A MEMO IR

OI THE LATE

REV . WILLIAM BLACK;

wmzmmminimr;

HALII'AI , n . s.

INCLUDING AN ACCOUI‘I' m B!“ m P3063”! 0'

METHODISM IN NOVA sco'

rm,

c un hcfllxm c z on es: or n vn u . xn wxnmu ; wrrn corlovl

u rn er n on rm: uuwu um consu mmate:

or run u v. 1081! wan “ , n v. m . con ,

ntv. " m om 0m m , ITO.

BY MATTHEWQCHEY, A. M.

alum n a themwhichhave the rule over you,whohave lpohon untoyou theword of God : who» N th follow, considering the end 0!their conversation : Jeans Christ, the lune yesterday,and m en—Sr . PAUL.

HALIFAX ,

PRINTED BY WILLIAM CUNNABELL.

u ncc c x x x x x .

MARTIN G. BLACK AND WILLIAM A. BLACK, ESQUIRES,

TH18MEMOIR OF THEIR REVERED FATHER

IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED ,

SENTIMENTS OF PROFOUND VENERATION

FOR HIS MEMORY ,

m o rm; mosr nnvou'

r AND ARDENT wnsnss m u ,

FOLLOWING HIM AS HE FOLLOWED CHRIST,

THEY MAY EVENTUALLY REIGN WITHHIM

IN LIFE ETERNAL.

PREFACE.

Om: HUNDRED Yam s have now elapsed since

the firstMethodistSoc iety was formed. Thataus

pic ious event dated the commencement of a new

and glorious era in the history of Christian ity.

The moral revolution which Methodism,under

the blessing of Almighty God,has already pro

duced,has notbeen surpassed in magn itude and

rapidity since the days of the Apostles. Its line

has gone outthrough allthe earth,and its words

to the ends of the world ; and while we behold it,

all-an imate stillwiththe ardour and energy of its

first love,

as a bridegroom coming out of his

chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run a

race ,is it too much to ex pect, that the day is

coming when itwillbe universally recogniz ed as

the selectest agency of a redeeming Providence,

Vl PREFACE

in ushering in the glories of millennial renovation

and joy

Religious apathy and ecclesiasticalintolerance ,

on the one hand,and the predominating influence

of‘

doctrinalprejudice, on the other

,have ever

,

n otmerely denied historicaljustice to the immortal

Wesley, his coadjutors and immediate successors,

but in manv instances treated themwithcontempt

and calumny. Those stars,however

,in the Se

vionr’

s right hand, are'

now fast dissipating the

clouds that so long dimmed their lustre, and are

becoming broader and more refulgent to the view,

in proportion as we recede from them. How an i

mating the spectacle we witness at the present

moment! Thousands, and tens of thousands,ih

stinctwith a hallowed emulation to testify their

gratitude to God, for the inestimable blessings of

Methodism,are coming forward

,and with a li

beralitv unex ampled in the annals of the Church,

decreeing the MONUMENTAL CELEBRATION of its

CENTENARY on a scale commensurate with the

greatness ofthe occasion . Already does the Trea

0 '

PH YAGB. Vll

m y of the Lord om flowwithprincely don ation!consecrated to 'this noble object: already does every

genuine fiollower of Wesley, in antic ipation , par

ticipate in a triumph immeasurably purer and more

ex tlwd than thatofthe vaunting poet.

Eu glmonumenttnn cure perenn ial.

Reguliqoe sitn pyramidmn tiltin

Qnod non imber edax , non Aquila impotent!

Pon itdimers , ant inn umerahilio

M um series, atfags tunporntn .—Hoa .

At sucha period,the rise and prop ose of Me

thodistn must beeome an objectof interesting con

tainplation to allclasses of Christians, save those

whm z ealfor the salvation of souls glows only on

the altar of a party . Nothing,”—obsetves the

amiable and eloquentOwen—“Nothing is more

nature! than a desire to investigate the tise , and

twentin the progress of whatever has acquired

M oist“importance to e x cite our astonishment,

a c otmd a monnmentmm In tio' thu hn n . lnd lofo

tin thu dn l-porialelevation of pyn mldo ; which neithar tho

W a in. tho impowntoorthwiod, nor tn innumerable .»m d m uod tho dlght of um u . duflbo oblo to

PREFACE.

or command our admiration . We feel a sort of

instinctive curiosity to know the source whence

the instrumentof our gratification has been deriv

cd and ex pectto find our pleasure increase in pro

portion as we discover by what means it has

been brought, from its simplest elements and its

smallestdimensions, to its actualstate of symmetry

and grandeur.

A synoptical digest of whatever materials are

necessary to the formation of a correctestimate of

Methodism,in its general character and progres

sive operations, may be confidently anticipated

from the forthcoming volume on the subject by

the PRESIDENT of the British Conference,THE

REVEREND Tn ou as JACK SON,— a desideratum in

the literature of Methodism which his previous

productions evince him to be so admirably qualifi

cd to supply.

O u the writer of the following Memoir an hum

bler task has devolved—that oftracing one of the

tributary streams of this majestic river from its

source,in eonnection withthe history ofhimwho

ru n es . ix

scooped its channel, and contributed so much to

its purity and depthand ex pansion . He gives nt

ten noe to no feeling of voluntary humility in say

ing that, highly as he estimates the honour of being

the biographet of the R svaaax n Winw m Bu cx,

ithas often been matter of un feigned regretto him.

while contemplating his character, thatthe delinea

tion of it had notengaged the talents of some one

more competent, from matured ex perience and a

larger measure ofheavenly wisdom,to do itjustice.

Were the first sheet of this volume nowpassing

du ngh the press instead of the last,he flatten

himself he could in some respects materially im

pm . it buthe mustn otsatisfied, for the present

atla st. with the sod consolation that“ care will

not Always be successful and recollection or ih

fatu ation sometimes comes too late for use.

M d a second edition ofthe work be called for,

to wit! mostgratefully receive and attentively ro

‘u d anyj’

n'

a dly suggestionswithwhich he may

be fi n n ed, with a flawto render it more ac

ceptable and useful: and, in suchan event, should

X PREFACE.

any lightbaripen to issue from an opp osite quarter,

he trusts he possesses suflic ient humility and wis

dom not to disregard the prudentialmax im,F as

est ct ab haste doceri. It is wise to derive

knowledge even from an enemy.

He now commends this Memoir,with allits im

perfections, to the blessingof Heaven , praying that

he who has compiled, and allwho may peruse it,

may be followers of them,who throughfaithand

patience inheritthe promises.

M. RICHEY .

Upper Canada Academy ,

1839.

M EM O IR S , 85 0 .

CHAPTER I.

u r non oc'roay nmu a x s—ma . nm c x

’s nta

'm—nna

M ARKABLE pn s snnvu xon FROM PREMATURE nm 'ru

m s mas'

r snmon s m pan ssxon s—m s MOTHER ’S “

sou c rrnn l-z AND n rron'

rs FOB m s SPIRITUAL WELn an— rm: FAMILY s u ten n n TO n ova scor n

m e n sw ASSOCIATlON S s x s nmsn AR un n u n ut

r c x cs ove n um—snn x s 1138? m vu n AMUSEmn n '

rs, BUT FINDS NONE.

M im s'rnnu n biography , when its subject, having

taken upon him the sacred office , in obedience to a hea

venly call, and witha clear perception of the momen

to us trust and responsibility it involves, dedicates

himself with corresponding zeal and fidelity to the

d ischarge of its functions , cann ot failto be eminentlyin structive and useful. To the generaldelineations

o f religions character,— invariably the same in its es

sential elements , whether found in a condition of

tranquilseclusion , or amidstthe ex c itements of pub

lic life ,— ita dds the interest of a new order of inc i

dents ; whilst the ex erc ises of personal religion are

o ften very materially modified by the trials and c ir

cumstances of othee .

\V ith the annals of a devoted min ister of the Lo rd

Jesus Christ, there are 8180 interwoven numerous il

B

2 mamoms or m s

lustrations of God’s dealings withhis Church; allofwhich, however varied their aspects or in scrutabletheir reasons, are seen to terminate in the same ra

d iantpoint, - the glory of redeeming grace in the sal

vation of his people. And when the ex isting state of

the cause of God is such, as to give unusual prominence to the operations of his grace in the conversion

of souls, general attention is arrested ,— a spirit of

serious enquiry pervades families and n eighbourhoods,pen itents weep in secretplaces, —the son s of God ex

ult, -the demon of persecution is roused , and often is

sues fromlurking places where he was leastof allsus

pected to ex ist, sceptics, like raging waves of the sea ,

foam outtheir own shame, or, mute W ith aston ish

ment, startatthe view of the un shrouded arm of Je

hovah, While his Gospelgoes forth, as atthe first,

attended with divine demonstrations of its celestial

origin and virtue .

Atno period in the history of the Christian Church,if we ex cept the obscure and superstitious ages that

preceded the glorious day of the Reformation , havethe interests of vitalgodliness been ata lower ebb inEngland than When theWesleys, Whitfield, and their

coadjutors, like faithfulwatchmen on the walls of

Z ion , began to sound the note of alarm in the ears of a

guilty an d slumbering nation . Imbued withthe spirito f the firstheralds of the Lamb, untrammelled by theformalities of prescriptive usage, those holy men travelled beyond the precincts of particular churches ;they wentout into the highways and hedges and in

spiring the trumpetof the everlasting Gospelwith n o

i meertain sound, they soon caused its undying echoes

to be heard throughoutthe length and breadthof the

land. A national revivalof religion was the blessed

ntv. wa nn a BLACK . 3

result. Norwere the hallowed impulses hemmed bythe waves of the Atlantic . Propagated to the Amerieon Continent, they soon produced there themostgracious and magn ificenteffects , and continue to operatein the ex tensive territory of the new world with ex

pansive energy and success . To Him be the glory ofthe achievementwhose alone is the power! and em

holmed be the memory, and emulated the bright exunplv , of those whom in his sove reign wisdom, Heselected as workers together withHim. Many , fromwhose intellectualand religious character better thingsmightreasonably be ex pected , are slowto believe , andstillmore reluctant, itwould seem, to acknowledge ,that the stupendous moralrevolution whichhas thusin a t

'

ewshortyears been effected , and ofwhose stabi

hty and di e influencewe possess the surestpledgein that spirit of evangelicalenterprise , which now,

more thm atany former period since the days of the

Agreed” , characterises the Churchof the Redeemer,is to be traced, under Divine Providence, to a few

mung men whom God raised up in the University ofOx fiml to testify those grand tmths whichwere then

Stile attended to —That without holiness no man

shallsee the Lord -thatthis holiness is the work of

God, who workethin us bothto willond to do ; thathe does it of his own good pleasure, merely for the

mer its of Christ—thatthis holiness is the mind that

w in Christ, en abling us to wolk as he also walked ;drstno man cen be thns snnctified tillhe be justified ;- cnd thntwe are justified by faith alone .

“ Such,however. is the firet. And where histo ricaljustice isM to thooe self denying men , they willshine

‘M ‘s somoo

“Os tho Geoon lepred ot'

thoGospd .

4 m moms on THE

withdistinguished lustre among the mostenergetic reg

formers of a decayed and torpid Christian ity, and themost illustrious benefactors of mankind.

The mass of ignorance and vice whichthey assail

ed was sufficientto testand dismay the most hero ic

spirits. And had they stood alone, the combatwouldindeed have been unequal their occasionaltriumphscould n ot have been followed up or long sustained .

But the work was the Lord ’s, with whom there are

n ever wanting the requisite resources for accomplishing his designs. A species of agency unthoughtof bythose who firstentered the field, and even Opposed to

their educationalviews and prejud ices, came to their

help—ex traordinarymessengers—who , though for the

mostpartdestitute of the imposing preliminaries of a

Collegiate preparation for the min istry, wielded withdivine effecttheseweapons whicharemighty , throughGod, to the destruction of the fortresses of sin and

Satan .

Among those, thoughatthe distance of nearly half

a century afterWesley commencedhis career, the sub

jectof these memoirs was called to occupy an importantsphere of usefulness. His labours being confined

to the Provin ces of Nova Scotia and N ewBrunswicktill after the deathof the venerable founder of Me

thodism ,he n ever enjoyed the coveted pleasure of seeing him. He was, however, for a series of years, hen oured withhis paternalaffection , counsel, and confi

denee, —as willappear in the course of the narrative ,

whichwe shallno longer withheld from the reader.

Ta r. Rsvs nnn n WILLIAM BLACK was born of re

spectable parents, atHuddersfield , a large and flourishing town in West Yorkshire, in the year 1760.

u v. m utan t BLACK . 5

he spentseveralyears under the

mef ot’

his matemaluncle , Mr. Thomas Stocks , at

Otley, where he was plawd atschool. On a certain

occasion , during his residenee there, he had a remark

ablew epteflow a premature grave. Conceiving , as2

“

on of the seriptm docn‘ine of a

m at to be one of the am t appropriate and

‘

u t objects of biography , the circumnm ofme delay alluded to en strikingly elueidlln at, thu they are entitled to a permanentsword

of his loimm hours in angling, broughthome one day

a live w M for the m ummentof his juven ilenevhew itinto awoughofwater thatmood inthe yll

'd. M am afier wimemmg for 5;it; um ,

whh no smfldegree of satmfaction , the gambols of

drink atme mouthot'

the spontby whieh the waterand fellM iong into the trough. The

he fi llprecluded the possibility of

rtto “m ate himself fi‘em his cond i

i peril. In a very shorttime he must

to come to the door just in time to

buta fortuitous , them a happy

6 n arrows or rm:

eeived, notas the resultof chance, butas emanatingfrom the vigilantprovidence of Him who numbersthe hairs of our head, and in whose hand our breathis.

” Young as the subjectof our narrative then was ,this impressive occurrence was notwithoutsome salutary influence upon his mind and that itwas indeli

bly engraven upon his memory and heartas a merci

ful and mon itory dispensation of the Most High, isapparentfrom the factthat, in recording many yearsafterwards the most signalmercies by whichhis lifehad been crowned , he places itatthe head of the os

talogue.

It is not always easy to trace back the serious im-r

pression s ofamind, trained under a religious influence ,to their incipientoperation . Ou Mr. Black ’s own au«

thority, however, we can state, thathe was notmore

than six years old when his mind was firstdeeply agi

tated witha viewof his state as s. sinner, and the aw

fulanticipations of eternity. His feelings under thesecompunetious visitings,

” will be best portrayed inhis own ingenuous and inartificiallanguage WhenI was very young, even as early as five years old , I

had some serious impressions ; God ’s Spiritbegan to

operate upon my mind . When I was six , I often

wished Iwas a toad or a serpent, or any thing but

whatIwas. For Ithought, as a toad has no soul, it

cannotbe miserable but I em in danger of being lostand tormented by the wrathof God for ever. Ohthat

I had never been born Ifound an enmity in myheartagainstGod , in his holiness and justice . Itrose ,

young as I then was, againsthis sovereignty and do

min ion . Itgalled me to think that I must either re

pentor perish so thatmany times before I was ten

years of age , had itbeen in my power, I would have

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

8 n smoms or rm:

gratefultestimony While my fatherwas in America, my dear mother paid particular attention to the

concerns of my soul. Frequently did she take me

aside into her closetto talk and praywithme. Often

did she relate the dealings of God withherself — how,

when she was aboutsix teen years old, she was con

vineed of sin , and ex perienced the love of God shed

abroad in her heartby the Holy Ghost thatshe knewher sins forgiven , and thather Redeemer lived . Ftc

quently and affectionately did she press the necessityof conversion and the new birthupon my conscience.

N or were her godly admon itions altogether in vain .

They deeply affected me. Many times they sent me

to my closetto my knees, wherewithtears Ibesoughtthe Lord for mercy.

”

Itwere gratifying to be able to relate thatthese re

lentings of heart, and applications for mercy, issuedin true conversion thatblossoms of promise so fair,

were soon followed by the fruits of righteousness. But

we are den ied thatsatisfaction . Even the pathos of

maternaleloquence, though its subjects be repletewithoverwhelming interest— the love of the Saviour, and

the joys and woes of a never ending ex isten ce,—has

notpower to win the alienated affections to God . As

sailed by this species of ben ign ant aggression , the

heartmay, indeed, throwoff its shield of wonted oh

duracy,— itmay tremble withalarm, and d issolve in

naturalsen sibility, and agon ize withapparentcontrition ; butsuchsymptoms of godly sorroware by no

means unequivocal they are hopeful presages, butno certain indications of that repentance unto sal

vation which needeth not to be repented of.” W e

are in no danger, we conceive, by this suggestion , of

discouraging the efforts of religious parents to pro

a r . m u m su em 9

have notwfl‘em t

hatalthoughthe renovation of the

man sum s butof divine agen cy, thatagency is putforth in W een Withthe use of

_ , of Which

4 i'wof the prom husband

he the morn ing sows his swd , andinthe

sW estimate of imgenius and tendency in rela s

toM e renew, involves, they ime

prolrihlm of pleasure , hm, accord“ to his owe

W mths m mwe .

10 m oms or r un

so deeply impressed, the resultwould probably havebeam more auspic ious.

“ But ales he laments,“ that subtle adversary , who goeth about seekingwhom he may devour , soon suggested, It is too

soon for you to be religious yet. It will destroy all

your happiness, cutoff allyour pleasures, and make

you a laughing stock to every boy in the sehooL’

W ith this and suchlike temptations he prevailed . I

quenched the spiritof God and drove away my eon

cern in a greatmeasure , so thatIcould sin on as before .

”

In the monthof April, 1775, the whole family sailed from Hull, on board the Jenny , Captain Foster ;and after a propitious passage , arrived at Halifax ,

Nova Scotia. When they were within three miles

o f Halifax the vessel struck upon some rocks, not

however with suchviolence as to injure her and as

the accidentocc urred atlowwater, she was carried

off by the return ing tide. After remaining abouta

n t in Halifax , they sailed for Cumberland ,where they arrived in June . Mr. Black pays a tri

bute , shortyetfull, and ex tremely pleasing, to the

memory of Captain Foster, which shall, in accord

ance withthe intehtion of thewriter, be coevalwiththis page Captain Fofi er was a pattern to mariners, especially to masters of vessels . I never hea rdhim speak a rashwo rd. N or did I, to myknowledge ,

hear an oath, frtnn the timewe leflEngland tmtilwearrived in Halifax harbour, either by mariner or pas

senger, although I suppose there were aboutn in etysouls on board. The Captain used to callallthat

could and would , to come into the cabin , morn ing and

evening, and pray with them himself. He maintain

ed the strictest order on board the vessel. Whatapity so few masters of vessels imitate him l” The

n v. m ama stu c k . W

in; work of tho statum willbe deemed an infinitely

On coming to America Mr. Black naturally formed

a m to eher’

mhor renewhis se“A drank into their “FW :

i rst gay and thong in ll of

a my arrivalhere ,”he writes, I grew

as lww in years, tam ing the pre

c ious merey ef God into lm ivio To web a

pinch of t o a; 3 ty did he by wilfully sup n .t

his convichtem , rapidly arrive, thatdanger the

ON “m marrestor alarm him, tn his

u m . It'

I eom efiy,”he continues , in

the fi lloft77

6, a fewpewte earns fromMachias ,

I

' H of the i mi t . In the emmtyThey forhoo as m stir off our

buta handful

them. NW , here was a time thatcalled for repentance and i 1 ion for death. Butmy ears

“ m nththewarning of Providence . Itwas out

p whole n ights atthe

backwards and for

12 m oms or run:

musketry, we have fi'equently gone awhfle fi'

om om

cardsmwawhtheflashingof the gm during the hoto

testof the fire, wd, as soon as thatm over, remmedagain . We could easily see the garrison fimn my fi

that’s house. Thus was oar precious time spem in

the vs inestof vsn ity. Ido notsee howany man that

befisv BiNe cm reconcile Mmself to oaa hring.

nity of an immortak About this time we began to

frolic snd dance , for whole nights together ; some

times four or five nights in the week. Yet l déd not

find happiness in it. lhave sometimesputmy fingm in

my esrs to stop the sound of the music, and then u id

down like so many wfld lndinns roumla fire.

’ Still!loved it.” Palpably iacompatible as the course he

was nowpnn uing was withthe service of the Load,yet, blinded by the god of this world , he vainly nta

wmpced to couciliatve them. He had nm made up fi s

mind wperish forever ; and he kn ewme pmyerle~shallnotenter heaven . Hence he says,

“ lfi~squenb

ly, at this time , would pmy in a fommlmanner. Iduratnotwholly neglect it; aud yetmy conductm s

M and the spiritol’

dancingwas so conm rywthe

shirit of 11mm , that lhnrdly durstuse it.” ln t

unhappy state ofmentalconflicthe contin ued for N o

or lhme years ; his convictiom, on the one hnnd , poio

soning allhis carnalpleasures , and his enslavement

to those pleasures, increased 11t seductive influ»ence of association , and the force of habit, preventingbim, oa the ozber , fi

-om sofing in accordnnee withhis

convictions. This is no peculinr cm Many a bn u t,

h is believed ,whichappeurs fi om the mliles thntphyupon thc com fenance , to ba the som of serenity m‘

n v. m nu u nu c x . 13

the origina lhf the picture,whichMr. Black has drawnabovefof dze interior of his own heart. Those whohave penn ed Dr. Doddridge

’s interesting narrative

of mm rkshle passages in the life of ColonelGardiner.cannot MI 80 M was; sf the f: w kingM m of tzhe um!) of these senumemsby tho oxgpefi eme of chm gr efi eer

'

m the

fi stof his revelry Au dissipation. The m epmssi

hmm ad for him the ap

mke ,”and oflen made him

“M m them and of allminds.

M GM pointd m fimmlWord ;

14 MEMOIRS, 8143.

From thee is allthat900thes the life ofman ;

His highendeavour and his glad success ;His strengthto suffer, and his willto serve.

ButO thou bounteous giver ofallgood

Thou artof allthy gifts thyself the crown ;G ive whatthou canst, withouttheewe are poor,Andwiththee rich, takewhatthouwiltaway.

”

Com ma.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

n nu om s or m e

of the senses, though given in circumstances highlyfavourable to their calm and convincing ex ercise, must

be setaside ,— and the progressive character and inti

mate agreement, the peerless grandeur and majesticsimplicity of the series of revelations thatcompose thesacred records , mustbe accounted forwithoutthe supposition of their having emanated from the SupremeIntelligence . Till then letthe infidelsuspend his pro

pen sity to indulge in invidious and self-complacentcomparisons lethim notgratuitously felicitate himself

on his intellectualmagnanimity , and impugn the disciple of the N ewTestament, as weak and

‘

credulous .

The celestialorigin of the Gospelis susceptible of

an other species of d‘

emon stration ,.as satisfi ctory to the

heart imbued W ith its influence, as that, which hasbeen justhinted at, is to the understand ing . The Gos

pelis essentially a remedialscheme Its grand and pe

culiar characteristic is , that itun folds the m in ofman

by himself, and his recovery by the mercy and grace ofGod, which is in ChristJesus our Lord. Along withan ex posure of the disease in allitsmalign ancy, Whichhas laid waste our moral constitution , itex hibits a di

vine specific , ofunfailing virtue, to invigoratewithspi

ritualhealthallwho receive it. From sucha system,

the idea of EX PERIMENTAL RELIGION, however stig

matised as ENTHUSIASM by those who “knownotthe

Scriptures, n either the power of God,” is obviously inseparable. The truthas itis in Jesus” can notbe ade

quately understood without being felt. “The n atural

man ,” however gifted by n ature, or cultivated by edu

cation , receivethhotthe things of the SpiritofGod ;they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know

them, because they are spiritually discern ed .

” If,Wlth~

eut_this divine illumination and ex perience , a man can

m . m u n : nu “. 17

h n m gfi m mmeg ion of the things d GoQ it

would altogether superfluous to prove thathe

cannotbe 3 ! to teachthem. Besides, itis pre

m m to eoneeive , thatHe who ever adapts his ihutrmmmts to the work in which they are employed ,

hemdarkm to light, and from the

unto God , thatthey may meeive forl end an inheritance m oms them that

bymmthatis in me . To qualify Pa"!mm and holym itWM notenoughthmc.?fii

“ was ravm id to him—hewas also re

f f won thathe m eived this interior te

f'iigéiflj“ i thathe might be qualified topreceha of thatmin istry em stillthe M ;

rm andM mknowledge, an imagination for

the moa tenac ious, and en

vation IO I'

ISI CI'UCI'

In thoughts thatbreathe, and words thatbarn .

In the biography of such a min ister, the record of

his conversion to Godwill always occupy a prominentplace . This greatand blessed changewas ex periencedby Mr. Black when aboutn ineteen years of age. Hesometime afterwards wrote an accountof itto Mr.

Wesley, who thus introduces itin his published Journ al — April15, 1782.

“ I had now leisure to tran

scribe a letter,wrote lastMay, from Amherst, in Nova

Scotia, by. a youngmanwhose father, some years since ,wentthither W ithhis whole family

”

In the year 1779, Isaw, if Iwould go to heaven ,I mustlead a newlife. But I did notknow I wantedan inward change, or see the deplorable state Iwas in

f

by n ature, till I was at a prayer meeting held atMr.

Ox ley’s. While theywere praying, my heartbegan to

throbwithin me, my eyes gushed outwithtears, and I

cried aloud for mercy ; as did mostthatwere in theroom, aboutfourteen in number. One, indeed, could

not hold from laughing, when we began to cry out;

but itwas notlong before he cried as loud as any. In

a fewmoments itpleased God to fillMrs. Ox ley with

joy unspeakable. After this, we went almost everyn ightto Mr. Ox ley ’s to sing and pray. Going thenceone n ight, and seeing the N orthern Lights, I thought,What, if the Day of Judgmentbe coming I threwmyself down on the ground, and cried to the Lord for

mercy. Ou Sunday, Mr. Wells, an old Methodist,came to Amherst, and gave us an ex hortation , in whichhe said, Sin and repent, sin and repent, tillyou repent

About two hears M r, while we wereGod toweed his S

onin my

, atter my bmther Riehard enfllwere gone tn bed , I asked Mm,

‘ Can you believe

IIeW t“Ned I lam tn wrestle herd

withGo-I, M y thp te pmy wvthhlm. Buthe wm

“Q did i he -

H

W m m hin

20 MEMOIRS or run

Not long after, Mr. Ox ley’s son came to our

house and lay withme, and complained of his hard

ness of heart. After I had talked with him a little

while, the Lord laid his hand on him in a wonderfulmanner ; so thathe rolled up and down , and roared as

in the agon ies of death. Butbetween one and two inthe morn ing, he likewise could rejoice in God his Seviour. These are a few of the wonderfulworks of

God among us buthe is alsoworking upon the heartsof the inhabitants in general.

”

“WILLIAM BLACK , J

A more minute detailof the circumstances conn ect

ed witha part of Mr. Black ’s history so ful l of interest, cannot failto be peculiarly acceptable to the rea

der. I therefore ex tract a more circumstantialstate

mentfrom a shortaccountof the Lord’s dealingswithhis soul, drawn up by himself, the autographofwhich'

n owlies before me .

In the Spring of 1779, the Lord began in a more

powerfulmann er, to operate'

upon my mind. The cc

casion of itwas as follows —A fewof the old Metho

dists who emigrated from England, some years before ,having had something of a revivalm their souls, be

gan to hold little meetings ofor prayer and exhort'

ation .

God blessed their word, somewere awakened ; and it

was presently rumoured abroad, that such and such

were converted. This helped to set the people a

think ing and enquiring, whether these things were so .

One day, my brother John had been over at FortLawrence. On his return he informed me that G .

Swinburne told him that John Johnson and another

man were converted, and knew their sins forgiven ,and that he oughtto seek the same blessing. But’ ,

said he ‘Ido notbelieve it, for Jchosen was playing

u m m u n : m et . 2I

cu tie, lt‘

dueh a time.

’ I replied, ‘Bfrother, it signifies little to ns how the ense is withthem, whee

M tbey m converted or n ot, we must alter the

comb o 01‘

e lives or we cannotsee the kingdom of

00113—1145said , ‘But,’said I ,

‘let

tts M e ant] covenant to lead a n ewlife.

’ W e

W mmed into a eovenantthatwe wonid set

eate n a newcourse, leave of?danc ing, eard-playing,tee. and attend the meetings fer prayer ; and shook

M u n wnlof the same . But, althoughwe hadthmwlemnly eovenanted together, we dnrstnotenterhm: conversation , about the state of our souls , for

M y n bm ight afler ; nnd yet, we longed to cmen

“Aboutthis time Iwentom to Mr. Os . Theym m k

‘

mg the ln rd, and ex horted me to do the

m . Their conversation was made a blessing to me.

lm fhllef good desires. Ou the Sabbathlwenttom ating , tndfi ltstillgreater desires ; for severaldaysd o? I thltmy mind continually drawn to prayer antiu fiiu fion . Religions concerns alon e possessed mymi d ; nor had lthe least inelinntiomto retnrn to my

m ays ; so thntlsaid , in my heart,

w we werld knewhow easy it is to be re~

But

oh” Iknewm y little whatwas in my henrt, or of

u d valigioo .

“O ne nigiu,we had a tneeting atMr. Ox ley’s. We

“ W m old man to come and pgaywithns . Hism m John Newton , fifimfi adhow, nenr NeW'

M W W to thmhwithin me . leonld nothutcry

W , ns in n little time mostof the compnny

99 113110a or run .

did. One young man , at first, began to laughat'

us;

He thought, What you never committedmurder, or

did any thing so dreadful, thatyowneed to make suclr

fools of yourselves, and roar outlike mad people.

’

But God soon turned his laughter into sorrow. Ah

arrowof conviction fastened in hisheart, and he roar-v

ed outlouder than any,“God be mercifulto me a sin

ner.

’ Ten or eleven continued thus crying for some

time. In about an hour, God graciously set Mrs.

Ox ley atliberty , Her soulwas broughtoutof dismaldarkness into light truly marvellous. Oh howdidher soul ex ult in the Redeemer, and magn ify hisblessed name. W e continued our meeting for two or

three hours, and then parted. I wenthome withmy- ‘

three brothers and sister, weary and heavy laden . It

seemed to me if an hundred people had been there,they musthave been allawakened.

From this time, for some months, we metalmostevery n ight, to sing and pray ; generally continuingfrom a little after sun—down , untilmidnight. Fre

quently , I with another remained till day-light. To

weep—to fast—to pray—was now become as my meatand drink . I did n ot desire any thing else until I

found Jesus. I thought, I talked, of Jesus nor could

I hear to hear of any thing butwhathad a tendencyto lead my soulto him . Itfilled me withamazementto see men endowed withreason , and capable of en

joying God’s love , or of bearing his wrath, for ever,

spending their precious moments in the most triflingand unprofitable conversation .

Return ing one n ightfrommeeting, itwas impressed upon my mind, The curse of God hangs over

prayerless families ; God is notworshipped in yourfamily ; this is your sin: Before this, my mind' had

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

9 4 n su oms or THE

'wretches on earth. [ know I em a child of wrath,and an heir of hell and should I die here I em nu

done forever, and yet I cannot shed a tear. Alas !alas I am worse than ever. In this deplorable state

I laid me down , concluding I was farther and farther

from God. I mourned because I could not mourn ,

and grieved because I could n otgrieve.

The day followingwas our monthly meeting, at

Mr. Foster’s of FortLawrence} .

“

and'

such a day, my

eyes never beheld, before or since. Mr . Wells’

prayer was justsuited to my case every word came

home with keen conviction , and sank deeper in myheartthan ever. Formerly, I longed to feelmy sins

a greater burthen , and prayed thatmy distress mightbe increased 5I seemed greedy of sorrow and to shed

tears, afforded some relief. Butn ow, the scene waschanged. My sins were a burthen intolerable to be

borne . I was weary of life. I sawmyselfjustly comdemmed, and said within myself, ‘ I wish I was deadif God pleases to save , it is infin ite mercy ; if he

damns me— be itso— itis righteous and just; I can

not help myself. ’ Every thing augmented my sor

rows. A cock crowing, just at this time, broughtstrongly to my recollection Peter’s den ialof his Mas

ter. I cried within myself Oh I em wretchedlydenying the Lord Jesus a place in my heart. I like

Peter, have den ied the Lord .

’

After the meeting, John Newton came to me and

said, Surely,‘W illy, theremustbe somethingthatthou

artnotwilling to give up, or else Godwould have delivered thy soulere now.

’ I replied , I am in Franc isSpira

’s condition .

’ N o No said the good old

man‘ I believe itwillnot be long before the Lord

deliver thy soul. Sorrowmay endure for a n ight, but

m . wumu x BLACK . 25

thought, if I were inmiserable than I then

W“.“A W " :

c ondition A whelp hem heuvm In the

tweet promise for you .

’ I want ; she

withn 1 mthe Bible , whichshe thoughtsuits

‘Mypu doa lehim.

I’et a siuoer lam

«1 believing h Jem’s u m .

26 m moms 01? THE

my Righteousness. Instantly, my burden dropped oi.—my guiltwas washed away—my condemn ation wasremoved— a sweet peace and gladness were diffusedabroad in my soul—mymourn ingwas turned intojoy ,and my countenance, like Hannah’s, told my deliverance ,

— itwas n o more heavy. After return ing publicthanks, Iwenthome praising God. Allmy songwas,

Praise Father, Son , and Holy Ghost,Praise Father, Son , andHoly Ghost.

’

Butthough I look upon this as the time of my es

pousals to Jesus, I have many times since ex periencedTar greaterjoy than then .

The n ex tmorn ing, my brother John came to in

quire the state ofmy soul. Isaid , O blessed be theLord , Iam happy he hath graciously delivered me,

and makes my heartto rejoice in his n ame ,’ Ste . He

went and told my brother Richard , who , some time

after, came to propose a similar question . In themean

time, n ot feeling an equaldegree of'

joy, I began to

question Whether I had indeed found the Lord ? o r

whether the peace In owfeltwas rightor not I said ,

I can not tellyou I do notfeelas I did. My mind

is at peace , butnotso happy as itwas .

’ Soon after

his departure , while Iwas readin tr the Lord againa ,

smiled upon my soul, and cheered my heart, as with

the newwine of his k ingdom. My scruples were all

removed , and Icould cry, My Lord and my God !

N ow, I concluded , my mountain is strong , and

cann otb e moved . Butwhatarewe , if God f or a mo

menthide his face P

The same even ingwewentto Mr. Ox ley’s ,where

see ing mhny in greatdistress , I said , 0h that yon

would allcome to Christ surely you may allbeliewit

'

vou will; it is easy to believe.

’ Itwas instead

Rm . W ILLIAM BLACK .27

suzgested to my mind, You are deceived you are ia

flated withpride ’ — and thatwith such power, thata llmy comforts fled, and I was con strained to cry out

in the presence of them all, Oh whata wretcham

I. I said a f ewmin utes ago , you may allbelieve zf you

will and n ow I can notbelieve Iwent intothe field , and throwing myself on the ground , cried to

the Lord f or help. He heard my prayer, he sawmyd istress , an d filled my soulwithlove , and bade me go

in peace . Lord what a wavering, in con stantsoul

um I Sometimes Ifeelthy love , - Ibehold thy ful

n ess ,— Isee thee altogether lovely , and con clude that

I shall n ever doubt thy love again . Butn o sooner

d oes the storm come on— the winds blow— and the seas

run high— thau Ibegin to doubt and the more I doubt,the mo re I sink , and should perish altogether, if thou

elitist n ot stretchoutthine arm to me , as thou didstto

s inking Petor.

’ However, these temptation s from the

e nemy co nfirmed me the more , for proportionalcomf orts always followed them if my distress was great,mv deliveran ce was greater. This , Ifind , has beenthe ease to the presenttime . Inowwenton my wayrejo ic in g .

Jesus , allthe day long ,

W'

as my joy and mg, song,0 thatallhis salvation might see

He hathlm cd me , Icried,

He hath suffered and (lied ,'

I'

o rt deem sucha rebelas me

O u the wings ofhis lm e,

Iwas carried above

Ails in , and temptation , and pain ;

1 con“notbelieve

ThatIever should grieve ,‘

l‘

hatIever should suffer again .

’

28 u nmom s or THE

Every thing conspired to make me happy . Whether

I looked upon the heavens above, or the earthbe

n eath,they sparkledwiththe Creator ’s glory allcrea

tion seemed to smile upon my soul, and speak itsMa

ker’s praise . The fields broke forthinto singing, and

the trees clapped their hands. The glory of Leban onwas given unto them— the ex cellency of Carmel and

Sharon ,because of the glory of God , and the ex cel- t

leney of our God . In man , and beast, Isawthe wis

dom, power, and goodn ess ofGo d , shine conspicuously.,

I was filled withwonder, and felt the utmost tender

n ess and love for every creature God had made . With

glowing admiration lhave beheld , and with gratefulpraise confessed , the in imitable skillof his alI-c reatinghand in the formation of afly, ‘ an d the painting of a

flower. More espec ially when I considered, Thisis n otbarely the work of God , butof my God , my fa

ther, and my friend When I reflected on death, judgment, heaven , or even hell, itfilled me with comfort

butabove all,— at the n ame of JESUS , my hearttook

fire , and kindled into love .3’

To every mind n ot incurably scepticalon the sub

jeetof vitalreligion , this beautifuland vivid descrip

tion , must carry evidence, at once of its reality andpower . It is, indeed , con ven ientfor those who placereligion in a cold and barren orthodo x y of sentiment,

or estimate the ex cellency of Christian ity, merely bythe superiority of its moralcode to the ethics of a Se

neca , or of an Epictetus, to representsuchdeclaration sof triumphant joy and confidence in God, as the lan

guage of fan aticism and mentaldelusio n . They ought,

however, to be reminded, thata promin entdoctrine ofHim, who spake as never man spake , is , Ye mustbe

horn again And , thoughthe announcementmay pre

u v’! m au n t su es .

adoption.W hy we cry Abba Father l’ the

Chou ’d m l a and fitll ot’

glory ,’—are

c ounteaunfee apm us. Thou hast put gladm mtou

‘

iy heart,‘ f ' than in the time thattheir earn and

30 m motas or TH]:

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God and notonly

so , butwe glory in tribulations also .

” Whom hav

ing notseen , ye love , in whom thoughn owye see him

n ot, yetbelieving, ye rejoicewithjoy unspeakable , andfull of glory .

” Unless, then , the Gospelhas come

down to us stripped of its pristine glory, desolated of

its joy- inspirin g energy,— thatis unless ithas ceased to

be the power of God unto salvation to every one that

believeth, ’ he who does believe withthe heartun to

justification , has the Spirit’s testimony of his interest

in the patern allove of God he has

\Vhatnothing earthly gives , nor can destroy,

The soul’s calm sunshine, and the heart-feltjoy.

It is not, however, thence to be concluded thathe is

placed on an emin en ce above the reach of temptation .

Ex emption from the trialof his faith, is notto ,be an

tic ipated by the Christian , on this side the goalof eter

n alfelicity. His spirituallife , like the pillar thatcondueted the marchof the Israelites in the desert, has an

opaque as wellas a luminous aspect it is a tissue of

temptation and of triumph. Itis n atural, indeed , amid

the inéipientjoy of reconciliation to God, to think

otherwise . The future , aswellas the present, then re

ceives its colouring from the inefi'

able peace ex perienccd within , and ex hibits n aughtto the m ind

’s eye, but

a boundless prospectof happiness. Christappears toaddress the soulin that loveliestof poetry, Lo , the

winter is past, the rain is over and gone, theflowersappear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds iscome, and the vo ice of the turtle is hea rd in the land .

”

Who can wonder, if reposing thus under the tree of

life , and regaling himself, for the firsttime, with its

ambrosialfruit, the young convertshould imagine that

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

MEMOIRS OF THE

says, was this blasphemous thoughtinjected into mymind , that I do n otwonder St. Paulex horts, Aboveall, take the shield of faith, wherewithye may be ableto quenchthe fiery darts ofthe wicked one .

’ They are

wellcalled fiery darts’

; darts, because of the sud

deaness , and swiftness,withwhichtheyfly ,— andfi erydarts , because of their inflammatory n ature , setting on

fire allthe remain s of corruption . However, I rejected the thoughtwiththe utmostabhorrence . Butano

ther soon followed, Y ou are n o Christian , or sucha

thought could n ever have entered your mind ; you ,

surely , are notborn again .

’ Withthese suggestions Isometimes reasoned to my hurt. I did n otalways con

sider that it is n o sin to be tempted , unless we make

the temptation o ur own ,by giving way to it. Iwas

ignorant of Satan ’s devices. A few days after , the

same suggestion struck me, as if ithad been lightn ingfrom heaven . In stantly I cried aloud , Lord help meand itvan ished in a moment. I n ow,

in a smallde

gree , began to learn ,thatthe bestway to vanqu ishthe

en emy , was, n otto reason withhim, butto fly to God ,by prayer and faith. Here I always folmd help . O ne

day, beginn ing to reason aboutmy ex perience ,—whether I was indeed a believer — after greatperplex ity,I was sweetly comforted by these lines of Mr. CharlesWesley ,

My S aviour dothnotyetappear,IIe hides the brightness ofhis face ,

ButshallItherefore lethim go‘2

And basely to the tempter e ItI

No in the strengthofJesus, No

I never willgive up my shield.

’

The crueland unweariable adversary ofhis soulstill

pursued him. His nex ttemptation was, to doubthis

m . mu .u x nu cx . 33

M M . Withthis he cndeavom d wgrapple

hi them nflof reasonmuttbund ‘the accuser of tho

bn thm ‘ mm than a mawh for him on that ground ,

resource of the tempted believer. His statementof

thom awd resultof this mwhinatioo , is imverest

ing and monitoqy After allyour profemion ,”said

tho accuser,“you are only a hypocrite ; you pray

w h, so d a hypocrites—you are very ex act in allyou

ann ualin ali you do —aml, are notthey , as tooch~

log the law, blameless But I have faith.

’ You

thhtk so . and do no t they think the same ‘ ButI.

have power em sin .

’ They likewise say they have ,W ww yes , as you do .

’ ‘ I have redemp~

tioa dtmughhls blood, the forgivenw of sin.

’ ‘ So '

m oonshtde ; botthere is a generation that are pure .

in thetr own eyes, and yetare n otcleansad from the ir

M ) ‘Butthe love of God and joy m the Holy .

Ghostlu ve heen shed abroad in my heart.’ ‘ Many

who have been deceived, have thought ao . Herodb u d John gladly , and did many things and the sto

n y-gmund hearers received the Word withjoy.

’ Thusallmy evichmeee were -tlispnted as fastas I could promM them. I want into a field , and throwing myaelt

'

m am ground , cried , O -Lord God Almighty lthouwho w heat the hearts and triestthe reins of tha

,

M a d men ; search and prove me ; see it'

there

b e mywielted way in me . Lord, thou knowest all

things.thou knowest that I would love thee withall

my heart. If Iam notin the way of life , Lo r dshow

Itunto tm .

’ WhilstI was yet speaking , he answert ho joy of my eoal, eo that I mse and retumed , ,

M M 0 whol e blessingflo have a throne ot‘

m en so h e of access.

34 memoras op Tm:

When I first set out in the ways of religion , I

thought, if I were butonce converted , I should never

feelthe leastwandering desire, or aversion to duty. I

con cluded, sin would be all destroyed , and I should

knowwar n o more. Buthowmistaken Instead o f

kn owing war n o more , I found I was butjustenteringthe field of battle . Oh the depths of wickedness I

saw stillin my heart Pride— self— unbelief— a hate

fulbrood , loathsome to behold , and eon trarv to the n a

ture and willof thatGod,whom in mv heart, I loved .

Y etthey had n otthe domin ion ; the momenttheywere

disc overed , my heartrose in indignation againstthem .

Ihated, Iabhorred them, so thatthey did n otdestroy

my peace . I stillfeltthe Spirito fGod, bearingwitnesswithmy spirit, thatIwas a child of God. Buta viewo f these things greatly humbled me ; and showed me

my continual n eed of the blood of Jesus Christ. It

sentme many times to Calvary, where in the ears of

mv Lord IOl‘ le(I,

Wdiate’er in me seemswise or good,

Dr strong, Ihere disclaim ;

Iwashmy garments in the blood

orthe aton ing Lamb.

N ever before had I so deep a sense of mv vileness,

or so greatlove to Jesus . Icould singwiththe happypoet,

W ithme— no melancholy vo id ;

N o momentlingers unemployed ,

O r un improved below;O ar weariness of life is gone ,

\Vho live to serve ourGod alone,

And only him to know.

’

N ow, my days did , indeed , glide sweetly awav. I

could eatmy bread with singleness of heart, praising

n nv. WILLIAM BLACK . 35

God . God ’s ordinan ceswere delightfulto me . Iwent

up to his house withgladn ess and entered his courts

withpraise . His peoplewere my dearestcompan ion s,and , in my view, the ex cellentof the earth. I v as

glad when they said unto me , Let os go up to the

house of the Lord.

’ My Sabbaths became the most

delightful days in all the year. They were market

days to my soul5 I fed on marrow and fat things . I

mour ne dwhen the Sabbathwas over and longed fo

the return of the nex t. Time , I saw, was ex ceedingly

prec io us , and I desired to improve every moment. I

c o uld nothear thata single momentshould passwitho utbe ing tilled up fo r God. Hence , when called to

d inner, Igrutlgetl the time spent in eating, and fro

quently retired into my closet. I thought I would

have time f or prayer, if I even took thattime from

my meal

Thus happy himself in the divine f avour, and touch

mlwiththe ex pan sive sympathies ot'

the love of Christ,he anlently desired thatallmightlive f or Him , who

climl f or them. The first object of his an x io us and

praye rfulsolic itude was , thatsalvation mightcome to

his father’s house , thatthe who le familv mightobtain

rmh-mption . And the wonderfulmanner in whichhis

p rayers were answered , and his otihrts c rowned , in re

l'

vr ent't to this ohjeot, we hav z already seen in his lot

tv r to Mr. \V r sloy . This was matter of ineXpressihlo

" ratitudo , and afforded him highencouragement in his

mulcavours to be usefulto others . He dilate : in his

wum al, with m nsc ious satisf actitm , o n the blessedvhzmze produced in his father

’s f amily by the ir c on

ve rsio n to God — And it willnot be matter of sur

prise that. as he relates . ho ( mm heard his father, in

co n versation with an opposer o f religion . triumphan t

36 n nmoms or ran:

ly appealto its effects in his own family as a strikingconfirmation of its truth and utility and allege, that

hundreds of pounds would be a smallconsideration

compared withthe good, ofwhich, even in a temporalrespect, ithad been productive to him. Se true is it,that godliness is profitable unto allthings ; havingthe promise of the life that n ow is, and of that

whichis to come .

” The prolific source, aswellofdoh

mestic as of person al in'

felicity, is— awrong state of

heart. Before the effectcease, the cause mustthere

fore be removed. Education and refinement, aided bya n aturalamiablen ess of temper, may indeed do much,in the absen ce of piety to God, to heighten the enjoyments thatflow from allthe charities of father, son ,

and brother.

