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)'^.H^'

RE VERIES -:- RE VIE WS
RECOLLECTIONS.

EEV. joh:n^ hunt.

TORONTO:

WILLIAM BRIGGS, 78 & 80 KING STREET EAST.

Montreal: C. W. Coatks. Haukax: S. F. Hukstw.

1887.

-i.

PREFACE.

gf ORE than fifty years ago, in the days of my
^^^^ boyhood, I began to contribute to newspapers
and magazines. Since that time seldom has a month
elapsed but I have done something in the same line.
To fulfil the ministry given to me by God and His
Church has always been my first duty, literary enter-
prise but secondary. The papers now given to the
public have, some of them, been published before— a
couple of them more than forty years ago. They have
all been remodelled, and some entirely re- written. I
am doing this solely for the love of it. If anyone is
pleased or profited, I, too, shall be both pleased and
profited. If anyone sees fit to criticise, it will not
hurt me.

THE AUTHOR.

121 Wilton Avknde,

ToHONTO, Juiie, 1887.

JIU^ d-x

•l^j^^jiliv^rrsw^aiitaj,, ,

CONTENTS.

Reverie No. 1 , «

Reverie No. 2 ^ ^ jg

Revivals and Revivalists 23

Times of Refreshing oo

God in the History of Methodism 37

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Secret of Power 93

Science and Religion : a Review iq«

The Backslider's Death bed jj4

Timothy Oldboy's Recollections 120

The Sunday-school and the Church of the Future 128

Poems —

Fftrewell to Home jor

Elora j„g

^"^y 138

Christ's Nativity j^q

On the Death of my only Daughter 143

The Ouardian Angel j^g

Autumn ,.-

Lines to Mary Eliza 249

To Mary Eliza in Heaven jqq

To the Youn^ Men of (Juelph jgo

The Infant's Burial jg«

'm»*9^S''^mmi>mm- ■

■J

■::m»*^.'S^'^tmmu>mtm

Reveries-Reviews-Recollection!

REVERIE No. I.

"I am pleased, and yet I'm 3a.d."—ffenri/ Kirke White.

fHERE are few things, perhaps, which tend more
^ to give the countenance a melancholy cast than
a thoughtful turn of mind. Misfortune may blanch
the fairest cheek and soften the most rugged features,
and when musing on our personal ills we are led to
assume a sad appearance. But this is not what I
mean— it is a sorrowful sadness. I mean a melan-
choly which arises from a natural thoughtf ulness, from
being habituated to muse with our own fantasy. This
is a pleasing sadness, which I think we may safely con-
clude there are but few who enjoy, as we continually
hear about driving away thought, and to be found
thinking will ruin a man with half the world. In
this case I measure not my conduct by the opinion
of the world, as for upwards of twenty years my own
bosom has been the only receptacle of my various
phantasms. Except a short time, I have never had a

friend to whom I gould unbend my spirit. But this
2

REVERIES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECrriONS.

I I

want has been at least partially supplied from an apti-
tude to commune with my own thoughts, and a dili-
gent application to that inexhaustible source of pleasure
—books. It may have produced a somewhat morbid
state of mind, and a degree of unsociableness, but the
pleasure has been proportionate.

I am not going to descant on the pleasures of melan-
choly, that were superfluous. It has already been done
by abler pens than mine. I wish to indicate that I
stand alone in the world— that the greater part of my
pleasures arise from contemplation. While I saunter
along, with a countenance that few care to look upon,
none to address, I am mentally pleased while looking
inio the various characters which chance may throw in
my way. Here comes the man of business. See what
an air of bustle and fatigue there is about him. He
pants and blows as if it were summer. He has thrown
open his waistcoat to catch a little air ; while I, who
am nothing but skin and lones, am almost frozen.
But here floats along the supercilious lady, with her
cloak trimmed with costly furs. See what a hauteur
she has ; but then perhaps she is a beauty and a belle.
How disdainfully she looks -at passers-by— how con-
descendingly she bows to yon cavalier on his pranc.
ing steed ! He acknowledges it as the greatest favor.
What a contrast there is between her and that modest,
pretty girl who follows her ! She is conscious of her
beauty, but wishes not to blazon it for "h to every one.
If she is saluted, she gracefully returns it, and passes
on, Hers is a happy lot; sh^ is jealous of no one.

'^'.T^pmtff^mi

REVERIE NO. I.

She cares not for the frivolities of fashion which fasci-
nate others in her station. But here is a group of
young ones. Hear the brats, how they halloo. Theirs
is the heyday of youth and happiness ; although their
skin looks through their clothes in divers places, they
will think of these days when they have to provide
for themselves. At present they have nothing to care
for ; when they have eaten one meal, scanty though it
be, they think not where the next is to come from.
After all, they are a miserable-looking set, but they
know it not. Some of them are without hats, another
has no jacket or waistcoat, another has but the remnant
of a pair of trousers, and there is one little wretch
who has no shirt. Ha ! there is a scuffle among them.
They have agreed upon a match at snow-balling, and
It is now being carried into effect. How they scamper
about, how they tear up the snow, not earth ! 'Tis as
good as a battle. How they scoop it into places where
it can reach the skin, and these are not wanting!
Each in his turn is rolled in and covered with snow.
'Tis a wonder they are not frozen, but their souls are
m the work. But whose splendid equipage is that
which fast approaches ? In what state it glides along !
Nodding plumes are there. The gay, the merry,
the thoughtless are there. How loud is their laugh !
The very horses are conscious of their glee. They are
like the brats whom they have passed, free from care.
When this fe'te is ended they have only to contrive
another, more splendid if possible ; and so on, day
after day, month after month, year after year, till old

REVERIES— REVIEV/S— RECOLLECTIONS.

age comes on, or as

long

as " life's fitful Jieam shall

last," when they shall sink into the grave unremem-
bered but by their immediate acquaintances. It may
be there are those among them who can boast of
learning, of genius. Theirs is a misspent life. Their
genius, their learning, is wasted among the frivolous.
Their splendid sayings, their brilliant witticisms, die
with them.

Well, well ; sweep on, ye proud ones of the world;
six feet of earth will do for you ere long. Your sables
will be of no use to you then — worms will crawl over
your delicate limbs. You will soon be, like the loath-
some mendicant, as if you had never been. Not a ves-
tige of one will be found more than the other. Con-
template this for a short space — does your flesh crawl,
do you shudder at the thought ?

I speak not this in bitterness ; I care not for the
idle pageantry of the rich and great. Give me to
drink at the fount of Arethusse— let me dive into the
traditionary lore of days gone by ; 'tis all I ask. The
world's pleasures are nothing to me ; I view them all
with jaundiced eyes, I can join in none of their gaieties.
Rather, far rather, had I muse on the fate of those who
have left a halo around their names, which sliall burn
bright and more bright until memory shall cease to
exist. They whose names have lived hundreds, thou-
sands of years, on the pages of heroic song, will exist
forever. Oh, what a thought ! Could they now re-
visit the earth, and .see and hoar what we see and hear,
what would be their emotions ? Ti»uir names repeated

REVteRlE No. 1.

by a thousand tongues, bestowing praises which none
will gainsay. Oh, divine bards ! may your rest be
sweet ; may ministering angels attend your every
want.

The reader of these Reveries must not expect to
find that polished style, that studied elegance, which
characterize the writings of the present day. They
are not the productions of " hours of idleness," but the
overflowings of moments snatched from oblivion-
They will consist of reflections, incidents of my inter-
course with the world; in fact, of anything which may
serve to illustrate facts. There are always occurrences
even in everyday life which a philosophical mind uiay
turn to some account. I claim not the title of a philo-
sopher, but, as I said before, I find a pleasure in con-
templating nature in every garb.

Perhaps I cannot better conclude this paper than by
relating the story of the dervise, though at the risk of
telling a thrice-told tale :

Certain merchants were travelling across the desert,
with a caravan, when one camel accidentally strayed
from the main body. When it became known, one of
the merchants immediately v/ent in search of him.
While wandering about, he accidentally fell in with an
old dervise, of whom he made inipiiry concerning his
camel. " Your camel," said the dervise, " has passed
over the hill yonder; he was laden on one side with
barley " (the merchant assented), " on the other with
honey ?" " Yes." " He is blind of an eye ?" " Yes."
'• He has a front tooth broken ?" " Ym" " The hoof

REVERIES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

ofhisrightfore-foofc is broken?" "The same," said the
merchant; "and now, since you have described him so
well, you can, of course, give me some information
where I may find him." "None whatever," replied
the dervise. " What 1 after giving the most accurate
description possible, not tell me where you have seen
Inm ?" "I have not seen your camel," said the dervise
Provoked by the apparent obstinacy of the old man
the merchant took him before the Cadi in order to ex-
tort the necessary information. The case beino- stated
he was asked why he refused to relate where he had
seen the camel. " I have already told the truth," said
he ; " I have not seen the camel. Living, as I do, in the
midst of the desert, it is but seldom that I meet with
my fellow-men. But passing to-day over the hillside
I observed the track of a lame camel. Barlev was
scattered on one side of the way ; on the other ^I saw
lioney— from this I inferred what his burden consisted
of. I also observed the herbage was cropped on one
side only; by this I judged he was blind. I saw he
had a broken tooth by a mark on the bushes which
were eaten off. It was from these observations that I
was enabled to describe the camel. From these cir-
cumstances you may see, though I have lived all my
life in the desert, I have ever found ample scope for
contemplation."

REVERIE NO. It.

REVERIE No. II.

'* Oh ! there are tears, — big bursting tears for thee."

Ia^^T^ have had numerous accounts of supernatural
Xoy beings presiding over, or watching the des-
tiny of, particular individuals. The most remarkable
of these is, probably, the demon of Socrates, which
always warned him of any approaching evil. What
his demon was we have nothing to do with at present.
The agency of spirits has been allowed in all ages,
and even at the present day obtains belief among the
vulgar.

Whether these spirits are of a good or bad charac-
ter, they always appear to be eminently qualified for
tlieir station. Each on<; is acquainted with the secret
thoughts and desires of his protege. Hesiod says:
" Millions of spiritual cieatures walk the earth un-
seen." It has been the opinion of some that every
individual has his guardian angel. Be this as it may,
there are comparatively but few that have revealed
themselves. The instance I am about to relate will
serve as one illustration. It had more effect on me,
probably from my more intimate ac(iuaintance with the
facts, than any other of which I have any knowledge.

Nathan Ifarwood, I think T may say, was the only
true friend I ever possessed. His whole soul was

«l

IIKM.IMKS- llRVFKH-S—lifK ■01,1,1.:, TK.Ms.

tornuHl lor i,„.n,l.sl,i,,. H,„.n an,l „„,.t„r..,l in tl„. lap
ot Inxnry, tlioio was «„ ,,.ss,.ntial m\;;;m, iK-twoon
"s.. N.,twitl..stan.li„s this. „„,■ |,„r.s„it., wor. hh n,ucl.
as i„«s>l,le tl,„ .sa„„.. At an .arly a«« I,., lo,st l,otl, l,is
paronts, a.„l over atVr l,i,s co„„t,.,mnc« wore a „„.|aM.
cho\y HsiH.ct. Mis ,s„,il„ was a «l„.„.,v o,.e; y.,t he
wa.s not «>oro.s« „,• ,vp„|siv,., for ho h«,| the ldn,h.«t
hoa,. that cvor boat i„ vital Iran,,.. I|„ wa.s alwuy.s
-..elte.l at the recital of a tnl,. of „.,„., „n,l with a
l.l>ora hnn,I w,is ,.v..r r<.a,ly to ,..Nten,l r,.lief. | l,ave
sa„l that ,>ur pursuits wre .sin.ilar m nu.eh as p,«s|.
ble hvery evoninj; fonn,l „s tog-.ther; „,, r..a,l to-
Kother; each ,.no kn.nv of the oth..r's projects for the
i..ture; we critijiz,..! each other's prodnctions He
was the only „„„ ,,,,„ i,,,,,^^ j,„^^ , ^^^ ^ ^^

poetry. Never shall J for,,..t th.. tin,,. I (irst s,.nt „„„
ot iny pr,„l„ctio„s into the worKI. 1 |,a,I f„,„„.,| the
< .■s.j.n, an.l to,,k th,. lirst oppo,.t.,nity to con,n.,n,icate
It to my iriond.

Ho approve,! it, an,l we sel,.cte,i a piece-not the
iH-st, nor the w„rst-^an,l sent it forth to the e.litor of
a ne,sh boring peri„,lieal. We were sitting t„Ketl„.r
abo„ a week after when we recivcl the paper; I took
It with a tre«,blinfj han,l an,! b,.i.an to ,„,fol,l it I
.scarcely knew what I ,li,l_| tre,„l,le,l in every lh„b
Alternately hope an,l fear pr,.lo„,inat...l, a -lizxlness
cun>c over me, 1 felt as if 1 ,l„r,. not unfohl it, an.l be'-
ore n.y task was accon,plis!,e,l the paper fell fron, un-
n-n-l. My late tl,r„„,.h life vppoare,! to be involveil
in that paper. I thought ,uy happi„,.ss or misery Je-

UKVKlllK No. II.

pondcfl iijK)rr it. Nathan took it up, wliilo a Hinil(3
played on Iuh countonanco, and procetHled to oxaniine
the contents. Ho tvn'ned th<! leaves rapidly over for
Hon»o time, when suddenly stoppin;^ he exclaimed,
" 'Ti.s liere, 'tin here." I .snatched the pap*er from lii.s
hand, I .saw it — I devoured it; that piece, of which I
knew ev(!ry letter, I read a hundnMl tini(!.s. Moreov<3r,
there were .some flatterinj^f editorial remark.s. I .strode
the room in an ecstasy of joy ; 1 had never had .such
feelin<ij.s before, liarwood'.s exultation wa.s <'(pial to
my own. Hi.s fine dark eyes glistened with plea.sure.
We read nothing more that nigho, and parted but to
dream of the temple of fame.

There are few events in life, })erhaps,'w!iich have a
more thrillinjr effect on a young man'.s mind, than to
.see his fir.st production in print. He fancies that he
niay but stretch his arm and all his day dreams are
realized. Would lie were less .sanguine, his di.sa{)point-
ment would be proportionate.

