3** 
 
 RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 IN THE 
 
 CITY OF LINCOLN: 
 
 WITir CURSORY REMARKS OX SOME PLACES AXl, PERSONS IN T 
 
 M;OUXDIXG cracrnTs, iM'r.ATixa TO SOME IK. 
 
 CIKCi:-' g AXD ODTl CHARACTi 
 
 WITH ANECDOTES, ETC'.. 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 GEORGE BARRATT. 
 
 J, I N (' Ci I, N : 
 
 bTKEET, ST. JIAP.TIN's.
 
 UCSB LIBRA'RY 

 
 RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 eijwirism aitfr 
 
 CITY OF LINCOLN; 
 
 WITH CURSORY REMAKKS OX SOME PLACES AND PERSONS IN THK 
 
 SURROUNDING CIRCUITS, RELATING TO SOME INCIDENTAL 
 
 CIRCUMSTANCES AND ODD CHARACTERS, TOGETHER 
 
 WITH ANECDOTES, ETC., 
 
 BS" THE LATE 
 
 GEORGE BARRATT. 
 
 LINCOLN : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CHARLES AKRILL, HIGH-STREET, ST. MARTIN'S. 
 
 MDCCCLXVr.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 BEING frequently urged by a friend of mine to write some of my 
 recollections of Methodism and of the Methodists in Lincoln, and of 
 some persons and places contiguous thereto, I, with much reluctance, 
 at last was induced to make an attempt, not even hoping to produce 
 anything satisfactory to myself or to others. Those matters which 
 came immediately under my own observation are faithfully recorded ; 
 to those which I have drawn from other sources, I have used the 
 phrases " perhaps," or " probably," or " I suppose;" but such phrases 
 do not belong so much to facts, as to circumstances belonging to them. 
 It may appear to some ridiculous in me to write a word on such a 
 matter, just in the depth of the winter of life ; never having thought of 
 such a thing all my days, excepting that, many years ago, I wrote two 
 small paragraphs for the Stamford Mercury. I have a poor opinion of 
 what I have written. Those who please to read the thing, will find it 
 no hard matter to do so ; and they who refuse to read it, will have a 
 still easier task to perform. 
 
 I, in pure goodwill to all men, subscribe myself, 
 
 Their humble servant, 
 
 GEOEGE BAEEATT.
 
 .Z?y the Publisher. 
 
 THE following pages were written at my request having frequently 
 had the pleasure of listening to the stories of Methodism in byegone 
 days, as given by our aged friend and others, I felt that, ere long, much 
 of its early history in the neighbourhood would be lost for ever, unless 
 some one, actually connected with the Society's operations, should record 
 it, and finding my aged friend still possessed all the intellectual keen- 
 ness for which he had so long been renowned, I urged him to the task 
 this was made possible for him to accomplish, inasmuch as growing 
 infirmities had relieved him from his life's labour of weaving baskets, 
 which, he tells us, began at the early age of seven years : the title and 
 preface being finished during the last week of his life. These pages 
 make no pretension to literary merit, and I have judged it best to print 
 them with all our late friend's strongly marked peculiarities and 
 eccentricities; believing that they will be read by many with deep 
 interest, and, though there may be some expressions which might have 
 been refined, and some others which may possibly give offence, I have 
 not removed them, choosing to let our aged friend record his own views 
 
 and feelings. 
 
 CHAKLES AKRILL.
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF METHODISM AND OF 
 METHODISTS, IN LINCOLN. 
 
 This account will be principally confined to the writer's own 
 recollections : for what took place previously to those, he must 
 be allowed to have recourse to what available source he can 
 command. 
 
 "The first time Mr. Wesley preached in Lincoln was 
 on the 30th June, 1780, after he had been fifty years without 
 ever setting his foot in the place, as lie informs us himself. He 
 came over to Lincoln from Newark, at the request of some 
 gentleman of the former place, whose name I do not know. 
 The city crier having been employed to announce his intention 
 of preaching on the Castle-hill, a large crowd assembled at six 
 in the evening, to whom, under the canopy of heaven, he 
 preached the Word of Life. The day after, at ten in the morning, 
 they were as quiet as on the preceding evening, while on the same 
 spot of ground, he addressed them again. On this occasion the 
 following circumstance took place, which, though of no impor- 
 tance in itself, may properly be related, as tending to illustrate 
 the character and perseverance of the servant of God. About 
 the middle of his sermon a violent storm came on, when Mr. 
 Wood, the keeper, opening the door of the court-house, admitted 
 the preacher and the whole congregation in ; and Mr. Wesley, 
 taking his stand where the magistrates usually sat to administer 
 justice, proceeded in preaching the Gospel of God."* 
 
 Mr. Wesley visited Lincoln several times after this, preaching 
 on the Castle Hill, and in various other parts of the city. I 
 knew an old lady who said she heard him preach in Cooling's 
 
 * A. Watmough's History of Methodism in Lincolnshire.
 
 paddock, which was about opposite St. S within' s Passage; it 
 reached from the "Waterside South to the Sincil Dyke, which at 
 that time ran through what is now called Korman Street. The 
 paddock is now entirely filled with houses. 
 
 It does not appear that Mr. "Wesley succeeded in forming a 
 Society in Lincoln. "We hear of his preaching once in the first 
 chapel built by the Methodists, situate "Waterside South, opposite 
 the Ship Inn. 
 
 The old lady referred to appeared to have a lively recollection 
 of Mr. "Wesley's person, manner, and voice. She described his 
 personal appearance exactly as we see him in the likenesses of 
 him, published with the hymn book, &c. His long silvery hair 
 parted in the middle, which, when he stood up to address the 
 people, he stroked back with his hands, and which then hung 
 on his shoulders, gave him a most venerable appearance, which 
 seemed to overawe the hearers, who behaved themselves with 
 the greatest decorum ; he seemed to them, as the lady observed, 
 "more like an angel than a man," 
 
 " Gentle in manners as of heavenly birth;" 
 
 his voice she described as being very soft and feminine, more 
 like a woman's voice than that of a man. 
 
 One would suppose, from the favourable impression "Wesley 
 had made, or appeared to have made, on the people's minds, that 
 they would have been more tolerant to his followers. The 
 sequel will show, that, though the enemy was cowed in the 
 presence of "Wesley, and dared not show his cloven foot, he 
 concealed his hatred to the infant cause, which he knew was 
 likely to disturb his dark dominions, and quietly let "Wesley 
 slip through his fingers, as a man famed for learning, and so 
 likely to be tolerated by the people ; as of old, when Christ and 
 Paul cast out devils, he kept still, but, when their inferiors 
 attempted to do so, he attacked them violently, and overcame 
 them, saying, " Christ I know, and Paul I know; but who are 
 ye ?" I well remember what rancour was conceived and carried 
 out against certain individuals, who were induced to become 
 instructors of the people. Little did the people understand 
 to what degrees of excellence these men, whom they so much 
 despised, would be raised. 
 
 Amongst these was a Mr. Hannah, so frequently mentioned 
 by Mr. "Watmough, in his History of Methodism in Lincoln and
 
 Lincolnshire. I have some recollection of that angel of a man ; 
 my mother nursed one or more of his children : he used frequently 
 to call to see the child, when he never failed to give my parents 
 some suitable religious advice. I recollect, also, his presenting 
 my parents with a large sheet of paper, containing similar 
 matters, which they had framed and hung up in the house, as 
 they prized it very much. This person, who was an articled clerk 
 in an office in Lincoln, laboured and studied most assiduously 
 being filled with the love of God and man, and God frequently 
 owned his labours in a very signal manner. But, alas ! how 
 inscrutable are the ways of God ! this good young man, whose 
 labours seemed so indispensable, was early taken home to his 
 reward; leaving the little Church to mourn, for its loss was 
 great indeed. 
 
 Another who came into the field was a Mr. Daniel Isaac, a 
 schoolmaster in Lincoln, a man of amazing strength of intellect, 
 whom few men could approach in argument. We shall, perhaps, 
 have occasion to mention him in some other relations, ere we 
 finish these trashy lines. 
 
 And then the great Richard Watson, than whom, perhaps, 
 scarcely any other man gained so large a share of popularity. 
 I remember how these men were snuffed at, and what contumely 
 was cast on them, and with what virulence and hatred they were 
 spoken of; so true is it that a prophet has little honour in his 
 own neighbourhood. The dislike of the latter individual might 
 partially arise from a then well-known fact, that he was con- 
 sidered by everybody as a great, long, shambling, silly lad, 
 larger and "softer" than lads in general ; he used to run, " plat- 
 ting" his legs and wringing his hands, so that boys, far less than 
 he was, would run after him and pull him about, as if they 
 thought him an idiot. He was put apprentice to Mr. Bescoby, 
 of St. Mary's Lane ; many strange things were said of him, for 
 it appeared plainly that he was out of his place as a worker in 
 wood ; if his master went out, leaving him a job in hand, he 
 would do it, but never thought of setting himself to another ; so 
 would sit himself down on the bench with his arms folded.* When 
 
 * Though Ed. Watson shewed an utter want of mechanical capacity, 
 as regards the construction of wheels and other parts of vehicles, he 
 nevertheless shewed unusual aptness in the making of cabinets, work- 
 boxes, &c., some of which remain to this day to attest this singular 
 circumstance. C.A.
 
 8 
 
 the above matters are taken into consideration, it is scarcely to be 
 wondered at, that the ungodly should be amused with the 
 thought of such an one becoming a teacher of religion. 
 
 At that time, the tide of opposition run very high against 
 any who attempted to preach or teach religion who had not 
 been to college, and had been ordained by a bishop. Though 
 the clergy were known to be very corrupt, and many of them 
 very blind in spiritual matters, the people satisfied themselves 
 with thinking if their lives were as good as their teachers', they 
 could not be far wrong, for surely the parson ought to know. 
 I remember having a relative who was remarkably stiif in his 
 opinions respecting the eligibility of the clergy, as being the 
 only proper persons to teach religion ; yet was very much 
 struck with the fluency and power with which the untaught 
 addressed and held the people's attention a thing which no 
 Church sermons could effect. He afterwards became, and lived 
 and died a Methodist. This might arise partly from the know- 
 ledge he had of the ignorance and wickedness of several of the 
 clergy on whom he had to wait. He was servant to a parson 
 who resided at Bracebridge, a daringly irreligious man, whom 
 his wife frequently reproved for his hoggish practices, he would 
 sit with his hat on at meals, evidently not caring more for the 
 Divine Being in whose hand his life was, than the dog that lay 
 at his feet ; and when he had others in company with him, 
 most of their jokes had reference to religion and religious pro- 
 fessors. When they were all drunk together, this was part of 
 one of their songs, 
 
 " We'll di'ink and sing, and quaff our fill ; 
 We can be parsons when we will." 
 
 Such were the "lights of the world" at that time, with whom 
 the poor deluded people expressed themselves satisfied, and 
 whom they supposed capable of teaching the things belonging 
 to the kingdom of God. Here I shall end this digression. 
 
 The many fruitless attempts to establish Methodism in Lin- 
 coln, must have been very discouraging and trying to the faith 
 of those who had the matter at heart, and felt so deeply its 
 necessity ; considering the darkness and depravity of the place. 
 Mr. Watmough mentions, in his History of Methodism in 
 Lincoln and Lincolnshire, an old lady (whom I knew some 
 years before her death,) who acted nobly in her untiring efforts,
 
 efforts showing the fixedness of her purpose and largeness of 
 her philanthropic heart, and who became the principal instru- 
 ment in accomplishing the object of her pious wishes. This 
 individual, whose name was Sarah Parrot, whose strength 
 of body and mind might be supposed equal, for she, to look at, 
 was "like the root end of a tree," lived at Bracebridge, whence 
 she frequently went to Sturton, to attend religious meetings 
 there, such was her zeal for the worship of God. "Whilst deeply 
 bemoaning the state of things at Lincoln, some of her friends at 
 Sturton suggested the probability of finding assistance from a 
 lady residing at Gonerby, who had done much for the cause of 
 Methodism at Grantham. Who besides this brave old lady 
 would have done as she did ? She immediately made up her 
 mind to see the lady at Gonerby, whose name was Fisher ; away 
 she went on foot all the way to Grantham, with a heart beating 
 high with hope, and full of love for precious souls. They were 
 perfect strangers to each other, yet influenced by the same 
 spirit. Sarah met with a very kind reception from Mrs. Fisher, 
 for, though widely different in worldly circumstances, they had 
 kindred hearts, and both breathed one spirit. It was not likely, 
 however, that Mrs. Fisher should immediately make up her 
 mind on so momentous an affair ; so poor Sally had to return 
 to Lincoln with a sad heart. But she had not long to remain in 
 doubt, for the step was soon resolved upon. It is said that Mrs. 
 Fisher, in company with some of her friends, opened the hymn 
 book on the words 
 
 " God moves in a mysterious way, 
 His wonders to perform ;" 
 
 and thought them so appropriate to the circumstances of Sarah 
 Parrott's visit, that she was at once decided in the matter, and 
 actually acceeded to the entreaties of Sarah and her friends, and 
 came to reside at Lincoln. 
 
 We have no wish, however, to justify or bring into use, a 
 practice which was very common fifty years ago. It being 
 usual at that period to hear individuals talk of opening the bible 
 or hymn book in such and such a place, and reading such and 
 such words, and in some sort determining their views or conduct 
 thereby, as if there were some magic spell in the act of opening 
 a book ; we are glad to know that a more rational mode has 
 superseded this, so objectionable and unwarrantable, if not to say
 
 10 
 
 deceptive practice. In how many instances have individuals 
 been deceived by impressions, though they may have received 
 such impressions from reading the scriptures ? I refer to pious 
 females who have laboured to make their impressions agree with 
 resolves, though unwarranted by the holy scriptures, which they 
 have professed to follow ; because the object of their impressions 
 were suited to their predilections, attempting to reason them- 
 selves into contradictions some to my knowledge have ventured 
 to take ungodly men for husbands, thinking they would be able 
 to reclaim them, and induce them to choose the ways of right- 
 eousness. But I know of no instance in which they did not find 
 to their cost, that they had followed an ignis fatuus, which led 
 them to disappointment and ruin. But the result of Mrs. 
 Fisher's impulses were highly praiseworthy, leading to results so 
 noble, involving a sacrifice of self, property, and everything. If 
 all possessing property would follow her example, what a world 
 of felicity we should witness ! God is never at a loss to institute 
 means to carry forward his purposes of grace or providence ; 
 else it would seem that if Mrs. Fisher had not been solicited to 
 render assistance at that time, Methodism must have had to 
 wait who knows how long? ere it would have been established 
 in Lincoln. 
 
 It appears, by Mr. "Watmough's history, that towards the 
 latter end of the year 1787 (four years before I was born), Mrs. 
 Fisher came to Lincoln, and invited the preachers to make it one 
 of their regular preaching places. These circumstances were 
 matters of rejoicing to the few individuals who were desirous to 
 form themselves into a society. It is related, that " the first 
 place of worship regularly occupied by the Methodists at Lincoln, 
 was of a very humble description ; the only place they could 
 procure being a kind of old lumber room, near Gowts-bridge, 
 which they put into as decent repair as they could." 
 
 A society of four females was formed in this place, viz., Mrs. 
 Fisher, Sarah Parrot, Hannah Calder, and Elizabeth Keyley; 
 two of the four, Sarah Parrot and Hannah Calder, I knew very 
 well. Many slanderous tales were reported of the simple- 
 hearted females, forged by the father of lies no doubt. It was 
 reported that John Wesley had got a lot of old women together, 
 who frequently quarrelled and pulled one another's caps off, &c. 
 But despite the rancour with which this "day of small and
 
 11 
 
 feeble things" was viewed, it was destined to progress; as it has 
 done, notwithstanding all the attempts made by men and devils 
 to arrest its onward course. The hand of God was in it, and 
 when He deigns to work, who can hinder ? Their congregations 
 were increased, and they had tolerably quiet meetings. This 
 possibly might arise, partly from the fact, that the despicable 
 make -shift place in which they assembled would fail to elicit 
 public attention. Thus the little flock was hid from the wrath 
 of man and fed by the kind Shepherd's own hand, and nursed by 
 Him till it received strength to face a wicked and persecuting 
 world. Much did they need the strengthening they received at 
 this time. 
 
 It would seem that Mr. Watmough had heard of nothing 
 worth recording, from the time of the little Society's meeting 
 near Go wts' -bridge, and the opening of the new chapel, which 
 was on the south side of the river opposite the Ship inn. Soon 
 after the opening of the chapel, the Methodists were called to 
 endure persecution in various forms. In introducing this subject 
 I shall mention some things coming immediately under my own 
 observation, leading to the adoption of some views in reference to 
 the manner in which some, especially the females, were treated 
 by the populace. I do seriously believe that, if our females had 
 not been so ridiculous as to disguise themselves, by adopting 
 modes of dress different from other people, they might have 
 passed along very quietly. 
 
 I have recollections of some of the coarse jokes levelled at 
 them as they passed; such as, " look there, do you see that;" 
 "there she goes with a coal tub on her head;" "where's 
 your religion, Mrs., when your bonnet's off?" Who can account 
 for the vagaries of mind which lead men and women to disguise 
 themselves after such a manner ? What can possibly lie at the 
 bottom of manners and mimicries, monkey tricks, which make 
 men appear so ridiculous ? What does it all mean ? Why is 
 the vanity allowed to live ? Is it that the world may talk about 
 them ? We see, even in these days, as soon as a youngster gets 
 it into his head, that he has found something about him which he 
 ought to exhibit to the people, that he instantly assumes a white 
 neckerchief thus saying to every one, " look here, here's one 
 who can teach you something." Can any man who has any 
 respect for his understanding approve of anything that puts on
 
 the guise of class foppery ? Our Methodist friends who have 
 allowed themselves to assume such disguising singularities must 
 have greatly mistaken Mr. Wesley's sermon on dress. He looked 
 upon any particular form or tendency to uniformity in dress, as 
 reprehensible ; urging them not to imitate the Quakers in the form 
 of their bonnets or dimensions of their hats, &c., but to dress 
 like others in common. He would have an Englishman dress 
 like an Englishman, urging a middle course, and not to be carried 
 along with every flirting whim of fashion. One might be led to 
 suppose that these attempts of professors of religion to distinguish 
 themselves from non-professors, had something in the holy 
 scriptures to encourage such attempts. "Where is that something 
 to be found ? Who can read what John Baptist says of Christ, 
 and not be struck with the fact that, He was in appearance so 
 like other men, that he says of Him, " There standeth one among 
 you, whom ye know not ; He it is, who coming after me is pre- 
 ferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to 
 unloose." And John himself declares that he "knew him not," 
 and that He was to be pointed out to him by a sign from heaven. 
 In how many instances do we find Christ to be undistinguished 
 among the mass of human beings? His disciples also were 
 equally unknown by any outward semblances. Peter, when in 
 the palace of the high-priest, was not pointed out by any pecu- 
 liarity of appearance ; but was judged to be one of his disciples 
 from his Galilean dialect. I am not attempting to justify acts 
 of persecution, let them be perpetrated under whatever pretences 
 may be urged as excuses in justification of such infringements of 
 the rights of man, as every man has a right to worship in what 
 mode he pleases. I don't suppose, however, the persons who 
 met together to worship at that time, were persecuted for 
 righteousness, but as hypocrites and deceivers, for such was the 
 plea made against them. 
 
 Some rather amusing incidents would at times occur in con- 
 nection with the persecutions of the people. The following I 
 recollect having frequently heard related. An old man, a 
 patten-maker, working for Alderman Jepson, who occupied the 
 premises now held by Mr. Cousans, Chronicle office. I shall not 
 mention his name, as his race is not yet extinct. This old man 
 was attempting to make a prayer in his way, which raised the 
 irracibilities of an old lady (a quack-doctor's wife), living next
 
 13 
 
 door to the chapel ; she rushed into the chapel, and slapped the 
 old man's bald head with her open palm, which made the chapel 
 ring again : such a thing would be rather a novelty now-a-days. 
 I am not able to conjecture what could possibly be the cause of 
 the woman's animosity : whether it was his shabby appearance, 
 or something in connection with his morals, I cannot say. 
 Another instance may be coupled with the above, though of a 
 rather later date, which more distinctively showed the spirit of 
 persecution and hatred to everything that wore even the 
 semblance of godliness. In this instance, the man, a member of 
 the Methodist society, had retired to bed ; being aroused by a 
 loud knocking at the door or window, which induced him to 
 throw up the window, and, looking out to inquire the cause of 
 his being disturbed, when he forthwith receives a stroke on the 
 head from a long pole, with this salutation, " There, Tommy, 
 take that ; now thee get in, say your prayers, ^and go to bed 
 again." 
 
 We will try to contrast the conduct of these individuals to- 
 wards the Methodists with their conduct towards a drunken, wicked 
 parson, who lodged in the parish of St. Mary-le-Wigford. This 
 was a fine specimen of a man, to look at, and the devil must 
 have felt proud to have so brave a champion enlisted under his 
 black banner. This man, who had no respect for his character, 
 would associate with the lowest of the low, but he was never 
 persecuted for his ungodliness ; he was a 
 
 " Brave old English gentleman, one of the olden time." 
 and in their opinion fit for all time. A very dissolute cha- 
 racter, who went by the appellation of "Jack the Painter," 
 was his constant companion in his fishing and other pleasure 
 excursions. When he had to go to Bracebridge or other places 
 to preach, he commonly contrived to take with him one or 
 two of his chums to take part in his potations. He often 
 made a merit of forcing his horse past the ale-houses where 
 it was accustomed to stop, and then to turn, saying, "I 
 think we deserve a pint for that, let us turn back and have 
 one." On one occasion, having been preaching at Bracebridge, 
 he asked the man who accompanied him, what he thought of 
 his sermon, he said, "Oh, I thought it ferry cud (for so that 
 man used to pronounce those words), but I thought you cot 
 ferry dry, for I seed you look ferry hard several times at the
 
 14 
 
 public-house." "Ho, ho, ho, did you ? "Well, we'll go and try if 
 we can't manage a quart." I could weep when I think of so fine 
 a man becoming so bewildered and corrupt. He was not, to my 
 knowledge, a persecutor. He did not trouble himself with such 
 matters. Carnal was he, a stranger to righteousness, sold 
 under sin, the devil's own willing slave, his son he was, and 
 his works he always did. This man gave it out on his death- 
 bed that he should like to recover just to give them one real 
 drunken sermon from the words, " Drink no longer water ; take 
 a little wine for thy stomach's sake/' I saw this old wretch's 
 funeral, which took place at St. Mary's church quite a spectacle 
 his pall was borne by ten or a dozen parsons. Who can even 
 surmise what amount of evil would accrue to society from such a 
 man's example ! And to hear the burial service read over such 
 an one ! Thank God ! we have not many such parsons now-a- 
 days but many there are whom we delight to respect and 
 honour. May God multiply them abundantly ; the churches 
 will, no doubt, be well filled everywhere where the pulpits are 
 filled by worthy men. 
 
 The following remarks refer to the outward phases of Method- 
 ism in Lincoln and the surrounding Circuit, showing its continu- 
 ance and increase in almost every place it has visited. A very 
 cursory view will be taken of these matters. 
 
 Newton-on-Trent appears to be the first place which received 
 Methodism in this neigbourhood ; this was nearly fifty years 
 before any Society in connection therewith was known to exist 
 in Lincoln. It is said that a Society was in existence at 
 Newton before the year 1750; no mention is made of the 
 number of its members : the only thing about it that appears 
 definite is, that a Mrs. Skelton opened her house to admit the 
 people who wished to meet for worship, for which she was 
 subjected to great persecution. This pious individual died in 
 the faith of the Gospel ; her death being a most triumphant one. 
 
 The next place in order of time is North Scarle. It is not 
 positively said when the Society was originated here; it, no 
 doubt, existed before the year 1759, as a ticket, signifying 
 membership, was found in the possession of a person named Storr. 
 Mr. Wesley was known to preach here in 1759, which would 
 make it appear that the Society had existed some time previously. 
 A Mr. Arden, who had heard Mr. Wesley preach in Moorfields, 
 is supposed to have introduced Methodism into this village.
 
 15 
 
 Besthorpe and Girton are the next places, where Societies 
 are said to have been in existence in 1770. It is supposed that 
 Mr. Wesley visited Newton and Besthorpe about the same time, 
 or the Besthorpe people went to Newton to hear him preach. 
 He commends these people collectively for their artless and 
 loving dispositions ; could he determine so much in their favour 
 from a pop visit ? We see in this, however, the goodness of his 
 own heart. The numbers in connection with these Societies are 
 not mentioned. 
 