’ These, however, are never so tenderlycherished , n or so advantageously ex hibited, as whenhallowed by the love of the Saviour. He bests consults the interestand happiness of himself and of his

family in bothworlds, who makes them acquaintedwiththe holy scriptures, daily leads them to the do

mastic altar, and maintains, in the order ofhishouse

hold, a system of godly discipline . And itis gratifying to reflect on whatvantage-

ground the conscien

tious Christian father here stands The springs ofpublic and sociallife may be greatly corrupted ; then ation in whichhe dwells may degenerate into licen

tiousness, into idolatry, or into the most daring infi

delity. Retiring then to this sacred enclosure, hemayentrenchhimself, and there , lifting up a standard for

God, either waitthe approachof better days, or leavea fewbehind him , on whom the bestblessings of thosedays will certainly descend . Though the heavens'b e shutup and there be no dew, the little en closure!”whichhe cultivates, like the fleece of Gideon , will

C H A P T E R I I I .

113 . nm c x’s AFFECTING vmws or wa s saw“: or m s

on aaes nann s— m s LOVE TO SOULS AND rm s'r La

aooa s TO BRING SINNERS TO GOD—IS ARRESTED wrrnSEVERAL OTHER S BY A PARTY or sonmaas wa rm:ENGAGED m D IV INE WORSHIP—THE won : or con

an van cs s—Ma . ALLINE’S mas

'r V tsrr TO comman

LAND—HIS CHARACTER AND cas sn—ma . hLLINE ’S

n oc r nm s s OCCASION A SCHISM—MR . BLACK u r un

f ast: or TWENTY- ONE G IV ES um san wn onmr r o

THE WORK or an s MINISTRY—EX TRACTS m an an

JOURNAL.

WHATEVER there may have been peculiar in the

call, and preeminentin the character of the Apostleof our Lord, it is n otmore certain thatthey, in na

ture,weremen of like passionswithus, than thatwe,in grace, mustbe men of like sentiments and feelings

withthem. Amid a thousand diversities of a secon

dary nature, there may always be traced, between thosewho are born of God,whathas n otinaptly been called

a family likeness. The grand test of the genealogyo f the spirit, is the love of God. He thatlovethn ot, knowethnotGod, for God is love.

” From this

affection , brotherly kindness and un iversal benevo

lence are inseparable. Such was the spiritthatan imated those whom the Redeemer first invited and appointed to labour in his cause. To those who con

templated their character underthe influence of earth

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

(0 W ov en:

M that they might have whathe termed , “a

good dance.

” Mr. Black took the liberty of m i

madwertiag upoa othe practice as a waste of precioustime, and t withcorrectviews ot

'

Christ’

um

duty. But his admon itions were instantly repulsedwithas devoutoas any man the nex t.” Mrs. U ., who itwould seemwas unaware of the change thathed taken

place ln Mr. Black ’s principles and practice, thinking

h'

tm thatshe had seen him danee.

“True, Madam,”

he replied ,“you have ; butlwas atthattime igaom t

ef God , aad in the hroad way to destmctien .

” Sap

per came upon the table, and Mr. Morse asked the

divin e blessing. During s upper Mr. D. talked vow

TheLord help us to eatand be fat.” Shocked byhis irreverence Mr. maok rebulmd him sharply, ant!

Wam d him of the conseqnencee of pen isting in mpresentcourse. Heflew into a' rage andmenaeed hie

benefactor with personal in jury. In‘

vain did Mr .

Blwk endeavour to appeese him, by assuringhim of

dte cbenevolence of his intentions, and that he wureally his fiiend. Iwant no snehfi'ieads,

”said he.

aad lefi the house in a storm of pm ion . Suehca

close of the interviewpredicted no happy m ult. But

thewords ol'

the wise are as goads ; and the effortto

resist them ofien has the efi’ect-

of causing them to

pieree the deeper. A eonsiden hle time afler thisMr.

Black reeognhed in his congregation at'

l‘

antmmar the

word ; md m s notmore gratified than mrprised to

oh em flhatduringhis visitin tMtpm of the eoon

t r i o to lhm the deep distress of hit

o nl; andon their stopping at the home of a mutual

While they wees f,“

to forgive

previously. We a

k now seized withof speaking what hehad eeea ot

'

the ywewfheld at Mr. M

c hu m to do good, Mv.

am oral; of m

God md theworthof their souls, notto quenchthe

Spititof God, and deatroy themselves etem lly. Oar

nex t meetlng was at Amherst. Icould not refmin

fmm beseeching themwithtears, to be reconciledte

GorL Many were deeply affected , particularly myfather ; and many were very happy . In a speciael

manner, W illiamMorrel, withfloods ef tears testiMthe sweetness of Christ. I now began to ex hoa't er

m y atalmostevery meeting. Godwaswithus, o£atruth, both to convince aad to comfort. Seldom did

wemeettogether, hutthe preswce ot‘

Ged was feltia themihtot

‘

us ! The Lord stood bymyweahmaad his Spirithelped my infirmities . So thatthough.

my knees atthe firsthave smote oale againstthe othea,

yetGod loosed my tongue, and lwas enahled to apeakwithconfidence , liberty, and tender affection .

”

The following winter Iwas mvited to Tantramm .

to give aword of ex hortation there. I want, Gothaentthewetd withpower to the hem

'ts of the peolile ;m m hening took ploce

immediately ; many, bow

many believed in Jesus. His hands were strengthenedmore in the good work in whichhe felt a growinginterest, bythe aealous eo-operation ofhis brethren in

Christ—Messrs. Scarr, Wells, and Fawltm dm'

, whowithhim, deeply commiserated the condition of the

scattered population around them, and endeavoumdgas they could, to supply their destitution of the means

of grace, by dividing their labour on the Lord ’s day,

amongthe rising settlementswithin their reach. Theyaccomplished much, ate time when few ofthose set

of regular min istem. Nor was their wm'd paa'mitted

to tallto the grennd ; in every place the hand of the

m . m u m m et . 43

W but little hostility, save the opprebieus

d amn. Te M s m ral

44 nmroras or was

ly antinomian . These, however, he studiously keptinthe shade, untilhe had acquired thatinfluence amongmany , which is usually yielded to spiritualteachers bythose to whom they have been rendered eminentlyuseful. To persons of this class, who had a predllec

tion for Calvin ian doctrines, Mr. Alline did n othesi

tate, it seems , to speak slightingly of Mr. Wesley.

This was matter of painfulregretto some, who heldthe founder of Methodism in affectionate ven eration

as their father in the Lord. Itwas particularly so to

Mr. Black ,who had derived muchinstruction and pro

fitfrom his invaluablewritings, and was indebted, under the divine blessing, to members of his Society, forhis knowledge of salvation . The seeds of division

Were thus sown , and in process of time greatly dimin ished and deteriorated the harvestthatwould other

wise, in allprobability, have been produced by the

good seed of the kingdom.

Mr. Alline remain ed withthem aboutseven or eight

weeks and for some time after his departure, theworkwas stillprogressive.

“Abouttwo hundred” says Mr.

Black , metregularly in the class , and God was emiuentlywithas. Ofthese, one hundred and thirty ormore

professed faithin Christ. Shortly afterMr. C. paid usa visitatMr.Allin e ’s request, or rather solemn chargefor, by letter, he charged him in God ’s name, to go toCumberland immediately. He waited on Mr. Allinebefore he came, who intreated him to keep none ofhis

Opin ions back , and en forced it by informing him that

he had freely spoken his. Mr. C. took the advice, and a

flood of antinomian ism, mingledwithmysticism, wassoon poured forth. Severalof the friends talkedwithhim, butto no purpose. Ten of the principalfriendswrote to him, pointing outthe impropriety of his con

m . mm m m et. 45

di eg lntlm minghim thatlfhe pen isted inm aeb

hg m hdofi hemthey eould aot eontinue to hear

him. Bathefi ve the letter reached his hands he had

lea Amhm t, and never returned. Thoughhe was

gum , his doctrines took root, md preaently caused a

M tn hm this was in some measure made up

g h afier a fewweeks.” During the winter, those

who hed been brought into the Chm'chcontinued to

m u in ehmes, and appeared alive to the neeeu ity of

M M M ef tbe spirit in the boads of

peace. There was wanting, however, thatclear andcou pn hsmive knowledge of the Christian system,

neee-ary to give perpetuity to this desirahle state ol’

M M d isct-imiaate the theoriee

of m fimn the verities ot'

Bibliealtmth. In the

qling of lm Mn Alline paid them a second visit.

Atthia tm Mn Blaek happened to be atWindsor ;M during his absence, seventy withdrew from the

M M , and .adopting the views oe .

am . attached themselves to him. Mr. Alline ’s te

m materials derived horn various and oppoaSte

withoutM eme ntowithoutanymutualrelation or

m . With the strong asses'tion ozl

’

man ’s

M mu a moralagent, he coanected the doetrioe

ottbo fi llpen evemnce of the saints. He allegorisedto u chex eess the plainest n arratives antl announce

m d scripm e , thatthe ohviom and umophisth

“ W of the wmds of inspiu tion was ofien

m m m m m ot‘

mysam . Heh hlthe wrhings of the lteverend W illiam Law in

M M 5M m e of the moma

46 HEHOIRS 07 TH!

dred nature, which appear to have been peculiar tohimself. It is but justice to add, thatamidstallhis

ex travagances of opin ion , his eminent and un iform

piety entitle him to be ranked with those Mysticswhom Dr Haweis thus eulogises in his ChurchHistory Among those called Mystics, I em persuedcd some were found, Who loved God outof a pureheartfervently ; and though they were ridiculed and

reviled for proposing a disinterestedness of love with

outother motives, and as professing to feelin the en

joyment of the temper itself, an abundant reward,their holy and heavenly conversation will carry a

stamp of religion upon it.”

To resume the thread of our narrative—Mr. Black’sengagements in holding meetings in various parts of

xthe country soon became so frequent, thata demand‘was made upon his intellectual effort, Which in theorder of his firstex hortations he had notanticipated,

t in order to preventa sameness from characterising hist

kaddresses. The recurrence of the same themes to his

mind , Whenever he endeavoured to speak to the peo

ple in the n ame of the Lord, and the difficulty of di

versifying his topics, suggested to him the ex pediencyof taking a tex t. His firsttrembling attempt in thii

way , was made while on a visitto the people settledon the Petitcodiac River, in the Spring of 1781. Hefound them lamentably ignorantof the things of God,and, W ithfewex ceptions, apparently unsusc

’

eptib‘le ofany serious interestin the subject. Butthe word wasnotwholly ineffective. Somewere pierced withkeenconviction .

°

Among these was Christian Steeves, a

German , Who was deeply awakened and on Mr.

Black ’s nex t visit ex perienced, throughfaith in the

blood of Christ, the joy of divinely attested pardon .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

Mr. Black was nowof age . And it is interesting

and delightfulto witness the promptitude and zeal

withwhich, immediately upon being thus ex empted toa certain ex tentfrom parentalcontrol, he consecrated

his service to the Lord , his heavenly father. The

commencement of his regular labors in the GospelofChrist, . and the auspic ious tokens of divine approba

»

tion by whichhe was ch ared in this, the opening ofhis career, shallbe exhibited by his own pen.

“Ilefi home the loth of November, on e second

visit to Petitoodiac . Preached the nex t day atMr.

Scurr’s, and the day following atTantramar—bothprecious times to many . On the 18th, I setout for

Mememcook, and preached in the evening from Rev.

x x 15 ; some were deeply affected . On the 14th,

arrived at Hillsborough, where I preached to the

Germans, and early nex t morn ing set ofi’

in a log

canoe for French V illage. After a very dangerouspassage, arrived safe, about twelve o

’clock, and

preached twice, but felt little life either time , par»

tlcularly the last.

Friday , l6th.- Ipreached in the morning atthe

V illage. Itwas a comfortable time . I left them in

tears, and set forward for the head of the river,whomIpreached twice. God sent the word withsofifi agpower to the hearts of the people.

Saturday, 17th.—Ihad a happy morning,—feltthe

Lord precious,—walked to the V illage and preachedwith unusual freedom. At one Itook my leave of

them fi 'om QCor. x iii : ll, ex peeting to go dom i the

m . fi ttb th t m et . 49

W W W” ; weepiag was upon every hand ;

they impoftunately entreated me to tatry lmrgerwiththem ; Ieonsented ; for lkuew ttothow, underwch

to leave them. Ohlwhat a d ay wasthsto me ;

he lhmld fi heu d to cry aloud , he leflthe house ; but,me word pierce d him as befom He

the house a wooed W u emhehis feelings. Am: preaching

til I had WM“Huntley

’

g “the—~Id

0-4 5. Gailm e wimna it was a moving

v.

and weeping eyes. Itwas a delight

ltan am tdw re tor theweMh‘ J V ?”

‘

4’ 3 a m.

50 «m oms or m:

evening. Many here, also, were muchaffected, and

weptmostof the time. The Lord sealinstruction on

their hearts . A little after sunrise nex t morn ing, I

addressed them, and then setoff forTantramar, whereIpreached in the even ingwithvery greatliberty. Je

sus was in the midstofus, bothto wound and to com

fort. Many were remarkably happy, and longed to

putoff the garmentofmortality. One little girl, aboutseven or eightyears of age, gotup on a form, and told ,in a wonderfulmanner, what Jesus had don e for hersoul. Outof the mouths of babes and suckling: he

can , and does perfect praise. It is now eight days

since Ileftthis place , in which I have preached eigh

teen times, and, ex cepting two meetings, I knownot

a single occasion on which it was not evident that

many, who heard the word, were melted into tears, ifthey did notcry aloud for mercy . Ou the 22d, I callcd upon my youthful brethren , to Remember theirCreator in the days of their youth, &c ., and in the

even ing preached withliberty from Micahvi 8.

Saturday, Q4th.-Preached twice ; the lattermeet

ingwas awonderfulseason . Many poor sinnersweredeeply convinced ; some said their heartswere almost

broken under a sense of their wantof Christ. Others,who came withheavy hearts, returned home greatlyrejo icing.

Sunday, 25th.—Preached in the evening with

muchliberty and manywere refreshed. Partof this

day I was in a lively frame, but ex perienced much

dulness the remainder of it. 0 Lord, revive my soul,and quicken me , a poor unworthy creature unworthyto eatof the crumbs thatfallfrommy Master

’s table

Monday , 26th.— I rode to Mr. Scurr’s, where I

spentthe following day. Alas I I feltverylittle sense

um m in : nu cx . 51

«M W M ; ia the evemng lprewhed ,

n 0 , pm . I now I n t

52 n uom or run

calla (Marmoloyta)vein jangling ,—trifling and pm

lean speculations, might have ex hibited a delightful

spec imen of Christian harmony , and mutualem »

tion in their mostholy faith. We cannotwonder at

the gloom that pervades Mr. Black ’s delineation of

those occurrences ; butmustrather sympathise in the

sorrowing emotions by which itwas dietated. it is

indeed a trialof no ordinary magnitude to a min ister

of Chrisg to see those whom he has been the instm

meat of bringing to God, and for whose souls he bu

watched as one who mustgive account, severed from

him by the adoption of newviews, whichevince their

unhallowed operation in alienated affection , and in

the indulgence of a disputation and uncharitahle spi»

rit. There is nothing, however, in the presentcase,of a nature peculiar or unprecedented. The introduc

tion of the eeeds of dieeord among the diecipiee ot'

Cbrist is an old artifice of the EvilO ne ; and its dis

aetrons success is recorded on almost every page of

the history of the Church. Multitudes , who wouldinstinctively recoilfrom the first suggestion of gross

and palpable transgression, are not proof againsttheseductive speculations of error,whichofien , thoughbya path more c irc uitous, yet notless fatal, drawthe

sun] away from the love of the r un s , whichalone

maketh free. It is well observed by Bax ter, thet‘ Satatt hath religious diversions for those who are

above aensuality.

’ Aware too , thatfrom dimonance ofsentimentamo ng brethren , more espec iallywhen their

htv. t u u t au cr . 53

pose indirectly, by generating a diversity of views andinterests. In unnumbered instances has he in thinwayarrested the work of God, an d changed the Mfrom amansion of love into an arena of fierce and acri

monious debate ; the vitality of religion has in con

sequence pitted, if notutterly perished, amid the cen

flictof opinion and infidels, glad ofthe opportunity toimpugn religion itself, because of the inconsistency ofits voteries, have ex claimedwithmalicious triumphp

tautc vu m in i: cateotM o irc 3

In heavenly mind can melt0m nee! ex ist!

When shallthis reproach be rolled away flow the

door of the Christian Church [f not untilallwhoe x perien ce the grace, and practically recognise the

authority of the Redeemer, perfectly accord in the ir

Views on allpo in ts of religions inquiry ,- the pluralityof causes thatare constantly Ope rating to preclude sucha generalagreement, mustawaken apprehensions thatthe turbid stream of contention mustmingle in termine

blywiththe waters of the sanctuary. Butthis surelyis notnecessary. Amidstall the divensities of seati

ment that ex ist among those who coincide in main

tain ing the fundamentaltruths of the Gospel, there is

ground of sufficient breadth, and pre-eminently holy,

stilllefton whichthey may stand, and keep—whatis

o f infin itely greater moment than a mere accordance

e f speculative opin ion the un ity of the Spiritin the

bond of peace ’

For the information of the reader, who maywishtoknowto whatex tent the principles inculcated by Mr.

Alline were diffused in the Provinces, and whathecame ofhis followers, itmay be proper to add a few

particulars. His labours, and those ofhis coadjutors,F 2

54 nmmoms or run

produced at thatperiod a very strong sensation and

resulted in the formation of churches in various partsof the country zealously attached to his peculiar views,who from their pretensions to superior illumination inthe things of God, were designated N ewLights. Mr.

Alline’s career was short; and after his deaththose

churches, ofwhichhe had been the founder, soon de

clined. Manywho had been members of them subse

quently un ited withthe Baptists others neither asso

cisted withany departmentof the Church, n or maintained the institutions of religion among themselves,

but sank into a state of spirituallethargy. V ery fewof them nowex istas a distinctpeople. There is still,however, one churchof this persuasion atFalmouth,near Windsor ; in which there are members whosedeep, uniform, and unsuspected piety, are truly ornamentalto their Christian profession .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

56 un toms or fmt

From the close affin ity that subd sts between the

doctrine of a specialprovidence and that of divine

grace, the opporien ts of the latter have ever been

distinguished by hostility to the former. The speculative theist, itis true, has n o objection that the Deityoccupy himself in regulating themachin ery of thema

terialuniverse , provided he do not concern himself

withtheworld ofmind. He may sit throned in em

pyreallight; and bend an eye radiantwithcomplacency on the unn umbem'ed suns and systems thatrollbe

neathhis feet; illustrating, by the harmony of their

movements, the consummate wisdom of the general

laws and arrangements by whichthey are controlledbuthe mustleave the heartof man unvisited and the

conscience of man nndisturbed .—And for this pom

pous inan ity,” forsoothr,we mustgive up the Scripturedoctrine ofProvidence ; ofwhich(ia thewords ofthepious Hooker concerning Law)there can be no less

acknowledp d , than thather seat is the bosom of God ,

her voice the harmony of theworld ; allthings in heaven and earthdo her homage ; the very leastas feelingher care, and the greatest as not ex empted fi'

om her

power bothangels and men , and creatures of whatcondition soever, though each in different sort and

manner, yetallwithun iform consent, admiring her as

the mother of their peace an d joy.”

The agen cy of divine providence; in connectioawithMr. Black’s callto the ministry, and thewide and ihteresting scene of its ex erc ise , becomes progressivelyconspicuous, as we followhim in his ardent race ot

'

usefultiess. The population of Nova Scotia amountedprobably to aboutm lve thousand soulswhen he be

u v. m an n a su c x . 57

on] character of those who conducted them while, aswe have already seen , Mr. Allies and his coadjutorsblended pn

’

aciples of a mostpernicious tendency with

the incub ation ofhvmg godliaess. Atsuch a period ,

forth ; and so unsparing was his activity , thatm a

fewyears , the n a

¢mugboutalmost the

MM , he writes thus “ 1wt ofi in

companym another to visit our friends as the Pe

M M We arrived at u that

n ight. Hem I lefta young woman in greatdisnew,

GM sether soul“liberty . Ou

the

that night at a

e straw for our

n ineteen

se em and wees of eomee mushfa

lM edhem Sm . i 12, butex perienced

J&h.—Imeached atthe village . Many

the Lamb of God , which mketh awayI walked te

tn ine mm

58 n n oms or rs :

me thatbe (mind deliverance on the

soon afier we had lefi . While I wes‘Whatthink ye of Christ itwasThe dry bones shook and trembled .

while engaged in prayer withJohnhim the spiritof adoption . He could do littlwhole n ightbutpraise the Lord , being too

Wednesday, l6th.—Iwen ton snow-shoesto

Point, and preached in the evening, but the

appeared quite unmoved. The following daycd to Hillsborough, where I was recei

In the even ing ! addressed them from Rev.

G od own ed his word ! Many were in sore

and one found comfort.

Monday, l t.—Afi er walking abouton snow-shoes, preached in the even ing 0

the woman who had an issue of blood .

deeply afiected. One , in particular, criedMr. Black , whatshall I do to be saved ?

in ready to break.

’ I po inted him to Jesus .

told me thatGod had settheir souls at

of them, I fear, took upwithsomethingChrist. Butthe Lord trieththe hearts .

“Tuesday , 9M .— Idisooursed from P&

God spake , and the people trembled Li

ex pectto see

hung around

leaned on 111

my sight,’—withmany suchespressione

Wednesday, QSd .—After preaching at

llefi the people in tears, and aet ihrthtbr

spentthe n ight atMr. A. Trite’s , where

60 n an otas or Tm!

have already attained, —1lluminated by the Holy Spiatitto discover more clearly the lingering corruption of

our hearts, ormade painfully sensible of itby the forceand incipientsuccess of some unex pected temptation ;the garments of praise are ex changed for the spiritofheaviness, and the song of triumph for the languageof despondency. The greater partof the lastweek of

January was occupied by Mr . Black in mourn ing over

the pride and barrenness of his own heart His até

tempts to warn sinners, and to set forth the riches of

redeeming grace to a perishingworld,were notattendcd with the usual degree of celestial unction . Hecomplains of his apathy , and in self despair renews

his application to the mercifulRedeemer. Reproaching himself With frequent wanderings from God , he

adds, O my God I hate this self, but Iwill not

give up my claim to thee.

”

FEBRUARY commen ced under more cheering au~

spices. Ou the first of the monthhe preached athis

friend Mr. Boukin ’e, and the power of the Lord was

eminentlyman ifested. Amid the devout ecstacy of

his soul, recenttrials and discouragements, if n otfore

gotten , served butto heighten his joy in God. Withthis joy therewere connected ferventaspirations afterfullredemption , the discriminative testof the celestial

origin of the bliss he ex perien ced .

February 9th, he preached at Mr. Ox ley ’s, fromJohn ix 4, and declares, I kn own otthatlever felt

a stronger desire after holiness in allmy life .

” The

remain ing time tillthe 17thMarch, be occupied visit

ing the differentplaces in and aboutCumberland and

Nappan ,where societieshad been formed, or preachingintroduced, testifying to all, thatgospel, which, in a

cheering number of instances, had ex hibited its saving

any. WILL!“ BLACK . 67

the inhabitants. Having completed hisa this section of the co untry , he again

repaired to M modiac . Here he had the happinessto find the work progressive. Severalwere rejoicingin God. who on his previous visitwere awa

walk ing in the lightof life. Thence

from the z ealanelove be there witnessml in thme

On the 3d

1ed'

to Memramcook . In reaching

The

w s u n .

_o 0.

as’ kept his heartand mind byGhrwt Jesus. He felthimself in the

hands ofhis vmly Father, and had no solid tnde

for the 0mm.

“flea my divine rou ter,”

says he ,thoughtmeetto callme away , I feltquite f:

to n watewgrave I knewIhad a hem tn heaven .

”

li e eontin I returned on the 4thto Tantramar,

Itwas a time long to be

the as he reached cumberims,

her souL This aBlack ’swife ,

62 n su oms or re s

Miss Gay ex perienced redemption in the blood of

Christ, and, witha decision thatnever vaccilated, tookher position on the Lord’s side.

The intermediate time between this and the l tof

May was appropriated by Mr. Black to the renewedvisitation of allthe societies he had been instrumentalin forming, and edifying in their most holy faith,throughoutCumberland. The steady progression of

the work of God, or its stability even , for any length

of time, was scarcely to be anticipated under c ircum

stan ces, in many respects so inauspicious . Of those

who were capable of leading the people in the absen ceofMr. Black , the number was small; and there wasa stillgreater paucity of persons qualified to conduct

the public worship of God among them. From so

in adequate and irregular a supply of the means of

grace, itwas in the natural tendency of things, that

n otonly cases of individualunfaithfulness, butin some

instances, the decay of religious feeling among wholeclasses, should take place. The characteristic order

ofMr. Black ’s zeal—the deep and absorbing interesthe feltin the finalsalvation of thosewhom he had beenthe means of turn ing to righteousness, rendered him

susceptible of proportionaldistress, when they disappointed his ben ign antanticipations. Imbuedwiththeex pansive charity of Paul, who enjoyed allthatin his

generous estimation was worthy of the n ame of life,when his spiritual children stood fast in the Lord,

nothing gave him greater pain than to see those whom

he regarded withsimilar sentiments , becoming wearyin welldoing, and forfeiting their claim to a crown of

righteousness. From such causes of depression hedid n otenjoy a complete ex emption on occasion of his

present visits. With paternalsorrowhe had to la

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

64 “ moms or r e :

warm , Laodicean frame have I been since I ieftCum

berland ! l am ready to questlon my call to visit

Windsor. 0 Lord lsurely thou wilt notsend me to

quicken others, and permitme to remain thus lifeless

myself.

” The packet in which he intended to cross

the basin of Minas direct to -Windsor, had sailed be

fore he reached Partridge Island but an opportun ityof proceeding by the way of Cornwallis soon presented itself, which he was glad to embrace . From the

circumstances and the sequel, itwould seem that this

c ircuito us course was marked out for him by the tin

gea'

of Divine Providence. At Cornwallis he wascordiahy received and hospitably entertained by Gi

deon Sherman , Esquire , a gentleman who appears tohave been distinguished by a love of good men , unm

stricted by the shackles of bigotry . The Baptists, towhose zealand ex ertions in the cause of the Redeemer,and recently in the cause of education also , the pro

vince of Nova Scotia is largely indebted,had previously established a church in this place. They hailedwithpleasure the appearance among them of this an

ex pected visitant, and invited him to occupy their

place of worship on the Lord’s day, the 26thMay.

He preached to them in the morning and aftern oon .

God was graciously presenton bothoccasions ; but it

mightbe said withemphasis, The voice of the Lord

was heerd in the cool of tbe day. Mr. Black ad

dreminga congregation ,many ofwhom differedwidelyfrom himself in doctrines of secondary consideratim ,

judiciously selected a themewhichts, to allrealChristians, the radiant centre of unitd amaction—theCross of Christ. His tex twas, ‘ 1detenm

'

m notto

crucified} When he had closed his sermon , oae

am m am smelt. 83

sttended them, rose and deciared thathe could setto

his oealthattbe doctrine they had heanlwas the very

p . Joha iii : 16 A

fis'

t_i. W the u semhty ; the penitm

'

sgled their tears of sorrowand

n

. s r M d ”M am him Of

the necessityof besng always cloth“ a

, ia pano

pb divine. Hemiliated by a of his unworthinu s, and a vivid pem ptioa ot

’

his wan t of fullcomfu mity to fi e willawim e of his Saviour, m far

by his prosperity in

3..q é. lrhow“?nu“

and discharge the

drawback . Faint

badcln’u - ooflu vomu l to eonvlnoo ber etthe as

(32

66 m uon s or rat

cassity of the newbirth, and ofjustificatioa hy faith;—butin vain . She gave me to understand I 'wes not

her minister ; and, therefore , she desired none of my

advice. I proposed to pray withher, butshe refused ;

I entreated her to consider her state, and lefi her . 0

Lord pity her benighted soul!

Thursday, soth.—Rode to Horton , and in the even~

ing preached from a favourite tex t Unto you ,

therefore , which believe, he is precious) God ena

bled me to speak withfreedom, fervency , and power.

The word was sharp as a sword to wound, and powerfulalso to comfort. The aboutof a kingwas heandin our camp. Many cried for mercy , while others

shouted Hosan nas to the Son of David . BlessedLord , ride on , and spread the victory of thy cross !

June, lst.—Retumed to Cornwallis, and gave anex hortation in the school house. After the publicmeeting, one spoke sweetly and affectionately ofwhatthe Lord had done for her soul. I feltsomething of

my Saviour’s love but0 my Lord ,fillmy heart!

Sunday , Qd .—While I was preaching in the even

ing atthe house of G. Sherman , Esq. , and enforc ingthe important question Whatthink ye of Christsome feltthe arrows of con viction as they had never

feltthem before , and weptaloud, mostof the time .

Monday, Sd— Rode to Horton , and preached in

the Baptistmeeting house , on the Spouse comin g upfrom the wilderness, lean ing on her Beloved . Manywere enabled to rejo ice ,while othersmourned under a

sense of their miseries Wentto Mr. Johnson ’s. Aftersupper I gave out a hymn , and engaged in prayer.

Mrs. Johnson was so overpowered with the love of

God thatshe could scarcely stand under it. She brokeforthin raptures of praise, and declared , in language

atv. WILL“! am c‘

t. 67

Ilittle ex peeted fi'om her, the woaderfulgoodnem of

God . She u horted , with variety of ex pression , all

present; to make their calling and election sure and

then .with inu prewible transport, cried out Ohl

that I had wings like a doy e, for then would I flyaway and he at rest. ’ Several presentwere deeplyM M M nued for two or three hours praising God, and implor

’ing mercy.

“Tuesday, 4th.-Preached at Falmouth, from the

wa ds—‘Whose fan is in his hand , and he will

thoroughly purge hisfloor, and gather his wheat intotho gamer ; hut he will burn up the chafl‘ with nn

qnwchable fire! Many felt the power of the word.

Severaloe . Alline’a friendswere present. They re

jo iced grettly, declaring, itwas the very Gospelwhichthey had heard—the power of God unto salvation .

Nw .’ tbey testified , letthem (true christians)come

M m m so distam, the truth is the same . Mysoulham witness, if you rejectthis gospel, you willI m ed: ac . During my first visits, bothhereand elsewhere, they frequently spoke to this sh

'

eet,

hu m ,when Mr. Alline returned from Cam

M i ld , and they found that I had opposed his (peculht)doctrma , as well as his design to setaside the

W ittdiscipline there, their course was changed .

0am m ad coming, I was no min ister of Christm oo ther, no christian" and a little afier that,

0 m of M M 11! Yet leontiuued to act,

live. and pm chin preeisely the same manner . Lord ,

M is man IAod yet, many of theoe are, I really

k han , alive to God.” - Such inro asistetwies strike

n withmrprise, but they should produce in our

minds, as they did in Mr. Black ’s, not indignation ,

h tm t. Th y m the natural results of the alli

68 us uo ms or r un

anco of ignoranee , thaaticism, and an implicit submission to human authority, with a deep concern forthe soul. By sechadmixmres, religi0h has ofien sufi

feted degradation , its celestial features have been

darkened and distorted, and its power to invigoratethe intellect and enlarge the heart, completely nea

tralised . In minds of a superior order, the sublime

faith of Christhas often been unhappily and un

fairly confounded withthe palpable imperfections insentimentand spirit, of some of its weak and earring

votaries—aml the intellectualand moralgrandeur of

the Christian system, has in consequence been deniedthathomage from men which it receives from angels.

The thoughtisappalling , because itinvolves the losso f an immortalnature. Did those gifted spirits, witha sincere desire to knowthe truth, occupy in in ia

vestigation a tithe of the time they devote to works of

sc ience or the productions of taste, matters of infinite

ly inferior, because of trans ient, interest they wouldbe atno loss to discriminate between the reveries of

mistaken men , and the revelations of the only wise

God. The dissipation from the irminds of the wintryclouds of scepticism,would be merely among the pm

liminary benefits which they would derive from a

course so truly rational the radiance of truthwould ,

by the divine bless ing, beam into tha r hearts , and

guide them into the way of peace , which they havenotkn own . Then , too , they would probably imitate ,as wellas admire , the noble catholicity of spiritwhichMr. Black displays, in conceding the claim of aim

c erity and genuine discipleship to those, whose con

ducttowards him, was certainly by no means orna

mentalto their Christian profession .

Ou Wednesday, 5th, Mr. Black reached W in¢

a r . m u m su es . (W

wr, and atthe house of Mr. Scott, to an

attentiveahdience, fi om 1T im. vi 12,‘ Fight the

good fightof faith.

’ He remarks I had greatliber

ty. The Lord enabled me to speak in a feeling and

ferventmanner. Many were in tears butthere was

Thun dey , 6th.—V isiwd Nowpart, andm ashed

in the even ing, Some , I believe, were profited butto

on me, as thou artwontto do !Fridaya 7th. Returned to W indsor, pw hed at

“Sunday, 8th.—Preached twice on Q. Cor. n 2,

Wu almost ex ha z: Itwas a moving time . 0

fiemourners atliwrty !“Tuesday, 11th, and on the two following days,

preached et to a stupid set of people . Fewseemed to s aboutthe ir souls. 0 whata town for

steady servahm. And yet I cannotbuthope to see a

bias ed wed in this place. 0 Lord , lay to thy hand !

Friday, I4th.-Aecompanyin g a fi end to break

fast.we a sad instance of the efl'ecu of sin .

preview, an unhappy m ature was

rain ing, amno one knewwhathad M oms of him.

70 n smoxn s or THE

c orpse like this ?A spectacle that my nearest and

dearestfriend could scarcely bear the sightof ShallI too become food for Worms Shallthis blooming,active body , become an inan imate lump of matter ?

.Then letme n otspend my precious time in van ity, in

decorating or pampering this clay tenement. Ratherlet me apply my heart unto W isdom, and long and

labour for the lovely adorn ings of my Saviour’s life .

Let that mind be in me which was also in ChristJesus. From the case of this unhappy man , I see the

effects of sin . I behold what I myself might havebeen ,

had not the Lord preserved me fi '

om self-de

struction . 0 howdeeply indebted em I to the grace

o f God ! Some are so wretched in their souls, so torn

by conflicting passion s, and disappointed in their purisu its of creature happiness, so ignorant of God and

averse to him, so captivated by sin and actuated by

the devil, that they madly rush outof a present hell,into on e infin itely worse .

’ Blessed be God thatitwasn otmy own case ' Preached in the even ing atMr.

Wells’ . Manymocked mostof the time, and keptupsuch a continual n oise that few could hear what I

said.

Sunday, l6th.— Preached atWindsor, twice the

second time in Mr. Chandler’s orchard, the house n ot

being large en ough to contain the people. In the

even ing was our first Love Feast in Windsor. God

was withus. Many weptand others rejo iced.

“*Monday, l7th.— Preached at Falmouth, from

James i Q3, 24, butfeltgreat barrenness in my soul.

0 Lord , liftup the lightof thy countenance upon me !Then shallI notbe as a barren wilderness, buteven as

a fruitfulfield . I fear lestI should ever wander fromthee or dishonour thy cause.

” He returned to Ha

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

72 n amoms or m e

withfiend-like ex ultation , had shouted and hooted at

him, as he was passing along the streets, to Mr. H.

Ferguson’s, atwhosehouse the meeting was held.

Tuesday, Q5th.—He had a long conversation with

J R who, under the influence of dead

pair,had more than once attempted to commitsuicide .

He thus relates the substance of it He told me,he could find no rest, day or n ight, and thathe did not

believe it possible for him to be saved. I asked him

if he went to church, or any place of worship. Hereplied, No ,

’ that he was too wicked - thathe waspossessed of an evilspirit, and had cursed the Scriptures in his heart. I asked Is it your desire to havesuchthoughts pass throughyour mind Do you ap

prove of them He said , No , but I em possessed .

’

I said, If you hate these thoughts, and cry to the

Lord againstthem, he will deliver you . These are

the suggestions of Satan , designed, no doubt, to keep

you from the ordinances of God, and destroy yourhopes ofreceiving any benefit from them. Thus yousink down into despair, and give up allpursuit of

mercy.

’ I laboured hard to gethimwithme to preaching, butallto no purpose. He says he is miserablen ow, and must be forever—every thing he sees tor

ments him .

” On this melancholy incidentwe may

briefly remark , thatthe inefficacy of Mr. Black ’s en

deavours to alleviate the depressive gloom thatover

hung the mind of this individual, may possibly havebeen owing to the factthatthe causes of his mental

agonywere physical. Thatdespairofthe divinemercymay resultpurely from moralcauses, is by no means

incredible. It is, indeed, muchmore unaccountablethat men , living in sin aqd professing to believe thatthewrathof d abidethupon allwho are not rege

u v. wm u x su es . 73

”mama, should hotbe M blingly alive to their mise

ly iflah'

onfl. A vivid realiz ation of their state would

M or m ly e thesn m despm In the lives of the

mostebdaiiate ma i

“

wean ing. Prayer is then our only m m flow

74 x en on s or Tm:

Some,” he remarks, seemed to have very seriousimpressions on their minds, and were distressed atthethoughts of my going away. Lord send them a faith

fulman , who may rightly divide the word of truth

Wednesday, 26th.— Irode toWindsor and preach

cd . The voice of the Lord was heard in our camp.

God is, I trust, shak ing his future home. Severaltrembled—wept— and cried for mercy. Itwas aboutthis time thatB. Harris found peace—a blessed wo

man to this day.

Saturday , 29th.—The arm of the Lord was made

bare,while I preached atHorton , from John x viii z 40,Then cried they allagain , saying, Not this man ,

butBarabbas .

’ 0 whata meeting Strongwere theconsolations of God ’s people, and affecting the cries of

the mourners, Who were convinced of sin .

Sunday, soth.-I preached at Cornwallis in the

morn ing, ou, By grace are ye saved and in the after

n oon , to the largestcongregation I ever saw collected

in any partof the country, or perhaps any body else,

on The Spiritof the Lord God is upon me becausethe Lord hathanointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; he hath sentme to bind up the broken«hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.

’ Is. lx i : l.

”

The revival of the work of God which had, inmany places, crowned Mr. Black ’s labours, had n owacquired pretty generaln otoriety and led to the ex

pression of a desire, from various quarters , of a visit

from him. The entreaties of several pious indi

viduals, residentatAnnapolis, were peculiarly importunate ; and be determined to embrace the earliest0p

pgrtunity of complying with their application . Ao

cordingly, on the letof July, early 11) the morn ing, heleftHalifax for this purpose ; and spentthe following

76 hu man s or m e

in a large barn , on‘Who is on the Lord’s side i” 0

whata meeting was this Many trembled ex ceefi agly the ir knees smote one againstthe other. Amongthe restwas MatthewOrmsby, formerly a valiantser

vantoi'

the devil, and confessedly as proud as Laeifer,nowtrembling every limb, while tearsflowed plentifitfly h'

om his eyes. Many nowsawthe necessity of

inward religion ; and withstrong cries and tears be.»

soughtthe Lord for mercy . In the even ing we had a

wateh-n ight. I preached on , What I say unto one ,

I say unto all, W ateh.

’ Such a,n ightas this I never

sawbefore , unless atMr. Oxley’s, on my first setting

outto seelt the Lord. O whAt a noise and shakingameng the dry bones. My vo ice could scarcely beheard. Joseph Johnson found this a time of love .

The Lord passed by, and said unto his soul, Live !

When the first meetingwas concluh d, my strength

was almostex hansted ; and I feared Ishould not be

able to preachagain . Butthe Lord literally fulfilledhis promise, thatthey thatwaiton Him, shallrenewtheir straugh.

”

While Mr. Blackwas in labours so abundantto ex

pand the sphere of his usefulness ; while anx ious to

call sinners to repentance in places where his voicehad notbeen previously heard, hewas notforgetfulofthe interests of these societieswhich, under God ,werethe firstfi'

uits of his min istry. A prudent regard to

their circumstanees, rendered it ex pedient for him no

lm to protract his stay from Cumberland . Nor

was be fully aware , untilhe arrived there, of the ne

cessity of his speedy return.—No onewho has read the

preceding pages will, itis apprehemled, suspecttheirsubjectof thatex clusive and churlishspigit, thatcouldsee nothing beyond his own wclosure hut stefimy

‘

3. wa ste s n e

'

er . 77

liewas, hom er, equally ex empthim thatlax ity of

a must be aware how . r.

78 u nmews or rm:

into confusion—broken up the classes and introduced

a flood of contention , the consequences of which I

dread. This is peculiarly distressing to me. 0 Se

tan !awicked man could nothave so well answered

thy purpose. Butmay the Lord overrule itfor good ;

and preventthe mischief I dread Surely Mr. Alline

stepped outof the way here. Better far thatour pi

tifulnames had been laid in the dust, than thus destroythe work of God, by setting brethren to strive witheachother.

” He feltthe necessity of concentrating allhis wisdom and energy in prayerfuldependence upon

God , to counteract the influences thatwere thus arrayed again st his usefulness. His abandonmentwasn otindeed complete. He could notyet say with the

Apostle, when arraigned before the tribunal of Nero ,N0 man stood with me ; but allmen forsook me.

’

He had stillthe sympathy and co-operation of a good

ly number, who were equally solicitous with himselfto keep the mystery of faith in a pure conscience,

’

and to maintain among them the order ofmeanswhichthey had found so conducive to their spiritualgrowthan d consolation . Withthe most influentialof thesehe took an early opportun ity of entering into consul

tatien , respecting the bestmeasures to be adopted, uhder ex isting circumstances, for promoting thework of

God. They agreed thatthe classes should be imme

diately re-organ ized, and newleaders appointed byMr. Black , in the place of those who had withdrawnfrom the society . Resolved, by the grace of God, to‘ keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, ’

those who had not been shaken from their belief feltthemselves now, more than ever, one in sentiment, in

affection , in interest, and in purpose. The foundation

thus laid for the permanentprogression of the cause,

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

80 in n oms 66mi

the head of the Petitcodiac river, and , afi er preachingtwice , returned to the village ataboutone o

’clock in

the marnin g. Soon atter we s et ofl', we meta manwithhiswife and child in a canoe he had rowed abouttwenty miles in order .te getto meeting, butwas too

late. But, gracious Father bless his soul. Let not

his labour be in vain . About n ine in the morning I

preached atthe village, and afi erward metthe soc iety .

Truly thiswas a powerfulseason . Old Mrs. Stieves,who had been in deep d istress, was bm ght into glo

rious liberty ; The Sun of Righteousnefi arose withhealing in his wings, and her mourn ing was turned

into ruptures of joy She spoke of the goodness of

God tillallin the roomwere,

melted into tears. Mrs .

Stiereswas a person of ex cellentmoralcharacter , and

had af icfly attended to some of the outward duties of

religion ; butshe nowsawthe necessity of inward holiness ; When some of her sons were (previously)awakened, she opposed them, supposing theywere ledawayby a deceiver. When Baker, Esq . J P. ,wasup the river, shewrung her hands in greatdistress ,and cried, 0 that Black !that Black he has ruined

my sons He has ruined my sons Butthe lasttime

I was here, the Lord opened her understanding, and

she sawher n eed of a deeper work. Sore distress,arising from conviction , seized upon her soul; and shehad no rest untilto-day.

—Leaving many in tears, weset06

'

withthe tide aboutone o’clock , and arrived at

Hillsborough'

in time for preaching . This was also a

remarkable time. One was struck to the ground , and

othersweptbitterly .

Sunday, 996th- Having to cross the river at high

water,whichhappened abouttwelve o ’clock, I preachcd early in the morning. The power of the Lord

M eleven I pu nched again. Godwas pownt‘fdlly1la in the u u

in; were on every sidet U 4; the lamprayer,net Predezielt Sfieves atfilmrty. Ohwhat a

obliged to he atFort w on Tuesday . On the

is post.and, alter the publicHe thus delineates the state

in“

whichhe found the people About fifty seemed

desirounto lswe in the Methodistcon nex ion ; nine

or ten ol’m had joined Mx . Alline, butnowsaw

cause tom an theway inwhichGod had fim call.

tPetitcodiae ,

mo did not

ohlwhat a

from

with$9

f

$1 fl thatoppose .

lower towns, preaching atleast

in addition to his labours on thes counc y friends endeavo ured ,

go ing to Bali»

pren—lm washis Ma

his reply to themwas in the trueas an M W M for Chris!I am his servang—engaged

89 n an on s or run

withhis conceptions of duty. And not only Wu he

permitted to prosecute his work withoutmolestation ,

buthad the happiness to find thattwo individuals,whohad been awakened duringhis previous visit,wa s nowpartakers ofjustit

'

ying faith in the Son of God .

On Sunday, 3othSeptember, he delivered a discourseatWindsor, whichwas attended with grac ious influence, more than usually richand powerful, even in thehistory of hi: min istrations , from Deutt m ii 13,

Hemade him to suck honey outofthe rook .

’ An x ious

to be able to recur atpleasure to the prec ious and consoling truths withwhich this sermon was replete, severalwho heard it, earnestly requested its publicationand Mr. Black, thoughconsc ious of its imperfections,

yielded to their importunity. A copy of the sermon

once fellinto the hands of the compi

ler of this volume.

In a literary po intof view, its pretensions are humble ;nor does its matter, by any means, convey a just ideaof the accurate and ex tensive acquaintanoewithChristian theology,whichMr. Black subsequently attained :it is , however, interesting, as a specimen of his man

n er of preaching in the incipientyears of his min istry,and particularly of the tenderness and auction withwhich he was wont to ex patiate on the goodn ess of

God , and the blessedness of his people. This is theonly sermon towhichhe could ever be induced to give

publicity. As an instan ce of the humiliating opin ionwhichhe entertained of his bestpulpitperformances,we may here mention the respectfixl decision withwhichhe declined to publishhis sermon on the death

of Bishop Asbury , preached in Baltimore , at the re

questof his American brethren , attheir firstGeneralConferen ce after the decease of thatVenerable and laborious servantof Christ; notwithstanding their assu

u v. wxu u u su es . 83

M m ot'

tbe pa'ofit and a:lmiration withwhichthey

had listened to it, and of tbeir eernestdesire to see it

Nothing ot'

very promin ent interest is recorded in

his journal, as having occurred for a fewweeks sub

sequentto this time , a ve the . . t afi’erded by

every page , hf mmm f um . ardour and self-denyingM oos fore the good fwm srtalsouls, and of the ef

fusion of thatdivine influenee on theminds of his beeren , by whieh he had been hitherto so abundantly en

melancholy em mien . Suchwas the insensibility

o!the peofile M m, thathis clearestex positions of the

a a allwho have been eminently suethe hagh and holy objeets of

n wmmmstry, Mx . Black prewhed, notas

plsu ing nten , batGod, who trieth the bean s.

” Bythis principle hewas guided in die seleetion of his sub

jaw, and in the mode of presenting them. W ithLnthat, he efi imsted jusfifieetion by faith alone as the

m em s eel«dentin sed a te , the docn-inewith

whhh the ehm h mast stand or thll; md , witb a

5m m than Luther, he thumdemd ie the ear ot’

the

h u m see the kingdom of God . Ajustand ade

qun m ice of thwe mom atous truths , cannot

u h . apart from 30q and scriptural eonvietions

d’the totalm fi ty in whieh the sposh ey of our

Am s s u s r er Cam e . ofwmhitis impossihle to

84 utmoms or the

perceive either the grandeur or the necessity, withoutfully admitting the melancholy deposition of the HolySpiritagainstthe heartofman ,—thatitis deceitful

above allthings and desperately wicked.

