the land and occupy it. The region in which these friends had purchased was in all the glory of its original solitude ; and the adventurous undertook vo occupy it in mid-winter, when the snow was four feet deep. On the 18th of February, 1791, they arrived, with their families, within a mile and a half of ihe spot. Here they paused for a while till they eoald provide a shelter, and Mr. Arnold and Richard Dodge, another of the party, took up their abode in a log-house, which a Mr. Hatfield had built for his own use, but which was not yet ready to occupy. Be- yond this house there was no beaten track, and all was a deep, voiceless solitude. Having arranged their family aflfairs, they made their way through the snow to their pos- session, and began the work of cutting down the trees, and building, of the logs, such extemporaneous habitations as the woods afforded. They took their dinners, worked through the day, and returned at night to sleep. Their industry was a good deal quickened by the tide of emigration which was setting in from behind, and which necessarily brought up at the end of the beaten way, and sought in vain for any other shelter than was afforded by the solitary log-house. It waa a building of very primitive construction and limited dimen- sions, being only eighteen feet square ; but its capacity and its ability to contain were wonderful. Befor^i the pioneer party could get ready to leave, it sheltered no less th&n fourteen families. Under such circumstances no time was to be lost, and as soon as the forest houses were in a condition to receive their future inmates, the removal was undertaken. But moving was not a very easy matter, with snow four feet deep and no road broken. The mode in which it was accomplished may, therefore, be worth repe?^ing; especially as it shows a genius for extemporizing under the pressure of necessity. Mr. Ar- iUf If M I \]r 1 II 111 312 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. nold borrowed 3 bullock of one of his emigrating neighbours, and having got his eftects together, and placed them, with his wife and child, on a sled, he fastened his ox to the load, and taking the vacant side of the yoke himself, gave his beast the path, and, thus equipped, in due time reached his new habitation. It was a building not very remarkable for its architectural appointments. It was built wholly of logs, notched together at the ends, and laid on the snow, packed down by the feet, as a foundation ; the roof and floor were of logs split and somewhat trimmed with the axe ; and the smoke-escape, or f imney, was of sticks defended from the sparks by clay. In the hurry to remove, only half of the floor was laid, and the snow bottom did not add to its attractions. But a roaring fire was soon blazing in the apartment, and the pioneers set themselves down in their own home with a feeling of independence and satisfection not often experienced by a young couple on the Fifth Avenue. A WARNING. They had bean moved only a short time, and just began to feel how rich they were in their associations and friendships, when the circle of their joys was broken by the sudden and alarming death of Deacon Walker, the father, of the settle- ment. While at work in the woods clearing the land in view of the approaching season for sowing, he wac struck by the limb of a falling tree, and instantly killed. This was a very impressive and sorrowful dispensation, there in the deep solitude of the forest. It came most unexpectedly, and broke, in a moment, the little circle of dear and intimate friends, who were thrown almost as much together as members ot the same family. The effect of this sudden stroke was deepined in Mr. Ar- nold by a startling dream, in which he heard the last trump ring loud und clear through the vast vault of heaven, calling SMITH ARNOLD. 313 the dead to judgment. The celestial notes rang in his ears long after he awoke, and he lay there trembling and weep- ing, as if the scene had been a reality, and not a dream. For the first time in his life, he saw how great a sinner he was, and how utterly lost without a Saviour. After a while he fell asleep, but he soon awoke again with a feeling of alarm, and those clear, clarion notes were, to his startled imagination, still ringing through the heavens. He could not get rid of the illusion, and he felt an agony of sorrow for which there was no relief. In his wretchedness the night lingered long, and when the morning broke he sent for Benjamin Cole, a Presbyterian neighbour, who gave him some good advice, but was not abio to mete out the instruction that was needed. His wife pressed him to read the Bible and pray in the family ; but he was not persuaded by her counsel, and his convictions gradually subsided, though he continued to long for religious instruction, and desired especially to see the Methodist min- ister who had talked so harshly about his formal prayers. In the fall of the following year (1792) Mr. Arnold heard of a meeting five miles distant^ which was to be attended by a Methodist, and he at once determined to go. On reaching the spot, what was his gratification to find the same Jona- than Newman that he had so desired to see. The discourse, as before, somehow or other, was levelled exactly at him. The preacher told him all about the workings of his mind, kis convictions for sin, his vain excuses, his good resolutions, and all his varied experiences. The eflfect was to renew his broken spirit and bring back his sorrow of heart. He put his head down and wept bitterly, but all in silence, and let no man know his state. In two weeks Mr. Newman preach- ed there again, and Mr. Arnold was once more a hearer. He now made himself known to the preacher, and before they parted, it was arranged that his house should^ henceforth, be one of the regular preaching places on the circuit The first quarterly meeting after the events just narrated, I ■11 \ 3U THE lIEliOES OF METHODl.SM. was held near Oriskany Creek, at the house of Robert Parks, in Westmoreland. Quarterly meetings were then great ocea sions, and were looked to as special means of grace. Mr. Arnold had never heard of such meetings; but Mr. New- man urged him so strongly to go, that he was at last per- suaded. The meeting was in Mr. Parks's barn, and the ser- mon on Saturday produced a great effect. Mr. Arnold went home with a Mr. Robbins, who, like himself, was thoroughly " sick of sin." His host asked him, on "etiring at night, to attend to family prayers, and he kneeled down to comply, but could not utter a word. On the next morning there was a love-feast at. T.. ''^arks's house, and public preaching in the barn. Mr. Arnold had no idea of a love-feast, but his friend Luther Richards took him by the hand and passed him in. The speaking soon began, and one after another rose and told of their joys. His heart was melted, and his eyes were a fountain of tears. Among those that spoke was an aged Indian, who declared that he knew this Jesus forty years before, and had loved him ever since. He was deeply affected. " Ah," thought he, "that I knew as much about the Gospel as this heathen." " I gazed on him with wonder and admiration, as the tearp rolled down his furrowed cheeks, and fully determined t;i.;t his God should thenceforth be my God. In an insta vt '• he continued, " all my guilt seemed to be gone, and I lell unspeakably happy. The burden was rolled from my back, and I was enabled to rejoice in the Lord." At this little love-feast five souls were brought to a knowl- edge of the truth ; and three of them afterward preached the (lospel. Others were also converted at the preaching in the barn. Mr. Arnold was exceedingly joyful and happy, but he could not think what it was that made him feel so. He had no idea that this was religion. He wanted to hear singing and praying all the whils, and wanted to have others feel just as he did ; and was sure they would, if they could only 'ZiS&r the same wonderful preaching. On his way home he w SMITH ARNOLD. 31i had to ride through the deep, gloomy forest for ten miles, i:iid that, too, in the night, and alone ; but the woods seemed tx) be light about him, and he made the leafy canopy vocal with his shouts of joy. This exultant state continued for three days, when one of his neighbour's oxen provoked him by breaking into his field, and lie gave way to a storm of passion. His peace of mind fled in a moment, and a long season of temptation, darkness, and gloom followed, in which he sought his bur- den again, and took little satisfaction in the pleasures of the world, while he found little encouragement in his attempts to live the life of the Christian. iM A CLASS FORMED. Still he did not abandon his determination to be a Christian ; and when Mr. Newman proposed the formation of a class, he warmly seconded the movement, and was one of the six that enrolled themselves as members. His fathei had moved into the neighbourhood, and though a commu- nicant and an habitunl attendant on the services of the Epis- copal Church for many years, he now began to feel that his religion was not sufficient ; and was so concerned on ac- count of his soul that he well-nigh fell into a state of despair. He, too, embraced the opportunity which the formation of liie class presented ; and it consisted at first of Mr. and M»-s. Arnold, senior, and Mr. and Mrs. Arnold, junior, and Mr. and Mrs. Phineas Pond. But although he attended his class, and went to all the religious meetings within his reach, he did not experience a re- turn of his former joy, and felt no freedom in acts of devotion. He was often urged to vocal prayer, but he always declined ; and his class-leader finally said to him : " Brother Arnold, you must take up your cross and pray, or you will be damned." lint even the harsh alternative, thus presented, did not serve the desired purpose : he continued a silent worehipper. 21 1 ht i I nh I i 31G THE HEROES OF METHODISM. At length, at a public meeting at Paris, (Oneida county,) he heard a sermon, by the Rev. David Bartine, on the witness of the Spirit, which opened his eyes in regard to his backslid- ing, and taught him that Christ was his refuge, and that the hfe of the Christian was a warfare, requiring watchfulnef s and effort. He was satisfied, from this discourse, that he once had this witness of the Spirit; and was now taught that it was his privilege to have it again. After the service he had an interview with the preacher, and said to him : " If you have declared the truth, I am almost persuaded that I have been justified." Mr. Bartine, after hearing his experience, assured him that he had been converted, and exhorted him to make known to others what he had felt and enjoyed. Accordingly, after the sermon on the following day, he arose from his seat, and with a trembling voice told what he had once enjoyed, and how unfaithful he had been to the teach ings of the Spirit. At the moment he wos weighed down with the burden and the duty; but before he reached hom^ the Lord swept away the clouds which had so long obscured his prospects, and he felt a return of that heaven-born peace and joy which had so gladdened Iiis heart many months before. A CHANGE. His tongue was now loosed; and, instead of holding back as before, he felt as if he wanted to sing, and pray, and rejoice all the while. " I could now," says he, " pray and praise with all my heart, and wanted everybody to come and drink of th« fountain which had so satisfied all my cravings." Nor was this yearning for the souls of othera without its fruits. His zeal, his sincerity, the change that wa.^ manifest in him, all bore testimony that ho had learned in the school of Christ ; and his neighboui*s, impressed by what they smw and heard, were " pierced to the heart," and began to incjuire the way of salvation. He was soon appointed to lead the little class ; and it« SMITH ARNOLD. 317 11: numbers rapidly swelled from six to sixty. His aged father was one of the first fruits of his new-born zeal, and was brought to feel that he had an unclouded title to a heavenly mansion. His step-mother, a formal professor of long standing, was also inade anew in Christ Jesus. In short, the whole neighbour- hood seemed to catch sparks of the hallowed fire, and to be moved toward the spiritual life in Christ Jesus. He was always a man of exuberant spirits and sanguine temperament; and the new inspiration by which he was moved seemed to lift him out of the world and carry him to the verge of heaven. These were years, to him, of ecstatic bliss; be was as happy as a man in the body could well be, and the glow in his own breast was widely communicated to others. quire HIS THEOLOGICAL COURSE. The great demand of the times for a Methodist preacher of that day was a thorough knowledge of the arguments against predestination. The prevailing theology was that of John Calvin ; and Methodism was a sort of running hand to hand fight with the disciples of that creed. Mr. Arnold was not much skilled in lore of any kind, and least of all in the mys- teries of theology. He knew much more about chopping logs, clearing land, and making potash, than about creeds and ologles; but he felt a free salvation, and he proclaimed it because it was the offspring of his own abounding love. An opportune sickness, however, gave him an unwelcome leisure, which was advantageously employed. He was seized with the prevailing ague, and tor nearly two years his field labours were in great part suspended. This was a severe visitation for his family, now rapidly increasing; but his wife was a Christian heroine, and bore povertv, sickness, and want without a murmur. It was owing to her industry and energy that in these years of affliction a show of comfort was still maintained in the household. On hin part they S18 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. were the years of his theological studies. He was accus- tomed to lie on his back in his bed, and read himself full of Fletcher's Checks and Wesley's Sermons, which, besides hia Bible, were the only books within his reach. He thus grew familiar with Wesley's divinity, and with the crushing argu- ments of Fletcher, the sweetest spiritual polemic that ever wielded ihe weapons of debate. LICENSED TO EXHORT. The idea of preaching, however, had not, as yet, entered his mind ; but praying, singing, exhorting, and leading others to Christ were his daily food. At one of the quarterly meeting conferences, which was, we suppose, as now, a mere business meeting, he was invited by the minister to tell his experience. The Rev. John M'Clasky was the presiding elder, and was present. Mr. Arnold had asked no license, nor thought of any official relation to the Church, other than that of class-leader which he held ; but before he left he was surprised by being commissioned as an exhorter, and chargi'd with the duty of gping out from his own neighbourhood to hold religious meetings. This enlarged his sphere of action, and wherever he went, he carried with him the same warm heart, the same flaming zeal, and new and greater conquests awaited him. m ij ill OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITIES. Some of Mr. Arnold's experiences as an officer of the Church may be worth narrating. His first appointment, after the license was given him, had new responsibilities attending it, and he undertook it with a heavy heart. He did not, how- ever, shrink from the duty, but prayed and sung, and ex horted to the best of his ability, though not with his usual freedom. He felt unhappy under the burden of his officini cares; but, on his way home, his soul was filled with joy SMITH ARNOLD. 819 and peace, and lie was fully compensated for what he had Butiered, and took courage to proceed. His next appoint- ment was one of more importance, but he undertook it with a greater degree of confidence. He spoke with freedom, and came away well satisfied with himself, and thinking that he should have great happiness in the result. But the sweet peace and joy whicli he had experienced before, came not to his bosom, but in its stead, darkness and despondency, which soon cured him of his self-sufficiency, and made him feel that he was the poorest and weakest of all God's creatures. " I then learned," said he, " for the first time, what the apos- tle meant by those words : ' When I am weak then am I strong.' " THE SEELEY FAMILY. In 179*7 his old friend, Jonathan Newman, was on the cir cuit again, and had a sacramental meeting at Westmore- land, where he had promised to baptize (by immersion) a young brother by the name of Daniel Seeley. Mr. Arnold was urged to attend the meeting, and joined his friend ac- cordingly. On Saturday, after the sermon, he gave an ex- hortation with his usual earnestness and freedom, under which the congregation was greatly moved. When the services were over, he and Mr. Newman went together to the house of Mr. Seeley to rpend the night. Mr. Se^ley's young wife was in the company, and the proceedings at the meet- ing, especially the noise under Mr. Arnold's exhortation, had greatly displeased her. She was also annoyed at the announcement that her husband would be baptized on the following morning. Before they had gone far, the " evil spirit" which had come upon her began to manifest itself. Mr. Seeley chanced to remark, that he did not know this Brother Arnold ; and yet, he said, it seemed as if he haa met him before. " Well," responded Mrs. Seeley, " I know him, if you don't. He was 520 THE HEROES OF METHODISM I at the great quarterly meeting at Snowbush, and exhorted as if he was crazy. He stamped with his feet, and slapped with his hands, and the people shouted and acted as if the devil was in them ; and I believe he was." This was said very tartly, and in Mr. Arnold's hearing. Her husband was deeply mortified, and tried to cheek her, but his eftbrts only made matters worse. " What do I caro for your Methodist priests ?" she exclaimed in reply ; " they have nothing to expect from me." In this mood she continued during the ride from the church to the house. Arrived there, the two preachers went to the barn with Mr. Seeley to look after their horses, and ih^n they returned to the house. It was a comfortable, well-furnished dwelling for those days, and everything about it had the air of abundance and enjoyment; but its mistress was as unhappy as an evil heart and evil tempers could make her. She sat down in the corner, with her only child on her knee, and assailed her husband and his guests with bitter reproaches, while she refused to do aught to adminis- ter to their comfort. She said that Seeley would die a beg- gar ; that he would give away all that he had to the noisy, shouting Methodists, and that his wife and child would be left to starve. Mr. Seeley sought to appease her with words of kindness, but in vain. He said that his house and farm were paid for, and he did .not owe more than six dollars in the world. " So, my dear," he continued, " I think you may get these friends something to eat, without fear of the poor-house." But she peremptorily refused. So her husband went to the pantry, and set out such provisions as it afforded, and asked his friends and his wife to sit by and partake. His wife, how- ever, declined the invitation. "So," says Mr. Arnold in tell- ing the story, " we told her that she was not happy." " No," she replied, " I am not, and never expect to be, as long as Seeley goes after the Methodists." When the hour arrived to retire for the night, Mr. Seeley SMITH ARNOLD. 321 took tlu candle and said : "My dear, where are these friends to sleep ?" " What do I care ?" she replied. " Let them go to the barn or to the hog-pen, for all that I care." Her poor husband, full of sorrow and mortification, said no more, but led them to an unoccupied room, where, after praying together for the afl3icted husband, and still more afflicted wife, they lay down to rest. In the morning they found Mr. Seeley in an ecstasy of joy. His face was radiant with a heavenly-minded sweetness, and his language was rich with the vocabulary of hc.ven. So full had his soul been of the waters of life, and so affluent did they roll up from the exhaustless fountain, that he had not closed his eves in sleep, but had rejoiced the night avsy. " But," he add- ed, " my poor wife is as wretched as the devil can make her. She says, if I was to be baptized by the Baptists, she would not feel so badly ; but she can never consent to my being a Methodist." He got his guests their breakfast as he had done iheir supper, and they all went on foot to the creek where the baptismal ceremonies were to be performed. Mrs. Seeley lost no opportunity to show her disapprobation of the pro- ceedings. She remonstrated and cried aloud during the services at the water, and when, at the close, the minister knelt down to pray, he dealt with her after the fashion of plainness peculiar to those times, and told the Lord how un- happy she was, how she persecuted the Lord that bought her, how she was tempted of the devil, and how she was kicking against the pricks ; but it had no other effect than to exasperate her the more. Then came the love-feast and the public preaching, when they went back to Mr. Seeley's to get their horses, in order to attend preaching at another place, some miles off, in the afternoon. Mr. Newman went immediately on his way, but Mr. Arnold lingered for a season to drop some words of com- fort in the bosom of his afflicted friend. On returning from the field where he had been to catch his horse, he met Mr ifi' \ t lit 1 'Hi Hi 1 if: II 322 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Seeley at the barn. His eyes were full of tears, and his heart ready to break. "Brother Arnold," he said, 'I am afraid I ought not to go with you this afternoon ; my wife refuses to go along, and the state of her mind is such that I fear my course will be the cause of a separation between us. Mr. Arnold's reply was characteristic, and an admirable type of the man : " Brother Seeley," said he, " Satan has got about to the end of his chain : if you yield now, he will triumph over you forever. Be kind to your wife, but go straight forward in the way of your duty." So saying ho shook him by the hand, and mounting his horse, rode off to the afternoon appointment. Mr. Seeley, on thinking the matter over, determined to act according to the advice which he had received. So, after having saddled his horse, he went into the house for his coat. Mrs. Seeley met him at the door in a storm of passion. " Seeley," said she, " you are going off again with the Methodists, and we may as well have a settlement at once. If you go, I will not live with you another day, but will take my child and go to my friends at Whitestown." Mr. Seeley understood that she was in earnest, and her words went to his heart; but remembering that " Satan had got nearly to the end of his chain," he took courage, and told her, in a calm and determined voice, that be should be sorry to have her go, but that it would not prevent him from doing what he understood to be his duty. So she seized her child, threw on some extra clothing, and started at once on foot for her former home. At the same time Mr. Seeley mounted his horse, and rode slowly in another direction to- ward the afternoon meeting. Mrs. Seeley proceeded vigorously on her way, her steps a good deal quickened by passion, till she reached a large tree about fifty yards from the house, when she fell heavily to the ground and screamed aloud, as if in an agony of distreas. Her husband had been anxiously watching her at a distance, u.|i. SMITH ARNOLD. 323 and now, seriously alarmed, dismounted and ran to her re- lief. Her child had fallen from her arras and rolled unheed- ed down the hill, and she was exclaiming with a sad earn estness, like one of old, " Lord Jesus, have mercy on me ! Lord Jesus, have mercy on me J" As soon as she saw her husband she said : " My dear husband, can you forgive me ? You have always been a kind husband to me, but I have treated you most cruelly ! O how wicked I have been ! Surely my day of grace is gone : I am damned for- ever : there is no mercy for me !" Happy, happy husband! That moment repaid him for all that he had endured ! He picked up his child, and hold- ing it in his arms, knelt there by his prostrate wife, in the street, in the open day, and there, under the shadow of that friendly tree, poured forth his soul in prayer and praise. The child, uneasy and frightened, cried, but the voice of sup- plication swelled above all other sounds till the Lord appear- ed to the poor stricken culprit, and she burst out into a strain of rejoicing as wild and exultant as her sorrow had been deep and despondent. Mr. Seeley shouted aloud, and was almost frantic with his transports of gladness ; and between the cries of the child, the exclamations of the mother, and the shouts of the father, it must be confessed that the proceedings took their course without much reference to propriety. But there happened to be no critical spectators looking on, and heaven was so near that these lesser considerations were not heeded. At length Mrs. Seeley sprang to her feet, and throwing her arms about the neck of her husband, said, " Now I am ready to go with you to the meeting; yes, and I will go to glory with you too, if you will let me 1" Accordingly, no time was lost, and Mrs. Seeley, mounting behind hor husband, as was the custom in those days, they started for the meeting, united heart and soul. They arrived late, and after the preaching was begun ; but Mrs. Seeley was too full to keep the vessel from flowing over. "Glory to I. 324 THE UEROES OF METHODISM. God !" she exclaimed in the fulness of her joy, and, rushing up to the preacher, clasped his hand and pressed it with fervor; then she turned to Mr. Arnold, and seized his outstretched hand with another exclamation of " Glory !" to which the whole congregation responded with a shout that made the walls of the building tremble. From that day Mrs. Seeley and her excellent husband walked together over the journey of life, in pleasant conjugal affection, and ornamented the Christian profession. They had a large family ; and Mrs. Seeley died many years ago, in the triumphs of faith, and assured of an everlasting home in mansions prepared for her on high. CALL TO PREACH. The first intimation that Mr. Arnold had of a call to preach the Gospel was on the occasion of a discourse in the school- house where he resided, by a Presbyterian, who fearlessly kid bare the enormities of the Calvinistic theory of salvation, and defended them as the Gospel of Christ. He was a man of ability, and handled his subject with so much skill as to make an impression on several members of Mr. Arnold's class. On his way home, the sermon was the subject of conversation ; and he was asked by one who had been rather captivated by the discourse if that was not preaching. He replied, "It was not preaching the Gospel; for," he continued, " if Jesus called all men everywhere to repent, he meant what he said." This seemed to stagger the querist; but it did not quiet the uneasy feeling that the discourse had inspired in his own mind. The evil tendency of such preaching had impress- ed him most deeply, and the idea could not be shaken off". When he reached home, he was weighed down with this overmastering thought; and the more he talked about it and thought about it, the worse he felt. At length he burst into tears, and his wife, sympathizing with him, was moved to tears also. They then knelt down together and prayed SMITH ARNOLD. 