Months, years, rolled on, and the friendship be-
tween Nathan Harwood and myself continued the
same, unchanged, unchangeable. Both of us wtjre con-
tributors to some of the principal periodicals of the
day. Our evenings were spent together as usual.
Everything wliich could contribute to each other's
happiness was attended to. JJut suddenly \ ob.served
a "change come o'er the .spirit of his dream." He lie-
came gloomy and un.social, and at times i observed a
tear trickle <Iown his cheek. The open pag(! la}' un-
heeded before him. His form, too, began fearfully to

IlEVERlES—llDVlEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

waste away. The fire of his eye was gone, it sent
torth an unearthly lustre. For a time I painfully re-
frained from noticing his dejection. It was spring-
time, and we roamed the fields together, heedless of
the variations of nature. I longed to know the cause
ot his melancholy, but could not gather courage to ask
him. There was somethin.or so sacred about our friend-
ship that if each passing thought was not communi-
cated voluntarily, I could not ask him ; and I believe
had I been placed in a similar situation, he would
. have been the same. About this time we agreed at
my suggestion, to take an early ram bio one morninn.
to view nature in her calm loveliness. Accordin^^lv
we sallied forth just as the grey light appeared in The
east. Our course lay by the side of a small stream
wnose banks were bordered with foliage. The buds
were expanding with the genial heat of sprino- The
birds carolled in every bush. It was a lovely morn-
ing, but my poor friend was unusually depressed • we
walked along in silence, all the gay scenes which were
once his greatest delight were passed unnoticed. Sud-
denly a lark sprang up in our path, and pealed forth
a merry note as he mounted to his dizzy height As
he soared upward his notes became shrill and more
shrill, untd he appeared to strain every power of
melody, and it became one continued scream. Still
we could hear him after he had disappeared in the
clouds. We walked along listening to the song of tlie
lark, when they became fainter and more faint and
soon entirely ceased. Then was heard a sound as of

""^■i^mmff'

REVERIE NO. II.

it sent
ully re-
spring-
dless of
e cause
! to ask
friend-
nmuni-
believe,

would
■eed, at
orninsf
dingly

in the
stream
3 buds
The
niorn-
d ; we
1 were

Sud-

forth
>. As

more
er of

Still
n the
)f the
b, and
as of

something cutting the air, and the lark fell dead at
our feet. Poor bird ! he had exhausted himself, and
this was the penalty. Nathan and myself stood and
looked at the bird without uttering a word : I raised
my eyes to look at my friend, — his frame was con-
vulsed — big tears of agony rolled down his cheeks. I
could refrain no longer, I burst out into tears with
him. ' My dear H.," said he, " I am going to die ! How
emblematical is that poor lark of me ! I, like him,
have strained every nerve in striving to bring forth
harmony, sweet and melodious. Like him it was for
my own pleasure, and like him I shall die." I en-
deavored to soothe his excited feelings ; I saw there
was some further disclosure to make, but did not im-
mediately in(|uire. In & few minutes he became more
calm, and said, " I will tell you all — 1 should have told
you before, but knowing your antipathy to a belief in
such like stories, I did not wish to incur your ridicule."
We now turned toward home, and he related to me
how he had been warned of approaching death. It
would have been cruel — in fact I never thought of
ridicule, but gave full credence to what he said. He
had been visited by a spirit, in the form of a young
and beautiful female. The spirit had repeated its
visits, and they had now become familiar. He de-
scribed it as being of the most surpassing loveliness.
Its dress was always the same — pure white. It was
all that could be imagined of angelic beauty.

We parted that morning with .sad forebodings — I to
my usual avocation, my friend to brood on the com-

.?!^*^«*fti^^wwfeti

! ^i

I :

REVERIES— REVIEWS— Rfir'0LLfiCTT0>f8.

munication of the spirit. That was a sad day for us
both. A month only had to pass and I was to lose
my dearest, my only friend. A month only and he
was to pass into a world of spirits ! Alas ! the time
approached. I gave up my w\olo time to him; day
and night found me a constant attendant at his side.
The ablest physicians were called to his assistance;
but all availed notiiing— he as firmly believed he
should die at the appointed hour as he believed in his
present existence.

I endeavored to persuade him that the hour fixed
for his death would pass unnoticed, but all in vain.
In fact, I believed it myself as firmly as he did, but
yet was determined on trying some expedient in order
to prevent it. In the course of my reading I recol-
lected having seen an account of a jtudent at Jena
who had received a similar communication, and was
similarly affected. In that case a drug was given him
to produce sleep, and he awoke two hours after the
time he was to have died, perfectly recovered. I pro-
posed trying this method with my friend, which the
physician cordially assented to.

Nothing could exceed the tranquillity with which he
viewed his approaching dissolution. He was the only
calm person in the neighborhood. His situation was
universally deplored by his acquaintances; the poor
people lamented him for his benefactions ; I sorrowed
for him as my only friend. Day and night I was his
constant companion. I read to him, I conversed with
him, I did everything for him which friendship could

REVERIE NO. II.

fixed
vain.

pro-

suggest. He imparted to me the arrangement of his
funeral, the disposal of his property.

He directed a number of small legacies to be paid
to poor people who had before been his pensioners.

" And to you, H ," said he, " I will leave my books.

Preserve them," he continued ; " iu them you can see
and converse with all that is good and great. But to
you I need not expatiate, who know so well their
priceless value." And these relics from me will never
part but with departing life !

It was the evening before his death ; I was sitting
by his side. I had been reading that portion of Lalla
Rookh where the unhappy Hindoo so exquisitely
laments her withered hopes : —

" 'Twas ever thus, from childhood's hour,

I've seen my fondest hopes decay ;
I never loved a tree or flower,

But 'twas the first to fade away.
I ne'er caress'd a dear gazelle,

To glad me with its soft blue eye ;
But when it came to know me well.

And love me, it was sure to die !"

Lulled by the softness of the breeze, and fatigued
by continued watching, I fell asleep, when I dreamed.
I dreamt that I saw my friend ; but it was his pure
spirit, mounted on angels' wings, and soaring towards
the heavens.

One led the way. That one I immediately recog-
nized as the one that had warned him of his approach-
ing end. He Vjeckoned me with a heavenly smile, as
they entered the clouds, and I saw him no more.

ltEVIiUIES-KBVIEWS-KE(»r.I,ECTiONS.

.lefp'^rhi'f rt u"" '"-^ '"'^y '^-'^ke than I i„ ™y

wouMst thour- n:r : .ai'tr:' •{•:"'; :'-"

agam to tel! thee I am true Tn , ' "^

«ix I shall be here ZZ \n '°-'7™^ «^™i"R at

regions of bliss TillTf '°n'^"'' ""^^ '° "^«
= oi miss, lillthen.farewe !" "Sweet er,i,.in
remain one moment h„t „ oweet spirit !

<= moment— but one moment longer" H»
stepped across the room to awake ,J Z\ ,
-the -.hantom had fled ""^ '"''""''

... "' ''""' >nto a calm and n easatit «l„„„
from which he never awoke a<rain T T ■ P'
fingers on the throbbin^s of tw , P™''"' "^
that the spirit of NaS hL '.P"''?' """' ^ *«"
It was then I f It the ah^ ^T ^t' '''^'' ^'''''''■
situation. The last twd ^'•<''<='>edness of my

butnowIknewttt'lLtTroir'''-'''^ "^ "^ ''^-'"'

-"iSSrh^r-rfstrrourr^r^^

JIEVIVALS AND llliVIVALlSTS.

REVIVALS ANJ3 REVIVALISTS.

A paper read before the Toronto Ministerial Association, in Shaftes-

bury Hall, Nov. 15, 1886.

^T may at once be stated, that whei requested to
prepare a paper for to-day I had not the most
remote idea of taUng what is indicated in the above
title as the subject to be presented. I may say, how-
ever, that the recent visit to our city of the Georgia
evangelists, the widely-spread influence of their labors
—still deepening— suggested the subject as appropriate
and timely for discussion here. One reference of a
personal character I will venture to make. More than
forty years of the writer's life have been spent unin-
terruptedly as a minister of the Church of Christ ;
from three to six months in every one of those years'
have been occupied in direct revival work, i.e., in per-
suading sinners to be reconciled to God, and gathering
the fruits of such efforts into the Church. Many of
those I can refer to to-day as having stood the test of
fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and thirty or more years,
and still are in positions of trust and influence. Sev-
eral are in the ministry ; many others are in secular
life, equally honored in their station. I make these
references with feelings of unfeigned thankfulness, and
because the reGoUection cheers my owii heart. And also

i*^

REVERIES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

further to say, in the outset, that I enter upon the dls-
cuss,on of the subject being entirely in sympathy
with a east that part of it implied in the first part
ot the title of this paper.

I can present but a very brief outline within any
reasonable limits on a subject upon which so much has
been written Certain principles will be taken for
granted without occupying time in furnishing any
proof of their truth, and it is presumed that these are
such as are generally believed. These are some of

JZi 71 '■ I ''""'^ °^ '^' "'^''"S^ ■" ">^"'« nature
effected by the power of the Holy Spirit, usually and

scrip turally termed conversion ; the need of this chan<.e
by all unsaved sinners; God's plan of human instru-
mentality m carrying on His work, by preaching the
Word, by prayer, by personal intercourse with the
unsaved.

Let us first ascertain what is to be understood by a
revival of religion. The trend of man's disposition in
relation to religion is to declension. In consequence
of continuous contact with things secular, the tendency
of the soul IS to become (figuratively speaking) material-
^ed, absorbed by attention being given entirely to
thing.s of the world. And this tendency could never
be more manifest than in this present age of fh,--
Ohuroh s existence-an age of steam, of telegrapns, of
telephones-a time when some men suddenly become
possessed of an extraordinaiy amount of wealth and
when others are in extreme poverty. I will also add,
that a living Church, properly utilising those thino-s

,04.

REVIVALS AND KEVIVALISTS. 25

(which are simply the discoveries of science practically
applied to the ordinary operations of life), never pos-
sessed such advantages in carrying on the work of God
as at present. In referring thus to those materializing
tendencies, and the manner in whijh Christians too
frequently yield to them, it is not for a moment sup-
posed that they have no degree of the fear of God left.
But here we see the necessity of a revival, which must
first begin in the Church of Christ, and which, in
brief, we understand to be an increase of that which
already has an existence in the heart. It is a renewal
of the spiritual life of the soul, followed, as the effect
of it, by increased activity on behalf of the unsaved.
There is much tenderness of heart; there is deep con-
trition on account of past neglect. When Christians
become unusually earnest and active, and are con-
strained to cry to God for more spiritual life and power
for themselves, and for the conversion of sinners, these
will not long remain unaffected thereby. Generally
tho revival of Christians and the conversion of sinnera
are concomitant blessings.

In referring to a revival extending outside of the
Church, the essential feature is that a sinner may be
converted to God and saved from sin. By the same
power others may be saved. Christians hail the con-
version of one sinner with devout gratitude to God ;
but when numbers are converted simultaneously, or
rapidly following each other, and the revival thus
extends far beyond the Church, and thanksgivings to
God arise from many, many Christian workers in
3

'26

llEVERIKS— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

which the newly saved are ready to join with their
hallelujahs— thouo-h there may be some degree oi"
irregularity, and perhaps excitement, for which no
calculation has been made— yet, where is the man who
will stand up and say that he has authority from God
to forbid, or in any way prevent, the manifestation of
this ? True, this unnecessary excitement is no essen-
tial part of a revival, though [i may be its outcome ;
neither will it destroy the character of a genuine work
of God. I am not the apologist of religious excitement,
but I would like at this point to suggest one or two
queries. Was it ever known in the history of the
Church that any great good of this kind has been ac-
complished apart from some degree of excitement and
enthusiasm ? Shall we risk the destruction of the good
as well as the bad, in trying to cull out the bad fi-om
the good ? Rather let it be ou^s to gather in the wheat,
and though there should be found some tares inter-
mingled therewith, yet the Master will discern their
true character, and in due time assign to them their
true position. To avoid being tedious I will present
the following .summary of truth.s touching this subject :

1. A revival state is the normal condition of the
Church. Chri.^itians ought to be always ready to
engage in revival work. They are not !

2. This abnormal condition of the Church renders
preparation necessary.

3. That this preparation, as to time and expendi-
ture of effort, is just in proportion to the dearth of
spirituality which prevajl.s.

ii ^

REVIVALS AND REVIVALISTS.

4. That there are certain times and occasions which
are sug<]festive of the propriety of revival efforts being
successfully made.

5. That the preaching appropriate to such occasions
is essentially similar among all denominations, irre-
spective of creed.

The writer heard a most eloquent sermon, which
occupied more than an hour in delivery, in the Jesuit
church in Montreal, by a member of the order of the
" Sacred Heart of Jesus," interlarded here and there
with sentences indicating superstitious confidence in
the infallibility of the Church. If these sentences had
been eliminated from it, it would have been equrJly
appropriate at a Methodist camp-meeting, or at any of
those services now in progress at the West End
Presbyterian Church.

6. That revival services, when engaged in, should
have the precedence of all others. That, if possible,
concerts, lectures, social gatherings and anniversary
services should for the time be postponed.

7. That great care should be taken in selecting
proper persons to converse with and give directions to
seekers at the penitent form or in the inquiry meeting.
Very frecjuently those who have not the first (jualifi-
cation — lacking, perhaps, cleanness of character, — aiid
another class, a goody-goody sort of people who have
much religion but very little connnon sense, are
among the very foremost to press themselves into this
work.

8. Finally, whatever degree of doubt or distrust

i^i^mHfsmMt^p^-.

UEVEIUES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

may be expressed, or direct obstacles thrown in the
way by any Sanballat who may be there, this will
have the effect of intensifying the zeal of othe ^ who
believe in the work ; and if the objector is treated
right, VIZ., left alone, he can do little or no harm, save
to himself.

REVIVALISTS.

That there is a certain class Of men, laymen as well
as ministers, in whom is evolved a peculiar aptitude
tor what is now termed "evangelistic service," pro-
bably not one here will be disposed to doubt. No
person I would think, can read the record of what

'tP^!^^ ^^^y^^^^^ other places in Scotland in
lH.:{J-40, in connection with the labors of R M
McCheyne, W. G Burns, ami others like-minded, but
must see peculiar adaptation for the work on their
part. As to its results, there was a great degree of
irregularity in church work, and also, for some time
the suspension of secular business. It was evidently
te that the business pertaining to eternity must be
settled before they could go on any further with that
wnich related to time. But then this irregularity
was of small importance. There was irregularity on
the part of those men who brought their sick friend
and l..oke up the roof of the house in order to get near
the Great Healer, but a few carpenters could soon
repair the roof, while none but Jesus could say to the
poor paralytic, "Thy sins be forgiven thee-" or
" Arise, take up thy bed. and go thy way." There aro

*^^**««;**«*e»»«»

REVIVALS AND REVIVALISTS.