” Constantly to hold this firstprinciple of the oracle

’

s of God in

prominence before his hearers, is, therefore,'

a partofa min ister’s duty so momentous, that, ifbe either shadeor soften thistruth, he cannotacquithimself of the imputation of handling the word of God deceitfully. It

is, indeed , with ex treme difficulty that mankind are

broughtto acquiesce in such humiliating representations of their native depravity. Butstillmore strange

and lamentable is the fact, that some of those whoare set for the defence of the Gospel,

” instead of

labouring to fasten the cha'rge of apostacy from God

upon the consciences of their unconvertedhearers, canprophesy smooththings to them, and talk eloquentlyof the dign ity and virtuous principles of fallen humannature.

From suchapostles, 0 ye mitredheads,Preserve the church2”

With a min ister who entertained these views, Mr.

Black was, aboutthis time, drawn into an animated

debate. Whether the collision was purely accidental,or soughtfor by the reverend defender ofman

’s native

purity, we are n ot in formed , Mr. Black ’s reminis

cences of the dialogue, as recorded by his own pen ,are, in substance, as follows — “Ihad a long argu»

mentwiththe Rev. Mr. Bencraft, atHorton , on the

total corruption of the human heart, which he denied ; strenuouslymaintain ing thatwhen born into theWorld, our minds resembled a sheetofwhite paper.

‘

The following remarks of an ex cellentwriter, upon this sis

tsv. wu nu u m et . 85

difl'et'cntmanner, where he repm ents the wisdom of

depraved man , as ‘earthly, sensaal, and devilish, and

when he svers that ‘allbave sinned aml co

ntesbort

o! the M of God,—with many t

meaning. 3 serifid , as John Nelson on another

sion . lln weyou a

llthe remm tefitte me with. Bat

butalso over the whole ofmankind1 deny thatthere are manymfluenee of evilex ample . But itby

In combating the doc

n in e: m e ata w. Locke, following Arism b ,m cm

”ltd the M W “) e M ofwhite pspu , oa whiehm

mm m fiq noutly been applied to tho bun n mind

inw www mm. its d‘

upositim , andm m . It

v illus “if in this m , an liken thsmiad

to s“ cl? on wbiehhave hm wim ch ums“ is " n o

ratl ln c 883, c hm m not dm bla by the eye. till, bybym appropriate M ia !owninwlegihb distim . 80 his

ifr OfW"M im f

—We m y 00! ft” 3 time b

“ s elfi shplum s ; andm yho dolightsd with tho sn llin

M fi lb littls hh—but tho primiplu m than ; and

WM J o th eye cfmm 7 curly pa id .

”

”M ’s cm M p.fl. m m “

1

86 m moms on THE

no means follows, thatthey were, therefore, depravedfrom their birth, that they brought a totally corruptnature into the world W ith them. I replied, It is

written of Adam after his apostacy, by whichhe lostthe image of God, thathe begat a son (not in God

’s,

but)in his own likeness, thatis, corruptlike himself.And this corruption growing withhis growth, hurriedhim on to commit murder, Moses says, And God

saw that the wickedness of man was great in the

earth, and that every imagin ation of the thoughts of

his heart was only evil continually} that the earth

was corruptbefore God and filled W ith violence 5for

allfleshhad corrupted his way, Those tex ts, ’ said

he , prove n othing more than that the people of that

age were ex tremely degenerate .

’ Ianswered, Thistotaldepravity is n ot confin ed to any particular period, butman ifests itself in allages of the world, until

grace ren ews the heart. David tells as, The Lordlooked down from heaven upon the children of men ,

to see if'

there were any thatdid understand, and seek

God .

’ And whatWas the resultof the divine in spec

tion They are all gone aside, they are altogether

become filthy there is none thatdoethgood ; n o , not

one.

’ He further says of himself, thathe was “she

pen in in iqu ity , and in sin did his mother conceive

him.

’ ‘flllwe, ’ says the Apostle, ‘ like sheep have

gone astray.

’ After having confirmed this melan

choly doctrine, from the prophets, our Lord and his

Apostles, I asked him for a proof to the contrary. Headduced the case of the youngman in the Gospel,whocame to our Lord and enquired, Whatgood thing he

must do in order to inherit etern allife ; and who ,

when referred by our Redeemer to the command

ments, replied, Allthese have I keptfrommy youth

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

se man or“ or run

you contradictyourself and the Saviour too, in aflirming thathe yielded perfect obedience to the neqn is i

tions of the law, and yet itis undeniable thathe lack

cd one thing. This, Sir, appears to me, strange rea

son ing.

’ However,’ he rejoined, ‘ the case of the

little children broughtto our Lord establishes my position ; for He declares ,

‘ Of sneh is the kingdom of

heeven .

’ These were doubtless cleen .

’ Notby na

ture , Sir, for the words of David, already quoted ,showthatwe are born in sin and shapen in in iquity.And hence that question , Who can bring a clean

thing out of an unclean He seemed very muchfettered ; and said with eonsiderahle warmth- l ill

talk With no such ignorantfellows.

’ I entreated himto get his soulconverted to God , or he could never

enter the kingdom of heaven and so lefthim.

”

The doctrine in defence ofwhichthe subject of ourn arrative thus successfully wielded the sword of the

Spirit, has always been regatded . by orthodox Christians as a primary article of the Gospel system. In

respect to the prec ise nature of this original taint

which pervades allman ’s moral powers and afi c‘

tions, various opinions have indeed been entertained

butas to the factitself, the ex plicitinformation of the

Bible leaves no room for diversity of sentimentama tgthose who have learned unreservedly to subjecttheirerring opin ions to its decisions. Unaided reason , al

thoughincapable of shedding a solitary my on the ori

gin of this strange and un iversaldisorder of the moral

system, could not but see and llunent its ex istence.

No one ,”says Horace , is born withoutvic ious pro

pensities ; and he is the best man who is trouhled

withthe least.”

“v. m u m su ex . E

Nun tithe heme sine nu eitnr ; optima ills ext

T o u gne agninst this doctrine apriori ; to maintain that it is incompatible withjustviews of the divine character ; to assert in the face of the plainest

evidence , thatitinvolves a charge ofmalevolence and

injustiee ngainstthe Supreme Being, in his moralgo

m m of mankind , is obviously, to assume the

plineiple that our capacities and feelings are competentto mensnre the perfections of the Infinite, and to

anticipate in whatmanner those perfections willbeM alawi]. The Scriptures reveal the moralperihe

tion of the Deity in allthatoverwhelming purity and

grandeur before which seraphs veil their faces ; yet

on their pages is written as with a sunbeam, the doc

trine of men ’s native and total depravity. if our ih

u paoity to com iliate these truths, revealed withequal

d u n es , constitutes a justground of the negation of

either, the authority of the Bible ceases the moment

itcontradicmour previous conceptions of truth. Thisis the m position practically assumed by all,

whether Socinians or Pelagians, who make their ap

pealb orn the ex plicitenunc iations of the sacred voo

lam , m their own apprehensions of the divine cha

racter. I cannotdismiss this topic , eminently importentwd pmcticalas itis , withoutearnestly heseechingthe reader , if he has not alrendy done so , deeply to

lay itto heart. lt is no subjectof specnlation. Man ’sm ome nts temple of the Divine Spirit, nowlies inmim ; and none bot he who made it can repair it.

“Thsthe htthwithdn wn himself, and lefi his templeh ali te ,

”says the incomparable Howe,

“we have

m m and sad proofs before us. The stately

u h m visible to every eyeuhstbear in their front,

I2

90 mutants or m x

yetex tant, this doleful inscription , Here God once

dwelt. Enoughappears of the admirable frame and

structure of the soulofman , to showthe divine pre

sence did once reside in it; more than enough of vi

c ious deformity, to proclaim, he is now retired and

gone. The lamps are ex tinct; the altar overturned .

The lightand love are now vanished, whichdid theone shinewithso heavenly brightness, and the other

burn withso pious fervour. The golden candlestick

is displaced and thrown away as a useless thing, to

make room for the throne of the Prince of darkness.

The sacred incensewhich sentrolling up in clouds, its

richperfumes, is ex changed for a poisonous hellishvapour.” May this description , as just as it is appalling, ex cite us to fly by faith to Him of whomitis written , He shallbuild the temple of the Lord,and he shallbear the glory. ’

A fewex tracts from Mr. Black ’s Journalwillclosethe presentchapter and year.

Sunday, 17thNovember. -When I take a viewof

my former ex perience, and compare itwith the pre~

sentstate of my mind, with shame Imay confess

My zealfor the conversion of souls is notsoflaming,nor my comforts and joys from God, so abiding , nor

my desires after holiness so vehement. Ohmy God'

stir me up to love thee with allmy heart. Destroy,O destroy allsin in me-

perfectmy heart in love—llong to be holy.

Wednesday, Qotb .—I rode over to Tantramar,

where Iwas sorry to find mysticism and antinomianism spreading like fire and their deadly effects already man ifest. —

'

l‘

he people are informed publicly thatthey have nothing to do with the law of God—that

Davidwas a man after God’s own heartwhenwallow

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

92 in mates, Ste.

saying theywould go twenty miles to getclear of that91—91preacher. They killed an ox and a sheep, plundered the millof alltheflour they could find, an d lefisome families almostdestitute of clothes and bedding.

Yet they attempted to take neither my clothes, not

watch, nor any thing belonging to me.

Thursday , 28th.—I preached twice at Hillsbo

rough. Some were deeply afi'

ected. ButI did notfeel

my soulalive to God, as I desired. 0 Lord what isthe cause of this strangeness between my soul and

Thee Why should I loveThee and notThee alone ?

Lord, whom have I in heaven butThee and there is

n one in allthe earththatIdesire beside Thee I long

O f naughtto speak or think beside,

My Lord, my Love, is crucified

C H A P T E R V .

m mmsru’s cam aor—wsu x u n on s cos

vm teu an i on“. AKD scntn n n n—u n . nm e x’s

m u c rxos s m com nn cmo A n ew YEAR—RE

w ants cssz or convs astox—n n . nu c x’s x x

m r ton 150 so to n nmwoon SCHOO b—A Lu n a

n on m n u . in . ws n u —n su o x u cst m as

cv—c os nsn xon on m a Lonn’s svrrtn— u os

n u n or ran won : or eon u LIVERPOOL—O P

rom mn or n ou s : orn csns s-r sin u ou s :

LIT?“ TO X8. ALU RI—INTBRBBTING LETTERu m : l l . WISLBY—AEOTBBR—DIBPM YS OF THE

P0“ ! All) aoon n ss 07 900 TO P. E. 19

m o—int. su cx’s u n ataes—u as. nu c x

’s ss

r n u m ou n ou a.

Tu n are fewpleasures that solaee the mind, or

mmnnemte thewils of a devoted minister ofthe lmrdJa m , comparable to the pure and eeiestialex hilara

tion he ex perienoes when his efibrts to win souls are

m woedwitheonspicuous sncoess. His joy is then the

joy oflngeia—Thosehenignantspirits bend fi'

omtheir

den ted seats to mark the first movemenbs of the re

pa tentsinner towards God ; and aeqn it-

e.we are told

by tho Savionr, an accession of felicity from the inte

resting spectacle. Withwhat rapture then mustthe

iuuuadiote instrnmentof suchblessed transformations

m y them l'

l‘

hey m divine m ls aflix ed whis ofifiee—the travailof hil Redeemer ’s souF- trophies oi

‘

94 n nmoras or rm:

victorious grace ; and his bosom glows withtransportwhile he anticipates the day when the dignity will beconferred upon him of presenting them stainless beforethe throne of God and the Lamb. An eminentdegree

of that dign ity awaits the messenger of the churches

whose coursewe are endeavouring to trace. The de

tails ex hibited in the preceding pages afi'

ord lumi

nous proof that he did notrun in vain , neither labourin vain and the materials of an ampler attestation of

this delightfulfactare yetin reserve. One observablefeature of the conversions thattook place under Mr.

Black ’smin istry cannothave escaped the reader—Ire

fer to their suddenn ess.

The inadequate and erroneous conceptions thatprevailon this subjectamong certain classes of professingChristian s, render itex pedientto endeavour the remo

valof their prejudices. Itmay be spontaneously adwitted thattime and place are merely circumstances ofconversion and that though a reference to them can

hardly fail to be both an imating and salutary to the

realbeliever’s mind— a distinctrecollection of them is

notessentialin order to evince the genuineness of a

work ofdivine grace. Certain itis, however, thattheremust be a specialtime when conversion takes place .

And from the magn itude of the change, involving as it

does our most solemn relation s to the Deity, and the

infusion of the elements of a newand divine n ature

into the soul, one would be very naturally led to con

ceive, anterior to the ex amination of any directevi

dence upon the subject, that no one could receive a

blessing so heart-stirringwithouthaving a vivid per

ception of it. An eventso momentous can hardly bethoughtto take place unconsciously.

—Itis worthy of'

remark, thatthe numerous cases of conversion record

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

96nlMOIns TH!

forbid nato despond the blood ofsprinklingstillpleathfor us ; the aspects of the throne of propitiation brightaenwithencouragement we may approachboldly , obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. At

tracted by these views of the pitifulness of the divinemercy, Mr. Black,while, on comparinghis presentex

perience withwhat itwas a year from this time, he

writes bitter things againsthimself complaining thatneither was his faith so strong, nor his zeal so great,nor his love so glowing, nor his enjoyment of the divine presence so sensible as ithad been in the com

mencementof the previous year, he earnestly renewshis application to the fountain of salvation , and groans

for redemption from inbred sin . A token for good

could not failto followsuch‘ profound self-abasement

and its constantaccompan iment—ferventprayer.Tuesday, 8thof January, 1788, he writes -“Ifelt

more of the Redeemer’s love this morn ing, than I havefor some time past; and itcontinued mostof the day,

The Open ingHeavens around me shine,W ithbeams of sacred bliss,

IfJesus shows his mercy mine,And whispers Iem his.

’

I also ex perienced much comfortto-day in convers~

ingwithJohn Johnson . I believe he is truly alive toGod an Israelite indeed. My mind is muchex ercis

ed respecting the spread of false doctrines. 0 that I

had the power of convincing speech Lord, marry whohave received them are thy people. 0 that I might

lead them into the paths fromwhichthey have strayed .

0 give me acceptablewords , thatI may notshock their

prejudices, butinform their judgments. Thou artmy

shepherd lead them and me into green pastures.

”

The opponents oftrue godliness are notallas heroic

‘

l‘hem o ofM -wim w hmhb .

Happy is it fi r 9 9, when them cauggles gain the

before God. We haveterm. of 9

D —f , (hr as GM 299 9 butbecame IN “M ilk

ed him,with 9 Melity, in a eompanywhichhe was e as to amuse with his impiom levity.Butwe hawe twwthe plem re to m ethim to the

from Taatmmsr in

three individuals, one ofwhomwas F.

of the Lord a newhis Mart en Mono

enm wd me to p ulse

me at Mr. Mome’s, np

“ MOIRS 01' tu

pray withhim. Idid. He roared in the agony ofhfl

soul.”

From the period thatMr. Black began to preach, he

feltthe inconvenience of not having brought to the

work those superior literary acquirements, and habitsof intellectual discipline which, in un ion with true

piety, are alike usefuland ornamentalto a minister of'

Christ. Prompted by a sense of his deficiency in this

respect, and by an ardentthirst for mentalimprovement, he for some time entertained the idea of spending a year or two at the schoolwhich the Rev. JohnWesley had founded at K ingswood for the education

of the Preachers’ sons. Accordingly, towards the

close of the preceding year, he wrote Mr. Wesley onthe subject, earnestly requesting him atthe same time,to send Missionaries to N ova Scotia. The apparentabruptness,withwhichMr. Wesley (ih the commence

ment of his reply, whichwe subjoin)answers an ihquiry proposed by Mr. Black , is quite characteristic of

the admirable man who , on being asked how he no

complished so much, said,‘ I em always in haste, but

never in a hurry.

’

Semper ad eventum festinat, et in medias res,

Non seeds ao notes, auditorem tapit.

LONDON , Feb . 26, 1788.

MY DEAR BROTHER ,

I did indeed very strongly ex postul'

ate withtheBishop of London , concern ing his refusing to ordain a

pious man , althoughhe had notlearning, while he or

d‘

ained others thatto my knowledge, had no piety, andbuta moderate share of learn ing. Iincline to think

He always hastens to the event; and hurries awayhis readev

into interesting circumstances, as if theywere already known

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

P00 nan om et re :

of the globe ; when handmds ot'

miseim riee m ol

wdiy in mwd , nnd hnndreth 'more eniy await theopenings of providence to foflow in their tmin ; it is

m m ng to reflect, thatonly hatf a centnry

age, even Mr. Wesley deemed it~a proof of ex traor

dhary piety and z ealin any yonng man , to be wiliingto earry the goepelmessage te foreign lands.

A scene took piace ebont this time atthe honse of‘

Mr. Donkin , which to as nppem euseeptible of eit

planation only on the principle of demoniacal ia

fluence batofwhichwe shalllenve the reaflerto fon nhis own judgment, after furn ishing the facts of the

ease in Mr. Blaeh’e own words, and his hrief reflections upon them.

“Feburary 18th.- While I was atMr. Donkin ’

s,

young Shemmn oame in , and began to talk in a vowmascriptumlmanner aboutbeing i ed by the Spirit. A

fi 'iend who was pmsent kindly caution ed him ; bet it

above being taught. He afi rmed thathe spehe by the

spiritof the etemalGod , and thatshe was pen ecming that fipirit. She told him itwaa fer fivm her

design or desire to persecute any one, butshe feared

some were led by another spirit;'

and thatthe word of'

God was the rule by whichwe oughtto try the spirits.

After they had conven ed for some time, I related.the

case of George Bell, in England, as itis described in

Mr. Wesley’s Journal and also thatof another per

son ofwhom I had heard . Itstruck him. He threwhimself on thefloor and cried alond, I em undone

Iam undone lsaid ‘N o ! there is no need for this.

Only seek the Lord, and abide by his word . He isstin ahle and willing to save.

’ He sat down on a

bench, grinning and gnawing his teeth. itappeared

the ihfemai powers ; this he did all

Anon , he would shwt, axiomz’

“k far»s terms of the meethim : diadommd

“ i " ‘ v i t Withm M ; M l

unfiihe bemme as quietas a lamb,

4 mid we,methis wishwas to have tom

0 eertain length, there m nothm

z"

(y orm Bible.

li ghtand h y form lpoimwbamwm om

10? m oms or run

sweem ‘Notone of the Methodim ohangom rhhn

firt they are geing to the devilwith their religion.

While lwas in the hospitalltalked to several, en£oming the necessity ot

‘

eonveraioe . Seme assented tothe

trnthofwhatlsaid ; butotheu derided me. Stan lyth's place is another SOdom.

MarchOthF While Iwas preaching atthe Dnteh

sehhmeng oae or two feudown ,mmging theirhnnds ,md apparently in deep distrem As soon as lclosed

my sermomone came up to m and charged me withhaving preached false doctrine. lashed,wherein ?He

replied,‘ Ibelieve them to be ordinwces (WW , and

therefore neither to be deepieed nor neglected ; still,

thoughyou were to neeeive them a thousnnd times, “you die withont being bom again , yon

'

can never see

the kingdom of God. They are means ot’

graee, and

oughtto be nsedwithreference to this end . We mnst

notbnild on tltem, butma riat, the sure foundation !

He maintained thatwe‘

ouglttto build on them, because

Christ has eaid ,‘He thateatethmyfleehand dfi nk

ethmy blood, dwellethin memd lin him.’ lex piain

ed the terms as describing thoee whe live by thith on

the Son of God ; and intim ted thatae mmywho eat

the btead and dfi nk the wine in the secrameng go to

heU afler aIL itis ploin these words of ent Soviour

cannotbe tmdemtood of merely receiving the m u d

elements. He accused me of undervaloing the sm

meats nom a d said, he thoughtitlikelywewofld, byand by, throwthem aside altogether. lm nred him ,

the oonclusion wes notthe ofl'spring of our docn 'ine ,

butofhis own greundless fem .

“Thursdayflzd ofMas etsailfi omHalifax fo x'

LaHave, and arrived the followt in time to get

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

104 m uon s or um

I do'

to be saved ?0 my Jesus ! My Jeshs ! Whtt'

shallI do—whatshallI do to be saved and she con

tinned thus for the space of two hours.—In the even

ing I preached atthe meeting house this also was asolemn time. After the meeting, some wanted me to

go this way, and some that their entreatieswere so

importunate, and yetso opposite, that I was involvedin muchperplex ity. I concluded to go over the river

to brother Dean’s. We kneeled on the shore, prayed

and parted with those who could notaccompany us.

Those who conven iently could, went over the river

withus, to whom I proposed thatwe should spend

partof the n ightin prayer. The power of God descended upon the people ; cries, groans, or rejoicingwere on every hand. Thus itcontinued tillaboutoneo’clock in the morn ing, soon after whichwe retired .

Tuesday 3d.—I ex pected to have left for Shel

bnrne this morn ing, butwas unavoidably detained. I

crossed the river to Mr. Smith’s ; presently a number

of people assembled, and the power of Godwas manifested on this occasion also. I preached in the even ing

atthe Falls and God senthis word to the hearts of

those present. One gentleman from Stratford, in Con

necticut, was powerfully awakened. Oh withwhatearn estness did he plead for mercy for two or three

hours, withlittle or no intermission . Blessed be God,these are reviving days to me. 0 glory be to God inthe highest The nex tday Mr. Black received the

following note from the individualto whom he refers

in the preceding ex tract. Edmund Darrow, a stran

ger to a saving interest in Christ, begs an interest inyour prayers to Almighty God, for the deliverance ofhis soul; and should Mr. Black visitNewEnglaml, I

.honld be glad to waitupon him atmy house, western

m . m 1“ BLACK.

m semm w.m m mm som muotiee of his desth, which took piwe under painfulW Soon nfi er he m s convineed of sin, “m m n. the blessing of peace WithGod ,

the M flm ( 251iM3esc Liverm l(N . M W in a

it::f by the sight of some of our friends

m vwg fim wtdown eh the midn ef these hm'mn

u ppedn ethpellnighe md imisted thath hmtd tie

i.“

.

11‘ Y ““I

I

.

‘

i(2K

m”e ; M I

a

l

l

Ll y

.

A AI t l

l

“nmala 3 "

IE! f “ ”51; llm‘bwn . He it?“I. “ 2 5 i

“he is an impostor, he has no N

Iu id, mrely 8ir, lhove as mmh

f

) f : h «MW; atme m t J“ , mwillby no m see him guihleu thotuhethhis

m n n oms or run

awful imprecations. Their object was to tear me

down , butthe people would notsuffer them to touch

me. On e of them, swearing he could preachas wellas I, mounted the stump of a tree, and poured fortha

hood of oaths. I thus accosted him Friend, I wish

you well my soulpities you you knowyou are fighting againstGod ; your own conscience condemnsyou .

Butremember, you and I mustshortly stand atthe bar

o f God. And how, oh howwillyou meetme thereHe seemed impressed for a moment and then hard

en ing his heart, he uttered a fewmore oaths, andwithhis colleagues went off and leftme to fin ish my disc ourse without any further trouble. During the ser

mon , o ne man from the skirts of the congregation ,

threwa stone at me with great force, which had itstruck me, would probably have carried deathwith it.Butas I saw it, Iwas enabled to elude it, and itpassedme with great violence butwithout injury. Blessedb e God for his mercy The disturbance only had thee ffectof bringing more to hear, severalof whom ap

peared concerned for their souls.

Saturday l t. - I preached twice at Liverpool,bothseasons of comfort and spentthe even ingwitha few friends at Mr. Smith’s in religious ex erc ises.

Among those who were much affected on the oc

c asion , one youngwomanwas very happy. She praisc d God in a wonderful manner, and ex horted all

around to seek an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ.Partof this day I could rejoice in the Lord, and dur

ing the whole of it, I longed to be unreservedly con

secreted to his glory. Yet I did not ex perience such

sweetsensations of divine love as I have in some post

periods enjoyed , and long again to feel. 0 my Lord ,

give me to love thee alone Take away every rival.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

res m m” or m

ins t'

ar some time» Bot seon the fite began te hb

eties , as wellfrom the young as the oid. The people

of God too , were ex oeedhtgly happy ; pmising him b rhiswonderfiilgoodness to the ehildren of men . Their

cries amd praises aseended for hours togetherfi o thnt

semetimes our meetings did nothreak up till oua io

the morning Truly the Lord rained down the menaaof his love in grac ious showers ; and seven lM lared

withjoy thatthey found the peu lof greatm“The people atLiverpoolare allwell, and mostof

them happy. They long to see you again ; anti i n

sure you lrejoice to find that the Lord has ownedyour labours amongst them, and

'

ltrusthe willcono

tinue to do so untilhe calls you hence. Althoughwedifl’er in sentiment, lot us manifest onr love to m h

never receive your peculiarm nione. Bet shallweon this aeconntdestroy the work of Ged ? God foe

bid ! May theLord talee away allbigoh'

y, and fiiLus

with pure, genuine, catholic love ! Wishing youGod ’s speed in every work to whieh the Letd calh

you, lconclude with, When itiswellwiththee, mmember me

Wu n u tDu ct.”

To the preceding letter was subjoined a P. 8. rec

questinn . A. to lay aside allreserse in thture , aod

favor himwithhis fioquentoorrespoodenee. Buttho

letter and the requestwere alike treated with indifieronce ; and in their nex t interviee . A. said to him

that he believe d he (Mr. B.)had never lmown anythiagot

'

am iagehsnge ot‘

hean . This, W em othelp

nu . m u n : m ax . 109

flaking , was an uneoneteous declaration uttered in

tho tm stity of the moment, ofwhiohhis calmerjudg

ehievous is the influenoe of bigotry ! Welldoes the

n infly i ‘leteher designate it, a holy dseil. May the

ad peflading leaven !Then , and nettillthen , shall

tho uisdom from above appw armyed in all ber at

M a thewumhonce more the mansion of peace

old concord, commanding the un iversaladmiration of

While Mr. Black cultivated the amicable spiritto

M he m so greatly concerned atwitnessing the dif

M waenee withwhiehhis unscripturalprinciplesm opsru ing in difi

’

emntpam of the eountry, that

h fnmishd Mr. Wesley witha statementof them,

d W him to write a brief refntation of them.

lutu r. Wesley was do ing a greatwork, and could

m m s dewn ; in addition to which, he deliberstetythoughtthatany pubiic notice et

’

Mr. Alline ’s system,

Wench itm y‘be called , would onlygive itthe more

Loaves , July i3th, 1783.

“K! Dan Bum “ ,

ttis a ruiewithme to answer alltheletters whiehtm mthen fore. you heve notreeeived an u

l.

110 u z uoms or rm:

swer to every letter which you havewritten , itmustbe, either thatyourletter or my answerhas been inter-r

cepted.

“ I do notwonder atallthatafter thatgreatand extraordinary work of God there should be a remarkable

decay. Se we have found itin almostallplaces. A

swift increase is generally followed by a decrease

equally swift. Allwe can do to prevent it, is con

tinually to ex hortallwho have tested thatthe Lord is

gracious, to remember our Lord’swords, Watchand

pray, thatye enter not into temptation .

’

Mr. Allinemayhave witenoughto do hurt; butIfear hewillnever havewitenoughto do good. He isvery far from being a man of sound understanding

buthe has been dabbling in mysticalwriters, in matters whichare too highfor him, far above his comprev

hension . I dare notwastemy time in answering suchmiserable jargon , I have better work , But I have

sentyou withother books)two volumes ofMr. Law’s

works, whichcontain allthatMr. Alline would teachif he could ; only it is the gold purged fromthe drosswhereas he would give you the gold and dross shufledtogether. I do notadvise you ever to name his name

in public, (althoughin private you mustwarn our brethren)butgo on yourway ex actly as if there were nosuchperson in the world.

The schoolatKingswood is ex ceeding full; nevertheless there shallbe room for you. And it is veryprobable if you should live to return to Halifax , youmay carry one or more preachers with you . I willorder Mr. Atley to send the books you sentfor, to our

German brethren. I hope you willlive as brethren ,

and have a free and Open intercoursewitheachother.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

1l 11111101115 or rut.

n icious errors,—an application , however, whichdeer

ended. If the reader entertains the same appreciationof thatnever-to-be-forgotten minister of Jews, as the

biographer does, hewould feela sensible disappointmentatthe suppression or even abridgementof any

this to be the case, lthemfore give the letter in fhll.

Iavs nn ss, May 11, 1184.

Mt Du n Baerm a ,

Iam glad you have giveo a little assistance to

our brethren atHalifax , and along the Coast. Thereis no eharity underHeaven to be compared tO this,

the bringing lightto the poorHeathens thatare call

ed Christians ; butnevertheb ss stillsitin darkneu and

in the shadowofdeath. Iam in greethopes thatsome

of the emigrants from NewYork are really alive to

God. And if so , they willbe every way a valuahle

aoquisition to the province where theirlotis nowcu t,

This may be one of the grac ious designs of God ’sProvidenee in hi nging themfi

'

omtheir native eounu'y.

And it‘

they notonly themselves glowin graemand in

the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, butare likewise happy instruments in his hand of impu ting that

knowledge to others, theywillhave unspeakable reason to praise God, both in time and in etern ity.

“There is no partot'

Calvin ism or Antinomianismwhichis notthlly answered in some partof our mings ; partwularly 1n tho “Preservative fi '

om Ouseto

tled Nouons 1n Rehglon” Ihsve no more to do v fih

answering books. Itwillhe sufi eient if you moon i

mend to Mn Allineu fi-iends, some of the m en tha

m aheady written . As t lfeu he hm

w Lum am en . lié

in his own eyes than seven men thatcan render a rea

son . Therefore I have no hope of his being convincedtilldeathopens his eyes.

Thework of God goes on witha steady pace invarious parts of England. Butstillthe love of manywillwax cold,while many others are continually addedto supply their place. In the west of England, in

Lancashire and in Yorkshire , God stillmightilymakesbare his arm. He convinces many, justifies many,and many are perfected in love .

My greatadvice to those who are un ited together,

is, Letbrotherly love continue See thatye fallnot

out by the way Hold the un ity of the Spirit in the

bond of peace Bear ye one another’s burdens, and

so fulfilthe lawof ChristI am,

Your affectionate Brother,JOHN WESLEY .

”

May the salutary and important mon ition withwhichthis letter closes be indelibly graven upon theminds of allthe followers ofHim, who was meek and

lowly in heart Whilstthis coalescence of spiritualaffection is, to thosewhom itanimates, gratefulas theodorif

'

erous oil_thatdescended upon Aaron ’s head and

flowed to the skirts of his robe, it directly tends toaugmentby concentration the efi ciency of their efforts

to promote the salvation of souls, and the glory of

their common Lord. Few, itmay be here remarked ,

have been more eminently distinguished for the culti

vation of an affectionate and conciliatory spiritthanMr. Black. Always disposed to putthe mostfavourable construction upon actions of doubtful character,and deprecating as an evilof no common magnitude

L 8

114 n z n oms or mm

the alienation of brethren in Christ, he conscientiouslyand sedulously guarded alike against giving , and

taking offence and whenever misunderstandings oc i

curred among any of the objects ofhis pastoralcharge,he was as ready to assume, ashe was admirably fittedto discharge, the oflice of a peace-maker. Endowedwitha singular degree of prudence and self-control,

whichwere hallowed by Christian principle and ma

tored by ex perience,he often succeeded, by seasonableinterference, in ex tinguishing the kindling fires of dis

cord, when many a min ister of equally pure intentions, butof a less calculating and deliberative turn of

mind, mightby indiscretion have fomented instead of

allayed, the evil. N 0 man , probably, in the course of

so long a life, ever more rarely inverted the order of

nature and reason , by putting action before thought.But itis time to return to his Journal. Under date

of the 13th of September he records an impressivecase of conversion which illustrates atonce the obligation and the incentive of the apostolic injunction ,In meekness instructing those that oppose them

selves if God peradventurewillgive them repentanceto the acknowledging of the truth.

”-“During this

visit itwas thatMrs. Card, of Horton , found peacewithGod. She had formerly been an opposer but

was n ow on a bed of amiction , and in great distress

of mind, terribly agitated withthe fear of death. For

three weeks, she told me, she had nothad above threen ights

’sleep. I endeavoured to improve the oppor

tun ity, by pressing upon her mind the nature and no

cassity of the new-birth, and of justification by faith.

I asked permission to pray withher ; and while wewere on our knees, the Lord man ifested Himself inmercy to her soul. She broke out in transports of

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

116 traumas or run

remarkably clear and collected in mind ; ready, after a

life of irreproachable godliness, to be offered up and

awaiting, notonlywithoutfear, but in joyfulanticipa

tion , the time ofhis departure from earth.—Mr. Black

remained abouta fortnightin the Island. The greater

portion of the timewas spentin Charlotte Town but

he also preached two or three times atSt. Peter’s in

neither place, however, were hislabours attendedwithany an imating tokens of efficiency. He sighed in

spiritover the people, because of the hardness of theirhearts, lamenting that, withfew ex ceptions, they ap-6

peared totalstrangers to the nature of true religion ,

the inward kingdom of righteousness and peace and

joy in the Holy Ghost.”

A sudden attack of illness on his return home from

the Island, ex cited apprehensions that his earthly career was destined soon to close. Butthe prospecteu

gendered no mentalperturbation . Divine solace wasopportunely imparted and instead of depreca

'

ting the

not improbable event, he says, Itwas my earnestprayer that if my usefulnesswas done, I mightthen

finishmy course and go toHimwhom I loved supremely, thoughnotperfectly. Blessed be God deathhas

long since lostto me his terror and his sting. Manytimes the thoughts of ithave made my heart to leapwithin me. Atone time in particularwhen the Indians

rose and made a number of people prisoners at Miramichi, and itwas reported they were aboutto destroyallthe friends of Governmentin Cumberland - atthe

n ews of this my heartrejoiced within me for I knewI had amansion in heaven , ahouse beyond their reach,

Thatpalace ofangels and God.

’

Oumy passage from the Island I fainted, and fellwithgreatviolence on deck. Butfor themain boom I should

an . m u m n i ck . 117

in the church of God The

manner in whiehhe took this important step was os~

trait of him character . Aware ,; 5 of Chrim 8 113100 so intimm and

9 or as a source of exhilaration , in the

divine direction , and a deliberative

y before he advamed. The piety andwhich he entered into the mattimo

hest apprehended by an entry madesome time

At first1

I had notthe

for a minister to

u allthings lawfid m notex pedisnt, 1

should do my owu will, and nottbe willlprayedm im and again thatthe la rd

118 n uoi n s or run

Y etstillI feared. I solemnly cried to the Lord ; and

o ften did I spread my cause before Him, beseeching

that he would not permit the blind to go outof theway. Atlength, one day, after solemn prayer, I con

cluded (believing itto be thewillof God,)to give myhand to Mary Gay of Cumberland ; and on the 17thof

February, 1784, we were united in holy matrimony .

W e found ita solemn time ; and we both gave ourselves to the Lord and his service.

”—Ou a un ion

formed upon such principles, and in entering into

whichthe parties were an imatedwithviews so elevat

ed and holy, and with a mutual persuasion—the re

sults notof first impression , butofmature thoughtandimportunate prayer—thatthey gave themselves to eachother by the willof God, Providence could notfail

to shed its selectest blessings. Marriage is a divine

institute ; and it emanated from the wisdom and bene

volence, as well as from the authority of God. He

sawthat, with the soc ialn ature He had given man ,

his happiness would have been incomplete if doomedto a state of solitude ; He sawthat “ itwas notgoodforman to be alone.

” As an additionalevidence ofHisben ign ity he therefore provided an help-meetfor him,

a compan ion endued withthe same intellectual capac ities, with accordantsocialsusceptibilities, and the

heir and ex pectantwithhimself, of the same rever

sionary and immortalbliss. This interesting relation

has not, it is true, in the sad reverse thathas taken

place in man’s condition , escaped the blighting couse

quences of sin : yet is itstillbenevolentin its design ,

andwhen hallowed by devoutand intelligentreference,( as in the case we have been contemplating,)to the

glory of God, most benefi cent, also, in its tendency.

Tothose who marry in the Lord,” itjs of allearthly

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

120 m oms or m a

Unequivoealevidence of her decision was girm , in

her associating herself withthe Methodist Society ata timewhen itwas despised and calumniatedmotwimstanding the highrespectability and remonstranees at

her family and stillmore , in becoming the with of a

MethodistM in ister. Actuated by the faithof himwhoesteemed the reproachof Christgreater riches thanallthe treasures of Egypt,

”there was no earthly dis

tinction she was unwilling to forego , no temporalmivation shewas notready to sustain , for consc ience

’sake.

ln whatever aspectwe contemplate her virtues, theypresentan attractive evolution of the bestprinciples ofnature and of grace . To her husband she was mosttenderly attached ; his wishes she anticipated withall

the sagacity and promptitude of devoted afl’eetion his

sorrows she alleviated by sympathy , and his pleasuresshe heightened by partic ipation . She fully entered alsointo his min isterialsolic itudes and obligations in the

chamber of emiction , and amongthe poor of his chargeshe afl'orded him unobtrusive, butmosteffic ientaid .

Her maternalcharacter was notless ex emplary. Oneof her sons nowliving has stated, thatitwas her practice when any of her children had been guilty of some

grower actof disobedience, whether to divine or pa

rental authority, to take the little culpritto a privateroom, and there , afier administering appropriate ad

mon ition , and , it'

necessary, corporalchastisement, toengage in earnestand affectionate prayer withthe delinquent, who seldom failed to leave the apartmentwithouta tender consciousness of guilt, and resolves

of amendment in future . Whilst thus distinguishedby the conscientious discharge of responsibilities of

paramount obligation, thewas notinattentive to the

nay . m atu u m et . 121

duties ot'

a suhordinate olass. The order ofher house

presented atalltimes a pattern of neatness , economyand comfort.

But, if ! would ex hibit an accurate delineation of

Mrs Black‘s character, [ mustborrowthe pencil, orrather the portrait, of inspiration . So truly was Solomon ’s graphic and in imitable appreciation of the virtuous wife ex emplified

’

in her spirit and deportment,that itmay wellbe doubwd whether itcould be readby any who were wellacquainted with her ,without

W , by an immediate association of ideas, her

image to their minds : “Who can find a virtuouswoa

man ?thr her price is t‘

ar above rn bies. The heartof

her husband dothsafely trust in her, so thathe shall

have no need of spoil. She willdo him good and not

erilallthe deys of her life. She layethher hands to

ms spindlemnd herhands hold the distafi‘

. She stretéh

sthforthher hands to the poor ; yea, she strewhethfisnhhu hands to the needy. Her husband is ltnownia the gatesn vhen he sittethamong the eldem of the

land, Stru tsthand honour are her clothing ; and she

shallrfioice in time to come. She oPenethhermouth

widtmisdotmand in her tongue is the lawot'

kindness .

Shmb okb thwellto tha waye ot'

her household, and

W M M of idleness. Her ehildren rise up

od d lher blessed 5herhusband also , and he praiseth

ha . Many dauglmm hnve done virmously, butthou

m them all. Favour is deeeitful, and beauty is

m thutawom n thatfeareththe lm 'd , ahe shsllbe

Give her ot'

the fruitof her hands, and let

m m ks prab e her in the gatss.

Proverbsm i.

C H A PTE R V I.

113 . BLACK nnms qntsu as THE mm or come to

w swoon—m a LITERARY A'rn mm-m'

rs—ata .

wasnnr ’s n as

'r LETTER TO 11111 u r ns m a nu n

n a —sm r n or asu etos AT sn ansuan n u rn

mn cn r own—n arn su son u Ltvn aPOOL—Ln 'r

Tan r n om mas. sm ex — vrsrr To THE UNITEDSTATES— TEMPTATION TO n asron n nn cr—u nn r s

DR . c o x a— accommmn s THE o n . To PERRY-HLLL

—c onvn n smn or ma . eouc n—mnssn s. GARRETson AND CROMWELL u rom '

r nn to s ova-scoru

THE cm us'rsu s c on rnann cs

’— anv1vu . u no s

TON— MR . oan n n r son’s cmu uc

'

r aa AND LABOUR S—Ma . anac x

’s LETTER TO r un socm '

r r u cunt

BEBLAND.

IN reviewing the circumstances connected withMr .

Black ’s marriage, we have seen disclosed the operations of a mind deeply imbued with those qualitiesbestadapted to ensure safe direction in allthe importantex igencies of human life—prudentsagacity, and adevout regard to the intimations of the divine will,whether suggested mentally, or by the course of out

ward events. Before assuming this new and endear

ing relation ,withits concomitantcares and obligations,he of course relinquished the projectof going to K ingswood school, deeming the alternative, allthings con

sidered, more in accordance withthe great object for

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

MH OIRG 0? THE

train ing, he was incomparably better fittedwork of an evangelist than thousands

cended the sacred desk adornedwithacad

secreted tO the service bf the

literatme and scieuce in all

m org andhven to shine in the

yet, to be totally destitute of

we should be

learning is in

other nation ,

In relation to Mr.

learn ing at this '

period , we cannot

speak witheertainty ; butwe know

m m m en . 115

tittie ot‘

our pem nal acquaintancewithhim, bs pwsessed a critiealknowledge ot

'

the NewTestamentinthe originahwhiehmusthave heen the resultofmany

years’application . In studying the Greek Testament,

Parlthurst’s Lex icon was his favourite thesaurus, and

edified anti delighaed withhis illush'

ative obw vatiens

on M m ef seripmm, in private conv 1: om, dmwn01101 the 101 mean ing of some prominentword, as

indicated by the force of the originalex pm ien . And

1 ,

1, that

atan early period of my

kun t's wofik § um in giving the various senses oi'

the

196 m moms or m e

dified and improved, That these books should en d

titely usurp the place of a work as muchsuperior tothem in sound principle, as it is, perhaps, inferior insome other respects, is a subjectof serious regret for

althoughwhatis commonly termed Rationalism does

notappear in its worst form in the books I have re

ferred to, ithas occasionally had no inconsiderable ihfluence on the interpretations which they present.”

While Mr. Black carefully studied the Greek Testament, he was notneglectfulof the Latin language, inwhichhis attainmentswere very respectable. ItWas

his custom in the closing years of his life, and probably muchearlier, atfamily prayer, to read in connec

tionwiththe scriptures a portion of Thomas a Kem

pis’ Christian Pattern ,—Mrs. Black reading the trans

lation while he followed her in the original. To te

turn from this digression , into whichwe have been ledby a desire to obviate misconception , we may herepresent the reader with the firstletter addressed byMr. Wesley to Mr. Black after he had heard of his

marriage.

LONDON , Oct. 15, 1784.

MY DEAR Bnorn sn ,

A letter of yours some time ago, gave me homeofmeeting you in England you seemed desirous of

spending some time here in order to improve yourselfin learn ing. Butas you have nowentered into a difa

ferentstate, I do notex pectwe shallmeetin thisworld.

Butyou have a large field of action where you ave,

withoutwandering into Eumpe. Your presentParishis wide enough, namely Nova Scotia and N ewfoundland. I do notadvise you to go any further. In the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

193 ln moms or rm:

willlive in the history of American Methodism’

in

some of its mostimportantpositions. In severalpartsof the United States, butparticularly atBoston , Mr .

Black ’smemory is stillcherished withan affection and

Veneration scarcely less than attach to it in N ova

Scotia. Mr. Scurr, the ex cellentman referred to at

the close of the letter, repented too late, thathe had

not acted as Mr. Wesley advised . He purchased an

estate in the neighbourhood of N orfolk in V irgin ia ;

butalmost all his family fellvictims to the diseases

incidentto the climate.

Ou Sunday, the 17th of April, 1784, we find Mr.

Black atShelburne, after having visited Windsor andHalifax on his way thither, under whichdate the following interesting entry occurs in his JournalI preached three times andmettwo classes ; oneof

white people, and the other blacks. The blacks are

very lively . 0 thatthey mightprovoke the whites tojealousy, to love and to good works The day fol

lowing, eight of the friends accompan ied me in a boatto Birchtown , where Ipreached to about two hundred negroes. Somewere deeply affected , and others

greatly comforted. It is indeedwonderfulto see whata blessed work the Lord has been carrying on amongthese poor creatures. Within seven or eightmonths

paSt, upwards of six ty of them profess to have foundpeace withGod. And whatis further remarkable is,

thatthe principalinstrumentGod has employed in thiswork is a poor negro, who can neither see, walk , n orstand. He is usually carried by another man to the

place of worship, where he sits and speaks to the people , or kneels and prayswiththem.

” There were at

this time more than two hundred members in societyat Shelbume and Birchtown, of whom only twenty

n" . m u n ! BLACK . 129

were whim At the latter piece, now almost com

Alter this very pleasing and profitable visit, Mr.

Black wentto Liverpool, where , as on previous occafions, unusualdemonsu

'

ations of the power of theMost

t i vmgme news of my ar

rival, the 1 flwked togethw ; we had a comfort!»hle evening ; we could praise God withgils

- s‘

and

rejoice thathe had broughtos to seeweb others’ faces

again in the na h.

%th.—This was a comfortable day

to me andto m y more. Under the won!manywemhnthod ih 1 Oh the 99thmanywere so hliodwith

ry and of God, thatthey said theirmorhardly sustain it. 0 howdid they re

joice. and thememory of his goodnm O myGod whathleu ings thou heapestupon the heads of

thosewho believe Blessed be the name of the Lord

that ever he made me a partaker of these immom l

hopes 0 whatan infinite fulness of grace is laid up

in Jesus 2Give me , 0 my God only give me to enjoy3, a sweet sense of thy approbationI cheerfully resign the world to its de

130 n nn oms or was

the blood of Christ. Lord send them help from thy

holy hill May none of them ever turn again , like

the dog to his vomit On the 3dwe had anotherwon'

derfulmeeting. One woman , whose harp had for a

long time hung upon thewillows, and her soulin cap

tivity, was filled withjoy unspeakable. O , withwhatex ultation of spiritdid she praise her greatDeliverer !

Glory to thy free, matchless, and infin ite love ! 0

Lord letmy soulbutalways enjoy this love, and bethus delightfully engaged in thy service, and itsufi ceth

me. Once I wished that I had never been born ; nowI bless thee thatthou hastgiven me an immortal na

ture capable of thy love.

” Invigorated by these glorious displays of the mercy of God, he setsailforHalifax , and anx ious to spend the nex tSabbathatWindso r, lostno time in pressing forward, althoughhe hadto walk the whole of the way, a distance of forty-fivemiles. Here he received from Mrs . Black the sub

jo in ed letter, so beautifully illustrative of her piety toGod , and affection for him, and sowelladapted to so

lace his mind amid the toils of his itinerancy.

CUMBERLAND, April 99, 1784.

My DearHusband in the K ingdom and Patience of Ju n Christ,

Were itnotthat I believe you are employed inthe business of your Lord and Master, Ishould be apt

to complain of the time of absence seeminglong. But

I desire in allthings to submitwith patience to his

righteous disposal.“ I trust you are going on with vigour and cheer

fulness in your Master’s work ; if so I em sure you

have your reward as you go along. Sometimes I lookaround upon the unthinking world with pity and ten

derness, and saywithin my heart, 0 thatthey knew

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

132 unmotas or rm:

God, we shallrather shed tears ofjoy, than of sorrow,whenwe see a dear friend goingto Paradise, in sowonderfuland glorious a manner. 0 thatwe may be ena

bled to make a wise improvementof this awfuleventof Providence, and press home upon our souls the so

lemn inquiry, Art thou, O my soul, ready for. the

Bridegroom and wouldstthou welcome him as Mrs.