325 •* When I arose," he said, in giving the account, " the Lord \ shed abroad his love in my heart, and I was unspeakably happy." He then turned and revealed his state to his faith- ful companion. " My distress is all removed," ho said, " glory to God ! I feel as if I could do anything that my Lord re- quires of me." In an instant these words were thundered in his ears : " Cry aloud, spare not! Lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Israel their sin." In this connexion the pointed suggestion of the text was not to be mistaken, and the idea flashed upon him so sud- denly as to startle him. He asked his wife if it was in the Bible, and she said it was. " Then," said he, "I am undone. Alas ! why was I so presumj uous ? I am a man of unclean lips, and how can I obey ? O, what — what shall I do ?" Here he was fairly mastered by his emotions; and his wife, too, fell to weeping, and said, " I have* expected this for a long time." He replied with astonishment, " How could you expect it?" but before he got an answer another text of Scripture came to him like the voice of inspiration, saying, " Go into my vineyard, and labour, and whatsoever is right I will give thee." To this he answered, in an audible voice, " O Lord, I cannot, I cannot !" But from this moment the burden was upon him, and he never got rid of it till he answered the call. ARNOLD AND THE REV. WM. KEITH. Among those who were brought to the knowledge of the truth about this time, by Mr. Arnold's instrumentality, was the late Rev. William Keith. He was living with his broth- er-in-law, at no great distance, and went with Mr. A. to a quarterly meeting, where his heart was touched, and he re- turned clothed with the spirit of Christ. The Methodists were then a " sect everywhere spoken against ;" and when his brother-in-law learned that he was determined to associate "T" ISiSf i ¥• ' t V }i f i i' <' 1 II 'I rv I ' Hi II )"■■!• 1 t, it •! 326 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. himself with these outcasts, he delibeiately turned him out of doors. He was immediately received into Mr. Arnold's family, and remained there for many monihs, during which time he helped to work the farm, lie was a young man of good education and marked ability, and soon began to take an active part in the religious meetings of the neighbourhood. No man could have been more beloved. He was regardeJ, in Mr. Arnold's family, very much in the light of a son and a brother; and the days which he spent there were long re- membered for their cheerfulness and joy. It was said in the neighbourhood that he had gone to Mr. Arnold's to learn how to preach ; but his divinity was learned in the school of heaven, and not of l^ooks or men. He was one of the most eloquent and successful young men of that age, but his career was short. He joined the conference in 1800, and died in New-York in 1810, aged thirty-three years; greatly beloved, and in the midst of a brilliant career. GREAT REVIVAL. Meantime a great revival, such as was never before known in that region, broke out and spread in every direction. Old professore were stirred up and exercised in a very unusual way; the v/ickjd were struck down in their folly; the penitent were converted ; and the most extraordinary scenes were witnessed wherever tlie people of God met to pray. In the meetings many were prostrated to the floor, and appa- rently insensible for hours together; and when they recovered their strength, would be in the most joyful and exultant states. It seemed as if an influence went out from these pinis and enthusiastic worshippers, which seized on all who came within their reach, and brought them to the foot of the crosH. The meetings were often boisterous, confused, and disorder- ly, and brought the Methodists into great disrepute among the loss emotional denominationa ; but th^y swept every- nr SMITH AliNOLD. 327 thing before them. At a quarterly meeting in Mr. Kelley's barn, not far from Mr. Arnold's dwelling, the Rev. John M'Claskey preached with wonderful power and eftect, and tiu^re were so many extravagances that Mr. Arnold began to ponder whether such things could result from a genuine work of God. These doubts were expressed to some friends, and were soon whispered among the worshippers. On the following day, a number of those who had been in attendance at the meeting came over to his house to talk the subject over. Among them was a Brother Fairbanks, who proposed, after talking awhile, that they should all kneel down and pray, and in their prayers submit the mat- ter to God. The proposal was readily agreed to, and the result was such a scene as has seldom been witnessed. A melting, subduing influence seemed to rest on all who were present from the first, and the little family group was soon enlarged to a crowd ; and prayers were continued through the whole night and the following dr.y. Mr. Arnold was among the first to become a prey to the extravagances that lie had condemned. He was swept away by the enthusiasm of the jnoment, and used to say, in speaking of that remarkable meeting, that it was thrjughout, "Ask and receive — ask and receive." He prayed that every one who entered the door might fvel the converting or sanctifying power of God, and his jirayer 8eenied to be literal! v answered. An old brother, bv the name of Allen, came to reprove them for such gross delusions. }.Jr ArnoU met him at the door, and exclaimed, " (i lory I glory ! glory ! God is love !" His words fell on the aston- ished visitor like a bolt from lieaven, and he was instantly smitten to the floor, where he continued earnestly to cry fur the experience of that love, till he found it. Not long after Mr. Arnold's aged father came into the room for much the same purpose. As he looked around, and saw the " dead and the wounded," he said, "Smith, it seems to me you ar< carrying matters to a great excess . God is a God of order i r \. • it • 828 TIIK IlEUOES OF METIIODISiL and not of confusion ; and I fear you will brtig a reproach on his cause." Smith caught the > Id gentleman in liis arras, exclaiming, " My father ! God is love 1" The old man'a strength departed from him in an instant. He lay on the floor for a long time in silence ; then his countenance began to shine with the love that beamed from within ; and when he recovered strength to speak, his first words were, " My soul doth magnify the Lord!" when a shout arose that al- most started the logs from their foundation. A young girl that had been severely whipped by her parents for attending the Methodist meetings, stole away from her home and joined the enthusiastic worshippers, and was soon rejoicing in unmeasured strains of joy. Mr. Keith, who was at work in the field, came and looked in, but see- ing the confusion, went back to his work ; but he could not remain. After a short time he returned, and said he was so unhappy tliat he must ask their prayers. Mr. Arnold replied : "Glory to God! Jesus can make you happy!" At these words he lost his strength, and lay for three hours apparently senseless, and many thought that he was actually dead ; his extremities were cold, and his pulse could scarcely be feli. There was a feeling of alarm in regard to him ; but Mr. Arnold suggested that he had been called to preach, atnl was resisting the call. "Pray," said he, "that he n.iy yield !" Prayer was offered accordingly ; . and soon after a placid smile was observed on his countenance, and then a soft voice was heard, saying, "Lord, I will do anything ! Lord, accept me, and I will serve thee ! Glory ! glory 1 glory ! The Lord is good ! The Lord is love !" The quarterly meeting on Delaware circuit, thougli forty miles distant, was attended by Mr. Arnold and several members of his class, all on fire with love and zeal ; and it was an occasion for such an outpouring of fho Spirit as had not before been seen. From this place the work spread to the surrounding crcuits, and the whole country was in a blaze. SMITH AUNOLD. THE ITINERANT FIELD. 320 Mr. Arnold was now actively engaged in holding meetings wherever the way seemed to be opened, and in planting and nurturing new societies. He had long been licensed as a local preacher, and in 1799 was called into the itinerant field. His old friend, Jonathan Newman, had said to him, a long time before, "Brother Arnold, I tell you as a friend, that you will hare to attack the devil's kingdom more exten- sively." He now sent for him from the Mohawk circuit, where the "kingdom " was strong, and the means of " attack " weak, to aid him in his labours. He joined Mr. Newman at the quarterly meeting at West- ern, held at the house of Jacob Wiggins, where he found a largo congregation gathered, and was cr.Ued on to preach. Under this sermon Peggy, afterward the wife of the world- renowned Lorenzo Dow, was converted. In the following year (1800) he was admitted to membership in the Phila- delphia Conference, tliei embracing the whole or the greater part of the state of New-York. 1. A HOW MR. ARNOLD FAILED OF A WHIPPING. Sometimes Mr. Arnold had misgivings about his fitness for the work, and strong temptations to leave it. On one of those occasions he felt so unequal to the task before him, that he concluded he would go to his appointment, and, irtstead of preaching, give an exhortation, dismiss the people, and retire forever from the duties to which he was so little adapted ; but during the exhortation he was so inspired, and so filled with the spirit of his mission, that he spoke with unusual fervour and freedom, and several of the confjre<£ation wore convinced of sin. One young married woman, by the name of Spalding, was among them, and went home sad and weep- ing. Her husband inquired what was the matter. "Mat- In ' i I. 'I I Ml I 330 THE HEKOKS OF AIETHODISM. ter !" said she, " matter enough ! we are all going to hell !" Spalding wanted to know how she found it out. " Why," said she, "the Bihle and Mr. Arnold say so." "Do they?" quoth Spalding, in return. " Well, the Bible must take care of itself; but Mr. Arnold has made a fool of you; and when he comes again I will give him a horse-whipping." Before he came again, however, Mr. Keith preached, and both were converted. " So," says Mr. Arnold, " I escaped the whip- ping ; and when I came around to my appointment, he came to me with tears in his eyes, and confessed the wrong that he had intended." SICKNESS. Saratoga circuit was Mr. Arnold's first appointment after connecting himself with the conference ; and the year was rendered memorable to him on account of a severe attack of typhus fever. He was at W^ilton, near the head waters of the Hudson, when he began to feel the approaches of the disease, and, having no acquaintances there, and no physi- cian living within twenty miles, he threw himself into the saddle and undertook to gain the nearest settlement. The effort was beyond his strength ; and when at last he arrived at the house of a brother Olmstead, his strength was gone, and he had to be lifted from his horse and carried to the house. From the house of brother Olmstead he was removed to that of brother Edmunds, where he had such attention as the circumstances afforded. Ho grew worse, and other medical advice was deemed necessary ; so a messenger was despatched twenty miles for Dr. Jewett, celebrated alike for his skill and his infidelity. W^hen he came into the house he inquired, " What does this Methodist priest want of me ? If his work is not done, he will certainly recover; if it is done, all the physicians in the world can't save him." He was then conducted to the room of the sick man ; and after looking at liis tongue, feeling his w SMITH ARNOLD. 831 pulse, and asking the needful questions, lie took his hand, and, looking him in the face, said, " Brother Arnold, ' this bickness is not unto death, hut for the glory of God.' " Hi* words proved true in one respect, at least ; the sickness was " not unto death." His extreme danger, however, rendered it proper for Mrs. Arnold to be sent for, though the distance was ninety miles. The messenger took Mr. Arnold's horse, and made the journey in a day. When she arri"^ed, she found her husband slowly improving, and when he had gained suflficient strength, they started for their distant home. ALBANY CIRCUIT. In the year 1801 Mr. Arnold was sent to Albany circuit, then an immense territory, taking its name from the state capital, which was within its boundaries. His associate was Barzillai Willy. They were both young, and of moderate abilities as preachers; but they could sing, and pray, and exhort, from one end of the week to the other ; and their zeal, and earnest, laborious eflforts, were crowned with won- derful success. Some idea may be formed of the labours of a Methodist preacher in that day, by the fact that this cir- cuit, which had to be traversed in four.weeks, had no less than forty-three appointments or preaching places, to visit which required four hundred miles of travel. But during the whole year this immense territory was one great revival, and they left it with twice the number of members that they found in it. Mr. Arnold was eighty or a hundred miles distant from his family ; and so pressing were the demands of his ^v'^'-k, that he visited them only once during the year. We have not space to follow this servant of God through his various fields of labour. Mr. Arnold continued in the active service, doing battle for God and truth, until 1821, when, in consequence of age and increasing infirmities, he took a superannuated relation. He lived within the bounds of the New- York Couference imtil 1838, when he removed 3^ II \* % m < 332 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. it .'^Hi 111 If to Rochester, N. Y., and the next year finished his course with joy. Brother Arnold was very useful to those who were about entering the ministry. Over William Keith, as we have al- ready seen, he threw the mantle of his protection, and was his friend when his relatives had all foi-saken him. ARNOLD AND TOBIAS SPICER. Rev. Tobias Spicer, whose locks are now bleached with time, who has been long and favourably known as an able minister of the New Testament, remembers the veteran Arnola with gratitude. He was his father, friend, and counsellor, just when he needed them. He not only person- ally to me expressed his obligation to the departed hero, but has recorded it in his own autob'jgraphy. Though about ■lalf a century has passed away, Mr. Arnold's kindness is not forgotten. Mr. Spicer lived in Chatham when Mr. Arnold was on the circuit. " Feeling it my duty to preach, I concluded to open my mind freely to the preacher. Brother Arnold was an aged man, and prudent. He gave his views of a call to the minis- try. He said he dfd not think every good man was called to preach. He thought a person should be deeply impressed in his own mind with a sense of duty ; and he considered the voice of the Church as the providential voice of God in this matter. If God had called me to this work, he would some- how open the door for me. This aged brother gave me what I most needed — suitable instruction in this matter. He neither hurried me forward nor thrust me back. He advised me to exercise my gift in public by exhortation and prayer, to reai' my Bible very carefully, and by all possible means to improve my mind, and cultivate my heart in deep and ardent piety. He said a preacher who had not a strong religious feeling, would not make out much among: the Methodists. I endeav- cured to profit by the advice and instruction given me b) SMITH ARNOLD. 333 this aged minister." This testimony honours both Mr. Ar- nold and Mr. Spicer. It does justice to the former, and it shows the gratitude of the latter. How forcible are right words I " He that walketh with wise men shall be wise." The venerable historian of Methodism, Dr. Bangs, thus speaks of him: "Brother Arnold was a man of great sim- plicity of manners, a Methodist preacher of the old stamp ; plain and pointed in his appeals to the conscience, though sometimes eccentric in some of his movements and phrases. His talents as a preacher were respectable, and he generally commanded the confidence and affection of the people among whom he laboured ; and when his death was announced, none doubted but that he had exchanged this for a better world." — Bangs's History of Methodism^ vol. iv, p. 330. HIS END, OB THE CLOSING SCENE. He said to a preacher of another denomination, a little while before he died, with his usual quaintness, " I had hoped to live until I could have preached the funeral sermon of Old Bigotry." Brother Arnold is dead, but Old Bigotry lives ; lives to separate brethren, to sow discord among them ; lives to curse the Church ; lives to dishonour God ; lives to ruin men. And I am afraid it will be a long tinie before any of us will preach his funeral sermon. It is time he was dead, and buried so deep that he can never have a resurrection. Mr. Arnold was always particularly annoyed on the subject of slow singing. One day, a short time before his death, having desired some friends to sing, they commenced singing, ** On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye," &c. The music moved quite too slow to suit his ardent desires. He was very uneasy, and his dutiful daughter, Hannah, asked him if the singing hurt him. He replied, " No, but I don't want to go dragging to heaven in that slow way." He in- \ \ if * 334 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. quired of the doctor, a short time before he died, " Can you tell me how long it will be before the old tabernacle will come down ?" The doctor shook his head. " Well," said he, " it is all the same — all the same ; the Lord will give grace and glory." On being asked if he would have a drink of water, he replied, "No; I expect soon to drink the puie water of life in my Father's kingdom." It was nof long before he was permitted to drink of those pure perennial fountains in the neighbourhood of the throne of God. On the 16th of March, 1839, aged 73, the old soldier was discharged from his warfare, and went up to join the multitude with their redemption robes, and palms in their hands. •• Servant of God, well done I Tliy glorious warfare's past, The battle's fought, the race is won, And thou art saved at last." , To Samuel G. Arnold, Esq., the son of our venerated father, I am under lasting obligation for the greater part of the above narrative. !♦, MY. SAMUEL HAIILTOK * i I • )' 1 u In 1 1 '1 i. in tl el t\ ir tr ]a a( V( h ft ir F w P' li U THE REV. SAMUEL HAMILTON. Mr. Hamilton was for many years an eflScient member of the Ohio and Missouri Conferences. He was a presiding elder for a number of years in both of them. At the age of twenty, he was converted at a camp-raeeting in Ohio, and made the woods vocal with his songs of joy and shouts of triumph. In 1814 he joined the travelling connexion, and laboured like a man of God, with great zeal and success, to advance the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, till pre- vented by disease. Mr. Hamilton understood what Solomon meant when he said, " A man that hath friends must show himself friend- ly." He showed himself friendly ; therefore, he had many friends. As a preacher he was wise, shrewd, sarcastic, eloquent ; irony he used to great advantage when attacking error. Finally, in the midst of his loved employ, Mr. Hamilton was prostrated by successive strokes of paralysis, which com- pelled him to retire from the field, and for two years he lingered, suffering patiently the will of heaven, till the Mas- ter said, " It's enough," " Enter into my joy, And sit down on my throne." ii H 338 THE HEKOES OF METHODISM. 1- |l I ^uttiaUs ani %llrAutiuL HAMILTON AND THB INFIDEL To Bishop Ames I am indebted fof ihe following avrfbl incident : Rev. Samuel Hamilton was travelling, and fell in com- pany with a man by the name of M. They were both on horseback. Mr. Hamilton introduced the subject of personal religion, but it was casting precious pearis before one who undervalued them. Mr M. was an infidel ; he had been engaged in the " Whisky Rebellion" in Pennsylvania. He neither feared God nor regarded man. He denied the Son of God, ridiculed the great doctrine of the atonement, nndervaloed heaven, and made light of the torments of the damned. Mr. Hamilton was horror-struck, and thought he could not be in earnest. To test the matter he inquired, "What will yon tak :o forego forever your interest in the atonement of the Son of God ?" Mr. Hamilton had just taken his watch from his pocket to see the time. Mr. M. saw it and said, " If you will give roe that watch, I promise forever to forego my interest in the atonement, never to ask a favour of Jesus Christ." Mr. Hamilton reached him the watch, supposing he would hand it back to him. He took it, and put it into his pocket. The time came when they must separate. They came to a place where one turned to the right and the other to the left. They parted to meet no more till the dead, small and great, stand before God. At the conference which was held in Mount Carmel. when the question was asked. Is there anything against Brother Ham- ilton ? a brother arose and said there was. He ::ad heard that he had purchased a man's interest in the atoBement of the Son of God. Mr. Hamilton explained that he did not SAMUEL HAMILTON. 339 think the man ip earnest, but merely wished to test him, and supposed that when he reached him the watch he would return it immediately. Upon this explanation his char- acter passed. Years rolled on. M. was lost sight of, though the circum- stance had made an indelible impression. When Bishop Ames removed to St. Louis in 1838, he heard of M. and of hi» melancholy end. After M. moved to St. Louis, he -joined an infidel club, where there were a number of bold, blas- phemous men, who ridiculed sacred things, derided the Saviour, made light of bis dying agonies, and of the tor- ments of the damned. Ha was a kind of ring-leader to this infidel band ; ofteo lie would show the watch and describe the transaction. But he had no peace after he received it. It haunted him by day and by night; he would pull out the watch and look at it, and then put it in his pocket. At last he was., taken dangerously ill, and his wife sent for Parson G. He came; the sick man treated him very cavalierly, and wished for none of his advice or prayers. He grew worse; his infidel companions visited him, and encouraged him to die like a man, to show himself a hero to the last. One who saw him near the last, said that his death-bed was the most horrible ; the dying man uttered such screams, such bold blasphemies, such horrid oaths as he never listened to before. They could be heard at a great distance, making the blood chill in the veins of those who heard them. His dying bed was a bed of thorns, his last hour an hour of de- spair, showing the crimson guilt of one who "trampled under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing.'* HAMILTON'S GBAVITY OVERCOME. 1 r m Ludicrous things sometimes occur in congregations, some of whidi are ^'enough to make a minister laugh," for, S40 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. W with all their gravity, they are men of " like passions" with others. Mr. Hamilton had a keen perception of the ludi- crous, as will be seen from the amusing anecdote which fol- lows, related by Rev. J. B. Finley, in his "Sketches oi Western Methodism." Mr. Finley received it from the lips of Mr. Hamilton. It occurred at a meeting on the waters of the Little Kanawha. At a certain appointment there lived a Colonel j whose family were members of the Church, and who had a respect for religion, though be was too fond of the world to make a profession thereof. He was regular in his attendance, and on the occasion to which we have allud- ed he was in his seat, attended by a neighbour of his, who was respectable enough, with the exception that at times he would iose his balance under the influence of intoxicating liquor. He had taken on this occasion just enough to make him loquacious without being boisterous. HafLiilton, after singing and prayer, arose and gave out fo4' his text the first Psalm. " Blessed is the man that walketh not in the coun- sel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorner," &c. He entered upon the discussion of his subject by showing what we understand by walking in the coubsel of the ungodly, and as he gave a description of the ungodly, and their various wicked ways and bad examples, he saw the friend of the colonel punch him in the ribs with his elbow, and overheard him saying, " Colonel, he means you." " Be still," said the colonel ; "you will disturb the congregation." It was as much as the preacher could do to refrain from smiling ; but he went on with his tubject, and as he described anothei' character- istic of the ungodly, in "standing in the way of sinners," the force of the application was too strong to be resisted, and the colonel's friend, drawing up closely, elbowed him again, say- ing, "He certainly means you, colonel." "Be quiet, the preacher will see you," whispered the annoyed man, while he removed as far from him as he could to the other end of the seat. The preacher had arrived at tho third characteristic SAMUEL HAMILTON. 