1 in the
this will
ei ^ who
treated
'm, save

as well
'Ptitude
B," pro-
)t. No
f what
land in
K. M.
9d, but
1 their
gree of
e time,
dently
I list be
ih that
ilarity
ity on
friend
't near
I soon
to the
; or,
ro aro

many in this city who remember the evangelistic
labors of James Caughey, now more than a quarter
of a century ago, and his peculiar adaptation to that
work. It has stood the test of time. In the
Methodist churches of this city to-day we often hear
persons attribute their conversion to the instrumen-
talities of those times.

I confess to a strong prejudice, of many years' stand-
ing, against a certain class of travelling professional
revivalists who appear now and then, without any
authority, and generally without any character. I
am thankful to say that there is, at present, but little
occasion to be deceived by men of that class. There
are men whose antecedents are well known, and whose
praise, in consequence of their devotion and success, is
in all the churches, and whose presence and labors
anywhere will be a benediction. Dwight L. Moody,
acknowledged by the Presbyterian Church; Dr. E.
Judson, endorsed by the Baptist persuasion ; Sam P.
Jones, receiving his appointment from an annual
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South,
aro all amenable to the courts of the Church to
which they belong. In connection with several of the
Methodist Conferences of this Dominion a certain
class of ministers are left without any pastoral charge,
and receive their appointment as Conference evan-
gelists ; they are thus at liberty to assist any pastor
who may desire their aid. I cannot speak with cer-
tainty as to other Churches ; I think, however, 1 have
observed in some reports of proceedings of the Pres-

n '

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

byterian Church a similar appointment. The fact,
however, that an evangelist is at present engaged in
one of the Presbyterian churches of the city, I take as
evidence that there is no law against it, and, further-
more, I have been told you could discern but little if
any difference between the doctrines there preached,
and the method of conducting the after-meeting, and
what you would see and hear at an ordinary Meth-
odist revival-meeting. I think, also, that whatever
evangelistic work may be done, the pastor of the
church should have the entire control of the services,
and, knowing that he is responsible, should feel at
liberty at any time he may deem necessary to " reprove,
rebuke, exhort," as the case may be.

A word as to methods. Looking at the history of
God's ancient people, we shall see that H. directed
them to special means in order to maintaii religion
among them. On those occasions they abandoned
their homes, suspended secular business, great excite-
ment prevailed among them. Many turned from
idolatry and became true worshippers of the living
Ood. These were periodical occasions of great joy.
Under the present dispensation, 1 do not know that
Ood has directed us to any particular system of means
—additional to Gospel preaching— to which adherence
is required. Our present forms of public worship
have been arrived at by degrees, and some things
which we now deem important, if not absolutely
essiiuthi\—8ingi)i(j God's praise, for Insta'nGe—when
first introduced were as repugnant to our fathers as

HKVIVALS AND llEVIVArJSTS.

,^1

the introduction of any innovation could now be to
us. I think that an evangelist who is invited to any
of our churches should have great latitude given to
him, and he will generally have the good sense not to
abuse that latitude. Personally, I would not like to
be bound to any particular method. God honors all
methods, and sometimes He honors the most the man
without a method. I would gladly receive a sugges-
tion from any source, and adopt any method, new or
old, if it were better calculated to attain the end.

Before concluding, I cannot refrain from rof erring
to those revivalists who have recently been, and some
who are still, in our city. I refer to Sam P. Jones
and his coadjutor, Sam Sujall, Mr. Schiverea and Dr.
Judson. Dr. Judson I heard once. His address was
on the doctrine of " Repentance "—a pretty thorough
exposition of the subject. And, tr.king the whole ser-
vice into account — singing, prayers, sermon, and after-
meeting— I do not know that you would find any
difference between that and a service in Elm Street
Church under Dr. Potts, or one in the Metropolitan
under the direction of Mr. StaflTord. Schiverea I have
not heard, but have no doubt whatever that. he is a
faithful and successful laborer in the blessed Master's
vineyard. As to Sam P. Jones, a good deal of advt-rse
criticism has been indulged. Now, it is an easy thing
to criticize or find flaws in such a man; he is like no
other man we have had in this city. I ai.i not his
apologist. J do not think any of the brethren named
need an apologist. I will, however, ask this qucvsfion ;

HKVEHIES— IJEVIEWS— RKCOLLECTIONS.

Is there a minister in this city, or do you know of any
one elsewhere, who, by his mt thod of preaching the
Gospel of Jesus, can bring together, day by day and
week after week, from 4,000 to G,000 people daily ?—
and in connection with whose services, in addition to
all expenses, the Managing Committee have more than
S800 for distribution among the public charities of our
city ? If there arc such, I presume it will now be in
order to rise and speak.

TIMES OF REFRESHING.

V of any
ling the
Jay and
laily ?-
ition to
)re than
s of our
w be in

TIMES OF REFRESHIXG.

"Times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord."— Acts 3: 19.

I The following appeal was prepared and published as a tract, and
distributed among the pew-holders during special services, I have
reason to lielieve that in more places than one it was instrumental
in doing good work for the Lord. I preserve it here, with the hope
that some one may read and be benefited thereby. ]

^ELOVED BRETHREN :—" Times of Refresh-

,^^ ING " ! In what does this consist ? That there
are times in his life, every Christian knows,
when the tone of his piety is elevated above the ordi-
nary standard. Prayer and praise become the heart's
delioht. Peace flows as a river. Communion with
God, both private and public, is ardently sought and
enjoyed. The allurements of the world lose their
power. Light— pure, constant, tran(|uillizing — is shed
on the soul. To promote the great work of salvation
and thereby glorify God becomes easy and delightful.
"Times of Refreshinr/" consist of such feelings per-
vading numbers of Christians, who, being thus aroused,
the emotion will not long be confined within the
Church. Admitting that this elevated tone of piety is
not ordinary, ought it — might it not always be thus ?
Should not Christians always be prepared to engage
in the work of revival ? Is it so with vou ? Mi

you

I any

REVEUIES— REVIEWS— REr-OLLECTIONS.

of you liaVe expressed earnest desires for the revival
of the work of God. Bear with me while I suggest
some thoughts for self-examination. You would'not
willingly stand in the way, and thus take the re-
sponsibility of preventing God's work ? Then I am
sure you will bear with the following suggestions :—

1. Is your own heart rigkt i Are there any reign-
ing idols there ? Are unhallowed passions indulged ?
Do you love God with all your heart, and each other
with a pure heart fervently ? If in the indulgence of
unhallowed feeling you have injured a brother, have
you made such an acknowledgment as our blessed
Redeemer requires? Is not the real difficulty an
uivw'llingness to humble yourself before God, and in
the presence of each other ? Be entreated—" do not
regard iniquity in your heart." Brother, see to it that
your heart is right. Look not at any lack of service,
or inconsistency, on the part of others, but at your own
accountability. Cast out every idol. Remove every
hindrance.

2. Do you lack holy activity? Activity is a uni-
versal law of God's universe, especially in relation to
mind. The powers of the soul are designed for cease-
less activity. No spiritual health or mental vigor
will be enjoyed without it. The duties of your Chris-
tian life, the prosperity of the Church, the exten-
sion of Christ's kingdom and your advancement in
personal piety, all demand of you activity. Would
you be holy— would you see sinners saved ? " Be
in-.tant in season and out of season " — he active.

TIMES OF REFRESHING.

Heaven itself is a scene of holy activity. Hell is a
place of malignant activity. You are now in a world
of varied and incessant activity. Shall the Church be
apathetic ? Shall Christians be at ease in Zion ?
"Awake thou that sleepest." Souls are perishing
around you. Snatch these brands from the burnintr.
Lead them to Jesus, and you " shall hide a multitude
of sins." If the salvation of souls is desirable — if the
commands of God are binding — then " work while it is
called day."

3. Again, is there any want of fervid zeal ? If the
concerns of personal religion are so great and lofty,
then our most intense devotedness to God and most
fervid zeal are required. You are to be "fervent in
Spirit." Look at the interests of Christ's cause. Can
they be effectually promoted without this zeal ? Do
you fear the cry of " fanatic," or " enthusiast " ? Look
at the history of nations. All that is great and glow-
ing and good has been produced as the result of
enthusiastic attachment to a cause espoused. Zeal has
sustained in spheres of suffering and trial. Zeal has
inspired the hearts of martyrs, confessors, reformers
and missionaries. Zeal inspired the Son of God in
doing His Father's will. Christians! shrink not if
need be from the accusation of enthusiasm ; inasmuch
as the Book of God tells you, " it is gOod to be zealously
affected always in a good thing."

Brethren, still I crave your forbearance. Special
efforts are being made for the salvation of souls and
diiiQsion Oi the spirit Oi nolincss. We want 3'our co-

H *

REVEIIIES— REVIEWS— llECOLLECTIONS.

operation. We would not willingly dispense with the
active faith, the fervid zeal, the earnest prayei-s of one.
As you value your spiritual welfare, the salvation
of your families, and the prosperity of the Church,
do rot he a hindrance, give us your countenance. Incur
not the curse of Meroz. Remove, as far as is in your
power, every obstacle, in yourself, your business
transactions, your associations in the world, the church,
your household, and " come up to the help of the
Lord against the mighty."

Beloved Friends, Members of the Congregation
AND Pew-Holders :— Allow one, who has learned to
love your souls as the purchase of the Saviour, to
address you thus. You need not perish. We claim
you for Christ. Special services are now in progress
and by ^.he grace of God a free, full and present salva-
tion is offered to every soul. What a glorious truth !
You may be saved ! will you not embrace the oppor-
tunity and step into the pool while the waters are
troubled? You, above every other, who have been
accustomed to meet with us every Sabbath, who believe
(in theory) the Gospel as you hear it preached here,
are the class of persons whom we anxiously desire to
benefit. Shall these efforts be in vain ? God forbid !
" Come with us and we will do you good 1 " Again, we
claim you for Christ. Be assured of this, prayer is
ascending for you— how earnest and faithful, none but
God can tell. Oh ! may you be willing and obedient
in this the day of His power.

"n«!*

GOD IN THP: history of METHODISM.

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

CHAPTKR I.

EVERAL years ago a very excellei.t work was
published, entitled " The Hand of God in His-
tory," by Hollis Read, M.A. In that work the author
skilfully traces the hand of Providence in the history
of the world and the Church of God. Many wonder-
ful illustrations are sought out, and through that book
have found a permanent record when otherwise they
would have been entirely unknown. But there is one
very remarkable omission. The author is unwilling
to allow that that hand is at all visible in the history
of John Wesley and his coadjutors. He takes no
cognizance-of the great revival of the last century, and
ignores the very existence of those God-honored men
whose names have filled the world ! As well might
the millions of souls that have been converted by this
instrumentality have still been in nature's darkness,
as far as affording any illustration of the Divine hand
worthy the attention of the author of that book. If
my memory serves me right, there is not one single
reference to the Methodist Church ; unless that may
be regarded as one, where the conversion and sub-
sequent call to the ministry of a Choctav^^ Indian boy

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

are spoken of. If the Indian boy was engaged, and so
honorably sustained by God, in the Methodist ministry,
our author is careful not to notice the fact.
• With the literary character of the work, and the
manner in which the author has carried out his design,
I find no fault; doubtless he had his own ends to
accomplish, but nevertheless his book will be exten-
sively useful. I know not that he bestows undeserved
praise upon any one; but when an author professes
that the object of his work is an " historical illustra-
tion of the hand of God, as displayed in the extension
and estabUshment of Christianity;" (p. 13), and when
he commences with the origin of that religion, refer-
ring also to events of the most recent date — none of
them unworthy of such a reference— is he not bound,
the more correctly to " compass his end," to devote one
chapter, at least, in his volume to a review of one of
the most extensive revivals since the apostolic age ?
And surely we may ask, in addition to the many well-
written volumes in his list of references, and'the names
of many zealous Christian missionaries who have gone
with their lives in their hands while preaching "among
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," could
not one Methodist author have been found on whose
verity he could rely, or the name of one Methodist
(Christian) missionary in who.se call to success and
preservation in the work is evident the "hand of
God?".

I am not going to attempt at this day to supply this
lack of service on the part of the Rev. Hollis Read

GOD IN THE HISTOhY OF METHODISM.

toward the Church of my choice ; but the more I study
the polity and doctrines of the Church of Christ, as
represented by Methodism, the more thoroughly am I
convinced that Methodism is of God; and that the
providence of God is equiilly as obvious in the history
of Methodism, as in any other part of visible Chris-
tianity, requires but little discernment to perceive. I
ardently desire, therefore, to contribute my share, be
it ever so small, tov^rard pointinoj out the finger of God,
guiding, controlling, preserving, comforting those whom
He has delighted to especially honor among the ser-
vants of Methodism— ^/ie servants of the Lord Hiniself.
Another reason which may be assigned, why I thus have
undertaken to trace the workmanship of the Divine
hand, as herein seen is, that I claim, and hope without
being subjected to the charge of egotism, to be a lover
of "all the giants" of the Methodist family, whether
found in the original branch, rejoicing to number among
its own the Bensons, the Clarkes,the Watsons, the Bunt-
ings, Newtons, Jacksons— who have passed away to
their reward—or those who still live to receive honor
from God, and from that people who have been blessed
through their ministrations ; or that still more exten-
sive branch of the same family, in connection with
whom I find tiie names of Asbury, Fisk, Olin, and a
host of others, who are now in their leather's kingdo.n.
Do we require proof that Methodism is of God, or
that God is still the favorer of Methodism ? Of the
first we have abundant proof among the millions of
Methodists who have died during the last century ; and

f t

UKVEUIKS — KEVIEWS — KECOLLECTlONS.

without indulgino" the improbable supposition that
every one of these is saved, yet, without fear of con-
tradiction, it may be asserted that a 'Mamdred and
forty and four thousand," and how numy more 1
cainiot tell, have connuenced their eternal sonj^, " unto
lliiu that loved um," for the blessinors to which they
were first directed through the means of Methodism.
And in proof of the second— that " this God is our God
still" — we need but refer to the encourairin«- and
<,dt)rious fact, that in connection with the leading
branches of our great Methodist family there are more
than five millions of living Church members, many of
wlioMi can rejoice in a reconciled (lod, through faith
in the blood of atonement; ;^nd also some ten millions
more, regular attendants on its ministry. And in
addition to these, there a.-e hundreds of thousands
of others who have been directed to the Father
of Mercies by the same means, but who have not
been associated with us in Church fellowship. And
in " that day " how many among these will come
to "the satisfaction of the Redeemer — the travail of
His soul," not only from the more refinetl society of
Hritain and America, but from among tlie once be-
sotted Hottentots of Africa, the cannibals of Fiji, the
philosopliic barbarians of India, the aborigines of our
Western World, ami natiims yet unborn, to the eleva-
tion of whose comlition in life, and preparation for
bliss hereaftei', our common Methodist Christianity is
ecjually adapted.