Rye did Here I pause and think—howcan so vile,

so unbelieving a heartas this partake of so muchglo

ry Blessed God 1allthings are possible with thee .

O my Redeemer, quicken thou: me according to thy

word ; for my soulcleavethunto the dust May the

Lord be withyou, give you muchofhis spiritualpresence, fillyour heartwithlove, and bring you safe to

your friends here Thus praysYour dear and affectionate,

MARY BLACK .

”

Mr. Black reached Cumberland on the 26thofMay,

and laboured in that portion of the country, thoughwithout any very animating tokens of success, until

the 15thof September. He found the cause ata lowebb andwitha vivid remembrance of a very difi

'

erent

state of things, who can wonder thathis reflections onthe contrastare tinged withmelancholy —June 3d hethus writes—“Ipreached atMr. Donkins’ . There islittle of the life of God among the people here in com

parison of what there once was. 0 how sad the

change Riding once by this house I found a number

of our fr iends, after return ing from meeting at Mr.

Scurr’s, had gathered together for prayer. Mr. D .

handed me a hymn -book—Igave outa verse, and at‘

terwards delivered a short ex hortation . Thatn ight,four professed to have found redemption in the blood

134 n s x ou s or tax

heartbefore God, he M ta divine persuasion thattheLoad would in mercy receive her to his arms. And i!

was so . Aboutthree o’ clock nex tmorning, she died inthe fulltriumphof faith, crying Why are his ehariotwheels so long in coming ? Glory lGlory ! be to thyblea ed name !”

Inex perienced in travelling in a strange country,Mr. Black ’s mind became the subject of depressingex ercises in the further prosecution of his journey .

Far from home—surrounded by strangers, withhismoney nearly ex hausted- dths adversary took advantage

of his cimumstances to tempthim to revoke his trust

in the providence ofhis heavenly father . The tempts

tion followed him even to the pulpit, There, however, the sn are was broken , and the cloud dispelled .

The firstwords thatpresented themselves to him on

open ing the Bible were , Consider the lilies of the

field how they grow ; they to ilnot, neither do theyspin and yet I say unto you thateven Solomon in all

his glory, was notarrayed like one of these . Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass ofthe field, whichtoday is, and to

~tnorrow is cast into the oven , shallhe

not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith

Matt. vi 98, &c . He felt reproved and comforted.

His heartwas filled with joyous confidence in God ;and the prospect so recently overcast, brightened be,

fi re him, unshaded by a single douhb He called the

name of the Lord , JehovahJt’

rah. Ou the Sabbathhepreached to the prisoners in the gaol, some of whomwere awaiting in awfulex pectamy the sevemstpenal~ty of the law. Terrific situation Buthow muchmore awful,” reflected Mr. Black , to see sinners

bound by the chains of sin , and dying withouthepe,to be teserved in chains ot

'

darlmess unto the judge

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

136 m oms or r un

himself. And thus he continued to actduring the late

war, at the risk of his immense estate. Before his

conversion he persecuted his wife, and would not per

mither to hear the Methodists by whom she had been

awakened. But it happened one evening, while he

neighbourhood)one of them said ,‘Letus go and hear

the Methodistpreacher. He complied without heatatien , saying within himself,

‘ I shall now have an

opportunity ofoverturning allthe bahbler has to say.

’

They accordinglywent5butGod took the wise in his

own crafi iness. Thatn ighthe was convineed thatthe

doctrine he had opposed was the very GospelofJesusChrist. O n leaving the meeting-house, one of his

compan ions said, ‘Whata heap of nensense we haveheard !’ Buthe etopped him shortwith ‘ N o ! Whatwe have heard is the very n

'uthas itis in JesasJ But

althoughhh prejmdioes were nowremoved, the wordof God did notproduce its full efi

‘

ect upon his heart,

untileome time afier, taking a ride to one of his pian

tations, he overheard an individualfervently engagedin prayer. Approaching nearer, he found itwas a

black man who had come from a neighbouring plantation to pray with some of his slaves. He was hleesiag and praisiag the Lord in a very afl’ectmg manner,and seem d estonished at the khidness of the Lord ,

alike to his body and to his soul. This prayer strnckMr. Gough to the heart. ‘ Alas !’ he ex claimed, ‘O

Lerdllhave my thousands and my tens ofthousendo

this man has scamely clothes to puton , or food to eat ;and yet, ung

ratefulwretchthatlam ! Inever thanked

m m u st; su es . 137

hiswifi—s ' hly m , I shah never hinder you again

While under conviction of sin , bewe stron'

gly tempt

138 IllMOIRS or run

This Conference which, from the unusualperiod' at

whichitwas called together, has been designated theChristmas Conference ,’ forms an importantepoch inthe history of American Methodism. Up to this pe

riod, the Methodistsocieties on this side the Atlantic ,had remained destitute of the ordinances, only as theyreceived from the hands of other min isters, their ownbeing unordained. This inconvenience, whichas the

soc ieties increased became proportionally an objectofsolicitude, had elicited the mostearnestapplicationsto Mr. Wesley to supply the deficiency, butwithouteffect. Without a deviation from the order of the

Churchtowhichhe belonged, he could notmeettheir

wishes, and to this he was unwilling to commithim

self, As soon , however , as the independence of the

U n ited States was achieved, the ecclesiasticalcontrol

of GreatBritain over the country ceasingwithits political, Mr. Wesley hastened to respond to their so

licitations and at this Conference was introduced

among them, athis suggestion and under his sanction ,

thatsystem of ecclesiastical polity which has contributed so aston ishingly, under God, to the ex pan sionand stability of the cause. In organ izing the societies

in America, called after his name, into a Church, itwas of course Mr. Wesley

’s firstwishto approx imate

as n early as possible to whatbe deemed the primitivemodel. Thomas Coke, LL.n . , was selected as be

ing, fromhis eminentzealand abilities, aswellas fromhis clericalstanding, the mostsuitable agentfor intro

ducing the neweconomy. Accordingly, Mr.Wesley,

assisted by other presbyters of the Churchof England ,on the 2d of September, 1784, solemnly set apart theDr. as

.

Superintendentof the Methodist Societies inAmerica, and furnished himwithletters of ordination .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

MO n s x ou s or rm:

middle of iMsy. Methodism had as yet gained no

footing in Boston . To Mr. Black belong the honour

of hsving laid the formdation of its temPle in that importantand enlightened city. Atfirst, behg unable to

procure the use of any pulpit, he preached in privatehouses. Thefloor of the apartmentin whichhe oommenced preaching, in the northend of the town , sink

ing under the pressure of the crowd thatattended , he

removed to a large room in the opposite end of the

town . The interestex cited drewtogether s stillgreater

multitude ; during prayer, the beams gave way, andthe people were thrown into a state of the greatest

consternation . No one, however, sustained any seriousinjury. The selectmen as they were called , werenowapplied to for the use of the northLatin school, in

whichthey obligingly consented to allowMr. Black tohold his meetings . But, strange to relate, a similar

misfortune took place here, and created such alarm

amo ng the people that itbecame necem ry to seek a

place better adapted in stre ngthand spac iousnem for

the ir accommodation . The use of the Sandeman ianmeeting-house was offered and gratefiflly accepted ,

butitwas soon found inadequate to contain more than a

quarter of the people who were an x ious to attend .

The committee of the congregation to whom the Rev.

Mr. Stillman ministered , newex tended ano

invitation to

Mr. Black , in perfect accordance withthe wishes ol'

their ex cellentminister , to occupy their place of worship . Here he preached three or four times ; but

neither was this sufficiently large to accommodate the

thousands whoflocked to hear the word , and thelthe

power, of the Redeemer. He afterwards preached inthe Rev . Mr. Elliot’s church, the only one in the cityoapnhie of containing the people . The number prev

n x v. wumu u BLACK . 141

sentthe lastdayhe ofi ciated in fioston , was estimated

etthree thousand. The deep and pervading influencewhiohMr. Bisek’s pm ching produced upon the pub

ib mind in this citywas notto be attributed to the po

pulmi ty of his talents, thoughas a preacherhewas notunattractive . His whole eoulwas in the work. Hewas full of the Holy Ghostand ot

’

faith. Thiswas

the chsrm of his eloqnenee—this the secretof its per

masive and eohdning power. An ex tensive revivalof

the w rk oi’

Godwas the resnltof these ex ertions. As

there was no Methodistsociety there, nearly allwhowere brought to God , became members 01

’

Mr. Stillmnn ’s ehamh ; and according to Mr. Blaclt’s approciation ot

'

the chm cter ot‘

thatfi ithfulminister, theyoonId nothave fallen into better hands, to receive that

pu mn Iawemion whichthey required . Thiswas oneof the hrightperiods oe . Black ’s life, on whichheever looked beck with emotions of gratitude and de

lighttnor had it perisbed from the memery of allin

Boom ,when , afier thelapse of nearly thirty years, he

” W in the same city the m rlasfing Gospelof

M et. Several, when he preached there in 1899,

hang around the pulpit, who , calling to remembrance

the b u ner timee, recogn ised in the messenger of the

M he who addressed them, now venerable with

m .them n wmmme bloom md fervour of youth,

h d m ed them, notwithouteflhcg toflee fi-om the

m thto come . Whats thrilling preeage do such in

W e afi‘

ord , of the mutn slend inconceivable joywithwhichministeu and the livingaeals ot

‘

their spoe

M ip will greet eachother in the dsy of the lfi td

M l Then shallwe apprec iate withoutidohahg,M W ot

‘

onr oonversion to God ; and theee

whilem wnedwiththe joy ond the glory of the'

mlrio

142 u n i on s or ru n

tualtriumph, willdepose alltheir honours atthe feeto f the Lamb.

’

Mr. Blechwtithfeelings of inex prwsihle tendernesstowards those whom he had thus been the means of

introducing into the ,liberty of the children of God,

commended them’

to his grace , and returned to NovaScotia, where he arrived about the last of May. Hehastened to consultwith Mr. Garrettson , who wasthen atFalmouth, concern ing the state of thework andthe bestmeans of promoting its ex tens ion and depth.

Mr. Garrettson , who had nowbeen three months in

N ova Scotia, and besides his labours atHalifax hadalready visited some of the mostimportantsettlementsin the province , was a man of deep and uniformmety,of daming zeal, and of highly usefili talents. The

afi'

ection ate veneration whichstillattaches to his me

mory in N ova Scotia, entitle him to more than a pawing notice . The spirit of prudence and zealwithwhich he entered upon this new scene of ministerial

to il, willbe seen from the following letter,written byhim to Dr. Coke shortly atier his an ival in the pro

vmos

Em u , 1786.

Rev. AND Du n S ta,

Aller a stormy and dangerous pamage of thin

teen days, we arrived safely atHalifax , where we metwith a kind reception from Mr. Marchington , and a

fewother poor sheep in the wilderness. As yetIdo

notknowas muohof the country or the state of strain

as I shortly shall, God being my helper .

A fewdays ago brother Cromwellsetsailfor Shelhurne . Brother Marchington has hired a house atten

dollars a month, thatwillcon'

tain aboutthree hundred

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

144 m moms or run

lies in my powerto promote the Redeemer’s Kingdom.

Dear Sir,“ I remain ,

Your affectionate friend and brother,F . Gaaas r r son .

”

To the Rev. Dr . Coke.

We are indebted for the preceding letter to an intea

resting memoir of Mr. Garrettson , compiled by DrBangs of N ewYork and we are sure thatthe insar

tion here of one fromMr. Wesley to Mr. Garrettson ;soon after his designation as a missionary to N ova

Scotia,willbe gratifying to our readers, especially as,while it bears honourable testimony to the charac

ter of this holy and self-denying man , it naturally interweaves withthe thread of our n arrative.

DUBLIN, June 26, 1785.

MY DEAR BROTHER ,Dr. Coke gives some accountofyou in his jour

nal, so thatalthoughIhave notseen you , I am nota

stranger to your character. By allmeans send me ,

when you have opportun ity, amore particular accountof your ex perience and travels. It is no way imprO a

bable that G od may find out a way for you to visit

England, and it may be the means of your receivingmore strength, as wellas more light. Itis a very des

s irable thing thatthe children of God should comma

n icate their ex perience to eachother and it is gene‘

rally mostprofitable when they can do itface to face.

TillProvidence Opens a way for you to see EurOpe,

do allyou can for a good master in America.

I em glad brother Cromwelland you have under

taken thatlabour of love, the visiting Nova Scotia,

“ 1am,

an . m u m BLACK. ”5

ithenog hewin domgm y be a com

ot’him : want

; but

You do notknow the

It is mththe urmw

tis a tadohorvi hou —lb0?

withallyour ai rm

Jews Wu wv.

”

146 m u on s o r run

which, through his faith and indefatigable exertionshehad obta ined, induced Mr. Wesley to request his seceptance of the superintendenee of the Methodist aocieties in the Bri tish domin ions in America" Dr. Cokemade known Mr. Wesley ’s wishes at the Con ferencewhich was held in Baltimore, May 1, 1787 ; and theyreceived the un an imous sanction of that body. But

from further in formati on elicited on the subject intheir subsequen t deliberations, they deemed it inea

pedientfinally to confirm. the appoin tmen t, and dasignated Mr. Garrettson to preside in the Pen insu la.

This alteration took place without Mr. Garrettson ’s

concurrence, and contrary to the antieipstions . withwhich he, a fewdays previous , lefi the Confenence.

to pmpare for his importan t miss ion .

To no one was th is in terference wi th Mr. Wes ley ’splan a source of deeper regret than toMr. Black . He

had for two years witnem d Mr. Garrettson ’s fai th,

manner of l ife, chari ty, with sen timen ts of growingesteem, and instead of regarding him as a rival , te

joiced in the honour that God had putupon him, and

in the prospect of his sti ll higher elevation in con nection with Methodism in Bri tish America. In a le tterdated Cornwal lis , March 10, addressed, itis believed ,to Dr. Coke—for the inscription is wan ting—ex premJly for the purpose of procuring the sanction of the

Amesican Conference to Mr. Wesley’s appo intmam

of Mr. Gamettson , he thus writes Brother Garrettson has been a great blessing to na in this province .

The hearts of the preachers and people aremore thanever un ited to him ; and we believe that were he toreturn to us he would be more ex tens ively useful thanheretofore for the ears of the people are more thanever open to hear his message. He is better ac»

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

148 hummus or 7 33 .

ed for their souls in the prospect of his finalaccount.

Though written in 1786, it isM inedmore appropriateto in troduce it in this connection .

To the MethodistSociety atOmnberlemd .

Hau n x , Aug. 15, 1786.

Mr Du n Bas rflans .m o s n ns,

What a necessary caution is that of the apostleRom. x ii : 2.

‘Be notconformed to thisworld .

’ Thereseems , atthe present day, to be a sad deelension

amongst professo rs in general— little of the l ife and

power of religion is to be found. Yes though theworld swarms with professors , I fear there are but

fewwho love the Lord Jesus Christ in sinceri ty. Howman ifestly do those, of whomwe would fain entertainthe most favourable opinion , live beneath their pri vileges , and even wound , by their unwatchful conversation , the bestcause in the world. The declension thathas of late been so visible amongst as is easily accoun ted for —There is too much conformity to the worldin its spirit—maxims—and amusemen ts.

“ 1. We have drank deeply into the spirit of the

world . Religion , 1gran t, does nothinder us from be

ing di ligen t in business. But then , i t moderates our

attachment to the things of time. It raises our afi '

ee

tions to a better state. There is such a thing as goingthrough all the cares an d duties of life with a sin glereference to God’s glory ; and when i t is thus, we en v

joy the most in timate un ion and commun ion with HimButalas who and where are the fai thful fewwhoseeye being single , have their whole souls filled with .

m t wmnu x su es . 149

offi ewofld reigns in proand though it is less eonltoccnpies theirhearts

12. ves cistemsthat mfie we hve m th

eWt

_

Al

‘

;_‘

vl

v

. H

1 .

I

G in A. l

)e 1

. K{

r

.1/

“

a

1" ci .

LII

i2

f i f pa .Id, - 3 Jr y

-Q.

l50 m oms or was

Lastly . The M M ! and diversion) of thrworld have insinua ted them elves quite too much hmour afi

‘

ections. What commun ion can that man havewith God who delights in the empty, vain , ibolisheon.

versation and amusemen ts of the world ? Iadmit,religion does not require us to abstain from allcon

nection with worldly persons , for then , as the apostle

says, wemustgo outof theworld ; but it does requireus to be holy, harmless, tmdefiled and separate froms inners. In this sense it enjoins, ‘Tonchnot—tasten ot—handle not

? What con cord hath Christ withBel ial, l ight with darkness, or he that believeth withan infidel No— itis impowible for a man to followthe amusemen ts of the world, or relish its companyand conversation , and grew in grace . Rather, hewillesteem the sa ints the ex cellen t ones of the earth , and

in them will be allbk delight . .

“ So far as the spirit, maxims, and amnsementaot'

the world have any share in our afi'

ections, so far the

Spirit of Gad is quen ched, the comforts of religionare withdrawn—the peace of our minds disturbedour eviden ces beclouded—our confiden ce weakenedour unbelief strengthened—our corruptions nour ished—onr profession dishonoured— religion woundedaainmgrieved—devils gladdened—while unwary soulsstumble- perhaps into everlasting burn ings“O bre thren I long much to hear howthe Gospelprospers with you and in you. I have (blessed be thename of the Lord)ex perienced much of his kindnesssince I came here. Jeans seems lovely . I can say , itis good to be here. Thars is , Itrnst, a prospect of

’

mneh good heing done. Several are umler deepawaken ings. One or two profess to have found the

Lord since Icame here. Our congregations arelarger

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

CHAP TE R V II.

M os u l. m u s—sm r e or m m socm 'rms AFTER '

MR . BLACK ’S RETURN raom rm: UNITED s

'n '

r n s- i

n evxvu . n n i mm x—conveasxos AND CHARACrs a or A. ANDERSON , A.H.

—LETTER TO me . wasLEY—MR . wasLsr ’s ANSWER—LETTERS TO ma .

em as r r son ~ rmsr ms-r a xc

'r couraaas oa i s N O

V A scor n —n svxvan AT n oa'r os—u m atena s r

rs c'r s or As rm om sm sm—as rou n on or sm r

N om sm sM—smarrm t. LETTERS 3— 10 LAWYER.

t ros—m mama CRANB—TO J . N . smu mon ,

n sq .

U saron ss ss is the on ly material of immortal fame ,

The admired achievemen ts ofthe warrior -the sp lendid retinue of gorgeous epithets that emblaz on the

n ames of statesmen—and the en vied garland thatdecorates the brow of genius, are often the precursors ofeverlasting shame and con tempt but they that arewise shall shine as the firmament, and they that turnmany to righteousness, as the stars for ever an d ever.

”

Among these, the faithful min ister of .

the Lord JesusChrist, though entirely unknown to worldly fame, willappear with distinguished and unfading lustre . Hisdeeds, though witnessed with emotions of thri ll ing iatersatby angels, may be despised or forgotten by men ;and while of a nature the most substan tially estimable,they may be susceptible of little embellishment No r

u z x otas, &c .. 153

indeed, do they reqnire it. The life of snchm individual deri ves its chief interest from its exhibi tion of

miniaterialfidelity and mccess ; and the bestdelinea

tion of these is notthe pompons declamatioa ofenlogy ,

huta sober statemen t of fsets . W e shalltherefore be

ex cused i‘

or being so oopious in our ex tracts fi om Mr .

Black ’s Journal and corresponden ce, aswe eouldhwo

other way so advan tageous ly ei ther portray his cha

rwter, or consnltthe profitof the reader.

We have already stated that Mr. Black , on his reo

tarn fi 'om the United Stam jhnnd the sooieties mfo

“ 3600p under the paucity of the mesns ofgrace .

We immediately find him, wi th a celeri ty that gi vehim a speeies ot

‘uhiquityr makiog a circuitagain and

again ot’

ahnost the en tire province. The followingextracts fi'

om his Jonmalwill eoavey an idea of his

labmua atthis time“8nnday, July 8d , L786, Ipreaohed atMr. Scott‘s ,“Kindsor” twice. Ou Monday ! rode to Horton and

W atmday at Granville, and Sanday atAn

.apolis wd Granville . But at none of those plaou

m fi e peopio nearly so lively as tbey onee were .

“l‘mm Annapolis lwent to Digby. Many here

m d m h enm Ileihin soeiety abont seven

q -d ght, ot’

whommn y-six were blaoks. Afier spend

ing o aborttime withthem, lo

remrned to Halifax , vi

154 m oms or ta x

tended them almost every day. One of tbem, I trust,t’

onnd peace with God the Sunday before his ex emtion the other died in great distress, calling for merey. After they were thrown oh

’

, I addressed a fewweeds of ex hortation to the people.

In this mon th he visi ted , besides other parts, Liverpool and Shelburne ; in both of which he sawthe graceof God, and was glad. In the latter , especially , thecause was l ifting up its head.

“Many,” he wri tes,“are enquiring,

‘What must I do to be saved and

many are rejoicing in God . I spen t on ly one Sun dayhere ; we held a love-feast, in which one or two wereblessedwiththe mace of God. There is nowa cheer

ing prospect of mach good being done here . Sincebro ther Garrettson same they have had a blessed revival. When Iwes here in Apri l, 1784, there were twohundred and eighteen in society. When brother Cromwell came , he found about one hundred and twen ty,some having returned to the world , and others remov

ed. They are now increased to two hundred and

twen ty.”

Afier spending the winter on the Cumberland eircuit, uncheered by those won ted indication s of see

em , without which he could notfee l satisfied, bntstillwi th the conviction that his labours were not in vainin the Lord, he removed in the spring to Halifax s

Fresh trials of fi ithand patience awaited him. The

l ittle society which he had leftin the metropolis in thefi ll,was nowscattered , and altnest destwyed . He itnmediately tbrmed a class ot

'

as many of them as feita

des ire to speak one with another on the things of GodA fewwere , soon after , savhigly converted and addedto their number. The clouds nowbegan to break , andthe San of righteousness to irradiate his path. la the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

166 m om or r s :

his Savionr is ot iflgc, died as be had lived, feehngand proclaiming that

“Goo ts Loya l’"

Wellknowing that information concerning the pro

gress of the cause of God in Nova Seotia was at all

inte lligence he had now to commun icate in referen ceto Halifax could not fai l to afford him the most an imated satisfactio n , Mr. Black wrote him as follows

HALIPA‘

X , Aug. 7 , 1786.

Rev. u rn Van Den Slit,

Since I came to Halifax , which is nowbetweentwo and three months, I have enjoyed some very eom o

fortahle and refre shing times. When I came , Ifoundthe li ttle society I had lefi here in the fall, almost allscattered. They had had but l ittle preaching duringthe win ter, for it was not in our power to supply allthe places .

When I came down and found scarce ly any society that wet, it grieved me much . For some time veryfewatten®d p1eaching. However, I trust God hasagain begun to work . O ne or two have ex periencedremission of sins . Yesterday, several were crying inthe bitterness of their souls, groan ing for redempti on .

Itrust the Lord will soon de liver them. Our congre

gations also increase fast. Last n ight, the room wasnearly full . I do hope God is a bont to begin a goodwork among na. W e have nowthirty

vtwo in society.There has been a blessedwork at Liverpool, the

last winter, under bro therMann . This spring he wen tup the coun try as far asWindsor and Cornwal lis, and

Mr . Anderson , just before he died, in addreu ing his commtnouneed these wordswithdeep einphu is.

n v. m u n : m et . 15?

.1

'

71”

he received the perfect love of GodI do myself som times feel longing

j"

1: ahea this blessing. Butoh l the selfand pride,the oorrnption and nnbeliet

’

, Iieelwithin l- thars is sM am , a greatdeep. O Lord, amm me of mino

l 0 the stirrinp of uv ThimitE,I fear,

that pleases me so tench when I have 1 on li

hauy in speaking, and em shame when I havenot

that liberty , although perhaps I havegood having been done in this case than in the form r

One time in particular, before speaking, IM mhled ,wery limb—my knees smote one agaiastm otheb

every one I thought must see the hymn -hook a 2,

my hands, md I was sorely tempted not toall, till I m atlast brought to this 11. 11n—‘Well ,and what if the Lord should shut up my mouth, andcon found M ore them , still I wil l atwmptto speak ;this also naay peeve a blaming to me , and Iwill praisehim for it. ’ Butnever did Itrust him and was eon

fountled . 0 fer fai th to trus t him for full salvatien

But I urn 11 . cold and easy without it. 0 may for

who I me formerly belonged to them isty in

Cromwe ll is atWindmr, brother Garrettson at Shel»

Livm l. The other

I em infom d thatansas he was re

158 m on o or m

sleptnooe all n ight, but remains in m fiah pmhmo

oione of the wrethof God. A few minutes ugo anothetcome to me inquiring the way to Zion . There are aeo

rioul immeasions on the minds ofmany. Ihope theseare butthe prelude to a fumrework. My dearFather,

Your Son in the Gospel ,Wu mam Bu ox .

”

Rev. J. Wa ley, .d, M .

We subjoin the answer which the preceding latte:

elicited in which Mr. Wesley refers to the steadyprogression by which the work of God had been, fi n

many years, distinguished in Great Bri tain and Ireland,and encourages Mr. Black to pray for and ex 13ectmerely occasional times of refreshing fi'

om on high ,buta con tinuous effus ion of divine influence

Lon non , Nov. 26, 1MMv Den tBaorm n ,

It is indeed matter of joy that our Lord is stillcarrying on his work throughout Great Britain and

Ireland. In the time of Dr. Jonathan Edwards themwere several gracious showers in New England but

there were large intermissions between one and ano

ther ; whereas with us there has been no in termimiom

at allfor seven 4 nd-forty years, butthe work of Godhas been con tinually increasing.

“The same thiog I em in hopes you will nowsee

in America l ikewise . See thatyou expect it, and that

you seek it in his appoin tedways, name ly, withflating and unin termi tted prayer. And take care that yoube notatall discouraged though you should not al

ways have an immediate answer. You know‘Hhm and hia time m beot.’

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

160 m en us or m

was not to me personally, itwas to my other self u bewill answer it. She often says she longs to see you ,

and a prewes great love and regard for you, thoughknown to her only by your letters. It gives me muchpleasure to hear ofthe prospect atBarrington . I trustthe Lord wil l ride prospemusly to the conquest of hisen emies there and lcannot buthope thatHis majestywill he made known atHalifax , and sueha fire kindled

u allthe powers of darkness willnot be able to e;

tinguish.—As to myself, I think atpresentIhave many

mercies and butfew trials butwhat arise from my ownheart. 0 for thmkfuln ess md humility ! I trust I dolove the Lord, and feelin a measure happy in him ;

I think I can say,‘He hathdone allthingswell,

’and

Aflictiom from his soveteign hood

Are blessings in disguise!

Help me to praise Him. I think , were not myheart so deeply ungrateful , I might praise him

Frommore tillooon ,—from noon to (levy eve.

’

Butalas what foul ingratitude I feel You can

scarcely imagine what a heap of con tradictions Iem .

Sometimes , were you to hear me preach, you wo uldsuppose I was so taken up with the beauty of Jesus,that I could never live atsuch a distance from him an

I do , or in an hour’s time lose s ight of his charmBrother l pray for me, an unfaithful servan t. O thatGod would destroy all d o in me. I find selfwmfldmingle with and spoilallI do . It follows me to thepulpit—to the closet, and even to the wri ting-deak.Yes Ifind it this moment endeavouring to rise evenby its degradation . But I fear I feel comparati velyvery little of the corruption that is yet laten t in m

m . m u m m et. 161

tion ! lMitootow ing thotIshould be prood who

Yours, &e . u .

t u m Beau .

"

mi lese to cultivate the com pondooee of one, of

q piiniion. he

‘fk’ i

'fl o an otherW to the ”m ho

noumdm m of the In n ! Jews, a M days semqm te the dete ot

’

the above , in wh’mhhe reqoem

mM ithi in tempting thmn—md'

2 prim direetiom for thm who weSif

-w; request he-

111.1pamwwith hmmletimt to the glorious priv iloga of tfi

“

a

162 m oms or rue

in terest and profit the reader Our privileges as

Christians, even in the present world, are inex preasi

bly great. Perhaps they may all be included in thefollowing particulars —1. A wel l grounded hope andcomfortable assurance of our in terestin Christ, whic himplies the knowledge of our pardon , acceptance, andadoption in to the family of God, witnessed by theSpirit of God. Wis have received the Spirit of God ,that we might know the things that are freely given tona of God . 0 my brother what a privilege is this ,to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge2. Commun ion with God in his ordinances. Theseare wells of salvation whence we draw allour consolation . And 0 what happiness do we derive throughfaith, from the word of God—public and privateprayer—watching and fasting—meditation and Christian converse. When the Lord shines upon any of

these , the wilderness and the solitary place is gladdened, —the desert rejoices and blossoms as the rose ,the beauty of Carmel and Sharon are given un to it,streams of grace and love, which make glad the cityof God , issue from beneath the altar of burnt offeringand incense, to refresh our souls. Butalas whatcause have Ito mourn that my commun ion is so oftenin tercepted, my comforts so transien t, and my attainmen ts so small . I would on ly men tion one thingmore namely, the unshaken confidence we are calledto repose in the wisdom, goodness, power and fa i thfulness of God, in allhis providen tial disposals. N or

is i t one of the least privileges the Christian enjoys ,to know assuredly that allthings shall work togetherfor his good. While unerring wisdom is atthe he lmof affairs, and overru les the minutest occurrenceswhile irresistible power with its matchless arm is en

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

IN m uon s or run

poin ted to the Halifax circuit which , besides the town ,then embraced Annapo lis, Granville, Digby, HortonandWindsor—a field of sufficient amplitude for tholabours of eight or ten . We had some very happytimes,” saysMr. Black, duringthewin ter, especiallyat Horton , where there was a powerful awaken ingamong the people. Fifteen witnessed a good confossion and I doubt not butmore would have found thelove of God, had it notbeen for the great oppositionthey rece ived fromthe An tinomian Mystics. In Halifax town ; several were under great distress, yetI knowof none, who were on this occasion setat liberty, ex o

cepting Margaret McKenz ie1 She had heard a greatdealsaid against the Methodists and was determinedas she passed the meeting one day, for once to go and

hear for herself. Ihappened to be ex pounding the

Lord ’s prayer. The word reached her heart ; she wasconvinced of her fallen state, and of the necessity ofthe new b irth. Though ex posed to great oppositionand persecution , she restlessly sought after God, unti lshe found redembtion in Jesus’ blood and is now a

pious humble Christian .

”

Those errors in religion which are distingu ished bythe epithet of d ntinomian ,might, with equal pmpriety,be designated anti- evangelical. The divine dispensao

tions are intimately connected, and in perfect harmonywhatever, therefore, degrades the lawof God, equal lyobscures the pure glories of the Gospel of God. Incorrect views of the one , are incompatible with just apprehensions of the other. The revelation of God inen tire ; and evils of a far deeper aspect than merespeculative delusion , are often the result of its muti lation . The perfect innocence of men tal error, is iadeed a topic upon which pretenders to unbounded

m . wu tu u au c x . 165

charity and liberality, delight to expatiate . Opin ions,nay they , are but opin ions, and practically of triv ialimportance .

‘We look notat the creed , but at the

M ’ Indeed ! And may we he permitted withallbe

eomingdefe rence to ask these persons, whose expandedn inth have swollen beyond the measure of the shac

kles of bigotry,’ Do men gather grapes of thorns,

at653 of thistlea By what species of logic do they

p ave that there subsis t: no connection between the

en d aod the life ? We had auppoeed thatthe truths

of Revelation were notmatters of human opini on , buttheta divinely attested, demanding ‘ the obedience of

M ’as imperati vely as its moral precepts do righte

m m oflifg andwe aneweak enoughto imagine that,apart from the in trinsic value of truth , and pre-emi

nently offline truth. itex ercises themoetmomentousi nfluence upon the formation of our character, and

consequently upon our eternal destiny. There are notm t

'

mg , indeedmocumulated evidenoeo that such is theb et. Whatu ronger practicaldenmnatration ianeededof the vastimportance to be attached to religioua eentiman ta, than the ir indisputable tendency , according totheir obliquity orrectitude, to impede or to advance theM d God ? In almostevery instance of a remarkable outpour ing of theHoly Spirit, recorded in the preeefi ng pages, we have seen the enemy endeavourhg to render "

the good need” as unproductive us

M hle, by sowing among itthe tarea of false doctrine—cnd we regret to say with ominous success. It is

”M y obvious , thatwhen errors in religious belief,tk t, by superseding the obliga tions, ann ihilate tho

n netions of the law under which allhelievero aro

glaced to Christ, are imbibed and ma intained as

“ tint pu u of “tho t'

alth oneo delivered to tho

166 num oxas or run

sain ts ,” the practical consequences must be most dioastrous. During the period of an overwhelming visic

tation of the power of the Holy Spirit, the legi tima teinfluence of such vain specu lations’ may be in a greatdegree suppressed , because the mind, swept along bya subl ime and unwanted influence , has ‘ then nei ther

time nor inclination to think of ought butthe absorbing in terests of etern ity. The germ of evil, bowomthough laten t for a time, is deposi ted in soil too can

gen ialwith its unhallowed nature, and wi ll , infallib ly,in many instances, soon develops itself in varin a

‘

s

forms of iniquity, and in direct and determined hoetility to that sacred cause, in favour of which, professedly, its zeal turns, and its energies are putForth.In consequence of the extentto which errors of thisdescription infested many parts of Nova Scotia, atanearly peri od of its se ttlemen t, Mr. Black was, fimn

the commencemen t of his course, obliged to be con »

stantly in armour for the defence of the Gospel. Andhis in timate acquaintance with the or igin and pro

gress of those errors, as well as the frequent occasionshe had to mourn overtheir withering efi ’eets, eminemly qualified him for th is work. To Mr. Garrettson ,his valued colleague, who had notbeen accustomed tothis species of delusion , it presented a novel and myaterious aspect ; and he requeswd Mr. Black to favourhim with his views on the subject, i n an argumenu tive

form. This Mr. Black did in the following letter

To the Rev. F. Garremon—Horton .

Hm u x , Feb. 14th, 1787 .

Rev. u mDu n Baorasa ,“Accordingto yenr desire andmy promise, I now

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

168 u moxas or m e

2. It is vehemen tly contended that neither repent:

ance nor prayer precedes the newbirth .

’ This a lso iscon trary to the Scriptures.

—With regard to repeatonce, John the Baptist thus openshis mission , Repeat

ye, for the k ingdom oi'

heaven is athand ;’and our

Lord began to preach in the same words. Matt. i v : 17.The Apostles proclaim the same doctrine Repen tand be converted that your sins may be blotted out)N owhere repen tan ce is putbefore forgiveness . Simon MagtJS was exhorted to repen t. Acts viiiGod commandeth allmen every where to repent.

’

Acts xvi i 30. Paul showed to both Jews and Gen tilesthat they should repent, and do worksmeet for repentance . Acts. x x i 20. But enough of this .

- In

relation to prayer , i t may be observed,—Somewello

mean ing people, apprehensive lest sinners shou ld putprayer in the place of the Saviour, have gone veryunscriptural lengths ; and sometimes from the pulpithave said more againstpraying than against swear ing.No uncon verted man , ’ say they, ought to pray itkeeps him from Christ, and he will never be con vertedti ll he leaves off praying.

’ I em really of opin ion thatmany of those who speak thus, wish well to the causeof re l igion and seeing many rest in the bare form of

prayer, and building on their self-righteonsness, were.in order to avoid this rock, before theywere aware,led in to serious error and instead of oppos ing the

abuse, have inveighed against them e of a precious or.

dinance of God. This clearly appearsflows the na

ture of prayer . Prayer is the desire of the heart madeknown to God, either mentally or by words. Havin gofl‘ered th is short defin ition of prayer, I ask , can a

man who sees himself under the curse of a broken law,

and fieeh thewrathof God abiding on him, ean hehelp

m . m am a t OK. IQ

‘Who shand ehver me -i Load save or IWould it be his duty to suppress ouch

the fi vour ot’

God

of his oouhles

the

‘ Jum thw Son of Daf id han

170 m u o ns or run

morial beforeGod . These, among many other ewsideratim , evince that it is the duty of allwho desireto he found of God m peace , by prayer and supphca

unto him.

3. An extremely dangerous notion has of latebeen received by many , respecting sin in believers.

Those born of God are said to be dcad unto ain and

alive unto God. They are no longer slaves unto sinthat they should obey it in the lusts thereof, butmcreature: in Christ Jesus. But we are told that trueFaith may notonly existwithoutgood works , but thatit may consistwitltthe moatdiabolicalworks of dm

'k

neu—that a man may he a drunkard, an adulterer ,and even a murderer, withou t forfei ting his titleto thefavour of God. One to ld me, the other day, that ifhe were to live in the forementioued vices, from thatday till the day of his death, his ti tle to heaven wou ldrema in secure, nor would ba be 9. whit the less a chi ldof God , than when walking in the obedience of love .

It is true, ’ said he, ‘ I do notwish to do ao . If lwere ,i t would becloud my evidences.

’ Yes , replied I, and

forfeit your ti tle too ; ibr faith without works is

dead, and ‘when the righteous man turneth awayfrom his righteousness, and commi tteth in iquity, and

d ieth'

in them ; for his in iquity that he hath done emuhe die. Al l his righteousness that he hath don e shallnotbe men tioned in his trespass that he hath tres

paseed , and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them

shall he die.

’ But it is vain to reason with such per»

sons. Press them with the Law, and they cry‘Moses

is dead—we have nothing to do with the law.

’ Havethey forgotten whatour Lord says, or do they thinkhim as blind and legal as a MethodisL Think not'

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

I7? mmom or m

God ’s own hem q hathis sonlmightnem sin aflthattime.

’ To provt em-oducod the oase ofm

Thatnoble testlmony eeneeming David , they fiosget,was not given when he was oovered withthe guiltofunclean

’

ness aud blood. Nor can they ever pmve that

David was ‘a man afier God’s own heart’ when he

perpenn ted those evildeeds, unless they can malte it

appear that the holy God deligbmin murder and adultery ; thatbe forbad David to do the thing he willedhe shonld do ; that he reproved him for fulfilling his

will and thathe punished himseverely , inwardly andoutwardly, in his person and in his family, thr eoeomplishing his willaad pleasnre .

“Afier all, I cannot but fonn a favourahle jaag~

mem ot'

manywho hold these unseripturalétenets. I

believemany of themwould shudder atthe thoughtofreduc ing them to praetioe. Many of them, I doub tnot, are reallovers ot

‘

Jesus. Idesire always to dis»

tinguish betWeen a man and his opinions. You may

Wa nn er Bu c x .

”

While Mr. Black lost no opportun ity of offeringthe most effectualcountefi ctiffi in his power, to thoseforms of error that prevailed around him, and in his

personal‘

ex ertions tbr the good of his people, com

bined in an eminentdegree the assiduity of the pastor

withthe sealof the preacher, his pen was ofien em

played as the medium of afi cfionate and faithfulcommun ication withindividuals in whose salvation he

w . W su es . 113

any ohjoetot'

puhlic utility, connectadwiththe ehureh,is aetm fwh as the erecfion or enlargementot’ aplace ot

' wouhipmr themorem eetablemaintenanceof the minisc y ea ahhshed among tbenn they am ofi

ten among the mostactive ip promoting it; and theirhandoome contributions not unfroqm dy ahame the

m rdly dolings of some members ot’

the choseh,

whme paraimonious hearts the love of Christ even ,cannotteaohto devise liberalthings. Yetthey wantre ligious decision . Sucheharactem awaken a tender

sympathy in the boaom of the grateful min ister : hecan not but earnestly wishand devoutly pray thattheywere notooly almost but al together ma naded to be

hob!and ben ignan t solic itude —The firstis to Lawyer

174 m om or m

ragememmnd the sx perience of lns people tu tifia its

Himself. Butwhat shallwe M ?how shallweM ?M shallwe seek f andwhtn shallwe seeh?“ l. Wkatshallwe seek ? Were wot'ldly men to

answer this qnesfi on , theywould say,‘8eek a large

dance of richee.

’ It'

men of pleasuref-fi Seek rioh

panions , Soc . &c .

’ If men of honor—‘ Beek earthly

glorya - illnstrious titlesa -sounding names—nor be satis

fied tilleyery Mordecai bows to you atthe gate, and

you have secured notonly the title of honoumble and

rightW M , butif pod ble thatofm ereign ino

jorly . But I point you to a more subsmmialgoed,namely, the alln §flioimt00d.

‘ Seeltye me ; and ye

shalllitje’

(Amos. iv : We mustseelthis faeu r.

—Itwas the folly of the Jews that they sought the l'

a

vour

'

and honour of'men mm than the favour and

honour of God. Therefore Christ said to tbem,

How can ye believe who rece ive honour one of an

other , and seek notthe honour thatcomethfi '

om God

on ly. ’ In his favour,’ says David, is life.

’ Happyindeed are theywho are the objects ot

'

tlre divine tavour, who are m emes! in the Beloved, whose sins areall forgiven , and who are savingly in terested in theblood «1m Christ.“We must seek his W L—‘ Lean not to your

own nnderstauding, bnttrust in the LoM.

° Saywiththe pmlmist, Lord,wbat I know not, teach thoume .

’

O make his testimonies the man of your counsel .Pray that he would open to you tbe ~mysteries of his

word , mid loose foryou its seals. N onee an teachlfltethe Spirito f God.

‘Wo n nto them that take counsel ,

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

176 n ames or ran

Buthowshallwe seek ?Notm a y.- ‘Mauy shall

‘ Not every one thatsai th unto me, Lond, Lord , shallen ter in to the kingdom ot

‘

heaven ; buthe thatdoeth

the will ofmy father who is in heaven .

’ N otoceett'

on

t .—The reason why manywho seek do notfind him

is , because they onlywelt now and then . Sometimes

while hearing or reading the word they are affected ;

soon van ish away ; for wan t of a deeper and moreab iding conviction , their resolutions are soon forgoto

ten ; and they remain wi thout hem, and withoutGod

in the world. Not seIf-rt'

ghteomly. If a man stri ve,

yet is he notcrowned un less he strive lawfiully. Ia

rnel, which followed after the lawof righteousness,hath notattain ed to the lawof righteousness. Wherefore Because they so ught it, notby faith , but as itwere by the works of the law. For they being ignoran t of God’s righteousness, and going about to establ ish their own righteousness, have notsubmi tted thmselves un to the righteousness of God) 0 S ir l bringnothing with you to procure the favour of God . It isreceived by faith, without money and wi thout price .

Plead noth ing but the blood of Jesus Christ, as themeritorious ground ofjustifioation .

Seek the Lord fervently.—Let allthe powen of

your soul cry outafter God , and you shall surely findhim. 0 strive, that is, agoniz e to enter in atthe strait

gate. He 18 the rewarder of allthat di ligen tly seekhim. Comtantly.

—Letnot a momen t pass in whicha courier is notsen t wi th a memorialto the throne of

grace . Jesus ‘spake a parnble to this end, thatmen

ought always to pray, and notto fain t.’ 0 never cease

to cry tillthe Lord in meroy reveals his Son in your

u m. m u m m in . 177

delim your soul. ‘ Shall notelecg who ory day and nightuntounto you , He will avenge thetn

O liftup the lightot‘

ause thy fi ce te ahine

O mmemher theword

thou han oaused me to trust. Lord, Ibethou mine unbelief. ’

‘ Withthee allnightlm to stay.And wrestle tillthe brettof day

'.

my sheet is exhausted .

“ I amO with great sincerity.

Your Servantfor Christ ’ coho,“Wa nn a Bases .

”

178 m amas or rm :

To Major Crane, qfHorton.

HALIFAX , Feb . 19th, 1787.

Den t Sta ,Your’s I received. Mr. Anderson will wri te to

your brother , and send the piece youmen tion . I thank

you for proposiog such a thing. Do allyou can tospread them. 0 , Mr. Crane, malts sure of heaven.

By no means rest ti ll you find rest in Christ Jesus.

Refuse allcomfort ti ll he himself comfort you. liongto hear of your being brought in to the liberty of the

chi ldren ol’

God . Your kindness to us as ministem ot'

Jesus Christ, and the respect you man ifest for th

Gospel , na turally make us care for , and esteem you .

Butone thing is stillwan ting, which is, m mthe hope of glory. This, Sir, would crown all; and

onr joy in this respectwould be fulL- To see you re

joining in the love of Jesus ; going in and out beforethe peeple in the spiritand power of Jesun Christ.

“ Speaking o f m agistratm , the psalm ist says, ‘ I

have said, Ye are Gods , ’ that is , Ye are God’s tve

pmsentatives, Ye have received a delegated powerfrom God ; and in his name and spirit, ye ought toact. Magistrates, as min ister : ofjustice, and preachers of the Gospel , as min isters of mercy, ought to heas guardian angels, watching over the ci viland re li

gious in terests of the people . As our stations are

more eminent, and our influence '

greater in proportion ,

our lives ought to be more holy. What a blessingyou might be to those around you, were you rich in

grace , and a bright ex ample of divine love Frommy last visit, Icannotbut think , God has done, andis aboutto do greatthings for Horton. O , may Jesns

ride on t‘

mm conquering to conquer l Thu s here are

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

180 m oms or re:

Crane . He then tesided atHorton ; and afierwaulsgfor many years previous to his death, atPom boro. ’

While memory con tinues to perform its (flee, or the

las t spark ot'

gratitude remains unextinguished in hisbreast, the compiler of these pages can never forgetthe parental kindness ofMr. andMrs. Shannon , whenin the seventeenthyear ofhis age , he laboured on the

Parrsboro ’ circuit. And he t’

eels a moumfuland cwscious pleasure, atthe distance ot

’

near as many moreyears since that period, while they are slumba ing in

the grave, to record this gratefultribute to the memoryot

‘

departed ex cellenoe. The end ot‘

bothwas peaoeMr. Shannon was naturally ot

‘

a very dtfi dentmind

prone to look athis own heatt, till humiliation degeaerated in to deapondenee. In consequence, althoughhe conmmly walked in thefeer of God , he seldotn

enjoyed a large share of the wmfofl of tbc HolyGhost. This pecul iari ty, from which he was the

greatest sufferer,was rather constitutional than moral.From the commencemen t of his religious course, itwould seem fromMr. Black ’s letter, he was temptedto dejection , fi'

om a humiliating es timate of his sparlo

tual deficiencies

Hm ru , Feb. uth, 1787.