341 of the wngodly, and as he, in earnest strains, described the scomer's seat, the colonel's friend turned and nodded his head at him most significantly, adding in an under tone, " It's you, it's you, colonel ; you know it's you." By this time most of the congregation were aware of what was go- ing on, and cast significant smiles and glances at each other. Those who understood the features of the speaker, could easily discover that he was moving along under a heavy pressure of feeling, and unless something should occur to break the excitement, he must yield to the impulses of his nature. Just at that crisis a little black dog ran up the aisle, and stopping directly in front of the pulpit, looked up into the preacher's face, and commenced barking. The scene was ludicrous enoi^igh, but how was it heightened when the colonel's friend rose from his seat, and deliberately march- ing up the aisle, seized the dog by his neck and back, and began to shake him, exclaiming, " Tree the preacher, will you? tree the preacher, will you?" Thus he kept shaking the dog and repeating, " Tree the preacher, will you ?" till he arrived at the door, when, amid the yells of the dog, and the general tittering of the audience, he threw him as far as he could into the yard. This was too much for Hamilton, and he sat down in the pulpit, his gravity completely overcome. It was impossible for him to resume his subject, or even to dismiss the congregation. There was no more preaching that day ; and ever after, when the colonel went to church, he was careful that hi^ friend was not by his side. • i \ y- ' ^-:f M] '■' iji'^^^B'' 1 ^^^^Ht I |ll|B»1Jeiigt— l.'WIll-l-'-ii-!-'^'"-'"'-!-'^-"^^-'-'-* SITJ*' ^ I REV. AECHIBALD M'lLROY. I \ THE REV. ARCHIBALD M'lLROY. Archibald M'Ilroy, of the Pittsburgh Conference, was a man of eccentric habits and manner, and, as is frequent in such cases, of sprightly and original genius. He was born in Ireland, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, but emigrated to America when quite young, and settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania. Before leaving his native land, he was associated with the " Hibernian Society," ma ie up of the youth of the country, the chief business of which was said to be to study profanity, and opposition to the British crown and government; the former of which was winked at by the Papal Church, in which he was raised, and the latter was encouraged as a rare virtue by his spiritual instructors. In the department of profanity^ he excelled in the inven- tion and coining of oaths, which he used to pour forth ia volleys, not only in common conversation, but especially in the disputes, fisticuffs, and broils into which his association frequently fell, and for which they were frequently imprisoned and otherwise punished. When r^out nineteen years of age — probably about the year 1809 or 1810," and not long after his migration to America — he was awakened to a sense of his sins, and, after a severe struggle with himself and the enemy of all good, was soundly converted to God. As a matter of course, he sutfered severe persecution from his former associates and papal friends', but being made a new creature in Christ ilesus, through the instrumentality of the Methodists, he resolved to make them his people, and their God his God. as a It in born , but d in I the ntry, nity, tbe 1, in rare iven- h in ly in ition 3ned the n to after ;ood, !, he and hrist , he 3od. 346 THE HEROES OF ME'''HOMSV. The soundness of his conversian \ws prdfed by the patience with which he bore persecutioi^s in hii eHrly Christian course, as well as by his uniform piety and indefatigable toils in the itinerancy in after life. In 1812, at the first meeting of the Ohio Conference, he was received on trial in the travelling connexion, in which he continued incessant in his labours until 1826, when he died in great peace, and went home to his eternal reward. For this account of his life, and most of the incidents which follow, I am indebted to the Eev. Alfred Brunson. M'lLROT AS A PREACHER. As a preacher, he was a " son of thunder." His originality, his deep research, and -his pathos and zeal, rendered his pul- pit performances interesting to some ; but his strong and vivid wit, and unequalled sarcasm, together with his scorch- ing descriptions of hell, and the future misery of the finally impenitent, rendered his sermons and exhortations, and even his prayers, awfully terrific. It was no uncommon occur- rence for his hearers, or at least some of them, to rush from the house in utter consternation. His originality, which was cultivated in the Hibernian school to the use of the most ter- rific figures and imagery, was now, as if unavoidable, pressed into his service in thundering " the terrors of the Lord." It is true, he sometimes was placid and mild, and could and did argue pointedly, and to good effect, on the disputed doctrines of the day ; and he would, on suitable occasions, administer consolations to the afflicted, or to the mourner in li:il.. jr ARCHIBALD M'lLROY. 347 Zion ; but his forte lay ii reproving sin and alarming the sinner. To give specimens of his manner would be impossible, un- less we conld print his person, his gesticulations, and his Irish brogue. He seldom smiled himself, though his audience would frequently be in a roar of laughter ; and the transition from laughter to tears, and even terror, was sometimes so sudden and great in his hearers as to produce profuse perspi- ration. M'lLROy ON THE GENERAL RULES. In reading the General Rules of Discipline, he made applica- tions as he went on ; and sometimes of an eccentric or ludicrous character. At one time, when he came to " visit- ing them that nre sick, or in prison," he paused, and said : *' Do you visit the sick ? Yes, I suppose you do ; but how do you do it ? Why, when you hear that a brother or sister is sick, you '11 wait till Sunday, because you can*t spend the time on a week-day ; and then you '11 get up your horse, and ride away to visit the sick, instead of going to meeting, and you '11 prevent those from going to meeting that would have gone if you had done so, or if you had staid at home ; and you'll sit down by the sick, and ask them a few questions about their complaint, and what doctor they have, and say he 's a very good doctor, and you hope the sick will get well. But you do n't say a word about religion, nor sing or pray with the afflicted ; but turn off and talk about your neigh- bours, and the crops, the weather, and the times. And there you'll stay till eating time comes on, and then you'll see every bare- legged boy and every puppy on the place running down the chickens ; and when they are cooked, you '11 feast yourselves as if nothing was the matter. And this is the way you visit the sick; but this is not right. You should go where you're most needed, and talk of Christ and his reli- gion. You should pray with them, and then go home about . I \ ^ i. 'll , III 'if ' ''4 t ill 348 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. your business ; aod this you should do on a week day, if possible, and not take the Lord's time for it, if your own time will answer as well.'* M'lLROY AND THE DRUNKARD. I once heard him talk to the drunkard after this sort: " You '11 lie at the swill-tub like the brute ; you '11 wallow in the mire like the swine, and the crows might peck your eyes out." He would sometimes trace the drunkard through a miserable life to an untimely grave, and a premature hell, where "the devil will pour the blue blazes of damnation down your throats with an iron scoop-shovel, when you *11 drink fire enough to satisfy you." M'lLROY AND THE DUTCHMAN. But his most distinguished discourse, and the one for which he obtained the greatest notoriety, was applied to one Mr. N., in Ohio. Mr. N. was very wealthy, and had raised a largo and respectable family, who, at the time of which we are speaking, were mostly married, and settled in the country about him. The old man had a pious and good wife, to whose virtues, probably, the respectability of his family was mostly to be attributed. Mr. N. often tried to be religious, but as often failed ; and in his wicked fits several times drove his wife from home, when she would live with her children. After several such cases of ill-treatment, she had an estate fall to her, which Mr. N. wanted her to sell, and let him have the money ; but she knowing that he had no special need of it, and not know- ing but he might turn her off some time, concluded that it was safest for herself to keep it in her own name, so that, if necessary, she could have a home to go to. This, of course, excited the ire of Mr. N. to a high degree, and he drove her away to live with her children. ri ARCHIBALD M ILROY. 349 Just at tliis time Aivhy, as he was familiarly called, came round bis circuit for the first time ; and, from the discourse, people thought he must have heard of the circumstance of Mr. N. and his wife ; but Archy told me that he knew nothing of it till afterward. He said he made it a rule to preach one rough sermon at each appointment on his circuit, in the couree of the year; and it so happened that the good Spirit led him to this kind of discourse on this occasion. Mr. N., hearing that a new preacher was on the circuit, turned out, with several hundred others, to hear him. What the text was I do not know, nor was it of any conse- quence, for hundreds of texts would answer his purpose very weir. He went into a general view of the wicked ; their present course and future punishment. He would take up and characterize one sinner after another, show their conduct, and picture, in the most vivid colours his fruitful imagination could invent, the miserable state of such sinners in the future world. And after exhausting the. long and dark hst of sin- ners of different grades and kinds, as if by some inspiring influence, he stretched himself up in the pulpit, and, raising his hand, said : "And as for that man, that'll abuse his wife, so that she can't live with him, but will have to go and live with her children, he '11 die and be damned ; and the devil will take him in the tongs of damnation, and lay him on the anvil of God's justice, and pound him with the sledge of the ten commandments ! Then he 'II hitch him up by the throat to the rag-wheel of damnation, and hoist him up among the clouds of smoke, and let him down among the old Dutch scythes and sickles, and cut him all to pieces. The young devils will then take him by the hair of the head, and drag him over the pavements of hell till they pound him all to a jelly. They '11 then cut out his tongue, cut him in quarters, and hang him up to dry." Mr. N., who was a German, stood it till the service was closed, when he rushed out of the house with the crowd, who knew how well the discourse applied, and exclaimed : "Mine 1 t P i W 350 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Got, mine Got, where did that man get ail that Scripture? I wonder if he was a soldier or a sailor — what ship did bring over that man ?" And turning to his son, Mr. N. said, "Jake, Jake, go fetch Missy home ; the devil will have me!" Jake did so ; and Mr. N. lived peaceably with her till she was called home to her final rest in heaven. t . \-\\ 1 I I, ! ; ■• % M'lLROY'S SERMON ON THE SWINE. Mr. M'llroy had one sermon he sometimes preached, from the text about the swine into which the devils entered, when they ran violently down the mountain into the sea. He pictured the wicked as being like the swine with the devil in them, running violently down ''e hill of time into a sea of fire and brimstone. To illustrate this idea be related an anecdote : " I was once in Dublin when three hundred hoffs were driven into town about sunset, and were butchered that night, and ready for market the next morning by sunrise. Where I lodged in my hotel, I could look out of my win- dow, and see and hear the whole movement. The fire was burning, the smoke was rising, the water was boiling, the butchers were blaspheming, and the hogs were squealing. I never," said he, "saw anything in my life that so fairly and fully represents the damned in hell. There the fire will be burning, the smoke will be rising, the lake will be boil- ing, the devils will be blaspheming, and the wicked will be bowling, and that to all eternity." This terrific mode of preaching was not uniform with him ; it was occasional, and when he thought the circumstances of the case, or the character of some of his hearers, required it. He was often in a milder mood, and would explain the truths of the Gospel with the most vivid imagery, or argue and defend its truths against popular errors, with more than ordinary ability ; but when he did preach terror, it was of the most scathing character, and would raise the hair on a AKCIIIBALD Al'ILHOy. 351 man's head, and especially if the remarks applied to him. But withal he was useful. Many, of course, preferred his milder mood of preaching, and some would flee from the liouse; but many were awakened and convened under his ministry. He travelled in the wilds of the western wilderness four- teen years; saw much improvement in the settlement and society of the country ; saw the Church emerging from in- fancy to maturity of strength ; and finally died in the bosom of his family, in great peace and holy triumph. M'lLROY AND THE DANCING-MASTEK. At a quarterly meeting on Carlisle Circuit, in 1821, the congregation was so large that they were obliged to go to the woods. They took some bench 98 from the cliurch, on which the people could sit, and the preacher stood in a wag- on; and while William Swayze was preaching, a dancing- master, with some of his disciples, went into the church and got up a dance. The master afterward said to the others, " Let us go out and get converted." The dancers had been in the congregation but a few minutes when the power of God fell on the people, as on the day of Pentecost, and many fell to the ground, a:nong whom was the dancing- master. The mourners were immediately invited to the altar made of the seats, when Brother M'llroy stood up on a bench and called out, " Hands to, here ; Jiands to ; here's a bull in the net; here's a bull in the net; here's the man that taught the people to serve the devil by rule. I pray God to break his fiddle, convert his soul, and (une his heart to sing his praise." How it fared with the fiddle I do not know, only that it was laid aside ; but the rest of the prayer was answered ; the man's soul was converted, and his heart tuned to sing the praise of the Lord ; and as a matter of course, the danc- ing-school wjis discontinued. I ''; 1 352 THE HEKOES OF METHODISM. M'lLROY AND THE CALVINISTIC MINISTER. A Calvinistic minister in Ohio, in thf- presence of Rev. J. B, Finley, made an attack upon Mr. M'Lroy. The Ciilvinist also was a native of the Emerald Isle, and so Irishman met Irish- man. The point of debate was the "secret and revealed will of God." M'llroy contended that if God had a secret will, from the very necessity of the case we must be ignorant of it ; for if we know it, it would be no longer secret. He also denied that the Bible taught such a doiHrine. The Calvinist replied : " Your sophisiiy must give way to matter of fact." The matter of fact to which he referred was the case' of Abraham. God had commanded him to ofibr up his son Isaac, and the revealed will of God was evidently that Isaac should be slain as a sacrifice, but the secret will of God was of an entirely opposite character. "Now," said the Calvinist, with an air of pride and con- scious triumph over his antagonist, "your system of error falls to the ground." The Metliodist minister rejoined : " I am sorry for your sake, though not for. the truth's sake, that your matter of fact turns out to be matter of fiction. Had you paid half as much attention to your Bible as you have to the Assembly's Catechism, you would not have assumed that to be matter of fact, which has in reality no existence. You' say that only a part of the divine procedure in the case of Abraham was revealed, and that related to the peremptory command to slay his son. But what are the facts ? God commanded Abraham to slay is son. While in the act of obeying, an- other command is given entirely reversing the former. Neither of these purposes of God were secret, inasmuch as they were both revealed." — Finley^ s Autobiography. 1 i " ) • 1 -i 'l 1 i! \ 'H < i'" ' ii 1 1 f 1 i t *t - 1 tM' I- I'f WILLIAM DAWSON. The following sketch of ♦''is remarkable man is abiidged from a fuueral sermon preached just after Mr. Dawson's death, by the Rev. Dr. !Ne.«rton, and originally published in the "' Leeds Times :" Mr. Dawson was born at Garforth, near Leeds, in the year 17*73. His parents were religiously disposed, and conscien- tiously regular in their attendance on the Established Church. His father, Luke Dawson, occupied a small farm and tenant- ed a colliery under the late Sir Thomas Gascoigne. His son William was the eldest, to whom he gave a good English education. It was not till Mr. Dawson was seventeen years of age, that he was brought under the deep impressions of divine truth, and became more thoughtful and seriously concerned for his soul's salvation. This serious turn of his mind pro- ceeded from the impression made upon it by th^ powerful and evangelical ministry of the Rev. Thomas Dykes, a minis- ter of the Established Church, now residing in Hull, whom lie always afterward considered as his spiritual father. He profited m"ch also from the ministrations of that pojnilar preacher, the Rev. J. Graham, of St. Saviourgate, York. About this time he was urged by many of his clerical friends to become a clergyman of the Church of England ; they pressed the subject upon him repeatedly, but his mind ap- peared in a state of equilibrium. His diary, however, showed how much he reasoned upon the subject; for at this time h-j had commenced a diary, which consisted for the most part of statements of his own thinkings .".nd actings. But Prov- 356 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. % 1 1 j\ ideiice had a wider field of usefulness in reserve for him than if he Lad been employed in the pulpits of the establish- ment. About this time, it appears, he went to hear the Methodist ministers. Mr. Pawson, that man of vigorous intellect and zealous exertion, one of the first preachers among the bodv in his day, went into that neighborhood. Mr. Dawson went to hear him, and was profited ; but now he clearly began to see that he must either desist from going to listen to llie Methodist preachers, or incur the displeasure of his clerical f: iends. lie now became more acquainted with that body ; and in the year 1800 (he stales the month and day in his diary) he wrote a letter to the Rev. J. Graham, in which ho gave a decided answer to the question respecting his going into the Church, and of his intention to join the peojilo called Methodists. Althougl: William Dawson had de- livered several -ectures, without texts, in Garforth, and sev- eral of the surrounding villages, in which he told them that r, change was necessary, yet it was clear, as he afterward shows, that he himsejf had not experienced a new birth unto righteousness, .i,nd was a stranger to a clear evidence of his acceptanv?e with (Jod. He was deeply imprcssiJ with divine things, and was ex- ceedingly uniform and regular in his conduct, yet he pos- sessed not the evidence of sins forgiven. Tie joined lli Methodists in the village of Schoies, and there lie learned from Mr. Pawson the paramount importance and necessity of a knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins ; and saw that it was his {)rivilege to have it. He earnestly began to pray, and wrestle, and agonize ; and in answer to his ini- j)onunities and prayers, God, for Christ's sake, was mani- fested, and William Dawson was filled with life, and light, and love. He could " read his title clear to mansions in the skies ;" and from that time to the day of death he never lost what he then received, but often spoke of it afterwa d with feelings of the most inexpressible gratitude and delight. WILLIAM DAWSON. .•J57 But he did not remain satisfied with what he had already attained. It was his privilege to rise, and he saw it ; he saw it to be the peculiar privilege of every child of God. Ho sought after, therefore, and enjoyed that "perfect love which casteth out fear ;" and this he enjoyed for many yeai-s. In the following year, 1802, he began to officiate as a local preacher. John Barker was then superintendent of the cir- cuit; and it was unanimously agreed, at the regular quar- terly meeting of local preachers, that his name should be placed upon their list; when the venerable father, Mr. Bar- ker, made the observation, " that it was his firm conviction that Mr. Dawson ought to travel as a regular preacher." There was, however, a tie which most probably prevented him from doing so. His father was no more ; he was the eldest son of the family, and family claims seemed to urge him from every side to refrain. The entire management of the family devolved upuii him; they looked up to him for regulation an(| support. He saw that, li lie gave iiimself to the ministry, he prob- ably would be removed to some distunt part of the country, where he should not liave the opj»ortunity of looking after tliem. But Providence had reserved for him a sphere of use- fillness ; and while a local preacher, there was scarcely a pul- pit in the Methodist soticty throughout the country that William Dawson did r.ot occupy. How mucli good was effected eternity alone will unfold. As a local preacher he had lubuutetj tiliill about six years before his death, when he gave himself entirely to the society ; and after that time there was not a preacher in the conm^xion engaged in n more extended fij)here of usefulness, in preaching mission- ary and Sunday-Bchool sermons, and delivering speeches on niissiunary and other occasions. It was not in Leeds only that his preaching attracted such large congregatitins ; but the pious, and good, and excellent William Dawson was Bought after, and listened to, by persons of every rank, and of the most refined judgment and exquisite taste, in II \ 1 1 358 THE IlEliOES OF METHODISM. P'T! every place. William Dawson was a thorough Methodist, and in his views of the doctrines, rules, discipline, and Church order of that body, was firm and unshaken to the end ; and there were times when his fixedness was put to the test. Though "William Dawson was a firm Methodist, yet he was no bigot ; he possessed a truly catholic spirit, and never reviled those of another denomination. He did not think that all the good in the world was confined to the Wesleyan Methodists. Wherever he met with the image of his Mas- ter, whether in Churchman c Dissenter, to them he would stretch out the right hand of fellowship, and with all his haart wish them success and prosperity in the name of the Lord. William Dawson was a great man. He possessed extra- ordinary powers of mind ; and t'.^r^ \..s shown in various ways. He had a reason for everythmg that he advanced. The first time that Dr. Adam Clarke saw him was at Ches- ter. The doctor, Mr. Dawson, and Mr. Newton had been preaching anniversary sermons there; and Mr. Dawson and the doctor had to go to Liverpool, after these services were over, to preach on a similar occasion. It was about eighteen miles distant, and they went in a postchaise ; and Dr. Clarke was quite delighted with him, and said to Mr. New- ton, the following morning, " Your friend Mr. Dawson and myself were talking all the way to Liverpool yesterday evening, and what an astonishing mind he has got! He assigned reasons all the way for everything he had done." Yes, he was a reasoning man ; and had his mind been well disciplined '*n the art of logic when he was young, he would have been one of the first logicians of the day. He always thought for himself; and though he knew well how to take H hint from an old Puritan divine, yet he waa no servile imitator. His originality waa so great that lU- joct v^v^rv one to admire him. It is seldom that strcrtg rnfoniTtc; pi vers are combined with great fertility of ima^X5'^*''0»V bvv, stt WILLIAM DAWSON. 159 him they were happily united. He used strong provincial- isms sometimes in his mode of expressing himself; and any person raigtt easily discover that he was a Yorkshireman. But what of that? Truth and thought are the same, however communicated ; and no matter with what accent it is delivered, so long as it answers the end. But, notwith- standing his provincialisms, who was there that could not see flashes of real genius sometimes blazing forth into a con- stellation ? and even the exuberance of his eloquence was sanctified and happily brought to bear upon the truths which he intended to inculcate. He was an eloquent man ; but his was not a stultified or strutting eloquence, to please the ear; it was the eloquence of nature, of tliought, of sentiment, and of feeling ; the only eloquence which can reach the heart. William Dawson was a powerful preacher, and many people would say, they knew he was a powerful man, because ho had a powerful voice and frame. Ay, but William Dawson possessed another pov/er, the power of the Holy Ghost ; and, therefore, his word came with much assurance, and was ex- ceedingly powerful to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan. His taste for music was very refined and correct. As a poet, he ranked far above mediocrity ; and had he cultivated his talent in this respect, he would have stood high in the estimation of the public. William Dawson was not a mere moral lecturer ; not one of that class of persons who give long disquisitions on the beauty of virtue, on the excellence of shedding tears of re- pentance, (however excellent they may be,) and the loveli- ness of moral perfection ; nor did ho simply dwell on what are the prevailing topics of most of the iiifidel lecturers of the day, the loftiness and power of the Supreme Being ; wherever he was he introduced Christ; he knew full well that a Christless sermon would do nothing toward allaying the fears, or exciting the hopes, of a poor penitent sinner; and, therefore, he laboured with all his might to point poor 360 THE HEROES OF METHUulSM. '■'■, ! W Ft ' t ft ' * I perishing men to their only Friend, these lines: And how often he used And, "See all your sins on Jesus laid : The Lamb of God was slain ; His soul was once an offering made For every soul of man." "Behold the Saviour of mankind Nail'd to the shameful tree ; How vast the love that him inclined To bleed and die for me." Such was his energetic mode of preaching : powerful, be- cause experimental, practical, and accompanied with fervent prayer. xVIr. )awson died suddenly, July 3d, 1841. On the platform he had the entire control of the passions of his auditory ; and his figurative addresses will never be forgotten. 