Be this my apology then— if apology bo needed, for

(JOI) IN THK mSTOUY OK MKTKODISM.

cndeavorinf:^ to trace and point out the hand of God
in a few of the more prominent events in the Idstory
of our beh)ved Zion— that I love Methodism, that the
men of God whom I was taught to revere in my infancy
liave, in my " riper years," when better capable of form-
injj^ opinions for myself as to their character, ever com-
manded my esteem and respect — that I conscientiously
regard it as superior to any other form of visible
Christianity — that what I owe to Christianity is
tluou«,di Methodistic influence ; and therefore, whatever
I can do toward the spread of Christianity — until there
is proof that God has ceased to work by it, must be
through the same visible form. I care not for the
opprobrium which might possibly be thrown upon me
by croakers, or from any other source ; neither do I
court the applause nor pander to the opinions or power
of others, as those would probably affirm, in common
with tens of thousands more, I owe a debt ; aye, a debt
which all the gold of earth would fail to cancel. One
thing, by God's grace, I can do towards its discharge,
and that is, never betray the trust — however insignifi-
cant it be — reposed in me by Methodism.

If the idea which seems to be involved in a sentence,
found in the work on " Wesley and Methodism," pub-
lished by Isaac Taylor, Ks(|., bt a correct one, the wisdom
of man would supersede the providence of God — a doc-
trine doubtless utterly at variance with, and n^pugnant
to, the b^^st feelings of his soul. If the founder of
Methodism had been possessed of that degree of skill
which .j=jii\i\ bav«» enitblyd him Uj provide for awery

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REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS,

contingency before it arose ; that is, had the wisdom
of God been centred in the mind of John Wesley, then
our task would have been unnecessary. Methodism
would not have been, as it is, the child of providence.
Mr. Taylor, in the paragraph referred to, evidently
supposes that in order to sustain himself in a becoming
manner, Mr. Wesley should have " possessed that sort
of sagacity, which, in love to his memory, he would
not attribute to him," to see down the tide of time, and
prepare for the "inevitable consequence of the vast
machinery he had set in motion " (p. 245) — no room for
providence here. Tims while the author of the "IN citural
History of Enthusiasm " speaks of the blindness of
those who will not or cannot see the hand of God in
raising up the "Methodistic company," he evidently
forestalls the doctrine in the sentence (quoted above.

If " history is but the exponent of providence," and
moreover, if in every instance, as some assert — and
truly too, when the peculiar exigencies of the Church,
where, if at all, we find His people, in every age of the
world, seem to refjuire it, God has interposed in their
behalf; then has the hand of God been, and still is,
tiie same han<l singularly manifested in the liistory
of Methodism. A few, selected from many instances,
will serve to illustrate this cheering truth.

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

CFIAPTKR II.

It is my design in the present chapter to refer to
some peculiarities of Methodism, showing the hand
of God in raising it up in order to furnish an exhibit
of certain great principles of the New Testament.
It is not supposed, in making this announcement, that
Christian doctrine and Christian practice had never
been correctly understood from the apostolic age until
the providence of God raised up the founder of
Methodism ; but it is assumed, and will readily be
conceded, that a most extraordinary degree of inert-
ness as to spiritual things had taken fast hold of the
mind of Christendom, and especially did it hold un-
disputed possession of the Christian pastorate. It is
a well-known fact, that among the few really spirit-
ually-minded men of that age — as, for instance, the
Rev. Dr. Annesley — there were those who regarded
some of the most precious truths of Scripture, and
not because they were of the Calvinian school in
theology either, as designed for, and their cheering
influence to be experienced by, only a few favored
ones, and hence refrained from offering a full salvation
to all. In the origin of Methodism we sec the effects
of a divine impulse on the souls of sinners, which con-
strained some — themselves first experiencing its life-
giving power — to " preach the Word "; actually to cry
out, in the language ol' the Psalmist, " Come and hear,
tin ye that fear God, aiid I will dcclarG wluit He hath

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REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

done for my soul." Wesleyan Methodism, we freely
admit, is not the mere result of consummate skill in
or(^anization, or of any degree of the " wisdom of this
world." After an existence of more than a century
and a half, it has not attained to its present position
as a consequence of forethought and peculiar manage-
ment alone on the part of those "giants" who have
directed its providential course, many of whom, I
trust, will long live to retain their places of honor and
esteem in this part of God's heritage. But God is in
it, and because Methodism has been the medium of
blessing to millions of souls, it has prospered. And,
moreover, because a blessing is in it for millions more,
it must still continue to flourish, to the glory of His

grace.

I see the hand of God, then, in raising up Methodism
to encircle the world with living witnesses to the
work of the Holy Spirit. If anything is prominent
in the teachings of God's Word, it is that His people
are to testify to the truth. This is one leading
feature, showing the providence of God in the origin
of Methodism. Two illustrations of this I select : —

It is obvious in the solely spiritual character of
the Wesleyan pastorate. Whatever may have beon
his prospects in life, or capability of obtaining worldly
emolument or honor, as soon as he enters this door he
is completely unsecularized.

The pastoral office, as set forth in the New Testa-
ment, describes a spiritually-minded man, peculiarly
titted for the work, imparting instruction in spiritual

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

things, and having rule over the Church of Christ,
the members of which, for conscience' sake, fulfilled
all righteousness, and therefore yield a willing obedi-
ence. This includes the two ideas presented in every
Scripture text wherever the office of the Christian
minister is referred to — (1) He is to "feed the flock
of God, taking the oversight thereof." The mode of
accomplishing that work is not by the enunciation of
mere human opinion, neither docs taking the over-
sight consist in "lording it over God's heritage"; but
he is to " preach the Word "; he is to " take heed unto
himself, and all the Hock over which the Holy Ghost
lias made him overseer." The Christian (Wesleyan)
minister is not a neologist or speculator in fine-drawn
philosophical theories. He may know what will
please — what will suit the popular ear — but he dare
not immolate upon tliis altar the oflice which God has
given to him. While he does not willingly offend any
man, he is more unwilling to compromise Christian
doctrine and the moral purity of the Church. It will
at once be perceived that an awful responsibility
rests with the pastoral office ; and this is one idea in
every designation of that office in the New Testa-
ment. Responsibility — subordination to the " Chief
Shepherd," whence his power is derived — is ever con-
nected with the exercise of authority. (2) He is to
ujatvh as one who must give account to God. He is a
Mewanl, who has received a commission, and must
render up that commission unsullied again, when re-
• juired, to the Master. It is not a man-made ministry,

REVERIES— REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

otherwise a different standard would probably be
erected. The Holy Spirit Himself has delineated the
characteristics of the office ; and ever since Methodism
commenced its work, it has been regarded as a vital
principle that in connection with the providential
designation of the Church, her ministry should be
moved by the Holy Ghost. Whatever he may in after
life become, no one— unless the most consummate
hypocrite— can enter the door of the Wesleyan
pastorate but the man " who is called of God, as was
Aaron."

Neither is the church or the minister constituted
such by any synodical action, act of council, or any
human opinion whatever. And though we gratefully
enjoy the protection which the laws of our couhtry
afford, albeit the existence of our church or pastorate
depends not on such protection. Originating, as Meth-
odism did, in the purest of motives — a desire to
"spread Scriptural holiness throughout the land"—
there was no arrangement of ideas on ecclesiastical
government, no legal adjustments sought or required,
until the hand of God showed their necessity.

I have endeavored thus briefly to state the Scrip-
tural idea relative to the doctrine of the pastorate,
believing this to be the one generally received in
Methodism. Many of our opposers, who adopt a dif-
ferent view, tell us that among Protestant denomina-
tions we are alone here. Sojue among our true
friends also profess a willingness to allow this view
for the sake of a conventional arrangement, but do

'■■.*(»p-,.

r,On IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

not regard it as a vital New Testament principle.
Now, it* it be admitted that Methodism stands in this
lonely position among Protestants, and the doctrine of
the pastorate as propounded above is that authorized
by the Holy Spirit, then it only the more fully
proves the position assumed, viz. : that if one design
of God is more obviqus than any other in the origin
of Methodism, it is in calling into being this so numer-
ous living testimony to the truly spiritual nature of
the pastorate office. I am aware that the raven notes
of "Popery," and " Wesleyanism, the ally of Ruman
Catholicism," have often been heard, and even now
their dismal sound, as one from the grave, reverber-
ates on our ears, if we refer to the spiritual functions
of the Weslej^an pastorate. Although the above view
of the doctrine is adduced as one thoroughl}^ Wes-
leyan in its character, yet it is not supposed that per-
fect uniformity exists among the followers of our
venerable founder : and moreover, thoujjh it miorht be
presumed, without fear of contradiction, that Method-
ism would pass a strong affirmative resolution as to
the conservative influence of church formularies,
whether they are made to consist in articles of re-
ligion, as her own confessions of faith or creeds, yet
this has never been deemed of such vital importance
to the continued identity of Metliodism as to require
its embodiment as an article of faith. The only addi-
tional remark 1 make (m this topic is, that these arc
views of Scripture truth praycufully received and con-
scientiously statod ; and in oonnoction with. tluniHands

11 M

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IlEVERIES— REVIEWS— HECOLLECTIONS.

of redeemed sinners I thankfully trace the hand of
God in raising up, in connection with Methodism, a
truly spiritual pastorate.

The other peculiarity of Methodism to which I ad-
vert is, that in its origin we see the effects, when
properly understood, of those evangelical doctrines,
applicable in every age and plac^, and that it provides
for the continued exhibition, unadulterated with the
iatitudinarianism of modern +ranscendentalists, of those
common yet all-important Christian principles. If
those hallowed truths, which have been the instrument
of salvation to so many souls, are from above, then
shall we never see the result predicted by Mr. Isaac
Taylor, which after a lapse of time is to " place the
works of the Rev. John Wesley on a high shelf,
where they would share the fate of Calvin's Institutes
at Geneva — the funeral formula being already uttered,
' dust to dust.' " With all due respect to the name of
Mr. Taylor, we think it would scarcely be possible for
a more strange conglomeration of ideas about Meth-
odism to be throiun together, than is found in his
work on " Wesley and Methodism." Let the follow-
ing extracts form the basis of our observations illus-
trative of the providence of God in providing for a
faithful exhibit of those life-giving truths of the
Bible : " Wesley went on, so far beyond the necessity
of the case, to rivet upon his people forever, and by
aid of law, the heterogeneous mass of doctrine com-
prised in the many volumes of his works." "While
the adaptation of W' esleyan doctrine to the relitnous

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

ari to the irreligious masses of the people of England,
a century ago, might easily be shown . . . will it
thence follow that the very same form of doctrine, leg-
ally stereotyped as it is in Wesley's writings, and as
sustained by the inflexible authority of the Court of
Chancery, is now, and at this time, and not to look
into futurity, equally well adapted to its intended
purposes, as related to the present doctrinal position
of surrounding communities ? This will not follow ;
but, on the contrary, the misfitting of the twelve vol-
umes to the times current can hardly fail to become
more and more obtrusively apparent, and more op-
pressively inconvenient, at every interval of seven or
ten years." " Since Wesley's time vast stores of genu-
ine philological science have been accumulated on the
field of biblical exposition — stores rear^v and available
for bringing in that better harmony of sacred truth
which shall gladden the coming age. How then shall
it fare with Wesleyan theology, and with the Poll
Deed at the dawn of that time ?" (p. 214).

Throughout his work, whenever Mr. Taylor refers
to any of the details of Methodism, it is somewhat
difficult to understand his meaning, or know what the
nature of his objections are, a difficulty perhaps partly
arising out of his mystified but attractive style. One
thing, however, is evident in the above extracts — Mr.
Taylor labors under a grave mistake, asserted in the
first sentence and continued to the last. Every Meth-
odist student, at least, knows that it is only absurd to
talk of the " rtiisiittinq of the twolve volnmos," or

REVERIES— KEVIEVVS—RKCOLLECTIONS.

their being "legally stereotyped by the inflexible autho-
rity of the Court of Chancery." However elevated
the platform may be, in his own estimation, whence
the philosophical author takes his view, it is certain
that his knowledge of both Methodist Theology and
Polity is very limited. Four volumes of Sermons, as
originally published by Mr. Wesley, and his notes on
the New Testament, are all that are binding on Meth-
odism. But if the definition which he gives of Wes-
leyanism, in connection with the above-noticed views,
be correct, that it is the antagonist of an obsolete
form of Calvinism," then would it indeed be what ho
terms it elsewhere, " a cramped Christianity." But if
we contemplate its aggressive character, its achieve-
ments as "an invasive encampment on the field of the
world," we shall at once say that it is neither 'cramped "
nor bound, nor can it be, especially by the " misfitting"
of that which was never designed to fit.

As to those "vast stores of genuine philological
science," can they not be as readily used to enforce
Scripture doctrine according to Methodistic views as
any other? There is nothing contrary thereto in
Methodist theology. We require no new Bible in
order to the salvation of the world. Those old-fash-
ioned doctrines are equally as well adapted to its wants
now as when declared by Peter on the day of Pente-
cost, or Paul when standing upon Mars' Hill in ancient
Greece. There can be no such thing as the creation of
a new truth ; as well might we imagine the existence
of .1 new God. As events in the history of the Church

"^^-w^Kr-

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

and the world unfold themselves, we may be furnished
with additional illustrations : more conclusive arsru-
ments may be based on these, showing cause why we
should receive and be governed by the truth ; but
truth itself, like Deity, is immutable. If repentance,
if justification by faith alone, if regeneration, if holi-
ness of heart as described by John Wesley, are of
God, they ever have been and ever will be truth, and
adapted to the condition of every tribe of Adam. And,
moreover, if this is the plan provided in the wisdom of
God for man's salvation, we need no other — no other
would avail. And hence, every true lover of Method-
ism, will see no cause of alarm, but much for gratitude
to God, in anticipation of "that better harmony of
sacred truth which shall gladden the coming age," that
ever He put it into the heart of the venerable founder
of our Church to " legally " bind those holy truths
upon his followers.

I feel the importance of the truths referred to ; I
know them to be equally important to my fellow-sin-
ners in that coming age when proof of the harmony
of all truth will become universal ; and therefore I see
with a grateful heart and declare the visibility of the
hand of God in providing this, though not the only
method, for their unadulterated preservation. Let me
have the liberty to think that my children, or my
children's children, will join with ten thousand more
in praise to God for a faithful exhibition of those
Bible truths, according to the form of Wesleyan Meth-
odism ; then I will " rejoice and be glad/' notwith-

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTION^S.

standing the contempt of men, wise in their own
conceit, or the aspersions of those to whom a less de-
sirable epithet might be applied.