Dean Fates»,

Icannotbuthope the Lord is about to revealhimself to you . Iam glad thatyou are in some meao

sure sensihle of the corruption of your heart, and ol'

the danger ot’

settling down in the barefom Ot’

religion

withoutthe power. Ithas been the ruin of thousands

to do so. Heaven forbid it should ever be yours. If

you t'

eelthe corruption and hardness ol'

your heart sburden to you, letnotthat discourage you, butrather

CHAP TE R V lll.

n u. nu c x’s comm on s , ma . GARRETTSON , Lu n a

y on scoru —con vnn sxon or AN n s oc xoos sut

u m— n n . con : APPOINTED TO vxsir n on ScOTlA—r

Lu r es m omm mDR .— LETTER m omms . west.“

—ma . nu cx warm s ms . WESLEY— THE n nvm ’s

coo n sm, TO m a CHILDREN, m m esmovs m onoc

n on— ssmoo s n nmexon pn oe n nssxvs m HALIFAX- nm . nm c x

’s con su n r REGARD, u m ) m e u

noun s, TO rm: su n or m s OWN nm n'r— Ammm

vs n sxous on A sn nmon— ns sr wu or op posme

n n r nn on o x TEACHERS—LETTER 1 0 JOHN nu c x ,

nse. on m a BEGINNING r o p sm cn—m s 1:1; a

LENT CHARACTER—v-LETTER To mx . GRANDINE on

x m na —sscon o n on scor n con rs n z n c z

HEMORABLE REVIVAL IN VlBGINlA—LETTER TO T3 .

SOCIETY IN HALIFAX .

Ou the firstof April 1787, Mr. Garrettson sailed forBoston , in order to attend the ensuing Conference at

Baltimore, undecided whether he should subsequen tlyreturn to Nova Scotia, or not. Mr. Black felt deeply

in parting with a colleague, whom he so highlyesteemed , notmerely on accoun t of the persona l pleasure and benefithe had derived from his friendship,butfrom an apprehension of the serious loss the causeof God was likely to sustain from his absence. Tho

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

184 n ames or rm:

ground. ButGod has n owrestrainedhis enemies» Heappears a wonder, yes a mirac le, to allwho are ac

quainted with him in the regimen t. The Lord pre

serve him hlameless to the day of his comingThe growing importance of Nova Scotia as a pro

mix ing field for evange lical en terprise had of late moreespecially engaged Mr. Wesley ’s atten tion and in

aooouiance with Mr. Black’s request, Dr. Coke , whohad Yes some time ac ted as the ambassador ofMethodiem abroad , while its venerable founder laboured withun tiring energy in the domestic departmen t, was ap

pointed to visitthe provinoe, and afi'

ord Mr. Black the

advantage of his counsel and influence in pren oting the stabil ity and ex tension of the work in which hehad been , and still was, the prominen t instrumen t.This arrangemen t being formed, the Dr. hastened toapprise Mr. Black of i t by the following letter

Lennon , January 5, 1786.

Mr vnsr mu s Bs or n na ,

I thank you for yourletter. Atthe latter end of

this year i hope, God wil ling, to see you. Let all

your strength be employed for God. He deserves all

you are, and allyou have. Though unknown to mostof my dear brethren in Nbva Scotia , [ do notforgetthem in my prayers. Remember me in your’s oftenand ferven tly in return . [ bless God we have a con

sidersble revival in many parts of England, and

throughout Ireland and even poor barren Scotland, begins, I trust, to na up its head. Exercisemuch pr ivate prayer, my dear brother, and the Lordwill use you much for his glory and surely there isnothing else worth living for. itis an honour to haveany thing to do in the greatwork whichGod is carry-t

m . m u m m et. m

lag on.on the fi x oi’ the earth. Givemy afi

’eotionau

love to your wife. Keep humble, and God will exal t

you. I have written to you in brother Marchington’o

letter, to save postage. ltrust you have a justvalueTo? our ex ce llen t discipl ine.

30

A mfi-iend andThomas Con .

”

Yowvery

from Englan d late in the fall and

ii m ags nearly norm the Atlantie,

to teach his place of inwnded deotientien ,

m m dri ven by unfavourable and m-=

Tus; to theWest 1ndies. Mc. WM”,whearing of the Dr. for upwards of four monthshis departm , M ame greatly eonoerned for bk

tho va n ! in which he embarked was so museumconditioned. These apprehens ions hoW in a

Lennon , Feb. so, 1787.

“M1 Dm m a,

AfterW unfortunate hindmm and M aya,Dr. Coke embarked on board a small brig, in mi

time.with s m y.shuttered vessel, on the eigh f

him or of him Ihope you have M

186 unno xss-or rm:

JohnMeGeary appears to be utterly diwoun ged 3nmon ly through thewantof suooess, butthroughwan t ofthe conveniencies, yea, necessaries of life . Truly ,“Ieould have supposed, that thosewho made me fairpromises, would have suffered a preacher to wantbread, I should have sen t him into other parts , where

Ihear very difi'

erentaccounts here of the state of

your provinces. Is there plen ty or scarci ty in NovaScotia, and NewEngland ? Howdoes it fare withHalifax and Shelhurne in particular ? Do the buildlugs and the people increase or decrease Public accounts 1cannot at all depend upon ; but upon yourword lcan depend . Peace bewithallyour spirits l

I em,

Dear Billy.Your afibotion nte friend and brother,

Jen s W x swr .

”

In the expectation and hope of theDoctor’s previousarrival , the brethren postponed their first DistrictMeeting, till the approachof wintermade itinex pedien t for them to defer it any longer. Buttheirmeet»

ing, wehave seen , had closed before he sa iled fromEngland . Great, we may we ll imagine , was theird isappoin tmen t on finding the ir cherished untid y.»

tions cntofl‘ , but their recogn i tion of the finger of

God in the matter suppressed every murmur ; and

tion . In reply to the above, Mr. Black, having in themean time received information concern ing the On ,

immediawwroteMr. Wesley on the subject, layingbefore him, at the same time. a suecinctaooountd

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

183 un i on s or ran

came into themeeting laughing butthe power of God

soon carried the word to her heart. Itwas sharperthan a two-edged sword. She went home weary and

heavy laden . This happened on Wednesday after

n oon . When n ight came, she was afraid to go to

sleep , lest she should awake in hell . All the nex tday she remained in great d istress. 0 howdreadfulwere her feelings when she sawthe sun go down—tothink another sun is setting, and I am stil l in mysins, unconverted, and out of Christ. Perhaps thiswill be the last setting sun Ishall ever see .

’ Her distress increased, becoming greater the nearer her de

l iverance approached. On Friday n ight the Lordfilled her withpeace and joy. Suchwas her agony ofmind a short time before she eXperienced salvation ,that she was deprived of her reason . But her ex

tremitywas God’s opportun ity. And then , 0 howdid

she ex ult in her Redeemer and ex hort her paren tsand allthat were in the house, to seek God, declaringwhat great things he had done forher soulAtHal ifax theWork has notadvan ced much lately.

I know of on ly one who has found the Lord since Ilast wrote.

—Our congregations are larger than ever.

0 that God would begin a powerful work here The

society still remains small. But surely so much seedis not sown in vain . To Cumberland, An napolis,Digby, and the whole province of NewBrunswick , wecan atpresen t give n o assistance, for want of Preachers. Iwish brother McGeary was here instead of

being at Newfoundland ; he would meet with a veryd ifferen t reception . W e have just got our n ewpreaching-house up. I preached in it for thefirsttimeon Easter Sunday.

n v. m u n : m et . 199

“This town is muchdivided in rehgious'

mamThere is one large EnglishChurch—one smallDutch

Cutholic Ohspel, besides a smallseciety of Quakers

Swedenhorg, tq e

ton 's com , and am atswarm of

lm , Rev. and Dear

m a x on s cv‘

tu’

the minds of them that bel ieve not” where it is , lastthe light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shineun to them,

”are objects which he keeps steadily in

view, and for the accompl ishmen t of which the rangeund comprehension of his intellect, combined with unmixed malignity , awfully qualify him. Thousandswho value themselves on their mental super iority , areduped by his artifice ; and while they boast liberty,resemble the man iac dancing in his chains. The be

nevolence of infidels ofien ex presses itse lf in whin ingcommiseratiou for those who are silly enough to creditthe word of God , and prepare to meet him. But let

them reserve their pity for themselves. Limited iadeed are the views of the Christian who is ignoran t ofthe devices by which they suffer themselves to be imposed upon—who cannot disen tangle the sophistrywhich they mistake for demonstration .

These observations have been suggested by the follmving singular and ingen ious production of Mr.

t k ’s pen , composed at the period of his l ife nowunder record , in which with the hand of a master , hoexposes the machin ations wherewith the great admn ry of soulsflatters the pride , fomen ts the unhallowcd propens ities , and fi '

eely admin isters opiates to the

consciences of sceptics and infidels, in order tha t hemay lead them captive at his will . The occas ionaland judicious use of irony for the purpose of repe llingthe assa ilan ts of our faith, or of giv ing con fideece toits adheren ts, is quite consisten t with the majesty oftruth the infidel, atallevents, has no just ground todemur, if he find himselfhumiliated by a weapon withwhich he has often vaunted his ability to rout the abmiss of the living God.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

192 usmuas or m

Jesus, be made inwardly holy, or you never can bohappy in time or in eterni ty. Butcare ye for none oftheee things. Gratify the passion: which God hath

given you. Had he not designed you should Mthem, he would nothave plan ted them in your nature :therefore fear not greatflock ! it is your Fathmgood pleasure to give you the kingdcm ; andwhes

'

ehe

i8, there shallalso his servants he. Give the rein to

allyour desires. Keep not your feet from evil ; nor

your tongue from speaking guile ; neither be in the

least terrified atyour adversaries, for n ow n no r

so n a r ow l

“ Arm yourselves , 0 my trusty servan ts , with all

me m our of du hm on the fi ghthmd , and on the

left. Puton the helme t of presumptuous hepe—thobreastplate ol

'

unrighteousness—thesword of my ow’ it.which is myword, nud ist your feet be shod withthepreparation of my Gospel. Let falsehood be the

girdle ol‘

your lo ins ; but above all, talte the shiehld'

unbelief, wherewith you may be able to quench allthefiery darts of the holy one. Attimes, 0 my children ,

you feel depress ion of spiritt—consciousness of guiltfear of death—dread oi

‘

juglgment, and terror of he ll.But 0 fear not! Drive such thoughts away thou

you ; sulfer them not to prey upon your minds, “disturb your repose. T hey will induce melancholy.and it may be, bring upon you the opprebrious name

of en thusiastsfanatic, or Methodist. Ifsuch thoughtshould at any time irresistibly obtrude themselves,and in terrupt your quiet, be advised by me, mychildren. not to resort to those cowards who havefledfrom my banners, and en listed under Emmn md ,

anv. wrtu n t su es . m

“ Meddle notwith that an tiquated book, the Bihle.

It is a legend consisting of old Jewishfables, and un

accountthle mysteries. It would fain make you belien , that, Mrec are m , and n child, themighty God.Il

'

you look into itatall, letitbe only to heguile a te

dious hour on the sabbath, when conscience will not

permit you to rend a play or a romanee. And whenyou do atany time rcad it, beware of applying any

pu tot'

itto your owu state ol'

mind, whichwould bea su re way to disturb your peace. When you meetwith cny case of unfaithfnlness in a pmfessor of re

W m onled there, mhrk the baseness of his l‘

all,

hutuke no notice ol'

his repentance . lt'

there appears

any thiug equivocalin whatyou rcad, always attachthatmenning to itwhich is mostplcashlg to thc desh.

hy ; sspeciafly Christ’3 8ermon on the Mount, snd his

dialoguewithN icodemus. Apply nllthe pmmises wyouu clves ; hut, pay no negu d to the threntcn ings.“I watn you not to attend those Meetings or

Ohumhcswhere thc ministers insistupon thc necessityoa Hgiom or the m birtb. ll

'

you hesr

any. select those dowuy doctors who prophesysm oththings to the people, and tellthem ¢llirwlllf thete be such e place as heaven, do not imaginethnt it is m y in ordm ta arrive thereflo entwinntthe un ightgate of couversicn , or to walk in a nar~

“Pun ue the hcnours and riches ot'

the world. and

thatnnhntly, resolutely, constantly—ond its plen umtoo. Thesewillhe of great service in shiekling your

194 ms n om s or run

Think not there is any harm in killing a few hours

yo'

u have long to l ive yet; it is too soon to think of

dying. What imaginable harm can there be in at

tending balls, masquerades, plays, or operas . No,N0, my sons these will divert your minds from thosemelancholy subjects—Death, Judgmen t, Hel l and

Etern ity . Is there any thing irrationa l in such innocen t amusemen ts or what if, after being involved during the day in the cares of business, you should relaxyour minds in the even ing by a game atcards. Is thisbeneath the dign ity of an in tell igen t being ? Sendround the merry glass atthe club, or quafi

'

the cheerfulbowl atthe tavern , to drive away dul l care .

Further, my children , let me counsel you to readplays, novels, histories, or any thing of that k ind thatmay come to hand, calculated to amuse the mind andd issipate allanx ious concern about a future state .

Particu larly I recommend to your atten tive perusalthe works of Voltaire, with those of Hobbs and Rochester on ly add notthe dying recantation of the last,for he turned coward when death stared him in the

face. Voltaire my servan t has done me much service .

He employed allhis sk ill and talen t in support of mycause. He shall in no wise lose his reward . Nor

you , my faithful servan ts, provided you on ly rema infaithful un to death.

If Emmanuel , my sworn enemy , knock at yourdoor,—and Iknow he wi ll— give him no admittance 5despise his word quenchhis Spiri t ; listen n ot to the.voice of his servants.

From your Royal Sovereign ,

D IABOL O S,

alias

Bu nu sus .”

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

196 MW OIBS or m

Mas ter ’s work . That z eal for the salvation of others,which is an emanation of the love of God , is never accompan ied with dimin ished solici tude for our ownThe fire which burns in our breasts cannot, we havejust cause to conclude, be from the celestial al tar, if i tdo notpurify as wel l as stimulate if in proportion tothe ardour and energy it inspires - for the immortal intercets of our fellowmen , it do notex cite us to workout our own salvation with fear and trembling .

”

Like the holy apostle in this respect, who although hewas in labours more abundan t, and stood ready atanymomen t, from the tenderness of his love to the sou lsfor whom Christ died, to pour outhis l ife as a libati onon the altar, in their service yetkept his body unde r,lest whilsthe preached the Gospel to others he shouldhimse lf he a cast-away . Mr. Black recogn ised in all

his engagements for the good of others, the necess i tyof keeping an in troverted eye fix ed upon the state of

his own heart. Amidst the excitemen ts of the workatLiverpool , he thus writes to his estimable friendMr. Alexander Anderson , to whom he could on all

occasion s unreservedly unbosom himselfz I hope ,my dear brother you do not forget me ata throneo f grace .

'

Oh brother, I stand much in need ofgraceto support me in the con test. I wrestle not withfleshand blood , but with principalities and powers ,with the rulers of the darkness of this world, withspiritual wickednesses in high places .

’ They are fo rmidable foes. Bes ides, I feel a great deal of corruption within , ready to join them. Butb lessed be Godhis grace is sufiicient. My hepe revives l

Our Captain leads us on

To conquest and a crown .

’

But how necessary , nothwithstanding , me those

u v. win trn r su c x . 197

m1 ” him that th inketh he standeth takelest he fall .—Be nothighminded , butfear.

—Letm therefore fear, leeta promise being lel

’

t na of en~

in to his met, any of you should seem to comeshortof it. ’ My supreme desire is , to know ood dothe Wi l l of God. 0 for an overcoming faith l—a

fai th that 1 the soul with love—that purifimtmhu rt—e levam the afi

’ections to thing ahove—endears

the Saviour’s blood—embraces .his bleeding crou

mouth of the devouring lion—q uenches the violenceo f theflami ng darts—and turns toflightthe armia of

the al iens . Such a faith is indeed a pricelc. jewel , ani nvaluable 0 that the God of allgmm

° maye nrichwithitmy friends and me l O how p eat om

they are to fill our souls wi th werS utiicieut

0 l maywe ever shout, tWot‘thYlasting

uh kings and pr iests to his Em l’

rule ourwhite, govern our passions , and thumbp ace, suMue our corruptions , and triumph om alil

tho powets of darhnws. Priests I May we mof

ferweep _f at sacrifices to God m anually by Villn lgi

His name iman a poured forth then fese ,

é fi fits virgins love him. His°

m ca lled Jm s

( 0 l um to ruimd, helplm . hope“m atml) for he shall save his maple fromChe. Dt tfulp w u tom belim ng heart l He

198 n su ox as or era :

Emmanuel O glorious name Well might thé‘

angel who announced his nativity say,— Behold I

bring you glad tidings of great joy . ButImust stopmy meditations have carried me much further than Iin tended.”

Ou the firstof June he resumed his labours atHalifax with revigorated z eal. A fewdays after his re

turn , a female, who had been a domestic in his familythe preceding win ter, came to him testifying her ex

perience of the love of God . She had been oftenseriously ex ercised in the course of thewinter, and at

times in great anguish of mind , but had n ot till tecently received the promise of the Saviour, My

'

peace Igive un to you notas the world giveth, give;I un to you .

’ Now the shadow of death that overhungher soul , was changed in to the l ight of the morn ing,and filled with joy unspeakable, she ex horted alltor “

praise God on her behalf.Sunday 24th,” he writes, Iwent after our own

meeting closed, to hear a Presbyterian min ister, justfrom Scotland. His tex t was, Good master, whatshallIdo to inherit eternal life The condi tions of

salvation ,’ he said, were comprised in the followingpropositionsI. Those who have .been guilty of wilfulsin must

repen t of it, and do so n o more butpractice the op

posite virtues.

’

II. W e must forgive allthat have offended us.

’

III. We must make restitution to God , to our

neighbour, and to society for the injury we have don ethem.

’

He then told the congregation that un less thesethree conditions were complied with

, no reasonab lehope ofmercy could be en tertained

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

200 mmoms or run

Voice to arouse the impen iten t— no healing unguen t topour into the u lcerated wounds of conscience—n o

purifying elemen t to wash the polluted spirit— no te

freshing influences of the Holy Ghost to solace and

sustain in l ife— n or hope blooming with immortal i ty,

to irradiate the vale of death . And without theseresources, what remains of Christian ity butthe emptyn ame

In his nex t letter to Mr. Wesley, Mr. Black wa s

naturally led to ex press his concern , that a personlikely to have so much influence , and so i ll qualified todirect the souls that looked to him for gu idance in theway to eternal life, as the min ister above referred to ,happen ed to come to Halifax ata period when a spiritof inquiry was beginn ing to be awakened in the publicmind. Mr. Wesley in reply suggests and recommendsto the adoption of him and his brethren the best method of n eutraliz ing the unhappy influence of suchteachers

NEAR BATH, Sept. 26, 1787.Mr Dem BROTHER ,

You have great reason to praise God for the

great things that he hath done, and to ex pect still

greater things than these . Your grand difficulty n ow,

will be to guard yourflock against that accompl ishedseducer. When you men tioned a person came fromScotland, I took it for gran ted that hewas a Calvin ist.

ButIfind, it is notso well . For I take a Socin ian tobe far worse than even a Predestinarian and such

,

one may easily conclude him to be from the heads of

that miserable sermon . N evertheless ladvise you and

allour preachers, never opposehimopen ly . Doing thuswould on ly give the unawakened world an advantage

u m m tnu u nu ox . Ml’

_

u

you all. I advise you am , never speakm ere ly, much less contemptuoualy of him in anymimed eompmy. Youmnstuse noweapons in opposing him, hut only those om th and Love. Your

him, or seemingwh owM any oneM denySecondly , to advise allout w <1 " thatnotih public,)never to hmr fi m atthe pefilof thmrm ls. Ana

and to mtm houe rightas eoon m pmsihle .

hien ing of God, even thm that m

N a BUM M M h thfly

u Jon g Washer .”

w heat. h is well wonhythe omofiomof thm who

who fi el it their duty N

202 m oms or ra in

symptoms of apprehens ion for its safety. Cases 801003

times indeed occur in which a differen t course is net

on lyjustifiable but imperative instances in which thepower of talent or the splendour of eloquence combineto give currency to error, and populari ty to its propagatora. Then the true min ister of Jesus should

gird himself for the con test, and unashamed of the

Gospelof Chr ist which is the power of God un to salvation to every one that believeth , fearlessly meet thearray of its an tagon ists .

Mr . Black , who in the outset ofhis rel igious career

was an imated by the speedy accession of the variousmembers of his fa mi ly to the spiri tual family of God,had nowthe addi tional satisfaction to learn that hisbrother John had begun to testify, publicly , repen tancetowards God , and fitith in our Lord Jesus Christ and

was likely to be maile a great blessing to the peopleofR iver Phil ip—the place of his residence—and the

surrounding neighbourhood . It gave me indeed,”

he says in a letter written to him on rece iv ing thisgratifying in telligen ce, no smal l satisfaction to hearo f the Lord’s very grac ious deal ings with your soul.amlthat he has also opened your mouth to speak inhis name. Pray that he may never sufi

'

er the enemyto shut i t butcovet earnestly the best gifts. I kn own otbutthe Lord may call you from the intervals: as

he did David from the ahecpfold , and Amos from the

sycamore tree. Shy n ot, This can never be . God

can do wonders. He raises the dead, andmakes eventhe dumb to speak his praise, and proclaim his pm .

Not long since I was atLiverpool , where God is tbing great things. Ten souls professed faith one night.

0 brother, go on with courage, and the Lord williacrease both your gifts and graces. I find Jesus a blessed

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

204 u n wi se or r e l.

man with Bri tish Methodist!) ceased . This, as wehave seen , was a source of great sorrow and diu p

poin tmen t to Mr. Black, emotions in which M1:Anderson and hundreds more deeply participated. In

a letter to Mr. Garre ttson more than a year ather he

had left the province , Mr. Anderson eeys We

andently long for your return to this provinoe ; and

have expected you for somehowever , the charge you have received in the UnitedStates is for the glory af God and the good of souls.

”

Butalthough in the providence ofHim whomhe serv'

ed withhis spiritin the Gospel of his Son , be was

removed to another sphere of ac tivi ty , endeared bymany early and hallowed associa tions, he did not for

get the sheep whom he had watched and fed in then orthern wildm ; the ir eternal interests lay near

his heart, and his influence in the Con ference was em~

ployed to obta in for them the min isterial help they somuch required . Atthat Conference the Rev. Messrs.

Jessop and Hickson were appoin ted to Nova Scotia.

In the following extract of a letter written by Mr.

Black to Dr. Coke, under date of June 96, 1787, te

ferenoe is made to this opportun e provis ion , and a

l ingering hepe ex prewed that the Doctor mightyethave a prosperous journey by thewillof God to cometo them Brother Jessop has arri ved atShelburnewhether brother Hickson has or not, I have notyet

learned. Our society here ( atHalifax )is more lively at presen t than I have ever kn own it. About fifi

very day brother Jessop arrived. We greatly love to

see you, and pray God to give you a prosperousjourney hither, at the t ime appoin ted. What you

n av. WJLLIA)! su es . 205

allnde to in the olose of your letter, will , Ithinlt, bebea m ed over in silen ce. I t was almost totallyefi

'

aced t‘

rom my memory, and pmbably Ishould never

ha ve thought of itagain , had notyour letter called i tto rniud. Indeed lcan scamely remember eitherwhatIeeid to Mr. GarreM on , orwithwhatlwas grieved ;there is, however, nothing now.

”

The force ofMr. Black ’s character, and the peculiarrelati on in which he stood to thework in Nova Scotia,naturally gave him a paternalinfluence over the restof the preachers, which he always employedwithwisdom md afi ction towards them, and a single eye tothe glory ol

'

God. Mr. Grandine entertainingthoughteofmarriagemommunicated his views and intentions toMr. Black with filial respect and deference, and re

qm ted his counsel in the matter. No apology willbe deemed necessary for in troducing the following extract ti'om Mr. Black’s reply, alike distinguhhed as i tis fbr pie ty and prudence —“Last fall yon desiredmy advice on a matter oi

‘

the last momen t, namely,Matr imony. But perhaps it is unnecessary fior mew to say any thing on the subject; since, ae you

havo been so long detained at the Island , you have

probably given up allthoughts of the matter thr the

m en t. It may be, indeed , that Providence orderediteo , tbatyou mightbe prevented fi

*om taking a m h

etep . However, if a word of advice willbe of any

benefit, Iamwilling to give it : fi rththen , Be ex

tumely cautiou how you resolve on changing your

state. Never thinlt of doing this, untilyou have good

end aufi cientgrounds to conclude itie tbe willot'

God.

Nor ebould you believe allthata t‘

ond or deoeived

heartmay n y on euchamhiect; but rather heathen

to tbe dietem ot‘

eober reaeon nnd eoaacienee. In

T

206 u nuolns or run

order to which you ought to divest yourself asmuch as

possible of prejudice, and consider, 1, whether you

would be more useful in a married or single state 2,

whether your temporal circumstances are such as torender it pruden t for you to marry ; and 3, whether theperson in view, be a prOper and su itab le person withrespect to n atural disposition , grace, and other qualifications. If after weighing these things impartially,you deliberately think you could be more useful in amarried state— if Providence has so ordered your circumstances that it would n ot involve yourself, and

(what wou ld be far worse,)her in trouble—and if the

object of yo ur regard be a person of good natura l disposition , of grace, and in other respects su itable, thenI think you may ven ture to marry without fear of displeasing God. But, Secondly, Be careful that youraffections are not too much drawn towards the creature, as wellas in what man ner your courtship is conducted. Let your yea be yea, and your n ay, nay ;n othing l ight, trifling or unchristian . With great deliberation , self-ex amination , fasting and prayer, dedicate yourself anewto God ; and then give your hand.

Atthe same time , were I to give my judgmen t, Imustsay, [ do think it would be wrong for you , in yourpresen t circumstances, to marry Miss

WILLIAM BLACK .

”

The second Nova Scotia Conference began atHalifax on the 15th of October, 1787. The preachers presen t appear to have been , besidesMr. Black , Messrs.

John and James Mann , William Grandine and William Jessop. Like the first it was distingu ished bylove in the spirit, and harmony in counsel . Dur ingthe session , Mr. Black opportunely received a letter

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

ens W or m

mighty power ot’

God , as there displayed. Inever

sawthe tenthpartof suchawork before. Before thc

preachers began to speak, the power of God camedown: Hundreds ot

’

sinners began to cry aloud for

man y, and saints to rejoice, and pray for them . We

had no other chance to preach to the people than bytaking partof them into the woods ata distance fi 'omthe cries of the rest. I suppose the congre gation con»

s isted of atleast five thousand souls . I cannot attemptto give you an accoun t of the particulars, butleave youtojudge: Scores ot

’

sinners lay as in the pangs of deeth.

I twas thought that in this and the other quarterlymeet»ing, held nearly atthe same time , there were five bun»

dred souls con verted to God. On two or three circeite,within two mon ths, about one thousand sou ls hmfound peace with God. Saints stand on the monna ietop . Glory l Glory Glory be to God that I ever livedto see this day in V irginia ! I em happy oontinuallyin God . Inowt’ed the love of Jesue streaming down

The autumnal mon ths of this year were principallyoccupied by Mr. Black in visiting the societies in dit

'

»

‘

as they exhibit no incident of an unusually strikingcharacter , to exempt a minute detai l of them from the

medium ofmonotony. Hismost absorbing engagementsi nm m , could never cause him to fin getthe aociety at Hal ifax , concern ing which he naturally cheriehed throughoutlife a peetoralaoheitude peculiarty

u v. m u ttm ax . 209

intenee and vmlant. On the receipt of the animatingletter, au ex tn ct contained in whichhas been given

above , his mind inetinctivelyflcwto bis belovedflooketHalifax , and was drawn out in themostferventae»

Sa en sem , Nov . 1787.

ME Ben Ba r n es u rn S wraaa,Geese,mercy, and peace be unto you. The [M

M M tl1070 you, and long fb f fiflhtW < 7 m

M W k eonntw r» J eoent itmy greamtjoy to

M ’ O my brethren and eistemJ etr-eligion bo

more precieus far than mhiee ; and allthetm hedr

210 tu mours or m

parable to the honour of being the sons of Godwithout“

rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse gene

ration—of being made priests and k ings un to God for

ever and ever And such honour have allthe sain ts.

Do you desire riches Let God be chosen as yourchief good , and you are in possession of the pearl of

great price, even durable riches and righteousness.

Covet to be rich in faith and good works so shall yoube rich in the favour of God and the comforts of reli

g ion here, and ere long, in the possession of a kingdomthat can not be moved. Would you be safe from fear

of evil, ex empt from allalarms Sanctify the LordGod in your hearts, and lethim be your fear, and let

him be your dread.

’ So shal l he hide you under the

s hadowof his wings, and cover you with his feathers ;he shall be your defence, yourmun ition of rocks. You

shall dwell on high bread shall be given you , and

your water shall be sure. Though thousands fall atyour right hand, and ten thousand at your left, Godshall be a wall of fire around you n o evi l shall comen igh your dwellings. But, oh Ishould you love theworld , pamper theflesh, and indulge the lowtempta

tions of Satan , you will send your sou ls down to perdition . Give then , 0 give alldiligence to make yourc all ing and election sure. Seek after bright menifee

tations of the love of God, and con tinual commun ionwithhim. Provoke one another un to love, and to goodworks ; and letme en treat you , by allmeans to stir upthe gifi -of God that is within you. Use allthe means

of grace, private, family, and public prayer ; reading,hearing, and meditation on the word of God ; fasting ,abstin ence, and self-den ial christian converse, bros

therly ex hortations, and class-meetings. In future , mydear brethren , letnaneglectnone ofthese things. Some

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

C H A P T E R IX .

mi . BLACK ans nws m s coven s s r wrrn eon

n nrnassme r emer s r roN s— Lnr rea r aou'

ma .

wesnnr—n emoau cs n INFLUENCE— CON SECUTIVEpaes cnme— r nmpm mon s m cm nn r r o n u : u

caen ormcn—ma . BLACK ’S mne x aess—m e z en .

roa m e su mmon or soun s— Le r ren r o m s u

THER- lN -LAw—SUCCESS or m s LABOURS— HIS m a

NEST DESIRES AND EFFORTS AFTER INCREASEDHOLINESS AND USEFULNESS .

AMONG the means to which holy men of God havein allages resorted, for the purpose of promoting thedivine life in their souls, they have found the renewing of their covenan t withGod at certain seasons emiuently influential, in detaching their affections fromearth, quicken ing their spiritual desires, cherishing awatchful and devotional frame, and impelling to a

more faithful discharge of allthe duties of life. Whether by an actof solemn dedication to God we shou ldrecogniz e our obligations to render un iform obedienceto his laws, is amatter not leftto our arbitration . The

duty to do so is imperious, un iversal, and immutable.

It is prescribed by the highest authority, and enforcedby the most tremendous sanctions. In the ex ceeding

great and precious promises” by which God has graciously engaged, by the continued ex ercise of allhis

perfections, to promote the felicity ofhis people, we

sen or“ , Ste. 213

pom not the alightest olaim to perticipation , un

lec , on our part, by the eurrender of our heerts and

aflectiom to Him, as their rightfulclaimant, and the

dedication otallour powere to hie service, we becomehis people . Every moment, therethre, that we post

pone our attention to this momentous transaction , wem dieobeying the vn ice of God, despis ing the most

u nited privi lege of whichwe are susceptible , and

perilling onr immortalsoule.

lf itbe rigbt, if itbe indiepeneahle for the repentant

sinner, in hie application to t} od fi>r pardon and salve

tion , thne to reeign himeelt'

to be govemed aewellasm ed by him, itis eqnally so for the believer to live

under the follimpreeeion that“the vows of God are

upon him ;”

and tbe ocoasional renewal of his co

venantwithGod musteerve to deepen es wellae per»

petmte his piety. Doubts have, indeed , been en ter»

tained by eome goodmen , as to the propriety of eoo

m fingwithGod in the form of a eeriee of resolm

dn wn up fin '

the purpoee, and preserved ae a eom

m atin m td of the tmmection ; butwe eoafises

we are nneble to eppreciete the foree ot’

the rcaswe

bywhicheucheernplee m origimeed. By an uming

ofllgetiom whichthe word ot'

God doel notimpoeP

by eonlbundmg, i n our eet1mate ofmoralections ,°

ha ities , imepu ahle fiom mortal human i ty, with

W om of the divioe pm epte—by placing eny

eenfldenee for u lm ion in the actot'

our dedication to

006, 0r in the fi elitywithwhichwe m y diecharp

m m nhed dntiee, we m y indeed accidenully

pervertthe deeign of a eolenmand hnportantmem of

grace. Dm itiewortbyot’

eeriom comideu tion ol’

all

“ M W . or the aywebeaeiou ot'

ttn

214 m uon s or ran

charge of legali ty , should de ter any Christian from an

expedien t for acce lerating his growth to grace , whichhas the sanction of the example and of the success ofmany of the holiest men that ever Iived—and whichis , in fact, merely a response to the utterances of

divine author ity and love,—a solemn recogn ition of

the great moral pr inciple that pervades the New'

I‘

estament Bzwe s o'

r wr'rn oor u wr o Goo , eor

us oen r a n LAW to Ca n ter .

”

The public renewal of the covenan t” atthe com

mencement of every year, is a par t of the spiri tualeconomy ofMethodism and its admirable adaptation,as evinced by ex perience, to answer the purpose for

which itwas introduced by its wise and pious founder.is the best recommendation of the practice . WhetherMethodism in Nova Scotia was , in the earlier years ofMr. Black ’s min istry, conformed in this particular toMethodism in England, Iem unable to say butthathe individually renewed his coven an t wi th God on

the firstday of every newyear, from the period ofhieconversion to his death, there is every reason to be

lieve. In this manner we find him en tering on the

year 1788; not however without confessing and de

ploring the deficiency of his faith, fervour, and sin .

carity, as compared with the claims of a transaction of

an import so solemn and momentous . And we seem

to hear in his devout aspiration recorded in his journalthe following day Oh, my God , may this yearbe all devoted to thee ! Letnotmy heart be drawnaside”—the lingering echo of his recen t engagement:to l ive unreservedly to God.His labours throughout this year, as we ll as the

spirit by which they were an imated, fully accord withthe results we should be naturally led to predict from

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

2 16 msu oxas or r un

tossed by a tempest that seems to confound bothheaven and earth. Strong temptations to things whichthe soul con templates with abhorrence, are injected ;and which are followed by immediate accusations, as

if the injections were the qflbpring of the heartitselfand the trouble and dismay produced, are representedas the sense of gu i lt from the consciousness of havingin heart committed these evils The sou l is cast

down butnotdestroyed ; perplex ed, butnotin despair.It is on all sides harrassed without are fightings ;within are fears, but the willis inflex ible on the sideof God and truth; and the heart, with all its train of

aff ection s and passions, follows it. The man does notwickedly depart from his God ; the outworks are violently assailed, but not taken 5 the city is sti l l safe,and the citadel impregnable.

”

A fewex tracts from his Journal wil l i llustrate hisfeelings at this period.January 19th.

—The last week I have been mostly occupied in reading, writing, and other religious.

employmen ts : but I have felt but l ittle freedom and

fervency in prayer— little comfort in God or divine tefreshments fromhim ; buta great aversion to the cross,and coldness in duty . Alas al though I em almost always employed in the duties of religion , yet I seem todo nothing as I ought to do .

February Qotb .—Itsometimes appears as if trials

are notfar distan t. When I compare my man y mercies with my ungrateful returns, 1seem to see the rod

lifted up and em ready to conclude, surely if the Lordloves me, he must correct me—the thought distressesme—myflesh seems to creep—Lord, I fear before thee.

But, Lord God, gracious and merciful, I deprecate

n v. m u m su es . Q1?

“Apfil20th.—Preached thrce times to day. I have

M very little comfm'

t in dmies laeely. O my leam

m lmy leanness ! Jmtreason have lto eomplain .

Ohlthstlwere as in momhs past, as in the dsyswhenmc candle ef the Lord sbone apon me, and eva

'

y dsyM nghtfreshjoys !

‘Lightis sown for the righteous,8nrely, then ,

am t of uwighmess, of pufi ty ef intentioh, mustheths cwse ot

’

awam ofjoy. 0 Lor¢ restore unto me

dn joy ot'

thy salvation .

”

The fsctthatamidstallthis gloem snd selficrimimfion.

“hie willwas inflex ihle on the side of 9 0d snd

tu tti,” k apparent fi'

om the m nlts of whieh theym moductive. Instead of cansing him to sbandon

hb eonfidenee, aad restrain pram before God, the1hsd the opposite tendency : the depthof his promtioo in the awfiilpresence of the MostHigh, was atm dod with pmportional intensity of desire efher thoW hom of his love, md withthe most impor

M the topic of obwrvation , itmay bc pfopa here to

M me mcdcrwithan enu'

y m de in his Joumd ,

M ccdste ot’

Angust15th.

“lm u tfierthan common thismomingn nd spcm

m hm hi dewfioml exm My hesrtwu

Du r lm , n iu lu highn .

’

lun , indoed, less than the lesst ot‘

sllssims. How

M mght'

God throwme out of theMinim , sad

U

213 m uon s or was

outof the Covenant. The state ofmy mind appearsto be this z—Iseem to desire nothing butGod. [ havelong since shook hands with the world : itsmanners anditsmax ims lhave renounced. Its ples snres and honoum

ave vain , and allits glories fading ie my view. And

yet I em, many times, hurried away in my mind by it,and my intercourse with heaven obstructed. My

hsppiest days are those in which my mind is mostwithGod. He ismy chiefjoy ; and in compafi son of

his perfections. Yet, strange as it may appear, I em

frequen tly in sucha fmme thatlneither discern hisbeauties, nor have any realiz ing sense of his being.

Allthe vigour of'

my spiritflags and dies ; aad lhsveno relish for either earth, heaven, or God. Itis s

most distressing consideration to me, that I live atsoIowa rate, and so unworthy of my profession . Ai

though my outward conduct appears blameless tom e, my heartis notright wi th God.

l. I amm ating in humility. Pride,sin,

’ follows me wherever I go . I havefound itin the pulpit, in the parlour, and inrobbing God ofhis honour, and insidiouslypraise ofmen . 0 my God, humble me in

2. I emman ifestly wan ting in z eal. Itup all

and doopportun ity in study, conversation , prayer,talents are

'

notalloccupied as they ought to be

glory of God , and the good ofmen .

8. I em also deficientin love to God and

dare not say that I do not love the Lordhow little do I love Him Allthe powers

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

220 u su oms or was

glorious work to which you are called. We haveneed to make haste therein to use alldil igence . For

the work is great; the day is short and lonely is then ight wherein no man can workIt is a kind Providence which has placed brother

Anderson and you in one house. For you may havemany opportun ities of strengthen ing each others ’

hands in God.

It is wel l that Satan is constrained to show him

se lf so plain ly in the case of those poor demouiacs.T hereby, he weakens his own kingdom, and ex citesus to assault him more z ealously. In the beginn ingof the work in England and Ireland , we had manyinstances of the kind . But he nowchooses to assaultas by subti lty more than by strength.

I Wish you would do allyou possibly can to keepour brethren in peace with each other. And yourpains will notbe lost on poor John McGeary. Thereis much good in him. Indeed , he is naturally of a

bold, forward temper. But Ihope his zeal is nowaccording to knowledge.

“Undoubtedly you know' the objections wdnieh

° Mr. 8trettou m ono of tbo prescbeu then stsfiosul st

Harbour Grace. in Newfoundland. Had the objections above soferted to, been Oh m y grave nature, or in Mr.Wesley

’s estim

tion , wellsustained, it is likely he would have deemed somethingfurther necessary in the case, than friendly admon ition . Ou the

n me day ths tbe wrotc the sbove letter to Mr . Black , he m ts

also to Mr. Straus s , and alluded delicately to the samem ust.

The autographhappen ing to be among Mr. Black’s papers , m

lies befofc mc ; and reluctant to supprcss or mutilate any thingfromthe pen ot

'Wesley, Ihere insert it.To Mr. John Stratu s .

M? Du nn Bsm u ,

In n glad the little contest between Mi . Balfom' and John

asv. m u s ic su es . 221

John Hoskins makes to John Stretton. If there is

any ground for them, shou ld you notfi'

eelymdlovinglytalk with brother Stretton ? Praying that you mayincreasewithallthe increase ot

'

God,u

am,

YourM enu s friend and Brother,Jen s Wastes.

”

The high value which Mr. Black attached to the

p ivilege of so intimate an associstion withhis fi' iend

and brother, Mr. Anderson , on which Mr. Wesley

m in es him, is apparen t from numerous tafern

enees to it in his Journal, as also from his correspondence withthat estimablemsn . As s specimen of the

benefit they mutual ly derived from so beneficenta

providence, Mr. Black’s reflections on one of their

"eaten . is eome to a coselnsion. It is goed sd' iee to every

W ' U ith M u m ehu M hm hn mfly v ith sflmen .

’ Bot of sll othess. the lethodistsm eoa

“ M y to followthis adviec. Wem s newpsople.“M m m w mu ywmbe pnjndieed sp iu tu .

M M is oo wsy to remove thatmhdke. m wm m ¢c

a ilwithgeed. The ‘u periesee of Plunhe Bhnd is en adn in

bly geetloeeflrnly eonsisteetbothwithscripm su i rm :

sd the seeeem is weh drswu umwhhgoodm u d in n

. sh blygood hm e.

“ th re s eoofu ed m hn ece ot'

some objsetim sgsinstyoc

hu yu r, n de lthink by .lohnflositins. I hops. if thu e m

em m fonedstioe foc them, it is nowren oved . s sve

n d b uhe the utmosteare dn tthe ‘oodwhieh is in u he not

n am e

Your M enu s Brother." Joa n Ws stlt.

”

O sm a n smu om wm y.

229 m oms or m e

spiri tualin terviews, may here be cited . Truly our

conversation was sweet and profitable. O , my God,what hast thou done for this family We seem to beallof one heart and soul—allstriving together for the

hope of the Gospel . We have nothing but pence inour borders fi'

om day to day. What am ], 0 myLord that thou shouldst deal thus with me , the leastof allthy people.

”

Mx . Wesley ’s remarks respecting demoniaa , wa s

el icited by certa in statements commun icawd to himby Mr. Black of some singular cases he had been cellcd to witness and particularly in relation to one thathad fal len under his observation a short time previously, the phenomena of which appeared plain ly to indicate diabolicalagency. It required four men to holdthe unhappy individual, to preven this injurin g him»

self or others and he was with difiiculty preven tedfrom rushing on Mr. Black when he approached him.

Persuaded that the man was under satan ic infin enee,and that the prayer of fai th was the on ly resource,Mr. Black immediately fel l on his kn ees , an d impler

'

cd help of Him to whose all-subduing power devilsyield a trembling homage. A change the most surprisring instan taneously ensued. The wild agitation sef theman ’s spiritsuhsided in to a rational mlmw nmsucceeded to torture—and the lips that a fewmomen tsbefore had uttered the language of blasphemy , breathed the pra ises of Jesus l—Had a sceptic or a n eologistbeen a spectator of the scene , he would probably havefelt howinadequate are the theories of infidelphilosoo

phy , or of self-styled rationalism, to accoun t satisfactorily for such phenomena.

Afler the District Conference , which was this yearhe ld atHal ifax on the 6th of May, Mx . Black spen t

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

224 n suoms 0? i nt

he ex claims with devout rapture how wonderful isthe process of redeeming love l

”

The sacred ofi ee is generally regarded as eminently favourable to the cultivation of pef sonalpiety ; but.while i t confers an ex emption fi'

om many temptationsto which other stati ons of l ife are ex pwed, it hassome pecul iar to itself. To be eonstantly conversantwith the th ings of re l igion , ea: ofi a

’

o, tends , by rendering them fami liar, to make them less impressi veupon the heart ; and , if a habit of formal ity be timeinduced, the tomb of vi tal religion is prepared . Itbehoves the min ister, therefore, always to rememberthat he has himself s soul to save, which is in the samedanger, and must be saved in the same way, as the

souls of those to whom he preaches. As our en tireduty is comprised in be ing

“ followers of them whothrough fai th and patience in herit the promises ,

” the

pages of rel igious biography are fraught with psofitable instruction , and often array l iving godlieessbefore us, in a form even more influentialthan cotemporaneous example . This speck s of reading, pursuedin association with gen eral studies, is adapted not

only to suggest many hints useful to the min ister inhis ofiieialrelation , butto operate with the most sa lsa

tary efi’

ect on his individual spirituality . Mr. Blackwas in the habit, with a view to the quicken ing of his

soul in its converse with God, to take this method ;and his reflections on the Lives of Whitfield and

Fletcher, which he perused in the autumn of this year,n atural ly suggested the remarks. Respecting the

former, he observes I have for a short time beenreading, each day a li ttle, of the l ife ofWhitfield , andhave now got through it. He was, indeed , a bum~

ing and a shining l ight. Thousands have cause-to

asv. t tma s u es . 225

man . What abundan this servem, in render

active,and burn ing love ! How much ratherin the steps, than persecute and despiseOf the letter, he says—“Ihad much

reading the life of Mr. Fletcher. Truly,dead , yet speaketh . Fain would I followfollowed Christ. O , Jesus l I long to bebefilled with thy Spirit,

"I'll worse than deathmyGod to love,

And notme God alone .

’

faith that inherits allthe great and precious

Bas t Thou not promised to circumcise

and enable as to love Thee with allour

souls , and strength? O l in whata blessedthose live , who are clean sed howallno

mask and quiet

greatprice.

”

breathes afler “the

lit,”the contempla

biographer bears the memorable testio

thoroughly hadm e subdued naturee renewed in the spirit of his mind , that

his deeth, I believe hewas neverfriend or the, to be out0! tom

on whatever.” The spiri t that

226 MEMOIRS or m s

characterises the code of honour , falsely so called ,the

principle that predominates in the world , has its appropriete ex press ion in the words which Tacitus attributes to the sedi tious Britons : Nihil profici paticun

'

a1

ttisi ut graviora tanquam ex facil i tolerantibus im

perentur.

” Patience is oi‘

no value, on ly as it en ablesus to sustain misfortune with equauitnity.

”- In contu st

with such maxims, the N ewTestament reprmeuts

meekness as an inseparable attribute of celestia l wiedom—an attribute which shone forth with pree minentlustre m the character of our blessed Lard, and underthe mi ld aspect of which he presen ts himse lf to us as

o ur great ex emplar Learn of me , for I em meekand lowly in heart.” The subject of these memoirs

studied this importan t lesson in the school of Christwith no ord inary success. Whatever degree of im e

c ibility might have m ingled wi th his temper in en

unregenerate state , he was , through the operation of

grace , remarkab ly ben ignan t and conciliatory in all

his social in tercourse. There occurred , at this M od

ofhis l ife, an illustrati on of the propriety of th is re

mark, which, I coni'

ses, I have been under some temptation to suppress, lest I might appear to furn ish mmterials of an envious comparsion between him and a

fellow- labourer in the Gospel , whom be highly esteemed for his talents and piety. Ihope , however, it isunnecessary forms to say, that my sole motive in alludo

ing to the unpleasan t circumstance, is to discharge withfidelity, and in the most useful manner I can , the fewtion of a biographer. Purely through inadvertenee,i t seems, Mr. Black had occasioned some inconve

n ishes to his colleague, the Rev. James Wray, who,under the impulse of impatience , permi tted himself towr ite to Mr . Black in a tone not the most kind and

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

2528 un ion s or was

We have already had frequent occasion to remark;in the progress of our narrative, that whilst theMo

mary object of Mr. Black ’s solicitude was the salvation of his own soul, his z ea l for the immortal weliaraof others was so tender and ex pansive, as ot

’

oreibly toremind na of the divineflame that glowed in the be

soms of the firstheralds of the cross. The men ifeetations of this spirit were not confined to the pulpitHis con versation was “ always with grace, seasonedWith salt and his correspondence was decidedly,and, indeed, almost ex clusively, spiritual . In addressing believers, be delighted to expatiate on the mosteleva ted topics 'of practica l godl iness ; and in writingto those whose state he considered unsafe, orwho weregroan ing for the mdemption in the blood of Jesus, hisappeals , admon itions, and directions were charactes'iz»

ed by the most afl'

ectionate fidelity. And he knew howto be faithlblwithout being rude . He oou ld enforcethe most solemn and searching truths withou t violatingany conven tional propriety of l ife. Take as a specimen of his admirable address in this respect the following letter, addressed to his father- ia-law, Mr. Gay,

then in London , in which Christian zeal and profoundhiislrespect beautiful ly coalesce.