0, to hear his " Harvest Home," or his " Re- form," or his "Railroad," or his "Telescope" speech! I' he had gone on the stage instead of into the pulpit, he would have proved himself a greater comic actor than ever Dow- ton was. His powers of drollery, however, were sanctified. We have heurd his "Telescope" speech, and seen him make that optical instrument of his resolution, through which he saw whatever was in the heathen world, and, in anticipation, what would be when idols shall be utterly abolished. We have heard his "Railroad" speech; and when he got the Gospel car fairly movinjof, and Sabbathsclxx)! children, and teachers, and missionary collectors, slxmI subscribers, and missionaries, and Bible society supporters, and Hi)w many more we do not remember, all pulliu^j at the rope, and then forming a trumpet of his hand, made all drawing the car* to send forth their praises and luv^annas to the Si>n of T>avid, there were effcvcs o« an imuvnse and eag^r audionoe wo never saw before, nor exj>ect to seo ^^jain. Not a man, -vo- man or child, eoas d resist him ; and tliere was so much Scripture in hi* reppesentatii^iia and all said in honor oi ■^n WILLIAM DAWSON. SGI Christ, that the speaker, with the sacred magic wand, was hid in the glory of his divine Redeemer. His travels and labours were almost as extensive as those of the Rev. Robert Newton ; and few men have done more in support of the various institutions of Methodism. ^nt)iaU8 anil |Utt5tratijans. DAWSON'S "RAILWAY SPEECH." Mr. Dawson, at the annual meeting of the York Wesleyan Missionary Society, gave the following alKgory on railways, in the course of his speech : — ** There was now a great mania for railways, and the Church of God was determined to have a railway round the world. They had got a survey of it, and God himself was preparing the way." He said — " Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low ; and the crooked shall be made straiglit, and the rough places plain." This is just the way they make railways. And " there shall be made in the desert a highway for our God." The Bible Society were laying down the rails, and the missionary societies were placing thereon the chariot of the Gospel, in which was seated the great Captain of our salvation. The chariot is drawn, not by steam, but by hu- man instrumentality. The rope was twisted by faith, hope, and love. In front of the chariot were the heralds of salva- tion, blowing the trumpet of the Gospel — " Ride on glori- ously, ride on gloriously, O thou King of naints !'' And the females should have a pull — it would not dirty their hands or soil their gloves, and they would sing I><'l>orah's song — *^'» shall thine enemies perish, O Lord ; but let those that r 862 TUE IIEIIOES OF METHODISM. love thee increase in strength." And the children would have a pull, and they would sing in thrilling music, " Ho- sannah to the King of David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." m' n I i DAWSON IN BRISTOL. A friend of mine, from England, too modest to have his name recorded, is kind enough to give me the following de- scription of Dawson, and of a Sabbath he spent in Bristol : The "Yorkshire Farmer," as Dawson was familiarly called, was well made, and every limb was well proportioned, though his hands were very large. He wore breeches of corduroy, or plain velvet, and thick soled jack-boots. He entered the church and the pulpit humming a tune, and there was great silence among the people. In the morning his text was, *' God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." It was a masterly sermon. His de- scriptive powers were very great. He said Luther declared " this news was worth carrying round the world." Mr. Dawson said "it was worthy to be printed in gold ; the news was so good, and so great were the blessings connected with it, that it was worthy of being carried on your knees from one city to another, all over the globe, till the last son of Adam heard the joyful intelligence." DAWSON CORRECTING DR. YOUNG. In the sermon, he adverted to a passage in Young's " Night Thoughts," where the poet exclaims : •• Bound every heart, and exf^ry bosom burn !" A.nd where the ladder of mercy or love is represented with it* "Lowest round high planted in the skies." WILLIAM DAVVSOX. 303 Raising his voice to the highest pitch he exclaimed, with oeculiar emphasis, in a tone of thunder, " Nay, doctor, nay, Jts ' lowest round high planted in the skies !' if it were in leaven we should be unable to reach it. Thank God ! its owest round is on earth, so the poorest individual on the earth may reach it, and accept of salvation !" DAWSON STOPPING THE CHOIR. After Mr. Dawson's masterly sermon, which was att' nded by the unction of the Holy One, he gave out that excellent hymn bj'' Charles Wesley : '• love divine, how sweet thou art ! When shall I find my willing heart All taken up by thee ?" &c. When the choir were singing; the third verse, " God only knows the lovo of God ;" he stopped — addressing them thxis : "Stop, friends ! if angels, the first bom sons of light, cannot understand the height, the breadth, the depth, the length of the love of God, how can we expect to fathom it while here below ?" then he repeat- ed with profound eloquence, thrilling his larsre auditory : " ' God only knows the love of God.* Let us sing it again, friends; for we shall have it to sing in heaven : • God only knows the love of God.' " 'I u DAWSOIT'S " COAL-PIT " ILLUSTRATIONS. In the afternoon Mr. Dawson preached a very impressive sermon from a part of the fortieth Psalm : " I waited patiently for the Lord ; and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings," &c. He illustrated the pit by the coal-pits. He began by say- 24 364 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ii ing, " I know something of coal-pita. I have a number of them on my farm. Some of them are very deep ; but let them be ever so deep, there will always be a light at the top. David was cast into the pit that was deep, dark, dangerous, horrible ; and as he was in danger of sinking in the mire and clay, he cried out to the Lord, * Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my cry !' David beheld the light at the top, his soul was encouraged, God inclined his ear to him, and heard his cry, and brought hira up out of the horrible pit, and set his feet on a rock." He illustrated his subject further by saying that there was once a man in his employ who was a backslider; and the power of the Almighty came upon him, and he was almost overwhelmed. He cried out, "I shall be lost, I shall be lost, I shall be sent to hell." He was in the coal-pit. " They came up for me," said Dawson,' " to go down and pray with him. I went down into the pit, and he exclaimed in agony, ' O master, I shall be lost, I shall be damned.' I said to him, 'Well, Will, thou knowest thou deservest to go to hell.' He exclaimed, *0, master, pray for me!' And we prayed where we were for two hours, and he was delivered out of the pit while he was in the pit. He praised God, for his feci were on a rock, and a new song was in his mouth. Like all others who are delivered from it, he felt an interest in the welfare of those who were still in danger. This is the feeling of every new-born soul : ' Then will I tell to sinners round What a dear Saviour I have found,' &o. "He ran all the way home, and I close to him ; and the moment he entered the house he fell on his knees, and ex- claimed, ' Lord, sanctify my wife ! Lord, sanctify my wife !' I said, * Stop, Will, let her be justified first."* He prayed for her and she prayed for herself; she cried unto the Lord, and we continued to pray till the Lord converted her also, and he heard her cry, and delivered her out of the deep, dark, and ^ r— WILLIAM DAWSON". 365 horrible pit, and she praised the Lord for delivering grace as well as dying love." DAWSON'S BOLD FLIGHTS. My informant goes on to say that Mr. Dawson "preached the third sermon to an immense multitude, from 1 Cor. xv, 62 : ' In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump ; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in- corruptible, and we shall be changed.' It was on the resur- rection, and was one of the most solemn sermons I ever heard. His audience were breathless. His application was most awful, making his hearer feel as if that awful hour had come, when they that have done evil should come forth to a resurrection of damnation. Toward the close, he cried out at the top of his voice, ' O, what would the lost spirits in hell give for one hour's privilege such as you now enjoy ? I will call one up. In the language of Dr. Clarke, here is one speaking to you from hell. Come forward, lost soul ; and speak to this judgment-bound congregation. Make \fny, make way, good people ;' he cried out with a loud voice, at the same time extending his hands and arms. The people looked alarmed, as if they believed a lost soul from the regions of the damned was there ; they were about pariing, making way. Then he questioned the spirit from the regions of the lost : ' Lost soul, ruined spirit from the aboded of de- spair, what would you give for one hour's precious opportunity •juch as these people enjoy V ' Give ? Give ? Give V cried ne at the top of his voice, ' I would give ten thousand worlds, if the liquid parts were liquid silver and the solid parts solid gold, T would give it all.' Then looking roiuid upon the people, he exclaimed, ' See what a damned spirit ^ says. The effect was overwhelm injr." ko-J %¥ ^. ^> %^ ^o. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k^O u mg^ ' .^ '4 € ff,, ^fe" A t 1.0 I.I 11.25 |50 ""■■ us '!^ M 2.2 I; 1.4 "IIM J4 ^^? Photographic Sciences Corporation n WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4iG3 ^•^ # V # .^ ;\ V <^ wmmm I I i t4 366 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. DAWSON CORRECTING DR. WATTS. In illustrating his sermon on the " pit," Dawson said that Dr. Watts had compared religion to a "golden chain, reaching from men's hearts to the pearly gates." Mr. Dawson said, '• You may think it strange that I correct two of the greatest poets the same day, Dr. Young and Dr. "Watts ; but I think they are incorrect in these particulars, however correct they may be in other things. Nay, doctor, nay ; it leads not merely fron^ the heart to the pearly gates, but leads from man's heart to the throne of God. The links in this golden chain are made of love, good-will, benevolence, meekness, patience, charity. Brethren, there are no links in it like envy, jealousy, pride, or self will. This glorious chain has lifted up millions out of the pit, and set their feet on a rock, and bound them to the throne of God, and as good Wesley says : ♦ Millions more thou art Ready to pardon and forgive.' " In his application he catne right home to the heart. Said he: "Sinner, you have, nothing to feai. David was a king; you will never be a king. If it was no disgrace to David, it never can be to you. This is the only way, for king or beg- gar, to cry out for deliverance, and you shall find * delivering grace In the distressing hour.' " '!'' J.: DAWSON S RETORT UPON A BACHELOR. Mr. Dawson was a bachelor, though at a late period in life he made one or two attempts to marry, but without success. When others talked of titles, he would pleasantly style him- self "^acActor of Arts V "What," said a friend, jocosely one day, "T am told you WILLIAM DAWSON. 367 have been disappointed in a love affair !'' lie instantly re- turned, looking shrewdly, but good-naturedly in the face of the gentleman who had passed the meridian of life, and who had himself no higher de(;/ree than bachelor, "tbit; according to report, is only one ; but I am informed your disappoint- ments have reached the teens." This was as unexpected as the other, for neither of them was aware, though nothing is more common, that rejyort- ers had been taking notes of their respective ca.ses. I DAWSON'S RESPONSE TO REV. ANDREW FULLER. Mr. Dawson was delight 3d with a masterly missionarj f-jermon he heard the distinguished Andrew Fuller preach in the Rev. Edward Pi-rson's church. After Mr. Fuller had elucidated his subject, and expatiated on the great good that had been effected abroad by Dr. Carey and others, he asked, in his energetic way, "Where will it end." "In heaven," responded Mr. Dawson, in a tone sufficiently loud to be heard, and his face beaming with pleasurable emotions. DAWSON AND THE PEDLER. Mr. Dawson once preached in the neighbourhood of Leeds, on Daniel v, 27 : " Thou art weighed in the balance and foimd wanting." A person who travelled the country in the cliaracter of a pedler, and who was exceedingly partial to him as a preacher, was one of Mr. Dawson's auditors. The person generally carried a stick with him, which an- swered the double purpose of a walking-stick and "yard- wand," and having been employed pretty freely in the for- mer capacity, it was worn down beyond the point of justice, and procured for him the appellation of "short measure." He stood before Mr. Dawson, and being rather noisy in his religious professions, as well as ready with his responses, he manifested signs of approbation, while the scales were btiiig Ml ii I h W lif ill .11 (1 >Ui 063 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. described and adjusted, and different classes of sinners were placed in them, and disposed of agreeably to the text of jus- tice, truth and mercy — uttering in a somewhat subdued tune, yet loud enough for those around to hear, at the close of each particular "light weight" — "short again," &c. After taking up separate classes of flagrant transgressors of the law of God, the hypocrite,. the formalist, i ', iH t »^s 1 1 370 THE UEKOES OF METHODISM. DAWSON AND THE GENTLEMAN. A gentleman who had been a Methodist in early life, aslteu Dawson to step into his house ar 1 take a glass of wine. He no sooner sat down than the gentleman erected a battery. " I do not like the aristocracy of Methodism." Mr. Dawson, finding where he was, replied "That, sir, is a subject whith I have never studied," and after several reniarks inquired, "Pray, how do you feel as to personal piety ?" The gentle- man returned, " I have family prayer." " In that reply," said Mr. Dawson to Mr. Everett, " I at once saw the nakedness of the land." An appeal to personal piety was a weapon which he often wielded with amazing po\\ cr, when argument failed, and when he suspected the disease to be in the heart, rather than in the system opposed. This fault-finder is a representative of a c?ass of ungrateful ones, who are indebted to Methodism, but having " lost their first love," they are empty-souled, the land is naked. It ia not to them, •• A land of com, and wine, and oil, Favour'd with God's peculiar smile, With every blessing blest ;" V. but it is barren, no fruit of holiness on their dead 80ul« are found, neither do they bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 'Tis true, it is not the system that is defective, they are defective; they may attend to family prayer, but it is a mere formal service, and this is the extent of their religion. Methodism has reason to complain of many ungiateful sons and daughters; "I have nourished and brought up children, but ye have rebelled against me." WILLIAM DAWSON. 371 DAWSON'S POWEU IN PKEACHING. The following graphic description of one of Mr. Dawson'a powerful sermons, is given by a correspondent of the Chris- tian Advocate and Journal : " Mr. Dawson was delivering a discourse which was pe- culiarly suited to his genius, and which will be long remem- bered in many towns and villages in England, because of the eflE^ct it almost always produced. The sermon was generally known to be one of his favourite discourses; he had preach- ed it many times over, and it was called by his admirers, ' Death on the Pale Horse.' As the reader will readily suppose, it was founded upon Revelation vi. 7, 8. I have heard the sermon more than once, and know not that I ever heard one that was throughout of so startling a character. In bold and striking imagery ; in powerful, thrilling, irre- sistible appeal, it scarcely could have a parallel. When Mr. Dawson had been happy in its delivery, I have seen the congregation listen with such absorbing interest that it seem- ed as though the very breathing was suspended, and in the pauses of the preacher a long and deep inspiration was re- sorted to as a relief. " This discourse Mr. Dawson was delivering at the village in question, and was indulging in that peculiarly vivid imagery which was the basis of his popularity ; * Come and see 1' the sinner is in the broad road to ruin ; every step takes him nearer to hell and farther from heaven. Onward, onward he is going ; death and hell are after him ; quickly, untiringly they pursue him ; with swift but noiseless hoof the pale horse and his paler rider are tracking the godless wretch. See I see I they are getting nearer to him, they are overtaking him !' At this moment, so perfect was the still- ness of the congregation, that the ticking of the clock could be distinctly heard in every part of the chapel, and upon this, with a facility peculiarly his own, he promptly seized, and •1 i I 1 t 1 ' ^1 1) \ I 1 1 '' ^ 'id 372 THE HKKOES OF METHODIS-U. without any seeming interruption, leaning over the pulpit in the attitude of attention, lie fixed his eyes upon those who sat immediately beneath, and in an almost supernatural whisper continued, 'Hark! hark! here they come! that's their untiring footstep; hark! hark!' and then, imitating for a moment the beating of the pendulum, he exclaimed iii the highest pitch of his voice, ' Save the sinner, save him. See, the bony arm is raised, the dart is poised ! O my God, save him, save him ; for if death strikes him he falls into hell, and as he fiills he shrieks. Lost ! lost I lost ! Time lost ! Sabbaths lost ! means lost I heaven lost ! all lost ! LOST ! LOST !' The eftect was so overpowering that two of the congregation fainted, and it required all the preacher's tact and self-command to ride through the storm which his own brilliant fancy and vivid imagination had roused." " Perhaps somewhat apocryphal, yet generally accounted as true, is an anecdote of his preaching at Pudsey, a village inhabited by woollen-cloth weavers, some five or six miles from Leeds. As the story prevails, Mr. Dawson was preach- ing from the history of David slaying Goliath, and was in- dulging freely in the pictorial representation of which he was so perfect a master. Personating David, he had struck down the boasting Philistine, and, stepping back in the pul- pit, he cast his eye downward and commenced a train of irony, which had the twofold effect of piercing every one that exalted himself against the Lord, and of adding force to the graphic picture he had already given of that strange confl'^t. So powerfully did the speaker depict the conqueror's emotion, and so rapidly did he heap taunt upon taunt on his prostrate foe, that the congregation seemed to forget the actual state of things in the ideal, and waited in breathless suspense for the catastrophe. Some in the gallery, in the intensity of the excitement, literally leaned forward, as though they expected to see upon the floor of the pulpit the giant's form with the stripling's foot upon his breast ; and one person, canned away by his feelings, and forgetting in his excitement the sanctity mm ■r mm WILLIAM DAWSON. 373 of the place, exclaimed in the broad dialect of the county, Aff" wV his head, Billy /' " DAWSON SILENCING A FAULT-FINDER. William Dawson silenced a fault-finder whom he met in Leeds, the day after he had occupied one of the pulpits of tuiit town, in the following manner: Oent. I had the pleasure of hearing you preach yester- day. Mr. D. I hope you not only heard but profited. Oent. Yes, I did ; but I don't like those pr.iyer meetings at the close. They destroy all the good previously re- ceived. Mr. D. You should have united with the people in them. Gent. I went into the gallery, where I hung over the front, and saw the whole ; but I could get no good. I lost, indeed, all the benefit I had received under the sermon. Mr. D. It is easy to account for that. Gent. How so? Mr. D. You mount the top of the house ; and on look- ing down your neighbour's chimney to see what kind of a jire he kept, you get your eyes filled with smoke. Had you entered by the door — gone into the room, and mingled with the family around the household hearth, you would have enjoyed the benefit of the jire as well as they. Sir, you have got the smoke in your eyes. Live with your Bible at your right hand. Consider often, ponder deeply, hide safely in your memory's heart its precious truths ; they will be your strength and joy. jill it DAWSON ENDING A THEOLOGICAL DISPUTE. Doctor Adam Clarke and the Rev. Richard Watson differed widely in their views on the eternal Sonship of Christ. Nfr. 374 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. 1(1 J Dawson was present one evening when this subject was discussed. He acted the part of moderator; and in tlie company where opposite opinions were espoused, he plea- santly broke off the debate by observing, in allusion to the persons of each : " Doctor Clarke is tall, and Mr. Wati«on is still taller ; but if the one were placed upon the shouldei-s of the other, the doctrine of the Sonship, such is its profundity, will be found deep enough to drown them both." Then in reference to the friends of each he smiled and said, adopting the proverbial expression, "'Every dog has its day ;' I have had mine, and it has been a very good one ; many have patted me on the back, and stroked ray head : in the midst of all I have said, and that is my language now, ' I ask not life, but let me love.^ " DAWSON ON THE FARTHING CANDLE. A person who was complaining of his poverty, and of his in- ability to serve the cause of God, was met in the following manner by Mr. Dawson : " You say you are poor, and can do nothing. If you have the grace of God in your heart, you can do something. You shall have the credit of being a farthing candle. Well; a farthing candle can give light. Take it into a dark room, and the inmates will be thankful for it. What, a farthing candle can do nothing ! Yes, you can give light to a beggar. A farthing candle, and can do nothing ! Yes, you can set the town on fire. Can do no- thing ! Yes, you can set the world on fire. Some of the first public speakers were probably lighted by the feeblest taper." This surely was encouragement to do good to the extent of his abihty. If a person cannot be a sun, or moon, or comet, or star, they can be a farthing candle, and let their light shine. This is all that Heaven requires : "See how great a flame aspires, Kiuilleil by a spark of grace.^' WILLIAM DAWSON. 375 DAWSON AND TOE COLT. Mr. Dawson used to relate the following in his " Incidents of Travel." He was travelling in a coach between Halifax and Leeds, when a gentleman and lady entered into conver Bation, of which this is the substance : Gentleman. You are in the habit of hearing popular ministers ? Lady. At Manchester I am ; not at Haliftix. Gent. You have no doubt heard Mr. ? Lady. I have. Gent. What is your opinion of him ? Lady. His imagination is like a young colt turned into thtj field. Gent. Have you heard Mr. ? Lady. Never. Gent. Mr. , you, of course, have often heard ? Lady. Yes, often. Gent. What is your opinion of him ? Lady. I never got a new thought from him in my life. Gent. Have you heard Dr. ? Lady. Never. Gent. Have you heard Mr. ? Lady. Yes. Gent. He is an excellent preacher? Lady. There is too much the appearance of manufacture about his sermons. Gent. Have you ever heard Mr. Watson ! Lady, Yes ; he never exhausts a figure. I would go ten miles to hear him any day. Gent. There is a great deal of noise about Mr. Irving, Have vou heard him ? Lady. No, nor would I go to hear him ; he is for destroy- ing the whole language of preaching, and for erecting some- thing in its place. 1 i ' I • 11 37C THE UEKOKS OF METHODISM. ' m IJut the cream of all this is in the application which Mr. Dawson njade of it a short time afterward : He was in a large party, in which was one of the gentlemen referred to, who sported with a gentleman of wilder imagination than his own, and did not fail to direct attention to the playful fancy of Mr. Dawson. The latter, in the way of pleasant retort, related as much of the above dialogue as comported with the occasion, and was more than usually pointed when he turned the lady's " colt loose into the field." This prevented the gentleman from rambling at the rate he was proceeding. The person who was partner with Mr. Dawson in the pleasantry, being seated near him, turned round, and said: "This colt has trodden upon both of us," Mr. Dawson replied, " He has not hurt you, I hope ?" " No," responded his friend ; " for, like most young colts turned out to grass, he is without shoes^ DAWSON AND JOHN ANGELL JAMES. I'he Rev. John Angell James hea-^d Mr. Dawson preach at a missionary meeting at Birmingham, from " Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins," &c. After service, Mr. James observed that he had heard some of the boldest and most original conceptions that he had ever heard uttered, and clothed in language equally remarkable and powerful. The gentleman to whom the observation was made, ac- ceeding to the justice of the remark, inquired, " What would he have been had he been favoured with an academical edu- cation in early life ?" He answered, " He would have been n \\ ILLIAM DAWSON. 