CHyM^TKR III.

Who can thoroughly appreciate a mother's love?
and when that love is matured and regulated under
the genial influence of intelligent piety, how much
more incomparable does it become ! And when
maternal attection, directed by this spirit of intelli-
gent piety, is bestowed on one who in after life
becomes an honored instrument in the hand of God,
and whose chief delight is in spreading the knowledge
of Jesus Christ, and IJim crucified, how much more
extensive is the circle of obligation than it otherwise
w^ould be ? You may watch the ri})ple produced on
the surface of a smooth lake, on a summer's evening,
until its widening circle is lost on the distant shore ;
and could you imagine the infinite extension of that
smooth surface, you might also imagine the infinite
extension of that circle produced by the falling of a
pebble on its centre. Trace we now the analogy here.
Generations have praised the Lord for maternal
influence on the mind and heart of the two Wesleys ;
and generations yet unborn will acknowledge their
indebtedness to the same source. There can be noth-
ing more beautiful or lovely in human action than
influence of this kind.

It is now more than a century and three-ciuarters

fJOn IN THK IIISTOIIY OK METHODISM.

(17tS years) ago that the par.sona<^e of Epworth was
destroycil by lire. It was in the darkness of night
that the Ihunes broke forth which ere long illumined
all around. Not without extreme difHculty, a child of
six years was rescued from a window in an upper
story. That child was John Wesley. The selection
of a motto for a print coiinnemorative of this event
shows to us the view he had in more mature age, " Is
not this a brand plucked from the burning ? " ^ ■-.
the time of its occurrence his mother took a siiniiar
view, arid evidently regarded it as calling on her for
some special atterition. " A child for whom God had
so mercifully provided," she reasoned, " must have a
particularly providential course to run." But then
there is nothing strange in a house being burned, and
some of the inmates escaping by the skin of their
teeth ; such things take place every dark night. Aye !
l)ut every one does not meditate on events of this
kind, and act under the influence of the impression
produced thereby, as did the mother of John Wesley.
This is one link in that chain of providences of which
his whole life was composed. God had a work for
him to do.

Look we now at another interposition wherein we
see the hand of God, seemingly as insignificant, but
more glorious by far in its results, than the one already
delineated. It occurred not on the island of Britain,
nor in the forests or new-born cities of our Western
home — a world in itself — but amid the hills of Judea.
A star of supassing brilliancy adorns the Eastern

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

horizon. Sages from other lands, knowing the time
and guided by " His star,'* come and fall before the
child of Joseph and Mary, offering their gifts — gold,
frankincense, and myrrh. But listen ! What means
yon voice of wailing? It is the mothers of Judea
weeping for their children, and can have no comfort
but that of mingling their sorrow, because they are
not ! Herod, the monster of cruelty, jealous of Him
who was born the reputed " King of the Jews," and
judging that he was mocked by the Oriental sages,
issued an edict that all the children under two years
should be slain. But too faithfully was that sentence
executed. And how deeply the heart of Rachel was
smitten, none but herself and her God could know.
Her sorrow could but cease on earth when she would
pass down to the grave, though her hopes ^tended
beyond it. But did that virgin mother nungle her
voice of lamentation with those of her sisters in
Palestine for the loss of her only child, a sight of
whom had already dispelled the fear of death from
good old Simeon's mind, and on whose existence the
hope of the world was centred ? No ! God had means
of preservation Herod knew not of. An angel directed
the family to another country. Herod died. Then
out of Egypt the Lord called His Son.

And why did the mother of the Nazarene obtain for
her child the interference of tlie "Angel of the Lord"?
Because there was a work for Him to do. Herod's
command had special reference to, and was designed
above every other to be executed upon, Hiiii. bqt God

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GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

thought not so. The " fulness of time " had come ; and
no human or infernal power could touch Him. The
state of the world was such as had been long foretold
it should be at the Messiah's advent. Thus the threats
of Herod, as well as the swords of his murderous execu-
tioners, were impotent altogether when aiming their
blows at the Son of God. No power could take His
life until it pleased Him to " lay it down."

Tliough we may not fathom the providential plans
of the Almighty, yet it is a doctrine we delight to
believe. It cheers the soul in its darkest hours. And
instances such as those above referred to are but
illustrative of His dealings with mankind in general.

In reviewing the history of any remarkable move-
ment, as affected by providential interposition, there
are two considerations which cannot fail to command
our attention. The first of these is, the preparation
for that movement by preceding events, as it is destined
to affect the Church or the world at large. The
second is the discipline necessary, and which will be
perceptible in the earlier memoirs of those by whoso
agency and in whose movements the hand of God is
subsequently to become apparent, Let it be our task
at present to point to some of those events.

It has been confidently asserted that the career of
the Emperor Charles V. had a tendency, in an extra-
ordinary degree, to prepare the mind of Europe for
the Reformation, It has also been stated that the
determination of the Elector of Saxony to resist to the
utmost of his ability the political power of that most

KEVEUIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

sagacious among the popes, Leo X., induced him to
afford protection to Luther, and thus foster the spirit
of reform. And it is an undoubted fact, that on the
part of many of those who were " persecuted for right-
eousness' sake," a determination to give unwonted
prominence to a certain class of political opinions
entered into their designs as well as the enjoyment of
the rights of conscience. It is not supposed that this
was an essential article in the faith of any party ; but
in many individual cases such was the fact. We
shall find instances of this kind among the Huguenots
of France ; and no one will deny the existence of
many illustrations of this thought in the history of the
Puritans, who fled from the face of persecution to New
England, to become, subsequently, persecutors in their
turn

Now, if we may with certainty say that the charac-
ters of those above referred to were moulded by the
hand of God, and if the same unerring Providence
made the opinions, both religious and political, of
many others contribute to and prepare for the same
great and glorious event, the Reformation, may we
not with an equal degree of certainty expect to find
the opinions and actions of men preceding it tending
to prepare the mind, especially of England and America,
for the advent of Methodism ? A hasty sketch like
the present will not, perhaps, admit of as much pro-
minence being given to this part of the subject as it
deserves, liut as I am not engaged to give a history
of Methodism, neither am I disposed to regard it as a

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

necessary result of certain infallible causes, but simply
as a child of Providence, I may be allowed to refer to
such preceding events as now occur to me, without
entering on their narration, which pointed toward and
prepared for that new era, brought in by the instru-
mentality of Methodism.

The age which produced nonconformity— I mean
that peculiar cast of nonconformity by which Richard
Baxter, John Howe, and their contemporaries were
distinguished — had gone by when the founder of
Methodism arose. But it had not been allowed in the
order of Providence to pass away without leaving the
impress of its hand. A powerful reaction had carried
many distinguished Nonconformists back to the Estab-
lished Church. Numbered among these were the
parents of the Wesleys. The Rector of Epworth was
one among the few clergymen of that day, in the
Establishment, distinguished for piety, zeal and learn-
ing. In this return of his parents to the Established
Church we may see the hand of God as leading them
to educate their children in accordance with what were
termed High Church principles, so that Mr. Wesley
became, not only the founder of Methodism, but also
instrumental in quickening the zeal of the established
clergy, the effects of which are .seen, even to some
extent, in the present day.

But this was not the only impression left by the
spirit of that age. Persecuting enactments will as
essentially produce conformity, which with the great
majority is hypocrisy, as noncoii/ormiti/. The recon-

ItEVEItlES — KEVIEVVS — RECOLLECTIONS.

t I

struction of the Star Chamber and High Commission,
under the patronage of Archbishop Laud, neither of
which, says Macaulay, " was a part of the old constitu-
tion of England," did not take place without producing
effects of this kind. Some of the bishops of that
period could boast that not a single dissenter was to be
found within their diocese. What then, we may well
incjuire, must have been the state of personal religion
at that time ? Under the jurisdiction of those bishops,
it is not improbable that, but a few years prior to the
periods referred to, several thousands of Noncon-
formists would not have hesitated to profess them-
selves such. Let it be supposed that many had left
the country: but it is more likely that a greater
number had professed conformity, while still they
were in secret rebellion.

We pass over the period of the civil wars, which
exerted no ameliorating influence on the morals of the
nation. The degradation of the people seemed to be
complete when the House of Stuart was restored, and
the influence of their licentiousness was still felt when
the Wesleys commenced their work. Ignorance and
vice generally prevailed; and in the few instances where
external morality was found, there was yet a lack of
high Christian motives — not being the offspring of
religion in the heart. It will not bo deemed as going
too far to say, that in some of the more remote districts
of the country the barbarism of the people was eijual to
that of their ancestors when under the tuition of the
ancient Druids. This is not only true as it re<rards

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

those whom — if of any — we may designate members
of the Established Church. It may be affirmed with
equal truth of the dissenting denominations. From
the time of the Revolution, in 1688 — in fact, from the
time of the Restoration until the " Methodistic com-
pany" began to exert their infiuehce — religious
principles were thrown aside. The Presbyterians of
England, and many of those technically called In-
dependents, became Socinians or Arians in doctrine
and Atheists in practice.

Isaac Taylor, Esq. (" Wesley and Methodism," p. 93),
by the choice of a word, is singularly happy in
describing the previous character and condition of
those who were made better by the instrumentality of
Methodism. " In the magnificent amphitheatre of
Gwenap, and at other spots in the mining districts of
Cornwall, the Wesleys had drawn around them
thousands of the KnraxOnvini of that wild region. What
was the intellectual and moral condition of these
dwellers in the heart of the earth before thr coming of
Methodism among them ? Is the Episcopal Church
prepared to make her boast of the mining population
of Cornwall, such as it had become under her care ?
But Methodism snatched its hundreds and its
thousands out of this heathen mass." Higher praise
could not well be awarded to any visible form of
Christianity than is here bestowed on Methodism.
To be instrumental, when others — and, outwardly
viewed, more powerful denominations — had proven

themsolv*»s nnn.bln in brino" f.linwn *'nn«lnr f.li« pnr*-,]i " "nf

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

t J

the infernal regions," to bow the knee to Jesus, and
to confess that he " is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father," is an event which even archangels would
rejoice in being able to bring to pass. And to suppose
that the mission of Methodism is ended, when there
are yet millions who are equally degraded with those,
who are to be elevated in the scale of humanity, and
to accomplish which Methodism still continues to
furnish her quota of means, is to suppose that
God has ceased to acknowledge the workmanship
of His own hand.

Another of those preceding events in which I see
the providence of God in raising up Methodism is the
unspiritual character of the clergy of that age. If we
refer to the recorded accounts of the Established
clergy, we cannot fail to acknowledge that they were
utterly unworthy of the station they had assumed,
and not only so, but in many instances ncapable of
performing aright the duties of their office. And, as
before intimated, the dissenting ministry were fast
verging toward what we would in the present day
call rational 18711. Let it be admitted that between
the time of the Restoration of the Stuarts and the
rise 0£ Methodism many of the most intellectual and
learned men were to be found among the Anglican
clergy, yet in few instances did they devote them-
selves to the study of divinity, and where divinity was
the foremost subject of study, it was generally of the
Pelagian caste — revealed truth must be judged by the
staiidanl of natural theology, A dislike to spiritual

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

religion had become notorious on the part of those
who occupied the sacred desk as teachers of the mind
of Deity.

While we look at those preceding events, may we
not thankfully trace the hand of God in raising up, in
connection with Methodism, a spiritual pastorate
which, on the one hand, avoided the Pelagian heresy,
and, on the other, did not split on the rock of Anti-
nomianism.

The second point of consideration, where the hand
of God is apparent, guiding John Wesley through that
necessary disciplinary course, while he is moulded by
the Divine hand for the great work He designed him
to perform, must be the subject of another paper.

CHAPTKR IV.

Times of trial are usually seasons of preparation.
We shall not find, on reviewing the memoirs of any
remarkable men, that they have generally been placed
hy hivth in that position of advantage wliich the pos-
session of secular wealth or the honor of this world
may bestow. Rarely are niany (extraordinary qualities
combined in one individual, either in animate or inani-
mate nature. The nightir.gale, while capable of de-
lighting the ear with her thrilling notes, has none of
tlie gorgeous plumage of other branches of the feathered
tribe. While the tulip may present all the colors of
the rainbow to gratify the sense of seeiiiir, it has none

G2.

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

of the sweetness of the unassuming violet. To look
on the unhandsome countenance which confronts us in
the portraits of that remarkable woman, Selina, Coun-
tess of Huntingdon, we would scarcely suppose her to
have possessed those mental qualifications and that
attractiveness of manner which constrained many, even
in the higher walks of life, while they ridiculed her
religion, to yield to that personal influence which those
qualities enabled her to use so well. And while thou-
sands have been born heirs to boundless wealth and
exalted station, they never had the advantage of such
a disciplinary training as the mother of John Wesley
bestowed on her children. But it is not only under
the parental roof we are to look for that training by
which he was prepared to become an eminent instru-
ment in the hand of God in reviving His fallen Church ;
we shall also find it in the opposition he encountered
at Oxford, his persecution in Georgia and subse-
quently in England, as well as the various steps by
which the providence of God led him to seek after and
attain to that spirituality of mind and entire conse-
cration to His service he so ardently desired. It was
not only requisite that the hand of Providence should
shape the course of Mr. John Wesley: there were others,
if not equally eminent, yet perhaps equally necessary,
in carrying out the designs of God. Among those I
need but mention the names of his brother Charles, the
Rev. John Fletcher, and the Rev. George Whitefield.

Charles Wesley was every way worthy to be the
brother of the founder of Methodism. Determined to

aOD IN THE HISTORY Of METHODISM.

live to the glory of God, and experiencing the bene-
ficial results of conscientiously observing all the rules
of his University, even before he had attained to the
possession of true religion, he could afford to smile at
the "harmless name of Methodist" being applied to
him. Possessing a fine poetic talent — the heirloom of
his ancestry— he has given to the Church in general,
and Methodism in particular, a complete portraiture of
the divine life, from the germ of conviction which is
implanted in the soul by the Spirit of God, to its con-
summation amid the glories of paradise.

I see the hand of the potter moulding the clay for
a vessel unto honor, in the first place, then in that
opposition encountered at Oxford, and the opprobrium
thrown upon Mr. Wesley and his associates because
they sought to consecrate themselves entirely to God.
No sooner did the serious-minded young men agree to
do all in their power to please God and benefit their
fellow-sinners" — meeting together at stated times to
read, pray and meditate on divine things ; visiting
those who were in prison, and relieving the distressed
as much as in their power — than the fame of their
doings was noised abroad. It was a fame, however,
which no one at that time would covet. Those to
whom their acts of benevolence were extended were
benefited thereby ; but there can be no doubt that the
greater degree of benefit resulted toward themselves,
inasmuch as in the providence of God they were being
disciplined — and more especially the founder of Meth-
odism — to meet the difiiculties thev were to encounter

rrr

I '-

REVERIES — REVIEWS— ftECOLLECtlONS.