Arrecn os n s FATHER,“We expected to have had the pleasure of seeing

you here before this time : but since Providence has

ordered it otherwise,we desire to submi t praying Godto directallthings for the best.We trust, Sir, that your stay in England, though

involuntary and nweasary, will he hath pleas ing andprofitable. May the Lord so overrule it that itmayanswerthe bestot

'

purposemn drawing your afl'

ections

REV. WILLIAM BLACK.

ofwhichcannot satisfythe cravings of a heaven-boru,

I em, hemmed air,

230 n smoxas or rm:

Black improved the occasion in a discourse to about

e ight hundred people, from the appropriate wordsThanks be to God, which giveth us the victory,through our Lord Jesus Christ I

”

The reflections and resolves recorded in his Journaiunder date of December 8oth, instructively show thatbe closed as he had commenced the year— in a spirit ofunreserved consecration to God and his cause -

“I

am convinced that though God gives a clean heart, andrenews within us a right spirit, for his own n ame sake,

yetwill He do it on ly in such a way as shall ex ercise

our dil igence and care. And Iam deeply sensible of

my short-comings,1. In frequen t, close , impartial selfi -ez amination

This is pain ful butprofitable work . The man of sin

is hereby dragged in to Open day, and destroyed by the

beams of heaven ly light. By this mean s we become

better acquain ted with ourselves, and more deeply feel

our need of the blood and spirit of Jesus. I propose,therefore, in future, to ex amine more closely in to the

state ofmy soul , by solemn ly institu ting such inqu iriesas the following In what spirit have Iperformed theduties of public and private devotion ? and what te

gard have I main tained to God in the in terva l of thoseex ercises What diligence have Iused in observingprovidence, and redeeming time Q What commandhave I ex ercised over my appetites and passionsW hat concern have Ifelt to discharge with fidelity allrelative duties How have I rel ished the peculiardoctrines of the Gospel Upon the whole , how em Iadvanc ing in my journey to a better world

2 . In prayer , especiallyp rivateprayer . I have nostated times for private devotion ex cept morn ing and

even ing. Ibelieve it will be preferable for me to te

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

CHA PT E’

R X .

p sasos sn nsmnms—ma . BLACK ’S n ns swsn n ame»

TION or mu seu r o eon , AND n ou'

n s sonvs s

s x'ras c

'rs m om m e JOURNAL—AFFLICTI ONS s s u

susm ssmN—m e onmm n on er mi . cox s—r n s

n oc'ron

’s DESIGNATION BY ma . ws sLs r as A GEN!

RAL SUPERINTENDENT on msn or— r n s o n n sn s or

p asssn s n AND msn op ms n u csL—r n s cuuacn

u rn THE ms rn omsr s—n a. con : APPOINTS m i .

sLs c x sun nm rs s n s s r or N OVA scorn .

Scuooms e m x n n ar ,” observes a spiritual and

sen tentious writer, is the grand means of personalreligion . To bring motives under faithful ex amination is a high state of rel igious character with te

gard to the depravity of the heart we live daily in thed isbelief of our own creed. Acting from the occasion ,withoutrecollection and inqu iry , is the death of per

sonal religion . It will not suffice merely to retire tothe study or the closet. The mind is sometimes, inprivate, most ardently pursu ing its particular object ;and as it then acts from the occasion , nothing is fartherfrom it than recollectedness. I have, for weeks together, in pursuit of some scheme, acted so entirely fromthe occasion , that, when Ihave at length cal led myself to accoun t, Ihave seemed like one awaked froma dream. Am I the man who could think and speakso and so Am Ithe man who could feel such a dis

u nwi se, Ste. 233

pesitioumr discover suchcenduct The fascinationand enchantmentot

'

theso ceasion is vanished ; and 1

stand like David ia simi lar circumstances before Na

than. Suehcases in ex perienee am, in truth, a moralin toxication ; and the man is only then sober wheu hebegins tn eeh

oolhis heart.“

which he so impressively recommends, necessary tothe healthy vigour of religious principle and feeling undef aflcireumstanees, are partieulnrly demanded ataperiod when , paradoxical as the in timation may seem,

the ex hibitions oi’

ssel fer tile conversion of the world.in which the various denominations of Christians aredisplaying so an imated an emulation , may nnenu

seiously operate against the depth ot'

personal piety,by fostering a habit of re ligious dissipation . The

hem is deeeitfal, and requires to be garrisoned with

itmay forget to look at home . Rel igious biographyis useful chiefly ns by laying bare the hem of its sub

jeeg itex c ites us to cultivate a bettera

equeinu neewith

m ous history, is ot‘

little value. Under this imJ

0 Cecil‘sBa sin .

234 a sumas or m e

pmession Mr. Black , in thematerials he has left fo r the

i llustration of his character, has been as min ute in the

history of his heart as in the record of his labours

Like him, whom of allhuman beings he took for his

model—the incomParahleWes ley—bewas prepen d tosay

“ to candid, reasonable men , I em notafra id tolay open what have been the inmost thoughts of myhem ” This he has done in every part of his Journal; buton no occasion with grea ter explicitness and

solemnity than under date of January 1, 1789

Thy mercies,” he writes O my soul , have beenmany, and thy thanld

’

ulness ought to be proportionallygreat. By the grace of God I would devote my bodyand soul toHim and I now

'

desire to do even again inwriting what Ihave already done upon my knees .

O l thou great, supreme , eternal God—the Fathero i

'

mercies, and Creator of allthings I I have sorelyrevolted from Thee ; and I con fess it wo uld have beenjust in Thee to have cutme ofl' and sen t me to helLButI trust Thy graee hath called me—Thymercy hath

forgi ven me, and Thy spirit comforted my heartThrough boundless grace , some tokens of whichThou hast given me this morn ing, I believe Iam Thychild. My life, my body, my soul, my all, I here de~

vote to Thee. Lord from Thee I recei ved them allt

to Thee I desire, in solemn devotion , to re turn them.

How Thou wilt dispose of me or mine this year I

know not but I nowdevote allto Thee . oh1 suffer

me not to repine atThy disposal of what is nowno

longer mine butthine. Here,my Lord , I wou ld laydown my own wi ll ; do Then direct my wander ingfeet. Thou artmy Shepherd , I shal l notwan t ; T houartmy rock , and in TheewillI trust ; my God , and Iwill praise Thee. Do Thou butquicken my sou l by

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

936 n suoxas 09 THE

notice Mywife also has found this a sweet, I‘

Ofi'

CSII‘

ing day to her soul .”

The ann iversary of his dedication to God—for such,from his invariable practice,wemay term the firstday

of the year -was appropriately followed on the secondof January by a del iberate and grateful review of the

most signal mercies of his l ife , of which memory retained the record. Among these his singu lar and pro

videntialescape from an early death, the circumstancesof which are related in the firstchapter, claims partiticular notice and it is also highly instructive, as

shewing his deep and even awful sense of the malign ity of sin , to observe with what mingled feelings ofthankfulness and humi liation , he records his obligation s to the restrain ing grace of God, by which amidstmuch ex posure to temptation he had been preservedfrom falling in to many sins, in to which the uncheckeddepravity of his heart wou ld have precipitated him.

This is a view of the mercy of God bywhich we shallbe affected in proportion aswe feel a sacred horror ofo ffending him, and appreciate the happiness of a con

sc ience unstained by presumptuous sin . The gu i lt thatattaches to the corrupt desires and evil imagin ationso f our hearts, though never developed in overt acts of

transgression , is, indeed, sufficientto condemn na, and

to fillus with shame even in the day when the Lord is

pacified tov’

vards us it is, n evertheless, an unspeaksble mercy to be kept back from presumptuous sin ,

whether by the in terven tion of providence, or the con

trol of covenan t grace.—From a devout retrospect of

past mercies to the duty of self- ex amination , the transitiou is natural . We find this order in Mr. Black ’sspiritual ex ercises and, as usual , he sees in the im

perfection ofhis obedience so many causes for self-cri

“ 7 . WILLIAM BLACK . ~3:

ntination, that full relief for the conscience is to hefound on ly by throwing himself under thawings oi

’

the

cherubim. Jesu, he exclaims

Jets, Thy blood and righteousness

My bsautym , my glorions dreu ;’Midstflamingworlds in these am yed,

Withjoy shallIlift upmy head i”

Butlet i t not be conceived that the operation of his

un l imited faith in the atonemen t for acceptance withGod , which produced inward trmqm

’

llwy, terminate dhere : itwas equally eflicientof inward pan

'

ly. Thisis the unfai ling result of the faith that works by lovethe grand practical refutation of the heresy that separates things morally indissoluble—fas

‘

th and holiness.

The preceding pages areh‘

aught with ex emplificetionsof this remark . Mr. Blackwas notone of those who .ether beholding themselves in the gospel mirror, gotheir way, and straightway (beget whatmanner of persons they are : he looked in to the perfect lawof liber

ty and eentinued therein. Howwellthe vigour and

uniformity ot'

hia eflbfla and nspin tions at’

ter holinm

thhyear, eeeorded withthe elevated standard of piety

to which , at its commencemen t, be so solemnly en»

gaged to seek a con formi ty , the following ex tracu , se

lected Prom s mass ot'

ltindned materials, mthciendy0mSunday , 4th.

—'

I’

he greater part of this daymy des ires have been much drawn out in prayer. My sou lthirst for a co nformity to the di vine pleasure ; yethaveI had but li ttle comfort, My determination , however , ,

remains unchanged . The Lord is my portion , sa ithn y soul. Ipmached three times to-day ; some wm

'

e

blamed ; but in genm lI fear the people are dead .

Tuesday.6th.- lhad cons iderable liberty in speah

238 Memom s or THE

ing from Jer. i i 1—3 Thus saith the Lord I iemember thee, the days of thy youth and the love ofthine espousals, when thou followedst me in the wilderness, a land that was notsown .

” In preaching toothers, Iwould preach to myself. Lord , stir up mysou l to remember the time of my espousa ls. I thenhad greater warmth of affection than I nowhave ;though perhaps Iwas n ot so established in my judgmen t, nor so well acquain ted with the devices of Se

tan or the deceitfulness of my own heart. Oh giveme a deeper sense ofmy ingratitude to Thee ,my heavenly bridegroom, and unfaithfulness to my celestialhusband. Write me on the palms ofThy hands set

me as a seal on Thy breast, and on thine arm ; for jea

lousy is cruel as the grave. Short of that state in whichIcan rejoice evermore, praywithout ceasing, and inevery thing give thanks,

’ Iwould notrest.Sunday , 1lth.

—Ihad uncommon liberty in preaching to-day. Lord, letnotThy word fal l to the ground.

My soul is refreshed—my faith qu ickened— my h0pesare invigorated—and my confidence in the atonementstrengthened. Ihave none butChrist in whom to trust.His aton ing blood and prevai ling in tercession aloneform a ground for my faith and hope . Butforbid it,heaven ly Father that, with the practical An tin omian ,Ishould make the atonemen t of Thy Son on ly a coverfor my sin

Rather Iwould in darkness mourn

The absence of thy face

Than e’er by light irreverence , turn

Thy grace to wantonness.

’

Saturday , l7th.— Lord, Iwould n otdeceive my

own soul , and conclude I love Thee , when Ido not.

Search me and try my ways ; prove me and know my

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

240 mes on s or m e

W indsor)my devotions have been sadly interrupted;partly fi‘

om wan t of opportun i ty to retire, but more

for wan t of a heart to pray in every time and place.

Tha promise I have been ex plain ing to the people , Iwou ld enforce on my own heart. Thou Lord, hastsaid that though a worm, yetbe lieving in Thee I shallthrash the mountains. Here, 0 my soul 2 is groundfor thy faith on ly bel ieve, and thou shalt see the

moun tains melt and dowdown atthe presence of the

Lord . What art thou, 0 great moun tain ? BeforeZerubbabcl thou shal t become a plain. Lord Jesus ,Thy grace is suflicient for me. Breathe, O breatheheaven ly vigour and life into my barren sou l .Wednesday 28th.—Lond, lam shortly about to

preach in Thy name. Do Thou directme to a su itabletex t, and enable me so to treat it, that Thy word mayreach the hearts of the people. Un less it does this mypreaching is vain . Butletme firstpreach to my ownheart. Letme notpreach to others what I would notpractice myself.”

Ou the 17thof February, he returned h'

om his ex ,

entsinne through the townships of Windsor, Falmouth , and Horton , cheered with the conviction thathis strength had not been spent for naught. Ou the

day following be remarks I often find , immediatelyon my coming home, my mind dissipated ; and it iswith great difiieulty I can getit staid on God.Under date ofMarch 6th, he has these heart-stirring

reflections on the incalculable value of time O lprecious, allimportan t time ; how little em I sensibleof thy worth . Ou thee , etern ity itse lf ts suspwded.

lam nowsowing the seeds, the products of whichI am to reap in a future world, in heaven or hell.

Impressive thought tremendous reflection Good

n v. m am a su es . N I

Lord , mahe me sensible of uhat and where lam.

‘ And is itie the power of thm core yean ,

To pnsheternity fi'

omhuman thought“?

Bow amaz ingly am Iinfatuated when lpermitmyeelt

'

to trifie away my time . And to what purponhave Ilived to-day. Iwanta more spiritualframea faitb thatofiers allup to ood tbrougb i

-ist.

Wednesday,May6th.—Ihave been rev iewing the

purposes l formed on the let ot’January. I have

greet cause to be humbled Alas lwhata ficltle heartismine ; bowprone to wander. Nom itappears

selved tios God, and averse to sin ; none butJesus apthe wormcomes ia,a thick veil that ch

Black here refim is

unlimited surrender to the willand fi '

om the terms he employs

thinking that i twas drawn up

of approaching triais of mere

this may haven the course ot

’

e appoin tmen tsunusual Gamilytaken i ll aboutofone ot

'

whomslender hopes

were alihe conspicueus . Sunday , 81stof0c~

writes For severaldays I have feltmuchthe t of prayer than for some time pn

W

242 n u eras or m e

vious. Celia is yetvery ill—on Friday evening whenIreturned from the preaching house , I thought she

was nearly gone. If I know my own heart, I have

notone wish respecting her, but that the will of theLord may be done. November 8th. -Ihave muchcause to bless God , Celia is recovering fast, as alsoMartin andWill iam. Glory be to God He deals kindly with us, and amicts as far less than we deserve.

”

While the domestic scene was thus brighten ing, itwas again sudden ly overcast with a deeper gloom by

the affliction of Mrs. Black. Ou the mth of November, she was attacked with a raging fever ; but,

” to

use his own words, what was farworse to hear, hermind was covered with darkness allher formerevidences of God’s favour were clouded ; and shewasstrongly tempted to give up all, and believe she hadnever known the pardon ing love of God. I firmlybelieved , however, that these v iolen t throes of mentaldistress wou ldhe followed by greater comforts and I

was the more confirmed in this persuasion ,because of

her vehemen t breathings of sou l after en tire holiness,and the afllicting views she had of the odious natureof sin . Truly, as the hart pan teth after the waterbrook , so panteth her sou l after God, even the livingd . Her presen t condition and distress she appearedvery solicitous to improve, and feared lest she shouldlose her d istress without clear views of redeeminglove. 0h she cried , Ihave lived toomuch ateaseHowcould I rest without dai ly and l ively commun ionwith God ButGod showedthatHe heareth prayer.He soon broke into her sou l , filled

‘

her with strongconsolations, and surrounded herwith songs of deliverenes .

—Blessed be Thy worthy name, glorious Redeemer Thy praise is in allthe churches 0 help

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

244 summits or re:

formed by Dr. Cohe mey be, ia the apprehemion ef

some, withMr. Wesley’s authority to invest the Dr

with the powers and prerogatives of a Christian

Amu ioan Con tinen t really involved—itmay be proper to ex hibitin this place Mr. Wesiey

’s own ex pnse

of the grounds on whichhe proceeded in thatdesignr

train of preside” .

many of the provinces ot‘

NorthAmerica are mtally

independentstates. The English Govemmenthas no

authority over them, either civiloa'

ecclesiastical, any

more then over the states ot’flolland . A eivilantho

rity is ex ercised ovm' them, partly by the Cong as .

partly by the Provincial Assemblies. But no one

either ex ercises or claims any ecclesiastioalauthor itys t al l . In this peculiar situation , some thousands ol

'

the inhabttants of these States desit-e my advice z and

in compliance with their desire, I have drawn wp a

little sltetch.

(1 )Load g’s aceountot

'

the prtmtuve chueeh,convinced me, many years ago , thatbishops andwbyters are the same order, and conseqnently have the

same right to ordain . For many years Ihave been

hy orh ining partof oar travelling preacherl. Butl

have stillrefused, notonly for peace sake , butbeeauseIwas determined, as little as pou iblmto violate the

established oxder of the nationalchurch to wbich lbelonged.

-)Bm abe m e is wideiy dism m bezm

who have a lq aljuriediction . In Amen’

ea there o n

n x v. m u m au c x . 245

none, ne ither eny ‘

puriehministers. 80 thatfor someheadred miles together, there is none either to baptiz eor to admin ister theLord ’s Supper. Here, therefore,my m aplee ere atm end : end leonceive myaelt

'

at

fullliberty ; as I violate no order, and invade nomen ’s

right, by appointing and sending labourers in to theharvest.

I have accordingly appointed De . Con : and

Ma. Fau cets Asnun to be join t superin tenden ts overour brethren in North America as a lso RICHARDWr ite» ? and Te am s V aen ,

to act es elders amongthem by baptiz ing and admin istering the Lord ’s Supper . And I have prepawd a liturgy , l ittle diflhringfrom thatof the Church of England (Ith ink the bestconstituted notional church in the world)which I ed

v ise allthe travell ing preachers to use , on the Lord’sday, in allthe congregations, reading the litany onlyon Wednesdays and Fridays, and praying extemporeon allothef days. I also advisethe elders to administer the Lord’s Supper on every Lord’s day.

If any one will poin t outatmore rational andscriptural way of feeding or guiding those poor sheepin the wilderness, I wil l gladly embrace it. Atpre

sent I cannot see any better method than that I havetaken .

It has indeed been proposw to desire the

Engl ish Bishops to ordain part of our preachers forAmerica. But to this I object, [I.] I desired the

bishop of London to ordain on ly one, but could not

prevail . [Q] If they consented, we know the slown ess of the ir proceedings ; but the matter admi ts ofno delay. If they would ordain them now, theywould likewise expect to govern them ; and how

grievously would this entangle us ? At our

W 2

246 m o m or r e:

American brethren are nowtotally dismtnttgled bothfrom the state, and from the English hierarchy, wedare not entangle them again either withthe one ev

with the other. They are nowatful l lihen y simplyto follow the scriptures and the primi tive church,

And we judge it best that they should stsnd fast in thel iberty wherewith God has so strangely made them

Joan W z snz r .

”

If the sacred elevation of Mr. Wesley ’s - characterhas ex empted him from the imputation of unworthymotives in this business, the propriety of the measurei tselfhas notbeen unquestioned under the predomi»

hating influence ofHigh Church prejudice i t has Men

assai led with unspnring censure This was to be ex

pected. Even Mr. Char les Wesley eamestly ramen

strated against it, and deemed it no unsuitable oeewsion for the exerc ise ofhis satirical talent. Butevery

tywas an ticipated byMr.Wesley himself, and nseom

pletely obviated , as it appears to us, in the ex plm

tion which, with a view to commend himself to everyman ’s conscience in the sight of God , he has furn ish.

cd in the preceding letter. It has been alleged that itwas preposterous for Mr. Wesley , who was himselfon ly a presbyter, to assume the authori ty to orda in a

BishOp. Butthis apparen t incongruity results notfromhis principles , butfrom the assumption of those whoimpugn his procedure, that bishops and presbytem are

distinct orders, a position of the fallacy of which Mr.

Wesley had long been convinced. This conviction

Minutes ofConference for 1785.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

as this name seems to hawe become generaliy enn ent

in the language of eivill ife , to denote any kind of yevetoing superintendance in the public administrationz

”

Nothing can be plainer, than that notwitM nding thisshade of difierenoe in the import of these appellations,they designate one and the same ofi oe, sinee, as wehave sufi ciently proved, they are used interchange“,by the Apostles as being entim synonymous. It wasnotuntil the age following that of the Apostles, if soearly, that the person who presided in the 60ltions of the presbyterswas distinctly en titled ep é eopu .

and then he was rey u led notas superion to the ten

in rank , hutmerely as a prim c ima m “, the fimt

among equals I t must nowbe obvious to the M a .

tha t in the appo in tmen t of Brt Coke as a superimdentor bishop, Mr.Wesley closely followed the Scriptares and the primiti ve church . Itwas the M ien

of the Doctor’s ofiiee fo r a special purpm notthe i»

vesting him with a newone. And from what iodiy io

dual or number of ind i viduals could such an appoint:

men t have so appropriately emanated. as From the fa

ther and founder of the Methodist Societies,whosefwterns]supremacywas recogn ised thronghontthewholeconnex ionSuch was the source whence Mr. Black deri ved the

ofi c ialand public authen tication of his Divine call tothe work of the min istry. The solemn occas ion asnot pass without cal ling up a vivid reooileotion o f his

responsibility , and ex citing him to cry afresh to Godfor help to be “ faithfu l in allhis house ” My geeseestfi at,

”says he, is lest I should he found nnihith»

folin so great a trust. 0 that as a messenger from

m . mu n! m et. 249

not fearing the

whtower, and nem be found sleeping- and

stem , Im y ever prove faithfhlto flimentrusted me withhis goods. Bntwho , 0is nttfi oient for these things ? 0 let thy

Thou

Thy church IGet thyself honour, and useglory ; so shal l my soul praise Thee.

”

ordination , Mr. Black spen t a month inas well as

gladdened his heart, and suggest

floation—“Donhtloss the faiththl

in the great day, willtind many

had no knowledge on earth . This ough tto leave the seceeas of their labourswith

259 u au ou s or r un

the Lord , and notto he discouraged though they seebut li ttle fi n it.”

About the 2otb of June he found himself again inthe bosom ofhis family, ful l of grati tude for the meies which he and they had ex perienced during his ahsense , and of holy resolves to make ful l proof of bk

min istry. His visi t to the States had a most salotu y

and invigorating influence upon his mind.

“ I blessGod ,

” he wri tes , " Ifeelfar greater boldness in hiscause , and zeal for the con version ei

’

sen ia .

”

Among the trials of the previous year, were m e

unhappy misunderstandings that had taken plaee hetween Mr. Wray and some of the test of the weaebers.

these occurrences disastrous toin the province, deemed it hisWesley of the facts of the case ,at ex ercise his judgmen t inW i thout his in terpos ition ,healed, and mutual co nfidesIn a letter to Mr. Wes ley ,setves My fears last fal lter to you, s naked re lation 0heat of temptation was over , andand J. M. , came to see and tellsallwas love and harmony, and

peace is now found amongst na.

defeatedness

”soon again encircled

had endeavoured to dividtreading upon the verge of

was highly gratifying, and his replyto perpetuate and increase the best ofdated London , Nov. 21, 1789.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

259 traumas or m s

d istinct organ iz ation as a Christian church aflerhis (100cease. Indeed allhis influence, (and no man ever possessed more,)cou ld notpreven t an approx imation towards that result previously to his death and severalcauses concurred to accelerate and mature i t atherwards . These have often been misrepresen ted. Theyare correctly stated by Mr.Watson in his l ife ofWes

ley Some of the violent adheren ts oi'

the old plan ,

’

as it was cal led , among ourselves, have ignoran tly orin a party spiritattribu ted this to the ambi tion and ia

trigues of the preachers ; but the true causes werethat the clergy , generally, did notfireachthe doctrines

of their own church, and of the reformation and thatmany of them did notadorn the ir profession by theirl ives . I t may he added , that in no smal l number of

cases , the clergy were the persecutors and calutnnia

tors of the Wesleyan societies ; that the sermons inchurches were often i ntemperate attacks upon theircharacter and opin ions ; and that the Methodists werefrequently regarded as in truders atthe table of the

Lord , rather than as welcome commun ieants . Thesewere the reasons why, long before Mr. Wesley 'sdeath , a great number of the societies were anxiousto have the sacramen ts from the hands of their ownpreachers, under whose min istry they were instruc tedand ed ified , in whose characters they had confidence,

and with respect to whom they kn ew that if any one

disgraced his profess ion , he would not he sufferedlong to ex ercise it,

” Adherence to Mr . W esley’sprinciples, then , and not a derel iction of them has

placed Methodism in its present position—a pos itionwhich , we bel ieve, the special providence o i

'

the MostHigh, from the beginn ing designed it should occupy ,as the friend and aux il iary of all, and the enemy of

anr . m ama s u es . 253

n one whose object it is to spread scriptural holinessthrough the earth.Should. the reader consider these remarks ratherdigress ive, I hope he will pardon them, as I was unwilling either to suppress the admon ition whiehhmcalled them forth9 or to abandon it to the ahese of

wh it is p ubis .

From the time of Dr. Coke ’s appoin tmen t to the

his care was ex pecwdwem nd also to those in the

deemed ban for the pmm fios of the work in that extending field of usefu lness. Mr . Wraym for severalyears sust a general charge in Nova t ma, and

be ing cla im to he relieved from the responsibi lity,requested Dr. Colte to appoin t another in his place .

The Dr. , th athis knowledge of Mr. Black ’s eminen tpunishes piety, immediately nominm d him as the

most prom names toIn Mr. Wray ’s sum m r ; ho

societies inflow Scotia, NewBrunswick, and Newfoundland. By this Mr. Blank felt himse lf placed in circumstances of de licacy. andwas with

views on the subject are unfolded in a letter to Mr.

which we subjoin , writtm , as will be per

before the preceding letter from Mr. Waieycame to hand

Ru . we DEA! Sta,l‘ ism “mm M !' 0 M M1

'f; 1 t;

line from yon . The in ninm'

eity and im

yo ur other engagemeou , I know , willfltmhha mf

254 u su oms or rm:

ficientreason for this yetpermitme to beg, ifyou havea leisure momen t, i t may be employed in writing me afew lines; I have need of your counsel and prayers.

Itwas matter of great surprise to me to find thatIwas nominated as the assistan t. I wou ld gladly haveresigned the othee to brotherWray butthe Stewardsand Preachers opposed it. I am far from thinkingmyselfqualified for so importan t and weighty a charge,and should be glad to be succeeded from England.

AtHalifax our people are l ively. I think I maysay they are growing in grace, as wel l as graduallyincreasing in number. Our society has swelled fromabout six ty to one hundred, since this time twelvemon th. AtHorton they remain much as they wereatW indsor there are some additions atCumberland,also, some have been added atLiverpool and She]bume we have sustained some loss. I bel ieve our

aggregate number at presen t amoun ts to about fivehundred . I feel much encouraged concern ing Halifax : twen ty have found peace With God within the

las t eight months, most of whom are steady , l ively,humble souls. I em much comforted among them,

and see great cause for thankfulness. Howhas God

changed the scene, since I firstcame hither in 1786EThe society is noweight times larger, and eight timesmore serious and spiritual . Though I have manystruggles with unbelief and an evil heart, yetmy soullongs for perfect love. 0 that my God wou ld speedilydestroy the remains of the carn al mind Jesus is myhOpe and joy—my sun and shield

My dear—my very dear Father, I remain ,Your Son in the Gospel,

“W ILLIAM BLACK .

”

Halifax , Dec. 2d, 1789;

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

C H A PT E R X I.

r e s srsr s vm ss ca or A n tvwr. CALL r o r a t mms

r nr—Lar n s r nou m i . wz ss s r— n n c rs s as

wiaws o u m ru st; atacavas roau an—m vu

u s es or oan xs n tos—swu u s au n n n tu r tos

— ANOTHBR Lan n a raou m i .ws sLnr—n a . su e:

u r s s n s Patu ns tr n u AND s aw y ou r cos ts :

n s c ss—ts r s avxaw wrr a n a . cox s—o sr u s s str

ran on s as roe n ova soor u —asuu x u ns aan

vu . ax o ns m a mm sr ar tu s swroosn u s n—mv

n cus ru zs w ran soorz r r tu zu mu r—vrsrr s sr .

sou s , s . s .—ma rmsmr r s x rosss am 1 0 s s s ss

cur ios—z x ru or or A Lan es raou n u . BLACK .

Tu n best evidence to a min ister that he is ca lled ofGod to preach the Gospel is the conversion of souls byhis instrumentality . He may srrogate the hon our of

being a successor of the Apostles, and he may exhibitallthe cmdentials in vindication ofhis claim with whichman can furn ishhim, and afier allbe nothing betterthan

an in truder into God’s heritage—uncalled, and tota llyunqualmd, to call sinners to repen tance, or to edifythe people of God in their most holy faith . That mpen tanes hemay possibly himself never have ex ercised—of that precious faith he may be en tirely destitute .

The min istry of none, probably, has in a spiritual viewbeen lea efi cient than that of those who have beenmost remarkable for their assuming and exclusive pre

awai ts , &.c . 257

as the only divinely authorised ambassadorst. The remark may seem invidious butwe

of no other feelings andmotives in maltty for the souls to whom it may proveand eoneem for the in terest of evangel i

comment on the

aotto insiauate,

thoseorna

Gospel . Butic ing ? Is a

What arethe nwstvahted sesb ot

'

their mission ? Are they notthe unequivocal tokens of the di vine approbation thatenable them to appeal to the people among whomthoy lahour, that they u z the min isters of the Lord

Jesus ? How does St. Paul magn ify his ofliee by thisword demonstration l IN em not an apostle un too thers, yetdonbtiess i am to yon for the seal ot

'

mine

Such heart-cheering

ps i, and of his callto Mr. Black .

melt evidences could satisfya mindwas ’

eaabletl to make the followingto Mr. Wesley relative to the pro

X 2

258 n sn oms or ru n

gress of the good work under his superintendence, towards the close of 1789.

Rsvs aan n Sm ,

I have herewith transmitted the number in

society, viz . 575, upwards of 400 of whom professfaith. Since my last letter to you we have added 80more. The work gradual ly increases. We have hadhard work preaching to a dead, hardened , ign orant

people in this town , (Halifax )butGod is'

nowgiving usto see the fruit of our labours . My soul cries outforGod, yea the l iving God allelse is vain and joylessbutGod is the strength of my heart and my portionfor ever.

”

I em,

My dear Father, Ste.

”

W e subjoin Mr. Wesley ’s congratulatory and en

couraging reply

MY DEAR BROTHER ,

I em glad to hear you have some increase of the

work of God in Hal ifax . If you take care that thebrethren fall notoutby the way, and that there be no

jealousies or coldness between the Preachers, butyouallgo on in peace and harmony , there will be an in

crease of it in every place. I have great hopes thatthe days of coldness and darkness are n ow past, and

that the Sun ofRighteousness is rising on Nova Scotialikewise. O stir up the gift of God that is in you,

and wrestle with God in mighty prayer. He is doinggreat things in many parts of Europe, such as have

n otbeen seen for many generations and the childrenof God ex pectto see greater things than these. I do

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

200 ann exes or m

ing friends. Among my spiritual—the Lord ’s count

ing me faithful , putting me in to themin istry—themcess He has granted to my poor endeavours in the

conversion of many souls, and in gladden ing the heartsof many ofHis people both in Philadelphia, Halifaxand various parts of this province. His placing meamong so loving and l ively a people as those of Halifax noware—His quicken ing and consoling presencein preaching, prayer and other religions duties—Hisenabling me in patience to possess my sou l ( I cannotrecollect that I have spoken an angry word to any one

for years)—the measure o f the faith that worketh bylove, and of the hope that purifies the heart, which Ipossess—my desire to do all things to the glory of

God—my longings alter ful l sanctification of soul andbody ~ and a blessed ex pectation of see ing Jesus and

dwell ing with him for ever in heaven . Inex ten

deavoured to recall my sins to mind, and to humblemyself before God on accoun t of them : and bete lfound as great cause for self-abasemen t, as before, (hrwonder, love and pra ise. Oh the odious pride,self-seeking , vain thoughts, the unbeliet

’

, backwardness to study, to prayer, to self-examination , and bearing the cross ; the barrenness and lukewarmnm of

most, Imight say of all, even my most ferven t andhearty services ; the sp iritua l plagues I wes con vincedstill remained in myheart;my proneness to forgetGod,and return ingratitude for his matchless love and

grace ; my want of z ealfor his glory, and of ardentlove for souls, mymisspem time, lost opportun ities ofdoing . and getting good, Ste. he. Ste. After all, myheart is far from being su itably affected with ei thermymercies or sins. V ile heart ungratefhlsou l ! Fallprostrate in the dust before God. 0 Jesus 1 let

aav . wtaaru r sates . 965

make a behaving use ofThy blood letit sprinkle myhearthom an evil conscience, and keep itever clean.

What avai l allmy purposes and resoluti ons unlessconstan tly uphe ld by Thee. It

'

Thy hand support me

not, I must fall. I h ownotwhat may lie concealedin the womb of the future respecting me, to be mani

fested this year but I willingly committhe en tire disposalof allmy concerns, whether relating to my sou l ,body or family, into the hands o f infin ite wisdom and

love. The Judge of al'

lthe earth will do right.

‘Bere‘amy heart. O hha aad ssal it,

In time- ia eternity, let me on ly enjoy Thee, servo

fl) : not my will , but thine be

Mr. Black an tic ipated fi 'om

soon apparen t in the fresh

the W M , particularly thatr, among those who had receivedgrafted word . The des ires so an»

the emblem of

ichhad brokenthus met, and

impressive ordi

262 m uon s or r an

cold observance of an ofi cialduty, nor the aflhetingcommemoration merely of the fact of the sacrific ial

death of Christ, but the conscious and blessed came

munion of the body and blood of his o nce crucified butn ow l iving Redeemer. If the individual whose eye ls

passing over this page be one who has been presenton such occasions, we envy him not, ifhe can remember them without emotion while by the seriousreader, whoever hemay be , the following sacramen talmeditation cannot butbe appreciated as the emanationo i

'

a heart richly imbued with redeeming love, and

a pathetic memento oi'

the spirit in which he ought atalltimes to approach the table of the Lord .

Saturday, 30th Feb.—My gracious Lord,

°

0tt

the morrow I am to administer to thy people the mblams of thy broken body and shed blood. Give me

graee to do it in a te verent and solemn manner. 0

letme once more l ook through the meted signs , and

d iscern the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of

the world . Letme eat the bread of life—~the manna

that comes down from heaven , and feast on Thy ne

deeming love. Letme drink of the river of91m mand of l ife that proceedeth from Thy wounded aideThy piewed heart—for Thyfleshis meat indeed, andThy blood is drink indeed .

“ I have been ex horting Thy people tom mThyTable , in a pen itent, behaving, thankful and joyfulmanner, there to commemorate Thy strange , mysterious, boundless love and O blessed Jesus ! shaIi I

myself approach itwithout such feelings Did the

ancien t Romans, when they beheld the robe of their

murdered Caesar allstained with his blood, rise in iad ignation against thosewho had slain him and shellI see the robes , the very robes of my precious Re

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

261 n amou s or m e

greater stability than theMethodist society ofHal ifax ,which has had many pious and able instructors inChrist, but on ly one father- tbe honoured subjec t ofthese memoirs. Several of the coun try societies,whom the plan of his labour led him to visit two or

three times in the course of the year, were , as wehave already seen , from their jux ta-position to the classof Christians,withwhomMr. Al line’amostmonstrouserrors had allthe authority of oracles, in danger ofbeing tain ted with the moral malaria. Even wherethis effect did notfollow, he couldnotview,without themost painful concern , the diffusion of principles so

u tterly atvariance with the form of sound words,”

and subversive of the very elemen ts of Christian motality, as— that the Bible is an old dead letterd - ordin ances are n either ob ligatory nor useful— the resur

rection is past already—bel ievers may indulge in the

grossest immoralities— they may commit murder andadultery, and their souls atthe same time be free frommoral turpitude. Can it be matter of surprise tothe reader, that referring to the apparen tly graciousinfluence which attended the incylcation of somefundamen tal truths of the Gospel in connection withsuch revolting dogmas,Mr. Black should thus ex presshimself I find it hard work to rejoice in the suc

cess of Mr.H under whose min istry it is saidsome are converted, because many of his doctrinesare unscriptural , and he is violently Opposed to ushowever,”he adds, “ if Christ is preached, and sin

ners are converted , I will bless God for this. So manymore are added to my Father

’s family therefore !

will rejoice though they noton ly do notfollow us, but

think it their duty to Oppose as.

” No z eal but thatwhich is the pure flame of LOVE” could achieve a

arr . WILL!“ atscr . 265

Notwithstanding these anhe found the state of the

at an early period

to which the trema

damd M M , June 14th, 1790,

ths before his death

Baor ttsa,

wellto send me an aeeount of your

Here is a good beginn ing, though itin many plaees a day of small thinga ; and

itdoes notpleaae God to carry on his work

y with you as in aome ot‘

the provinces.

States.) Butone sonlis worth allthe mer

in theworld z andwhoever geta money, do

there throughout England , 8cotlsnd ,

great a thirst t'

or the pure word of

atthis day. The same we find in theMan , Wight, Jersey, Guernsey. andWestern Ocean . In the Isle ot

‘

Mm

I have jostsnd, wheta l

So itplsassa

266 uauoras or run

God to give me a l ittle more to do beforeHe callsmehence.

Whathas become of brother Scutt, Dobson , and

our other Yorkshire friends Some of them doubtless are gone into a farther coun try ; but some I suppose remain . I doubtyou do notkeep up a eonstaqt

intercourse with each other. Love as Brethren lI em,

DearWilliam,

Your affectionate friend and Brother,Joan Wasamr.”

Mr. Black never hesitated to waive his own predilections in accommodation to the prejudices of othetswhen the surrender involved no compromise of principle, and appeared necessary, or conducive to his

usefulness. Thus, though convinced of the scriptural val idity of sprinkling as the mode of adminis

tering the ordinance of baptism, he often , in con

formity with the views of an adul t candidate, performed it by immersion . It is not very creditable tothe Christian cause that this subject has been so pro

lific a source of odium theologicum, theological dispute and acrimony. Were Pedobaptt

'

sts, when ex

pedient, to act on the principle of Mr. Black, and

Baptists to evince more of the candour ,and conci lia

tion of one whose name is an honour to their denomination—tbe late Rev. Robert Hall— there would bemore ground to hope, than atpresen t exists, that, bya mutual approximation , Christians now so widelysevered, would are long cordially un ite, if not in ac

cordance of sentimen t in this poin t, atleast in showing forth the redeeming love and sacrificialdeath of

the same Lord, both their’s and our’s. That eloquen t

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

933 n auoxas or ran

the American connection was the only source to whichhe could look (hr the required assistance, he resolved,witha viewto accomplish both these objects, to at

the NewYork Conference, to be held the lastweek in May, afiel his arrival at NewYork he learned that tha Doctor’s paramoun t engage»

men ts or duties in Europe, (arising probably outofMr. Wesley ’s recen t death)would preclude the possibility of his remaining in America as long as he had

intended. He therefore hastened forward to Philadelphia, where he met the Dr. on the 11thof May.

He enjoyed the desired in terview, and derived from i tallthe benefit in the way both of counsel and encou

ragementwhich he had an ticipated . The unexpectedextension of his journey, also , afl'ordedhim an oppor

tunity of be ing presen t atthe Philadelphia Conference,which commenced on the 17th of May, and occupiedfour days. The venerable Asbury presided and the

wisdom, grace and prudence with which he sustainedhis character as a Christian Bishop, made a deep impression upon Mr. Black ’s mind. The New YorkConference sat the following week, at which six

preachers were designated to accompanyMr . Black toNova Scotia. The immediate objecm of his visitwere thus suspiciously attained, and looking forwardto its ulterior consequences, he thanked God and tookcourage,

The year 1791was one of the most memorable inMr. Black ’s life. About three weeks afier his returnfrom the States, in pursuance it would seem of an

arrangemen t suggested by Dr. Coke, he sailed fimn

Hal ifax for Newfoundland. The remarkable out

pouring of the Holy Spirit which attendedhis labours,transient though they were, in that Island, formed a

asv. wttu u t sm elt. 2m

with which ‘the gay rm mbrance ofa lifi wellspent

’

solaced the even ing of his days . He arrived at St.

John on the lothof August, and immediately wai tedo n the Rev. Mr. Jones, the Presbyterian minister ofthat place, a man deeply pious and of a most cathol ic

A&er spending a day atSt. John , be repairedwhere Mr.McGeary, a MethodistMis

sionary, was then stationed. Byhim he was hailedwith the livel iest emotions of gratitude and joy. I

have been weeping before the Lord ,” sa id he, I

have been weeping before the Lord, over my lone lys ituation and the darkness of the people, and your

coming is like life from the dead !” The good man

was indeed so completely disheartened that he wasjuston the point of abandon ing the field

'

111which hehad for a considerable time laboured without fruit , as

irred aimably aterile. A most gracious revi val hadindeed taken place here a number of years previously,under the min istry of the ltev. Mr. Coughlan , buta

portion of its fruits had been lodged in the celestial

gamer, and a fewfemales were allwho at this period remained, to testify that Christ had power on

earth to forgive sins. Mr. Black deeply felt that thecause of God had reached a crisis, the duties ol

'

whiehdemanded unusual unction and fidelity and from the

time that he let)Halifax, his Journal attests that hismind was iu a state ot‘progreasive prepan tion t

'

or tho

work here assigned him to do. Ha enterad upon it

under a profound conaciousneaa ef his own insufi ’

eiu oy ; butwithferventpn yer and impottunata aupplication ,whis Fatherwho n win asa ehand hawas

aaon rewarded openly. A blen ed influence attendedY !

270 u n i on s or rut.

his very firstsermon—a cheering prelude of the time

of gracious visitation that followed. But the toils

a

'

nd the td umphs of this eeason ot'

graee willbe bestex hibited by some ex tracts gleaned fi om hia Jotlb

Carbonear, Sunday , Aug. l4th.- Last even ing !

preached fi'

om Acts 2 : 42. Many presen t were , I

bel ieve , convinced of their foul revolt ; some of

whom appear resolved to setout anew. Some alsowho never knew the ways of God seemed deeply affected. O my God, I trust Thou didst not send mehither for nothing. I had much liberty in preachingthis morn ing. The power of the Spiri t of God wasamongs t the people. Afier preaching, I mqueeted anywho desired to devote themse lves to God to remainand meet in class about thirty-seven did so . In the

even ing I had a crowded audience. I trust the Lordwi l l make bare His arm. I have now no doubt butGod in mercy sen t me to this people .

“Wednesday , 17th.- Whi le I was preaehing in Carbonear Church last even ing, some began to cry aloud .

I ceased preaching and began to pray . My voice wasnearly drowned . Weeping was on every side. I leftthe pulpit, and pas

'

sed through the church, exhortingthose who were wounded and crying for m y . Allover the chapel , three or four were to be seen ia al

most every pewthus affected . One exper ienced com»

fort, and published her joys aloud. Afler they die

persed , their cries and groans might be heard ata considerable distance up aod down the harbour.

-I thismorning visi ted the female who found peace last evening. Shewas engaged in praising God joy shone inher coun tenance and sparkled in her eyes . I thee ac

compan ied brother Stretton , a judicious end Upright

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

272 u n set“ or rm:

cond ition o f the people generally here , I was muchaffected.Monday ,Wda -lpreached in the church atHarbotn

G race FromJohn i i i : 16. Se powerful a season Ihavenetseen since I came to the Island . For three hoursia successi on between forty and fifiy deeply laureotéiltheir sins , and continued their supplieations for utercy. I can not but observe and adore the goodness of

God in sending me hither, and that by a train of proo

vidences. It is notqui te a fortn ight since mywi n ]atCarbonear—s aud WhathathGod wrought

On Thursday the fi5th, Brother McGeary and I

set06 in a small boat for Blaek- head. We arrived intime to give a word ot’ ex hortation to a fewwho hadcome together ex pecting us, and appointed a meetingfor the following even ing. This wits a time long he

be remembered . Acts x i 15, was my tex t, and itwas indeed fulfilled . The Holy GhostfellUpon the

people, both as a Spir‘i t of bondage to fear , and as a

Spiri t ofliberty and love.

Tuesday , s0th.— Preached atFresh-water on the

nature, necessity, and fruits offaith. Many felt thewant of it and wept aloud others rejoiced in tha pessession of so invaluable a pearl . [ formed thosewhofelt the importance of Christian commun ion in to twoclawes. In years past several of themhad known theLord ; I trust the Lord has healed the backslidingsof many, and that they willbe in future preservedfrom the snare of the devil . May they learn wisdomfrom the things they have suffered . There are now

at Carbonear, including this place, fifty.

who willmee t in class, twelve of whom have been enabled tobelieve to the saving of their souls in this revival

,

September lst.—lwalked over to Harbour Grace,

w . wa n n a su e s . 273

aeooman ietl by Richard Valen tine. His conversatioo m tmly spiritualand instmctive ; m ious aod

heavy hsve heen his trials. His ex perienoe is aot

omm m ma He has h en maoy yearsin the way ; and hu moved steadily aloog anfidstouto

wand trials and inward exercises peeuharly severe.

Mu ldrinltmore deeply intohis spirit. Io the even

iag lpm ched fiom." Wem

’

llgo withyou gfor wM M M W Lm-d is m

'

thm ” Ipo inted oot

ths lbllowing as amoag the marhs by which those

who have God with them may be distinguished :

(I)They embrace and hold forth the essen tial doctr ines ot

’

ScripturH s, origina l sin—jostifieation byfai th—the nev birth—aod en tire hol iness or sanctifi

eatioa. (9)ln eoaoex ionwiththeir aealin pmpagstiogthesewholesome troths, the glory ot

'

God and the sal

vation of men , are the objeets l‘

orwhiehthey live. (3)Bytheir insu

'

umentality meo are aetually refitrmedmswellin the temper of theirwinds es in their outwardbehaviour. Having en larged on these particulars, Iendeavoursd to showthe neeessity of goiwm

’

thsoeh

a peoplemo far atleastashelievingly to reeeive those

doctrinesn eduee themto praetiee, aod to aid with allourmight in spreading their influence.