 Scothorne and Nettleham received Methodism before it was 
 put into any form at Lincoln. It is said that a Mary Daubney, 
 a poor widow with several children, in 1779, having got her 
 soul blessed by hearing preaching somewhere, invited some 
 preachers to preach in her house at Scothorne; whence the 
 preachers came whom she invited is not stated. This pious 
 widow removed from Scothorne to Nettleham, where she intro- 
 duced the Gospel, as well as in the former place ; she was a 
 member in the two places above-named for more than fifty years. 
 She returned to Scothorne, where she spent her last days on 
 earth ; she died in the faith in the ninety -fifth year of her age. 
 
 The above are the only places in the Lincoln Circuit where 
 Methodism had taken a position and held it, up to the year 1780, 
 or a little more, though the itinerants had preached in the 
 county almost forty years. Societies were said to be existant 
 about the time above-mentioned at Broxholme and Sturton; 
 but no record exists to show the time of their commence- 
 ment or of the numbers of members in Society. Three 
 local preachers were raised up in this quarter; two at Brox- 
 holme and one at Sturton : at Broxholme, Mr. William Mawer, 
 (the father of the late William Mawer, of Lincoln, ) and a Mr. 
 Joseph Frith; at Sturton, Mr. Wm. Flintham. There is no 
 boast made of the literary acquirements of the above individuals ; 
 but that they were men of sound judgment, and had a right 
 knowledge of the Gospel, and had ability to teach its doctrines, 
 will appear from the satisfactory statements of those who were 
 said to have profited by their ministrations. One of them, Mr. 
 Mawer, was evidently possessed with a poetic genius, as a few 
 lines, extracted from a longer piece, found among his papers 
 will shew, 
 
 " Come, into my heart, 
 And never depart ;
 
 Ah, leave me no more ! 
 Thou know'st that I love Thee ; 
 
 Thy name I adore ! 
 
 I hope to remove 
 
 To the mansions ahove, 
 
 On Thy heauty to gaze, 
 And fall prostrate before Thee 1 , 
 
 In wonder and praise. 
 
 How amazed shall I be, 
 
 When my Jesus I see, 
 
 In glory appear ! 
 What a wonder of wonders 
 
 If I should be there ! 
 
 About the time of Mrs. Fisher's appearing in Lincoln, an 
 attempt was made to preach the Gospel in Navenby, a rude and 
 dark place at that time ; scarcely were the people raised above 
 the brutes in the knowledge of spiritual things they knew 
 nothing of them. An old man who had got some little know- 
 ledge of God, in consequence of having heard some of the 
 strangers sent there to preach the quickening Word of God, was 
 found by his son on his knees praying. This worse than brutish 
 son kicked and cursed him, saying, "What the d 1 are you 
 ' kewlimiting'* about." A Mrs. Watkinson appears to have 
 been the principal instrument, favouring the introduction of 
 Methodism into this place. This brave female who, it appears, 
 was converted at Louth, in settling at ]S"avenby, had to submit 
 to most cruel persecution and ill treatment ; both her person and 
 property were frequently assailed and injured. 
 
 Will those smooth-tongued gentlemen, who say that human 
 nature is not fallen, please to account for the fact that all go 
 the wrong way ? If what they say be true, all must have a 
 bias to that which is like God ; how is it destroyed ? Can those 
 who boast of the greatness and goodness of human nature, and 
 who put into the mouths of their dupes to sing, 
 
 " Thy noblest creatures worship Thee !" 
 
 produce a character like this ? The Great God must no doubt 
 feel very much obliged to such, for their humbling themselves so 
 much as to pay Him such an acknowledgement. Here is a poor 
 feeble woman at Navenby, acknowledges that she has no strength 
 biit what Jesus gives her, surrounded by a herd of two-legged 
 
 A term of reproach used in reference to Methodists at that time 
 and long after; its origin is not known.
 
 17 
 
 brutes, having the outward form of men, receiving from them 
 almost all kinds of indignities : and yet she flinches not. Can 
 you find anything like this amongst your fine specimens of 
 glorious human nature ! Oh ! she had 
 
 " The zeal in which the martyrs glow'cl, 
 Dying champions for their God J" 
 
 This pious female was the means of converting a Mr, Hazard, 
 ^ a man of property. This person succeeded in securing the 
 services of the Wesleyan preachers who, from Lincoln, went to 
 visit Navenby. Mr. Hazard, though in worldly position equal 
 to his rich neighbours, was not, from that circumstance, screened 
 from the malice of the haters of Methodism ; they assailed and 
 destroyed his property in various ways. When the preachers 
 whom he had invited, came to Navenby, they were most shame- 
 fully treated by the populace; rotten eggs and the filthiest 
 rubbish were cast at them, till the colour of their clothes could 
 scarcely be determined. The farmers encouraged these perverse 
 children of all ages in their reckless career, giving them strong 
 drink and other rewards. " The dark places of the earth are full 
 of the habitations of cruelty." 
 
 A light was raised up for Boothby in the person of a John 
 Mayfield, who had got converted by hearing the gospel preached 
 in the first Lincoln chapel ; he appears to have been a man who 
 had for a long time, previously to his conversion, striven 
 to get into the way of pleasing and living to God, seeking light 
 in every place, and under various kinds of preaching, where he 
 supposed he might obtain the object of his honest wishes. The 
 Methodist doctrine seemed to determine his choice, as it engaged 
 his whole soul through life. Poor John was fated to receive no 
 better treatment in his parish than Mrs. Watkinson had met 
 with at Navenby, though the strength of soul he had by the 
 Holy Ghost obtained, and by which he was sustained, made him 
 capable of enduring all things. The power a man receives when 
 he receives Christ, makes him think lightly of all that he is 
 called to endure for His sake. John had a master whom he 
 loved, but he could not do with his religion. His master was 
 conscious of John's faithfulness, he was everything that could be 
 wished for as a servant, but his religion was to him intolerable ; 
 what he saw in John no doubt stirred up the mind of a conscience 
 
 B
 
 18 
 
 which had long heen at ease. The twitches which this meddle- 
 some thing, when aroused, would lead him to he avenged on 
 John, whom, though found to be faithful, he actually discharged 
 from his service, and used means to get him ejected from the 
 little land he held. A conspiracy among the farmers made 
 against John was thought to be so clever, that it could not fail 
 to destroy Methodism root and branch from Boothby, and leave 
 them once more in possession of their carnal security. The rent 
 day was at hand. The conspirators made themselves quite 
 sure that they should succeed in getting John discharged, when 
 they informed the steward that John had made the house in 
 which he lived a conventicle. Several, in the course of the day, 
 attempted to put this into the steward's ears, but he always 
 appeared as if he would not, or could not, understand them. 
 The steward was informed that John was to preach that night. 
 When the time arrived that John must speak for his Master, 
 whose business he was always ready to be about, the steward 
 expressed a wish to hear him, requesting the farmers to accom- 
 pany him ; of course they would scarcely be able to guess the 
 result of this project. It would probably be a matter to them of 
 hope and fear. When John had concluded the meeting, the 
 steward was pleased to express his approbation of John and his 
 doings in the most encouraging terms. This put such a damper 
 on John's enemies as neither they nor John expected. This 
 stroke had such a withering effect on these serpents, that their 
 poison seemed to diminish ever after ; so that John lived down all 
 prejudice, and became in the end as much respected and honoured 
 as he had been before despised. " When a man's ways please the 
 Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." 
 
 Harby, it appears, was visited in 179-2. The populace here 
 had recourse to a novel mode in their intention of preventing the 
 Methodists from obtaining a footing. They flocked to the parish 
 church, intending thereby, I suppose, that the Methodists when 
 they came, might have none to preach to. For it would seem, 
 from the dread they had of Methodism, that it would entail all 
 kinds of evils upon them ; and that men running about talking 
 of God, hell and heaven, were tokens of dreadful judgment, or of 
 the great day itself being at hand. One man, who it seems had 
 learned his letters and could read a few words, gave it out that 
 he was able to confute the preacher, and took his bible under his
 
 19 
 
 arm to the meeting, with the intent of stopping the preacher's 
 mouth, by arguments deduced from the scriptures. But the poor 
 muif never got his mouth once opened, becoming the laughing- 
 stock of the mob. Mr. Hannah, of Lincoln, made his first 
 attempt at preaching here on Christmas-day, 1793. Mr. Joseph 
 Mawer and Mr. Hannah were residents of Lincoln at that time, 
 being the only two local preachers residing in the city. These 
 two individuals met with most disgusting ill-treatment in most 
 of the country towns they preached in. Excellent men they 
 were, whom nothing could deter from prosecuting the work they 
 had chosen to perform. 
 
 In visiting and re-visiting some of the above-mentioned 
 places, Mr. Mawer and Mr. Hannah had great persecution and 
 hardship. On the 22nd of April, 1796, Mr. Hannah visited 
 Welbourn, intending to preach at Wellingore on his return, but 
 the mob assailed him, while at prayer, forcing him to desist, 
 driving him with his companions before them for the space of a 
 mile, uttering most awful imprecations, the while pelting them 
 with stones and brickbats. 
 
 Besthorpe and Girton, which two places, from their nearness 
 to each other, had formed but one society, had built a chapel as 
 early as the year 1794. This was the third chapel built in the 
 Lincoln circuit. These places appear to have had many difficul- 
 ties to contend with, their quiet being disturbed by individuals 
 who were resolved to sow seeds of discord among the people, 
 attempting to spread the soul-paralysing doctrine of personal 
 unconditional election and reprobation. When the people be- 
 came sick of the langour that this send-to-sleep doctrine had 
 induced, they were soon revived and cheered, and many were 
 added to their numbers such would never have taken place 
 under the doctrine by which they had been disturbed. 
 
 North Scarle, though one of the first places visited by 
 Methodism, seems to have remained at a dead-lock. In 1798 
 nothing is mentioned of any chapel or of any number of members 
 in Society. I expect there was no Society. 
 
 Mr. Hannah had preached at Thorpe-on-the-Hill before the 
 year 1797, as on the 19th of March in that year, he forms a 
 Society of twelve members. 
 
 In 1799 a Society was formed at Spalford, but no number 
 of members recorded.
 
 20 
 
 South Clifton is mentioned as being visited. A Society no 
 doubt there was, as a Master Pool is mentioned as being one of 
 its leading members. 
 
 In 1802 a chapel is said to have been built either at Eagle 
 or at Harby but the demonstrative adjective pronouns are so 
 badly applied in the scheme I have before me, that I cannot 
 determine to which of the places they point. 
 
 Bassingham, it appears, received the quickening word in 
 1801 ; this was in consequence of a Mr. Dixon, a resident of the 
 place, having become a convert to Methodism, and who, we doubt 
 not, had become acquainted with the true grace of God. He and 
 a Mr. Eogers of the same place, having kindred views, agreed 
 to invite the Methodist preachers to preach at Bassingham ; Mr. 
 Eogers' house was immediately licensed for the purpose of wor- 
 ship and preaching, The opening of this house for divine 
 worship was attended with much good; Mr. Dixon, though 
 warm in temperament, was an excellent man; he was made 
 leader of the Society raised up there. The house thus dedicated 
 soon became too small ; then a barn was fitted up, and shortly 
 after this, a chapel was generously built by Mr. Dixon, as he was 
 well able to do so; this chapel was opened in 1802. About the 
 same time the brave Mr. Hazard, of Navenby, built a chapel in 
 his own town, that would hold five hundred people, and at his 
 own expense too. AVho can wonder at the prosperity of 
 Methodism, which has men like the above connected with it? 
 The last-menticned also left one hundred pounds to support the 
 cause after his death : all will say, I doubt not, that such an 
 example is a safe one for all to follow who have plenty of 
 property. 
 
 The village of Aubourn is the next place, visited at the time 
 of the building of the two chapels last mentioned; Mr. Dixon's 
 zeal, after his conversion, led him thither. The kingdom of 
 heaven, when it enters into a man, will be found to be a leaven 
 that will work while there is anything to be leavened by it. 
 
 In the same year, an attempt was made to introduce Methodism 
 into "Waddington, which attempt succeeded, a Society being 
 formed. The small Society at Waddington prospered very well 
 till it was placed in the hands of the Eev. Eichard Sibthorp, 
 who was then the minister of the parish. It was thought right 
 as he was then a pious and zealous preacher, to leave the cause
 
 21 
 
 with him. They found, when he had to leave the place, that 
 they had to begin the work afresh. He had neither kept them 
 that were left with him, nor added any new members. Our 
 church parsons don't know how to keep believers alive somehow, 
 I don't understand how it is. Mr. Sibthorp collected the weekly 
 moneys as we had done, but gave them to the Bible Society. 
 
 Numbers in the different Societies in 1806 : in Lincoln, 150 ; 
 Sleaford, 42 ; Navenby, 61 ; Boothby, 68 ; Aubourn, 23 ; Thorpe- 
 on-the-Hill, 28; Bassingham had given 8 members to Stapleford, 
 where a Society had been formed, leaving 20 Members at the 
 former place. In the course of five years, the number of Societies 
 had risen from 15 to 23 ; a rise from 400 to 640 members. 
 
 On the 27th of March died Mr. Watson, of Sco thorn, who 
 had been a leader and local preacher for thirty-six years. This 
 gentleman was the father of Mr. Edward Watson, of Lincoln. 
 He became one of the Trustees for the first chapel built at Lin- 
 coln. He was said to have been a very consistent and worthy 
 character ; he, however, left no account of his views or experience. 
 
 From the year 1805 to 1812, four local preachers had been 
 called out from the Lincoln Circuit into the regular ministry; 
 their absence from the Circuit must have been severely felt. 
 
 In the year 1808, Saxilby was first visited, and a Society 
 formed there. The first preaching at that place was in the open 
 air. 
 
 About the same time, preaching was introduced into Barlings, 
 principally through the influence of Mr. Lamb, who had an 
 estate in that place. The services were afterwards transferred 
 to Langworth, where they have ever since remained. 
 
 In 1810, meetings were held at Branston, in the house of 
 Mr. John Grimes; a small Society was formed there. Soon 
 afterwards a chapel was built, the cause moving on progressively. 
 
 In 1811, Welton was tried again, with better success than 
 attended Mr. Hannah's attempts some years before. From 1811 
 to 1815, a considerable number of members was added, a stir- 
 ring influence being witnessed among the people generally. 
 
 Bassingham, it is said, was benefitted by this stirring influ- 
 ence, but no number, showing any increase of church members, 
 is stated. 
 
 About the same time, an increase of five members is recorded 
 to have taken place at Aubourn ; at Eagle, an increase of nine ;
 
 22 
 
 at "Welton, nine; at Lincoln, in four years from 1812, one 
 hundred and six members were added to the Society. 
 
 At the time of this apparent prosperity, Mr. "W. Mawer went 
 to Heighington, and attempted to preach there, but a man with 
 a loaded gun stood in the doorway of the house in which Mr. 
 Mawer intended to preach, telling him he would shoot him if he 
 came forward ; but Mr. Mawer having no fancy for the reception 
 of lead, thought it better to turn his back, and cut thinking 
 the fool might be in earnest. It was long before a footing could 
 be obtained in this rude place. 
 
 In 1813, the work generally had become so heavy as to make 
 it necessary to engage the assistance of a fourth preacher, who 
 would, no doubt, have work enough to do. 
 
 On December 5th, 1814, the death of the indefatigable John 
 Dixon, of Bassingham, is recorded to have taken place.- A man 
 of a most ardent spiritual temperament, but whose weakness of 
 body oft gave us pain to witness ; we saw he could not last long, 
 though a long life to such a man was greatly to be desired 
 his attachment to God's cause, and his love for souls, being so 
 manifest ; our fears for his case were mournfully realized. May 
 our God send many like him into His vineyard ! He did much 
 in a short time. What fools such as he must have been, if Cal- 
 vinism be true, which says that not a soul more will be saved 
 on account of all the efforts made by men to that end, than if no 
 exertions had been made at all ! and yet men of this persuasion 
 have the impudence to stand up in pulpits, and take money of 
 the people for their useless announcements. Our Lord says, 
 "Go ye out into the world, and preach the gospel to every 
 creature;" did they say, "They will just do as well without 
 preaching as with it ; we had better keep still, as by all we shall 
 not succeed in persuading one soul to believe ?" 
 
 The growing prosperity of the cause of Methodism in South 
 Clifton, rendered it necessary to build a chapel there ; this was 
 in 1814. A Mr. Higgatt, of whom it was said that "the 
 Methodists would ruin him," had been so blessed in his worldly 
 circumstances, that he was able to give land whereon to build 
 the chapel, and to assist them with money as well. This man 
 died there in peace, where this evidence of his willingness to 
 help forward the work of God appears. 
 
 In 1815, a chapel was built at Kettleham, which was opened
 
 23 
 
 on the 19th of March. Another, built at Welton, was opened 
 on the day following. The raising of chapels in the villages 
 speaks well for the power of religion : when the heart is enlarged, 
 the money, where it is possessed, will be found to be used to 
 good purpose. 
 
 In the same year the second Methodist chapel in Lincoln, 
 was finished and opened in June a convenient and commodious 
 place, situated in what is now called Bank Street. The inimit- 
 able Richard Watson was one of the preachers employed at its 
 opening ; his presence drew a crowded audience ; his voice and 
 sweetly-flowing eloquence would attract always and anywhere. 
 This great man was despised by the brainless herd, when it was 
 known that he had become a preacher. I believe as a preacher 
 he had no superior. 
 
 A rapidly increasing prosperity attended Methodism after 
 the opening of this chapel, which, though large, soon became too 
 small for its amazing growth. It always was, and we hope 
 always will be, a go-a-head system. And so it ought to be, call- 
 ing to every one without any double meaning : " Come to the 
 living waters, and drink and live for ever." 
 
 It appears that Normanton, before 1814, had had preaching 
 for fifty or sixty years. The numbers in Society in 1801 were 
 fourteen, and but fifteen in 1814. Poor encouragement this for 
 those who had laboured so long in this place ! 
 
 The indefatigable Mr. Hannah, who visited Metheringham 
 in 1801, met with better success; at first he met with a coarse 
 reception. His first sermon was preached in the street. After- 
 wards a poor man living in a town house, allowed the preachers 
 to preach within his doors, till a more convenient place was pro- 
 cured. In the same year a Society was formed, consisting of 
 22 members. In 1803 they had 25 members; the next year 
 31 ; in 1808 their number was 44. This was pleasingly 
 encouraging. 
 
 The village of Martin was visited in 1807. Neither church 
 nor chapel existed there. The people there were indeed " left 
 as sheep not having a shepherd." A person named Andrew 
 was the first who took in the preachers ; he was one of Colonel 
 King's tenants. Mr. Andrew applied to the Colonel for land to 
 build a chapel on. He cheerfully granted his request, expressing 
 his pleasure that any persons were inclined to teach and to do
 
 24 
 
 good. He might know something about Methodism, as he was 
 acquainted with 'Squire Brackenbury, who used to preach in 
 our pulpits; I once heard the above-mentioned individual preach in 
 our little chapel, Waterside-south. I thought he looked as if he 
 pitied the preacher, who was made of exciteable stuff. 
 
 Methodism seemed to tell but poorly for a long time on 
 Sleaford. But in 1814 the number of members was 44. 
 
 Broughton had been visited frequently before 1812 to very 
 little purpose, as preaching could not be established there for 
 lack of a suitable place. The Quakers had a place there, but 
 they refused to allow our preachers the use of it under any con- 
 ditions. 
 
 From that time forward a steadiness of purpose, showing the 
 presence and proper development of true gospel principles 
 appeared which things will inevitably show themselves. 
 "Where the understanding is well informed, or so far informed as 
 to lead those who have received the grace of God to judge to 
 what extent the experience they suppose they have of the work 
 of the Spirit upon their minds, may be relied on, by considering 
 the effects they observe in their own souls, and how far the 
 effects they observe in relation to their profession may be trusted 
 as being the real work of God. 
 
 Number of members in the Methodist Societies in the year 
 1814 : Lincoln, 281 ; Newton, 19; Scarle, 19; Besthorpe and 
 Girton, 26; Scothorne, 11; Nettleham, 29; Ingham and Fil- 
 lingham, 27; Spalford and South Clifton, 92; Navenby, 12; 
 Thorpe, 17; Harby, 25; Bassingham, 47; Normanton, 15; 
 Kelby, ; Sleaford, 44 ; Eagle, 23 ; Metheringham, 40 ; 
 Aubourn, 31; AVaddington, 9; Stapleford, 0; Fenton and 
 Laughterton, 16; Skellingthorpe, 0; Martin, 25; Saxilby, 25; 
 Barlings, 0; "Welton, 26; Branston, 9; and Broughton, 14. 
 Another scale I am about to introduce will show a still more 
 rapid increase of Methodism. This estimate was made just 
 twelve years after the above. The numbers, as they here stand, 
 were entered into the circuit book in August, 1824 : Lincoln, 
 428; Aubourn, 31 ; Bassingham, 62 ; Stapleford, 9 ; Swinderby, 
 19; South Scarle, 10; Besthorpe, 21; Girton, 11; North 
 Scarle, 42; Spalford, 12; South Clifton, 15 ; North Clifton, 13; 
 Newton, 13; Fenton and Laughterton, 12 ; Saxilby, 29 ; Harby, 
 27; Eagle, 40; Thorpe, 14; AVaddington, 21; Harmston, 14;
 
 25 
 
 Branston, 17; Heighington, 23; Nettleham, 37; Lang worth, 
 21; Scothorn, 11; Welton, 23; Fillingham, 25; Ingham, 22; 
 Carlton, 17; Skellingthorpe, 8: total, 1047. 
 
 My object for producing these numbers is, to show my firm 
 persuasion that Methodism is a system that will progress whilst 
 it retains most of its primitive elements ; I shall hereafter pro- 
 duce other data bearing upon the same subject, showing perhaps 
 a more rapid and growing increase than is seen in the above. 
 Before I do this, I must indulge a few thoughts that will intrude 
 themselves upon my recollections, though their subjects are of 
 a widely-different character. 
 
 Death, what a monster thou art ! I see before me as it 
 were a field of corn, levelled by thy ruthless scythe, with here 
 and there an ear, which, by accident, has escaped thy fell stroke. 
 I go into our first little chapel, and look round on scores of 
 faces, whose features I can see nearly as distinctly as if I had 
 them now before me ; but none of these could be now recognized, 
 as death and the grave have annihilated their distinctiveness ; 
 henceforth I shall know them no more. 
 
 Three months ago, Mr. John Tickers was among the ears 
 which death's sweeping scythe had left behind, but the mon- 
 ster, not satisfied with a sweeping crop, returned to glean 
 amongst the stubble, and picking him up, has deprived us of the 
 sight of him ever since. He had been a Methodist for more than 
 sixty years, and perhaps a more consistent and thorough-going 
 church member cannot be found. He was also a class-leader and 
 local preacher as well ; though when I first knew him, which 
 was about fifty-seven years ago, he, with great difficulty, suc- 
 ceeded in making out a few sentences in a plain or easy part of 
 the Scriptures. A man's defective knowledge of such matters 
 does not prevent him from working for God, when God has first 
 wrought on him, inspiring him with the spirit and genius of the 
 Holy Gospel, which breathes good- will to all. His assistance 
 was often required and rendered to the chapel and school funds, 
 he being well able, in the last twenty years of his life, to be a 
 liberal contributor. 
 
 Another one escaping death's awful instrument is the incom- 
 parable Mrs. Bainbridge, whose green and cheerful old age is 
 observed with admiration; she has been a member of the 
 AVesleyan Society sixty-four years.
 
 26 
 
 The remaining one who joined the Society at the later period 
 of 1808, is Dr. Hannah, of whom I have made some remarks; 
 he is so well known, and so well spoken of, as to render it 
 unnecessary for me to add a syllable. 
 
 I have now myself to speak of, being the only other male 
 alive that connected himself with the Wesleyans in 1808; but, 
 as I have nothing to say of myself, I shall not take a trumpet 
 into my hand, to trumpet forth nothing and be laughed at for 
 my trouble. 
 