M' ■

and overcome in after life. The epithets applied to
their association were, in themselves, harmless, and yet
sufficiently descriptive to indicate the view which those
who gave the names took of their character. This we
shall not fail to discover at once in such phrases as the
Godly Club — Supererogation men — Reform,ing Club
- -Enthusiasts, and not the least appropriate, Method-
ists, being applied to that devoted band of young men
at Oxford. Need we wonder, considering the character
of the age, that the annihilation of the Godly Club
v^as determined upon by some of the learned doctors
and censors of the college ? But God suffered it not.
He who had said, " Touch not Mine anointed, and do
My prophets no harm," vouchsafed to the despised and
persecuted Oxonians His providential protection. Sin-
cerely desirous though they were of doing all His will,
often were they conscious of coming far short of it,
and groaned in heaviness of spirit, " while I would do
good, evil is present with me." But the finger of God
directed them in a path they had not known, opening
a way of deliverance from the thraldom under which
they groaned, of which their previous conceptions had
been exceedingly dim. Nevertheless, in the order of
His inscrutable providence, He deemed some additional
discipline necessary, the more fully to qualify them for
the work He designed them to do.

How often do we find illustrations of that important
truth, " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." (Isa. Iv. 8.)
Mr. Wesley expected, by giving instructions to the

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

pagans of Georgia, that he would see wherein the faith
he possessed was that of the gospel. It is true, the
mission he undertook was instrumental, indirectly, in
bringing him into the possession of experimental re-
ligion, inasmuch as by this means his acquaintance
commenced with the Moravian brethren, whose deep
piety and songs of praise to God during a storm induced
him to examine more seriously his own state. But it
was not by means of this kind he expected to arrive
at a knowledge of what was erroneous in his profession
of faith. Such, however, was God's method. How
cheerless must have been the reflection he penned
under date of February 29th, 1738 : " It is now two
years and almost four months since I left my native
country, in order to teach the Georgian Indians the
nature of Christianity : but what have I learned myself
in the meantime ? Why (what I at least of all expected),
that I who went to America to convert others was never
myself converted to God."

Circumstances transpired while in Georgia which
led him to place no confidence in his own judgment
alone, as well as to cease from trusting his fellow-
men. In the full expectation of being instrumental
of much good to the pagans of that new country, he
had left the land of his fathers under what he regarded
as the most favorable auspices, designing to enter,
with simplicity of purpose, on the great work of his
mission. General Oglethorpe, the Governor of the
colony, with whom he was for some time on terms of

intimacy, however,

seeing

eouid

nuL

bring

Mr.

REVEIIIKS— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS,

Wesley over to his method of thinking and acting,
withdrew his countenance, and entered into a plot
with others in order to encompass his ruin. But, in
the providence of God, he was mercifully delivered
out of the hands of his enemies ; and those events, at
the time of the most trying character, were overruled
for his good ; and, as observed by the Rev. Henry
Moore, " though permitted by the only wise God our
Saviour to be ' sifted as wheat,' and tried in the fur-
nace of adversity, he was preserved and brought forth
as goW—Life, Vol. I., p. 339.

For two providential events, in connection with
others, he considered he had special cause of gratitude
to God ; and in these we see more legibly manifested
that disciplinary course by which he was prepared to
be hated of all men, if necessary, for Christ's sake.
Among other reasons, he had to bless God for being
" carried into that strange land," he said. " Hereby I
have been taught to ' beware of men.' Hereby God
has given me to know many of His servants, par-
ticularly those of the Church of Hernhuth." He here
learned that he might expect to meet with opposition,
even from sources he the least anticipated so far as
outward indications of approval would lead to the
formation of a contrary opinion, if he conscientiously
performed the duties incumbent upon him ; and also
that there was a higher state of Christian experience
to which he had not attained. To the attainment of
this character he determined to bend all his energies,
and deem no sacrifice too great if that might be his

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

happy privilege. Did he attain it— and how ? We
shall see the hand of God in this, as in other instances,
directing the steps of His servant until he was able to
rejoice in the full salvation of the gospel, of which a
sure trust and confidence in the merits of Christ, with
a renunciation of every other refuge, is the medium
or great instrumental cause. This was not obtained
without a struggle.

On the evening of Wednesday, May 24th, 1738,
Mr. John Wesley, as a sincere inquirer after truth,
listened to the reading of Luther's preface to the
Epistle to the Romans. During the same evening,
while he heard described the change which God works
in the heart through faith in Christ, he obtained that
which he had long desired above every other gift—
the testimony 6f the Spirit to present pardon and
adoption into the spiritual family of God. He failed
not to make it known to those who were present-
chiefly Germans, of the Moravian Church. On that
occasion, as he himself records, God sent Peter Bohler
to meet him in London, who was mainly instrumental
in giving him instruction on this all-important sub-
ject. ± rom that time he ceased not at every oppor-
tunity to offer salvation by faith to all within his
reach.

Another feature which cannot fail to strike the
ai^^ention of the careful reader of Mr. Wesley's Journal,
and which contributed in no small degree toward the
completion of that disciplinary course through which
the hand of God was leading him, was, that in what-

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

ever church he was permitted to preach after his
return from Georgia, he regarded it as a sacred duty
to insist upon this doctrine of justification by faith
alone, and its fruits being manifested in the life— a
truth too hard to be borne at that time— and there-
fore the conclusion of the record generally is of the
information which was conveyed to him in conse-
quence : " Sir, you must preach here no more." In
this manner was he prepared— contrary to the strong-
est prejudice, because he felt " woe is me if I preach
not the gospel," which he very reluctantly did, shortly
after, on the invitation of Whiteficld — to preach
in the fields or by the wayside, in some cases even to
tens of thousands of hearers, and thus fan the flame
which God had kindled for His own glory, and which
was destined never to be extinguishe'd. He declares,
with singular honesty, respecting the course his
friend had commenced, that he had been "all his
life— till very lately — so tenacious of every point
relating to decency and order, that I should have
thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had
not been done in a church." Can we suppose that any
other motive than the lov^ of Christ constraining them
to seek the wandering souls of sinners would have
influenced them thus ? And we also are to remember
that the providence of God was directing their steps,
by which they were to be still continued in that course
of training and prepared for a greater work. " The
men." says Mr. Isaac Taylor, "who commenced and
achieved this arduous service were scholars and

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

gentlemen ; " yet they suffered themselves to become
vile in the estimation of their fellow-men, and most
effectually closed the way to promotion in the establish-
ment of which they were members. " Ten thousand,"
says the author already quoted, " might more easily be
found who would confront a battery, than two who,
with the sensitiveness of education about them, co. Id
mount a table by the roadside ive out a psalm, and
gather a mob." In this mauar, however, was he
trained to brave the madness of an infur"iited mob-
goaded to that state of madness too often by men
\diose office it was to soothe the passions as well as
preserve the peace of the community— whose welfare
he sought only to promote, and who with one breath
would threaten to take his life, and the next announce
their readiness to spill the last drop of their blood for
his sake.

Such are some of tlie seasons of preparation throucrh
which the providence of God conducted the founder
of Methodism and his co-laborers. I am aware that
other motives than those of a Christian character
were, and, by a few who know not to make a sacritico
for the benefit of others, still are attributed to him. as
well as those men of God wlio continue to spiead
Scriptural holiness throughout the world after the
same form of Wcsleyan Methodism. Hut such is
properly thework of the father of lies. Rather would
1 be doomed to wander a vagaliond over the face of
the earth, than even bellece, much less promulgate the
falsehood, tliat the venerable founder of Methodism

REVERIES — R EVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

was inspired only by ambition unsanctified— a death-
diffusing, soul-destroying passion — while he suffered
his name to be cast out as evil, and become a by- word
and reproach among his countrymen, so that he might
win souls to Christ ! Rather would I that this right
hand should become paralyzed, and never again be
nerved to hold a pen or trace a line, than that it
should be employed to throw a gloom over the mind
of Methodism, by diffusing the equally obvious false-
hood that the amiable Rev. Dr. Hannah, for instance,
to whose naturally meek and quiet spirit the grace of
God gave peculiar lustre— who, in the earlier years of
his ministry, while under my paternal roof, many a
time and often invoked the blessing of the Triune God
to rest upon my infant head— or that a Bascom, or a
Hedding, or a Janes, or a Kavanaugh, who have all
met in their Father's kingdom, or those who have
been or still are co-workers with any or either of
them, are gloomy tyrants, whose only object is to
aggrandize themselves at the expense of their fellow-
laborers— yea, even at the expense of their own
souls' eternal well-being !

CHAPTBR V.

The mission of Methodism is that of Christianity
itself. And if we l)elieve the word of God, that " every
valley shall be exalted, and the mountains and hills
be made low," then Methodism will not have accom-
plished its mission until there shall no longer be any

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

need of evangelical truth being further spread, and
the diversity of names by which the disciples of
Emmanuel are known shall be lost in the common
name of Christian. And what so apposite ? How-
ever grateful we may be to the God of providence for
raising up a Wesley, a Luther, a Knox, and a host of
others, leaders of His saints ; and however tenaciously
their several followers may cling to that peculiar form
of Christianity of which each was the first, principal
promulgator, not one will say but that the common
appellation of Christian is more appropriate than any
other, and will be known when every distinction of
saint and sinner shall cease to be.

With a genius less conservative of its own continued
existence than is that of Methodism, other organizations
have been instrumental in accomplishing great good for
mankind for several consecutive centuries. Are we
then to look for those indications which intimate to us
the end of its mission even before two centuries have
been allowed for its existence ? True, this might be
the case were the Gospel universally diffused." But
then we are reminded that much remains still to be
done. And another fact in the history of God's Church
which cannot fail to cheer and animate is, that similar
predictions were uttered by those who envied the
spread of th t last dispensation, of which divine model,
we eonscienl^iously believe the Church of our choice to
l>e the nearest representative in modern times. This
is eciually true of the doctrines taught, as well tvs of
those God-chosen messengers, the teachers of thoso

REVERIES— REVIEWS— llECOLLECTlOxXS.

doctrines. Who but one possessing the wisdom of
God would have seen in those rude materials— the
fishermen of Galilee— that instrumentality so appro-
priate to His purpose— the building and consolidating
a Church against which the gates of hell should not
prevail ? The very rudeness of the material proves
that the " excellency of the power is of God and not
of man." Some are fishermen, one is a tent-maker,
and another a tax-gatherer. Can we, think you, trace'
any analogy between those ministers— eminent, yea, in-
spired divines, as all will readily admit they were—
together with the effects produced, and the instru-
mentality chosen of God to build up and consolidate a
portion of His Church in this latter time, as seen in
the history of Methodism ?

The particular point to which I would refer at pre-
sent is the difference in the character and condition of
that agrMicy chosen of God to accomplish His purposes
m His Church, and the agency chosen by men to ac-
complish their purposes in the world.

What is the character of that man who is regarded
as the most skilful diplonuitist, or wisest politician ?
the most successful general ? or the man who amasses
the largest amount of the world's wealth ?

As a politicia!!, perhaps Talleyrand was one of the
greatest men of his own or any other age, if to be
great is to accomplish the end a man may have in
view, by any means. No other man was able to cope
with him. Hut he has left a character stamped with
mfamy. One of his maxims was— and his practice

uinasses

tne onJ> course to arrive at that s'ate Rnf i. u r ,

tJeG „ of holincf „ave chreT /^ aJ^i^rr
tahty o bnng about l,i.s purpose. ? We .shall e

An„ her celebrate., politician, Sir Robert Walpole
wh.le Prenner of England, estimate,! ,„oral prindl'
not .nore h,.hly among tho.se with whom he had to
do, when he said. •• Every man has his owlr ie "And
m how many thousand., of instances ha.s' t le mtto
been ver.Hed since ? though not in every pla ' whe e

cannot but toel ind.gnant when I hear a t'loatin-.
w.ne^b.bb mg, licentious politician prate abo'.t r H ion
'"Ul the C;hurch of Christ, and then refer to a firT
.■ate,.o;^ fellow," because he has attaS he tI "
loyrand,c order, and can tell falsehood after fal hood
«nd protest with as n.uch a.ssurance an,, solcnt ty a

tint . Their Rock is not our Rock, even our
-enues themselves being .i,„,ges " (Deut.xxxii^")

What ,s the character of those „,en the n.ention of
whose names .,„. cau.se,, a nation'.s heart t„ Ihril, witt

11EVEK1E8 — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

joy ? upon whose brow a nation's laurels have been
placed by the admiring million ? and by whose memo-
rials ambitious youths are lured onward to seek a
hero's laurels or a hero's grave :* 1 have followed, in
imagination, many of the chieftains of the earth, and
none with livelier interest than those who still defend
" the flag that's braved a thousand years," till every
nerve has trembled w^ith a strange delight ; but my
soul is humbled before the God of Britain when I trace
the character and career of many whose services and
worth entitle them to wear ni}^ country's wreath of
fame. And who rvill say that her sons have not been
less cruel, while engaged in what the world calls
honorable warfare, than those of other lands ? 1
desire not to speak of what may be known of their
private life or character, but their track from nation to
nation while leading on victorious armies has been
slippery with human gore, and tingling in a nation's
ears may still be heard the wail of souls — lod — whose
everlasting doom is fixed.

Think you, is the mission of Methodism of less im-
portance to the world than that of an Alexander, a
Cresar, a Napoleon, or a Wellington ? I trow not !
Then, permit me to ask, will the (Jod of Methodism,
who cut short the career of him whose aim, doubtless,
was universal empire, by the agency of« Britain's
Wellington, be less careful to preserve it in vigorous
exercise, while thousandy of immortal souls yearly by
lier agency are brougltt to a saving knowledge of the
Crucified ^ But let a.^ look more closely at the in-
strumentality thus honored of Uod.