377 DAWSON ON METHODIST CLERKS. Mr. Dawson's sermons were delivered with such pathos, that almost always he had very hearty responses. He was once preaching in Sheffield, in Carver-street Cliapel. The con- gregation was overwhelming, and the feeii.i;: intense, lie exhorted his liearers to give their hearts to God ; and laying his hrnd upon his own heart, said, with a fine gush of feel- ing, lifting up his eyes to heaven, " Here's mine !" when a voice from the gallery cried out, " Here's mine too, Billy !" Nor was this the only audible token of the effect ct his preaching ; such exclamations as " That's right !" " True !" " Glory to God," &c,, being frequently repeated during the service. This led him to say, " If Methodism does not make men into parsons, it certainly converts them into clerks, for they are responding " Amen ! Glory to God," wherever we go 1 DAWSON NEXT TO NOBODY. He would often preach when the audience were disappointed of a preacher, and was always heard with pleasure, so that he was almost an exception to the rule — " A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country." He never became old, but was ever fresh and new. Yet he was sometimes amused with the remarks of per- sons on himself. " What," said a poor man, when disap- pointed of another preacher, "is it you?" "Yes," replied Dawson, "it is I." "Well," returned the man, intending it for a welcome in his way, "you are better than nobody." Mr. Dawson pleasantly observed, " I know my place ; I am next to nobody" Such compliments are often passed by well- meaning people, who do not see their bearing or feel their force. When my first conference year was expiring, in 1834, a kind-hearted sister expressed a desire for my return '']%■■ f :| * T 1 "'1 ■J V- ■ 1.. \i 378 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. to Salisbury Circuit, seriously adding, " We would a great deal rathei" have you come back, than to run the risk of gdtt'mg any worse one^ DAWSON'S "lock OF STRENGTH." A minister who heard Mr. Dawson preach, complimented the sermon, adding, "I wish I could produce the same effect in the pulpit when I am there." " Ah, sir," said Mrs. Reay, the lady of the house, "you must move the hand of Him v/ho moves the world, before you witness these effects." " Here," says Mr. Everett, *' lay the ' power' of Mr. Daw- son, and not barely, or even chiefly, in his manner of hand- ling a subject. Though his remarks were often awfully solemn, eccentrically original, or mov'ngly natural and pa- thetic, the great secret of his success lay in tiie power which God alone can supply." Power from on high is requisite in order to success. " Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." i DAWSON AND THE JACK-TAR. Mr. Dawson considered adaptation the great secret of suc- cessful preaching. Therefor"i he adapted his sermons to the time and to tho cl'-cumstances of his audience. On a certain occasion he v-ent to Sunderland to preach to . eamen. The service was to be held in the evening, and during the day he went to see a life-boat on the shore. Some of the imagery of the sermon was terrific. Ho portrayt J a storm at sea ; a shipwreck ; the raging wind, the roaring waves ; storm howling to storm ; tha vessel driven before the mighty blast; the vessel on a lee-shore ; the rocks right before the crev/ ; death staring them in the face; the mariners n(»t know- ing what to do ; despair on every countenance — some cry- ing for Tiercy ; wives, children and friends on the shoro, but unable to render them any assistance ; one crying out, " My WILLIAM DAWSON. 370 brother is lost ;" another, '' My father is there." At length the vessel strikes on the rocks ; masts going overboard ; a tremendous crash ; awful shrieks ; the survivors clinging to difterent parts of the wreck ; waves dashing over her ; in danger of going to pieces. At this moment, when all were breathless at the awful scene described ; while they could hear the winds whistle, the waves roar as its dashing surges' broke over the wreck, and amid and above the voice of either, could hear the cry of the perishing for help — just as the audience were breathless, thrilled and chilled with horror, ho cried out, " What is to be done now ? all is going, going forever !" " What is to be done ?" bawled out a tar in the midst of the congregatio:\ ; " why, launch the life-boat." All this he applied to the general shipwreck of human nature> and to the o'^ly life-boat that could save from the storm. "Blessed be God," said he, "though there is nc life-boat in hell, w aave one here 1" He then directed them to Him who is not only the way and the truth, but the life. Years afterward, it was talked about, and styled by the sailors, " The Life-boat Sermon." DAWSON AND THE SOLEMN TKIFLER. A person who was anxious to be thought cunning, once be- gan to exhibit his wit, in company with a few religious friends, while Mr. Dawson was present, by stating that when he became serious, he advertised a sale of his effects, refer- ring to sin, and resolved uj^cn selling all off. Mr. Dawson, to put a stop to what m'ght lead to a trifling mode of conver- 8&tiou on a subject so awfully serious as sin, returned, " A buyer would be wanting for the stuff : the devil would not give a price, for it was hk already ; God would have noth- ing to do with it, for he hates it ; and man needs it not, for he would find he had enough of his own without it." He could relish wit, but noi when " reason put in her claim for 1 .e one half of it, and extravagance for the other." 3ft 380 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. DAWSON AND THE EDITOR. To an editor who had been very undignified in controversy, and given exhibitions of ridicule and low wit, he gave the following advice : " Answer his reasonings like a man of rea- son, and not Hke a goose, who, when a gentleman walks steadily on, runs and hisses at him, and returns to her flock, and informs them what a victory she has got, and flutters and cackles most triumphantly !" DAWSON ON " READING A SPEECH." At a missionary anniversary one of the speakers appeared on the platform, with a bundle of papers in his hand. Mr. Dawson was suspicious of an attempt upon the patience of the people and inquired, " "What he was going to do with all those papers." " To read them, to be sure," was the reply. " What, the whole of them ?" " Yes," said the intended read- er ; adding, " such documents constitute the life blood of f\ speech." " Let me tell you, then," said Mr. Dawson— who looked upon reading on & platform as producing the same eiTects r pon a congregatioxi that a damper proiluces when put into the oven, and who well knew the difference be- tween the exercise of the intellect upon written documents, and mattfx bubbling up from the heart — " let me tell you, that your speech will die of apoplexy^ for the blood has all goae up to the Aeorf," 'Il BEV. JOHI COLLIIS. i \ •f jl I I u n ti S( n Ic C fo oi A b( m all wi >n THE REV. JOHN COLLINS. John Collins was a very distinguished man — distinguished not only for his talents as a preacher, and his zeal in the cause of his Master, but also for his success. He was a native of New-Jersey, born in 1769, and was brought up a Quaker, using the plain language thee and thou. After he was con- verted to God, and had identified himself with Methodism, he laboured some years in New-Jersey, as a local preacher, with great acceptability and usefulness. In 1804 he emi- grated to what was then called the West, and settled in Ohio. He was the pioneer of Methodism in Cincinnati, and in many other places. He preached the first Methodist sermon in the " Queen City of the West," to twelve persons, in an upper room. Since chen, the little sapling has become a mighty tree, the rill has become a river, "the wilderness and the solitary place have been made glad, and the desert has rejoiced and blossomed as the rose." After labouring as a local preacher for three years in Ohio, he joined the Western Conference in 1807. After filling many important stations, with honour to himself und usefulness to the Church, he fought his last battle and conquered his last enemy in Maysville, Kentucky, 21st of August, 1845. Mr. Collins went down to his grave full of years and full of honours. He was a man the Church delighted to honour. As a man, he was one of the noblest specimens — a noble body and a noble soul. As a preacher, he excelled in argu- ment He could use Heaven's burning logic. He abounded, also, in illustration, and would relate anecdotes and incidents with powerful efiect. His preaching was distinguished both IS 384 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. for pathos and power. " He preached like a man that had measured eternity, and taken the dimensions of a soul." Abundant seals he had to his ministry, "living epistles," among whom were J'-.dge M'Lean and his brother. " Though bemg dead, he yet speaks;" many rise up and call him blessed. His name in Ohio is held in grateful remembrance. " The long and eventful life of Mr. Collins is made up of many imi^ortant and interesting events. His history is identified with the history of the West. His usefulness as a preacher is unsurpassed in Western Ohio. As a successful pastor, we never knew his superior. His philosophic turn of mind eminently qualified him to meet the objections of sceptical minds, and many of this class have reason to rejoice that they were blessed with his instructions. Broth- er Collins possessed a strong and vigorous intellect, a quick and clear perception. His lively imagination enabled him to employ the whole field of nature to illustrate the truths of grace." — Minutes for 1845. Judge M'Lean, who acknowledges Mr. Collins as his spir- itual father, has done a service to the Church in writing a sketch of the life of Rev. John Collins. We only regret its brevity. To it I am indebted for some anecdotes and inci- dents, as well as to other sources of information. ^nt)ifiU$ antr lllttstralijtrns. COLLINS AND THE QUAKER. Mr. Collins, when a local preacher, often preached in Quaker neighbourhoods in his native state, New-Jersey, before he emigrated to the West. He was to preach in a certain place one evening. The night before, a Friend, who was JOHN COLLINS. 385 t' 1«r- srtam was opposed to him and his sentiments, had a peculiar dream. In his dream he beheld the scenes of the last judgment, and imagined himself weighed in the balance, and, to his horror, found wanting. While expecting, in terror, his sen- tence, the Judge said, " Weigh him again," when suddenly he awoke. The next day, one of his neighbours invited him to attend Mr. Collins's preaching, and judge for himself of the man he was opposing ; but he declined most positively. His friend then urged him to accompany him in a short walk, for the purpose of some special conversation ; he consented, and was led unsuspectingly toward the place of worship. When he found himself near, he attempted to return, but was urged to enter, and he complied with the request. He agreed to hear for once what the preacher had to say. He sat down, wijh his broad brim on, and not in the best frame of mind to hear; for he was full of prejudice as they were proceeding with the openi-ig service before the sermon. When this was through the preacher arose, and, with the utmost solemnity, gave out for his text, ^^Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting T The Quaker was astonished, and the recollection of his terrible dream made the discourse much more impressive. As the preacher proceeded with his sermon, describing the Scriptural standard of experimental religion, the Quaker was convinced that he was indeed "wanting" in everything that constituted genuine piety. He was convinced "of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;" of thcnecessity of securing & "wedding garment" that would qualify him to mingle with those John saw with their redemption-robes before the throne. He sought and found the Lord, and united himself with the Church he had opposed ; and in him the preacher found a sincere and steadfast friend. Mr. Collins used to relate the anecdote, and conclude by saying, " He made one of the best class-leaders I ever knev in the Church." 1 Ij I " y 386 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. COLLINS LAYING DOWN HIS COMMISSION : Not his commission to preach Jesus and the resurrection, this he never did till he " The body with his charge laid down, And ceased at once to work and live ;'' but when he was converted, he held the office of major of the militia ; this he laid down when he received a com- mission in Iramanuel's army. The one who succeeded him came to purchase his uniform and arms, and Mr. Collins said to him, in his own peculiar style, " My friend, when you put these on think of the reason why I put them ojf." The remark made an indelible impression upon his mind, sunk deep into his soul, and led to important results. It led him to reflect, and his reflections led him to act. He also renounced his commission, and became a man of prayer ; he yielded to the most illustrious of conquerors enlisted in the army of the redeemed, and fought under the great " Captain of our salvation." COLLINS'S REMARKABLE DREAM, While Mr. Collins was attending one of his appointments in the West, he dreamed that he received at the Post-office a letter bearing a black seal, and containing intelligence of the death of his father then in New-Jersey, It made so deep an impression on his mind that he made a record of it. Two weeks afterward, on returning home, he received just such a letter as he had seen in his dream, sealed with black ; and the date of his father's death agreed with the record in his diary. COLLINS'S FIRST SERMON. Mr. Collins was afraid he should " run before he was sent," and therefore long resisted the conviction that it was his duty y^y JOHN COLLINS. 387 to preach the Gospel. Finally, he consented to try once, and if he was successful in the awakening of one soul he would consider this as evidence of his call to the ministry. While on his way to a place of worship, a text suddenly came into his mind, which he thought would be a suitable theme for a discourse ; but he could not remember chapter and verse. He entered a house, just as a young man was reading the sacred Scriptures. Singula! / enough, the text he wanted to find was a part of the lesson read. He pieached from it with such power and pathos that the young man was awakened under the sermon, and was soon after converted to God, and became one of the most eloquent preachers in the Methodist connexion. In the West he was well known, uni- versally beloved, and is still most deeply lamented. His name was Learner Blackman. For many years he travelled extensively, and preached the Gospel from the Ohio to the Mississippi. His end was tragical and painful. Returning from the conference which was held in 1815, in Cincinnati, he was drowned in crossing the Ohio River. His conversion was not the only fruit of Mr. Collins's first sermon. Ten more of the family were converted under it. Heaven set the broad seal of its approbation upon his firat sermon, and he no longer doubted or hesitated in regard to duty. He gave himself wholly to the work, and " made full proof of his ministry," for he had everywhere living epistles, known and read of all H i I !: 1 men. COLLINS'S SERMON IN CINCINNATL Mr. Collins preached one day in Cincinnati, to a large con- gregation, and feeling a desire to discharge his duty faith- fully and to the general acceptance of the congregation, he became embarrassed, and utterly confused in his ideas, and being wholly unable to recover himself, the thought occurred to him while preaching, that so soon as the service was end 388 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ed he would leave the house, avoid his friends, and never return to the town. This suggestion he resisted; but he was deeply mortified and dejected. The next day he preached in the country on his circuit, and felt uncommon liberty. This, before he was aware, elevated his feelings, and he saw there was a selfisb principle at the bottom. On this view he retired to a soli- tary place, fell upon his knees, and poured out his whole soul before God. He prayed fervently that he might be kept from despondency on the one hand, and from an undue elevation on the other. Some two months after this, being at a love-feast in Cin- cinnati, a sister rose and told the congregation that she re- ceived the convictions which led to her conversion under the discourse of Mr. Collins, which had given him so much pain. Hearing this, " he thanked God and took courage." And this led him to a resolution which was never afterward shaken, that in preaching he would do the best he could and leave the result to God. Ministers often are left in the same way to teach them wherein their great strength lieth ; " that it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord :" — that "Paul may plant, Apotlos water, but God giveth the in- crease." The planting of the one, and the watering of the other, availeth nothing without the divine blessing. COLLINS AND THE CALVINISTIC WOMAN. Mr. Collins once preached at a private house in Springfield, Ohio. A Calvinistic lady was present, and remained after the congregation had left, to converse with him. She com- menced the conversation by saying, " Mr. Collins, I don't like your doctrines." With a mild and benevolent smile, he observed, " I am sorry to hear you say so, sister ; but to what particular doctrine do you object?" She rephed, T" JOHN COLLINS. 889 " You do not preach the perseverance of the saints." My dear sister," saiJ he, " you are mistaken ; I preach to the saints that they must persevere, or they cannot be saved." COLLINS AND THE DRUNKABD. One day Mr. Collins met a drunken man in the street, who came up to him, and professing much regard, observed, " Mr. Collins, you converted me some years ago." " I converted you I no doubt it was I ; it looks like my work." COLLINS AND THE COUNTRY FUNERAL. When the country was new and but thinly settled, Mr. Col- lins was riding upon the banks of the Ohio River, some thirty or forty miles above Cincinnati, in company with a friend, when they came to the forks of the road ; the left hand road led more directly to their place of destination, the right was more circuitous ; but Mr. Collins, against re- monstrance, preferred the latter, from an impression which he did not particularly define. It led to the mouth of Red Oak, where the town of Ripley is now situated. As they approached this point they saw a funeral proces- sion, which they immediately joined, and followed it to the grave. It was the first funeral in that place. The corpse was the wife of Mr. Bernard Jackson, an avowed infidel. After the grave was covered, Mr. Collins made known to the people that he was a preacher of the Gospel, and would then preach a sermon to all that remained. No one went away. He read for his text, " I am the resurrection and the life : he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ;" and preached with overwhelming power. The solemnity of the occasion, and the circumstances which brought hira to the place, added, no doubt, to the eflfect of the discourse. No one could apply circumstances more forcibly than Mr. Collins. There were many tears and \ u I , L 390 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Bobs in the congregation. The infidel husband was over- whelmed ; and from that day and hour he renounced infi- delity, shortly after became a member of the Church, lived to adorn the Christian religion, and died in peace. He had one son, who is now a traveling preacher in the state of Indiana. Mr. Collins believed in a special Providence. The inclina- tion to take the right hand road, he believed was prompted by it, of which he could entertain no doubt, when he saw the funeral procession, and preached to the mourning crowd. " And is this," says Judge M'Lean, who relates this in- cident, " too small a matter for Deity ) Peter was called to preach to Cornelius ; and his objections were overcome in an extraordinary manner. Philip, being prompted by the Spirit, joined himself to the chariot of the eunuch, and * preached to him Jesus.' And who that believes the Bible does not believe that the same Spirit operates more or less upon Christians at the present day ?" COLLINS AND J. B. FINLEY. In 1833 Mr. Collins attended a camp-meeting near Bata- via. Mr. Finley was preaching, and the power of the Lord descended upon the peopfe in a remarkable manner. The preacher was divinely assisted. When he was about two- thirds through with his sermon, Mr. Collins, who was seated on the stand, arose and touched him on the shoulder, and said, " Now, brother, stop ; keep the rest for another time, and throw out the Gospel net ; it is now wet, and we shall have a good haul." Mr. Finley obeyed, the net was thrown out, and there was abundance of fish when it was drawn in. — Finley' s Western Methodism. COLLINS AND THE BANK-NOTE. In 1832, when the General Conference held its session in Philadelnhia, Rev. John Collins spent the 5ab jath in Tren- JOHN COLLINS. 301 ton, N. J., and related the following anecdote to Wm. C. Howell, ICsq., with whom he put up. In a letter to me, Mr. Howell says : " Father Collins, o^ Ohio, was a very inter- esting man. He was full of anecdote, but all were of a se- rious character, and calculated to profit The only one I recollect distinctly is that of the genuine hank-note?'' When Mr. Collins was presiding elder in Ohio, he held a quarterly meeting where the congregation was new to him. At the love-feast, a brother of timid, doubting disposition, arose and said, " Brethr. REV. THEOPHILUS LESSEY. i,,if' ' I wmmmmim "^., y THE REV. THEOPHILUS LESSEY, Thaophilus Lessey was one of the best preacliere English Methodism has produced. The f jllowing brief sketch of hia career is taken from the English minutes : "He was born at Penzance, in Cornwall, April 7, 1787, and was presented to God in the holy sacrament of baptism by the venerable John Wesley. His father, who was an esteemed minister in the Wesleyan body, endeavoured to train up his son in the liOrd's ways from his earliest infancy. Nor were his labours vain. Our departed friend was early moved by the Holy Spirit's gracious visitations to "know the God of his father, and to serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind." Deep impressions of God and things eternal were made on his heart while at Kingswood school ; and, at the age of sixteen or seventeen years, he be- came a partaker of that scriptural conversion in which the divine life really begins. After some time he was thought to possess talents which might, by God's blessing, render him an acceptable and useful teacher of the Christianity which he now personally enjoyed. But at first he shrunk from the task. His father also was of opinion that, from his conftitutional sensitiveness and timidity, he would never be competent to the performance of public services. How little did he then foresee the station which that diffident youth would occupy among the guides and teachers of the Church of God ! He engaged for some time as a local preacher, and was afterward conducted through tho usual trials and examinations into that ministry which he exercised with so much ability for nearly thirty-three years. The 26 h 1 ^ \ till 'II i^- 300 THK IlKliOES i)!-' MKTllUDISNf. «**■ sphere of his hibours became piore and more extensive. He stood forth as one of the most powerful preachers of God's truth among us, and was, in the Christian sanctuary, 'u burning and a shining light.' The memory of many bears witness to his character as a putlic teacher. His under- standing was enlarged, vigorous, anc' sound ; his spirit was richly imbued with sentiments most uofeignedly and deeply evangelical; his attainments were o* a highly respectable order, and were sacredly devoted to ths rervice of scriptural theology, in which he greatly excelled ; and his gifts as a preacher were of no ordinary rank. His strmons were re- markable for comprehensive views of divin« truth ; for clea^ expositions of the word and ways of God ; for a strain o' thought and feeling which was formed and guided by al' that relates to the cross ; for a lucid and orderly communi cation of the lessons which he taught, a constant referencv to the varieties of Christian experience and practice, f^nd an eloquence eminently pathetic and powerful. It nifty justly be said of him, that he was ' a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' When he had for a series of years extended the benefits of his sei vices, regular or occasional, through most parts of the con- nexion in the United Kingdom, he was at length raised, in the year 1839, to the highest station of the body, as presi- dent of the conference ; the duties of which station he dis- charged, for the short time that health was continued. to him, with exemplaiy zeal and fidelity; but shortly after the con- ference over which he presided, he was seized with the afflic- tion which remained, with different degrees of severity, for nearly two years, and at length issued in his removal to the world of eternal life. During that affliction he afforded a most edifying example of the 'end' of a Christian 'conver- sation.' He thirsted for larger measures of sanctifying grace, and rejoiced in the possession of them. All seemed mature. Christ,' said he, 'is my only hope. On his atonement I rest — his precious atonement. THEOPHILUS LESSEY. * In my hand no price I bring, Simply to his cross I cling.' 397 " * I cannot now kneel before God, as I used to do ; but my mind is almost constantly engaged in prayer.' ' I live in the favour of God. I am a poor, sinful, worthless creature ; yet for the sake of Christ he has blotted out my transgres- sions, and cast my sins behind his back. But I want to be wholly sanctified ; as tha apostle says, " body, soul, spirit." I want this body so to partake of this sanctifying grace that even the nervous agitation which I feel when anything sud- denly surprises me may be done away, ihat in constant calmness and quietness I may possess my soul.' 