 "When I look at the tremendous sweep that death has made 
 of my fellows, it reminds me of the alarming distress to which 
 the Egyptians were subjected on that awfully memorable night, 
 when there was not a house in which there was not one dead. 
 I cannot now point to every house, and say of it, " here such 
 a one died," for the multiplying of houses has bewildered me 
 but I can say of whole neighbourhoods, that I cannot find one 
 alive whom I knew seventy years ago, with the exception of 
 Robert Nixon, who was a member of the Methodist Society 
 some years before myself, although he was not a member at the 
 time when I joined, nor for many years after. When Mr. 
 Nixon held his little property, which he had the misfortune to 
 lose by a lawsuit, there was not, nor could be, perhaps, a better 
 neighbour than he. I grieve to see him fallen so low; but, 
 thank God, Bobby always meets one with a smile, and never 
 fails to say, " We shall soon be at home." When I refer to 
 Mr. Nixon, I class him among those I had known in St. Mary's 
 Lane, where he lived when I was a very little boy. He is the 
 only individual alive out of great numbers whom I could name, 
 and of whom I have a perfect recollection. The same signs of 
 mortality meet me everywhere, but more especially in old 
 localities ; I look in vain for old well-known faces. But it is 
 useless to dwell on the mournful, nobody will dispute the facts 
 I state; I shall not be at the unpleasant trouble of visiting 
 every place of sepulture in our city, just for the unprofitable 
 pleasure of discovering a few of the little mounds which show 
 their resting places. 
 
 I shall now seize upon a few thoughts which rush upon me 
 of a more pleasing character. These thoughts carry me back- 
 wards more than sixty years ; they refer to Methodists, and to 
 some pleasing recollections of Methodism, before I was much
 
 27 
 
 acquainted with it. jN"o doubt I shall forget many things which, 
 if remembered, might be of some interest. The things which 
 just pop upon me hare been nearly buried for many years. 
 
 I happened to reside two doors from the residence of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Holmes, the parents of the late Mr. Edward Holmes, 
 bootmaker, of the High Bridge, and of Mrs. Talbot, near the 
 Blue Anchor. The appearance and conduct of these two indi- 
 viduals were so different from what I observed among the rest 
 of the neighbours, as to interest me much in their favour. Some 
 of the females used to visit them occasionally, and together they 
 would sing some of their beautiful tunes, which, when sung in 
 their pious and impressive manner, with their full and fine 
 voices (so contrary to the rant of songs so often heard), rendered 
 it, to me, perfectly enchanting. I knew one of the singers by 
 name whom I heard at that time, Mary Boole perhaps the aunt of 
 Professor Boole, of whom so much has been said and written 
 of late ; one of the tunes I then heard sung I recollect perfectly, 
 in most singing books its name is "Plymouth Dock" this tune 
 was much liked, and much sung for many years ; it was most 
 admirably adapted to devotional singing. There was no froth 
 or lightness about those persons when singing, they sung to 
 the "praise and glory of God." Of course, in those days they 
 sung but one part, and yet there was something about it which, 
 I could fancy, surpassed what we hear now-a-days. This view 
 of it may arise, perhaps, from the pleasure I felt in hearing 
 what to me was so unusual, and probably from the high appre- 
 ciation I had of the persons singing, for they were most worthy 
 individuals, and such they continued through their lives. Their 
 deportment was such as none could reprove, if I were able to 
 judge of it. I often wonder what such would say of the coarse 
 romping which is sometimes witnessed in some of our young 
 people after a public tea meeting, especially in the country; 
 there may be no real harm in what appears so innocent ; yet 
 it must be said, that it is not very decorous in those who are 
 commanded to be "circumspect in all things." The persons I 
 before alluded to were approached with a kind of reverence, 
 being well understood as persons of real character whose 
 profession and conduct were one as it were, the one did not 
 belie the other. 
 
 I have before referred to the respect such won for Methodism
 
 28 
 
 in general I am not going to insinuate that everything which 
 has attached itself to Methodism has been equally pleasing or 
 profitable ; we have sometimes been plagued with half-witted 
 and dreamy individuals, who were no credit to their profession. 
 A man who was amongst us some time, had allowed strange 
 notions to get into his head : this person gave it out that the 
 Holy Spirit, in some bodily form, forced itself into his chest, 
 and moved about in him till it compelled him cry to out, " Abba, 
 Father !" He used to sit in the congregation, heaving and 
 twitching about, saying "Ab, Ab, Ab, Abba." Instances of 
 fanaticism, like the above, are distressing to witness, and, besides, 
 religion itself is blamed as being the cause of such weaknesses. 
 
 We have likewise been sometimes troubled with weak-headed 
 women, who have shown such freaks, and put themselves into 
 such unaccountable phrensies as were calculated to turn the 
 heads of some timid people ; their wild looks and screams wit- 
 nessing the disordered state of their brains ; all such things are 
 drawbacks to that even flow of prosperity we ought to expect, 
 where the truth is preached in love. I will venture to say that 
 anyone who shall come in contact with this sort of individuals, 
 will find that their rambling talk is very similar to that we hear 
 among the patients of a lunatic asylum they are full of large 
 notions of themselves; their virtues, holiness, and everything 
 about them is of a marvellous cast ; they will tell you of some 
 distinctive signs of the superiority they had observed in them- 
 selves from childhood. I have myself known such to show their 
 wrists, pointing out some signs of superior blood flowing in their 
 veins, from which they account for the wonders they conceive 
 to accompany them. They will speak of their marvellous dreams 
 and visions of heaven or hell ; what they sae of heaven is some- 
 thing like the paltry representations of some ignorant artist, who 
 has ventured to cram heaven into the area of a few square yards, 
 with a figure enthroned, surrounded with a few little creatures 
 with wings. All this shows a weak and dreamy brain, influenced 
 more by fancy than reason. The views of such, when employed 
 in reference to the place or state of glory, are very much like 
 those of an old woman I once saw in the Minster, peeping into 
 the choir through the gate under the organ, (of course, the place 
 was too fine for her to enter,) stretching forth her neck and lifting 
 up both her hands, exclaimed, "Oh! it's just like heaven."
 
 29 
 
 What a shame that human beings, capable of continued mental 
 growth, should be kept children all their lives ! That poor thing, 
 found peeping into the choir, had never been taught by the 
 parsons to know her worth, hence her poor soul was imposed 
 upon by gaudy appearances, and was equally as incapable of 
 judging rightly of things as the half-idiots we have mentioned 
 above. 
 
 But, let me not forget that I am to confine myself principally 
 to my own recollections of Methodism and Methodists in Lincoln. 
 Let me just remark, however, that I find the age of seventy-four 
 rather too far advanced in the winter of life, to be congenial to 
 a first attempt at putting thoughts on paper, expecting the same 
 to be seen by other eyes beside my own. It is, nevertheless, 
 a matter of little consequence whether I succeed to my own or 
 others' satisfaction, or to the satisfaction of neither, as I have 
 no name to lose, and care not a straw for honor. 
 
 I shall now proceed, to make some observations from my 
 recollections of female servants. The consistent conduct of 
 many of these went a great way towards removing prejudices 
 conceived in ignorance against the Methodists as a body. They 
 proved to be the best of servants, staying longer in their places 
 than other servants, and hereby bringing honor to their profes- 
 sion ; they were not eye-servants, but doing their duty faithfully, 
 as the servants of Christ, won to themselves golden honors, 
 commending themselves to every man's conscience. Many of 
 these I know were hired year after year, for several years 
 together, to the same masters and mistresses, many of whom, 
 though not friendly to religion, had wisdom enough to prefer 
 those whom they knew would look well to their household 
 affairs, and to whom their property might be unscrupulously 
 trusted. We have an instance, however, to record which must 
 assume a phase dissimilar to the above, about which I remember 
 to have heard a good deal of chattering and whispering ; it had 
 reference to a female who attended the Methodist Chapel, Water- 
 side-south ; I am not certain that she was a member of the 
 Society. This person lived with an old lady named Eeynolds, 
 who then occupied the large brick house above the Greestone 
 Steps, fronting the south, on the left hand, when going towards 
 the Minster. For some reason, the servant of this woman had 
 written on the blank leaf of one of her own books, "I
 
 so 
 
 an angel;" her mistress happening to take up the book, and 
 seeing the above words, became violently enraged, and staring 
 the servant in the face, exclaimed, "And/ see a devil!" I 
 mention this little incident, because it would seem that there 
 was something in the conduct of this person which was not 
 consistent with her religious profession, and naturally elicits the 
 following remark, viz., that if professors of religion would promote 
 the cause they espouse, their profession and conduct must be 
 uniform. The world expects it, and will not tolerate anything 
 that comes short of this, whatever they may excuse in others. 
 It is just possible, however, that the rancour manifested by the 
 old lady against her servant, might arise purely out of the dislike 
 she had conceived against religious professors in general, for 
 nothing, to my knowledge, transpired to implicate her servant 
 in anything that was seriously culpable. There is such a thing 
 as being disliked, and of being " persecuted for righteousness' 
 sake." If servants will look as much to Christ to assist them 
 in their duties, as their employers look for their fidelity and 
 trustworthiness, they will not fail to approve themselves in the 
 sight of God and man. "My grace is sufficient for thee," 
 belongs to every station. 
 
 I have recollections of certain young men, who, sixty-seven 
 or sixty-eight years ago, were in the habit of visiting some of 
 the lowest and dirtiest families in St. Mary's Lane; these self- 
 denying individuals, though respectably dressed themselves, 
 would sit and read in those loathsome places for an hour or 
 more ; I remember having heard one of them myself, reading in 
 one of the most filthy places a person could put his head into. 
 I have good reason for making remarks of this sort respecting 
 this place, for, at a little later period to that mentioned above, 
 I used to steal into this stinking place, to hear an old man, who 
 was a lodger, read the " Pilgrim's Progress." This poor creature, 
 who had had his back injured, and who had sat in a chair for 
 forty years, was one of the most cheerful of human beings, 
 he would sit singing from morning to night, winding and cutting 
 cotton for candle-wicks. His cheerfulness attracted many boys, 
 who would often leave their play to hear Old Nat tell his 
 amusing tales. 
 
 How perverse I must have been at that time ! how wilful 
 and obstinate ! what lies I must have told ! for, though so
 
 31 
 
 strictly charged to keep away from Old Nat's, there I would be 
 if possible, and, though I got severely thrashed, I still would 
 venture to go. 
 
 Few of the young men who joined the Methodists at the 
 time when they were so severely hooted and persecuted, fell 
 away ; I have knowledge but of one. This person, more full of him- 
 self than of the Holy Ghost, would exhort and attempt to preach ; 
 whether this young aspirant, who, no doubt, had surrounded 
 himself with sparks of his own kindling, failed to swell himself 
 to the size which his vanity had prompted him to imagine, I 
 cannot say, but this I know, he gave his more steadfast brethren 
 the slip, and became their violent persecutor. This would be 
 about the year 1800. 
 
 Some of the worst of people, from various motives, get con- 
 nected with churches : I will mention one well-practised in the 
 art of disguise and duplicity. This deceiver, the better to carry 
 on her treacherous practices, had assumed what was called "the 
 Quaker's," or "Methodist bonnet," the coaltub-formed thing 
 referred to previously, This snivelling old creature, the moment 
 she got sight of any person she intended to impose upon, the 
 muscles of her face would fall most mechanically, showing how 
 well she was habituated to the art of deceiving ; she used to 
 carry a few greens or potatoes in a basket, apparently with the 
 intention of selling them, but the prime object for taking the 
 basket was, that she might take it home well stowed with what 
 she begged ; for, though she always pleaded poverty and want, 
 it was found by those who attended her on her death-bed, that 
 the house was "pragged" with every kind of necessary, and 
 with many superfluities wine, liquors, tea, sugar, soap, and 
 almost every imaginable thing, and she had a good deal of money 
 hid about the house ; so that we may suppose that, if it was wet 
 weather only that was to be provided for, she would not have 
 failed to have begged plenty of umbrellas. Well, though I have 
 written these things which I know to be true of her, I do not 
 feel inclined to gnash my teeth at her, knowing that I am myself 
 a frail creature, liable to err. I would rather indulge the hope 
 that much that I have related arose more out of weakness and 
 wrong views, than from sheer hypocrisy : the Holy Gospel 
 urges us to think the best we can of all. 
 
 Sixty years ago, the Lincoln Methodists were a very zealous
 
 32 
 
 and hearty people : they were so from a deep conviction of tho 
 truth of the doctrines they professed to believe, so that, when 
 they met together to worship, they met in the full assurance of 
 faith, believing that they should receive the things they were 
 instructed by the Scriptures to pray for. They believed that 
 when the Scriptures say " Eepent, and believe the Gospel" that 
 it says this to beings who can, by God's grace, attend to what 
 it says. They believed that what Christ said, He would do, 
 when He should be lifted up from the earth ; that He meant 
 what He said, "I will draw all men unto me," He meant all 
 men, and not a small number; they believed that, when Paul 
 says, "Now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent," 
 he means all men, and that all men, by the grace of God, can 
 render obedience to that command ; or of what use can it be ? 
 Will God trifle with men after that manner ? and shall man be 
 allowed to upbraid God with imposing on him what He knows 
 to be an impossibility ? This, they believed, would be as 
 ridiculous, as it was of the servant to charge God with being a 
 hard master, who gathered where he strewed not, and who 
 reaped where he had not sowed, though he had received goods 
 of his Lord, which he tried not to make advantage of, but went 
 and hid them in the earth. They believed that such things as 
 these were written for their instruction, and were intended to 
 be incentives to diligence, assuring themselves that the figure 
 our Lord employs, in the matter of the improvement of the 
 talents, was not intended to send men to sleep. They were not 
 among those who believe in the unconditional election and repro- 
 bation of individuals; they believed, with Paul, that all true 
 believers were elected, and that none were elected before they 
 became believers ; and that none were reprobated but those who 
 had made shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience. Don't 
 turn up the lip at this doctrine ; for I will prove it to be St. 
 Paul's own doctrine, and, in doing this, I will not make a large 
 circuit, like the legal Jews who went about to establish their own 
 righteousness, rather than submit themselves to the righteousness 
 of God by faith, and so become the children of Abraham. They 
 who dream of an unconditional election and reprobation, have 
 mistaken Paul's argument, running right through his Epistle to 
 the Romans, in which he shews the impartiality of both, in his 
 purpose of justifying both Jews and Gentiles without the works
 
 33 
 
 of the law ; they think they see something of favouritism in the 
 words, " Whom he did foreknow" (that is, they who in old time 
 believed as Abraham did,) " he also did predestinate to be con- 
 formed to the image of his Son," whom they acknowledged in 
 their faith, as did Abraham, "that he might be the firstborn 
 among many brethren," both Jews and Gentiles, for Abraham 
 saw the death and resurrection of Christ in what occurred on 
 Mount Moriah; he was let into God's secret by the figure 
 brought before him in the instance of the offering of his son 
 Isaac, yes, he saw the day of Christ ; he saw Him offered as 
 the world's great atonement; yes, he saw how in Him all the 
 families of the earth should be blessed. And, again, " whom 
 He did predestinate" (that is, they who in in old time had a 
 special call for a special purpose, that a general purpose might 
 succeed,) "He also called," that is, subjected them to the same 
 means by which He intended to save every individual son of 
 Adam, for surely none were ever justified before they believed. 
 Now that faith was understood and acted upon by the individuals 
 mentioned in this passage is clear, or they could not have been 
 justified, sanctified, and glorified, as stated. If any notions had 
 ever existed in the Apostle's head of any election except that of 
 faith, he never would have said, " If any man will not love the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed !" They that "love God 
 are the called according to his purpose," that is, they who having 
 obeyed the call, have got saved ; so we perceive it to be a condi- 
 tion, rather than persons, \vhich is referred to. You will, 
 perhaps, enquire, was it not a personal thing in the case of 
 Jacob and Esau, when the younger was preferred before the 
 elder ? Certainly it was, but that affair had nothing to do with 
 the salvation of either of them. God had a right to do as he 
 pleased, in giving preference to one rather than another, the 
 reason for which we have no business to enquire after; Esau 
 was rich in blessings, though God was pleased to choose Jacob 
 rather than he, to be a link in the chain of progenitors down to 
 the Messiah. There was nothing in all this that deprived Esau 
 of anything promised to the world in Paradise, nor to anything 
 promised to Abraham and his seed. He stood on the same footing 
 as Jacob did, with respect to the law of life which was in Christ 
 Jesus this belongs to every soul that ever did live, or ever will 
 live ; every individual surely is interested in the glad tidings 
 
 C
 
 34 
 
 announced by the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem, "Behold, 
 I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 
 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, 
 which is Christ the Lord." The Methodists will never lose their 
 ardour, whilst they believe that the angel who had the everlasting 
 Gospel to preach, preached it to all them that dwell on the earth, 
 and that whosoever will may take of the water of life freely. 
 
 I recollect, a little after the time that myself and another 
 young man or two had joined the Methodist Society, a man of 
 the High Calvinist cast, seeing us regularly attending the 
 meetings, would put himself in our way, when going to or 
 returning from the chapel. This man, instead of encouraging 
 us in our attempts to flee from the wrath to come, did all he 
 could to dishearten and turn us out of the way ; calling us "work- 
 mongers, self-saviours," and so forth. He told us it was "not of 
 him that willeth, nor of him that runneth," as if that Scripture 
 had anything to do with the salvation of the souls of men ; who 
 does not see, if he is not wilfully blind, that those Scriptures 
 refer to temporalities, and exclude none from the promise made 
 to Abraham, that in his seed ' ' all the families of the earth 
 should be blessed?" Some of those waking dreamers who 
 imagine themselves " special favourites of heaven," entertain 
 strange notions of poor Esau, as if he was an instance of the 
 most perfect abandonment, though we see him with his brother 
 Jacob, at his father Isaac's funeral, in the enjoyment of the 
 richest of earthly blessings, in no wise inferior to his brother 
 Jacob, and standing on the same footing with him, in regard of 
 human redemption ; for, surely, if all the families of the earth 
 were to be blessed in Abraham, his near relations would not be 
 excluded, neither would they be included in the promise, because 
 they were related in the flesh. In order to lie personally interested, 
 we must be believers personally, and thereby become the spiritual 
 children of Abraham, "For they only who believe are blessed 
 with faithful Abraham.'' 
 
 I have done with the individual, the recollection of whom 
 has elicited the above remarks ; being persuaded that his method 
 was not calculated to multiply the number of believers. 
 
 I shall now introduce a character more in accordance with my 
 own views of the simplicity of the Gospel, which adapts itself 
 to intellects that can scarcely be made to perceive that two and
 
 35 
 
 two make four; such, know nothing of those refinements which, 
 large dreamy brains make their pens produce, which frequently 
 tend to make darkness more palpably dark, and which would 
 crack their own brains to understand, and quite bewilder, rather 
 than enlighten their readers ; especially such readers as those to 
 whom the Gospel is sent in general. The one I shall introduce 
 was a poor old man, lame of one leg, who used to come, with an 
 up-and-a-down, all the way from Waddington, where he resided. 
 I knew him once, in very cold weather, to have got to Lincoln 
 as early as seven o'clock in the morning, which was the time 
 the prayer-meeting was held on a Sabbath morning. I remarked 
 to him upon being with us so early on so cold a morning ; he 
 replied, in language which was very familiar to him, " Bless the 
 Lord," he said, " it's colder in hell." " Colder in hell, Charley! 
 how can you make that appear?" He said, "There's none of 
 the love of Grod to warm us there." Charley was very illiterate, 
 and his outward appearance not very prepossessing, especially to 
 those who could not perceive that a diamond was enveloped 
 there in a covering of so little promise ; even my parents had to 
 learn how I could take so much interest in an old man of so 
 shabby appearance, thinking me to have a poor choice of com- 
 panions. But my parents could not see Charley as I saw him ; 
 I saw that he had got what was hid from their eyes, "The 
 pearl of great price." Yes, Charley loved the Saviour, and the 
 Saviour loved him ; and I too loved him because he loved the 
 Saviour. I could indulge in many, pleasing imaginations in 
 connection with Charley; his appearance, his simplicity, his 
 hearty cheerfulness, all conspired to make him an object of 
 interest to the simple-hearted. Yes ! simplicity was the order 
 of the day at that time, and little else was cared for. The 
 preachers and their hearers were similar in that respect in those 
 days. The preacher, then, if he took a poor man by the hand, 
 would not be looking over his head to speak to one more respect- 
 able. I remember its being remarked of Charley, that he had 
 some respect for the good things by which his poor old body got 
 cheered, as well as that spiritual food he had always access to, 
 and who, I would ask, would not rejoice to have it in his power 
 to give the poor old creature a mouthful of food to gladden his 
 already glad heart ? and, considering his laborious walk of five 
 miles, with a lame leg. It may be asked, why take so much
 
 36 
 
 interest in Charley he was not a Lincoln Methodist? No, but 
 as several young persons were in the habit of going to Waddington 
 to hold prayer-meetings, they claimed Charley as the fruit of 
 their labours ; and he was, in consequence, always welcome at 
 Lincoln. So much for Charley. 
 
 ""Well, friend! I have been thinking of your request, and I 
 must say I feel not a little puzzled with it?" "What was my 
 request, friend ? " Why, that I would send customers to your 
 shop." Well, I thought and thought, and the more I tried to 
 pin my thoughts down to that subject, the more they would fly 
 off, and I could not for my life hold the fugitives. I found, 
 when I did think upon the matter, that the request was of such a 
 nature, that I could not urge it for myself without, in some sort 
 injuring my neighbour whom I am bound to love as myself. 
 Perhaps you will say, are we not bound to take care of ourselves, 
 and do the best we can for our families ? Here, you perceive, 
 we inadvertently fall in with a general principle let we, then, 
 stand for myself, my neighbour, and everyone else ; this will 
 shut the door of selfishness, and lead to a general conclusion that 
 God is as much concerned for my neighbour as myself, and the 
 object of our desires will have a pleasing issue, or, at least, appear 
 more in accordance with the charity we profess toward all men, 
 if we pray God to send prosperity to the community, in which 
 we may hope to have a share. But you will perhaps try to 
 remind me that John Wesley himself approved of the usage, and 
 enjoins it upon his Societies; well, if you will have it (I mean 
 exclusive dealing,) let it be done thoroughly, and refuse to serve 
 all who would be your customers, if they do not belong to your 
 fraternity. We cannot receive everything that comes from 
 Wesley, right as he was in most things. 
 
 One of the old local preachers, in connection with whom I 
 have some rather amusing recollections, lived at Navenby ; his 
 name was Blackburn. This man probably was one of those 
 Mr. Hett had in view, when he says the preachers in connection 
 with Methodism were low mechanics, hedge doctors, &c.,# for 
 he was a hedger and ditcher. I remember with what glee this 
 warm-hearted individual came to Lincoln to get his license to 
 preach. If he had been going to receive a large fortune he 
 could not have shown more joyful animation. Our friend's 
 tongue was ever on the move ; he was a regular chatterer, and. 
 * See page 45.
 
 37 
 
 though he understood few words well, he aimed at a great many 
 which he often mistook. He would hear a sermon preached, 
 and take it home with him, making most of its matter and 
 manner his own, and deliver it second-hand at one of his appoint- 
 ments ; I remember his being found fault with for this. I heard 
 him preach once in a house at Waddington from Genesis vn. 4. 
 " For yet seven days, and I will cause ifc to rain upon the earth 
 forty days and forty nights ; and every living substance that I 
 have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth." He 
 attempted an exposition of some of the words he had read, and 
 had become so learned as to talk about translating. I believe 
 that which he said, he had got from what he had heard some 
 one else say. In making observations on some of the words 
 which he had read, he said, "some translate the words" so and 
 so, " others in this manner, but / translate them" so and so. 
 Who could fail to feel amused, or be able not to smile at hearing 
 such blissful ignorance as this ? His inventive genius led him 
 to find what no man ever found before or since, even a Christian 
 Sabbath in the old world. Speaking of the phrase " yet seven 
 days," he, " and so there was another Christian Sabbath granted 
 them to get salvation in." He, in his preaching, made almost 
 every word emphatical, throwing his head from side to side, to 
 mark the emphasis. If he got the devil into his hands, he did 
 bang him about in grand style, very much after the manner that 
 Punch is seen to bang about his wife Judy. After his sermon, 
 I asked him if he had been to College, as he had become so 
 marvellously wise as to be able to put Hebrew and Greek into 
 English ? Poor George ! he knew not the meaning of translating. 
 Our hearty old friend, notwithstanding he was so illiterate, was 
 a great favourite with the people ; his zeal and fondness of the 
 work on which he was engaged, tended to place him in a state 
 of constant readiness for action. No subject was too difficult for 
 George, he would pick up something that would be suitable to 
 his different texts, and other things of common import he never 
 failed to, mention in all his sermons. George being very pious 
 and very zealous, was much beloved. If he were appointed to 
 preach, the people had no fear of being disappointed. At the 
 time he was admitted on the preacher's plan, the local preachers 
 were few in number, not more perhaps than nine or ten ; their 
 plans were in manuscript, as were the class-leader's papers.
 