?*»*■

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 75

It has been asserf.Pf] " T>io+ ,..u i

la^^i^iita, ihat when Ivaven sends its

own Cosen ™.„ to bring about ne«led refonnaUon

. tl,e co»t ot a n.o,„euta,y anu.chy. it does not give

any .sucl, co>nu„s«ion as this to those who by teutpl

are anarch.sts The anarchist is not to be tfusteJS

Zt oni ""■■'' '"■■" •" --^--ledges no rule bu
hat oUns own capricious a.rogance, it is not he who
wUl ormg home fruit for the genen.l good." 'This is
-...neu ly true of the instrumentality by which the
l-nncplesof Wesleyan .dethodisn. ha' ,. be„„ ca„ S
out. as ,ts history abundantly proves. I„ „„ insZ
lias any one "who by temper" was an "anarchist"
eontuiued long in this " good work," " His own cap i-
cous arrogance has never allowed hin. to " bring home
h.uch tru,t for the general good." But if this te t ue
.especfng the mstruu.ontality in general, with low
nmeh stronger evidence of its truth may it beaffir 3
ot the venerable founder of Methodism, an<l those who-
ere «. workers with him I Innovation there was; S
M.ch is the plastic nature or adaptive character of the
esleyan system to the circumstances of tho,se whose
,hoth temporal and spiritual.it seeks to remedy,
hat innovation must still continue. And if a tem
porary anarchy be introduced, it is anarchy whidHs
caused by the introduction of good into the mi.l o
ov.l. by w nch the evil is soon destroyed, and for which
'"any will ble.ss Uod to all eternity
It is acknowledged l,y the author who has been

Isaaclaylor. lis,j.,-that"nominda,,d .

art that hi

llEVERIES— REVIEWS — llECOLLECTIONS.

ever attracted the eyes of mankind is more tboroupfhly
transparent than Wesley's," p. 86. Singularly para-
doxical is such a statement when placed in contrast
with others from the same pen ; and yet it is singularly
true, and such is ever the agency chosen of God to
accomplish His purpose — a transparent soul allied to
energetic action has never failed when thus employed.
The very fact that opinions, principles, actions, are
attributed to him and his followers, directly adverse
in their nature and effects, the tendency of which in
each case would be to destroy the other, is proof of the
ignorance and consequent incompetency of those who
thus affirm of our opinions and principles of action. But
forsooth, because a man who never even thinks ariirht
of his Maker and Preserver is governed by the iin-
principle of expediency, he must necessarily suppose
that the most distinguished leaders of God's sacra-
mental host are under a similar influence !

Time and space would fail me on the present occasion
to refer to individual instances illustrating the proposi-
tion laid down in the commencement of this chapter.
These are familiar to all who are even but slightly
ac(iuainted with the memorials ^f Methodism. It
matters not whether we find those illustrations anion"
the immediate coadjutors of John Wesley or else-
whei3 : they are equally applicable, and I will add,
equally owned of God. Many of those illustrations I
had selected, and they still crowd upon my mind. I
only say at this time that we liavc no lack of them in
the rise and progress of Methodism in our own beloved
a-nd rapidly advancing Province.

OOD IN THE HISTORY OP METHODISM. 77

I have a very vivid recollection, now many years
^o, of heanng in Conference, in the city of kLIsZ

he venerable and Rev. William Ca.se declare how God
had .snstanied him when, forty-seven years befoTe he
became a yonng evangelist to preach thf Crucified Id
how dunng his pilgrimage of nearly half a ce^tu"^

he Lord alone di.l lead him, an,l suffered no stranZg od'

uTdTn'f ■"■ J™"' '"^^''"' ' P''y "- "-'Who
the Most High narrate the dealings of God with him

e manner ,n which His providential hand had poi d

out a .sure path of duty and of comfort, his trus un

haken st,l ,„ hi.s Redeemer's blood, his determinatln

to v,goro„.sly do the work of Gel. and hi., unwaverin"

uttaehmeut to the Church of his early choice "

occasion

CHAPTER VI.

Wri,L the reader who has come with me hitherto still
accompany me while we contemplate .so,„e of the
pecuhar characteristics of that agency which the Lord
ou God has employ,.!, and in whose career His hand
.s clearly .seen, while advancing the interests of that
(J.n-ch which, by their instrumentality. He has d -
lighted honor an,l bless. Methodism has obtaiucl
a pecal character, viewing it in various aspect.s. Not

,rtat vanety, though none of them unscriptural, of its

means of grace hut evep from f",- -• • ■ ,

a -., -uL Hven irom tiie incon9isteneie.s and

TIEVERTES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

unreasonable conduct of its eiLnj persecutors. Perhaps
to contemplate the br^nd of ( .'nd in its early history, as
presented in this aspect, would bring to our notice the
meekness and yet the firmness of that special afijency,
which would show at once, and clearly, the character
of the Christian hero. But we would rather at this
time look at that special instrumentality acting con-
iointlv, thouffh not in concert, but guided by the same
unerring Providence toward the same point. Each of
these special men had his own sphere of action. For
this he seems to have been peculiarly fitted, and to this,
however unconscious of it, he seems to have bent all
his energies ; and here do we see the beauty of the
work wrought by that overruling hand which " doeth
all things well."

John Wesley, as an ecclesiastical legislator, first
claims our attention. If we are disposed to regaid him
as one of the greatest men, if not absolutely the great-
est, in this point of view, during the present era —
the opinion of Mr. Isaac Taylor notwithstanding— are
there not thousands, not of our own community even,
who will agree with us in this ? And yet there was
on his part no eagerness for legislative action, but
rather a guarding against it, and a constant waiting
for providential indications. His plans embraced no
design for an entirely distinct course of action, separate
from the existing national Church, and yet almost
every public act of his life seemed to be like an addi-
tional step in that direction. Conversing with an aged
Metho<list lady, a few day,s ago, on these subjects, she

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

proposed to me the following question : " Do you not
think, sir, that the old gentleman (Mr. Wesley) sadly
missed his way in not providing, at the very first, a
book of discipline, by which all parties would have
understood their duties and privileges, and conse-
quently many of those disputes avoided ? " My reply
to her was in substance as follows : •' /am not prepared
to say that such a man as Mr. Wesley missed his way
at any time, because, in the first place, it would be in
effect saying that I am a wiser man than he was, and
therefore would have pursued a more judicious course
under similar circumstances— an assertion the truth of
which no person would be disposed to admit, and the
folly of its source every one would see ; and, in the
second place, T cannot learn from any part of his works
that he designed the establishment of a new and
independent Church, whatever results he possibly
foresaw would take place ; and, moreover, if we regard
Methodism as a creature of Providence placed on the
eminence, not sought after, which she now occupies
among the Churches of Christendom, by the Divine
hand, for special purpo-ses, both her special men as
well special measures have been such only as the
circumstances in which she has been placed have
required. Whether it would be better in her present
position and relation to the establishment for the
parent to pursue the same course as the child, and
adopt a simple yet comprehensive code of laws, I leave
for older and wiser heads than mine to determine."
'J'his one assertion I will venture, believing that an

RKVKRIKS — ItEVTEWS — RECOLLKCTIOXS.

examination of the history of Methodism will prove its
truth to every mndid inquirer, that there is not a more
perfect and beautiful representation of the wheels of
Pjovidence (see Ezekiel i. 15, etc.) severally rising and
working each in its place, just when required, than is
seen in the various measures and institutions of Meth-
odism. It was the province of Mr. Wesley to construct
and establish the economy of the Church which he
was the honored instrument in foundins: ; and when
the circumstances of the " united societies " required
any new feature, or an addition of strength to the con-
struction then being providentially moulded, his cor-
rect knowledge of New Testament principles, con-
nected with his fertilitv of mind, never failed to brinjr
that forth which was expressly adapted to their wants.
I believe that I am safe in declaring that here Meth-
odism is unique — nothing was designed before it was
required and the hand of God pointed out its neces-
sity. Had our venerable founder been exceedingly
anxious to display his legislative ability, or gratify his
ambition at any expense, doubtless he would have
prepared and pi-esented to the world an ecclesiastical
constitution for the approval and future guidance of
all who might deem it a privilege to be united with him
in Church fellowship. But his wisdom allowed not
such a course.

While his elder brother was thus usino- his leaisla-
tive ability, as well as declaring the stern truths of
the Bible to ungodly multitudes, Charles Wesley was
throwing the soothing, mellowing, cheerin«j influences

(iwpn

OOD m THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

of poetry around, which, like oil upon the troubled
waters, tended to allay uiholy strife and unite all
hearts in songs of praise .^ (I 1; and while he thus
exercised the gift which Goo nad bestowed, he also
embodied those scriptural t-iu '.-., holy, spiritual, saving,
which, while one or the other proclaimed, tens of
thousands gladly listened and were blessed. How
much his brother John owed to the milder, ameliorat-
ing influences of Charles Wesley's poetic soul, who can
tell ? and how much Methodism owes to him for fur-
nishing its future millions with sacred songs of sur-
passing beauty, tuned to every heart in every state,
none can tell. This, doubtless, was his providential
sphere.

In any review of the providential work of those
who were coadjutors with the venerable Wesley, the
name of George Whitefield, the prince of pulpit orators,
must claim a prominent place. Early Methodism was
probably indebted to Whitefield, above every other
agency, for calling forth popular sympathy in its be-
half, by his all-prevailing eloquence. And the influence
which time has shown the rise and progress of Meth-
odism was to exert in other branches of the Church,
was owing more to the course pursued by Whitefield
than any other contemporaneous agency. I have seen
the opinion stated somewhere that all his thouohts
and ideas on doctrines and scripture truths were senti-
ments, and therefore became passions of his mind.
And who can doubt but that to his keen sensibilities,
next to the "demonstration of the Spirit," is to be

nKVFlUES— REVIRWS — RKrOLT.F/'TlOXS.

attributed the wonderful power of his elocjuence. It
was tlie eloquence of feeling. He was in earnest. May
we not then see and acknowled2:e the hand of God in the
career of this holy man, while directing him among a
class of people who, so far as human judgment is correct,
we may opine, would not have been profited by the min-
istration of those who held the doctrines peculiar to
Wesleyan Methodism ? inasnuich as they would not have
\HHn\ brought under its influence. We could not pro-
bably decide at the present day how much the faithful,
energetic appeals of Whitefieldhad to do in producing
a continuance of those faithful warnings up to this
time, even amonof the Calvinistic, dissentinix churches,
both in Eni^land and America.

The character and career of others still remain foi*
oni" review at a future time : but what has already
been advanced furnishes proof of the contrast we pro-
posed to show in a preceding nund)er, viz.: the diil'er-
ence between tho agency employed by man for his
work, and that chosen of God to accomplish His pur-
poses. In the one we sec the pi-incipal features are
dissinndation and self-seeking ; in the other, purity of
n\otive and self-sacrifice. Need we wonder, in view of
these men whose character will bear the closest inves-
tigation, and others who are yet to pass before us,
that the Ilev. Dr. Candiish, of Edinburgh, shonid
declare tluit " Wesleyan Methodism is one of th<>
grandest developments of Christianity <luring the last
century."

r.OD TN THE ttTSTOnV OF METHOPTSM.

CHAPTKR VII.

Tfte Rev. John Scott, at one time President of
tlie Kn-rlish Conference, in an official sermon preached
hcfore that venerable body, from Isaiah Ixi. 1-3,
showincr, "That the onlinary pio<rress of reliirion is
trom very inconsiderable and nnpromisinti- be<>innin«Ts
to very remarkable and strikinir issues," said : " Hy
a plain, forcible and faithful exhibition of that
truth which Christ orave to His apostles, to n)en
of every state of information and of no information,
moral and immoral, civilized and brutal, Methodism
has souirht to reproduce the moral transformations of
apostolic times; and it has succeeded. Go into its
«'<istino' societies, and ascertain the personal history of
its members ; examine the bioirraphies of nearly a
hundred years, and you will see of what rude material
many of its holiest, its most useful men, and most
distinijuished ornaments, have been made. When they
came into the hands of the divine Saviour the chancre
was visible and rapid : Ke made the earthen vessels
tit, then put His treasure into them, and thus demon-
strated that 'the excellency of the power' which
wrought the transformation was all His own. . . . See
.John Wesley go'mrt fortli to preach his first sermon.
^se people were impressed and converted to (Jod.
He preached on,— everywliere converts were nnilti-
plied. Other men received his truth and bet(an to
preach it. Hy their ministrations also men wen' con-

REVERIES — REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

} I

verted— God who had 'called hiin' 'blessed him and
increased him.' The multiplication of converts run on,
until now, besides the thousands that have reached the
world above, and the multitude in other churches who
have received from Methodism, directly or indirectly,
a larger or smaller amount of spiritual good, they are
found in all countries, and most towns, and even vil-
lages of the land, and in all the great divisions of the
globe. 'The little one has became a thousand, and
the small one a great multitude.'" But not only did
the Lord our God raise up a succession of success-
ful preachers of the Gospel ; in connection with them
some were also set for the defence of the truth. Just
at the time Methodism rose, antinomian theology be-
came rampant ; and in order to check its progress, the
hand of Providence raised up that devoted man of
God. the Rev. John Fletcher. And while he Lmve
evidence of the deepest piety, evinced no less his
logical acumen in fulfilling one essential part of his
mission — the defence of God's truth. Few men who
have been engaged in religious controversy ever
showed so much of the spirit of his Divine Master as
Mr. Fletcher. No man could have nore clearly set
forth the trutli which be believed to be of God, or
defend it with greater firmness or more of the meek-
nes.s of wisdom. But we would also recognize Mr.
Fletcher as raised up to produce a classical standard of
Methodistic literature. Aud here it will be no dis-
paragement to either of tliem to class with him one
who has passed away to his reward within the

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

recollection of those who, like myself, are still the
young men of Methodism— the Rev. Richard Watson.
Often has my breast throbbed with a strange emotion
while I have read the calm, yet glowincr, eloquent
appeals and descriptions which have emanated from
his powerful intellect. Often have I thought of the
inestimable privilege of those who have enjoyed his
personal ministry, and caught even but occasional
sparks of that living fire while it was thrown off* fresh
from his own warm heart. Whatever narrow-sighted
man may have thought or said, these are the men
whom God has delighted to honor.

Among the leaders of our Methodistic Christianity
must be classed our two commentators, Joseph Benson
and Dr. Adam Clarke. Both of these contributed no
small share toward the erection of a firm bulwark upon
an immovable Scripture basis, around that system to
which they were faithful adherents. While the one
was distinguished as one of the best practical exposi-
tors of the Word of God, and produced a work which
should find a place in every Methodist family, the
other is no less distinguished for critical accuracy and
profound biblical learning, wliose society was courted
by the Hrst scholars of Europe, and who was ufpially
at home in the cottage oL che peasant, ottering spiritual
consolation to the" afflictpd or counsel to the unwary.
Since these were caJled from labor to reward and rest,
God has raised up- " 1 ost in the old worhl and on thi
continent, whose cultured intellects have called for, h
the respect and admiration of the most profound

.|j

IIEVEUIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

scholars in every land. I mention only the name of
Dr. Whedon as a type of many more.