'I am just now at the mercy-seat. I am casting myself there. It is my place of refuge — my only refuge.' ^Precious atone- ment ! the sinner's hope.' ' O for more of God !' ' I have had a restless^ but a happy night. This room has been a Bethel to me ; and so it has often been ; for here I have held sweet communion with God from time to time. O how good the Lord is to me !' Two or three weeks be- fore his death he said, with uncommon emphasis, ' I am sanctified I sanctified by the grace of God ! O the mercy and goodness of God 1' Speaking of the sudden departure of some of his friends, he said, * If it be the Lord's will, I should be thankful for such a departure ; but if he sees fit to do otherwise by me, I trust he wi'l gi^ j me patience and strength to endure all his will. I little expected to be laid by so long ; I thought I should have died in the harness ; but it is all right. He has taken me from the hurry and agitation of such a laborious and public life as mine has been, and has led me into a comparatively solitary wilder- ness, apart from most of my friends, that I might look into my own heart, to humble me, and to prove me, and to give me, by more uninterrupted communion with himself, a fuller meetness for my heavenly inheritance.' Speaking to Mr. Scott on the subject of his afiSiction, he said, ' It has done me good ; and whether I live or die I shall be the better for i ^1! 398 THE nEROES OF METHODISM. it. I feel ready, quite ready, to go, whenever the Lord sliall call me.' On the Sunday before his death he was greatly cheered and comforted by the visit and conversation of Dr. Bunting, to whom he gave the most delightful testimonies of the peaceful state of his mind, and of his preparation for whatever the Lord might think fit to appoint to him. On the day of his death he emphatically repeated a couplet which was often on his lips : " And when thou eendest, Lord, for me, let the messenger be love V" His death was sudden. He had spent a comparatively quiet and easy day, when, from the rupture of a vessel in his lungs, the blood began to flow copiously. He rose from his chair, apparently oppressed with a feeling of suftbcation, walked into his bedroom, sat down on the bedside, and with a slight quiver, but without a sigh or groan, passed at once to that rest for which it had pleased God so mercifully to prepare him. He died June 10, 1841, in the 66th year of his age, and the 33d of his ministry." Jinult0tt$ u)i Illustrations. MR. LESSEY AS A PREACHER AND PLATFORM SPEAKER. Mr. Watson onco said to him, " You have the happy art of touching the hearts of the people ; you reach their con- sciences, you move their aftections, and by this means good, great good, is done, in the conversion of sinners and the build- ing up of the Church." It was a remark of Billy Dawson's, that Mr. Lessey " had the heart strings of the people in his hands, and moved them just as he pleased." The poet ?^ THEOPIllLUS LESSEY. 399 James Montgomery, was a great admirer of Mr. Lessey, and wrote a letter of condolence to Mrs. Lessey, -/hen she was left a widow. Mr. Lessey was also the intimate friend and correspondent of the eloquent and elegant Robert Hall. He excelled as a platform speaker as well as in the pulpit. This is not always the case ; some ministers are giants in the pulpit, children on the platform. There are others who seem to be far more at home on the platform than in the pulpit. Daniel Webster once said, " If a lawyer should be shut up in a place like one of our * tub pulpits,' he would never accomplish anything." Mr. Lessey was honoured by his brethren by being elect- ed president of the conference, and he is the only son of a Methodist minister on whom such a distinguished honour has been conferred. Though dead, his pulpit and platform efforts will not soon be forgotten ; the influence he left behind him is hallow- ing. He was buried close by the remains of Richard Wat- son, and within a few feet of the tomb of the venerated Wesley. What sacred dust is sleeping there! What mighty prisoners the grave holds there ! But the period is coming when these sleepers shall awake at the sound of the trump and rise to life immortal. !l ll LESSEY AND DAWSON. On the platform Mr. Lessey was sometimes a little playful^ but generally full of pathos. Mr. Thornton gives us the fol- lowing account of a misssionary rrieeting which Messrs. Les- sey and Dawson addressed. Mr. Lessey's address was emi- nently pathetic ; his health was then feeble ; he had suffered from hemorrhage of the lungs several times. Mr. Lessey described the greatness and glory of the Missionary work as viewed by one who stands on the borders of the unseen world ; and he enlarged with his characteristic eloquence, soflened, but not enfeebled, on the universal charity of the Gospel. i! 400 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. When Mr. Dawson arose to speak, he was overpowered and buret into tears. Finding himself scarcely able to proceed, he begged the president's leave to give out one verse of a hymn, which was sung with much emotion by the assembly. "Till glad he lajs this body down, Thy servant, Lord, attend, And ! his life of mercy crown, With a triumphant end.'' During the singing Mr. Lessey's face was wrapped in his cloak, and for some time after he was deeply affected. After the singing, Mr. Dawson made a characteristic and effective speech. LESSEY AND THE INFIDELS. In the month of July, 1829, two noted infidels, Carlisle and Taylor, visited Stockport, They heard of the fame of M r. Lessey, and sent him a challenge to publicly discuss the merits of the Christian religion with them. Of this he took no direct notice, but at the request of a few friends, he preached a sermon on the truth of Christianity. An over- flowing congregation attended on the occasion. The preacher seemed to rise with the grandeur and dignity of his theme, and the impression produced on the minds of his audience, was uncommonly deep. Some could scarcely repress their feelings, while Mr. Lessey, in his most powerful style of ar- gument and eloquence, proved and illustrated the truth of Christianity, as the only basis of man's immortal hopes, while he also exposed the absurdity of infidelity. Many in- fidels whose curiosity had led them to hear him, retired from the chapel with something like the air and manner of crim- inals, when sentence had been pronounced against them. LESSEY AND THE COUNTRY PREACHER. On one occasion a country preacher whom Mr. Lessey scarcely knew, had written to him at a time when he wa^ T1IE< pHILUS LKSSEY. 401 much engaged, requesting him to make inquiries concerning a situation for liis daughter. A friend present signified that he might dehiy this matter for a while. " No," rephed he, " I will do all I can to serve a brother minister. It is possi- l)le that my own children may one day be thrown upon stran- gers." This certainly was acting in the spirit of the hymn, "Help us to help each other, Lord, Each other's cross to bear ; Let each his friendly aid afford, And feel his brother's care." LESSEY'S PUNCTUALITY. One stormy night when the wind was howling, and the snow fell fast, Mr. Lessey had an appointment in the coun- try. Mrs. Lessey tried to dissuade him from going, saying it was dangerous to venture out such a night as that. *' Hush," said he, *' you, as a preacher\s wife, ought not at any risk to dissuade him from the performance of his duty, but should be ready to turn even your husband out in such weather, rather than he shoijld neglect his proper work." LESSEY ON POPERY. Mr. Lessey visited Dublin in 1839, and delivered some ad- dresses there, which were efficient and masterly. They were baptized with Protestantism. A subscription from a converted Roman Catholic lady was handed up at one of the meetings, with a slip of paper, on which was written, " A thank-offering of gratitude to Al- mighty God, for saving rae, through the instrumentality of the Methodist ministry, from the errors of Popery and the horrors and expenses of the confessional." "Shortly after this," says Mr. Fannin, who was present, " Mr. Lessey arose in one of his most impassioned moods, and gave utterance to ' 'ursts of eloquence, whicli astonished and delighted all who I m "I ' 402 THE llEUOES OF METIICDIS.V. heard him. He drew a picture of Popery to the life, and exposed it in its true colours; be assured the Irish Protest- ants that all the sound, good, and right feeling of England sympathized with them; and he also admirably showed the singular titness of Wesleyan Methodism in all the brauolvea of its agency, and its other institutions, to counteract not only the errors of popery, but every error incident to man, and to lead him to happiness here, and to heaven hereafter. " Large subscriptions," adds Mr. Fannin, " and gifts of land to build cha|K>ls and school-houses in different parts of khe country, were the immediate results of this speech, and were acknowledged as such." Mr. Lessey was requested to furnish a copy of his speech for publication, but he replied, " it was altogether extempo- raneous. »> LESSEY AND OLD JAMES. A poor, aged member of the Society in Weymouth, Mas an eminent example of Christian faith. He had passed the years of his strength at sea, a rough, coarse, ungodly mariner. His health failing, ho was compelled to abandon the sea- faring life, and do what he could to provide himself with support. He occasionally attended the Wesleyan Cha])t'l, and, yielding to the agency of God's Holy Spirit on his heart, was made an humble and joyful partaker of divine love. He longed to do something for the good of his fellow-men, and was wont to " cast his bread upon the waters," by dropping a useful word, as opportunity allowed, in the ears of others, exhorting, encouraging, reproving, in some short terse sen- tence, every acquaintance he passed in the street. Mr. Lessey found him too feeble to do any regular work. Ho was receiving an allowance of five shillings a week, which he expended in a way that deserves to be mentioned. Two shillings and six j)ence he paid to his sister who was a poor TIIEOPHILUS LESSEY. 403 woman, for his lodging and wasliing ; six pence a week he set apart for the poor-box, the Missions, and for the support of the cause of God in the town where he dwel : one shilHng a quarter he gave for a seat in the chapel, ana another as his contribution at the quarterly renewal of the society's tickets ; thus reserving only one shilling and ten pence a week for food, fire, and clothing. Yet old James, as he was called, never wanted. His necessities were supplied, according to liis faith, by the bountiful providence of God ; and " he went on his way rejoicing." He commonly spent the Lord's day in the chapel and vestry. Taking his Bible and a little bread and cheese with him, he repaired thither to the early prayer meeting, and did not return home till the last evening service was concluded. Mr. Lessey's ministrations were exceedingly edifying to old James. To hear Christ pro- claimed in all liis offices, (and this formed one of the pecu- liar excellences of Mr. Lessey's discourses,) was the joy of his heart. Never did he meet his beloved pastor without giving utterance to some strong expression of gi-atitude for bene^ts received through his instrumentality. He has long since entered into his rest, but his " works" of self-denying charity " do still follow him." Such examples do not always find a place in the annals of earth. Are they ever omitted in the annals of heaven ? ilW LESSEY AND THE DRUNKARD. mn One Sunday afternoon in Haliflix, England, in 1825, a noto- rious drunkard repaired, as usual, to the public house ; but the landlady refused to supply him with any more liquor until the old score, which stood against him, was discharged. At last, however, she consented to let him have a pot of beer for his hat. Not a drop more would she give him ; and he returned home mortified and vexed. On entering his cottage, he perceived a tract lying on the table. It had just .:i\: m M 404 THE HEKOES OF METHOI>lSM. been left by a tract distributer. A wood-cut on the first page attracted his attention. That cut represented » woman, the mistress of a public-house, driving a drunken-looking fellow from her door, while she pointed with one hand to a long score on the wall, and held his hat in the other. The man was thunderstruck. It was precisely such a scene as the one in which he had just been an actor He saw what an object of contempt and derision he had rendered himself by his misconduct, and resolved that he would change his course. Having washed and dressed himself, he set out, after tea, for a walk ; but as he i)assed the Wesleyan Chapel, he was attracted by the singing which he heard, and turned in thither Mr. Lessey was the preacher. The word of God as administered by him, reached the heart of this poor sinner. From that time he resolved that he would regularly attend the chapel, entirely withdrawing himself from the scenes of his accustomed resort. Deep conviction had seized upon his heart. He was heavily burdened with a sense of his guilti- ness before God, and earnestly sought acceptance with him. The Sunday but one after the above mentioned event had occurred, he again heard Mr. Lessey, and, during the sermon, was enabled to commit himself by faith into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. He instantly found the mercy for which he mourned, an' "went down to his house justified." The change was not transitory. He continued stead- fast in the ways of th > Lord ; and more than a year after- wards, himself recited the circumstances of his wonderful conversion in a Wesleyan lovefeast, rejoicing in that divine compassion which had plucked him also as a "fire-brand out of the burning." EEV. JACOB GRUBEE. 1 II ii '1 f ■ n f !i ■ REV. JACOB GKUBER. The following sketch of the Rev. Jacob Gruber was prepared by the Rev. T. H. W. Monroe, for the Christian . idvocate and Journal: " The Rev. Jacob Gruber was born in Bucks countv. Pa., February 3, 1778. His parents, John and Plautina Gruber, though natives of Pennsylvania, were of German descent and dialect, their parents having emigrated fron? Germany. They were members of the Lutheran Church, in whif'h they had been trained from infancy; and, as a matter of course, brought up their children in the same faith. " At this early period Methodism was hardly known in that region ; but it soon began . to make an impression through the travelling preaeliers, who, in their regular visits, proclaimed the Gospel with such power and energy, that many becanre awakened and began to cry for mercy. These extraordinary meetings, attended with such unusual excite- ment, soon aroused the prejudice of some, and the alarm of others, until s'..ern opposition was raised against the new doc- trine, as they called it, and the Methodist preachers were de- nounced as false prophets. Very soon, under this preaching the subject of this memoir evinced considerable seriousness and concern for his soul. The preacher who was the imme- diate instrument of his conversion has been heard to say, that 80 violent was the opposition he had to encounter, so great the embarrassments thrown in his way, and so discouraging the prospects before him, that if he could succeed in getting one soul converted to God, it would be a good year's work, and would amply compensate him for his labour. His moderate fj II i [. i' HI 408 THE IIEKOKS OF METHODISM. wish was more than granted. That year a gracious revival of religion occurred, many souls were converted, and among them was Jacob Gruber, then between ten and fifteen years old. The precise year of his conversion cannot now be ascer- tained with certainty. His consequent connexion with the Methodists, together with his burning zeal for the cause of God and the salvation of souls, so exasperated his parents, that after all their etforts to cure him of his Methodist religion and zeal had failed, he was driven from home. Some time afterwards, however, l>ut how long is not known, they became so far reconciled as to receive him back again. A short time after this he was apprenticed to learn a trade, at " hich he worked for several years, enduring great hardship and neg lect The bad treatment he received becoming known +o hv father, (though Jacob never mentioned it, nor complained of it himself,) he immediately went after him, demanded his indentures, and took him home. During all this time, and amid all these discouragements, our youthful Christian contin- ued faithful to his God. By the advice of his father, he de- termined to remain at hbme and work at his trade, which he had not quite completed. For this purpose a small shop was erected, and tools and materials were procured ; but how long he remained thus employed is not definitely known. " During this whole time his religious zeal and faithfulness knew no abatement. He had been appointed class-leader and licensed to exhort. As a leader he was efficient and useful ; and his laboura and exhortations in prayer-meetings were so greatly blessed, that many were awakened and con- verted through his instrumentality. This again produced such religious excitement in the neighbourhood, and was so offensive to the orderly notions of the professedly religious, and withal excited such alarm for the safety of their children and the Church, that the opposition of his parents was once more aroused, and to a higher degree than before. With the hope of extinguishing this wild-fire^ as they called it, and of arresting and subduing this dangerous delusion, as they JACOB G RUBER. 409 imagined it to ha, Jacob was peremptorily and finally driven from their home; for sooner than abandon his religion and offend his God, he was willing to part with all the endear- ments of home and parents, believing with the Psalmist, " When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lortl will take me up ;" and in his case this was most literally and strikingly fulfilled. Pressed to the n3cessity of making his election between an abandonment of his religion or his home, he willingly and cheerfully chose the latter ; and, with great Christian firmness, prepared to carry it into effect. With his clothes in a knapsack on his back, he started o.i foot for the town of Lancaster. On his way, he was providentially met by a Methodist preacher, perhaps a presiding elder, who, after a short conversation, advised him to commence calling sinners to repentance in a larger field than heretofore ; and urged hira to fill a vacancy which had occurred on an adjoining circuit, perhaps by the death of one of the preachers. He consented, and immediately investing nearly all the money he had in the purchase of a horse and equipage, went di- rectly to the circuit referred to, and laboured there until con- ference, which came on soon after, when he was admitted into the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the spring of 1800, and appointed to Tioga Circuit. " Though young and inexperienced, being only a httle over twenty-two years of age, he preached, and prayed, and suf- fered with all the zeal and stability of a veteran, and thus early formed those habits of industry, economy, sobriety, and abstemiousness for which he was ever after distinguished. The privations and hardships of early life, with the blessing of God, effectually trained hira for the arduous work of a Methodist itinerant. So faithful and useful were his labours wherever he went, that he soon rose to an honourable height in the confidence and affections of the bishops and his seni- ors in the ministry ; as proof of which he was put into offices of great responsibility at a very early age. lie had only finished his sixth year in the ministry, being just twenty- ii I 410 THE HP:R0ES of METHODISM. eight years old, when he received his appointment from ])ishop Asbury as presiding elder of Greenbrier district, Virginia. " His different fields of labour, their great extent, n, and get frisky sometimes,' He replied, * No great compii- JACOB r.RUBER. 433 ment, madatii ; good-by/ I know not whether he called again. "She had a singular idea in one thing. I inquired whose field that was in sight of her house ? She told the man's name, but said he was not likely to come to much. I asked why ? She said, ' He is a bachelor.' ' What,' said I, cannot a person — a man — get along in the world, and do well, without getting married?' She answered, *No; but as soon as a man is married he may get on his knees before his wife, and ask her if he shall ever be worth any- thing.' She thought, too, that ' a girl that did not know how to make and bake bread, and make her own clothes, and do housework, would be at a loss to direct how it should be done, and would' be a poor thing for a wife. She might do for a doll, or a plaything to put in a cage, or to look at, and to catch a fool.' And I think the Irishwoman was more than half right." — J. Gruher, GRUBER AND TWO RICH METHODISTS. " On the South Branch some rich men were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. One was said to be a singular man. I will state one of his peculiarities. He Jid not like to be imposed upon. He frequently had vis- itors, travellers, who called themselves Methodists, and wanted to stay all night. If they had a fine dandy ap- pearance, he would tell them they must feed their own horses. He would show them the granary, take them into it, and shut the door. Then they must kneel down and let him hear them pray. He thought he could tell what they were. Just before a quarterly meeting, when he was near his end, I went to see him. He was ' calm as summer even- ings are ;' his prospect bright, his peace great, and his hope full of immoitality. I was the last that prayed with him, and that h» spoke to. One thing which he said was this: ' Some of my Q«ighbours set me down for a hypocrite or an n: 434 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. enthusiast in life, but I hope they will believe me sincere in dying, as I shall die. I hope I shall be like Samson, con- quer more of the enemies of religion in my death than in all my life.' I sat by his side till he breathed his last. His end was peace. He fell asleep in Jesus, not to awake till the morning of the resurrection. I made an eflFort to preach his funeral sermon to a very large and serious congregation. ' Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.' I said to my- self, * Let my last end be like his.' Amen." " I want to writp something about another man in the same neighbourhood, a rich man, but an humble, good mar. — not always the case with rich men. He had a large family, a number of slaves, and was a good master. His slaves were better off than some who were their own mas- ters. He had a large house, and had good lessons written above the doore in large letters ; in one place, ' God is here,' and something good above almost every door. The wor?!iip of God was regular in his hotise. About daybreak a trum- pet was blown as a signal to rise. About a quarter or half an hour afterward, the trumpet sounded again for prayer ; all in the house, the kitchen, or the quarter, were to attend. If there was a preacher there, he was told the order of the house. If he did not get up, they had prayer without him : thoy would not derange the family regulation for a lazy preacher, who preached self-denial and laid abed till .ifter breakfast ♦ime. About sunrise they were all ready to go to their work, and to work while it was day. He was a straight, tall man, had some office, but was as teachable rs a child. He told a preacher who had spoken or written very plainly and pointedly to him about his duty in a certain thing, ' 1 am like a certain kind of dog — the more you whip me, the more I love you.' At one of the camp-meetings he got such a powerful blessing, that he scarcely knew how to contain himself. He walked about, shouting, laughing, crying, and looking up to heaven. He said to mo, 'I did not know what to do with my mouth, how to hold it : my neighbours / JACOB GRUBER. 435 looked and stared at me, and thought me a fool, but I did not care, I was so happy. Glory to God !' I have no doubt he is now happy in lieaven, and looking out for his friends to join him." — J. Chuber. GRUBER ON GAIETY AMONG METHODISTS. •' Some ask, Why do not preachers preach against the fash- ions of the world ? It is answered, The preachers read the rules and make comments upon them. Some, in preaching, draw the bow and take aim at some in the congregation, but the arrow does not reach its object; it is stopped in the trimming, rigging, muff-drums, bustles, and other fashiona- ble gear of their wives and daughters. Some dare not say anything against the fashions and customs of the world for fear of hearing, * Physician, heal thyself — begin at home. What shall we do? I do not want to live to bo an old, complaining, fault-finding man ; but I hope never to get into my dotage, so as to call that right which is wrong, and forbidden in Scripture and in our Discipline. AVhy did St. Peter and St. Paul write against women wearing or putting on gold? &c. Were they old and doting? Likewise Wes- ley and Fletcher, Dr. Clarke and Watson, and many who are in heaven, or on their way there, and who have testified against this evil — were these all dotards ? I make an apol- ogy for some of our women, telling them they would not go contrary to the New Testament and our Discipline, by wear- ing gold and costly apparel. Everything is not gold that is yellow: their rings, lockets, trinkets, &c., are of brass or pinchbeck, and very cheap. Alas ! I get no thanks for my apology. If some of them had as much grace as they have brass about them, they would be much happie;*, and not so easily offended. The fashion of this world passeth away. May the Lord keep us from the evil, that we may not perish from thy world forever. Amen. " Wliat must a preacher think, or Low miitst he feel, if he 436 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. should hear that not a few of the members say they do not want him in their station, or on their circuit, nor his gown, nor his whiskers, nor his wife, nor her bustle, artificials, or curls ? Is there no possibility of getting a reproach wiped away from us, which comes in language like this: 'The Methodists are as proud, gay, and fashionable as any denom- ination in our country V " — J. Gruber. GRUBER ON METHODIST MINISTERS USING TOBACCO. " Let me ask a question : How shall we cure or treat a young preacher who preaches self-denial, is very severe on those who take a dram sometimes, but takes tobacco himself without ceas- ing, and says he cannot quit it, it does him good ? Is not his faith strong? But still, it is not as large as a grain of muslard-seed, or it would remove this mountain. It is only as large as a grain of tobacco-seed. What a pity ! I had some acquaintance with a good man who was a judge of good tobacco. One of his particular friends told me that one day he was confused in his preaching. He asked him after meeting, what was the matter that he could not get along better ? ' Why,' said the preacher, ' I had such bad tobacco.' * What, do yofl chew while you are preaching V ' Yes, I always take a fresh plug when I begin.' ' After this,' said this friend, ' I could always tell when I heard that preacher, whether he had good tobacco, and I frequently gave him some.' May the Lord pity us, and save us ! So prays — J. Gruher,^^ GRUBER AND THE MAN IN A COLD, WINTER STATE. " Some say variety is the spice of life ; but to put it together, and givo beauty, harmony, and life to it, is more than a sufficient task for me. But still I will write more of what took place in Monongahela district before the last war. Though there had been a great stir, and revival, and new JACOB GRUBEK. 