 38 
 
 The circuit was then large, including Sleaford, Tanvats, and 
 several distant places not now included; their walks then were 
 long and laborious, requiring such spirits and constitutions as 
 Blackburn's. 
 
 I see Mr. Watmough makes our Sunday School to commence 
 in 1806, which will be found to be rather out of time; I know 
 this from two or three circumstances, one of which I find in his 
 own book : he mentions Mr. John Bedford as going out as 
 an itinerant preacher in 1805; now I know that Mr. Bedford 
 was a very regular attendant at the School a long time before 
 he left us to itinerate. I know the date to be wrong from other 
 circumstances, relating to myself; when I entered the School, I 
 was put into the easy reading class, where, I doubt not, I should 
 be kept a good while, as I recollect I was a long time stumbling 
 through a sentence, I cannot say how long it was after this 
 ere I was put to the writing desk, but I do remember seeing 
 William Hickingbotham, after his name, at the bottom of his 
 book, writing 1804. A good while after this, I remember to 
 have been made an assistant at the writing desk, and to have 
 seen Mr. Bedford with the other teachers, making and mending 
 pens, setting copies, &c. It seems, from what I recollect, that 
 the commencement of the School might be dated as early as 
 1802 or 1803. 
 
 The institution of Sunday Schools, perhaps of all projects, 
 has given the least offence of all others, except to those who 
 are cursed with the jaundiced eye of prejudice. The success 
 which has attended this happy movement has closed every 
 mouth that might be opened against it. Yet, good as this 
 object was, and general as was the satisfaction expressed by the 
 populace, it did not fail to stir up prejudices and jealousies in 
 some quarters. Some could see nothing in these movements 
 made by Methodists and dissenters, but a monstrous increase of 
 sectarianism calculated to flood away Mother Church, upset the 
 government, the throne, and everything so dear to Englishmen, 
 and introduce nothing but anarchy and insubordination. These 
 phantoms of disordered imaginations led to results which (though 
 intended to be a check to our Sunday School operations) have 
 proved a great blessing to this nation ; I refer to the establish- 
 ment of what were improperly called National Schools, from, 
 which, bye-the-bye, the children of Methodists and dissenters
 
 39 
 
 were excluded, or, perhaps, it would be more proper to say, the 
 children of such were not allowed to be instructed, as though they 
 were no part of the nation. An idiot might see the lurking 
 venom in so exclusive a measure as this. We see that even 
 envy itself, in the hands of a superior power, may be overruled 
 to the production of incalculable benefits to society in general. 
 These false alarms about the increase of sects have been the means 
 of thousands of individuals being well instructed, who, perhaps, 
 but for those alarms, might yet have remained in ignorance. We 
 perceive, in instances like these, that the worst of motives may 
 sometimes produce the most happy results. For my own part, I 
 have great reason to be thankful that Sunday Schools were ever 
 set on foot in Lincoln ; I was introduced in consequence to a people 
 whose piety and kindliness astonished and delighted me more 
 than anything with which I had had any previous acquaintance. 
 Everything seemed so inviting, so pleasing, so new, so altogether 
 different to what I had been used to, that it operated as a charm ; 
 I was as it were spell-bound ; so much so, that I never once 
 absented myself from the School, for any cause whatever. It 
 was then, as now, the custom to open the School with singing 
 and prayer, and to conclude (after a short exhortation, given by 
 one of the teachers or visitors) in the same pleasing order. I 
 remember to this day something of the style and manner of 
 some of the addresses given to us. They spoke to us as if they 
 saw before their eyes the things they seemed so anxious to 
 impress us with. I cannot forget those truly Christian people, 
 though many of them have long since quitted this present scene 
 of things. 
 
 Another thought or two, in reference to Sunday Schools seem 
 to suggest themselves ; a great good, a good even as great as that 
 we have been speaking of, may be possessed, and yet, in the use 
 of it, we may fail to produce, in connection with it, every thing 
 as good and profitable as itself, or as might be wished should 
 spring from it. This may be said of Sunday Schools, whose 
 government is carried on independently of any control of the 
 Church, to which it is supposed to belong. Thus, classes of 
 young persons have been formed of such as have been supposed 
 to have been enlightened in religious matters, and have been 
 admitted to privileges nearly equal to those of Church members 
 themselves. Those scions are petted as if they had arrived at a
 
 40 
 
 state of stability equal to that of " pillars in the church," and are 
 invited to prate and pray in large meetings, and are looked upon 
 by the warm-hearted as prodigies ; but these prodigies, like 
 mock suns, soon disappear, though, perhaps, by a more judicious 
 supervision, they might be retained and rendered useful members 
 of Society. There are, however, individuals amongst us who 
 seem to set a greater value on their emotions than on their 
 understandings, and conclude too soon, that because they feel 
 well upon a matter that it must be right, and those who, moo 
 cool than they, refuse to jump into their fire, and blaze away 
 with them, are by them esteemed as cold as icicles, and not fit 
 for the assembly of saints. Let it not be wondered at that I 
 cannot be easily carried away by floods of mere animalism, when 
 I state that I have seen many such floods, and have observed 
 them to leave little else than mud behind. Whole batches of 
 impulsive individuals I have known to come to worse than 
 nothing. Let me not be misunderstood here. I do not intend to 
 insinuate that it is wrong in believers to be hearty and warm in 
 the holy cause of religion ; far from it, for if there is a thing on 
 earth which ought to engage a man's entire affections, it is religion. 
 Nothing but God should have a man's whole heart ! neither can 
 a man give his whole heart to any object beside, without being 
 an idolater: hence the admonition, " Little children keep your- 
 selves from idols." yes ! a warm heart is a good thing, when 
 tempered with a cool head ; a head that will try the impulses of 
 the heart and passions, which must be kept in subjection to the 
 higher powers, the understanding and the teaching of the Holy 
 Scriptures. It is no hard matter to perceive how easy it is for 
 impulsive persons, who are in the habit of exhorting or preaching, 
 to be carried away with notions which will not stand the scrutiny 
 of the Written Word. I noticed an itinerant lately, of a sanguine 
 temperament, who was very much excited in the pulpit, and 
 seemed to have so much self-satisfaction, that he could not 
 forbear clapping himself off, and sounding his own trumpet. He 
 said many things, but which, by-the-bye, were nearly as objec- 
 tionable as they were numerous. This brother, whose zeal out- 
 stripped his wisdom, after descending the pulpit, got the prayer 
 leaders together, inviting penitents to come forward, that they 
 might be prayed into salvation. Telling the prayer leaders that 
 he believed, that if they struggled for it, all the penitents before
 
 41 
 
 them would be saved there and then. I want to learn whence 
 the authority for such rant is derived ; I am sure Paul never 
 believed a word of it. If he knew that his prayers, offered for 
 another, would be effectual, irrespective of the man's own faith, 
 would he not gladly have become the instrument of the salvation 
 of his own brethren according to the flesh, for whom he had 
 " continual sorrow in his heart ?" and for " whose sake he could 
 even wish himself accursed from Christ" if that would help 
 them. Did Paul treat the jailor at Phillipi as our people (some 
 of them) treat penitents ? When the jailor enquired of Paul, 
 " What he should do to be saved ?" did he bid him kneel down 
 that he might pray him into salvation ? Not a bit of it, Paul 
 knew better ! but our friends (some of them) affect to be wiser 
 than Paul, and " don't care what Paul nor anybody else says." 
 " I feel well, and will make as much noise as ever I can." 
 " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," 
 was Paul's reply. Why should any one attempt to reverse his 
 order and practice, and institute unscriptural methods, or 
 vagaries of their own ? Paul was sent to " open the eyes of the 
 people," to " turn them from darkness to light," " from the 
 power of Satan unto God ;" to point men to the cross, to tell 
 them why it was lifted up, how men are interested in it, and 
 then he said to everyone thus enlightened, "Believe on him 
 who died on that cross for thee, and thou shall be saved." It is 
 argued that some get good at ranting meetings. None, except 
 those who have been previously enlightened to see how the 
 Saviour " Bore their griefs and carried their sorrows;" how He 
 put himself in their stead, was born, lived, suffered and died, all 
 for them who believe it. Not that they may continue in sin, 
 but that they may be saved from it, and receive grace to live a 
 life of holiness. So it is one of this sort would get saved, if 
 the hurricane of rant and noise of ungoverned passions were 
 equal to those at a Spanish bull-fight. 
 
 I find recollections of things and persons rush upon me, 
 which, perhaps, might as well be forgotten; but a man for- 
 gets nothing that he has once distinctly known. I cannot 
 prevent the ghosts of departed years rising up and staring 
 me in the face. There they are, and there they will be, des- 
 pite my efforts to elude them or drive them away. My 
 poor old brains, not being in the habit of thinking in order
 
 42 
 
 to put thoughts on paper, led me such a game last night 
 that I could not get a wink of sleep for hours. I felt as if I 
 were accompanying Satan in his excursion through chaos. What 
 a confusion of lumber presented itself. Things obsolete, and 
 men long since dead, presented themselves, so I made up my 
 mind to nail a few of them, in order to ease myself in somewise 
 of any future obtrusion from them. I was troubled, as I suppose 
 most men are at times, with things which transpired when I was 
 a lad ; thoughts of the ignorance and wickedness which I knew 
 to exist, particularly arrested my attention, causing me to wonder 
 what the eighteen or twenty thousand clergymen had been about 
 for ages, who had spent money enough, if it had been in right 
 hands, to have converted the world to true Christianity long ago. 
 At the time in question, almost every one called himself a mem- 
 ber of the Church of England, but if a word were mentioned to 
 them about their souls, they would instantly exclaim, " Oh, we 
 make no profession of religion;" and so dark were they upon 
 the subject, that when they heard persons who had got a true 
 concern for their souls, pray, they either thought they were 
 going off their heads, or had been committing murder, or had 
 been guilty of some crime as frightful. 
 
 One man whom I well knew, said, "The Methodists and 
 their preachers were calculated to drive people out of their 
 senses," saying, " They condemn themselves and everybody 
 else." This bewildered man used to make sport at the ex- 
 pense of persons suffering from any cause whatever, the 
 deformed, lame, deaf or blind. He once gave a neighbour's 
 dog a cork buttered, of which the poor creature died in the 
 greatest agonies, whilst he was laughing at the cruel tortures 
 he had inflicted on the poor innocent animal, its master not 
 knowing what ailed it. The wretch appeared to enjoy this 
 vicious sport. Some years after this man went stone blind. 
 Then he thought if he bought a couple of basses, and he and his 
 wife had prayer in his house, he might get his eyesight again. 
 They tried his plan for awhile, but finding no relief, he said to 
 his wife, " Anne Janey, I think, Anne, it is no use us praying 
 any more, my eyes are no better, and so I think we'll throw 
 the basses away." 
 
 Another man of the same period, who must have possessed 
 a very strong resolution, or nerve, or something else, I
 
 43 
 
 knew to have carried out the strange resolution of chopping 
 off. with an axe, the fingers of one of his hands, to get 
 discharged from being a soldier. I fell into discourse with this 
 man about the state of his soul. I tried to explain to him the 
 nature of the new birth. After a good deal of talk on the sub- 
 ject, the old man made his own inference from all he had heard, 
 winding up with this remark, "Hey," he said, "we often hear 
 it remarked, once a man and twice a child." 
 
 I will only mention another out of the hundreds I might 
 produce. This shall be Old Kit, a bird fancier, the worst 
 of rips I have any knowledge of. He was an old freeman 
 of the city; I heard him say the very night on wh'ich the 
 two elected members of Parliament had been chaired, s' Now, 
 I wish they were both as dead as a stone." Thig wish 
 was expressed for no other reason than that he miiht, in 
 consequence of their death, have as good a chance of gettng, at 
 the election that must in consequence ensue, as much money as 
 he had got at the election which had just ended. This old man 
 was one day gathering seeds for his bird, when Colonel Sib thorp's 
 butler was passing, who, observing him, said, " What are you 
 getting there, Kit." " Colonel Sibthorp's posy, sir !" " Colonel 
 Sibthorp's posy ! what do you mean ?" " Why, isn't it what 
 they call pick-pockets ?" "Hey! its pick-pocket!" "1 don't 
 understand you." " Oh ! don't you ? were you ever at a 
 dancing?" " yes, what of that?" "Did you not pay the 
 fiddler ?" " Of course I did." " I thought so." The Colonel, 
 it seems, had not at that time squared with the freemen to their 
 satisfaction. Though this old man's language and manners were 
 so terribly repulsive and infidel in the years of his health, so 
 much so, that scarcely any one durst say a word to him in the 
 form of reproof, he was accessible in his declining days, and 
 individuals were allowed to talk and read to him, and pray with 
 him. I introduce these specimens of darkness, to show the 
 quality of the raw materials, left in the hands of Methodists and 
 dissenters, by Mother Church, to work upon. 
 
 It is puzzling to learn what could possibly be the real cause 
 of the jealousies and alarms of the Church, in its then state of 
 darkness, at the movements of Methodists and dissenters, could 
 it be that it feared the piety of its members should be destroyed ? 
 or that ita spirituality should suffer by the carnal inroads of
 
 44 
 
 heretics and schismatics, was it not a fear that the fleece might 
 be snatched away from idle shepherds, who provided no grass or 
 water for the sheep ! 
 
 About the year 1811, the Eev. "W. Hett, prebendary of the 
 Lincoln Cathedral, become suddenly inspired with a deep concern 
 for the future welfare of Methodism, putting himself about to 
 institute for us a state of things which must have rendered us, 
 if successful, far more powerful and respectable. He regrets to 
 find that we were getting seriously wrong, and that if nothing 
 intervened to prevent, we must speedily come to ruin. He 
 became very anxious that all our preachers should be eminently 
 educated, and that no immoral character should be allowed to be 
 amongst us to disgrace us, and that if any should be found with 
 us, whose conduct would not bear the strictest investigation, 
 should be punished. And he would have us so refined, and 
 rendered so much like gentlemen, that whenever we saw any of 
 the regular clergy near us, we were to show them such reverence 
 and homage as if they had nothing but reverence and homage to 
 live upon. And all this, too, if even met with drunk, or follow- 
 ing a pack of hounds. The dissenters were not to be allowed to 
 say a word against the clergy, their preaching, or conduct in the 
 world. But the clergy might scold, brawl, and lie from their 
 pulpit till they cracked their lungs, and though they should 
 charge the dissenters with as many foul things, and call them as 
 many ugly names, as the Hev. W. Hett has done himself, and 
 yet be blameless. This rev. gentleman must have thought the 
 dissenters a set of poor brainless things, not able to infer, when 
 they saw a cob-web, that there had been a spider there. The 
 Eev. W. Hett became inflated with these inspirations at the time 
 Lord Sydmouth's bill was about to be presented to Parliament 
 a bill which, if it had passed, would have swept away every vestige 
 of religious liberty. But God, in whom we trust, when the bill 
 went into the house, went in with it, and with one puff of His 
 disapprobation, blew it into everlasting oblivion. Our friend Hett 
 thought this a proper time to bestir himself ; perhaps he thought 
 of the old hackneyed phrase, " strike whilst the iron's hot." So 
 immediately under the influence of a warm heart and hot head, 
 he resolves to write, and send letters to the Archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, in which letters, he lays many grievous accusations 
 against the doctrines and discipline of the Methodists. In the
 
 45 
 
 first place, he represents the docrines of Methodism to be of so 
 frightful a character as to be calculated to send people mad. He 
 might have picked up this from a circumstances which occurred 
 in our chapel, which I have adverted to somewhere in the course 
 of these ramblings. It relates to a crazy woman who got into 
 our chapel a time or two, and was a great annoyance to us. "We 
 were not inclined to kick her out, as we might have kicked out 
 a dog, but were glad to get rid of her as well as we could. Our 
 kindly sympathetic friend seemed delighted to catch hold of any- 
 thing, however fragile, if he could thereby hold us up to ridicule, 
 if it were but for a moment, and would be as much pleased with 
 it as an idiot would with a mouse he had got swinging by the 
 tail. I know the tale about the mad woman got spread abroad. 
 In the next place he complains to his lordship of the illiterate, 
 employed by us as teachers or preachers. And here he presents 
 a variety equal to what might be found in a basket of toadstools, 
 which must have had as deleterious an effect upon the minds and 
 and morals of society, as toadstools would, if eaten, have upon 
 the human system. Hear him: "The teachers of Methodism 
 are mean and illiterate, silly boys, idle, ignorant, profligate 
 mechanics, or day labourers, without any religious information 
 or any real attachment to anything that is good." Do not allow 
 yourselves to be tempted to say, " Thou liest, old friend ! ' Our 
 beloved Christianity will not suffer us to shut out all the palliating 
 circumstances which might be urged in his favour, but it invites 
 us to hope, that, however bad his object might appear to be, he 
 might nevertheless, though blindly, mean well. This poor mis- 
 guided man, though he knew so little about Methodists and 
 other dissenters, thought he knew them so perfectly well, that 
 without any hesitancy he comes to the conclusion, that, however 
 various their views and doctrines might be, they were all agreed, 
 without one exception, in one grand purpose, which was to upset 
 the Church and State. I remember the Rev. "W. Hett, in one of 
 his rhapsodies, calls one of our preachers a hedge-doctor. Mr. 
 Wm. Mawer, who replied to the letters sent to the Archbishop, 
 corrects this learned phrase, as being applied to a hedger and 
 ditcher, putting into his mouth these more appropriate words 
 " hedge carpenter" Well, our solicitous and very anxious friend 
 is resolved that we should not be plagued with such ignorant, 
 idle, profligate wretches for teachers much longer j for the restric-
 
 46 
 
 tions he would have imposed would render such a state of things 
 utterly impossible. He suggested that, before any young man 
 should have a licence granted to preach the gospel, sufficient 
 notice of his intention to apply for one should be sent to the 
 chairman of the quarter sessions. A certificate of his age, the 
 title upon which he is to be admitted a preacher, proof examina- 
 tion, and approbation ; and also, letters testimonials of his good 
 life and behaviour for three years antecedent to his offering him- 
 self a candidate, signed by three well-known and respectable 
 inhabitants of the parish in which he has resided, should be pro- 
 duced, and, after all, it was to rest, of course, with the magistrates, 
 whether he should be allowed to preach or not. Another thing 
 which he wished the Parliament to do, was to pass a law to this 
 effect, that if any dissenter, whether a minister or one of the 
 people, shall hereafter knowingly and wilfully, either directly 
 or indirectly, by writing or word of mouth, or in any way what- 
 ever, say or do anything which shall bring into disrepute, or 
 endanger the constitution; or shall by the same means disparage 
 or lower the character of the regular clergy, so as to lessen them 
 in the estimation of the people, he, she, or they, shall, on con- 
 viction of such offence, be liable to certain punishment. Now, 
 if candidates for holy orders, in his day, were subjected to such 
 a sifting as this^ which he would have instituted for the ministers 
 of dissenters and Methodists, what would have become of them ? 
 Duplicity is as palpably apparent in this movement of the old 
 gentleman, as his want of wit. The more we try to reduce the 
 vagaries of the Rev. "W". Hett to a common sense view, the more 
 we find it impossible to do so. He was terrified at a system 
 of things, which, by his own confession, must be utterly power- 
 less, its elements being of such a quality as to render it perfectly 
 inefficient. He is concerned, in the first place, for our ignorance, 
 which we know implies the absence of knowing or knowledge, 
 from the absence of which is other's power inferred, for the great 
 Bacon says, "knowledge is power." Then, again, there is our 
 idleness, which would render knoAvledge, if we had it, of no use, 
 as it would leave our knowledge to rust and rot. And, again, 
 being a lot of unfortunate bipeds doomed to labour and sweat, to 
 earn their potatoes and bit of bacon, and to pay for their bit of 
 shelter ; they must, of coxirse, be profligate, without any real 
 attachment to that which is good. These are the elements of
 
 47 
 
 which the cloud of his terrified imagination is composed, and 
 yet, though composed of such weak materials, somehow or 
 other the conglomeration of united weaknesses was to sweep 
 away the massive pile of wood and stone in which he worshipped 
 with so much self-complacency and pomp. 
 
 Well, after all, the old gent, atfects to have a great reverence 
 for the holy scriptures, though they condemn him for his "back- 
 biting, lying, and slandering." How plainly it appears that the 
 intention of his reverence was, not to render us more respectable ; 
 not to mend us, but end us. 
 
 I have a sermon preached by one of our idle, ignorant silly 
 pates, in 1 800, printed by Mr. Brooke, of Lincoln. This sermon 
 was preached September 28th, 1800, by Samuel Gates, one of 
 our ministers, and was as good a sermon as I could wish to hear 
 even at the present time. It was preached on the occasion of 
 the death of a Mr. Hannah, mentioned in these sheets. 
 
 About the time of the writing of the letters referred to in 
 the previous pages, we had some excellent men amongst iis as 
 ministers, men of eminent piety and untiring zeal. The labours 
 they had to perform were arduous in the extreme. The miles 
 they had to walk, the sermons they had to preach, the privations 
 and hardships they had to submit to, formed, in the aggregate, a 
 mass of laborious effort, from which every fastidious and chicken- 
 hearted individual would shrink. We cannot think of those 
 self-denying and holy men without loving them ; their memory 
 is indeed blessed. They deserved the people's affections, and 
 they had them. 
 
 Mr. Benjamin Seckerson particularly recurs to my recollec- 
 tion, a man of rare piety and devotedness to God's cause and 
 people. He always seemed to preach as " a dying man to dying 
 men." In all his sermons, light serenely shone, commanding 
 homage from the feeling heart. He looked on earthly things as 
 fleeting, and urged his hearers to fix their hearts on things above. 
 
 " The world he saw diminish'd to a point, 
 Her fame a bubble, and her riches di'oss, 
 And all her happiness a broken reed. 
 Heaven shone, with radiant beams, full on his soul, 
 Dispelling thence all sublunary things." 
 
 It is impossible to say too much in praise of such a man as he. 
 His example also, as a plain man, was safe to follow. He was a
 
 48 
 
 widower when at Lincoln, and had a daughter, whom he sent to 
 our Sunday School ; she was observed to be dressed the plainest 
 of any girl in the School. 
 
 And then there was a Mr. William Draper, another of our 
 ministers, a man of rare eloquence, from whom language poured 
 as from an ever-flowing fountain, a gift the which many great 
 men might wish in vain to acquire by any means, or purchase at 
 any price. This man was manifestly fitted to defend the out- 
 works of Christianity, evidently "set for the defence of the 
 gospel." Many others might be mentioned who rendered excel- 
 lent service to the good cause they had espoused. 
 
 Then again, we had had frequent opportunities of hearing a 
 Mr. Dixon, of Bassingham, a gentleman of considerable general 
 information, preach. This man had been nine years in search of 
 the true and heart-renewing doctrines of the gospel, which speaks 
 very badly for the teaching and teachers of Mother Church in 
 those days. This person, after he got converted to God, spent 
 all his time, talents, and nearly all his money, in forwarding the 
 cause he had so warmly espoused, and which he so ardently 
 loved ; doing great service in all the country places to which he 
 had access ; and who, that has any recollection of the moral con- 
 dition of many of our surrounding villages, before the introduction 
 of Methodism, will be so ungenerous as not to acknowledge the 
 benefits that have accrued to the inhabitants by the light thrown 
 among them by Methodist preaching, together with the aid of 
 Sunday Schools ? 
 
 Sixty years ago it was almost impossible for a stranger to 
 go through a country town without his being insulted. Children 
 of all ages, from four to fourscore years, would assemble in 
 groups in different parts of the town, that they might laugh at 
 the coarse wit some urchin of the party would frame to cast on 
 passengers, such as " Look at his bandy legs," "Did you see 
 his nose ?" " How he gizzens," " He stares like a stuck rat;" 
 and then would follow a glorious burst of laughter, as if they 
 had got the wit of a Garrick amongst them. All must be aware 
 that much of such rudeness has disappeared. Nay, many such 
 as those who used to form those disgusting groups, are now 
 refined and decent in their manners, so that strangers may now 
 pass along without molestation. 
 
 I have no intention to leave unnoticed the zeal and piety of
 
 49 
 
 several of the wives of the preachers at 'the time referred to 
 how warmly they interested themselves in the cause of God; 
 how they laboured to build up believers in the faith ; and what 
 special interest they took in the young and uninformed. Those 
 excellent females were not ashamed to own religion, though it 
 walked not in silver slippers and worldly gaud. They would 
 not slip on one side to shun a member of the Church, whom they 
 were likely to meet in their dirty working dress. They thought 
 it not beneath them to stand to talk with anyone, anywhere, 
 under any circumstances. In all matters connected with religion 
 they were helpers together, with their husbands, thus becoming 
 lighteners of their burdens. Their "price was above rubies." 
 