“M90day, 5th.—Iknow not that I ever witnessed

n cha meeting aswehad this even iag. Brother Stret

m emphatical ly remarked , The scenewas truly awful. Whata eontrast ! Some ia the very tlepths ol

’

dic ta“ ; others io traosports ot'

joy l Itappeared to

me a faiotpietare olhesven aad helll’ Severalfotmd

paaee with God this eveaing also . Some of those

under coovietioa havs been among the greatssteos

mies ol'

t'eligion . Nothiog was to be seen botheaving

hreasts andweepiog eyes !- aothing to be hesrtlhut

274 mes on s or was

prayer and praise , expressions of

faith, ofjoy or of sorrow Part 0

may be na turalbuti t is eviden t muchet

'

it is divine. Nonecan alarm the gu i lty, slembering conscienceman , en lighten his understanding and maltssible of his vilenessearth and fix them 11

soul with meekness ,tentmeot, peaee and joy~ witb fai th , hopeNone, I say, butGod, can produce thesesare produced therefore thus far the work ily of God, although some of its attendant:

dag“ may be from na ture, yea fromTo chron icle allthe occurrences of

spired during this eventful visit , orthe n umerous cases ofoonversion in

g ives the names of the individuals,these detai ls to a disproportionatealready exhibited amply evioee the e

pressioa produced under the divinemin istry in Newfoundland , the resulin the words of the Rev . Richard Kaiyears ofwhose highly useful missionaryin that scene ef labour wasthe Methodist Society, and theday which has since shone uponisland.

” No less,” says Mr.

hundred souls were converted to God daringsojourn in Conception Bay. Nor are the

that visit to be estimated by its immediateHe organ ized Methodism, settled the Missionty, and secured it to the Connexion , increasedspirited the society , and o

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

5276 m ores or rm:

nature the most felicitoas, are to the Christian the

harbingers of some of his severest tnials. This iswisely ordained. The fiery ordeal , whi le i t tests thegenuineness, at the same time increases the parityand lustre of his graces . Ao un intereepted ser ies ofprosperous and pleasing even ts, though in connectionwi th the church of God , is notfavourable to the cttltivetion of that humble and prayerful dependen ce uponHim, essen tial to the main tenance and growth of thespiritual life. To St. Paul , lest he should be exaltedabove measure through the abundance of the revelations communicated to him, there was given a thornin theflesh; and the on ly response he received to hisimportunate appl ication for its removal was, Mygrace is satficientfor thee.

” Thiswas enough. Hisiafirmities increased, in the same ratio, his claimsupon ce lestial mower ; and like an advantageousMl.more strik ingly illustrated the reality and power ot

’

the grace imparted to him. The reader will reafi lyanticipate the drill of these remarks. It might besaid of Mr. Black, d111

-ing his stay in Newfoundland.that he rode as in a triumphs] chariot. No imagin b

able concurren ce of temporal circumstances cottidhave enkindled an exul tation in his mind comparab leto that which he experienced from a survey of the

ausp icious and extensi ve change his labours there hadbeen instrumen tal in efl’ectuating. Ou his return toNova Scotia, however, he was destined to encountertrials of no ordinary magn itude. The preaching.

house, hitherto oceapied in Hal ifax byMr. Black andhis cosdjutors, was the property ofMr. M thenthe most Opulen t and influential person connectedwith the society. Owing to circumstanees afiectingthis gen tleman , the nature of whichwe nei ther knew ,

378 m om or was

$0011after Mr. Black ’s return from Newfoundlandhe visi ted in order, Horton , Granv il le, Annapol

'

u,

and Digby, and then passed over to St. John , N . B.

The Rev. Mr. Bishop , probably one of the holiestmen who ever lived, was atthat time stationed in theci ty. Under hisministry several had been con vertedto God , end others were enquiring the way to Zion.

The ashes of this excel len t man , whose memory isblessed, repose in one of tbe West India Islands,whitherhe afterwards went to invite into the gloriousl iberty of the children of God, the injured sons of

Africa. In St. John , Mr. Black’s time,” to use hisown expression s, was “

all taken up between the

mount and mul ti tude.

” Butin his efforts to benefitthelatter, he experienced an unexpected in terruption , the

nature and cause of which were as follows. Wellting the street on the Lord

’s day, he sawcerta in ship

builders and caulkers pursu ing their ordinary employ»

men ts, Against this pnblic desecration of the Sabbath,be tel: ithis duty to bear his testimeny, in terms 7o!

merited reprobation , in his diseourse in the even ing.Exasperated by the ex posure

‘ot

'

their guilt, some ofthe individuals implicated, aware of the existence of aprovinc ial statute again st any one

’s ex ercis ing minis

terial functions without a license from the Governor,and having ascertained thatthe preacher had notmed

the precaution to procure such a license, thought itwould be a worthy method ofmpreming theirm at

men t— if pomible to sea l the lips which had testifies“!them that their deeds were evil . Accordingly theyp eeferred a charge of contempt of the lawagainst hirrrtothe Clerk of the Peace, whose z ealin promoting theirviews must be admi tted to have been a little move

arden t than fidelity to his ofi cialresponmhilifies nedly

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

23) a ttains or r

n emlatian, and at the same time remarked to him

ble body of people he preached , no one could lookupon his compl iance )we? allthe c

'

M “

indicating a con tempt of the Provincial Legulatttre

liberty of conscience, “thew rightof all

to worship God according to the dictates

Bleak, “I have ventured to presch st the request ofthe pwple, and intended todo sowtill

should hear

from the Governor ; hutsinee myconstrued in to contempt of authority , Ishall dwatun til I hear from the Rev. Mr. Bishop, who has gone

repl ied, with considerable warmth, that nei ther the

W av es no

nu WILL!“ su es . 235

u litiss. £ll0were cheerfiilly sahseribed tewards theerectien of a chmhthe fi'

ame of whichMn Blaelteaw oat ot

'

the woods befere he left. Attbis Con

m m m m m vm sm mmw d six htmdred and eighty members.

Fm the Conl’

erenwhe wentto Annapelis, where

m picious oecurmwes had ahnostprostn ted the litde aociety. By the fimnation ol

'

a matrimon ial al li

m pmmptednhere is reason to tban by the motive

thu led Demaswfomake the Apot he preacber

owerwhom he had heen placed , and inflicted awountlupon the causewbichtime has nothealed . Themati

nu inwhichhe received, or rather repelled hdr. Black ’s

M admenitien ,was painfally ominous of the

result. Bewfearfid is the responsibility ofministen !

t n they t’

all, the estsstrophe resembles the ettinc

don of e p nnd orhrgtbcrthan the aphelien d an iso

W .a wx idmdwe d q of & John , under

be hsd hllitshe pm edingDecemher. He fi1und thst

fi r. Bishoapzs lshours in the memtime bed been p eu

b lsssed. Themwere shoutastemy in tbe n eiety.

and thawodtwas stillpmgressive. Proceeding to FteW h W am Oftwenty-twombieflysoldienwho “

thonght 1111011 the name” of the Lord ,“and

q ah ofien one to amther.

” The few dsys he re

un ified whb them were notwithout hsppy comp

m —thmr namber incmased to thirty. AtShd

lsli . bettIeen SL John aa rederictob , bom bedatthehems d

‘

Ma HamM in wboss t’

u n ily, asia

M in ths sam undiu nd ghboarboodflheee hsd me. tlyhsea agomrfalwofi ot

'

divine grsec.“Am :

986 un wi se or m e

‘

these,”he remarks with pain , there are many Newl ights, ormore properly .dlh

'

m'

tes—muchwfld fire, andmany wrung opin ions. They wan t a judicious leader,onewho can rightly divide the word of truth.

’ W e

nextfind him spending a fewdays withMr. M0003

and his l ittleflock atSt. Stephen ’s, much gratified at

witnessing the spirituali ty man ifested by the societyunder the pastoral care of that truly veaerable man.

The compiler of this memoir cannot pass over in si

lence the name of a departed father in Israel , withwhom it was his providen tial lot to be in timately associated during the firsttwelve mon ths of his min isterial itinerancy . He here uses the word pm idenwadvisedly, emphatically, and with ferven t gratitude toHimwho has been the guide of his youth . Fromthe

contemlmlation of the character, aswell as fromthe c‘

on

vemation , kindness, and counsel of thatex cellentmtn,be derived much spiritual benefit, when li ttle morethan a babe in Christ; nor could he nowbead overthe

grave that embosoms his hallowed dustWi thout emotions of filialtenderness and veneration. The circumstances of Mr. McColI’s conversion wGod wereveryremarkable. Atan early period in life he entered the

army, without any knowledge of vital gofliness emin theory . Whatever religious instruction he had roceived related merely to external propr iety of deportmen t. N or had be any higher conception of the na

ture of that holiness without which no man can seetheLord, till the eyes of his understanding were almostmiracu lously enlightened. This occurred on the eve

of a havalengagement (the place and occasion heirsescaped my recollecti on)

.

in which he apprehendedthathemightbe in amomentnshered into the presenoe

Ol'

God. Finding an opportm ity before the aetion

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

288 m oms or ran

Geparted in the thithn o wear the crown ef rightmmss laid up fior him in heaven . Hundreds ef unfwtfinggems, the mfits of his faithfitlmin istry, willillnstn tethat crown m tbe day ei

‘

the LorflJesnaM tof the ihelings and motiVes bywhiehI hm been aoo

mated in paying this imperfectm’

bute to a pm ed'

ex »

celleneefi tcan hardly he deemed a digression in deli

neating the history of onewhose lifhis ih factthe hib ‘

tory ot'

hiethedism in NewBrnnswick and the sister

From St. Stephen ’s Mr. Black returned again toSt. John in May. Mr. Bishop

’s time in the citywas

nowexpired. His valedietory address prbdnced suchan efl'

ect as mighthe eapected fi'om the operation ,

ata momen t so impressi ve, of the mutua l attachmentbetween a holy minister and a people3most ot

’ whomwere bie spir itual chi ldren , and to all of whom the

lustre of his example and the fidelity of his ministrations hsd been aingularly nsefbl. The parting scene

(which teak place on the l6thofMay)is thmdescri bedby Mn Black Brother Bishop preaoheaa fareweIlsermon : [ then gave a disconrse on the Lord ’s 811,per, and admin istered the ordinance ; afierwhiehbrotherMcCoIlgave an exhortation . Owhata time i verysimi lar to the scene on a l ike occasion in N ewfi‘mndo

land. Going round among the people the next clay , Ifound them deeply distressed atthe thought of losingdear Mr. Bishop, whose memory they have indeedcause to love.

”

Thence Mr. Black proceeded to Remsheg (nowcal led Wallace . A gracious outpouring of the HolySpirithad attended the labours of Mr. Grandine ih this

a r. m um su es . see

thathad prevailed among the people. Thework wasas permanentas iitwas powerfiil. Almostallits sn b

jects who remaiaed steadfast, have‘

pam d through

deathtriuntphanthorne ;’snd by the t

'

ewthatyetlin

ger on this side Jordan , the name oe . Grandine is

stillprononnced withafi etionate veneration . Whenhe

was glad ;’ and visiting the various parts of the circu i twhich Mr. Grandine had formed,

‘he exhorted thetn

thatwithpnrpose ofheartthey should cleave unto the

Leed.’ On his return to Halifax, the work of God

nessented a most cheering aspect in town . Severalsouls had been truly converted , and others were car

em ly enquiring the way to Zion .

“Tuesday, 98thof hugnst,

” he writes—“For tbe lastfortnightlhave

added to the society. Lastnigbtlwas called out of

hed atlfi o‘clock to praise God for the dcliveranco of

one who had been ten days under deep cotxvictiozis. I

never sawa pen on more happy. 0 how powerfulisthe grace ot

‘

Ged when it powerfitlly reigns in the

besrt l”

In accordance with Dr. Coke ’s request, Mr. Blackn ade em ngements to attead the GcneralCont

'

etenee

u BaIfimore ; md sailed for Philadelphia on the 19th

of 0ctober. He endeavoured to render himself as

asefitl to the Captain and crewas poo ible ; and wasm ated by them with marked respect. Tumday the

m . while at sea, he lays—J ‘Mostot'

my time since

Ieame on boanlhss been oec‘npied ia maM gmhieflyA

9m m ucu s or m

FlatrePsTreatise on the soul, Littleton ’s Roman Bktory and Knox’s Essays. Lord let none ot‘themps-oveunprofitable To some this peti tion may a ppear

seperfluous, if notpreposterous. ‘What imaginab leiqiury they will think could accrue ti on) the perusalof such works as those of Littleton aml Knox .

”

‘ Does it not indicate imbecili ty and enthusiasm toan ticipate any injurious moral influence them volumesso instructive and admirable in themselves as thosespecified Such pensons are incapable of apprec iating the spiritual sensibil ity of a mind likeMr. Black’s,or the tendency ofworks,whether of l i terature ormeremoral ity, to impa ir a real iz ing sense of divine things,unless coun teracted by much vigilance and prayer.The candid con fession of the intellectuaIIy-great Robert Hal l , in his Sermon on the danger of evil commun ications , ann ihilates the allegation of men talweakness in the case, and is highly monitory :

“ Irecollect some years ago ,

” he says, thatupon read

ing some very popular tales (Moral Tales they are

styled ,) the talen t of which is ex ceedingly great, butwhich are distinguished by the total absence of te

ligion , and the wan t of all reference to it even in thescenes of death, the influence on my mind was suchthat, during the time devoted to that reading, itwaswithgreat difficulty and perplexity I was able to discharge my min isterial duties. It became, thereflh-e

’

painfully eviden t tome , that to be con versant leng withtrains of thought or associations of ideasflowwhichreligion is entire ly ex cluded, is of most

'

dangeroustendency From moral ists like Johnson and Addison (nor would we by any means exclude Knox )much indeed may be learned by the most devoutChristian , calculated n ot only to infi rmhis andero

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

3292 m uon s or rm:

°

ples on mount Tabor, It is good for me to be here.

’

I derive encouragemen t from the thought that infin itewisdom is atthe helm of afihirs, and guides the wheelsof providsnce here would I rest. Letme cheerfitlly

go wherever my divine Master sees mee t. Were I toconsultmy inclinations, I would prefer England

‘

to any

o ther part of the world, especial ly to the sul try cl imeso f the West Indies buti t is my desire to walk, not

after the will of theflesh, butafter thewil l of my infin itely wise and good God . Sovereign of the world ,sanctify my will letallwithin me be in sweet sub

jection to thy pleasure P A thousand t imes ratherwould I lose my place in the scale of being, than losethe image of God , and sink in to the base drudgeryand vassalage of the devil .”

Through the goodness of God they arrived in satinyat St. Eustatius, on the lastday of the year. Theyimmediate]y wai ted on the Governor butexperienceda very cold and repulsive reception . He told themthat if they had touched atthe Island as strangers on

theirway to another destination , they should have the

protection of Governmen t, but if they attempted topreach, no exertion would be spared to enforce thelawagainst them From so despotic a go vemmenh

"

says Mr. Black , where an intoleran t and haughtyaristocracy bereave the people noton ly of the ir c ivil.but of their religious rights, may the Lord del iverme I” The little society,” he continues, that wasraised here by some of our Preachem who visi ted thisIsland a fewyears ago , butwere notpermitted to temain , are much scattered . Some of these have suf

feted much for the cause of Jesus, and are ne itherashamed nor discouraged. Otherswere not able to

endure reproach , and scourging at the tailot’

a cart

111V. mm m su es. see

ihrough the town , butwhen persecution arose, tellaway . Inever m in a placewhere wicltednesswesso barel

'

aced and triumphant. You cannot walk the

streets but a hundred blasphemies assa il your ears, andchill your blood in to horror. This.allthis can be parsmitted~ butwere these poor creatures to spend theirbreath 1n prayer and praise, they must be imprisoned ,fined whipped , ban ished, 8m. O where is the fearot

'

God ?where 1s prudence —justice —merey ? WillnotGod be avenged on such Governors as theseWe se lect the most prominent incidents connectedwith his visit to those tropica l regions, and shal l givethem in his own words“ January lst, 1793t

—Doctor Coke hired a sma l lvessel to convey us to St. Christopher’s , wherewe ar~

rived the next morn ing. We blessed God thatwewere once more on Bri tish ground. Here we have a

large society of coloured people, I believe aboutonethousand tire hundred. In the evening the Doctorsa i led for St. V incent‘s, having previously heard thatour missionary in that Island , Mr. Matthew Lamb,was in prison . The Assembly there it seems havepassed a lawwhich, amongst other abominable things ,enacts, that no person except a clergyman ol

‘

the

Church of England , sha ll presume to preach thereun tilhe shall have resided on the Is land atleast twelve

mon ths ; and even then he shallnothe permitted toenter the house of a slave for the purpose of instructing him. Some of the Magistrates , I understand , offen d to pay ht amb’s fine ; bothe respectfhlly de

ch ad accepting their oflbr, and cheerfully wen t toprison. Very right : for an other sermon would haveexposed him to a heavier line .

.

‘w lOth- Ithis moming retnrned fl'otl aA s a

294 u attoras or rat,

short ex cursion in to the country . Ou Tuesday I dinedwith Dr. Bull (atSt. Kitt

’s)and preached on his es

tate ; the next day I dined with Mr. Thompson , and

a lso preached to the negroes. I plain ly see that greatdangers surround the missionaries on those Islands ;and un less their hearts are we ll established with gracethey must sufl‘er great loss. They are obliged tomin

gle so much with white people, who are in generalvery wicked and utterly averse to spiri tual con versa~

t ion ; yet in the ir own way, courteous end obliging.

May I while among them sustain no injury from theirconversation and if I cannot, by pruden tly introducp

iog rel igious discourse, do them some good , may Inothe suffered; by casting pearls before swine, to do the

poor slaves harm, by cutting off our access to them.

“Thursday , 24tb .-I have nowbeen upwards of

twelve days atSt. Nevis . From the relax ation ofmyn ervous system Iem much exerc ised as to whether itis my duty to assume a permanen t charge in theWeal

Indies or not. May the Lord d irectmy uns teady mindto a proper determination Iaccompany Dr . Coltsto-day to St. Kitt ’s.

February 9th.—Our Conference commen ced at

Antigua. There were thirteen Preachers presen t.The del iberations occupied eight days. Great blessings, Idoubt not, will resul t from the wholesome re

gulations that have been adopted , and from the spiritof humi lity and love that prevai led throughout the debates. It is nowdetermined that I return to Sr. Kitt’sas Presiding Elder of the Leeward Islands . I trembleatmy insufficiency for so weighty a charge butThouLord artmy help IMarch 4th.

—I have just returned from a tourround a considerable portion of the Island, in compa

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

296 m oms or m

the erection of a suitable place ofworship, Mr. Blackimmedim entered in to this object ; and in a Mdays obtained £ 100 by subscription for the purpose ,and the promise of £900more. On Tuesday the 18thhe arrived , through the mercy of God, atHalifax, ens!had the happiness to find his fami ly and friends we”.

The joy of the occasion was hal lowed by deep devotional feelings.

“May ti l l our seasons,” he prays,

of meeting and parting butserve to lead our soulsmore deeply into God, in whom alone is true rest andpeace 1” He found the newchapel handsomely com

pleted end while, for the htel time, he held forth ini t the word of l ife, the eerneet and fa ithful prayerwasthat the Lord might

“coun t when he wri teth up the

people,” that many souls were born there that therethousands might pay their grateful homage to himwho bought them with his blood . His omen] connection with the work in Nova Scotia, for the present atleast, was dissolved. He returned merely for the purpose of removing his family to the more insahtbriousclime, in which, after some painful struggles ofmied,he became convinced it was his duty , at the eaeriflceo f allhis own feel ings and predilections, to promotethe spiri tual emancipation of those injured sons ofAfrica who , torn by the ruthless hand of commercialcupidity from their native shores, were doomed to dragthrough life the degrading chain of servitude. Whoseheart does notswel l with transport atthe thought thatthat cha in is nowbroken Whose l ips do notpoorforth benedictions on them, by the l ightn ing ofwhomfearless arid flashing e loquence it has been dissolvedforever ? Eternal bless ings on those sons of philanthro py, amongwhom the immortalW ilbertb rce rangespree minent, who, at the altar of their God, m ic

u v. t u u t su cx . ”7

perpetual hostility against slavery, and never restedunti l they saw the eeenteheon of England purifiedfrom its fi mleststain l—upon those eeif-denyingmenof God , who pioneered theway in this glorious enter

firise, and without the preparing influence of whosespiri tual labours, the wisdom of the statesman , theeloquence of the orator, and the plans of the Christian philan thropist, could never have so suspiciouslyachieved it I In these most benevolen t and disinterested labours Mr. Black was willing to engage ; andthe path of duty nowseemed plain to him. But howincapable are we of penetrating the futtire—how nn

eertain a cri terion do our feeb'

ngs often prove as tothe coursewe are destined to fulfill, the mmm or the

piece in which we ought to serve our generation , bythe willof God ! The absenee oe . Blaek only for

a fewmon ths had more than eatisfied his brethren inW A, that no one, however pious, wise, andc autions, could exactly supply his place as a GeneralSuperintendent of the field which had been so ex ten

ei' ely plaMed and watered by b is own exertions . At

their Ooofetenoe, held atW indsor on the hthant h

of June , they therefore nnenimonsly adOpted a Reso

lotion thata petition should be addreaeed to Dr. Coke,reqttu ting thatbrother Black should by no means he

removed t’rom Nova Seotia, and stating the reasons on

which this requestwas founded. The application had

the detired efiect. Muchas the Doetor deaired to se

cure his serviees for the West India missions. he feltatonee the irresistihle force of the repm entation made

to him by the N ova Scotia brethren , and as tmheei

n fiagly aeqoieaeed in their wishes. Immediately on

m ehing England, and before he reeeived the petition

hywhichhin cherished pian ot’

opm tion in refem

298 m oms or m e

to the Westlndies waa so matefially ehanged, ba ndr

dreu ed a letter to Mr. Black, dated Falmouth, June

sth, 1793, ofwhich we give the reader an extract“ Iam justlanded i

’

rom Jamaiea. In the tmtum go

with your family to NewYork, Philadelphia, or Boeton ; thenee to San ta Croix, St. John, or Sn Thomas.in an American vessel. Take thers a Dan ish schooneror sloop to carry you to St. Kitt

’s. “American ves

sels trade to Halifax , go in one to the States. Thuswill yea sa il in neutralships alltheway. Draw upon

me for allnecessary ex pences. When Mu rat comes,if he he notalready come, Iwillsee thathe is mltencare of. Iintend to write a eircular to the pm ehen ,

and a letter to brother Anderson when I have time.

Nova Scotia and NewBrunswick are the firstuponmy l ist to be visited, in allAmerica. Pmy for yourfai thful friend,” See . From the date of the abeve Ietv

ter, it wil l readily occur to the reader thatthe catmen'

rally anoee ontof the stahe of things pmduee'

d by the

warwhiehthen oommM on the partof GreatBri

tain and the al lied powers of Germany and a ia,

against France.

Mr. Blaek, in l786, ex preesed himself very fi eom'e

bly in a lettee r. Wesley respecdng the then ln rd

Bishop of Nova Scotia ; in reply to which, MA W"

with what would seem prophetic sagacity, intimated“Ido notex pect any great matters from the Bishop.Idonhthis eye is notsingle ; and if itbe not, he wifldo little good to you, or mny ene else.

” When Mr.Wesley had gone to his reward this appmhenainn wm

painfully realized by Mr. Black. In a Sermon whichthe Bishap preached on the 9th of Jane, lm he

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

300 m oms or am:

Black as one of those messengers of the chttreheewhoare the glory of Christ, and gladlyweetto hear hhn

preach in the even ing.‘SHowdifferen t,” Whites Mr.

B., his spirit from that of Mr. W .” Mr. Twin ing

was the subject of that celestial illumination whichen abled him to penetrate beneath the surface cf re

ligion ; to see that modes of church governmeng ,as

compared with the grand essen tials of vita l godlineu ,

are subordinate and adven titious—that the kingdomof God is notmeat and drink, but righteousness andpeace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” He felt atoneperiod a strong incl ination to 03

'

s: himself to themthodist Conference , and to become a fellowlabourerwith those whom some of his brethren regarded as

selfocenstituted and deluded teachers and we hmoften heard it stated that Mr. Black, instead of usinghis influen ce to draw him away from the church, persueded him to remain in it, as he would by that meanshave it in his power to do good to elames ot

'

90cm;who were not accessible to a Methodist Minister.After a longmin isterial life, duringwhich be occupiedin succession several importan t posts of duty in theprovince , he died atLiverpool (N S .)un iversally“spected and lamen ted. I cannot deny myself the pleasure of stating here that an eminen t son of the veo

nerable individual to whom reference has just beenmade, John Thomas Twin ing, D . D . of Hal ifax, inthe cul tivation of a friendly regard towards theMetho~

diets, and the cause of true Christian ity in general, isfound walking in the footsteps of his father. As

Chaplain oi’

the Garrison—a station whichhe has filled with great usefulness for a series of years,—it hasmen in his power verymaterially to abridge the privileges of the soldiers ponneeted with our society but

u v. wmu n t m et. 30!

instead of doiag eo , his infinenee has invariably been

means '

of gmee whichoecm almoet every day. A

by him only a fewyem ainee, during a graeious out

p edag of the Holy Spiritunder the min istry ol'

the

M . E Knight, then the aupet'intendentof the fi alio

fi x eircuit. ln the b10esinga of thattime ofrefi'eahlng

from the preeence ot‘

the Lord, none participated ao

Iargely as the military : andDr. Twin ing, with a geherons liberali ty notalwaysman ifested by ministere ot

’

the eame denomination towards eachotherW -eneonrag

ed their nnfailing attendanee on themeanswbichwereevidently so abnndantly bleased to their souls. I mere~

ly add, whatwillnotattrprise the reader, thetlhave

ohen heard intelligentsoldiers remark ot'

the Doctor’a

preaching thst it is characterised by an afieetionate

and eamest fidelity thatwin leave thosewithontexeuse to whom it provee

“the savour of death nnto

death.” May the ln rd aignafly own and blese his la

bonn among a elase of our fellowmen eo muehex o

poeed to temptation ! May hundreds of them rise np

on the m mreetion mom aa spo ils won by his inmrneutality l

’rom the empire ofdarkness l

On TueedayAfid ot’

October, Mn BlaoltwritesThis day was appointed as a day ol

’

public fu ting.

to bumble ourselves before God. The societies in

general throughoutthe counu'

y are far from beinglively as hemtofore ; norhas the town escaped the de

elemion . Alas lwe have loetmnchot'

onr firstlove.

The jodgments of the hlmighty are hanging over our

heede—we are em y hoer loeking for an invasion hythe rmnchfleet. Themilitia at'e called in fi'om the

D a

302 . mmom or rat:

oountry to defend us ; butif God be againstus, m in isthe help ofman. A raging fever is spreadingthronghPhiladelphia already has it swept away thousandsone hundred andflfiy are said to fallvictims to itin a

day. Our Governors have adopted every precautionto preven t if possiblethe contagion frombeing broughtinto these provinces ; but God alone can say to itHitherto shalt thou go , butno farther.

’

Although repeatedly disappoin ted by providen tialimpediments in his an ticipations of seeing Dr. Cokein Nova Scotia, Mr. Black could not bring his mindto resign all hope of the gratification , honour, and

benefitof that longed-for event. Nor did he cease toimportune the Dr. to redeem the pledge he had given

to that efl’ect. His hopes were revived on th is subjectby the following letter, in which the Dr. alludes to the

persecuting lawen acted by the Assembly of St. Vin

eent in language that will thri ll through every loyal

Lounou, Nov . 7, 1798.

Mr vent! Data Fa i sal),lam very much obliged to you and my other

brethren for your kind letter. I wi l l v isi t you as seen

as loan but it cannot be before the next Con ference,as I promised last Conference to take a tour throughIreland next spring and summer. I have stron g invi~tations to Africa. I cannot say whether I must trotaccept of them before I see you. I long to see you. I

will never, God willing ; no, [ will never visit yourquarter of the Globe again without seeing you. But

itwas well that I d irectly returned from Jamaica to

England otherwise Wm. Hammett would hava done

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

N 4 m om ent u m

in orig’

mating In fiddition to his unweariable laboumthroughou the provinee atlarge during the year tmhe ap in visited l’rinee Edwand Island. AtTryon

River them had been an ex tehsive revivalunder the

min istry oe . Grandiue two years previously.“h

stillinereasedw”says Mr B “

under the hl Qf

God,withthe little means theyhad amonguntil nearly allthe Protestants in . the village, and

some even ot'

the Boman Catholics were awakeaed.

univeualwork, u lou tammgstthe Protm m of tho

place. Butthe artfirl eerpent hegan to play his old

game. Hewhowhism iato Eve’s ears—‘Ye sbell

notsurely die,’ began to preaehto themamoonditional

quences have heenmostiajurious to their eoulst” A

fewdays afier he eemmeneed his labours among themindications ofq ood became apparent. On the first

and wereChappel, by Joshua NeWt , Esquire, who u that

time had the omee ot'

Collector on the lsland. Timeearly in the history of Methodism in those provinees,

do we find this estimable man aseociated withmevinoing his highapp eciation ot

‘that braneh el ite

Ipiritnd eeenomy, whiehMr. Wesley so juetlywrrmone of its sb etea, and taking a deeided and promhent

a numerous and highly respectable congregation , a

commodious and beautifulparsonage, and one of the

largest chngels in the Nova Sootia district. How

anv. m u tt m et. 305

gratifying to the best feelings oe . Newton ’s heai-tmast itbe '

to looltback upon the daywhen he formedthe nueleus of a soeiety seeond in magnitude and im

portanee onlyto thatofflalifi x ;while in the liheralityof its eontrihetions tbr the snpportof its own rn inistry;

M a in e“: On the cause of Methodism, towhichthe apymaehes of eternity have onlym ved to inerease

had rivetMr. Newton ’s early and unit’

on n attachment,stillshed

an edorning lume. The eelestialgem of pietywhiehis sometimes, alas, obscured by the indeeorons depomm ntot

'

its m ore, is seeu in him beantifitlly eni

chased by in tellectual cul tivation and true politeness.

Whoever hasmarlred his proeedure in the publie relations ot

’

lit'

e, enjoyed the intimaeies ol'

hh pen onal

Mendship, erwitneo ed the comummate onder of hishom hold, must have been

'

l'

omibly reminded of Sr.’

Dy.

" Of the livingwe oughtnotperhaps to saymore ;andwe are fi '

oe to aeknowledge thatwe shoold havestifled the genuine sentiments of ourmind.had reepectfor the cyn ic reinarlts of the fastidious, or sn app ehension ot

‘

the eharge ot‘

adulation, caused us to say

la c. Distantyet ( it'

suchbe the willof lleam )he

the daywhen the hand ol’

the biographer willdisplayhie eharecter in allthe symmetry of its proportions, or

the heartot'

fi'iendship eompoee his epitaph

To retnrn : Mn Black’s reeeption atChaflottetownby highand low, was truly gratifying. “Iwaited.”

he u ys ,“on the Governor, ColonelI-

’

anning. whorece ived me kindly , expressed himself in term ot

'

w w w.wm ym mmB a :

306 n ew s: op en

end gam me the m of the ehumh. The GoW s

ing in the ewning. Senday, l9thof 0etober, lagain

preached twioe in tbe churchto a large oeagregation.

Atll o’clocltlhad the plessure of hearing the Rev.

Mr. Deshrisay, the clergyman of the m He dew

livered a plain , honeatdisoouree, but did notappear

to me to have a elear eoneaption of the nature of re

generation . On thewth, Ihad a friendly visit fiwotn

Mn Deabrisay. Itis my desire to cnltin te acmfriendship and allproper union with the ministers of

the Chnrch of England. Iwaited on W M y

to presentmy achnowledgements for the use of the

chumh. Ispentnearly an hourwithhim very agme

ably ; we conven ed freely on the advantagm of tehpm m M VMd M ymgeneral. Re ex

ps'eeled muehfriendship, and ofl'

ers to m istus if wewill erect a chapel in Charlottetown .

” Secha Go

vernor was admirahly fitted to ex ewise viee-regelauthority in a new colony composed of people of

malte the standard of the constitution the rallying

pointto allclasses ot’ society. The Bev Mr. Desbri

eay, whom Mr. Blaokmentions in the preceding et

rigid. As to the former, the authority of Quin tilian

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

C H A P TE R X I I I .

tun . snscx raorb sss r o an ion ‘I‘O enonm n—m

N ISTEBS AND rommcs—na. nns rmo’s rnnssme

i ns'rm omr TO ma . nnscx’s b eer pru t—nsu m

n o ACCOUNT or THE METHODIST socmr rns“

m

n ova scor n AND n ew BRUN SWICK—THI rowan

or owner: GRACE cos srxcnonsnv n x smrmmnn m

COLONEL es rsnn—s x ren srvn nnvrvsLs m nova

sco'rrs AND arr ST. JOHN, N . B.

—SIGNAL mantras

or sweater s TO raon osm sm nm amm DOC;

TRINES IN HALIFAX— DESIGNATION OF MESSRS .

BLACK AND BENNETT AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

Bat'

rtsu con su m es TO THE AMERICAN coarsRENCB ON THE POSITION OF METHODISM IN THE

CANADASs

W i n : the year 1794 closesMr. Black’s Journal. It

has been my endeavour to cull from it whatever materials appeared to me most appmpriate to the designof b iography. With those Ihave connected some col~

lateral tcpics, naturally suggested by the narrative,and such illustrations of character as my personalknowledge of the individuals to whom reference ismade, has enabled me to supply. In the sequel ofthe work the same unbroken con tinuity of even ts isnot to be ex pected. Our materials, however, are notex hausted. Much of in terest yet remains ; but the

ex tension ofthe volume beyond its contemplated limits

starter“ , Ste . 309

m ? [13 to b studious Of 80100600 and brevityAny chu ms which may wear will ex eite the lesa aatoniehtnent, when i t is remembered that Mr. Black’shhoum aawellas the caneewhiehhad so ahundantly

prospered under his auspiees, had now aequired a

810 m uotas or 133

American bishops. I have men tioned it to seme n?

the preachers. It is objected that sash an fun ion

wou ld ex cite the jealousies of our Civil Gom ore :

butin my opin ion , if the preachers whomight comefrom the Un ited States should be pruden t men , nud istpolities alone, there would be n othing to fear flowthat quarter. -What have the min isters lof Christto

do with the admin istration of civi l governmen t?

Christ’s kingdom IS notof this world. We are neithermagistrates nor legislators,

” Were allmin isters in

fluenced by the same elevated views of the spiritualityo f the ir ofliee, and endued with the same degree of

prudeoce that Mr. Black possessed, the arrangementwhieh in the charity and sincerity of his hearthe re

commended, might possibly have been adopted withoutany disastrous eonsequeaees. Suchweretbe viewsentertained , and suchthe eeurse pursued by Christian

ments ia the days of the Chut-oh’

s glorys And thm it

was that they operated with the most benefioentfin

fluenee on the very elemmts of the soeieleystem,and

ehanged the frame and the faee of the evange‘

liad

nations. “The governmen ts which have most hflnenee in the world , glory in the name ot

’aCbrutiu ;

both of lau and eqm'

ty t’rom the Book of God. Had

the genuine followers of Christ taken part in the different political discussions, by which the natiemwhere they sojonrned have been embroiled and agi

tated, these glorious ends, human ly speaking, hadnever been accomplished. The Christian Chmeh

would have been a wretched grovelling thing, coopedup in corners, without shedding a ray of benefieenee

on the earth as equal ly unproductive ofgiory lo 604

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

312 m oms or m

n ize the narne of Jabez Bunting ; buthaving an op

portun ity ot’

tmnsmitting a packet by ship to N ova

Scofimlcannothelpwriting a fewlines to you, and a

fewmore to my old fi 'iene . Bennett, with the deo

livery of whichlmust beg leave to trouble you . Iofien recollectwithpleasnre the agreeable and profi

table moments we spenttogether atOldham and Manchester, during your last visi t to England, and em

thankfhlto God that ever Iknewyou on earth, be

cause I ampereuaded that thronghhis abundan t mercyin ChristJesus, [ shal l hereafter knowyon in heaven ,md there be permitted to resume and perfect that

intercourse and acquain tance, which here were so

transient, and so speedily suspended by sepm tiom

In the General Assembly, and Church of the Phatborn , I hope to meet my hononred friend again , andto mingle with his, and with those of ten thousandtimes ten thousand others, my everlasting Hosannato the Lamb thatwas slain . Even ao, Lord Jesus !“ I was pleased and thankful sometime ago in a

Love-t’

eastat Saddleworth, to hear the tes timony ofone, who was awakened under a sermon yon preachedatDelph, from, Behold I stand atthe door, ’ &e ., on

the Sunday you spen t there with me in April , 1800.

I men tion this to shew you, that you have some sealsof your ministry in these parts of the world, and that

your labours ot'

love among us were notin vain in the

An extract from another letter which he recei vedfrom the same distinguished min ister of Christ, a fewmonths afier, will notbe unaeceptable to the reader

“ Ithank you mostwarmly for the intelligenee you

3" MEMOIRS oi? m t:

adapted to administer comfort to you, and to everylover ofthe Lord Jesus Christ, and of the souls he hasredeemed by his most precious blood.

Ibelieve no census of the people has been takenin this, or the neighbouring province of N ewBrunswick . The number of inhab itan ts in Nova Scotia, Ithink , cannot be estimated at less than six ty thousand

,

of whom one fourth are of the Romish commun ion ;and violen tly attached to the religion of their forefathers. Some of this profession have occasionally comeunder our min istry and perhaps half a doz en havebeen converted, and added to the Methodist society.

NewBrunswick does not con tain more than halfthe number of inhab i tants there are in Nova Scotiaperhaps not more than twenty, or at the farthesttwen ty-five thousand. The local situation of these

provinces is much against us. There are fewtowns.

The inhab itan ts are thin ly scattered ; and the two

provinces are separated from each other by the Bayof Fundy. In many places the roads are ex tremelybad, and the country in tersected by bays and rivers,or divided by impregnable forests. The in habitantsare chiefly settled along the shores of the Atlan tic, theGulf of St. Lawrence, and the Bay of Fundy ; or, inthe interior, along the sides of rivers and lakes. The

preachers are obliged to be alone in their differentcircu its, and far separated from each other. However

young a preacher may be, the sole managemen t isn ecessarily in his own hands, at least for the timebe ing.

AtHalifax we have a good society of abou t onehundred and fifty members, most of whom profess anex perimentalknowledge of the power and comforts of

'

religion . Last win ter twelve persons were brought

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

al6 m u o ns or ewt

Society here about one hundred and twenty commun ican ts ; and three principal magistrates are amongthe number, allct

"

them pious and worthy men .

AtShelburne, a town about ten leagues to the westof Liverpool ,we are bui lding a chapel. There are in

society about a hundred members. The populationof this place has exceedingly decreased so that itdoes notcontain one ten th of the inhabitan ts who set

tled in it atthe conclusion of the American war. Notless than two hun dred or two hundred and fifty of ourmembers have removed thence to other parts of the

world. Are they, then , lost, and have we spen t ourlabour in vain ? Nay, God forbid. We hope to

meet many of them again in heaven , to celebrate thepraises ot‘ redeeming love for ever and ever, Amen

AtAnnapolis Royal , a small town on the souths ide of the river which bears its name, about one howdred and thirty miles distant fi '

om Halifax, we have aneat little chapel, supposed to con tain about fourhundred persons and at Granville, on the oppositeside of the river, some mi les above, we have another.Atdifi

'

erenttimes the Lord has graciously poured outhis Spiriton these congregations. There are upwardsof a hundred members in society, nearly allof whomprofess an experimen tal knowledge of Christ Jesustheir Lord . Their number would probably havedoubled, had it been in our power to have suppliedthem with regular preaching, and thereby to havepreven ted our people being drawn away by An tinemian teachers. It will not perhaps be unpleasing to

you if I here mention a remarkable instance of the

mighty power and grace of the Redeemer. ColonelBayard , who, during the lastwar, commanded one of

His Majesty ’s regiments, then lying atHal ifax, and is

Int. wtttu tt su es . 317

nowresident on his country seat about thirty miles

above Annapolis, has lately ex perienced a graciouschange; and though€ormerly so averse to the Metho

diets that he would notsufl’er one of his family to hearthem preach, has now opened his own house for

preaching. Having heard, when on myway to Annanolis last winter, that the Colonel had some religiousconcern on his mind, I determined to visit him, not

then knowing, what I aflerwards learned , that he hadsenta note to me on the roed , requesting thatlwouldcall athis house. He received me with the utmostk indness, and rejoiced to have a Methodist preac herunder his roof. With many tears he lamen ted histimncr infidelity and avers ion to the people of Godand ex preased, again and again , his thanldblness tothe divine goodness. that his eyes were opened are i twas too late. His servan t was soon sen t to invi teCaptain Il Lawyer A and some others todinner and tea ; and allthe neighbourhood for somemiles round , to hear preaching in the even ing. We

had a solemn and profitable season , while Itliseoursedon the nature of Christian faith , and the preciousnessof Jesus to those who believe in him.fi

'ontlPet. 21 7.

Several Christian friends stopped afler the public service ; and the even ing was agreeably spen t in singing,prayer, and Christian conversation. The means of

the Colonel's being awaltened to a sense of his rea lcondi tion , was the reading Mt. Wes ley ’s Sermons.

put into his hands, if I remember right. by LawyerA On my remm fi

'

omAnaepolis lhsd the pleaeore ot

'

spending another n ight at the Oolonel’s, and

cf giving them another sermon . M B. also evinces

anem iwnce ; and win. lm won he numhemd

withthe children of God, and enahled to rejo iee inC c 3

318 mamoms or run

Christ Jesus. The Colonel is much attached to thewritings of Wesley and Fletcher. He has given mean order to procure him Mr. Wesley ’s Sermons , and

Mr. F letcher’s Works, together with Dr. Coke’sCommen tary. I have not seen the good man sincemy return from the Un ited States ; but I understandhe is still pressing on in the good way, and con tinuesatonce to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and to weep overhis past sinful l ife. He is notashamed of the Gospelof Christ, nor of his min isters, nor yet of his people .

Blessed be God, there are at least some among therich and honourable, that share the reproaches of thecross, and coun t all things butdung, that they maywin Christ, and be found in him, nothaving their ownrighteousness, butthatwhich is by the faith of JesusChrist. ’

In the Windsor Circuit we have a few piousfriends. The number in society does not, I bel ieve,ex ceed six ty. AtNeWport, which is included in thecircuit, we had formerly about eighty members, mostof whomwere the fruits ofMr. John Mann

’s min istry

butatpresen t we can hardly say that we have any so

ciety there. Most of them have returned to the worldagain , or gone over to the Antinomians. I doubt iften remain who meet in class. Horton is the principal

place in the circuit, where we have a conven ien t cha

pel, which is generally well attended. For severalyears, the Rev. Mr. Twin ing, a Missionary of the

Estab lished Church, residen t at Cornwallis, has oncein three weeks preached in our chapel atHorton , and

frequently admin istered the Lord ’s Supper to our

people . About five or six years ago , he was first

brought to ex perience the converting grace of God ;

from Which time he has notshunned to declare the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

320 ueuoxas or m e

the do nothing scheme, or An tinomian delusion , has

never yetbeen able to force its way, is a pleasing exception . There the most abandoned has, for a num

ber of years, become the most orderly and pious partof the coun try. Civil and religious discords have rendered almost vain allthe labour bestowed on the otherparts of the circuit.

Ou the R iver St. John , in the Province of N ewBrunswick , there are three or four chapels, and abouttwo hundred members.

Atthe City St. John , our chapel will probably contain four hundred persons, and is generally well attended. There are about eighty in society . Our

members here, also, have been much reduced by emi

gration , occasioned chiefly by the late and presentwar having so seriously affected their trade Hadwe been able to supply the settlements on the RiverSt. John with su itab le preachers for the last twelveyears, almost the en tire country, for two hundredmi les together, would have embraced the Methodistdoctrines. That time is now lost ; they are deeplyin itiated in to the mysteries of An tinomian ism,

whichin some instances has produced ex travagancieshardly to be surpassed in the whole history of en

thusiasm.

AtSt. Stephen ’s, on the River Schoodic, a branchof the St. Croix , which divides the Un ited States fromthe British territory, and St. David ’s, another branchof the same river, we have two chapels and a numberof worthy, pious friends. The society cons ists of

about seventy members, chicfly the fru its of Mr . Mc~

Co ll ’s min istry .

Such are the general outlines of the work in thiscountry. Any hints from you will be received by na

m . m u m s su cr . 39!

with joy, and attentively regarded. We are in dailyeXpeetation of two or more preachers from England.The prospect of doin g good is notso extensive in thiscountry as in the West Indies, and in some other

lilaces ; and missionaries here have doubtless manydifi culties to enco nnter ; buttbere are many precioussouh for whom Christ died , who are perishing forlack of knowledge’ ; many who are calling upon na

from various quarters, ‘ Come over and help us.

’

May theLord of the harvestmisc up and send forthmore labourers into his vineyard !“Manchester. a large settlemen t on the west side

of the Gut of Canso, and several adjacen t settle

cou ld we send them one. I propose visi ting themnext summer, ifposaible, if Iean do so without neglecting other places already under our care. We havelong been solicited to send a ps

'

eaeher to Prince Ed»

ward Island. The Governor of thatlsland , when lvisited Charlottetown , some years ago , ex pru sed a

strong wishthat wa should establish a misslen there.

“ Ilhelmy heart engaged in the arduous and ho

nourable worlt tn whieh the Lord in his eondeacend

ing goodness hsth called tne, and in the exercise of

whichshe has so afien blestmy cwn soul, and glven

me te sse his blessing on my poor labours whetemhis good pron dence has permrtted me to preach I

and desirewithmore hasty steps to seeltthe goel. Im m bc more semihle ot

'

my fi edeerner’s lm to

m and ct’

a gream cont'

ormiry ot’

my soulto hhn in

ellthings. He is my hepeuny portiommy joy. Mydear eomn nion , who has lstely bess useetnmenly

n x ou s or ran

blessed in her soul , joins me in bestregards to you.

We en treat an interest in allyour prayers.I em,

Ste.

For the Almighty Spirit to descend on a man , toapprehend him, as the great Apostle ex nresses it,

amidstthe thoughtless crowd, by a poten cy that trans

form when it touches him, and to conduct him for

ward to another life, under an influence which parifies him as he advances , in spite of allthe powers ofcorruption , has been justly represen ted as in volving a

more ex traordinary train , could the divin e manage

men t be fully disclosed, than themere poli tical historyof an empire. A signal ex emplification of this peot’ound remark, such we believe as has fewparallels inthe en tire range of religious biography, was affordedin the conversion of Colonel Bayard, in connectionwith the pre-emin ent sanctity of his subsequent lifeto the hour of his triumphan t departure . So suddenwas the change, that within a fewdays of the timewbecame an illustrious monument of the transformingenergy of the Gospel, such an even t seemed quite asimprobable as would have appeared the conversion ofPau l , on the morn ing of the day when he setforth to

go to Damascus with a commission from the highv

priest, feasting on the prospect ofmaking havoc of thechurch and yetso complete was it, that without anye x aggeration , he became a newcreature old things

passed away ; behold allthings become new. As if

en tirely sanctified from the momen t of his birth fromabove, be ex hibited atonce , and co ntinually , the l inea~

men ts of the divine image, in all the perfection of

their beauty, and allthe fruits of the Spirit m the mel

Iowness of fhllmaturi ty. The conversion of an ofi eer

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

324 n nuotas or run

standing and I never sawhim do so without bedewa i

ing it with his tears. Before he had proceeded manyverses in the lesson , his venerable and majestic form

Would tremble, as if beneath the superincumbentweight of the Spirit of Glory and of God that restednpon him ; tears would sufi

'

use his face ; and somepious ejaculation , or burs t of praise, in termingled with

the heaven ly oracles, would touch a responsive chord

in every heart possessed of a particle of spiritual sus

ceptibility. Etern ity has n owplaced its signet uponhis character. Sweetly he sleeps in Jesus. I here

record my deep-felt gratitude to God that Iever knewhim.