437 light, yet there was a great deal of old darkness and super- stition, but with little Jeep and experimental godliness. In going to an appointment one day I got in company with a straight, stiff-looking man, on his way to a sacrament meeting. In conversing witii hira I found he was in ' a cold, winter state.' As a stranger, I inquired if ' their apple-trees bore, or had fruit, in the winter V He said, ' No.' ' Do they bear crabs, or apples of Sodom, in the winter?' He said, ' No ; they bear no kind of fruit in the winter.' I said, ' If a man's faith is dead without good works, what kind of faith has he while his works are bad .^' He said, ' No man can Hve without sin ; as soon as a man is made holy, he must die ; he cannot stay in this world any longer.' I saidj ' How can he serve God in holiness, and have his fruit unto holiness, and still live in sin ?' " GRUBER'S DESCRIPTION OF CAMP-MEETING SCENES. Mr. Gruber held camp-meetings on the Monongahela district in 1810. He thus describes THE CONVERSION OF A MAN WITH A PISTOL. " In one camp some b 'd sinners came to fight for their master; but our Captain made prisoners of them, and then made them 'Vee indeed.' One fine, young, strong-looking man among . '^ mourners was in great distress, and found no relief till he dr v a large pistol out of his pocket, with which he had intended to defend himself if any one should offer to speak to him, and laid it down on the bench. Then the Lord blessed his soul, and gave him great victory. He had grounded the weapons of rebellion, and now enlisted under a new captain — the Prince of Peace." — J. Gruber. II ii 438 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. THE CONVERSION OF A MAJOR. "Tn another camp, after midnight, among many mourners, tliere was a large man (some called him Major, and he had been a Baptist) who was in great distress, crying and praying for mercy. Some looked on with astonishment; for they said, ' None but shallow men, silly women, and ignorant children, would make such a noise in a public congregation. But see, see there, there is the Major ; look, look, hear, only hear him!' Presently the Lord blessed him powerfully. lie arose, and big and heavy as he was, he leaped as high as the benches, shouting ' Glory to God ! there is mercy for all. I used to hear it was only for a few. Now I know Christ died for me ; yes, he died for all.' In the height of his rapturous joy he saw one of his brother officers looking on. He caii?d to him, and said, ' Captain, come here : there is a reality in religion ; don't you believe it ? Yes, yes, thi;re is mercy for all. Glory, glory to God for it !' While he was telling the captain this wonderful news, his wife was brought to him. She too had just got her soul blessed and made happy. She had been in distress, and praying among mourners in another part 'of the congregation. She had been a Presbyterian nominally, but she learned a new lesson, and a new song [which was neither Presbyterianism nor Methodism, but evangelical religion.] When she met her happy husband, she shouted * Glory to God !' They embraced each other, and wept tears of joy. There were but few t^ry eyes around them. what a time it was ! a heaven on earth — joy in heaven above, and here on earth below. Hosannal A little before day they went into a tent. Some of the Major's old friends were watching him. They did not come to pray with him in his distress, but now they came and took him out back of the tent. He was gone but a little while, Und came back, saying, ' My Baptist friends need not think stratijxe of me because 1 am a Meth JACOB GRUBER. 409 odist.' He and his wife joined our Church. It was * the Lord's doing, and marvellous' in many eyes." — J. Gruher. CAMP MEETING HELD ALL NIGHT. " Our meetings frequently lasted several whole nights in the camp. At one of them, between Washington, Pa., and Steuben ville, there was very little intermission day or night. The work went on — preaching, exhortation, weeping and rejoicing, singing and praying, crying and shouting — I saw the day break three mornings at that meeting. We fulfilled what we had sung — • With thee all night we mean to stay, And wrestle till the break of day.' And we could sing, too, 'Break forth into singing, ye trees of the wood, For Jesus is bringing lost sinners to God !' Truly these were days of the Son of man, when he made known his power on earth. Glory be to God for his won- derful works 1" — /. Gruber. A SINGULAR LOCAL PREACHER. " In Rockingham, Greenbrier district, we had a local preacher who was a good and great man, but very singular withal. The presiding elder, J. W., frequently took him to camp-meeting, as he was very active and successful in labouring with mourn- ers. On one occasion, the presiding elder would have him to preach first on a Sunday morning, and said he would follow after him. He had to obey ; but after prayer and reading a text, he told his congregation to be patient; he was not going to preach, but was only going before to prepare the way, like John the Baptist. ' There is one to speak after me,' said he, ' that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.' In a camp- meeting, 44U TUE HEUOES OF METHODISM. where the work did not go on well, mourners few and slovt in coining to the altar, he went into it, and spoke out, 'Come on, I want to get a little more converted myself.' He kneeled down at the mourners' bench, and soon had a crowd around him, and went to work with them : the Lord was with him, and the work went on ; souls were converted powerfully. If some, instead of looking at and watching others, would pray and get a little more converted them- selves, they would be happier. Like one who did not feel happy, when some near him became excited, he said, ' Don't shout yet, you are not ready ; go on, but hold back.' Next day he was blessed, and felt happy, looked around, and spoke out again, * You may shout now. Glory to God !' Ha was ready then. " In a place near a town, there was a revival, but much opposition by the clergy and others. There was a college there, and our singular man sent an appointment for preach- ing to the place, and went to stop the mouths of persecutors. Having been a 'master mason,* and a stone mason, lie thought he could do it, as he had built their college, and was acquainted with the people and their religion. He took a text about the book of life, and the names written in it, and falling down, crying,' Holy, holy, &c., &c., worshipping. He showed the necessity of worshipping God and being holy, the impropriety of wickedness and persecution, and said they must serve God and be holy to be found in the book of lif<^. In his application, he told them many of their names were not in the book of life, but in such and such people's good books, naming some tavern-keepers. These, he said, were not books of life, but of death, containing bills for whisky and for stirrup drams ; and perhaps, if they would look, they might find twenty-four elders' names there, who fell down when they could not stand any longer, and cried, ' Unholy, unholy, we cannot live without pin.' The Methodists had some rest and less persecution after that in that place." JACOB GRUBER. 441 It is amusing to read Mr. Gruber's description ot " singular men," he having been himself considered the odiloht of all the odd. I have sometimes doubted whether any eccentric man is aware of his real character. They move in an orbit so different from the generality of people, they think others are singular, not themselves. I once said to Billy Hibbard, " You are considered very odd." lie said, " It is a grand mistake; I am not odd — other people are odd — if they were all like me, there would be no odd folks." GRUBER'S DISLIKE FOR MINISTERIAL CANES. Mr. Gruber was once attending a camp-meeting in Pennsyl- vania, and saw a young preacher with a cane. Mr. Gruber indirectly reproved him by inquiring, " What do you carry that stick for? Can't you stand up without assistance?" The young minister was quite shrewd, and knowing Mr. Gruber's hatred to dogs, replied, "I carry this to protect myself from dogs." Mr. Gruber, with equal readiness of wit, replied, " I should think it pretty poor business to be a dog pelter."— i^ew. Q. D. B. GRUBER SETTLING A FAMILY QUARREL. " In Rockingham I found a serious case ; two respectable persons, the one among the oldest members, the other a class-leader, had a misunderstanding between them. Though father-in-law and son-in-law, they were not on speaking terms with each other. At a camp-meeting each had a tent. I watched when they were in a good frame, and in an intermission of services I went to the leader's tent, and told him he and his wife should take a walk with me. He asked, ' Where to ?' I answered, ' To your father-in-law's tent.' He begged to be excused. *I told him I mu.tand would see them together.' He said, 'Then let us meet in the woods back of the tents.' To this I 442 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. agreed, and added, ' You and your wife go from your tent in such a direction.' I went to the old man's tent, and told him he and his wife should take a walk with me. He agreed, and I started in a certain direction. They followed me. Before we got far we met the son-in-law and his wife coming toward us. They met, face to face, and I intro- duced them to each other. They shook hands doubly, em- braced each other, and wept. I wept too, and we all wept together. Satan's snare was broken ; they talked together after a silence of months ; their families were like new friends in the way to heaven; they lived and died in friendship and love, as far as I know. Thank the Lord for camp-meetings and great grace." — J. Oruher, GRUBER AND THE YOUNG LAWYER. The first quarterly meeting I attended in Pittsburgh was held in a private house, T. Cooper's. There were two large rooms and an entry, all filled. We had a good work, souls converted, and believers edified. After preaching one night, and while praying with mourners in the front room, some one fired a squib m the back room. We sung on, " Shout, shout, we're gaining ground, The power of God is coming down." The squib-fellow ran. " When Christians pray, the devil runs, And leaves the field to Zion's sons." He was brought before a justice of the peace the next day. He was a young man, who was learning to he a lawyer, and told a lie in denying what he had done, but could not stick to it. When the case came on, he plead guilty. Some of our official members were sent for, and requested to say what they wanted done with the young man. They said, ' Don't hurt him ; we do not want him punished : all we want is peace, and liberty to worship without being inter JACOB GRUBER. 44.1 nipted.' The judge made him stand and hold up his hand, while he gave him a severe lecture, made him pay a fine, wid let hira run, and learn to do better. We had no more squibs there. The Methodists soon built a meeting-hous9, prospered, increased, and became a city station ; they built a house for worship, and I know not what all." — J, Qruber, GRUBER RKPUTIXG A PROVERB. Still water runs deep is an old adage that has passed into a proverb; but Jacob Gruber controverted it in a s»irmon which he preached a number of years since at Allentown, New-Jersey. He used to shout aloud the praises of God, and contended that it was Scriptural. In answering the objections to shouting, he noticed this, " Still water runs deep." " Not so," said he ; " still water doen not run at all, for if it run it would not be still. Fur- thermore, still water is not so pure as the water that runs. It becomes stagnant, slimy, and breeds tad-poles." — Isaiah Toy, GRUBER AND THE QUAKER. "In the year 1814, I was stationed in Baltimore city sta- tion. There were four preachers. Sharp-street and Asbury wefe included, each having a regular appointment there. It was understood that the preacher whose name was second on the plan should attend to the coloured people's business ; 80 they called me their elder. One of their official men soon told me that they had persecution at Sharp-street, by the Quakers, for having too much noise in their meetings. They had complained to the grand jury, who sent for an old Friend, whose house was near the meeting-house, to know about the noise, which some said was a nuisance in the neighbourhood, &c. The old Friend said the noise did not hurt him, so they found no bill. An old Friend soon called on me to let me know he had heard I had charge of tho 20 ji 444 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. coloured people ; that they were very unruly, and hard to govern and to keep quiet; that he lived near Sharp-street meeting-house, and that he would assist me in getting them into order. I thanked him for his kindness, told him that 1 would do all I could to get them right and good, and that much allowance ought to be made for them ; many were slaves and ignorant, and ought to be pitied and instructed. I said I was told, that one night last winter, an old man went into their meeting while they were singing and praying, put out some of the lights, raised his staff", and ordered them out of the house, to break up their meeting. lie said, ' That was me.' 'What!' said I, 'did you do that?' He said, ' Yes.' I said, ' What would you say if one of them had come into your meeting, and found you sitting silent, had raised his stick, knocked off yo\ir hats, and told you to clear out ? This is not the way to rship ! What ! to set here at ease, nodding and plotting; no praying or preaching, no crying aloud, showing the people their sins, nor getting their souls converted. Some of them were ignorant enough 10 think they had liberty, in this free country, to worship as the Spirit led them, as well as others. I said, I was sorry when the noisy Methodists and silent Quakers were near neighbours.* " I saw, some Sunday mornings, companies of men op- posite Sharp-street meeting-house, on the pavement, readmg the newspaper, while the coloured people were singing and praying, «fec. This would disturb the readers. ' What,' says he, 'does thee think it wrong to read a newspaper on the first day?' I said, ' It is not setting a good example to the coloured people, nor to any that go along the street ; for it is written, ' Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' I inquired, ' How many coloured members have you in your meeting ?' He said, ' Not any here.' ' What, not any in Baltimore ?' ' No.' ' What a pity ! If you had, we could see you keep them in order,' &c. He said, ' Friends had 8'mie in their society in New- York.' I told him we could JACOB (JKUBER. 445 not go to New- York for a pattern. ' Begin in good earnest here, and get coloured people into your meeting, get them converted, show as n:uch friendsiiip for their kouIs as jur their bodies; then you can show us what a fine, j)lai;i, relig- ious society of negroes you have, and we will take pattern by it, if you have a more excellent way. But tell me, nave you not complaints against Light-street mcclings at night T He said, ' Yes,' he thought it would be best not to have night meetings. I told him to go and get the white people right and in order, which would take him awhile and keep him busy. He never came back to help me." — J Gruher. i GRUBER'S PRAYER FOR KING GEORGE. HIS VIEWS OF THE HORRORS OF WAR. *' In Baltimore we laboured successfully, though in the midst of the war, and had a large increase. I do not recollect the number among the whites, but we added mure than five hundred to Sharp-street and Asbury. There were between forty and fifty classes in that charge. We had a very severe and trying time, ' fightings without and fears within.' The soldiers encamped around the city. I tried to preach to them twice. Had another appointment to preach to thera on a Sunday afternoon, but while I was trying to preach at Light-street, in the morning, the nlarni was given that the British soldiers were landing at North Point. My meeting concluded, some were in a hurry to get away, some were much alarmed, some said I was frightened and prayed for the king after this manner, 'Lord, bless King George; convert him, and take him to heaven ; we have enough and want no more of him.' Right or wrong as the prayer was, not a few said. Amen. Soon after, instead of preparing to hear me in the afternoon, the soldiers marched and prepared to give the king's soldiers a warm and wonderful salutation and recep- tion, and send as many of them as they could to heaven or hell, without praying the Lord to convert them. 446 THE HEROES O' METHODISM. " I will not attempt to doscribr, the glory of the day and niffht of the bombardment, the bombs and rockets H\ ' nr in their sublime beauty and glory ; this has been done loni; ago in a masterly and superlative manner. Still there were persons, even in Baltimore, that did not liko nor love the war, blamed Madison for it, said his administration was like the street called by his name, it began at the poor- house, went past the jail, then past the penitentiary, and ended on Gallows Hill. Some delight in war, and sail in the storm, and live in fire. " The most painful funeral I attended was that of one of our members who was killed in battle, and was buried with the honours ot war, as they called it. From such honours the good Lord preserve and keep me. I had rather be buried with the honours of Lazarus the beggar, than to have them shoot into my grave as though they wanted to kill me again, and then fire upward after ?ny spirit as though they wanted to kill that too. What pains are taken, and what expenses are brought on families and the public, to make death and destruction both honourable and glorious !" — J. Oruher, GRUBER'S PRAYER FOR A MINISTER. At a certain place Mr. Gruber preached in a house where the Presbyterians preached a part of the day, and the Meth- odists the other. The parties had an understanding that they were not to preach on disputed points, or to interfere with eacli other's sentiments. One morning the young Presbyterian preacher held forth, and, forgetful of the understanding in regard to not preaching on disputed points, he mad a very rough-shod attack upon Methodism, and was very \. .cer in his denunciations as well as very incorrect in his representations. Mr. Gruber was there and heard him. When the minister had finished his dis- course, he called upon iMr. Gruber to conclude by prayer He did so ; and prayed for many things ; and, as is cufjtomary , JACOB GKUBER. 447 he praye<^ for the minister. " Lord," said he, " bless the preiiclier who has preached to us this morning, and grant to make his heart as ^oft as his head is, and then he'll do some good." — Hev. 0. Pitman. GRUBER'S HORSE IMMERSED. " Mr. Gruber wai returning from the Philadelphia Conference, which was held in Smyrna, Del. lie was in company with Rev. Joseph Lybrandt, Rev. Edward Page, and several others. They all rode on horseback. As they journeyed along, they had a discussion on water baptism. Mr. Gruber strongly opposed the mode of baptism by immersion, assigning reasons against it. While the dispute was going on, they came to a stream of water of considerable size, which they must pass through. They paused to let their horses drink. Father Gruber's horse seemed determined to wade into the deepest water and then lie down, immersing himself and partly his rider. The preachers laughed at him most heartily, and told Mr. Gruber, if he did not believe in immersion his horse did." — Mev. E, Page. i i'. gruber's sermon at ST. GEORGE'S, PHILADELPHIA. "Mr. Gruber had been stationed in that charge, I believe, in 1828, but for some cause a request was made to have him removed at the end of the year, which was accordingly done, not altogether to the satisfaction of Brother G. At the end of the next year, while in attendance at the Conference in 1830, Brother G. was appointed to preach one evening in St. George's. He took for his text, Psa. Ixxxiv, 4, * Blessed are they that dwell in thy house : they will be still praising thee :' and no doubt recollecting his treatment in the past, he felt disposed to let his hearers know it, by making some witty and cuttiniij allusions, &c. The sermon was well arrang- ed, and the matter was in the general very instructive. 448 THE IIKKOES OF METUODISM. \{ Under the head of the character of those who ' dwell in the house of the Lord,'' I distinctly recollect three characler- istics : " 1. The?/ are an humble people, willing to occupy a huraV>le place in the Church, indt;ed, any place, so that they might be permitted to ''bide in the Church ; but there were some people who were so proud and ambitious that, unless they could be like the first king of Israel, from the shoulders up higher than everybody else, they wouldn't come into the house at all, but hang about the doors. '' 2. Thci/ were a contented j^eople. If everything did not exactly suit them, they made thj best of it, and tried to get along as well as they could, but there are many who are so uneasy and fiiniself, and believed that an ambassador of Christ should be like his Master, "meek and lowly ;" that he should ^;e cloti.otl with humility. He did not believe in supertlui^'es ia any one, much less in a preacher of the Go.«[)el. On one of his circuits he had a co\- league who stood high in his own estimation, and was dis- posed to magnify his office. This minister's dL'portment, as well as his costume, were so dirtl-rent from those of most Methodist ministers, that Mr. Gruber was exceedingly tried with him ; and said the minister that was on the circuit with him was '' the only dandy he ever travelled with." It wjis not long before the dandy left the Metliodist Episcopal Church. But we will permit Mr. Gruber to tell his own story, in which tlie reader cannot fail to be inter- ested ; and no doubt, in conclusion, will pray, fiom all such "d»ndy preachers," good Lord deliver us. "At the Conference in 1825, Bishop George gave me an easy circuit — Burlington, in Jersey ; but told me he unde^ stood it was too small, and requested me to enlarge it JACOB GRUBER. 4ftl " I had some painful exercises. My colleague was a nat- ural dandy. He took rest days to go fishing and hunting. Rome of the members requested me to ask him to call and see them : some were sick. He went past their houses, with gun, dandies, and dogs, but did not call. When I spoke to him about it, he said he did not go to see those who did not send for him, or invite hitn. 1 told him they had not in- vited us to the circuit; but, as we were sent, they would expect us to do our duty as Methodist Dreachers. He said lie wonld go to see such as sent for him. I asked him if the birds and fishes had sent for him, when he went after them. He said he did not answer such questions. He got himself a gig to ride in, as the road was sandy and level. He had a good young horse, excellent to ride, but not so good in a gig : ho would stop, or go backward, instead of forward. Some- times an old man and woman would have to help to pull and push on and off the hcrse, gig and preacher, to get him along to his appointments. However, instead of getting a saddle, and riding as >i yoimg man ought to do, lie let a man have his young horse for a mare not so young, and gave him his note foi- about forty dollars to pay for value reiiclvi d, when the man, not long after, would not have given the horse for t |a Innifi- So much for dandy economy. However, he had ||io honour of gigging about in style. It was said, in one place, he drove up to a gate. A man came out to ask what was wanting, when the preacher asked for a coal of lire to light his cigar. '|'fie unln brought the lire, and the preacher ofi'ered him a cigar ; but the man would not take it, but fuid, ' I don't serve the devil in that way.' But the best and the last of the dandy preacher was, that in a few years he turned reformer, (no one needed reform more ;) and it is to be hoped he cured himself with ' nundjer six,' instead of tobacco; and, as chaplain or high priest of flie grand knige, did himself honour. So mote it be. I never was so uid'or- tunate before as to liave a dandy sportsman for my colleague, kiiul never wish to have one again. There was one Sovereign, 452 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. one King, and only one real Dandy in the conference."* — J, Gruher. ' • GRUBER CATCHING A TADPOLE. ht-^ "^j t-i I EJ1 f. 