 I find I cannot make mountains out of mole hills, and may, 
 perhaps, subject myself to ridicule on the account of introducing 
 trifles, which it would be better to dispense with. But then, 
 again, I am reminded of this great fact, that trifles, with the 
 occasional addition of a thing of more striking import, make up 
 the sum of a mortal's history ; so that, if trifles were sifted there- 
 from, little would remain. 
 
 I shall, therefore, just attempt to ease my memory of a few 
 trifles which connect themselves with three preachers who were 
 labouring with us, taking their regular weekly appointments. No 
 three individuals could be more dissimilar in many respects than 
 they were. There was no danger of mistaking one for the other, 
 though we might not see them, only having their voices for our 
 guide. Their names were W. Butler, John Jackson (many years 
 afterwards President of the Conference), and Francis Rigley. 
 I have often heard the following coarse gingling lines repeated in 
 connection with those men, for what reason I can't say : 
 
 " Bntler for learning, Jackson for wit, 
 Old Rigley's for all the money he can get." 
 
 Butler's manner of preaching was solemn and deliberate, Eigley 
 was impulsive, and had a very harsh unpleasant voice, whilst 
 Jackson's was all music, which, with his delightfully flowing 
 eloquence, rendered him a most charming preacher. 
 
 I remember a rather amusing incident in connection with 
 Mr. Rigley's preaching. He was preaching from a text out of 
 the Book of Job ; I don't remember the words, but I recollect he 
 referred to the book itself as being a real history, and not an 
 
 D
 
 50 
 
 allegory, as some writers ventured to assume. He said, " Those 
 persons who affirmed that Job was a merely imaginary being, 
 and that the Book of Job was not a real, but a parabolical thing 
 or a mere allegory, were mistaken ;'' for the book says, " there 
 was a man in the land of TJZ, whose NAME was Joo b ;" and 
 his emphasising was such as to lead his hearers to suppose that 
 he thought that nothing could be more conclusive than what 
 he had advanced in favour of its being a real history. 
 
 I have a rather amusing incident to relate which transpired 
 just before some other matters I intend to lighten my memory 
 of. This will relate to a Member of our Society, named Asthrope, 
 who was converted to God in his old age, which circumstance 
 appeared to bring back to him the ardour and buoyancy of youth. 
 Late he received his first Christian love ; but he retained it to the 
 end. With what joyfulness would he express his sense of God's 
 goodness in calling him at the "eleventh hour to work in His vine- 
 yard," as he expressed himself, and rewarding him with wages, 
 equal to those who had " borne the labour and heat of the day." 
 He was always ready to express his sense of God's love to him, 
 was generally the first to speak at lovefeasts and other speaking 
 meetings; he would say, "I am like a vessel filled with new 
 wine ; I cannot forbear to speak, I must speak ; if I don't the 
 very stones will cry out against me. I was wandering in the 
 downward road till the eleventh hour, like a lost sheep, and He 
 has brought me into His fold, and shan't I praise Him ? Yes ! 
 bless the Lord ! I can praise Him, and I will praise Him !" 
 
 One Sabbath afternoon, when a lovefeast was about to be 
 held, a rather officious man stopped him, as he was going up the 
 stairs into the gallery, and said to him, " !Now, friend Asthrope, 
 don't you be so forward, let some one else speak first to day; 
 don't be so very officious." He made no reply to this ; but as 
 soon as the meeting (as usual) was opened by singing and prayer, 
 the bread and water distributed, and the collection made for the 
 poor, and the minister had made a few remarks, up he bolts as 
 on other occasions, saying, " I am here once more to speak of 
 the goodness of God. The devil met me as I was going up the 
 stairs into the gallery, told me to hold my tongue awhile, and 
 not be in such a hurry to speak. But who has a greater cause 
 to praise God than I have ? He found me in the downward road 
 in my sins and in my blood, and at the ' eleventh hour brought
 
 51 
 
 me np out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay, and has 
 set my feet upon a rock ;' and shan't I praise Him ? Shall I 
 hide the work of His Spirit from my brethren and sisters, and 
 shut up His righteousness in my heart ? Shall I be ashamed to 
 confess Him before men ? No ! if I am ashamed to confess Him 
 and His work, will He not be ashamed of me, and turn His back 
 on me ? May He help me to hold on and hold out to the end, 
 that I may receive the crown of life which the Lord, the 
 righteous Judge, has promised to give me in that day !" 
 
 I quite forgot when I was upon the subject of Sunday 
 Schools, to make any remarks relative to singing. It will be in 
 vain for any one to expect anything from me that might be 
 called regular or systematic, as I only just snatch up a thing as 
 it recurs to my recollection, except that, in matters which have 
 taken place, I try to introduce them as nearly the time of their 
 occurrence as my memory will suggest. 
 
 Of late years musicians have, apparently, taken a pleasing 
 interest in that pleasurable department of school exercise, sing- 
 ing, and have succeeded in introducing a species of music, simple, 
 and because simple, very appropriate for children. Many of 
 these compositions have been snatched away, by musicians, from 
 light ditties of a bygone age, and put into the form we see, with 
 originalities of their own. Nothing can be more effective and 
 pleasing than this kind of music in the mouths of children. The 
 contrivance of adapting one note to one syllable is excellent. 
 Mr. "Wesley himself, being an excellent musician, would occa- 
 sionally compose words, which he would adapt to a song tune. 
 
 I remember hearing an old soldier relating a circumstance in 
 connection with Wesley, which he appeared to have a perfect 
 knowledge of. He told me that John Wesley was once preach- 
 ing in a place to a rather turbulent and uncultivated congregation, 
 who, when the time for singing arrived, instead of singing the 
 hymn he gave out, sang one of their own obscene and filthy 
 ditties ; Wesley wrote down the notes of the tune whilst they 
 were singing it. He told them, at the conclusion of the service, 
 that the next night, if they would come to the meeting, they 
 should sing his words if they would to their own tune. The 
 man recited the words to me, which Wesley composed for them 
 to sing, which my memory has retained to this day, though it is 
 more than fifty years since I first heard them.
 
 52 
 
 OCCASIONAL HYMN. 
 
 11 Listed into the cause of sin, 
 
 "Why should a good be evil ? 
 Music, alas ! too oft hath been 
 
 Press'd to obey the devil. 
 Drunken and lewd, and light the lay, 
 
 Sung to the soul's undoing ; 
 Widen'd and strew'd with flowers the way 
 
 Down to eternal ruin ! 
 
 Come, let us see if Jesus' love, 
 
 Will not as well inspire us ? 
 This is the theme of those above ; 
 
 This upon earth should fire us ! 
 Save your hearts, a theme to sing, 
 
 Have you a subject greater ? 
 Harmony all its charms bring, 
 
 Jesus' love is sweeter !" 
 
 It is easy to perceive that the music set to the above is now in 
 use in our schools. It would require but one note to each 
 syllable. 
 
 The singing now in use in our schools is such, perhaps, as 
 the Quakers would not much object to. They find fault with so 
 much quavering over a word or syllable. They say, how ridicu- 
 lous it would be to go to a neighbour and say, "Neighbour, 
 w-i-i-i-lt thou lend m-e-e-e-e thy wheelbarrow." 
 
 I will now mention one who often amused us with his 
 eccentricities. He was a local preacher; I heard him preach 
 once, at the time of the sitting of the Conference, our preachers 
 having gone thither. At that time the singing pew was just 
 under the pulpit. Preaching was in the afternoon and at night. 
 He preached in the afternoon. "When he had got into the pulpit, 
 he, stretching his neck forward and looking down into the sing- 
 ing pew, said, "Now, friends, let us have none of your ho, ho, 
 ho tunes !" The choir had been newly-formed, and I expect some 
 of the tunes brought out were not congenial with his old preju- 
 dices. I remember some of his sayings in his discourse, though I 
 do not retain the order of his sermon, if it might be called one. 
 In speaking of the crucifixion, he said, " "We'm don't blame the 
 Jews, we'm as bad as they was ; our sins nailed Him to the tree, 
 pointed tha nail, and fixed tha thorne." This old gentleman 
 prided himself very much as having been once a leader of some
 
 53 
 
 country church choir ; his style of singing was very ludicrous, 
 none could hear him sing and retain gravity, his twang was so 
 nasal ; he indeed sent every note through his nose with so strange 
 a jingle as could not fail to incline one rather to laugh than to 
 weep. I once heard him preach from the words, " And salt 
 without prescribing how much." But I never heard the word 
 "prescribing" after he read it. Ever after it was "ascribing" 
 how much. He went on to describe the properties of salt, and 
 the effect it had upon certain substances. 
 
 Methodism in Lincoln has derived its influence, in some 
 instances, from various seemingly trivial sources, which, like tribu- 
 tary streams, help to swell the current of the ever-rolling river. 
 Prom a solitary visit to a sick person, results of a lasting and 
 really beneficial character ensued. The brother of the sick man 
 was in the room when the visitor spoke to and prayed with the 
 sick, who received little or no good. But his brother was con- 
 verted on the spot, and immediately opened his house, which 
 was situated in St. Botolph's parish, for preaching and prayer ; 
 this man became himself a local preacher, remaining to his death 
 a steady and consistent Member of the Methodist Society ; a son 
 also of his became a regular preacher of the Gospel. I have 
 heard several of the Rev. Daniel Isaac's sermons in that house. 
 Who shall despise the day of small and feeble things ? No man 
 can conjecture what amount of good will finally arise from that 
 single visit to the sick man's chamber. 
 
 In 1815 we have demonstrative evidence of the increase and 
 prosperity of Methodism in Lincoln, in the erection of a new 
 chapel on the site now occupied by the Savings' Bank. In the 
 time intervening between the building of this and the first 
 chapel, the numbers of Members in Society had more than 
 trebled ; so 'tis no wonder to hear them reiterating the cry of 
 the sons of the prophets of yore. "The place where we dwell 
 is too strait for us." There was no standing still in Methodism 
 in those days, whatever may be its fate in future. The most 
 eloquent Richard Watson, being appointed to open this chapel, 
 afforded those who heard him, a treat, which, for richness, cannot 
 be exceeded, and which will scarcely ever be equalled. 
 
 " Soft as the fleeces of descending snows, 
 The copious accents fall with easy art : 
 Melting they fall, and sink into the heart."
 
 54 
 
 Perhaps some of his words might be above the reach of those 
 who scarcely know one word from another. I remember, in 
 speaking of the love of Christ, he made use of the phrase 
 "Exuberant love!" But he made his words fit so well, that 
 it was almost impossible to mistake their meaning. The opening 
 of this chapel afforded matter of great rejoicing to those feeling 
 interested in the welfare of their fellow-men, and who, with 
 heart and voice, could join in the joyful song of the angels who 
 sung redemption's story, " Glory to God in the highest, and 
 on earth peace, good will towards men." 
 
 Many who have not received the gift of grace in their hearts, 
 wonder how it is that men should take such an interest in building 
 chapels and churches, employing their money and energies in 
 matters so unlikely to yield them any pecuniary remuneration. 
 It is the great principle of love, put into the hearts of believers 
 by the Holy Spirit ; the love which moved the Gracious Author 
 of man's redemption, to lay aside the glory he had with the 
 Father from eternity, and to assume human flesh, to live in this 
 world, not for Himself, and to die, not for Himself, but for all 
 the human race, which, by transgression, had effected their own 
 ruin, "that whosoever believeth in Him" might be restored to His 
 image, and have everlasting life. Again, it is because (as 
 Methodists especially), we believe that the good news announced 
 by the angels at the Saviour's birth was intended for every man, 
 of all people. 
 
 There is a religious view taken by certain parties, which, I 
 trust, we Methodists will never consent to take. If we took 
 such a view as that I shall refer to, we would not build a chapel 
 at all. This is the view taken by the parties in question, That 
 Christ will save all for whom He died. This, you know, is 
 what the Calvinists say. Well, then, just let us make St. John 
 a Calvinist for a minute or two, and we shall see what that will 
 result in. John says, "He died for, or was the propitiation for 
 the whole world," so that, according to Calvin's teaching, "all 
 the world must be saved." Thus 'tis impossible not to come to 
 the conclusion which favours the notion of universal redemption. 
 How easy it is to see that conditions cannot be dispensed with. 
 " Whosoever will let him take : whosoever believeth shall be or 
 ehall have." 
 
 At the second Conference, after the opening of our chapel, in
 
 55 
 
 what is now called Bank-street, tlie Eev. Daniel Isaac was 
 appointed to labour in the Lincoln circuit. The first time I saw 
 him, after his leaving Lincoln, in 180-2, to be a regular preacher, 
 was at the Monday night prayer meeting, 1816. I remember 
 the words he gave out to be sung, as well as if they were now 
 sounding in my ears ; the tune I* did know, but it has left me 
 for the present. These were the words : 
 
 " What is our calling's glorious hope, 
 
 But inward holiness ? 
 For this to Jesus we look up, 
 We calmly wait for this ! 
 
 We wait till He shall touch us clean, 
 
 Shall life and power impart ? 
 Give us the faith which casts out sin, 
 
 And purifies the heart 1 
 
 This is the dear redeeming grace, 
 
 For every sinner free ; 
 Surely it shall in me take place, 
 
 The chief of sinners, me !" 
 
 Daniel Isaac was a man far surpassing men in general in strength 
 of intellect ; so much so, that those coming in contact with him, 
 felt themselves to be but children, except those whose ignorance 
 prevented them from understanding their own, or other's 
 abilities. 
 
 This tremendous scourge of vice was a terror to the wicked ; 
 of course they did not love him much. His sarcasms upon the 
 fine names they invented to cover foul and filthy vices, made 
 them fit to eat their finger ends. But though he would often 
 cut some of his audience to vexation, they could not refrain 
 themselves from coming to hear his all-commanding and mascu- 
 line eloquence ; though he vexed some, they could not resist the 
 mighty magnetism his signal genius created. I will not say of 
 him, as was said of Garrick, 
 
 " He casts off his friends 
 
 As a huntsman his pack ; 
 For he knew, when he pleased, 
 He could whistle them back." 
 
 At the time Mr. Isaac was in the Lincoln circuit, he was 
 invited to Sleaford to preach two occasional sermons for some 
 cause which required the making of collections : he had heard 
 that several infidels were coming to hear him. Before he com-
 
 56 
 
 menced his sermon he addressed the infidels, warning them of 
 the subject he intended to introduce, telling them that if they 
 did not wish to be annoyed they had better withdraw. Again 
 when the collection was about to be made, he said, " we don't 
 want a penny from any of you infidels ; we don't wish you to 
 lend your aid in support of a faith you oppose and profess to 
 disbelieve ; we can do very well without such help as your's." 
 Whilst Mr. Isaac was here he drew up an article, which he sent 
 as a circular to all or most of the preachers. This circular 
 reflected on the ill-treatment he received from the Conference, in 
 reference to a book he had written on " Ecclesiastical Claims." 
 If the obnoxious mass of improprieties referred to in that 
 circular, its cant and religious courtship of the rich and great, 
 cringing and so forth, to mammon and his rites, were published 
 to the world, it could not fail to elicit the conclusion that there 
 is as much religion in the power he complains against, as would 
 be found in a temple of Juggernaut. I give the preachers credit 
 for strangling so effectually, and burying out of sight, a thing which, 
 if published, would have revealed such frightful monstrosities. 
 
 Before I proceed to make any further remarks on Mr. D. Isaac, 
 I will try to discharge my memory of what little I recollect of 
 the two who were in appointment at the time of our quitting the 
 old, and entering upon our new chapel. These were Thomas 
 
 Rought and Willson. My memory suggests nothing very 
 
 particular in reference to these, except a trifling incident which 
 connects itself with Mr. Bought, and a man who was the clerk 
 of Burton Church, near Lincoln. This person never failed to 
 remind us of the fact, that he and his master were the two 
 largest things in the parish. This man, though holding so 
 important an office as that of parish clerk, that is the second in 
 importance in Burton, had taken a great liking for Methodism. 
 He was a man of warm passions, had plenty of moisture about 
 his head, would weep like an icicle in the sun ; but was accused 
 of being frequently found, on his returning from Lincoln to Bur- 
 ton, carrying too heavy a load of strong drink, a rather common 
 occurrence to men and women possessing a large amount of 
 animal propensities. We were holding, I believe, our last love- 
 feast in our little old chapel, when a momentary silence was 
 observed by our impulsive friend, who, immediately rising, said, 
 " Now, friends,
 
 5T 
 
 Let's improve time, while time lasts, 
 For time's no time, when time's past." 
 
 I do not suppose that Mr. Rought would have made any remark 
 on his doggerel, if he had been a man of better character. 
 "There, friend, that will do," was the preacher's response. 
 
 Perhaps things of so insignificant import may be thought 
 unworthy of being recorded ; yet they go to prove what is said 
 of the Gospel net, which is, "that it encloses fishes of all sorts, 
 good and bad." And what is said of the Church in the present 
 world, "that wheat and tares make up the mass; that there 
 was a Judas among the twelve." If the irregularities recorded 
 in the scriptures, which connect themselves with men's frailties, 
 were intended for our learning and instruction, why may not 
 what we observe among men serve the same purpose ? 
 
 I will introduce the few more remarks I intend to offer in 
 reference to Mr. D. Isaac, by making an observation on his well- 
 tutored ear, rendered so capable of trying words, and of seeing at 
 once the false premises laid down by some speakers and writers, 
 by which they were led to draw false conclusions. I am inclined 
 to wish, when I attempt to write or say a word of so great a 
 man, that I had his abilities. But I will try to comfort myself 
 with this fact, that every man is a sciolist. There is no man on 
 earth that knows and can do everything perfectly : there is no 
 man on earth who knows or can do any one ihing perfectly. 
 
 A colleague of Mr. Isaac's, on one occasion, had given out 
 for a text, "If thy brother shall offend against thee, go and 
 tell him his fault between him and thee alone : if he shall hear 
 thee, thou hast gained thy brother. " The preacher, in handling 
 this text, lost the idea of its subject altogether, and instead of 
 confining his remarks to an offence between two individuals, he 
 referred to offences committed under any circumstances, in pub- 
 lic or in private ; matters which concerned everybody, but nobody 
 specially ; and because a man should hear of such public or pri- 
 vate outrages, though not committed against himself, should 
 nevertheless refrain from talking about them ; and that if he 
 would reprove the delinquent, he must do it either by writing or 
 by private intercourse, thus recommending such a tissue of cant 
 twaddle as to convince every one that his text had been quite 
 lost sight of. Daniel Isaac, fearing the people should not be 
 able to detect the fallacy of such teaching, took and preached
 
 58 
 
 from the same text the week following, giving the true meaning, 
 which made what we had heard before, truly ridiculous, if not 
 ludicrous. 
 
 He was once preaching on a subject which led him to remark 
 on what the people would say of professors of religion boasting 
 themselves, " that they, if they were members of any Church, 
 would set so perfect an example as would shame them out of 
 their imperfect moral movements, and just show them what 
 they ought to be." "Oh! and you would set the Church an 
 example ; you would be a perfect model of moral excellence ; and 
 you would go as truly and properly as a piece of clockwork turned 
 out by a master hand ; you would neither stagger nor wriggle, 
 and your steps would be as firm and. free from slipping, as if they 
 were made in a chalk pit. YOU ! pretty creatures you would 
 be ! You set the Church an example ! You that can't relinquish 
 one vicious habit, not even your longing after the ale bench ; who 
 cannot give up one filthy lust ; your vain notions of what you 
 would be if you were religious, arises from what you feel when 
 you are what you like to be, drunk / Then, when your brains, 
 if you have any, are inflamed by the action of strong drink 
 thereon, you clap your hand on your body, and say, ' 0, I love 
 my God /' keep your hand there, for that is your God. Your 
 God is your belly, and your "glorying is in your shame." 
 Such oracles as you should be struck dumb." 
 
 On another occasion he took for his text, " I know you, 
 that you have not the love of God in you." He showed, in the 
 handling of this subject, that he was not among those to whom 
 the " Fear of man bringeth a snare." He pointed out, in his 
 quaint and inimitable style, the inconsistencies of religious pro- 
 fessors. He reflected upon the conduct of some who would keep 
 their servants at home cooking on a Sabbath morning, and thus 
 preventing them from attending the worship of God ; he would 
 say, " I know you, that you have not the love of God in you." 
 If you had you would not keep your servants at home to pander 
 to your unreasonable and squeamish appetites ! Have your ser- 
 vants no souls ? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves /" 
 
 He was no great friend to the buzzing of an organ, which 
 renders singing nearly unintelligible, as words cannot often be 
 distinguished, so that what is intended to be worship is a vile 
 mockery. When speaking of Paul and Silas singing in the
 
 59 
 
 prison at midnight, he said, " they did not How their praises into 
 a box of whistles called an organ, or scrape them on a fiddle.'" 
 I could greatly multiply instances of his remarks made in the 
 pulpit, were it necessary. But, though his scourge of censure 
 was often coarse and knotty, the milk of kindness, from him, 
 flowed plenteously : his nature was not coarse. I recollect, at 
 one of our quarterly meetings, some one of the party present 
 complained that a neighbour was allowed to fetch water from the 
 pump attached to the preacher's premises. His kind heart 
 immediately "Gave witness of Him" or for him. He said, "I 
 can't find it in my heart to deny my neighbour of a sup of water ; 
 perhaps it is the best thing he gets !" Some may perhaps think 
 him rather indiscreet in the management of some of his charitable 
 deeds. A needy person once presented himself before him, not 
 overcharged with those necessary things named breeches (for few 
 wore trousers at that time). He went straight to his wardrobe, 
 and took the first pair of breeches he laid his hand on, saying to 
 the man, " There, man, I hope they will do thee good." Before 
 the Sabbath, when his wife was putting his clothes together, she 
 could not find his best breeches : and on her asking him if he 
 knew anything of them, he said, ""Why, if thou can'st not find 
 them, I expect I've given them away, for I gave a poor man a 
 pair." " Dear, Mr. Isaac," said his most amiable wife, " you have 
 given away your very best breeches ! how thoughtless of you !" 
 "Never mind, love, they will do him the more good." But 
 Daniel did a worse thing than that, as far as Mrs. Isaac was con- 
 cerned, for he took off the clothes-horse her best gown, and gave 
 it to a tramping dirty-looking woman, who came to his door 
 begging. 
 
 I should like to say something relating to "the meek and 
 lovely Dr. Hannah," as he has been often (not undeservedly) 
 called. But 'tis difficult to walk where one has to pick one's 
 steps, being always afraid of making a false one. Well, though 
 Dr. Hannah and I are, in every respect, wide apart at present, 
 we were once as intimate as any other two in Lincoln could be, 
 except natural relations. We were together in the Sunday 
 School, and laboured hard together there. I was witness to 
 his first attempt of praying in public ; it was a very small 
 congregation in which the attempt was made, there being pre- 
 sent no more than Mr. Hannah and myself. This took place in
 
 60 
 
 his father's hay-loft. He, with much apparent difficulty, stam- 
 mered out a few words ; then I followed with a few words, as 
 well as I could, and our meeting concluded. Very soon after, 
 he was urged (for he was very diffident), to make an attempt in 
 the Sunday School, either at its opening or closing. Here he 
 succeeded better, for Mr. Hannah soon found his tongue, and, 
 having plenty to put into it, he soon became eloquent in prayer ; 
 and, as Bunyan says, "As he pulled, it came." He would 
 think well ; and, having a most tenacious memory, his progress 
 was exceedingly rapid ; he was fated to rise, and I to sit on a 
 board making baskets, as I had done from seven years of age. 
 He was almost always amongst his books, and I amongst baskets. 
 He was always using means by which he was acquiring an 
 expansion of the nobler powers of man, whilst my brain was 
 closing from the want of a similar exercise. 
 
 Dr. Hannah's father was a strong-minded man, and of very 
 liberal principles. He was a General Baptist by profession, but 
 he had a pew in the first Methodist Chapel. As I was often at 
 the old gentleman's house, I had frequent opportunities of observ- 
 ing with what pleasure he contributed to the assistance of his 
 son's studies. No books were denied him which appeared to be 
 necessary, however expensive they might be. I have heard him 
 say that his son John, cost him more than all his sons beside ; 
 but he said this with the greatest good humour. 
 