Take him for all in all,

Ine’er shalllook upon his like again .

Mr. Black appears to have attended the AmericanConference of 1804, and to have been person ally tequested by Dr. Coke, while there, to take a stationfor a time in Bermuda. The matter, it would seem,

was fix ed and in order to conciliate theminds of thesociety atHalifax , to Mr. Black ’s temporary removal

from them, the Dr. addressed to them the followingletter

PHILADELPHIA, Mar 08, 1804.

Vest Dnaa Bam n ans ,

I have earnestly requested my highly esteemedfriend, the Rev. William Black , to visit Bermuda,and if a door be opened there for the Gospel , to removehis family thither, and spend three or four years in theIsland and he has at last consented, though his loveand sympathy for and with you, were very powerfulhindrances to his compliance.

I shall use my utmost endeavours atthe next Eu~

M OIRS III!

a passage ; and althoughhe atlast succeeded in en

gaging one, other persons, who were from Bermuda,and intended to go by the same vessel, threwsuchim

pediments in theway, as eventually prevented his pto,

ceeding on the voyage . It appears they were amo

ciated with the persecutors oe . Stevenson , who

they positively refused to alloe . Black to proceedwith them. No other opportun i ty ofl‘ering, alter eon.

suiting withthe Brethren in New York, he returnedto Halifax, by way of New Brunswick, on the QSd

of August, 1804.It is in proof of the peculiarly highestimation in

which Mr. Black stood with the Mimionary Committee and Dr. Coke, that though thus repeatedly disappointed in their wishes by uncon trollable [c ircumstances , still they did not abandon the design and

hope , that it mightyetbe in his power, for a fewyeamat least, to afford the work in the West Indies the

haucht of his prudent and faithful labours and counsels. In a letter from the Rev. Joseph Entwisle, theM issionary Secretary, dated Feb. 4, 1806, he was ia

formed : The Committee have long been convinced

that it would be an improvement in our plan , to havea person employed in the West Indies as a GeneralSuperin tenden t, under the direction of Dr. Coke and

the Committee, of our work there. You have frequently been spoken of as the most pro per person ,were it agreeable to yourself. When th is was mentioned to Dr. Coke, be highly approved of it, andweallagreed that it should be laid before you, and thequestion asked , whether you would find your mindfree to it? If you answer in the aflirmative , the lmsim e will be laid before the nex tConference. May

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

398 m u on s or re :

assuming the general charge of theWestIndia Mis

sions, on the following grounds : A tropicalcli»

matewould illagree with the state of my health, be

ing already advanced in years, and considerably af

ibcted by former labours and fatigues. 2. A still

greater objection arises from my wan t of tnentalandmoralqualifieations for so g es t and itnportantaworlt.Whoever superin tends so many preachers, and suchlarge societies, scattered over so many islands, as distan t from each other, wil l require nota little bothof

wisdom and grace .

”

Although Mr. Black consented , conditionally , to goto Bermuda, his Brethren , the preacbers, when s:

sembled this year in their District Mee ting, atHorton, unan imously peti tioned the Br i tish Conference

thatMr. Black mightstillremain withthem, and that

the sphere ot'

his superintendency mightbe ex tendedto Newfoundland, Etc .

The reader will have remarked, that the circumstantialand interesting accountof the work of God in

Nova Scotia, and NewBrunswick, which Mr. Blacktransmitted to the Missionary Committee , in the an

tumn of 1804, is introduced with an ex pressiou of

deep regret, that spiri tual feel ing was, atthat period,at so low an ebb in the Provinces. Not long m ,

however, the tide of spiritual prosperi ty turned, andflowed back with so copious a stream, m to inundate

its banks, and difluse fertili ty and joy on every band.The reviving influence was felt fromBarrington and

Liverpool (N. S.) to the City of St. John (N . IL)In the latter place, in the summer of 1807, seventypersons joined the Society in three weeks, under theministry of Mr. JoshuaMarsden . A con cern for ealvaticn pervaded allclasses, especially the young, md

sawm u u m 329

the whole eity seemed atoved. At & rrington ,

wriu s Mr. Blaek in the same year," md various

litde hu boun fi'ommencemIArerpool, the Lord has

pmeions seasonswiththem, Some t’

ound peace with

to me Bau 'ington Society.

” The z ealous lahours ot'

the Rev. William Bennett, whose namewillbe transmitted to pesterity as one ol

'

the most faithfulhdie

eionafies th t em hhoumd in th e m weresimultaneously attended with blessed suceess on the

Annapolis Cireuit. In a letter to the Committee,dated Annapolis Royal , June 28, 1807, he writes astbllows z—“ Hitherto I have been favoured withhealth and strength of body, sufi cient to go on in

n y ministeriallahonrs, and blem d be God , Ihave

not heen comfortlm Many a time has the Lord

visited my soul, and rnade it like a watered gardec.Never did lemperienee so mnch ot

'

the overwhelmingpower of su ing gu ce as a fiwwceks aga a part

ef my eircuit, where the Lord has begun a good

work, severalhaving been hrought to ood, and our

old professors much quickened. Within twelvemonths pastthe Lord has poured outhis SPiritabun

hatiy in many pam of this viq nd tln tamongodier denominations of Christians, as wellas amongas. Ia this we rejoice, that the Kingdom ot

’

God ie

enlarg ing. Joshns Newton , Esq. , writes to me fimnL iverpool ,—‘ Iam hsppy to have so agresable sn oc

casion to mnewwyou my a-un nces ot‘

regard . The

Ia ed h s donmmd is n illdc in‘ p estthinp for u

330 m om ar m

profiigate have

blessingwe sm d amazed atthe work. What is stillmore aingular, thm are nc oppomrs : @ome of the

among na are ashamed, and keep mespirit of harmony also prevails u

various denominations, end we sewthough we do not qu ite tlt

'

mk alike. This inever expected to see in Liverpool. 0h !

great Master of Am mblies may give sm e

dom to allwho have to talte an afi m part

work, that they may deal prudently, em by sound

that the work may spread wide and mink deem I have

reason to bless the Lord, that my u a

this gracious work and I feel trulymore of Ja ne and the power of his a

‘

on—to bemore Wm, holy, and useful . Perkins and

his family have set out in good earnwtfor the kingdom, and oer dear

Q

sisQ rs, Lucy and Betsy, have foundthat blown; which they have long ”whiwith tears.

Glory be to God for allhis 1 My heart’s desire ”

yd prayer to God is, that this may spread

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

332 a zm u t or rm:

attracted considerahle notice, have fallen into ohamt

rity. Mr. Balfour, indeed, hes lefi the plseq sod is

gone to the United States. And latn mistaken if the

other do not soon seek another field for his whom .

His large congregation has dwindled to °

Almosmthing.

” Mr. Balfour, the leading apostle of this

evange lical m ission , on his arrival to NewYork. sddressed bim elf to the worthy task of cariecttmbg thework of God in Nova Scotia, which he had eudwvoured in vain to destroy. A letter, wr itten floutthence, to the Editor oftheEvangeli calMagaz ine, (isnotthis a misnomer was the vehicle of his impotwtmalice. To give a specimen of this very cham hwand veracious gen tleman '

s testimony ,—P‘ l eonvwsed,

”says he, “ pretty closely, with several of the

much of the Spirit—of the power of God—o f' contrees ion- a nd of ooming out, as they oallit. They con

cluded themselves con verted , if they had been aflTected, felldown , cried out, Ste. They talhedwitha de

gree ot‘

unpleassntconfidenee about them elves. Theyseemed displessed if you hinted to them the possihifityof be ing deceived. What ta think or say of it is dimcult no r would I pronounce upon the wholeflowa

part.” The difficulty which Mr. Balfour fel t in thismatter, disappeared in a momen t before the supemorspmtualdiscrimination oftheConductors of the Ohmtian Observer. They had “ no hes itation ta pron oun .

cing thow to he in an awfuldelusion , who concludethemselves converted because they had been M ed,fell down , and cr ied out.” Most ea minly not—m dhow u tonishing thatMr. Balfour shottld hs re felt

n ay . m u n : su es . 333

musthsvo inm ntly relieved him fi-om sllpu plex ity,and shundsmly confi medhisfd tlt.

“ Concludc tlmmW W W W M M bm qfuw, fiflM or a icd outll” Thu witness is not tme.

The letters of the fi issimm 'ies, and that of Joshua

Kw , Esq., neither anthoriz e meh an sllegstton ,

m admit ot'

it. Their lsngmp is perfectiy scripmn l, ma ths} contain most u tisfimtory in ternal evidem of themmlbrming sndpractt

’

cd cfi‘

ccts ot'

the

m od . On this topic there sppesmd, stthe time .

some able strictures in the Methodist Magaz ine,

W dennncistive ot'

the coume pum ed hy the pe

riodicsls shove referred to , in endon inn . l fonr’s

W M um sflexperimental religion .

The resder willuothe displu sed to see thejust sndforcible remsrks withwhich they wind up, tn nsler

redwthis psge.

And nowwe sppeslto onr m ders, whether thmhe notmfi eicotevidonee t

’rom thm letten , m ifm

ommy viewwhsm er to their being msdo puhlic ,

couveu ion ot'

sinnsu hy very difi erent m rh t’

rom

thon speeified byMr.Balfem-

, even ifwu hould tanin hh d edm which

'

the fertile tmq ms‘

nom'

at’

the

Christian Ohssrvm hsvs tanghtthem to ‘Wm mm n fi r mfi sm m m m mM ew , “ to somo sm loos n trn q a d u .

”

Forwhm m u y u chthinp msafiM on o m h

u hiaud u in thd r lem . u hsiog slgu ot’

eoav»

don ? Wo ksowthtthom phu ing itmsy ho tn

our M onetiz to see people M node: tho

M mdwfi d thetcby th tith notm in n in .

334 u n wi se or m e

butmakes some impression on their hearers, they arebetter instructed in divine things than to substitute anyan imal emotions or passions, or any were opin ions,true or false, Arminian or Calvinistic, in the place of

repen tance tos God, faith in our Lord JeansChrist, or the graces and virtues of the Christian litb.

W e appeal to our readers also, whether i t was a

Christian conduct for Mr. Balfour and his assoc iate,o n their firsten tering the province of Nova Sco tia,in to which it appears they were sent as ChristianM issionaries, by a society in Scotland, to begin the irM iss ionary labours by endeavouring to overthrowthose of others, whose labours God had long owned,and was own ing atthatvery time in a poetdt

’

m' man

ner , in turn ing scores, nay hundreds, from darkneu

to l ight, and from the power of Satan to God We

refer to their industriously circulating the thlse , bi tter,and libellous pamphlets , written by an avowed Sandi~man ian against a body of people, whom, we are holdto say, God has raised up and used in efi cting such areformation in Great Britain , Ireland, and Amer ica,as had notbeen known for many generations , and

whose missions, began and carried on in simplicity ,and without osten tation , have been blessed of God ,and rendered successful, we bel ieve, above those ofany other description of Christians z—Pamphlets ,which could have no possible tendency butto sowtheseeds of discord or division among such as had beenlately brought to God, alienate their afl'ections fi '

om

their spiritual fathers, stop the further progress of thework, and confirm and harden infidels, and open sin

ners, in their unbelief and sin . Blessed be God , however, these unchristian proceedings of Mr. B. and his

helper, have signally failed in producing the wished

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

336 m om or rm:

ab ie as a permanentsysum. The jealounies of Go

tion . The ietter addreu ed to me Mmm m

aflat the ir bestm to accomplishthenegotiation lucidly exhihia the theta m whalcm .

To the MethodistM issionary 00mm“ , in London .

Rev . .ut’

n Du n Bitum en ,

On the rece ipt of your letter,the Conference Of the M 6f; 2:

Church , to commence at

May 1816, and to endeavour a v

Brethren, of the matters in dispute at

feren ce opened.lmm diatoly en our

u v. m u m su es : 387

anti friendly manner. We aeeompanied him to the

plsoe y here the Preaeheu were assembled, snd on

mo tion of the Bishop, were voted to tho hononr of awatin Confesenee. A Committee, eonsisting ef the

Rev. Messrs. Rom , Draper and Harmon , werenppointed to eonlhr with us, and report the remlt.

O ur views were mutually eommnn ieated in the mostfriendly and Christian spirit.“Ou our pu t, itwas stated—thatthe MissionaryCommittee en tertained the highest respect for their

mosteordialand Christisn iovo -Ahatthey eonsidered

hothConnetiom engagod in the same glerions work ,

they exceedingly lamen ted the division which hadu ku plwe at Montreal . To give them afltllviewof mattors stMontresl, snd of the m oons bywhiehthe Commi ttee had been indneed to send Missionariesthither, we read a 00py of tho letterm tfi'

omMono

tree! te the Missionsry Committee , snd gave a his

tory ot'

thowhoie tranu ction . We nlso read ex tn ets

from other letters becring on the u me snbjeot, to

Birch and Ryan , (Preachers tio n: Canada) motofi ally dmrentfimn those whiehwm eommnn icsted

to yon , by onr brethn n in hlonm nl, and byMr. Ben

nat z mmeiy, thatthe apphenfion mnde by tho bn tho

m u Montn al, was nnofi cialn iene privately,“without the knowledge of the American Preacher;nnd thttthe tnanner in whiehtho Britishhlis ionu y

w him , te the oppoiingtestimooy eontsin

338 m oms or set

ed in the letter fromMon treal, that in 1811, allthe d »

c ialMembers, Trustees, Stewards, and Leaders, ap

plied to Dr. Coke for a Bri tish Preacher, and that hehad directed na to send one from Nova Sco tia, whiehthe fewness of Preachers in that District would notadmi t of our doing. And theme s to the rimof the

Chapel and House , we asserted no claim ; they re

mained with the Trustees , who un itedly petML W il»

liams in possession of them on his arrivalin Mon

treal and when Mr. Bennett visited them, they mssured him of their having done so , and atthettime

the whole society was in peace .

The Committee, in submitting the ir Report , recommended to the Con ference the adoption of the fol

lowing Resolutions1. That the General Conference sha l l, and it is

hereby authorized, to supply the Provinces of Upperand Lower Canada with Preachers.

’

‘ 2. That a respectful letter be a:hlressed to theMissionary Commi ttee in London , explain ing the teesons on which the above Resolution is Found ed)When the Reportwas read to the Confi rence ,we

rose and gave a full explanation of oer viem on the

subject in discussion , in which were recapitu la ted thesubstance of what we had laid before the Commi ttee.Among many other considerations, it was o bserved1. That the accession of the Canadas to the NM

Scotia District, by making room for frequen t changeswould be highly advan tageous . Q. That the BritishGovernment was natural ly jealous of persons comingfromthe Un ited States into the Canada , ot

'

whiehthelate revision of the alien actwas a snfi cientpanel

"

.

8. That the connection of the Canadian Methodistswith the Un ited States, had already subjected them

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

340 msu oms or n u:

ta tien to request our acceptance of $ 100 towards our

ex penses.

e are, Rev. and Dear Brethren ,Your servan ts in the Gospe l of Christ,

W . B. &W . B.

In accordance with the recommen dation of the

Commi ttee , appoin ted to confer with the Nova Scotiabrethren , on this sensi tive subject, a letter was adr

dressed by the Amer ican , to the Bri tish Conference,exhibiting their reasons for declining to surrender thecharge of the Canadian Societies. An authen ticatedcopy of that documen t now lies before me butthe

reasons i t assigns for the course adopwd, have beenan ticipated in the preceding statemen ts, and need mt

be here refuted. Principal stress is ‘laid on the eh

leged fact, that i t was the declared wish of a greatmajority of the Can adian Methodists, to con tinue um

der the min istry of the American Preachers Thiswish, however,

” the letter states , we are persuaded,does not arise fi'

om any Oppoaition , or want of afi o~

tion to their European brethren , butfrom the greaterem and certain ty with which they think they can besupplied by na, in consequence of our eohtign ity to

them, and from their peculiar attachmen t to os as

their Fathers in the Gospel. And indeed , we do consider them as our spiri tual chi ldren and if we seemto be unwil ling to give up the charge of them, do not,dear brethren . think it straage ; the tie is strong,

We trust you cannot, you will not, en terta in an ides ,that in onr decision on this subject we hows hesh inthe least influenced by any consideration of tempora l

profit or ease if we had , onr - dec ision would havebeen very difi

'

erent. Oar object is the good and sal

nu . mattn t m et. 34!

vation ol'

soah, as yonrs also , we donbtnot, is ; andwe most sincerely hope and pray, that this atihir maynot have any tendency to dimin ish, in the least, thatChristian afi’ection and harmony which have hitherto ,so long and so happily, snhaisted between us.

”

Without tracing the in termediate gradation of

causes which have con tributed to place Methodismin the Caaadas in the position it atpm entoecupieo,

itmay bewflicientto state, that the Lower Provincenowtimes a District entire ly under the direction and

enam e l oi’

the Bri tish Conference ; and an Un ion”

hu haen t'

onmd between the Upper Canada Conferenoe and the Parent Connection, according to thestipulation. olwhich the Preaident ot

‘

the t-‘

ortner is

annually appointed by the Bri tish Conference, and themanagemen t of the Indian Missions is consigned totheWesleyan hli-lonary Commime. This important

m angetnentwaamainly efl'ected hy tbe ofi oes ot’

the

Rev. Robert A lder, one of the Missionary Secretaries,

ing tbe cattse ol'

their eomtnon Lord . Under the proo

visions of the Union ,” however, the Upper Canada

m wente, 8tc .

vince be greatly elevated and promoted . This shgé

gestion , in whatever light it may be regarded , emanates from the best affection of the writer towardsthe esteemed brethren with whom he has been , for

several years, associated, and from a pure (he doesn otsay prophetic) regard to the in terests and honourof Upper Canada Methodism.

V ive, vale si quid novisti rectins istia,

Candidns imperti si non , his nteremecnm.—Hon

Farewell! and if a better system’s thine ,

Impartitr nane , or make nae ofmine.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

344 m moms or m s

fully dispersed, as to blend insensibly into one an other;Butmany, there is reason to believe, are eloquen t intheir declamations against bigotry,

“whose love of

good men” does not glow very intensely beyond the

precincts of their own commun ion . A spirit of exclusiveness in religion , un lovely and repulsive at all

times, is peculiarly inex cusable when it ex tends itsoperation to those who substan tially agree with us insen timen t, purely because they are notor us. O f all

denominations of Christians, there are none betweenwhom there ex ist less real grounds for shyness andalienation than Churchmen and Methodists. If the de

claration of an eminen t member of the Establishmen t“A Methodist is a Churchman in earnest” —be true,i t is natural to suppose, that a Churchman in ear

nest,” using that expression 111 its best sense , musthave rather an intimate alliance with Methodism, at

least in spirit. To the gratifying ex emplifications of

this kind , in Nova Scotia, which we have already tecorded, we are happy in having it in our power toadd another in the Rev. Mr. Wright, whose faithfuland impressive min istry, \

will be either the savorof l ife un to l ife, or of death unto death” to those whosatunder it. This deeply humble and devout manevinced towards Mr. Black the utmost respect andChristian regard, which the following letter attestswere fully reciprocated

To the Rev. M r. WrightOf Chester}

HALIFAX , Aug. 7th, 1819.

REVEREND AND DEAR Sm ,

Ou my return from the coun try, Ihad the happi

The latter years ofMr. Wright’

s min istrywere spent in Her

ton ,where hewas esteemed by alldenominations, as a meek and

REV . “A01 .845

ness to receive yours of the 7thnlt., together with the

books. Thu they have been useful to you, is mattero f thankfulnees to na both. To Him, from whom all

holy desires, allgood thoughts , and alljust work: doproceed, be glory and honour. Amen .

I perce ive with joy the work of grace in your

heart.eud am persuaded that God m carrymg iton

through allthe discouragem ent, inward and outward,with which you have to struggle, and that he willcertain ly finish it, un less you should v ividly 06m

the lightand strengthhe has afl’

orded you, and thereby coun teract his gracious work . Go on , my dearSir, and prosper. Blew God for what he has done.

Hold fu tthe beginn ing of your confidence. (1.1mwait and pray atthe footstool of Divine Mercy for a

day of Pen tecost, a larger measure of every Christian

grece, end powcr to t'

ulfilyour highcalling u aChris

[ have read your letter with some atten tion , andwon nhout to ofl’er you some fhrther thoughts, whichI conceived might administer to your comfort and em

couragement, by extracting a fewpm ogee fromMr.

Fletcher‘s Letters, some of whose wri tings have al

n edy heehsomochhleu ed to you ; hutlthink ithett

to request your acceptance of the volume. You willnotmad it, I em persuaded. without attention and

prayer. and I em equal ly confident the blowing of

God will attend the perusal . It will he I valuableand instructive comm ie!) for some of your leisurehaunt, end a co rdial to your faintingr spirits in m oonsof temptation .

lowly followed theh n h. He heiahod hism Ibelieve.“

M whither he m ior thehtuefitof hiodeclio iog h-Rh.“m m offi eb tis hlwn d.

”

346 m a otas or r un

By this conveyan ce , I send you the volume of

Cooper’s Sermon s which you had the goodness tolead me . I have been pleased , notto say profited , by

the perusal of them. They are plain , ex perimentahand practical . Desirous of possessing so valua ble awork , 1have procured the four volumes fromEn gland.It will be at alltimes gratifying to me to hear

from you, and of your welfare. May your hea lth hesoon restored , and the peace of God which paeoethall understanding,

’ be multiplied and abound em etic

ingly to your heart—may you be filled with that confidence which made en raptured Thomas exclaim,

0 K new; y ou am o 9 109 you !

From the state of your health, perhaps it may notbe improper to remind you, Dear Sir, tha t thoae inwluntary depressions, which arise from physical causes,are rather to be considered as our burden: than as our

aim especially if we look up to God fewgrace Mpatience under them. in such cases, the spirit is emwilling when the flesh is weak. The enemy , however, ofien takes advan tage of them to discourage us

in our Christian race. Pious persons, labouring un

der nervous disorders, often suffermuch from notpro

perly distinguishing between natural and spirited

maladies. Each class has its own remedy and,

through faith and prayer, both are rendered useful.I am, Rev. and Dear Sir,

Your very afl'ectionate ,W . BLAOK .

”

Mr. Blackwas so much enfeeb led during the winterof 1819—550, by the increase and aggravation of his

infirmities, thathewas induced, in the ensuing sprin g,to try the effect of a tour among his old friends in the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

348 un i on s or rat

in the aggregate, caunbt amoun t to less than thirtythousand . in most of those places are large and growing societies eminently al ive to God. 0 whathathGod wroughtl When I firstmet the late Dr. CokeatBaltimore (A. D. 1784)there were but m

here in allthe Method ist Societies in the AmericanConnex ion . There are now upwards of

The increase in the soc ieties under the direction of theAmerican Conferences, you kn ow, the last year, was11$ 97. It will be much larger this year. in all, there

are eleven J am al Conference: 3 but four of themhave notyethad their session . It will be highly gntit’ying to you to learn that God has largely pouredouthis Spirit, and blesmd the labours of his ministering servan ts, as appears from the efl’ects thousandsof sinnem are turned» fi om darkness un to light, and

from the power of Satan unto God. The M em o!members under the superin tendence of these Cod e

rences, duriag the last year, is as follows r

Ohio Co nfluence, 8 Carolina Oom‘

erenec,Missouri 759 V nrgin ia do

2,490 Baltimore dommmmpido 250

Total gain this year, members, to which addan increase of sixty- five preachers . Of the probeac

increase under the superin tendence ot'

the four m in.

ing Conferences, I em notqualified to give an opin ion.

The Baltimore Conference commenced its session on

the 8th ult. and rose on the l6th. My Americanbrethren aeutme a note, inviting me to a seatwiththem, atpleasure, during the sitting of the Conference.

This I considered as a privi lege, and thankfitlly ao

captad. During the session,much important busina s

was done, and allwith somuch order and seriousness,

n u . wa n n a su n . 3“

u ls mldom emeeded in large delibem hodieg emot

‘

Christiau min ieteu . The ex aminetioe of the cha

racteu , talents, doctrinea, labom and usefulneel of all

the preechem wu solemn, interesting, pleu ing aad

prfi tahle in a high degree. The testimonieewhichwere borne by the senior and juuior hrethren , eachintheir tum , to the piety, laboura, aud usefulnemof each

other, have lcfton my mind an indelible impreeaion of

the humility, bmotherly love, and aeelto promote the

Goepelot'

Christ, which unitee end animatee their

body. Thus un ited, and thus animawd, they will be

lam not much accmtomed to preech to legisle

having hnd an invitatiou to fillthe plece ot‘

la in to Coup e“, next M i have oen

Bishop MoKindnee, who is withme atom'

,8om

your et he ex preeaicn of hil

end of the love he beu '

e to hie cldcr

80 un to!” or r es

tending the Annual District Meeting, which 6m held

thatyear atSt. John , N . B. Whilst he ca lmly sub

mitted to this privation , his unabated interest~in theprosperi ty ofZ ion , and paternal affection towards his

sons and successors in the Gospel , prompted him to address them by letter.

To the Wesleyan M u ionarics in District-Mecmtg as

u n bled, atthe City of Saint John , M B.

Hau ru , N . S . , Mar 19, 1823,

Van : Du n u m Rs sr ao '

rw Bu r am ,

It is my sincere desire and prayer, that theGreat Head of the Church may favour you with hisdivine presence on the presen t occasion and that thegrace of our Lord Jesus , may be with you now and

always that the Lord would direct allyour eon suhhtions and measures to the promotion ofhis own glory,and the welfare of the several flocks over whom the

Holy Ghost hath made you overseen . Amen .

The state of my heal th forbids me the pleasureand the honour of being with you —of personally asluting you —of beholding your Christian humility,and brotherl y love, and mutual condescension of

marking your z eal and disinterested regards her the

sheep of Christ which he purchased with his ownblood and ofgratefullyacknowledging, and admiringthe readiness with which you take your towel andwater, and lave and wipe each other’s feet.My growing infirmities forcibly remindme ofhew

great importance itis that the loins of the inwardman

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

m “ 110138 0? TBS

common unction fi-om theHoly Ghostmay reatupoa

you all.

I remain , very deer and respected Brethren ,Your afl'eotionate Brother , Servan t,

And Fel low- labourer,In the Gospel of Christ,

W tLLu x Bu oa .

”

In the wide circ le of Christian fi' iends whose ac

quaintance Mr. Black formed and cu ltivated by hisrepeated visits to the Un ited States, none stood higherin his estimation than Ma . 8L Mas. Wu n as of Ba!

timore. Equally distinguished by his in telligence,piety and setmd- hearted attachmen t to Methodists),Ma. Wa n na ranked with the Kansans and Au

sraoaes of that city—pillars in the church, and menwho would be an ornameut and an hoaour to auy

Christian body. Some time afier his retum to NovaScotia, Mr. Black wrote to his estimabhfrieud ; but

W. empreu ea it, in :

letter to Mr. Black under date of lst Ju ly, 1024“whilemy letter to you had crossed the ocean twicebet

'

Ore it reached its destination , yours to me had timeto have twice traversed the globe before i t came to

hand l” The whole letter bm thes such a spir it ofwarm and generous Christian afihctiou, and on touching some topics which atthat period greatly agitatedthe American Connexion , strikes the nai l upon the

head with such admirable pa'

ecision , that the insertionof an extract from it, while it gratifies a fboling of

personal respect for the memo ry of one who is nowbeyond the reach of human censure or comateadatioa ,cannot fhil to ex cite the interest ot

'

the reader :

1‘Notwithstanding our correspondence has unfortui

m . mu m : su ck . awhately aotbeen marked withthatacfivitywithwhiehltmigbthave been , the memory ot

'

Mn and Mu .

Black has ollen afl’orded sweetrccollections tomy dearparmer and myselt

'

. We entertained a hope to the

last, that the General Conferencewould, among other

gratifieations , give na the pleasure of your companyand Mrs. Black‘s ; nor did we abandon the hope un tilit could be cherished no longer. We should have beenhappy to have had another opportunity ofmanifestingour esteem fbr such valued friends.

Our Conference was an inton ating one, and willlong be remembered by allwho were present on thatoccasion . The British delegates, the Rev. Masses.

Ram and Hu man (nowDa . Hu man)were racaim

ed with an attention that was highly gratifying tothem, and their departure was fielt lilte a calamity.

Every body lamented the necessi ty that forced themhemna. Perhaps no two persons could have beenmore propefly choeen for such an occasion . Fromsuch a specimen of piety and talent, we entertain a

high idea of our Bri tish bre thren . Their presencegave an in terest to the Conference which would not

otherwise have been felt, andwas of great importancein moderatiag thc warmthwhichtoo ofien atteuds dl

van ity of sen timen t, especially when i t assumes the

spiri t of M y 1 and such a spirit unfonunately existsamoug the preachers atthis time . A great conten tionabout power nowagitates the whole Connexion , find

iag itsway evca into private circles, The B ishops. itis b ated—notfelt—have too muchpower. That eyetem which has been attended with such m ob b ingsuccees thr ao loag a time. under au Am av, aWtu 'h

eon . a MeKssu u a, Ito , and been so signally owoed bythe hotd him eh

'

fia nowpemeln d to beuacoa»

l'

r 2

354 m m” or on

etitutionaland oppressive The opposition calculatedon complete success as the reward of their electioneewing, manmuvring, and pamphleteering, which wascarried to a great extent. They also reckoned on the

’

coun tenance of the Bri tish delegates . Butthey havebeen en tirely frustrated in alltheir schemes.

“Our min isters this year are brothersMerwin , Peyton and Wilson, who are wel l rece ived , and I hopewill be made a blessing to na. We ex pect l ikewise tohave brother Summerfield with na, to preach as the

delicate state of his heal th may permi t. lsuppese youhave heard of his fame. He is certain ly the most aloequen t pulpit orator I ever l istened to , having a charmin his manner that capti vates his audience. He ap

pears also to possess prudence and solidity, notcowmen in a young man of twen ty-‘three years, who can*‘

notbe insensible to so manyflatteringmarks of approbation , and who never preaches without having al~

most as m ay withoutthe doom as can find admittan cewithin—and moreover he is an Englishman .

”

Of this admirable and lamented young minister , whom the

believe , that has sppeared, is thatwritten by the poet Holland .

To deny to thatproduction tha prs ise cl'

respectable litersry ex

ecutioa would be unjust ; yet does it not, in our estimation , pre¢scut s true mirror ol

'

Summerfield . We freely admit the im

possibility ol'

embodying the idsalol'

gen ius, or ottransl'

esring to'

the biographic page an adequate manifestation of the power ol'

liv

lag eloquence. We cannot, however. help thinking a n noh

rer approx imatiou towards that desirable result attainable iathe preseatinstunce ,than has been yetaccomplished. Atthe earlytge of tweaq three, 80mmerfield ’s miod ex hibited a barmoay sod

“ ex pansion whiehvery rarely anticipate the meridian of lifi .

The ancsrthly intimation of tha love af fi liatefiwds the only

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

856 n uots s or was

congregational church ,was a prudent, moral man , ex

tensively engaged in business ; her motherwas a loverof evangelical religion , and oi

'

the people of God, bywhom when a chi ld she was fmquently taken to hearthe celebratedWhitefield preach, in that part of NorthAmerica. Upon the evacuation of Boston by the Brio

tish troops , she with her paren ts accompanied them toNova Scotia, and settled in that province , at a placecal led Fort Cumberland. It was here in the summer

of 1781 that she was led to attend the min istry of-Mr.

Black, who aflerwards became her husband and

though from a child she was of a serious turn ofmind,andwas favoured with gracious impressions and drawlogs from above , i twas notun ti l this time that shewas deeply and fully con vinced ofher leststate. The

word reached her heart ; she was brought in to great

sources o( ltnowledgs within his mach, on the salfiectsoowhiclehsex patiaued . But thoughrich in thought, and log

ical in theirw

ten outwithstudious securscy and precision ; but the occurrence

on almostcvcrypage ofbrokenhints, followed bya sign ificantdashot

'

the pee , indicates the orator’s impatience of the trnmmels sadtedimu of previous oommaitiou, and the stirring of deep emotionwithiu tha bresst thstcould find t

'

ullveotonly amid the hallm d

ex ciwmena of the Sanetusry. He did hot elier “ to God of thatwhichcosthim nothing ;

” butitwas the altar thatM ed his

pill, and tbefire thateonsumed his sacrifice issued M Mfromthe propitious heavens.

Whoever would form or ex hibit a just appreciation of thiscomparable youth. must like him, be decidedly Wesleyan in hism ad andM ed ians, in soulsummer. and in piety n M .

0 note, ingeotem locum na qua rts tuotou ;

nu . wxntu u su es . 857

cy of GM , in s dlligentuse of allthe mcans of grsce,her distren and oondem stion were removed . she re

God, filled with and joy through believing. Herm m om ' s Ind more enlarged u to the

‘she le ached t un to those thinfi wm

m W re, sod pse-ed towards the mark hr the

qn ar e a

353 m eans or m e

had, after an in timate acquain tance ofmany years, sea

veral.of which were spen t in her family. In truth.

she shonewith n o ordinary lustre in every capacity , as

a wife, amother, a relative, a Chr istian , a friend. She

gave valuab le lessons of pra ctical economy and industry in her family

. Her m emble partner, the fatherofMethodism in Nova Scotia, being n » , rily fromhome, frequently for weeks together, m the dischargeof his itineran t m in isteria l duties, the charge of five

c hildren devolved upon her. She felt the responsihi'

j

Iity of her situation and consCious tha t it was herduty to bring up her children in the nurture and ad

mon i tion of the Lord, she was induced to satire withthem,

individual ly, to the throne of grace, to commendthem in prayer to the mercy of God, and to implorethe divine blessing upon them, and upon me instruotions which she gave them. Through the pro

“ dual decline , during the last i ,

a

months,to the dwork . Fearful la t any one should rs; rt

her than she deserved, she was always m dy to ac

knowledge the sense she felt of herunprofitablenem. This shewas particularly led to doat the beginn ing of her eickum and tved thatthough she felt an humble and unshalten confidence in

00d, as her 6od and Saviour, yet iflthe m t mn pros

pect of entering in to the divine p t as a disem

bodied spirit, she felt that she needed a hel ier frameofmind. For this she prayed, and in this she washa rd. She was favoured with most grac ious man ifestations of the goodness of God so that i t was eviden t to allaround her, that as the outwaed man pemm the innerman was maswad day by day,

’and

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

300 summ its os m s

And departed tbis life , ia joyi‘

ulhopa of s resurm tiou to

eternalhappiness ,

O n the at of August. u n ecc x x vu , aged seveaty-three

years .

Her fidelity in discharging the sacred duties of the

Friend, the Wife, the Mother, and the Christian ,has rarely been ex celled ;

And the recollection other m ay virtues, will long be cherishedby her numerous surviving family and acquaintance.

There are two events whic h are so ihtimately associs ted with the fami ly c ircumstances of the sumac! ofth is memoir, that they cannotwith propriety be omitted , and perhaps the presen t ofi

’

crs the most appro

priate opportun ity for recording them. We here al

lude to the loss which Mr. Black sustained in the re

moval of two of his chi ldren to a betterworld—the

one , Mr. Samuel Black , previous to the eventjustno »

ticed : the other, his seconddaughter, Mary wifeod’Mr.

J. A. Barry , a few years subsequen t to the sum Al

though both these events, asmightbe am en d, proved

heavy amictions to an afl'ectionate paren t, they wereborne with allthe resignation that became one whosemotto for many years had beeu—“TheLord doethallthings we ll.” Mr . Samuel Black died in the 85th

year ofhis age, on the 15thof September , 1826. Hisi llness was butof a fewdays’ duration , but be left a

pleasing testimony for the consolation of his sorrowing fami ly, that he was leaving the busy scenes of lifeto en ter upon the unfad ing joys of heaven . The illL

ness of Mm. Barry was more protrac ted , For morethan seven years her heal th had been declining, butssthe power of diseaeewasted her t’rame, she gave the

most satisfactory evidence that her approach to the

n" . m u n : nm x .

‘

361

h a yin of the gn vewas acoompaniedwith that pre

paration for her change which enabled her withoutshrink ing to look forward to the finalconflict, nndwaecheered with those hopes of immortali ty which are

founded on the atonemen t of Christ, and nlone can

support the mind in the hour of trial . She died January 5th , 1883, in sure and certain hope of a resur

rection to eternal life. A funeral discourse, on the ccon ion ofher death , was delivm d by the writer of thismemoir, who himself had been a witness of that pro

gressive preparation for the com ing of her Lord, themostconsoling indications ofwhich were reserved toillnmine the closing scene.

The denthot'

Mrs. Black prodnoed a chu m in her

widowed husband’s domestic enjoymenmgreatin proportion to the m emhlage of ex ocllencies withwhichshewas odomed, and the protracted series ot

’

yearn

during whichher eociety had been to hitn a souree of

con fi rtas nnmix ed aa itie in the power of t‘

riendshiptho mootwfined and devoted to hnpsrt. Such a he

m mmont oould notbutthrow a deepet ahnding over

tho ntttumn of his days. His children were nowd lse ttled in life, with their families rising around them ;hutnflfectionately as he was attached to them oll, and

happy ” he felt, as freqnendy as theygathemd aroundhim to testify their filialveneration and attachmen t.he hnd heen eo long habitunted to the tranquil tetxeu

of his own dwelling, thatcalmneu and seelnsion hnd

heeome essential to his enjoymen t. Under these cir

cum nces he m induoed, in the ooume of tho yw1828, wmm m nm m MM wMowdEM : Cnikin , Esq” of Liverpool , n pious and aminhle hdy withwhom he had long heen noquninn d.

m u uou s or was

suppl ied . Her afi etionete m idnities to promote hiseomfofland an ticipate his wishes, persevered in to theday of his death , fiilly justified the estimate he hadformed of her virtues, and en title her mthe lastin ggrati tude ol

'

the fami ly.It chiy remains to notice the closing scen e ; and i t is

ponrtrayed to our hand by the Rev. Mr. Kn ight,who

Our Fathers,where are they ?and the Prophets ,do they live forever 2’ The time came when the manwho had heemfor so many years looked np to as the

Father of Methodism in this Province,mustpaas fromthe fellowship of the mi li tant to that of the tr iumphantchurch . Indicatiom of the rapid approaches of deathwere pereeived hy his fi'iends for some weekn but

they were scarcely prepared to hear of his removalwhen it actua lly took place. Convereing with him a

lbw days before his deathon the nwfnldisease whiehwas raging in our town , he with his usualheavenlysmile said, It does notmatter ; Imust soon go whether it be by cholera, or (pointing to his swoflen legs)this dropsy ; itis eii the same 311eave itto my hlae

ter to choose) But his days were numbered. 00

Sunday, September 6th, 1884, he felt himselfworsethan usual . Isawhimjusthefiore the time of even ing

service. His conduct toward me was, as it had beenfrom the firsthour I sawhim, thatof the utmostkimkness and afl’ection. Knowing that mywhole time hadbeen occupied in visiting the cholera patients at the

hospital , and in their habitations, and in attending tothe regular duties of the circui t, he feelingly entreetedme to he carefulof my health , for tbe eake of my fitmily and the church . I did not, however, think thathis end was so neer. When called to visithimm

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

ligentfriend who was there , that Mr. Kn ight, whosepreaching was always highly acceptable, rose on thatoccasion qui te above himself, and spoke with an nu

usual measure of divine unc tion and power. When

in the close of his address be attempted to dischargethe last oflice which his venerated friend had imposedupon him— that of giving his farewell blessing to theSociety, the emotions ofhis heart became irrepress ible ,his feel ings approached to an overpowering agitation

his words found their unobstructed way to the scen tplace of tears, the mournful sympathy was un iversal ,every bosom heaved, and had the deep and pervadingsensation of thatmomentfound utterance , its languagewonid probabiy have been thatof Efisha , as he gm d

npon the apotheosis ofhie eainmd master,“My fathet

my father l the chariots of Israel , and the htmemen

thereof !” May the mantle of our aseended prophet,the Fathes' of Methodism in Nova Scotia, with a

double portion of his spirit, invest allwhmen ter intehis signally saoeewfnllabenn !

The monumentwhich rises over hie tomb, and the

S ata n to the“m mof

hy the Gt eed ot'

the CM eh.

To hhhhom pmdenoe , and paterealw e,

is the Cherohin thie pleoemuohlndehted

for its tin , increase, and prospetity :

Withite hietotywillhis neme hem inted ; u dhie memofy revewd

tum into n utvm Soom ba .m ce x n tv.

AM n n wyears.

Tua detaile ex hihited in the preceding Memoir eo‘

Fally illuetn teMtn Blaek 's oharaeter in allita aspeete,

thetan eiahou te deliaeetion ot'

itwillneither be M

oeeeary nor ex peeted. lemnot, however, deny myeelt

'

o: my m dm the pleasure ot'

preeentiag them

withthe tbllowing juatlhooghflfiid eketehmy tny eetinnhle friend, the Rev. Bohen L Lmher, to whichhie ohliging eompliaaee with my reqeeetenahlee meto gin ptthhcity . In a letter to me, dated Mon treal,Octohet”, 1388,“p

Althoughlt'

eelineompetentto do full juetice tothe charaeter of the late ltev.W . Blaeh, in any at

tempt atite delineetion . yet, having been m intedwith him in the w

ork of the min istry—having seen and

onee alteoeteweq Sundey, du ing thattitne.when hiohealthm ld pen nit, i amwepan d atonee to u y,

0 0 2

366 m otes at m

that as a Christian , a Min ister , and a friend, Mr.

Black was no common man . Be was emphatieailyand seripmraily, in my estimation , a good man , and a

great man . He enjoyed the esteem and veeeratioe o t‘

persons of alldenominatioes, an honour to which hisvirtues and talen ts en ti tled him. Amiable and con»

descending in his spiri t, yetconsistent and decided inhis character, and serious and dignified in his deporb

men t, hewon the M on and commanded the te

smct of the poor and the rich , who alike regardedhim as the ‘miniater of God to them for good .

’—Hieafl’ectionate and sooth ing exhortations to the one, andhis judicious counse ls and fai thful warninga.when necessary , to the other, were in general as aceeptehle as

they were salutary and seasonable. I also considerMr. Black to have heen a smmd diviee, end an erigi

-s

nalpreacher. His ministrywas neither declamatorynor oratorical butbe ing con v incingm m ,

and generally attended wi th a grac ious influencefloutabove, itwaa atonce pepuiar and ueefol. The ben ignity ot

'

the divine eharacter rather than the ‘ terrers of

the Lord ’—the pleasures and rewards ofmiety rather:than the eterna l consequences of sin , were the tophaon which he seemed most to delight to dwe l l. It is

bel ieved that hewas one ofthe most successful ministers of modern times, and that hundreds of souls inNova Scotia, Newfoundland, and on the adjacente omtinent, as the fi n ite ofhis min istry , will he the crownof his rejoicing in the presence of the Lon i Jesus at

his emning.

’ Wherever he was, in the paniettr or in

the pulpit, he seemed to regard it as the businen of

his l ife to save sea ls.

Many of theeecieties in the Non Seotia Distr ictwere ot

'

his piantieg; aed for maey years howatched

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

363 s eam s os re s

the leng‘

eoarse ofhis ministry, did he ex eacise his efi

thotity as a“ Lord over God’s heri tage,

”orm

sweed of discipline with undue severity or indiu mtion . Hewas zealous for the Lord ofm and forthe

parity ofhis church huthie z ealwas atan equal d’

a

tance from a timid and temporiziing pol icy on fi e one

hand , and front enthus iasm and temerity on the ather:Itwas always according to knowledge—a keofledge

of h imself, and oi’

the philosophy of the moral thelo

ings. He deemed it no less essen tial to amin ister nnder the Gospel , than itwas to the high priestnndertheLaw, thathe should have compassion on the igeerant

aed them thatare ontof the way, inu maehces he hiu -f

self is compu ted withmoralinfirmity Andhe h ewthstbhe ex puleion of a delinqnentpmfeesor Prom til

spiri tual assod ation withthe people of God , neless

imperatively demanded by the nature of the case,

would be much more likely to increasehisfehdnratien ,

and to preclude the hope of his perfeer restoration ,

than a course of faithfuladmon i tion ande omntisera»

ting forbearance. This, we bel ieve , was one of the

first lessons which he was in the habit of afi'

eetionaeee

ly impressingupon the minds of those youthful min iaters who were so happy as to receive his godly “ dpaternal counsels.O ur departed Father in Christwas eminen tly aman

of prayer. The preceding pages bear ample testimo o”

ny to the vigilance and earnestness with which he ettltivated a devotion al spirit in connection with his pub»

l ic ministratiens. Itwas a common saying of Lathes ,Bm orau ea tbeac studuiu c ; he nem lhnnd himselfis so happy a frame for the investigation of di vin ethings , aswhen his thoeghts and afi ctionewere pefitied and elevated by prayer. Equally cm was Met

asv. wmu tu su es . W

Black of the necess ity of beginn ing, continuing , mil

ending his lebonm in a prayerful spirit. The resu ltwas a holy and beeeeehin g fervour in his pm ohieg,

and an internal ano in ting of the Spiri t which shed itsefi cientinfluence over the congregation . A learnedinfidelonce remarked of the min istry of the Methodistchurch , that were they on ly panoplied in literary ar

mour theywould in five years make a conquest of the

world. But the divine charm in virtue of whichsuch moral transformations are wrought, is bid

from the wise and pruden t. They know not that theex celleney of the power is of Ged, and notof man

that unaccompan ied with that quicken ing an d plasticenergy, the most impos ing array of human accom

plishments were as useless as Soul ’s armour on the

son of Jesse , and eloquen ce majestic and harmon iousas the music of the spheres but“as sounding brass, ora tinlding cymbal they know notthat prayermovesthe hand that moves the world.” Such , however, isthe fact. By a lawof the moral un iverse, as well asby the promised blessing ofHim who bath the heartsof allmen in his hand, thatmin isterwho cultivates themost intimate in tercourse with God,will have the frees taccess to the springs ofmoral action within the breastsofhis hearers, and the greatest cause to rejoice in theday of Chr ist that be has notrun in vain ,

neither ishoured in vain . Among these the subject of the preceding memoir will be adorned with distingusbed honours. He honoured God , andwas honoured byHim.

Though an example to allin his systematic efforts toen large the resources of his kn owledge to the last, andaccustomed thoroughly to digest the materials of hisdiecoum , he deemed i t not less essen tia l to his suc

cess, to carry with him in to the sacred deslt, as often

370 mu on s, 8m.

as he ascended it, a fresh unction from the Holy One,than a connected train of edifying thought. Andmanywere the seals of his apostleship. Besides the incalculahly beneficialeffect of his z ealous labours and holye x ample in ed ifying the people of God, not less , probably, thanfi ve hundred instances might even nowbetraced in which truth from his lipswas clothed withsalvation to those who heard it. The day drawethn igh when he will be rewarded yetmore open ly. Few.

it is believed, even among the most faithful and suc

cessfulministers of the Lord Jesus, will receive fromHim a crown studded with more or brighter gems,when “ they that be wise shall shine as the brightnessof the firmament; sun ru n run was n u ts 10

atc araoussass ts ran: su ns roa svaa ssh eves .

”

THE END.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join