'i' The following anecdote was related to me some years ago by the late Dr. Pitman, when in one of his pleasant moods. "Jacob Gruber was holding an evening meeting at a cer- tain place, and he invited penitents forward. One came for- ward in deep distress of mind. Mr. Gruber never liked to leave a contrite one until the broken heart was bound up. This time he continued the meeting very late, and they prayed earnestly for the conversion of the man. At last a brother inquired, ' if he did not know that man r.t the altar for prayers had been drinking too much liquor?' He said 'he thought not' 'Then go smell his ^•';:ih,' said the man, ' and you will be satisfied.' He diu ::c, and found the man was quite spiritual. He took hold of his arm, and told him to rise, and he walked with him deliberately to the door, and opened it, and said to the man, ' You can go, sir ;' and turning round, he said, 'Brethren, we read that the disciples toiled all night and caught nothing; we have toiled till twelve o'clock, and caught a tadpole.^ Thus ended the evening »» service. GRUBER SEATING THE PEOPLE AT CAMP-MEETINGS. " Mr. Gruber once attended a camp-meeting where there wt.s a difficulty in getting the people seated. The liorn bad blown for preaching, and the presiding elder was trying to induce the people to take seats. Very courteously he said, 'The ** The Philadelphia Conference was not then divided, and he plays a little upon tlie names of some of the members — Rev. Thomas Sovereign, Rev. H. G. Kinj?, and Rev. James H r-auftr— all pood men and true, who still war with the cneirivs ol" Miirigh* eousuc»s. JACOB GKUBER. gentlemen will be kind enough to take seats on the right, and the ladies on the left.' But he made no impression on them. Mr. Gruber jumped up; said he, 'Let me try.' He then said, 'Presiding elder, you called them "gentlemen and ladies ;" they did n't know what you meant. Boys, come right along and take seats here ; Gals, come along and take seats there.'' It was said in such a comical way, that all were delighted with his oddity, and smiling, they immediately complied with his request, and the minister proceeded with his sermon." — D. Ostrander. " At another camp-meeting they found it exceeding diffi- cult to get the people seated. A number of ladies were standing on the seats, and refused to comply with a request that was perfectly reasonable. Mr. Gruber said, ' If that young lady standing on the bench knew what a great hole she has in her stocking, she would certainly sit down.' They, not knowing who he meant, each supposed that he meant her, and they all sat down suddenly, as quick as possible. "A preacher, after the discourse, asked hiiii if he saw a hole in one of their stockings ? He said, ' No.' ' How dare you say so then ?' Said Mr. Gruber, in his quizzical man- ner, ' Did you ever know a stocking without a hole in it?' " — Rev. Edward Page, Mi! GRUBER REQUESTED TO PREACH "NICE AND FINE. When Mr. Gruber preached in Camden, New-Jersey, his preaching was, as usual, plain and pointed : he wrapped no silk around the sword of the Spirit, for fear it would be too sharp. Some thought its edge was too keen, and requested the re- cording steward to speak to Brother Gruber, and desire him to be more particular and systematic in his discourses. " iVh ! very well, brother, you want me to preacli very nice and fine when I come to Camden among the fa-shionablc people: I'll try." 454 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. When he came round again, the house was crowded, to liear Brother Gruber preach " nice and fine." The discourse was arranged in the most logical order, delivered in correct style, and showed his capability to preach systematically ; but such a scorching as those nice, smooth sentences, and well- arranged divisions, and masterly arguments, all combined to execute upon any deficient in the requisites of perfect piety, such a beautiful scorching as " Jacob" sent to those deserv- ing it that day, did not require a repetition. After that day Mr. Gruber was permitted to preach in his oion way, without suggestions or dictations. — Rev. G. A. Bayhold. GRUP '.K L\ !) NOT Il^OVE TO STEAL. Not long before his death, Mr. Gruber sent a communication to the Book Room, in which he commented upon one of the hymns in the new book. He said he did not like the hymr which commences " I love to steal awhile away." He said there was no truth in it. He did not love to steal. He did not love to steal, at home nor " away " from home. This was his method of showing his dislike for this hymn. Perhaps he would have disliked it worse, if he had known what awkward work would have been made in singing it. It is said that a minister in Bridgeport, Connecticut, gave out this hymn. The chorister (vmnienoe. that he was unable to set the tune. Tht* same thing occurred in a class-meeting OMineet^ with the church of which I am pasf r. A brother A^mmenced singin^.: "I love to steal," but he v\>uKl not get le riglit tune; and Imi \ JACOB GRUBER. 455 kept trying, repeating, "I love to steal — I love to steal — I love to steal awhile." It was too much for the gravity of the class. A circle of smiles went all around ; the brother who vfs\s trying to sing also smiled, and gave it up, after testifying to his love for stealing. These examples may show that the shrewd old German was right in his dislike to the hymn that commences with such a singular declaration as this : " I love to steal." GRUBER MISQUOTING A TEXT. To the late lamented Dr. Pitman I am indebted for the fol- lowiiio; incident : Mr. Gruber was preaching in Smyrna, Delaware, during the session of the Philadelphia Annual Conference. He took his text from I John, iii, 2 : " Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall le," &c. He read it, " Now are we the children of God," &c. A young brother, seated near the altar, thought he would correct his mistake, and cried out, " Now are we the sons of God." Mr. Gruber paused, and gave the young man a significant look ; and then, in his own peculiar style, said, with a kind of lisp, *'I guess I know th;it as well as you do; but I di^'>Jemey. He was never partial to that State ; he called 450 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. it " the land of peaches and sweet potatoes." He wished his left-handed friends to understand that he had not forgotten them. " I finished my work as well as I could in the charge ; but when conference came my presiding elder had not much to say for me. However, Dr. S., and some who were intimate with Bishop R., told me that wrong statements had been made to the bishops, and before they knew better they had committed themselves ; so my appointment came out for Gloucester circuit in 1829. Some said it was tiie hardest circuit in the Jersey district, a large four weeks' circuit; but I had an excellent colleague, brother Greenbank, in his first year. We laboured harmoniously and successfully together. We had a good work pretty generally through the circuit. We laboured hard, but not in vain. We had a good reward in hand, in heart, and yet to come, when all is done. "One time, on my way to see my family, riding along the street through the city, one of my left-handed friends spoke to me, and said, among other things, that I was riding a very fine horse. I answered, ' There is no knowing what a poor fellow may come to. There has l>een a great change; last year I was here in the city, had to walk every day, labour harder than a slave, was' kicked away like a dog — and now 1 ride like a gentleman. Farewell.' " GRUBER'S REBUKE OF VANITY IN A YOUNG PREACHER. Mr. Gruber detested clerical pride and vanity. Perhaps he was sometimes too severe on young preachers, because they did not come up to his standard. In 1829 a camp-meeting was held in Chester circuit, Pennsylvania, in a grove near W"est-Chester. Many preachers were there. A young tal- ented brother preached twice, and preached able sermons. Father Gruber thought he was " {mtied up," and he con- cluded he would try and lessen his dimensions. Several ministers were in the preacher's tent. Father Gruber was JACOB GIIUBER. 45 f;*» there, and the preacher who had expounded the word. Mr. Gruber related in the presence of this preacher, and what was supposed to be at the time for his special benefit, an in- cident which took place at a camp-meeting near Baltimore. He said, " A young minister was there and preached, and no one said anything about the sernjon, either criticizing, commending, or condemning. So the young man went into the preacher's tent and introduced the matter by saying, ' Brethren, I never preached from that text before, and never heard it preached from, and I do not know what you think of my arrangement V Then that shrewd old man, who \vas a discerner of spirits, Rev. Joshua Wells, replied, * If you had said nothing about it, I should not, but since you in- quire, I'll give you my opinion ; it is this, it was like a mess of tadpoles, all heads and no tails.' Thus the young preacher stood reproved in the presence of his brethren, and anxious to have something said about his discourse, some- thing was said, exceedingly mortifying to ministerial pride." As soon as Mr. Gruber had related this, and the young man was making the application, a local preacher well ac- quainted with Mr. Gruber, said to him, " Father Gruber, how came you to be so much like the young man you have described in your preaching yesterday ?" Father Gruber, not at all disconcerted, replied, " Why, I knew the people here did not like flesh nor fish, so I thought I would give them a mess of tadpoles." He had the day before taken a strong stand against depending on the " internal light," on which the Quakers lay so much stress. His text was, " Take heed, therefore, that the liglit which is in thee be not darkness," ifec. GRUBER AND THE REFORMERS. "In the year 1828, I was stationed in Philadelphia. The fetation embraced. St. George's, Ebenezer, Salem, and Naza- reth churches. There were four of us. Brothers Doughty, 468 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. Scott, Thompson, and myself. Brother S. Doughty had the charge, having been there the year before. He boarded near St. George's ; my boarding-house was near Ebenezer. Brother Doughty died after harvest. Three of us had to do the work of four the most part of the year. The labour was hard, preaching, classes to meet, and other meetings to attend, the sick to visit day and night. Some said I attended more funerals than any preacher in the city ; almost at every one's beck and call ; but the Lord helped me, and I got along, with fear and trembling, better than I expected. Having charge after the death of Brother Doughty, li:nowing something about the station, and how critical and contrary some were, we got along with tolerable peace and quiet, had good meetings, and some success. In a quarterly conference I unfortunately appealed from the de- cision of the presiding elder, a good little man. He took it as a great offence, and remembered me at another time, in some other way. In this year the great reform took place in Baltimore, which was ' the match to set fire to the train laid from Georgia to Maine, to blow up the Methodist Episcopal Church.' Word came to Philadelphia that many local preachers were expelled, and many private members had left the Church, and that the Meiliodist Episcopal Church was ruined by tyrannical preachers, (fee. Some came to me inquiring whether we had not better call an official meeting to express our views about the Baltimore excitement and doings, and guard our own rights. Some spoke and wrote much about ' mutual rights,' and were do- ing mutual wrong all the time. I told them we would mind our own business. I was acquainted in Baltimore with the head men among the reformers ; let them reform what they can : but, said I, if we were to hear that a fire had broken out in Baltimore, should we ring the fire-bells in this city and get the fire companies out ? No, let us wait till the fire breaks out here, then ring the fire-bells and go to work to put out the fire, ami take care and add no fuel JACOB GKUBER. 4.')9 After a while, a local preaclier told me, he would leave the Methodist Episcopal Church. I said, We are in a free coun- try. Soon after another local preacher went to the pre- siding elder, and got a certificate, and went away from us ; and some of the members went too ; but, altogether, not more than about twenty, while I was in the station. At a distance it was r. ported that a great many had left the Methodist Episcopal Church in the city, preachers and meui bers. When some inquired of me how many preachers had gone from us, I told exactly. They were 'Cramer and Cropper, and t len it was Dunn,' that is, altogether three. I understood they did not harmonize together long, neither preachers nor members. The preachers wanted to be bish- ops or something else, and the members did not like to be Crammed, nor Cropped, nor Dunned, so their meeting- house was shut up, or sold, or — it is none of my business what." GRUBER'S TEMPERAXCE LECTURE. " In 1 830 my appointment was on Salem circuit It included a tolerably large sp;ice of country, Salem and oilier towns. Here I found my old friend. Father T. Ware, who gave me my first licence to preach, and took my recommendation to the Philadelphia Conference. Sister Ware's first husband took me into society. " When in Salem, one evening, the president of the tem- perance society requested me to go with him to a meeting. A young Baptist preacher read a piece very severe against rum-drinking, stating how it ruined families, men of talents, doctors, lawyers, and even ministers""; how it defiled courts, aiiu even churches and pulpits. He read hard words; and, wli a he was done, the president said if any stranger had ftnytliing to say, there was time. I took the hint, and, as a stranger, made a few remarks, stati :: that severe things had been said against drinking, and it would be a kindnesi) to 30 IMAGF EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 !|fi^ KM I.I 1^ Ib 2.0 I.& 1.25 y. III.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation / o ''/ ^-z % <>^ c\ \ -r', ^ r^v V o N 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 1 %^ :%^ Qr m 460 THE HEKOifiS OF METHODISM. point out a course to prevent thirst, and to give advice to BucL as were almost continually under a salivation. Churches were polluted by rum-drinkers, and so they were by some who use a stimulus called tobacco. Look on the floor of a church, on the men's side, if you have a strong stomach ! See, see ! spatteration 1 slaveratlon ! fi ! fi ! Where did all that come from ? From the drainings of a dung-hill ? No, no ; be decent ; don't tell ! Look in some pulpits and see self-denial, or can you only hear it ? Well, faith comes by hearing ; but the best sermon a preacher can preach would have no relish for some if it was not seasoned by tobacco. As soon as the preacher takes his text, some take a chew io brighten their ideas, and spice what they hear. Why not allow another poor fellow to take out of his pocket a fia^k, and take a dram, to brighten his ideas and stimulate his devotion ? While I was dropping rny hints there was a wonderful wiping, not of eyes, but of mouths. I was not invited to speak again in that place about either rum at tobacco." 3! GRUBER AND JOHN ENGLISH. When Jacob Gruber travelled Cumberland circuit, in West Jersey, a man by the name of John English resided there, who was a member of the Church, and applied for licence to preach. It was concluded that if he had "grace," he had not " gifts," and the application was not granted. He was exceedingly dissatisfied to think his talents were not appreciated ; and he resolved to leave the Church, and go where he could obtaiii licence. He applied to Mr. Gruber, stating, that for fifteen years he had been dissatisfied with the Methodist Episcopal Church ; with its government, with its bishops, its presiding elders, as well as the circuit preach- ers. Mr. Gruber told him, " At the church, to-morrow, we will attend to your certificate," After he had preached and met the class, Mr. Gruber introduced the case of Mr. English JACOB GRUBER. 461 Said he, " My brethren and sisters, here is John English, who has been for fifteen years dissatis^fied with the Methodist Epis- copal Church; all you who are opposed to his witlidrawing rise up." No one rose up. Turning to John English, says he, " There, your'e out." Said Mr. English, " I would like my certificate," Said Mr. Gruber, " I will call and leave it to-mor- row." The next day Mr. Gruber rode up before his door, on horseback, and Mr. English invited him to come in ; but he could not stay, the " King's business required haste." " Here is your certificate, sir," said Mr. Gruber, Mr. English, with surprise, read the following: "This certifies that the bearer, John English, has been for fifteen years a dissatisfied member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and has withdrawn on the day of in 1832. "J. Gruber, " Preacher in Charge." m sided for Mr. English said he did not want any such certificate as that; but be wanted one to certify his standing in the Church. Said Mr. Gruber, "Does not that certificate tell the truth ? Did you not tell me that for fifteen years you had been dissatisfied with the Church." " Certainly," said Mr. English. Mr. Gruber replied, " Then, as that certificate tells the truth, you have no cause of complaint, and can have no other," and rode oflF. Mr. English joined the Protestant Methodist Church. He made application for licence to preach, and they granted it. Oft have they done it to their sorrow, by licencing men who left us, because we chose to hurt their feelings by refusing rather than licencing them, and sent them out to hurt the feelings of almost all who listened to them. After he was licenced there, ho wished to be received into the travelling connexion ; but they had discovered that he had no talents for the work, that he never could sustain him.self, that he would injure himself, and injure the cause, and they refused to admit him. This 462 THE HEROES OF METJIODISM. displeased him about as iruch as the refusal to licence him to preach ; and as he saw many things in that Church that did not please him, he became a dissatisfied member of it, and came back to his old mother Church, asking to be received simply as a privace member ; willing to take the lowest place, to sit at the feet of his brethren and learn, giving up all idea of p-eaching as a local or travelling preacher. He came back one of the most humble, childlike men, and lived and died an humble Christian. — Hev. Sedgwick Rassling. GRUBER'S DESCRIPTION OF "FEEBLE CHRISTIANS." He was preaching on Dauphin Circuit, and he showed how some ought to be men that are children — babes. He said, "Tli^re are a great many people in the Church, who have been in it a long time, that ought to be able to be fed with meat; but they are so feeble they can only endure milk ; and they cannot endure pure milk, they nust have it well wa- tered, and administered to them in very small quantities with a tea-spoon. They musb be some relation to the ' conies,' which are described by the Psalmist as a ' very feeble folk.' " — Rev. G. D. Bowen, It GRUBER'S CONVERT. On Dauphin circuit, a young lady who had been converted through his instrumentality, and whom he had received into the Church, approached hirVi, smiling. She was dressed most fashionably. When she had told him who she was, and the relation he sustained to her as her spiritual father, he replied, " I thought you were one of my converts ; if you were the Lord's, you would not be dressed so fine, nor have those posies in your hat." GRUBER ON BORROWED PHRASES. *'Why do Methodists trespass on other denoniinational phrases! Why do we hear, or read, of 'session rooms JACOB GRUBER. 463 for our members ? Why do we read of a member coming into a circuit, or station, * by letter V Why not say, ' by certificate V Why do we read about a number being ' hope- fully converted ?' Do we hope, or do they hope ? or who is full of it? Is it not better to be filled with 'joy and peace in believing?' Another thing : Why have we had so much about parsonages, parsonages ? It will be a dark and stormy day when the Methodist preachers all become parsons. Would it not be more agreeable to many of our members, and to our economy, to say preacher^s house .*' I hope you will not think ha>d of my queries. I would write sometliing about the support of the n^inistry, and not forget the local parsons ; but fear many would say, ' We have had too much on that subject already ; peace, let us have a little rest in these hard times.' I would like to give several hints, about several things; but this is a cloudy day. I remain, your old-fashioned friend, — J. GruberJ^ GRUBER AND THE "LONG SHORT DRESSES." " ' Father Gruber,' it is well known, was rather a stickler ^or plainness in everything, and especially in apparel. Nothing could be more oflfensive to him than any, even the least, disposition to copy the fashions of the world. Thirty-five or forty years since, when presiding elder, he attended a camp-meeting held in the neighbourhood of Franklin, Ven- ango County, Pennsylvania. It was about the time a cer- tain kind of female attire, then known as the ^petticoat and hahit^ came first into fashionable, and then general, use. The latter article somewhat resembled a gentleman's coatee, and, associated with the other garment, rather tended to a graceful display of the female form. Some of the 'better Bort ' of Methodist young ladies, dressed after the new fashion, attended the camp-meeting in question. Their appearance attracted the by no means favourable regards of the presiding elder. So displeased was he, indeed, that he determined, if 464 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. possible, to inflict upon them a public mortification. The opportunity soon occurred. During some of the social exer- cises, these young fashionables, grouped together, were sing- ing a hymn very popular in those days, but much less so, I am happy to say, in these modern times, of which the last line of each verse was a kind of chorus, * I wart to get to heaven, my long sought rest ;' in which they were most cordially joined by the presiding elder. They perceived hirr. in their midst : and, inspired by the presence of so distin- guished a functionary, sang on with more than ordinary zeal and pathos. At length, however, it was discovered by those standing next to him, that when the presiding elder came to the closing line of the verse, instead of * following copy,' as the printers say, he sang, ' I want to get to heaven, with my long, short dress P As fast as they detected the variation, they stopped singing ; nrst one, then another, and then an- other, till all had ceased save the elder. But so far was he from stopping, that he really seemed to acquire momentum from progress ; so that when he had engrossed the entire attention of the whole social circle, he was still singing at the top of his voice, and to the unutterable chagrin and mortification of the young sisters, ' I want to get to heaven, with my long, short dress P It is hardly necessary to add, that the 'long short dresses' were quite scarce during the rest of the meeting." Zeta. GRUBER ATTENDING TO THE ELEVENTH COMMAND- MENT. Mr. Gruber was on his way to be married to Mrs. Martin, his second wife. A brother who had talked much about the affair, and tried to prevent the " match," met Mr. Gru- ber, knew on what errand he was going, and thought he would quiz him a little. He inquired, "Brother Gruber, where are you going ?" Said he, " I am going to attend to JACOB GilUBER. 465 the eleventh commandment, * Mind your own business.'' " He then drove on adding no more, and very soon, Mrs. Mar- tin was Mrs. Gruber. — Rev. G. D. Bowen. GKUBER'S LAST INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP ASBURY. ** The last time I saw Bishop Asbury, was among the Alle- ghany Mountains, not a year before he went to heaven. He was going out to the West, and I was coming East. He stopped. I tied my horse to a tree, went and sat with him in his carriage, and talked about half an hour. I shall never forget his earnest look and expressions, such as, ' O, if I w£.s young I would cry aloud ! I would lift up my voice like a trumpet I O, what pride, conformity to the world, and following its fashions I Many of our people are going to ruin, Warn them, warn them, while you have strength and time. Be faithful to do your duty.' I parted with him while he asked the Lord to bless me. I had many tears to wipe from my eyes, fearing I never should see him again to time. O may I get near enough to see him in heaven ! Amen." — J. Oruber. GRUBER ON HIGH EKADS AND ENORMOUS BONNETS. ** We have no love-feast tickets here to give our members, as they have in the city, but we have the discipline, which forbids giving tickets to those who wear high heads, enor- mous bonnets, ruffles, or rings. How do preachers or mem- bers get over that in the city ? Or how do they explain the rule ? May I write how some explained it in old tinips ; high heads meant three story hats, one story for the head, another for the pocket-handkerchief, and the third for a few dozen cigars. Enormous bonnets were some things for women's heads, so large and enormously ugly, that it took more than a yard of something to cover them, or to keep the wind from blowing them away. High heads have pass 466 THE HEROES OF METHODISM. ed away and flat heads are in their place. Little, Ktt?* tilings in the place (A enormous bonnets, not large enough to shade the nose, so a shade has to be carri»;d oyer it. Ruffles are almost as silly and needless as artificials and bows, and rings are as round, wrong, and needless as ever they were in this world." — J. Gruber, GRUBER'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CIRCUIT WHEN IW HI3 SEVENTIETH YEAR. Nl There is 8on>ething lovely in the appearance of an agecF minister of the Gospel, an oU hero of a humlred battles^ still wielding the sword of tlw Spirit; still conquering new enemies, achieving new victories, gathering fresh laurels. How beautiful was Paul tl>e aged, the hero of heroes. Wo- look upon the aged We^ey, and Asbury at work till the- last hour, with profound admiration ; and who can read this^ letter of the old veteran, Gruber, who had plenty of mean;* on whit^ he could retire, still as zealous and active as ever ; uever thinking of resting till he rested in Abraham's bosom, never thinking of locating, till he located in the neighbour- hood of the throne of God. " My circuit (Shirleyaburg) is not large, sixteen or seventeen appointments for four weeks. 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