 I must not omit to mention our most respected friend (and of 
 all men I have known, the most cheerful), Mr. W. Mawer. 
 It is no hard matter to perceive that I have no plan, no scheme 
 laid out, and that almost everything is snatched up at random ; 
 the order of things I produce do not give the idea of a well 
 ordered garden, but is more like an open field, where nature 
 plays at "will be will," and shows that native negligence, which is 
 not utterly void of charms. I have no garden, therefore content 
 myself to ramble in the fields, which affords me no small degree 
 of pleasure. I find in them what I love, variety and dissimi- 
 larity, which afford greater satisfaction than studied stiffness. In 
 this ramble, here, I find the soft smooth ash ; there, the trembling 
 aspen ; here, the birch ; there, the briar, the hawthorn, and the 
 bramble; the king's cup and the cuckoo flower; and the ever- 
 pleasing little daisy on its four-inch stalk, the annihilation of 
 which would cause me grief, I love it so ! There goes the
 
 61 
 
 lark ! See that louping frog, how happy it seems to be ! I pity 
 that poor snail, how slowly it moves ! but who knows, per- 
 haps 'tis as happy as that soring lark ! I have just slipped aside 
 a moment to get my mind fortified that I might be able to 
 endure a transient view of that ruthless monster death who 
 had snatched away in the prime of life, and in the full vigour of 
 health, one of the loveliest of men, and at a moment which ren- 
 dered the act more appalling ; he, with his beloved, had j ust sat 
 down to dine, when the monster shook his dart, and gave the 
 fatal blow ! ! the wild impulsive scream of his terror-stricken 
 children ! 
 
 " Struck with sad anguish at the stern decree !" 
 
 they press upon him with frantic words and gestures, crying, 
 " Father, father, dear father, what is it ? It cannot, must not 
 be, that father's dead !" Alas ! alas ! death had done his work 
 effectually, their father is no more ! Their mourning was the 
 result of earnest grief not like the mock mourning at a State 
 funeral ! The Society of which he was a Member, was scarcely 
 less affected than were his children and his other relations. 
 The loss of such a man was severely felt, and often referred to, 
 with a sympathy becoming that of professedly Christian friends. 
 To them his name was dear, and often was the name of William 
 Mawer repeated. Nothing short of true religion dwelling in the 
 soul could form a character like his. But what is true religion, 
 and where is it to be seen ? Not in that proud man, whose dis- 
 dainful lip is turned up at the thought that he is meeting another 
 human being whom he thinks his inferior. Then where ? 
 
 I was moving leisurely up by the Waterside one Friday, 
 when I observed a little girl eating an apple ; and I saw a little 
 strange boy with a little tambourine in his hand, watching that little 
 girl so intently, that my attention was completely arrested. The 
 poor child looked at the girl with such earnestness, that it was 
 evident, though fruit was plentiful, the poor thing could not get 
 a taste. I shall never forget his anxious looks. I could have 
 shed a tear just then, if tears were not denied me. This poor 
 little fellow, though I stood watching him, heeded me not. I 
 gave him a penny, saying, "here, my boy, go and buy an apple 
 for thyself." The delighted little creature could scarcely believe 
 his eyes ; he looked at his penny, turning it over and over, then
 
 62 
 
 at me. I am not boasting myself here, but am endeavouring to 
 show a principle which cannot be dispensed with in a Christian. 
 It will not do to look on misery, and then pass on without ren- 
 dering assistance, as did the priest and the Levite. If you 
 should ever see a poor broken-down tramp in search of work, or 
 what not, attracted by the smell of hot bread in a baker's shop, 
 looking earnestly at what he is unable to purchase, and you pass 
 along and forget that you have seen that object of pity, be 
 assured that God will never forget the cruel hardness of thy 
 heart in thus hiding thyself from thy own flesh. 
 
 You may see what my views of religion are. It is an easy 
 matter to make a profession of religion, but the practice is another 
 thing ; we may please ourselves with some of the accompaniments 
 of religion, and thus make a plaything of it, whilst our hearts do 
 not determine our choice of the real thing. It is comparatively 
 easy to attend the church or chapel to hear a man talk or read ; 
 you may join in the singing, may listen to or join in the prayers, 
 and, perhaps, get your passions roused, and still come short of 
 the real things. The things I have mentioned are things only 
 in connection with the grand subject, by which you may get 
 stirred up to that which is practical and real. " True religion 
 looks out for the Saviour in distress, when he is in prison, in 
 nakedness, when he is sick, and ministers to him." He knows 
 none but such, he approves none but such ; these things consti- 
 tute the livery of His people. " Pure religion, and undefiled 
 before God, and the Father, is this : to visit the widows and 
 fatherless in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from 
 the world. " I have known large numbers of people with impul- 
 sive temperaments, who flamed like seraphs for awhile, seeming 
 to receive the Word with joy, and possessing an ardent untem- 
 pered zeal, in the exercise of which, one might suppose, from 
 their vociferations, that they could command what influences 
 they pleased, and when they pleased ; but such irregularities in 
 the nature of things cannot continue long ; they resemble too 
 much the convulsions of creatures newly -beheaded. It is "lo! 
 here, and lo ! there, with them ;" unstable as water, always hunt- 
 ing after exciting scenes. Sometimes they are found all in a 
 flame, and anon as inert as a statue. Daniel Isaac used to say of 
 such, " Now, they are groaning as at the bottom of the bottom- 
 less pit ; but just give them a turn over, and they are up into
 
 63 
 
 the third heaven at once." Were I to bring forward here all of 
 this sort which I have known to have made shipwreck (I was 
 going to say, of faith and a good conscience), of their profession, 
 the number would present a most frightful spectacle, leading us 
 to tremble for ourselves, lest we fall after the same example. 
 The worst feature in the sort just described, is, that they cannot 
 bear to be Christians in common with others, but they must be 
 top sawyers in everything, till, falling into spiritual pride, their 
 heels are suddenly tripped up, and they are no more seen. 
 
 One thing I have observed in a great number I have known 
 within these last sixty years, possessing a large amount of animal 
 nature, having a strong and impulsive tendency to violent 
 emotion, who seem to glory in the absence of self-control, making 
 a virtue of it, urging as a plea, for what some believe to be 
 inconsistencies, that the Spirit forces them to do as they do, and 
 despite the remonstrances of the Apostles relative to decencies in 
 worship, declare that because they feel well, they will, in spite 
 of what Paul or anybody else says, shout and make as much 
 noise as they can. So a whole body of people is to be blamed 
 for the franticism of a few, towards whom the church is puzzled 
 to know how to act. Their rant has often got us into unneces- 
 sary disrepute ; even the papers have fallen coarsely upon us in 
 consequence. I am not going to insinuate that ardent tempera- 
 ments are to be discouraged ; for such may, by proper manage- 
 ment, become more useful than those of a milder nature. Saint 
 Paul himself, no doubt, was a man of ardent temperament, both 
 of body and mind, or he could never have been formed into so 
 fine a specimen of human nature as we find him to be. We find 
 him everywhere having due respect for the understanding, ever 
 urging his hearers to have the same : for though he says, " It is 
 good to be zealously affected, always, in a good thing ;" yet he 
 never fails to remind them of the necessity of being " temperate 
 in all things. " 
 
 Wesley and Whitfield were men of very ardent natures, but 
 they did not let their passions disgrace their higher powers, 
 those of reason and judgment. These they kept, where they 
 should be, at the top ; and their passions were made to be their 
 humble servants. Those men, perhaps, would not have succeeded 
 so well as they did, if they had possessed a nature as gentle as 
 that of Helancthon, as every gift of God is a good gift ; but man
 
 64 
 
 most generally spoils it, as he spoiled His work at first, by 
 his disobedience. Nothing will make a man go surely and safely 
 but making the Written "Word his guide in all things, instead of 
 following his own fancies to the law and the testimony ; if a 
 man does not speak and act according to these, it is because there 
 is no light in him. This is God's Word, it cannot be reversed. 
 Tea meetings were introduced at Lincoln by Mr. W. Dalby. 
 This would be in his last year's appointment here. I do not 
 suppose that such a thing would be attempted while Mr. Isaac 
 was in the Circuit. Mr. Dalby remained in Lincoln a year after 
 Mr. Isaac had left. Mr. Isaac was averse to junketings, where 
 scandal seemed to have obtained a license, as it was (if we may 
 follow him in his representations of it), a common practice to 
 indulge too freely in that kind of thing. The first meeting of 
 this kind was held in the School-room on the Banks : this was 
 for the Sunday-school teachers and their friends, a comparatively 
 small party when compared with that of the succeeding year ; 
 and it was an infant in relation to others which followed. I 
 recollect hearing Mr. W. Mawer remark, "It would be no 
 hard matter to collect a Church of this sort." Nevertheless these 
 tea meetings have proved to be very interesting affairs ; and hav- 
 ing grown so mightily, and having acquired so great a popularity, 
 there is no fear of them falling into a consumption. They have 
 been put to a good use in raising funds in aid of many good and 
 useful objects, as almost everybody knows, and as they are, most 
 commonly, cheerful affairs, are not calculated to increase a fit of 
 melancholy, but help us to bury our cares for an hour or two, 
 and that is worth something. A little speaking for mutual 
 benefit, relating to the object of the meeting, concludes the 
 pleasing and profitable treat. 
 
 A rather amusing incident occurred between an old class- 
 leader, about the time these tea meetings were instituted, and 
 Mrs. Dalby, the preacher's wife. I expect the ladies began to be 
 tired of the coal-tub kind of thing they had to cover their heads 
 with, for it was perceived that certain little alterations were 
 taking place in the form of that necessary article of dress. 
 Female ingenuity is, we know, very fruitful when brought into 
 requisition, imagination flitting like a butterfly in the sun, and 
 any shape and every shape is soon produced. Well, the altera- 
 tion was the insertion of a piece of silk in the form of a horse-
 
 65 
 
 shoe, which was a decided improvement upon the old shape. As 
 soon as Noble Sproul, the old class -leader mentioned above, saw 
 her wearing this thing, thus altered in shape from the old style, 
 he addressed her with " ! I see you've got the devil's foot 
 upon your head." This old gentleman had been in the 6th 
 Irish Dragoon Guards, who were quartered a good while in 
 Lincoln. When he was discharged, he came to reside here, and 
 being very zealous, and having plenty of time, was made a 
 leader of a class ; he was very useful among the poor people, 
 with whom he soon became a favourite ; he succeeded in gather- 
 ing a goodly number of the outcasts of society, and was the 
 means of redeeming several backsliders, on whom he bestowed a 
 deal of labour, following them up with almost untiring assiduity. 
 His successes urged him on to still greater exertions, and though 
 he had an impediment in his speech, which made him hard to be 
 understood, he soon became the leader of more than one or two 
 classes ; and though he could not get through with the teeming 
 numbers he had collected, he could not endure the thought of 
 any being drafted into other classes of more comfortable and con- 
 venient size. He, in consequence, and as was likely, became rather 
 vain and headstrong, assuming a good deal of authority in meet- 
 ings for prayer, &c. On one occasion, another, in a meeting 
 where he himself was worshipping, began to conclude the meet- 
 ing by pronouncing benediction, which, when he perceived, he 
 rose up hastily, giving him a smart stroke on the head with his 
 stick, saying, " Come out of that !" We may see from this, 
 how almost impossible it is for^ a person who finds himself able 
 to do a thing or two in the church, or elsewhere, without being 
 puffed up with pride or something of that sort. He evidently 
 felt himself very large at that time, nobody larger, reminding 
 us of the frog in the fable, which would, if he could, swell him- 
 self out to the dimensions of the ox. He had so much of his own 
 way, that he had become petted and spoiled. Jonathan Martin, 
 who burnt down the York Minster, was in his Monday night 
 class. Martin's views and language were of a strange and 
 fanatical character. He was broaching one night some of the 
 stuff his poor disordered brain had been brewing. Noble Sproul, 
 being disgusted with his dizzy-pated twaddle, rose up, and seiz- 
 ing him by his shoulders, bundled him out of the chapel with 
 such rapid haste as would lead one to think poor Jonathan to 
 
 E
 
 66 
 
 have been no more than a shadow. He was also, one Sunday, 
 turned out of one of our Sunday Schools, which was kept in a 
 room joining the Dolphin's Inn. I expect he had been easing 
 himself of some of his rancorous dreamy nonsense. A sight of 
 the Minster would affect him marvellously ; he would often stick 
 scraps of paper on its walls, expressing some dislike of something 
 he had seen. I believe it would have given him the greatest 
 degree of pleasure if he could have been the means of destroying 
 our beautiful Cathedral, the pride and boast of Lincolnshire. 
 But I have not quite done with Noble Sproul ; he was an 
 interesting individual in many respects, and many retained their 
 recollections for a long time, expressing their thankfulness for 
 the encouragement they had reeceived from his advice and 
 earnest prayer. His little cabin, as he called his little dwelling, 
 was always open for anyone, whom he almost always, in his 
 own native Irish style, received with hearty welcome, " Come, 
 sit down," and in every other respect as pleasantly. He would 
 seem to spoil himself a little sometimes by his hasty temper, but 
 looking in his face at such a time was a sufficient snub ; he was 
 calmed in a moment. The wife of Mr. Sproul was a poor 
 imbecile dreadfully afflicted with the asthma ; was scarcely ever 
 able to get to the chapel. I remember to have seen her there 
 but once, which quite upset her. The old gentleman had to 
 indulge her as though she were a child. I have often won- 
 dered at his untiring patience and kind treatment of her. His 
 words to her were as kind as his actions. In all these respects 
 lie certainly did manifest the spirit of a true Christian. 
 Mrs. Gilliland, the sister of Mrs. Sproul, was of as mild a 
 temperament as I ever knew ; it was as mild as the mildest of 
 summer evenings. The contrast between her and her son John 
 is rather hard to account for ; he was as impulsive as his mother 
 was dispassionate. John never seemed to get the better of his 
 Irish brittleness. When he was chapel-keeper, he frequently 
 gave offence by his harsh and unkindly manners ; in that respect 
 he appeared to be incapable of amendment. When on his death- 
 bed, a lady was requested to go and see him. It was stated to 
 the lady, who had known him well, and had been often annoyed 
 with some of his proceedings, that John was very patient and 
 submissive. "Humph!" said the lady, " then he is much altered 
 from what I ever knew him to be." Well, notwithstanding all
 
 67 
 
 that we have stated of this sort, John had some sterling good 
 qualities. He was as upright as a palm-tree, and always did 
 those duties well for which he had ability ; he did his duty 
 faithfully to the chapel and the preachers' horses, &c. None 
 could do those things better than he, but he never could learn to 
 do fine work, that is, handing ladies into pews ; he was sure to 
 commit some blunder. Sproul was amongst the number of those 
 who look for something out of the scriptural order of things, as 
 though God would save men by wholesale in answer to prayer, 
 irrespectively of faith or true enlightenment. Hence the 
 expressions, " Save souls ! save souls ! just now ! just now !" 
 This kind of thing is not to be found in holy writ. If such a 
 view of things were correct, what need was there that Peter 
 should be sent for by Cornelius and his friends ? We see they 
 must be enlightened before they could be saved. When the jailor 
 enquired of Paul and Silas, saying, " Sirs, what must I do to be 
 saved ?" they did not say to him, as many do now-a-days, 
 " Kneel down and we will pray for you, that you may get your 
 soul set at liberty," but " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and 
 thou shalt be saved." We cannot improve upon Paul and Peter's 
 plan. It is God's way. God will never give his glory to men 
 of vain notion ? 
 
 We had a John Smith here for two or three years, who had 
 got it into his head that he should get the whole town converted 
 by this means, and he became so violent in his prayers, that he 
 shook his poor body prematurely in the grave, leaving the object 
 of his terrific exertion unaccomplished. We can only infer, that 
 either his notions were false, or his faith was almost good for 
 nothing. If Paul had been induced to believe such notions, he 
 must have considered his call to go to open the eyes of the 
 heathen superfluous. 
 
 I love to hear men labouring with all their might to show 
 men the way to Calvary, teaching them over and over again how 
 they are related to Christ as their Substitute ; how He came into 
 the world for them ; how He put Himself in their stead ; fulfilled 
 all righteousness for them; and then gave His life for their 
 sins, who Himself knew no sin. If a man have a just view of 
 the ability of the object of his faith, this alone makes faith avail- 
 able. It is nothing in itself; it is not a condition, as some 
 would have it, of our salvation : it is the impression of the mind
 
 68 
 
 that Christ is able to do all that He professes to do, that is, to 
 save a world or worlds, if other worlds beside ours needed it, 
 there being no end of His merit. One, on a certain occasion, 
 besought him to befriend him; our Lord said to him, " Believest 
 thou that I am able to do this thing ?" If a man keep in mind 
 the infinite power of God, which He will make to men in conse- 
 quence of the satisfaction He has received through the offering of 
 His beloved Son for man's redemption. Faith is just this : a 
 man asks a favour of another, whom he supposes able to confer 
 the same. He sees a motion in the person solicited to consent, 
 he stretches out his hand to receive the gift, but never dreams 
 that there is any merit in the merely reaching out his hand ; yet 
 if he had not reached it out he could not have received the gift. 
 "Whoever is deeply impressed with the fact that God is able and 
 willing to save him, has but to ask and receive ; nothing can 
 prevent his being saved but a reluctance to give up the practice 
 of sin. If all that has been advanced is necessary for a man to 
 understand, how is it possible that an ignorant or untaught indi- 
 vidual, dragged into a meeting, can, by the prayers of those 
 around him, be saved there and then, with his eyes closed to the 
 thing so indispensable to be known ? Perhaps, in the excite- 
 ment, he may get his passions roused, so as to lead him to 
 consideration, which may result in his enlightenment, and may 
 thus be brought to the knowledge of salvation. Persons previ- 
 ously enlightened, deciding for Christ, will receive His salvation 
 without any obstacle, not because of the people's prayers, but 
 because his mind is made up to receive Christ as He is offered ; 
 he is then saved, whether he knows it or not; and God will 
 not leave him long without some evidence of His acceptance, and 
 that he " is born again, not of corruptible but incorruptible seed." 
 But let not those who witness the conversion of such an one 
 in one of their exciting meetings, boast themselves, as if they, by 
 their violent exertions, have been the means of his salvation. I 
 have heard persons of this impulsive character talking together 
 before the commencement of a service they intend holding, 
 " We must have souls converted to-night." How monstrous ! 
 How almost blasphemous is this ! God will never give his sanc- 
 tion to such a rant as this. 
 
 Many things crowd upon my memory relating to Methodists. 
 I scarcely know what to fix upon. I see much to be admired ;
 
 69 
 
 and many others of an amusing character. I like to make men- 
 tion of those things which have in themselves the nature of 
 practical Christianity. 
 
 It has often been said that Methodists generally are selfish and 
 illiberal. I don't know why it should be said of them ; I never 
 found them to be so. Perhaps in so large a number as that 
 composing the Methodist body, some of that description might 
 be found. Such a slander, perhaps, may be founded upon the 
 fact, that the old rules encouraged members to trade with one 
 another ; and it may be from another fact, the money gathered 
 at sacraments and lovefeasts, after the necessaries are deducted, 
 is distributed amongst our poor members only, so that if others 
 are relieved, who are non-members, they are relieved out of the 
 benevolent fund ; the last mentioned charity is generally dis- 
 tributed by those who are appointed to be visitors of the sick or 
 infirm. 
 
 Some of the worst of men have occasionally got connected 
 with the Methodists at Lincoln, from what cause or for what pur- 
 pose, perhaps it is unsafe to conjecture, as we are not allowed to 
 be either their judges or executioners. It is, however, a fact 
 that several confiding and unsuspicious individuals have been 
 shamefully victimised by this class of high pretenders. A friend 
 of mine, a man of very nervous temperament, who had lost a 
 good deal of money by one of this sort, felt himself so injured 
 and deceived, that he became seriously affected in health, which, 
 I doubt not, contributed greatly to hastening his death. This 
 person made a dashing figure in the world, with money he had 
 not earned, rode high on the waves of popularity, lived high, 
 and well, as of course he could ; whilst his victim was content- 
 ing himself with temperate fare, he would enjoy himself on hot 
 and extravagant suppers. What matter ? they come easily. I heard 
 one of his dupes say that he went into his house one night at 
 supper time, and was asked to sit down and partake with them, 
 but he refused to do so, stating to me that he could not partake 
 of what so much surpassed what he allowed himself at home. 
 This man would dash about the country at a fine rate, buying 
 stock, &c., whilst the to-do-with was of easy access. He was 
 very popular in the church, the very cream, always at the top, 
 and nowhere else ; a great light shone about him while he kept 
 the sticks blazing, when his light suddenly went out in obscu-
 
 70 
 
 rity. He had got the fame of a man ardently attached to 
 religion, was full of those phrases, deeply sacred in themselves, 
 which so deeply interest the impulsive, the reiteration of which, 
 urged by an ardent spirit in vocal prayer, create a sensation 
 bordering on mania. The shrewd Everitt was earned away 
 with this man at a meeting, finding him to have got hold of the 
 people. None are sooner deceived than Christian people, who 
 never think evil, where no evil seems. It may be said, why 
 mention things like these ? I answer, because I find the Scrip- 
 tures do so. I do not wish, in my concluding remarks, to 
 imitate those preachers, who, in a funeral sermon, make up a 
 character of all bright sparks, leaving the soot in the shade. 
 
 All these things should lead us, not unreasonably, to con- 
 clude, that Methodism is a thing not to be derided ; and though 
 it has been crippled by some matters that had better not have 
 transpired, who will not say, "Destroy it not, for a blessing 
 is in it." It is yet a glorious thing, and will, we hope, still 
 continue to bless the world. Where shall we find the great 
 truths of the Gospel so well defined as they are in the hymns of 
 of the Wesleys ? Which other collection of hymns can equal 
 them in fulness and clearness ? They are a perfect system of 
 divinity. 
 
 Some I have known (I will but mention one) who was very 
 fond of prating in the pulpit and in prayer meetings, whose 
 grasping worldly propensities were such as to render him unfit 
 for such matters; never looked happy, he would come to a 
 meeting letting down his lip and pulling a long face, would pro- 
 ceed to utter those scripture phrases which, he supposed, hid the 
 sins of men from the eye of God, and tried to persuade himself 
 that if on his knees he told God of his great love to men, and of 
 the virtuous character of the blood of Christ, that he was per- 
 fectly safe, though he relinquished none of his evil deeds. A 
 friend of mine came to Lincoln to work for this man, expecting 
 to find one of the best of professing Christians. He soon, how- 
 ever, found out his mistake, which had a most distressing 
 influence upon him. I have seen him sit at the table as if in a 
 reverie, till we had to ask him why he refused to eat : then he 
 would exclaim, " I feel so unhinged about yon man ; I feel as 
 though I could not eat. I never was so deceived, never ; his 
 lies and dishonesty distract me, and then the thought of his
 
 71 
 
 preaching anl all the rest." The men in the shop being aware of 
 his over-reaching and cracking things off at double their value, 
 gave him the name of Jeff, a nickname for a man known in 
 Lincoln as a most notorious liar. I doubt not that this man 
 had got the false notion that Christ would save people in their 
 sins, if they prayed. Who can have such things in remembrance 
 and escape the torments they inflict? This relation affords no 
 pleasure, yet it may not be useless. True charity leads a man to 
 wish that every one might escape the corruptions that are in the 
 world through lust, and get safely to heaven. However, we 
 may derive instruction from things which are grievous, as well 
 as from those that are pleasing. It will be our wisdom to shun 
 those rocks on which others have been broken. 
 
 I shall now introduce a character of another stamp alto- 
 gether ; a poor man, a man possessing a seraphic soul, but who 
 had a poor emaciated frame to put it into. The person was 
 popular with the country people, being very ardent and affec- 
 tionate, had a good flow of language, and was altogether an. 
 acceptable local preacher ; but alas ! he was very poor ! and 
 that, with some, is almost an unpardonable sin. This poor 
 thing, who was a cabinet-maker, would be unable, frequently, 
 after his Sabbath clay's labours, to go to his work on a Monday 
 morning, and was sometimes ill for days together. Some of our 
 people, who had full purses and empty hearts, would say to him, 
 " had you not better go to the Union ? you and your family 
 would be better there than as you are with your poor health." 
 This afflicted soul was acquainted with a poor man, to whom he 
 was always welcome ; often would he come to his poor friend to 
 unbosom his griefs, whilst the large tears would force themselves 
 down his lank and shrivelled cheeks. His friend could scarcely 
 forbear wishing himself a little richer for his sake. His poor 
 body soon gave way, letting his seraphic spirit at liberty. I 
 feel as if I could scarcely forgive our friends for letting him be 
 buried by the parish. 
 
 I have a goodly number of excellent characters in my eye, 
 who are now ready to fall into the reaper's arms. These have 
 maintained a truly Christian character from their youthful days. 
 The Apostles thought it not unsafe to mention the names of such. 
 But oh ! how many whom I have known have winged their 
 flight to the higher regions we will leave them there.
 
 72 
 
 The first I shall mention is the very oldest member of any 
 Christian Society either in Lincoln or its neighbourhood ; this is 
 the deservedly-respected Mrs. Bainbridge, the widow of the late 
 Mr. Thomas Bainbridge. I doubt not that this lady enjoys the 
 satisfaction and honour, which, by the grace of God, she so richly 
 deserves. It is right that such should have the praise of the 
 churches. Then there is Elizabeth Cater, the daughter of the 
 late Elizabeth Calder, who was one of the four first members 
 who formed the first little Methodist church in Lincoln ; Mrs. 
 Moulton, formerly Miss Dixon, who, I believe, was a member 
 from a child ; Mrs. Bartram, Mrs. Proctor, Mrs. Spencer, Mrs. 
 Norton, and others, of whom honorable mention might be made. 
 
 I have one in view whose name I shall never publish. This 
 person has been a professor from about the age of twenty. He 
 has been always poor, and the poor have temptations from which 
 the rich, perhaps, are exempt. Agur feared poverty, lest its 
 temptations should prove too many or too strong for him. This 
 person was led to conceal a fact, and then told a lie to hide it. 
 A lady, in passing her window, saw a goose lie on the board, 
 when a knock was made at the door, and the goose was rendered 
 
 invisible. " Good morning, Mrs. . Have you a goose this 
 
 Christmas ?" "A goose, mum ! No, indeed ! we can't afford a 
 thing so expensive." Now what shall we say in a matter of 
 this sort ? What shall be said in extenuation ? in consequence 
 of the suddenness of the impulse under which she acted, faults 
 were committed ; better that none had been so committed, but 
 let not one sinner be too severe with another ; we know not what 
 remorse and grief in penitence this sudden slip might occasion 
 her. We are not in a fit condition to be severe. Let him that 
 is without sin become judge, "To the merciful God will show 
 Himself merciful." 
 
 I knew a man who was connected with the Society here, 
 whom I thought to be one of the most humble Christians I 
 had ever known ; his manner, words, and everything in his con- 
 duct seemed to justify such an impression in his favour. This 
 man, who was so humble and unassuming in his poverty, as soon 
 as he got lifted out of the mire and clay, could never once after 
 be induced to turn down his eyes to see the pit out of which he 
 had emerged. He did not even know his formerly most intimate 
 acquaintances. Some poor people are very desirous of riches ! It
 
 73 
 
 will, no doubt, be better for them to be content with such things 
 as they have. Few who have been very poor make a good use 
 of riches. 
 
 It may be thought a matter of trivial consequence to say 
 much about Caiiton or its little Society ; but we may hurry 
 away too rapidly from objects which at first sight do not present 
 anything remarkably striking. We should scarcely have heard 
 of such a place as Woolsthorpe, near Grantham, if it had not 
 been the birth-place of one of the greatest men in the world, Sir 
 Isaac Newton. And though we hare no Sir Isaac Newton to 
 boast of in relation to Carlton, yet we have men to mention in 
 connection with that place whose influence may penetrate even 
 farther than his. His great knowledge must vanish away with 
 the systems of his contemplations, but the results of the know- 
 ledge of the glorious Gospel will continue through endless ages. 
 One of the Nicholsons has been an itinerant preacher for many 
 "years, in the old Wesleyan body ; three of his brothers are 
 zealous local preachers. The son of Mr. Thomas Nicholson, an 
 intelligent well-read young man, is also in the ministry. May 
 God give him abundance of health. It is easy to infer how 
 great results may arise from small beginnings. It is just possi- 
 ble that had not that little Society been formed at Carlton, that 
 none of these excellent men might have been called into the field 
 of Gospel labour perhaps had not been converted. The great 
 ones of the earth, to whom is confided most commonly, its 
 management, its pomps and splendours, and who are too often 
 the envy of the unthinking poor, have, generally speaking, a 
 poor appreciation of those higher and more substantial things, 
 which the spiritually enlightened of all ages have preferred. 
 The dazzle and glare they make in this vain life seems to be con- 
 genial with their propensities ; apparently contented that their 
 portion is on earth. "We are not at a loss for a comparison of 
 heavenly with earthly things, one already being made to our 
 hands by one whose decision cannot be disputed ; his preference 
 to the former being decisive. We need not recite instances, 
 being so common in the Gospel. Paul understood the subject 
 perfectly, putting into one scale the things he once counted gain 
 to him, but which now he considers not worthy to be weighed 
 at all, appearing to him but as dung and dross, and lighter than 
 vanity when contrasted with the contents of the other scale,
 
 74 
 
 even the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, his Lord. 
 That poor man has been badly taught, and has made a poor 
 use of his understanding, who can look on the gaudy trappings 
 and splendid pageantry which the rich are capable of producing, 
 and indulge the thought that there is any reality in it, or that 
 ought he sees is worthy of his desire as an intelligent being, 
 and a being intended to live for ever. If a man, having light, 
 spiritual light from heaven, has one lingering wish for such 
 vanities, he ought to be ashamed of himself. The things in- 
 vented to make the weak-headed gape and stare, are as certainly 
 the toys of the rich and vain, as those of your childhood or boy- 
 hood were yours. And if you could see the disquietude, 
 chagrin, and mortified pride, as well as vexation, which attend 
 these showy exhibitions, you would despise rather than desire 
 them. " Turn away thine eyes from beholding vanity." We 
 want little in this life beside food and raiment, and with these 
 the Apostle says we should be content. All that a man wants 
 to make him great and happy lies in a small compass. The lip 
 of truth declares it " The kingdom of heaven is within you." 
 " The kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy 
 Ghost." How much peace, think you, attends those exhibitions 
 of pride just hinted at, and what kind of joy is fouid amongst 
 it all ? The men raised up by the providence of God at Carlton 
 are employed in sowing immortal seed, which will not fail to 
 produce its like, and, we doubt not, with glorious increase. Long 
 may they live, and long may they be made, in the hands of God, 
 a real blessing to the world ! 
 
 Mr. Watmough mentions the forming of a small Society at 
 North Carlton, in 1815. To this Society I was appointed 
 Leader. The forms they have in use to this day, were purchased 
 with the first money collected by me of the members, in aid of 
 the cause of Methodism. Ground for chapels could never be 
 obtained either at the Carltons or at Burton, as is often the case 
 where a large eagle spreads her wings, as the eagle really does 
 over her brood, saying, "all these are mine." The father and 
 mother of the Messrs. John, Thomas, James, and George Nichol- 
 son, were in this little Society. Mr. Elsom's father and mother, 
 at whose house the Society met, at North Carlton, were also 
 members. 
 
 This rather long Sabbath day's journey reminded me of the
 
 75 
 
 labours of those indefatigable and hardy men the local preachers, 
 who were not then so" well provided for as at the present time ; 
 they had then no car in requisition for their long journeys. There 
 are those who cannot understand how men can sacrifice their 
 time and strength, as such men are known to do. I recollect 
 how some of such used to be ridiculed and jeered as they went 
 and returned from their self-denying and truly Christian labours. 
 I have heard them called after, and asked " where their bacon 
 bags were?" and "look at his pockets!" They, it appears, 
 could not conceive thoughts contrary to their own selfish notions, 
 hence their coarse egotistic observations, such as "I will never 
 believe that these men would do as they do, if they were not 
 well paid for it;" "their intentions are to swindle the unsus- 
 pecting country people, and bring away with them cheese and 
 bacon." It is not likely, however, that men should appreciate 
 what they cannot understand : spiritual things are foolishness to 
 those who never received the Spirit of the Holy Gospel into 
 their hearts : hence, when they read of the acts of the 
 Apostles, and the hardships they endured, their poverty and 
 untiring zeal, they look on such relations as fables they are not 
 bound to believe as realities, making their own contracted views 
 the measure by which they measure all men and all things. "We 
 may say of them, " souls bow'd down to earth, strangers to 
 heaven." The moment a man receives the truth in the love 
 thereof his heart is enlarged, and he no longer lives to himself : 
 if he be naturally close-fisted, as we term it, his knuckles are 
 rapped and his hands fly open ; his affections, which were closed 
 to all but himself, are expanded ; his head having been opened by 
 the key of David. He no longer says, " Am 1 my brother's 
 keeper ?" but, as he is called to do, he loveth his brother as him- 
 self, and can no longer be careless of his brother's condition. 
 
 My walk to North Carlton was not always solitary. Occa- 
 sionally I had volunteers who offered themselves as company- 
 keepers, which I acknowledge as a treat, as the company of 
 friends is always pleasant and cheering. Thus the tediousness 
 of solitude is relieved. My task was not all labour ; I had to 
 anticipate the pleasure of meeting with pleasant faces, for no 
 pleasure is like that of Christians when they meet, being all 
 under the same divine and all-assimilating principle. If the 
 Christian has joys, they are not like the trumpery made-up joys
 
 76 
 
 of the worldling, which are like the crackling of thorns under a 
 pot, which speedily end in darkness and smoke. If they have 
 tears, they are not like the tear of the miser, which starts in his 
 eye at some sad tale to which he has been compelled to listen, 
 but which he instantly endeavours to suppress, his tear coldly 
 starts in his eye, but "freezes as it falls, and falls down ice." 
 
 I often think that if our preachers would strictly keep to the 
 Scriptures, they would have fewer words to throw away than 
 they have at present. We hear phrases every time we hear a 
 sermon preached, which we cannot find written in the Word of 
 God ; I am puzzled to know whence they obtain their archangels, 
 which are so constantly tumbled about, as if they were as nume - 
 rous as the stars of the firmament. We read in the Book of 
 Daniel, of Michael the archangel, but there is something so 
 incongruous about it, that we are at a loss to determine in a 
 moment who this personage was. We find Satan disputing with 
 him about the body of Moses, whose place of sepulture he wished 
 to discover, perhaps, that Moses, by his wiles, might have been 
 made an object of religious worship. It is said of Michael, that 
 he "durst not bring a railing accusation" against the devil, but 
 said, "the Lord rebuke thee, Satan." We find this Michael 
 afterwards introduced as one of the chief princes, by the man 
 Gabriel, who was sent to minister to Daniel, and to give him 
 information on certain subjects about which his spirit was deeply 
 concerned. Now what can be made of him. We see him repre- 
 sented as one of the chief princes one of the eternal three, for 
 this we shall find him to be, and in the Scriptures too. He was 
 to stand for the children of Daniel's people, and in what sense 
 could he stand for the people of Israel, but in the sense which 
 Caiaphas prophesied of him, " as dying for the people that the 
 whole nation might not perish, and that he should gather to- 
 gether in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." 
 It may be asked " is there not something related of this personage 
 which forbids the thought that He was of the ' eternal three ? ' ' 
 Not more than what He afiirms of Himself referring to His 
 humanity "My Father is greater than I." He who uttered 
 those words uttered these likewise, " I and my Father are one." 
 This was He who was in the wilderness with the children of 
 Israel, and who was afterwards "made flesh and dwelt amongst 
 us," and who was betrayed and murdered by those to whom He
 
 77 
 
 was sent. It is said that " the dead shall be waked by the voice 
 of the archangel and the trump of God, "terras manifestly in 
 apposition, having but one meaning. Our Lord himself declared 
 that the time should come when all that are in their graves shall 
 hear His voice. His voice, then, is " the voice of the archangel ;" 
 He is the "trump of God." Gabriel is never called an archangel. 
 Daniel calls him ' ' the man Gabriel. " He was sent to Elizabeth, to 
 Mary, and perhaps to Cornelius. He was appointed to stand in 
 the presence of God, ready to deliver the behests of Heaven to 
 the children of men. It is not unlikely that he had been once 
 a man on earth, for it is not necessary that he should have been 
 created a spirit to become an angel, which means nothing more 
 than a messenger. Whence have poets derived their rant about 
 archangels, 
 
 Thee, while the first archangel sings." 
 
 Mind this, the first archangel sings to no one. All the angels 
 sing to him, 
 
 " Thee to praise in hymns divine, 
 Angels and archangels join." 
 
 I hope we shall never be induced to sing such stuff as this in 
 future; but confess, with shame, that we have done it. You 
 may sing, 
 
 " The great archangel's trump shall sound, 
 Whilst twice ten thousand thunders roar." 
 
 But don't forget that Christ asserts all this as being His own 
 glorious prerogative, a display of His peerless power ! 
 
 I have met with some who think anything is good enough to 
 put into the ears of God ; it is, they say, of no consequence how 
 our words are disposed of; they may come out anyhow, head or 
 tails, legs or wings, it matters not, so that we feel right. Do 
 we get these loose thoughts upon this subject from the examples 
 we find in the Holy Book ? I fear there is too much of this 
 making a plaything of religion. When John saw the Saviour in 
 the Isle of Patmos, he fell at His feet as dead. If Michael be 
 not what we have represented him to be, who was he ? or what 
 was he ? And where are the archangels which we have been 
 dreaming about, talking of, singing of, and making to sing ? 
 
 I may be thought to be too fastidious in confining myself to 
 Scripture representations, and in casting overboard the inventions
 
 78 
 
 of men, preferring rather to follow the divine teaching, than the 
 teaching of men who use, from generation to generation, words which 
 have never been turned over or examined. Look at the phrase, 
 "means of grace," which is everlastingly in our mouths : we might 
 be led to suppose from its popularity, that it were to be found in 
 the Holy Scripture ; but where is there to be found a phrase at 
 all similar to it ? I regard no usage which has the autho- 
 rity of men for its foundation ; the Holy Scriptures being my 
 sole guide. To me it is next to blasphemy to attribute grace to 
 anything but to the fountain of grace itself. The Word informs 
 us that "grace and truth come by Jesus Christ." Paul speaks of 
 "the gospel of the grace of God," "We saw his glory, the glory 
 as of the Only-begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth." It 
 is by the " grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are to be 
 saved," and "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" is invoked to 
 " be with us all evermore." It is as ridiculous to make anything 
 beside Christ the means of grace, as it would be to make any- 
 thing less than God the creator of the world. Some have said, 
 " We use the phrase in an accommodated sense." We use it in 
 an unjustifiable, because in an unscriptural, sense : and the sooner 
 we abandon the use of it the better. Another phrase we con- 
 stantly hear, which is nowhere to be found in the acts and 
 sayings of the Apostles ; we might suppose from its commonness 
 that it might be seen in every paragraph of their writings. Did 
 any of the Apostles, after the day of Pentecost, ever pray that 
 "God would send down the Holy Ghost ?" or did they anywhere 
 urge any of the churches or any individual to do so ? The 
 Apostles were not likely to be guilty of such an inconsistency ; 
 they knew well that when the promise of the Father had once 
 begun His glorious mission, it was to continue to the end of time, 
 the dispensation of grace to the world. Our Lord says, "I 
 will send you the Holy Ghost, who shall abide with you to the 
 end of the world." I have heard some say, in reference to this 
 subject, " Christ says, ' God will give the Holy Spirit to them 
 that ask him.' " You forget that the dispensation had not then 
 commenced. We pray " take not thy Holy Spirit from us" ever 
 since the day of Pentecost. The Spirit has been " convincing it 
 of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." We do all that is 
 good by " the Spirit that dwelleth in us." We can do nothing 
 really good without the Holy Spirit, which never is absent from
 
 79 
 
 believers. It is as ridiculous to pray that the Holy Spirit may 
 be poured down upon us, as it would have been in the disciples 
 praying that the Messias might be sent down to them while He 
 was amongst them. Had they done this, what would He have 
 said to them ? 
 
 Numberless scriptures might be cited to prove His continually 
 abiding on earth. I am much afraid that we commit more sin 
 upon our knees in professed vocal prayer, than in any other 
 thing we engage in. Our random expressions, with that want 
 of veneration, so strikingly apparent in many of those rambling 
 orations, which scarcely contain anything worthy to be put into 
 the ears of the All-intelligent and Almighty Being. In one 
 church he is addressed four or five times in the morning service 
 in one form of words. If Her Majesty the Queen were to be 
 thus treated by an individual in the space of an hour, would he 
 not be sent to a Lunatic Asylum ? would such vain repetitions 
 be tolerated ? 
 
 In all ages of the church there have been those who have 
 caused her grief Paul had continual sorrow in his heart for his 
 brethren, according to the flesh, who rejected the counsel of God 
 against themselves, having carnal notions of the reign of the 
 Messiah. He prayed to God for them, and though he knew, 
 whilst they remained in unbelief, his prayers would have very 
 little effect, yet he ceased not to pray for them, because he knew 
 that it was the will of God that all men should "come to the 
 knowledge of God and be saved." We have always had a few, 
 and, thank God, but a few, who have been the cause of inexpres- 
 sible grief, and of the most deep and long-continued sorrow, and 
 the utterance of thousands of prayers. I refer to those who, 
 unhappily, had contracted the habit of hard drinking, against 
 which they for awhile have striven bravely ; but who, in an 
 unlucky hour of temptation, have been overcome by this, their 
 besetting sin, burying the hopes of those who longed so ardently 
 for their stability. Often have we had to tax our patience to 
 the uttermost on the account of these, whose frequent lapses we 
 have had to witness. Such persons generally possess strong pas- 
 sions, and might be very useful, if their unnatural propensity for 
 drink did not lead them captive ; almost invariably, when our 
 confidence in their condition had become a little flattering, that 
 we had just then arrived at the verge of disappointment, and
 
 80 
 
 were fated to hear of another stumble. If they had wisdom 
 enough to abide by the old maxim, " Resist the beginnings," they 
 would find it to be to their advantage ; a reckless self-confidence 
 which leads them to venture on a strength which is only sup- 
 posed, not real. They only fancy their mountain to be strong ; 
 hence their presumption is almost certain to prove disastrous. 
 They seem to be taken with a vain-glorious feeling, which leads 
 them into Forgetful Green, as Bunyanhas it, "another step, and 
 they are found on the enchanted ground." Perhaps an old 
 acquaintance pops in upon him with a " how do you do, friend ?" 
 and invites him to a glass of something which he has known not 
 to be disagreeable to him ; and now, having become full of high 
 notions of his acquired ability to govern himself, surely he may 
 now accede to a request so reasonable without danger, and with- 
 out another thought, away he runs into the trap and is taken 
 once more. The first glass is taken, which might not have done 
 him much harm, but ! he is a man now, and not a child ; 
 surely he can take another and keep his resolves to be a sober 
 man. We see in things of this sort a dominance of propensities 
 over reason ; the brute running away with the man. Here, 
 indeed, we see the Centaur not fabulous. These remarks may apply 
 not only to drinking propensities, and their results, but to the 
 sway of passions of any kind, where reason ought to rule. But 
 is there anything in all that we have advanced in relation to 
 such individuals to induce us to despise or trample such under 
 feet ? Who can do so and be guiltless ? All are sinners, and 
 should regard themselves as such : who will venture to be so pre- 
 sumptuous as to affirm that he is less a sinner than the one he is 
 led to despise ? I am not offering my thoughts here without a 
 guide. I have the Apostle's own teaching before me, which I 
 do not intend to transgress. Paul assumes, then, that no man 
 is anything, and has not an inch of ground for boasting himself 
 against any human being, in any circumstances whatever, but 
 are exhorted to treat the fallen with consideration, being 
 themselves liable to fall as low as those they might be led to 
 despise. The intention of Peter's vision was to convince him 
 that his purpose of mercy in Christ was as surely intended for 
 every one of the Gentiles, as it was for every one of the Jews, 
 and that no man, while on earth, is to be called common or unclean, 
 because Christ has cleansed every man, and ever}- man is justified
 
 81 
 
 the moment he believes this with his whole heart, fully resolved 
 to crucify the old man, the mau of sin, with his aifections and 
 lusts. Some of the above remarks are drawn from facts in rela- 
 tion to one of the unfortunates made mention of above. Our 
 friends did not treat him with that lenity which those who 
 are sensible of their own frailty ought to do. 
 
 Many things in the course of sixty years, which once were 
 well known, seem to slip away from our recollection, becoming 
 half-buried in the lumber which has been accumulating in such 
 space of time. When this lumber-room the brain is entered, 
 that its contents may be ascertained, we almost immediately per- 
 ceive the ghosts of half-buried thoughts rising up like the dust 
 of an old book-shelf, which, for years, had remained undisturbed. 
 It appears to me that nothing is totally lost from this reposi- 
 tory, which has been once well digested. I see arising 
 before me a host of nondescripts, for I know not what to 
 call them. I say a host, for they have always been more 
 numerous than profitable, either to themselves or others, causing 
 a great deal of uneasiness to churches which were anxious for 
 their establishment, urging them to decide for Christ. I have 
 heard hundreds of sermons in which this class of hearers has 
 been referred to, and to whose consciences the most stirring 
 appeals have been made ; but I have heard it remarked that it 
 was "like ploughing upon stones." Many of these are to be found 
 regularly attending preachings, and prayer -meetings occasionally, 
 and if such attended the Parish Church as regularly as they 
 attend dissenting meetings, would be thought excellent Church 
 members. These, generally, hear the Word preached as if it 
 were a matter in which they had no real concern. They like to 
 hear good preaching, and have their preference of preachers and 
 of subjects, yet they make, it would seem, no real advances : 
 like the horse working the mill, round and round he goes, but 
 ending where he began. Some of these, by the light they 
 received under a faithful ministry, have, on their death-bed, 
 found their way to Calvary ; being saved, as by the skin of their 
 teeth. Others of this unhappy class have fallen into snares, and 
 have vanished altogether. Some of the younger of both sexes have 
 been badly matched, and, for shame, have absented themselves 
 from hearing the Word of God which is able to save the soul : 
 several of Buch have been observed to fall lower and lower, till 
 
 F
 
 82 
 
 they were ashamed to see an old familiar face, and would be glad 
 to pass unnoticed, not knowing what joy their conversion would 
 create in the souls of those they try to shun. I can sympathise 
 a little with preachers, who evidently have to strain their inven- 
 tive powers, to produce something by which they hope to reach 
 the heads and hearts of this discouraging class of hearers. These 
 people will readily assent to all you say to them, will receive 
 your instructions or reproofs with perfectly good humour, and 
 will say " the time will come in which all will be right." Yet 
 week after week, month after month, and year after year they 
 remain unaltered. ! my God, awaken such, and deliver them 
 from the strange enchantment in which they are held ! Our 
 hopes respecting these have been so often raised, and so often dis- 
 appointed, as to make the hands hang down in despair. The wise 
 man says, " Hope deferred maketh the heart sick," and " Dis- 
 appointed hope is misery." How often, after a thousand prayers 
 (ineffectual indeed), made for such, have we been so discouraged as 
 to be tempted to cease praying for them altogether ? But what 
 our God has made to be our duty must not be yielded to any 
 consideration, as the final success of the importunate widow 
 instructs us to persevere in despite of all seeming obstacles. In 
 our churches and congregations we mostly possess all the ele- 
 ments necessary for a full application of a sermon. We have 
 the young, the old, the middle-aged ; beginners, those who con- 
 tinue faithful ; the persevering, and plenty of backsliders too 
 many ! 
 
 Some splinters from the old ship we have to notice, which, 
 perhaps, never would have been broken from her, if Wesley could 
 have continued to direct her, or if men of his genius could have 
 been found as his true representatives. Wesley foresaw what, 
 if carried out, would destroy the simplicity of his system. He 
 leads the people of his charge to sing, 
 
 " Never let the world steal in ; 
 Fix a mighty gulph between." 
 
 There has been, since Wesley's days, a solicitous angling for large 
 fishes ; to these anglers the taking of a salmon was of more con- 
 sequence than the taking of a hundred sprats. And so, instead 
 of the Gospel being, as at the first, principally preached to the 
 poor, the net has been more principally spread to enclose the
 
 83 
 
 rich ; so that a money power has been the boast of the infatuated. 
 Many excellent men with whom I have conversed, have regretted 
 to see what they had no power to control ; but, notwithstanding, 
 the numbers of true and upright men attached to, and raised up 
 in, the old ship, will, no doubt, keep her still a fine sailing vessel. 
 The first splint we shall notice, essayed to assume the appella- 
 tion of primitive. This designation was not readily acceded to, 
 as the elements, which professed to form this new association, did 
 not very well agree with the pre-conceptions the people had 
 formed of Wesley and his first followers. They could not 
 readily be brought to believe that Wesley was a ranter, or that 
 his first followers were of that hot-headed description and impul- 
 sive character, as those who separated from the old craft at that 
 time. This piece of timber was a long time before efficient 
 hands could be brought to work at it heartily, and it was long 
 before it could be put into an eligible position, but the workmen 
 being stirred up to extra exertions, and friends coming forward 
 to assist, the thing began to assume a more. encouraging aspect; 
 we saw the vessel rising into form, till, finally, a fair-going, and 
 a tolerably well-manned ship appears. In proportion as the 
 froth of extravagant emotions was cooled down, and was suc- 
 ceeded by a growing intelligence, so, in proportion, has the 
 respectability and usefulness of this section of the church 
 increased. It appears that, where the truth is preached, though 
 that truth may be encumbered with many things which appear 
 to be irrelevant to its real prosperity, yet it will succeed to a 
 certain extent. This fact probably may give encouragement to 
 persons of wild and ungovernable temperaments, to say " good is 
 done, and we don't care what the world says of us." Is such a 
 strain of talking in accordance with the directions given us by 
 the Holy Apostles ? Did they say " we care not what the world 
 says of us ? ' They say, " Walk wisely towards those that are 
 without;" and, referring to some apparent disorders, they, in 
 reproving them, said, "Will they not say that you are mad?" 
 " Let your moderation be known unto all men." Such people, 
 who content themselves in seeing a little good done, where a deal 
 of rant and inconsistency are taking place, never stop to ask 
 themselves, " how much more might be done under a better 
 management ?" neither do they consider the harm that may be 
 done to those whose more temperate constitutions cannot be
 
 84 
 
 brought to approve of what their reason will not justify, because 
 that nothing in justification can be found in the acts and deeds 
 of the Apostles, of wildness, nor of anything which has not the 
 appearance of truth and soberness. Some of those persons who are 
 complained of as being noisy, say, " it is because they have the 
 Spirit, and that they that are not as they, are dead." Is the Spirit 
 noisy, then ? Are not their own spirits badly managed ? being 
 not put under the control of their understandings ? Do not 
 their passions rule them ? and not the higher powers of their 
 nature, by which they are distinguished from the beasts ? How 
 can gentleness, and meekness, and temperance in all things, exist 
 at the same time with overflowings of extravagant emotions, 
 which make men take the semblance of maniacs ? Will any one 
 dare to account for this manifest incongruity ? If men of busi- 
 ness, "who have zeal enough most commonly, were to carry on 
 their affairs in that wild and reckless manner in which some 
 religious meetings are conducted, would it not be said they were 
 mad ? I conversed with one of their first preachers, when a 
 reference was made to what many, at that time, called " wildfire;" 
 he said nothing in vindication of the appearance of such wildfire, 
 but remarked simply, that "where there was much wildfire, there 
 might be a little of the true.' 1 I have met with very few, who, 
 when tested, would say much in defence of what we have been 
 treating. Many strong-minded and excellent men, have, of late 
 years, been employed by this Society as ministers, who were not 
 likely to have their judgments misled by what the Scriptures do 
 not justify. I have no recollection of a single individual who 
 was extravagantly impulsive in his youth, who remained so in 
 after life. 
 
 There are men to be found who never seem to have made a 
 study of themselves. They have never given themselves the 
 trouble to enquire into the deceptiveness of human passions, 
 hence their likes and dislikes are sufficient with them to deter- 
 mine their actions. But they soon find themselves, for want of 
 a little reflection, entangled in a deceptive maze. This they 
 might have escaped, if they had allowed "Monarch reason" to 
 decide for them. First impressions are often wrong ; they want 
 looking at before they are acted upon. Would Joanna Southcote 
 have attracted so many besotted followers, if men had used their 
 understandings aright ? It may be thought that I am more con-
 
 85 
 
 cerned that men should have light in their heads, than that they 
 should have love in their hearts. Now, consider, can a man 
 have any true affection for an object whose qualities he has 
 never considered ? We must see the beauties of religion before 
 we can love or embrace it. Paul was sent to open the eyes of 
 men to show them the interest they had in Jesus Christ. The 
 subject must be well understood before it can be heartily 
 received. We must see how God can be just, and yet the 
 Justifier of him that believeth in His Son. He must comprehend, 
 or admit, the great fact that the infinite merit of his spotless 
 Son, is accepted of the Father, as a full and sufficient Redemp- 
 tion price for the whole world ; and is available to every soul of 
 man, who will, by simple faith, receive the same. The moment 
 a man can be brought to understand how Christ put Himself in 
 his stead, making an Atonement for his past sins, and can cast 
 his whole soul on Him, in faith that He has thus become his 
 Redeemer, is saved. The Primitive Methodists have preached 
 this glorious doctrine, hence their success and great prosperity. 
 Paul could rejoice at the Gospel being preached, though 
 preached through envy and strife. Thank God, we know of no 
 such preaching of the Gospel ; the truth is preached in love ! 
 
 If that fallacious doctrine, " Once in grace always in grace," 
 so calculated to destroy the energies of men and to send them to 
 sleep, had been preached, instead of the conscience-stirring, heart- 
 awakening, soul-rousing doctrine, which so many thousands have 
 pressed to hear, what would be the state of things at the present 
 time ? There was a chapel where the softly-soothing, soul- 
 deceiving doctrines of Calvin were preached. Some friends, 
 having a little tin to spare, and approving of the doctrine of 
 unconditional election, set themselves to work, and the above 
 chapel was raised, to which the name of Zion Chapel was given. 
 But there was nothing about it to lead one to suppose it to be 
 fated to become like the famous Mount Zion of the Scripture, 
 which was the "joy of the whole earth." They had a humble, 
 good man, as harmless as a sheep, for a minister, and, for a while, 
 a respectable congregation used to assemble, but it soon became 
 a dwindling affair, going down lower and lower, till the wheels 
 of this Gospel chariot finally stood still. 
 
 I don't know that I should have made any remarks here on 
 this little Calvinist affair, had it not been that I had had relatives
 
 86 
 
 who were attached to that false cause, and who had been kept 
 in mental bondage, through teachings they had listened to in the 
 chapel referred to above. The poor deluded mortals were always 
 waiting for some special call, something not belonging to the call 
 of to-day ; see the infatuation of error ! it leads men to look for 
 what is nowhere promised, and closes the eyes to what is placed 
 straight before them ; I have heard these persons say, " There 
 is a day of grace for every one, which must be waited for, and 
 embraced when it arrives." This fictitious day of grace, which 
 is to be somewhere in the future, will never arrive to those who 
 put off to-day : for " to-day is the accepted time" in this matter, 
 there is no promise for to-morrow. This is the day in which 
 every soul is interested in the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus : 
 show me a man who fell not in Adam, and I will show you a 
 man that has no interest in Christ, and cannot be saved this very 
 day ; they that say the contrary, go about to make God a liar. 
 "Where is there to be found in all the Book of God, that which ex- 
 cludes a single individual from the grace of God that is in Christ 
 Jesus. The Apostle is so particular in stating his views on this 
 matter, lest any one should suppose himself left out, he reiter- 
 ates the subject so as to exclude all doubt. All Jews and 
 all Greeks used to compose the whole world, but that no mistake 
 might be made, leaving a slave to think he might be forgotten, 
 Paul takes care that none shall be deceived in the matter. Not 
 a single individual is excluded from the covenant of grace ; Jews 
 and Greeks, barbarians and heathens, bond and free. This is 
 the glorious Gospel of the grace of Him, who says, "All souls are 
 mine." Our great and glorious Heavenly Father has ordained 
 that His good news be preached to every creature which has a soul. 
 Much as Calvin is respected by many, his doctrine goes to make 
 our glorious and benevolent God as partial to, and contracted as, 
 his shrivelled creed. Calvin was a great man, but they are 
 little men who receive and propagate his great errors? It 
 is because great men have advocated great errors, that great 
 errors have become popular ; Oh ! such a man says so, and thus 
 little men become their dupes. I have lately conversed with in- 
 dividuals, who have received their mystifications from the source 
 above alluded to ; I asked them if they had received the salvation 
 of the gospel, they contented themselves with saying, that " God 
 knew who would be saved and who would not." Christ comes to
 
 these mistaken persons, with His hands laden with gospel 
 blessings, which he offers to them freely, saying, " this is the time, 
 no more delay," they look at the oifered grace, excusing them- 
 selves, saying, " Thou knowest who will receive Thy grace, and 
 who wilt refuse ; we will satisfy ourselves, with the thought, 
 that Thou knowest all about these matters," but they will not so 
 much as hold the hand for what is so freely offered, and which 
 they so much need, expecting the thing will bte thrust upon 
 them if they get it at all. These persons leave God to do what 
 He commands them to do ; if they stir a peg, they are work- 
 mongers, merit-mongers, and nobody knows what beside ; Christ 
 says, " come unto Me," but they will not stir, so they remain 
 unsaved. It must be so, Christ cannot believe for them, and will 
 not do what He commands them to do. These last remarks are 
 not intended to apply to Calvinists generally, for many of such 
 in their actions exceed their creed, and do many things they say 
 they have no power to do. These I have particularly in view, 
 are they who have got the notions they have from Calvinistie 
 teaching, resting in the vain hope, that some time they will enter, 
 or may be forced into, a safer state of religious enjoyment. But as 
 they will have it, that they have no will in moral matters, they 
 rest satisfied to sleep on ; so that, if they remain unsaved, it is 
 because God would have it so, though He calls every one to 
 believe and be saved. 
 
 Wesleyanism is a tree that will flourish under any circum- 
 stances. It has in it the principles of real vitality ; it may 
 occasionally be cramped or stunted by adverse winds or improvi- 
 dent management in culture, yet so strong is the principle of 
 life, that it is seen to burst forth, despite everything opposing as 
 an obstacle. Why does this tree flourish so manifestly ? 
 Because it is so much like the " tree of life, whose leaves are for 
 the healing of the nations," and always exhibits an abundance of 
 fruit. Every one that looks on this tree knows that he is invited 
 to partake of its fruit, and live for ever. None are excluded 
 but the obstinately wicked ; it offers life to all. This beautiful 
 tree, some years since, had to be subjected to a fierce wind, 
 which seemed to arise out of elements which had attached them- 
 selves to it. Lookers on, apprehensive that these elements, 
 might prove seriously detrimental to the tree, if not removed,, 
 entreated those who had much to do with its culture, to remove
 
 88 
 
 those things of threatening aspect, and though great numbers 
 joined in the request, no heed was taken, but a seeming careless- 
 ness of consequences. I saw a Watcher above looking on, who 
 had a pair of scales in one hand, in the other He held the wind ; 
 he looked on those, who, with great anxiety, begged the tree 
 might be spared, till He observed their forlorn and withered 
 hope ; then I saw the scale, where truth and right were found, 
 preponderate, and that in which were presumption and misrule, 
 rise and kick the beam ; then the "Watcher let go the wind from 
 His fist. Ah ! it was a wind ! down comes a mighty branch 
 laden with the finest of fruit, with leaves, large and of beautiful 
 green. In its fall it lost neither leaf nor fruit ; under the eye 
 of the Watcher it was taken up and planted in a rich soil, well 
 watched, and well watered, where it thrives marvellously. 
 Some of the old men, who stuck to the old tree, put on yellow 
 spectacles, declaring they could see nothing but signs of sickli- 
 ness and corruption, either in the leaves or fruit ; so they tried 
 to show that the tree had only been eased of a useless branch, 
 the removing of which would be conducive to the health of the 
 tree. I happened to be one who was broken off. I never heard 
 any chuckling or unholy rejoicing at what had happened to the 
 old and once beloved cause, which had been so great a blessing 
 to our town and neighbourhood. Sad and sorrowful we re- 
 mained for a time, like those who bewailed the destruction of 
 their beautiful temple at Jerusalem, till aroused to rebuild, and 
 make the best they could of it. Methodism received so severe a 
 shock at the time in question, as we hope will never be repeated. 
 This, I believe, is the wish of all who remained, as well as of all 
 those who were separated through that untoward affair. Many, 
 though excellent men, who remained in the old body, were 
 deeply grieved to witness the desolations succeeding the unhappy 
 circumstances referred to above, setting themselves heartily to 
 work to repair the breaches which were so evident in many 
 places. Mr. Shovelton, and such as he, who laboured so assidu- 
 ously to bring about a state of things so desirable to be seen in a 
 Christian Church, succeeded admirably. Much was he spoken 
 of and beloved, he making himself as one of the people, only 
 seeking their welfare, created an ardent endearment which will 
 not soon be forgotten. 
 
 An old preacher, with whom I was familiar when he first
 
 89 
 
 went out as a local preacher, and whom I often accompanied 
 when going into the country to his preaching appointments, 
 remarked of us, who separated from the old body for conscience 
 sake, that " we were all a bad set." I cannot think that this old 
 gentleman, whom I knew to be very humble and kind-hearted 
 when young, could possibly be so bitter against us as his words 
 might lead some to think. He appears to have had some notions, 
 which he had settled down to, disturbed, at the time the disrup- 
 tion occurred, which excited him to speak more warmly than his 
 real nature would prompt him to do. We know how light the 
 froth of vain words is. We can afford, however, to bury out of 
 sight a thousand unpleasant things that occurred between the 
 expelled and the preachers at the time the separation took place. 
 Bitter remembrances cannot live long in hearts which the Holy 
 Ghost inhabits. Nevertheless, our complaint was a true com- 
 plaint, and our request proper and Scriptural, and the opposition 
 most grievous and improvident, as, I doubt not, thousands of 
 the best friends of Methodism have admitted. 
 
 So little has been said of late years relating to the unhappy 
 split by which we were severed from the old body, that those 
 who were boys at the time have to ask " why we left the big 
 chapel ?" We cannot say to them, "do not trouble yourselves about 
 that matter," lest it should be said in reply, "Why did you 
 trouble yourselves about it ?" What our reply to such questions 
 was, need not be repeated here, as available sources of informa- 
 tion are of easy access. The wish of the people that lay-delegates 
 should be sent to Conference to represent them, was not a thing 
 thought of only a few months before Conference was memorialised 
 upon the subject, but had been long desired and long talked 
 about. I heard Mr. William Mawer, of excellent memory, speak 
 of the desirableness of such a thing nearly fifty years ago ; where 
 I heard him speak of this matter was in the room we called the 
 vestry, which was attached to the chapel, which stood on the site 
 the Savings' Bank now occupies. I don't wish even the ghost of 
 this affair, which lias caused so much heart-burning, to be seen 
 to the disturbance of our present quiet. For my own part I took 
 very little interest in the turmoil, but waited patiently till I 
 should see what would turn up. It never entered into my head 
 to stop supplies, I paid to the very last, neither did many know 
 my mind or what might be the course I should pursue after the
 
 90 
 
 final resolves of the Conference. I hoped to the end, but when 
 my hope was lost, I made myself scarce. I did not do as a leader 
 of a large class used to do week after week this man would get 
 a number of young people about him, to whom he would insinu- 
 ate his disapprobation of the doings of preachers and of the 
 Conference, and, though he had used his glib tongue of slander 
 so liberally against the system, he stuck to it when a real cause 
 to separate from it presented itself. I nearly shook that incon- 
 sistent pretender to pieces by one reproof of his unfairness, I never 
 saw such a miserable conscience-stricken ghost in my life, when 
 I referred to what I had known him to be guilty of, especially 
 in reference to do able- dealing, nevertheless, doubt not, that he 
 has long since been in heaven. 
 
 Those who think that the Eeformers cannot rejoice in the 
 prosperity of those who attach themselves to the old cause, are 
 very much mistaken ; we love to hear that their chapel is well 
 filled, and that signs of prosperity attend the ministrations made 
 therein ; we know the doctrines therein preached are calculated 
 to save and bless the people, and would not present a person's 
 having a preference for going there, if we could. I had a grand- 
 son, who was attracted, by the kind solicitations of some excellent 
 young men, to attend the "Wesley Chapel, I never put one 
 syllable into his ear to dissuade him from going thither, but gave 
 him every possible encouragement to cleave to the cause of his 
 choice. They who can witness the exertions of those numerous 
 young men who are connected with Wesley Chapel, and cannot 
 rejoice in spirit, have something within them beside the " mind 
 that was in Jesus." I see many of these connected with every 
 good thing Ragged Schools, Sunday Schools, Bands of Hope, 
 Temperance Movements, &c. ; who can look on these, and not 
 wish them to be multiplied a thousand fold ? 
 
 We have many young fellows of the same cast as those hinted 
 at above, in connection with our less, but not less zealous cause, 
 in Silver-street, these, as their hearts have been touched by the 
 Divine Spirit, will, we doubt not, throw in their utmost energies 
 to help forward the ark of truth'; these will joyfully join with 
 the aforementioned in many good projects, amalgamating their 
 strength, and cultivating that largeness of heart which scorns to 
 be cramped by trifles ; whatever different opinions those who are 
 quickened with, Christ hold, being all possessed of the Spirit
 
 91 
 
 which worketh the same effects in all, making every one a living 
 stone in that glorious and spiritual heing, the universal church 
 on earth, the true ground and pillar of the truth, which cannot 
 fail to the end of time, will not fail to show that we are all one 
 in Christ Jesus, saved by the same faith, having the same spirit, 
 tending to the same end, having always in our view the glory of 
 God in the salvation of men, not living to ourselves, but to Him 
 who died for us, and rose again. 
 
 A METHODIST CLASS MEETING. 
 
 Leader, " Well, friend, thou art getting near the end of thy 
 journey. ' How is it with thee ?' " 
 
 Member. " Well, I've served the Lord sixty years ; He'll 
 never forsake me !" 
 
 Leader. "Dost thou ground thy hope that He will never 
 forsake thee upon thy sixty years' service ? and bring it before 
 Him as a plea, that He ought not to forsake thee ? I should 
 have liked better to have heard thee say, ' God has borne with 
 my ill manner, my frailties, and sins these sixty years. I am 
 convinced that I have not one plea to urge on the ground of my 
 own righteousness, which I see to be but as filthy rags. I have 
 nothing but the blood of Jesus to rest my naked guilty soul upon.' 
 
 ' I the chief of sinners am, 
 But Jesus died for me.' " 
 
 Leader. " Well, Thomas, how art thou getting on ?" 
 Member. " Pretty well, I hope. But I should like to have a 
 clearer evidence, that all is going on right within ; these plaguey 
 doubts and fears, I wish I could get out of them ; I am 
 tempted sometimes to think I am wrong altogether j I feel the 
 want of something I should like to have in my experience. 
 
 ' could I make these doubts remove, 
 
 These gloomy fears that rise ! 
 And view the Canaan which I love, 
 With unbeclouded eyes !' "
 
 92 
 
 Leader. " ' The Canaan which you love,' you say ; now, 
 Thomas, who put the love of Canaan into your heart ? Nothing 
 beside the good Spirit of God could fix it there ; the heart is 
 naturally averse to such things ; sweet waters cannot issue from 
 a hitter fountain ; every good thing found within us is from the 
 Father of lights, in whom is no variableness nor shadow of turn- 
 ing ; all that is good is divine. Guard that holy principle the 
 good Spirit has put within thee, and ' be not faithless but 
 believing ;' use grace and have grace ; ' hold fast that thou 
 hast ;' doubt no more. Now, my old and tried friend, I see I am 
 likely to have to do with several to-night, whom old time has 
 powdered over pretty well. How do you get on ?" 
 
 Member. "Not so well as I could wish." 
 
 Leader. " Why, what's the matter ?'! 
 
 Member. " why, I'm so tempted, I hardly know what I 
 am, or where I am. 
 
 ' 'Tis a point I long to know, 
 
 Oft it causes anxious thought, 
 Do I love my God, or no ? 
 Am I His, or am I not ?' " 
 
 Leader. " Do you allow yourself to be deceived by language 
 such as that you have just recited ? Just look at the weakness 
 and folly those lines contain ? Do you ever ask whether you 
 love yourself or no ? whether you love your son or no ? your 
 wife or no ? You see what paltry and idle stuff it is. 
 Hours and hours pass away in which you scarcely think 
 of your children ! Have you, therefore, lost your love for 
 them ? Only let some incident occur to warn you that they are 
 in danger, and you are instantly apprised of the fact that your 
 love of them is deeply inwrought in your nature. So it is with 
 the love of God in the hearts of true believers. The ecstacies 
 which we are occasionally the subjects of, are no stronger proofs 
 that we are lovers of God, than that confident reliance on God's 
 faithfulness which urges the Christian to say, ' I will go with 
 thee to prison and to death.' "We may glorify God as well in 
 the valley of humiliation, as on the mount of transfiguration. 
 Be not as anxious for spiritual enjoyments as for holiness of heart 
 and life. God will give you as many of the former as will serve
 
 
 93 
 
 you best. "Well, friend, if the Lord has done much for thee 
 every way, what is now the state of thy experience ?" 
 
 Member. " Bless the Lord, I feel happy and comfortable. I 
 hare much to be thankful for." 
 
 Leader. "Indeed you have; I have frequently heard you 
 remark that God was so abundant in His kindness to you, that 
 He giveth you not only a full cup, but also maketh it run over. 
 Great reason, indeed, have you to rejoice and be thankful. But, 
 my brother, let us remember, ' Where much is given much will 
 be required.' Let us see to it, then, that the overflowings of 
 our cup be not appropriated to our own use, but be given to 
 him whose cup is scarcely ever half-filled. 0, that's brother 
 S 1 see ; I hope it is well with thee." 
 
 Member. " Well, I've been looking at my late experience, 
 and don't find it satisfactory rather below the mark of my pur- 
 pose but I am resolved to make better out, and that every 
 succeeding week shall surpass its predecessor. I mean to be 
 holier and more self-devoted every day." 
 
 Leader. " Well, if you succeed in carrying out your purpose, 
 you will become a fine specimen of a Christian some time. I 
 must say, friend, what you have advanced does not come approv- 
 ingly to my ear. It sounds too much like the brag of the old 
 man whom Paul commands us to crucify. Before honour is 
 humility. ' He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' 'Tis 
 well to form good purposes and good resolutions, but we must 
 despair to carry them out in our own strength. The Apostle 
 says, ' When I am weak then am I strong ; when I trust in the 
 strong for strength, then I find I can do all things through Christ 
 who strengthens me.' So Jesus has all the honour and all the 
 praise of our doings. "Well, Mary, do you still hold faith and a 
 good conscience ?" 
 
 Member. "Indeed, sir, I can hardly say I do; this awful 
 temper of mine, I fear, will be my ruin, as it does now fre- 
 quently destroy my peace. I am o troubled about it, and feel 
 so discouraged. I am ashamed to kneel down to pray." 
 
 Leader. "I see how it is ; you would fain make your mind 
 as beautiful and smooth as that of an angel, and then you could 
 come before the Lord in all the self-confidence of your own moral 
 beauty, thinking, no doubt, the Lord would be delighted to see 
 what trouble you had been at to render yourself fit to receive
 
 UCSB LIBRARY 
 
 y- 
 
 His mercy. Now, Mary, you cannot get rid of your bad temper, 
 but by bringing it straight to Himself ; tell Him all about it, 
 humble thyself before Him on account of it, and He will give 
 thee strength to subdue it, for His Son's sake, who has 'shed His 
 blood for thee, and ever liveth to make intercession for -thee.' 
 He will show thee ' the blood that purgeth every stain.' 
 Now, Susan, I am glad to see you here to-night. It looks 
 well of your master and mistress to allow you a little leisure 
 to attend to the concerns of your soul, and to the duties of 
 religion." 
 
 Member. " They are very kind, I am glad to say ; there is a 
 pleasure in serving them." 
 
 Leader. " You please me much to hear you talk so. Serve 
 them as though you were serving the Lord Himself, and ' your 
 peace will flow as a river.' We cannot well serve another for 
 Christ's sake without serving ourselves. Come, sister P - , tell 
 us how you are getting on." 
 
 Member. " 0, I am so happy ; God's love to me is so won- 
 derful ! I feel I can't praise Him enough. I would not change 
 my condition for that of the Queen !" 
 
 Leader. " Why, what abundance has fallen to you ? But I 
 have seen you happy with a crust and a little tea. Thank God, 
 
 ' His presence makes my Paradise, 
 And where He is, is Heaven." 
 
 Thou hast not found the Gospel a cunningly-devised fable. 
 Another step or two, Mary, and then the fulness of joy for 
 ever !" 
 
 C. Akrill, Printer, Steam Press Office, High-st., Lincoln.
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 A 000 547 324 4