The name of Dr. Thomas Coke we cannot pass by.
While his brethren were engaged in spreading the
knowledge of practical religion to the remotest hamlets
of their native land, lie was devising plans whereby
the Saviour of sinners should be proclaimed, after this
form, to those nations which were still more destitute.
Not only may he be regarded as the founder of Method-
ist missions, but also as giving, by his zeal, a renewed
impulse to the modern missionary enterprise in <'-eneral.
We see him expending his own personal property for
the good of the heathen world, and when this would
not sutfice, begging from door to door in order to pro-
cure the reijuired aid in sending the messengers of light
and salvation throughout the earth. And, in addition
to this, he willingly sacriHces the comforts of home
and society of friends, while repeatedly lie braves the
dangers attendant on crossing the great deep, and ulti-
mately finds a grave beneath the ocean wave, until the
time shall come when the sea shall give up her dead.
I am sure I .shall be indulged if 1 confidently assert
that his glorified spirit looks down, and the bliss which
he knows and feels is enhanced, while he sees that
society of which he was the founder belting the world
with a halo of pure (Jospel light, which sliall not cease
to spread until the chorus shall arise from every land
and be sung by every tongue, " Hallelujah, the Lord
(»od Onuiipotent reigneth."

There is no man wliose charncter and career will

GOD IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM.

furnish a more striking illustration of our position than
that of Francis Asbury. And yet we look in vain for
any acknowledgment of the services he performed —
services equally laborious, and of vastly greater import-
ance than any military or political leader— or even the
mention of his name by any popular historian of the
United States. But the time will come when posterity
will acknowledge its indebtedness to him, and justice
be done to his memory. Asbury seems to have been
specially fitted by the hand of Providence for the work
assigned him in this new country. He was not what
is called a genius, but he possessed qualifications far
superior to this. Tl .u,,di he had none of that splendor
of intellect which womd dazzle, or be supremely attrac-
tive, yet he had tlios*.^ peculiar dispositions — that
morally sublime motive, connected with that indomi-
table perseverance, which ever prevented him from
being discouraged, and would have made him great in
any sphere of action. In the whole history of tlie
Cliurch of Christ we could find no better model of a
Christian bishop than the noble man to whom we now
refer. Impelled by a zeal which was the " pure fiame
of love " to leave his own country and friends, know-
ingly I/, encounter [)erils both by sea and land, and if
these were escaped, to endure privations and hardships
which would have sunk at once a common spirit, for
forty and five yeius he did not cea.se to thread the
mazes of the American wilderness, now finding a rest-
ing placti for a night in the log-cabin of the new settler,
f},nd then beneath tl)e "leaves of the ••reenwood bower."

KEVERIES—KEVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

His labors were not confined to the Atlantic cities or
older settlements of the new continent, where he would
have met with those comforts he had enjoyed at the
parental homo in the land of his birth ; but there was no
part of the work which did not e(|ually claim his personal
superintendence. He was " in labors more abundant "
than even Wesley himself. How much Methodism on
the continent of North America is indebted to him, we
cannot now determine. We may in some degree know
and feel how cheering the success was, as the result of
those labors, when we reflect that on his arrival t^^re
were only six hundred members, but ere he ceased to
labor there were no less than two hundred and twelve
thousand enjoying the blessings of Christian fellowship.
The name of Asbury must ever be remembered with
peculiar delight, whenever we refer to the history of
Methodism on this continent. Doubtless before this
many of the blood- washed throng have recognized him
as the instrument of their conversion, when they have
met before our Heavenly Father's throne.

These were foremost among the leaders in our Zion.
Upon each of them the Lord our God set His special
mark. To each of them was given singular qualifica-
tions and assigned singular duties. Each fulfilled his
vocation, and is gone to his reward. The selection of
these names injplies no invidious <listinction. There
were others, if not equally prominent, yet strongly
marked with peculiar characteristics, which justifies us
in the belief that they were pointed out by the hand
of God as " vessels unto honor," thougli sul>ordiFjate to
those alreafly named.

(JOD IN THK HISTOKY OF MEPHOpiSM.

There was one venerable minister who passed to his
reward but a few years ago, who was called into the
iiiinistry by the founder of Methodism. I shall l)e
indulged while I mention the name of John Hickling,
who, though "in age and feebleness extreme," being
over ninety years old, took part in the proceedings of
the British Conference. God preserved him to bear
his testimony— which he did not fail to do— to the
identity of principle in the Methodism of John Wesley
and the Methodism of the present. May we who fol-
low tread in the footsteps and emulate the zeal of those
who have gone before.

CHAPTKR VIII.

GOD IN METHODIST UNION.

Referring to the hand of God in Methodism, I
could not pass without notice recent events in
our own Dominion. It may be considered, probably,
that those events are not sufficiently developed to
trace, as clearly as may be done hereafter, the guiding
hand of Providence. This I as firmly believe as any
one else can. There are, however, certain facts I will
very briefly state, and which I think the most scep-
tical must acknowledge God has had somethinf' to do
with. In doing this T shall not go beyond the period
of my own recollection, nor travel outside the circle
of my own knowledge.

Fifty years ago there were at lea.^t six or eight difler-
7

KEVEllIES — REVIEWS— llECULLECTIONS.

ent branches of Methodism in this Dominion. Feeble
Churches were raised in opposition to each other, and
in not a few cases were apparently languishing and
ready to die. But yet they continued to live, and, as
we may hope, each accomplished some good in certain
spheres which the other bodies would not have
reached. Some of those bodies maintained an active,
aggressive warfare on the field of the enemy. Periodi-
cally, wonderful waves of revival passed over the
country, and many souls were saved. Occasionally,
Churches in the same community mutually agreed to
help each other, and often were driven farther apart
when they came to divide the spoils.

As a consequence of this divided state, many
Church interests were but scantily sustained. The
interests of higher education, the missionary work,
and the ministry in general in several of those
branches, were but feebly supported.

Union was sometimes talked about. One of the first
accomplished was that of the English and Canadian
Methodist Conferences, in 1833. Ihat union was dis-
solved seven years after, followed by seven more years
of misunderstandings and heart-burnings, and again
entered upon, everyone believed, on a firmer basis,
in 1847.

Without trying to bridge over the intervening
years, I will come at once to the first General Con-
ference, which met in Belleville in the year i883. To
my min.d that convocation presented one of the most
impressive and grandest scenes over which the angels

GOD IN THE HISTORY- OF METHODISM.

of God have ever rejoiced. No one man can ever tell
of the anxieties, the prayers and faith, the labors, and
the hopes and fears, which had brought Methodism to
this point. Here were several hundreds, ministers
and laymen in equal numbers, none of them "mere
beardless philosophers," who were gathered from New-
foundland, on the Atlantic, to Vancouver, on the
Pacific, having but one object before them, viz., to
consider the subject of union of the different branches
of Methodism, all of which were offshoots from the
same root. Take a glance at them. Thev are of
various nationalities. They are of different degrees of
culture. Among the laymen there are judges and
barristers, which is sufficient proof of their erudition.
There are also educationists and legislators, as well as
physicians, merchants, and agriculturists. The great
majority of ministers had spent from twenty-five to
forty or more years jn the Master's work, and were
not likely to be carried away by sentiment alone.
Further, their training and habits of life and thought
were different. Their political opinions were differe°nt.
Their occupations were different. Some had become
wealthy by their own industry ; others, perchance, were
still struggling with poverty. But on this one point,
from the first, there was manifest unity— tliey were all
true v/orshippers of the same God,an.l lovers of the same
Jesus, as well as the Church whose name they bore.
Marvellous was it to look upon those men, and listen
to their earnest prayers, and the same hearty songs of
prai.se whjcli all had learned to sing alike, thou^'h

REVEllIES— REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

many had never met before 1 Under these circum-
stances it was no wonder that the anticipated union
was happily consummated ; and now there is but one
Methodist Church throughout this wide Dominion,
from ocean to ocean !

Is there a providence in this ? or have w^e still to
wait to find the hand of God therein. True, some
prophets of evil prophesied nothing but disaster.
However, during the first year of the union, God gave
the seal, by not only preserving it intact, but also
adding to the Church twenty thousand souls, and
wonderfully increasing the missionary income.

A few sentences relating to the College Federation
scheme and the Endowment Fund of Victoria College
will conclude this paper. That this is a. most essen-
tial matter few, if any, true lovers of Methodism will
deny. In these days of intellectual culture there are
ladies' colleges, musical conservatories, etc., and certain-
ly more important must be a well-equipped institution
for the training of our sons, where, with secular train-
ing, they may be taught as well to love the Church
of their fathers. I hope to live to see the turrets of
Victoria University towering as gracefully as those of
any other in the Queen's Park of our beautiful city of
Toronto, and boys of my own faithful and honored
students in her halls, under the direction of the
revered and venerable Principal, Nelles, who has
already done so much for the young men of Ontario.

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE
SECRET OF POWER.

)OWER belongeth unto God/' says David (Psalm
Ixii : 11), Every manifestation of power,
whether physical, intellectual, or moral, will call forth
the attention of thoughtful observers ; and in propor-
tion as our observings lead us to the true source of
power, shall we be filled with wonder and admiration.
We more admire intellectual than we do physical
power ; but moral power— the power of goodness, the
intluence of love, perhaps, we may call it — far tran-
scends any other examples. Plato, the old Grecian
philosopher, is credited with the statement, "That
the sublimest spectacle in the universe is that of a
virtuous man invincibly struggling against over-
whelming evils." Good for the heathen ! But to us
who believe in the doctrine of immortality, and who
see in that struggle and victory results which will
never end, that spectacle presents a far sublimer
scene! Still, looking at character, what is there in
all this universe comparable in power to the moral
beauty displayed in the character of Jesus? Men
talk disbelievingly of His doctrines, and try to ex-
plain away the reality of His miracles, but acknow-

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REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

ledge, with words expressive of adoring wonder, the
divine power of His character.

But we speak of the secret of power. Is there>
however, any secret among godly people in the posses-
sion of this power ? I know of none which is not
equally within the reach of all. That there are times
in a minister's life — in the life of every Christian
worker — when they have wonderful power over their
fellow-men ; as, also, when that power has been lack-
ing, — are matters of consciousness to all and of obser-
vation to all. But the cause of this is not always as
obvious. It may be better understood by the speaker
himself. The subject upon which he speaks, the
manner of dealing with it, the state of mind, the
position and surroundings, the atmosphere, the health,
the personal presence, the look, the age, and especially
the temperament, of the individual speaker, — all will
have very much to do with the results of any public
address.

The inspiration referred to in our title comes not
always in spite of circumstances adverse to His in-
fluence ; but the inspiring Spirit will doubtless use all
legitimate circumstances favorable to the efficient
display of His power. The love of the Spirit, seldom
referred to in public addresses, will never fail to
prompt Him to coine to the rescue, and, other things
being equal, constrain Him to use those circumstances
for the good of man and the glory of the Master. It
is well understood that there are times when com-
munities, and even nations, seem to be charged with

INSPIRATIOX OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

sympathy for or prejudice against a sentiment, an act,
or an individual. The name of such a one becomes a
synonym of power, and the presence of such a one
in the community is the centre of a grand rallying
point. Then their utterances of necessity become
utterances of power !

But the power we have to discuss at present is not
of this nature, though it will necessarily have to do
with the same favoring or opposing infiuence<i, facts,
agencies, and surroundings. Sometimes this power
is triumphant when all circumstances seem to be
adverse. Men have gone to oppose, to prevent, to
retard, but have been constrained to yield to this
influence, and have remained to help on, to defend, to
pray and praise ! All of us— ministers and workers
in the Master's vineyard in any capacity— desire to
know more about this power, about the secret of
possessing and using it. What is it? How is it
obtained ? How or what is the mode of its operation ?
Without undervaluing any other preparations or
course of training, what I specially wish to enforce is
this, that the true secret of power is communion with
God, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit directing
and controlling the mind and heart for one purpose.
Whatever degree of intellectual greatness and mental
culture there may be, any effort will be powerless for
good if not made depending upon that same inspira-
tion. This, I think, we shall see as we proceed in the
discussion of our theme.

1. Whatovir may be the position any man may

!)G

llEVfirUKS— HEVIEWS— ukcollections.

occupy as a teacher in the Church of God, let this be
the first consideration, that he is in that place as a
matter of necessity. Paul said, " Woe is me if I preach
not the gospel." Doubtless a clear and deep Cv^nviction
of his responsibilityshould be the motive power of every
teacher in the Church of God. If he has any doubt
on this matter, that necessary inspiration of the Holy
Spirit will seldom or ever be attained ; and he will
not only be miserable himself, but all but a useless
appendage in the Church and the office he may occupy.
A man whose heart is imbued with divine love looks
around him and sees many sinners without God and
without hope ; he reads in the gospel, " these shall go
away in to everlasting punishment;" he asks himself, Can
this be averted, can / do anything to direct them to an-
other course ? A tremendous feeling of responsibility
takes hold of his mind and heart. He cannot rest. He
knows he has the truth in his own heart which will
avort this dire calamity. He looks to God. The
Spirit inspires him to tell the old, old story of Jesus
and His love. Under the influence of this responsi-
bility he tells the story. The power of God comes
down, and he feels the glow of that power as never
before since Jesus first revealed Himself to his heart.
This conviction of responsibility will ever in itself be
a marvellous power. Every man who delivers a
message should know as certainly as did Isaiah, Jonah,
Kzekiel or Paul, that he has a message from God to
those before whom he stands. With this conviction
he will not seek another to perform that duty, nor to

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1 1

avoid that duty in any way whatever. When the
Word of the Lord is as a fire within him he will
gladly go and proclaim it. An aged minister's wife
once remonstrated with her husband when she found
him after midnight plea^ling with God. "Woman,"
said he, " I have three thousand souls to ansiuer for,
and T don't know how it is with them! "

The great want of the Church to-day is workers
with a deep and abiding sense of responsibility resting
upon them. Practically carrying out this conviction,
wherever I go "/ must ivork" for the Master!
Members of the Chuich of Christ, with this conviction
of responsibility responded to, would, by many fold,
see the numbers increased every year. Daniel Webster
said the greatest thought which could occupy the
mind was that in regard to personal responsibility
to his Maker ! A man may be charged sometimes
with egotism and presumption when he unhesitatingly
engages in the discharge of certain duties, when"in
reality he is but yielding to that inspiration which the
Spirit of God has wrought within him, and acting in
perfect harmony with the highest piety and the deepest
humilit}. If God has given any man a special work
to do, he can do it generally better than any other
man. What is called sometimes Christian court's^/,
exercised contrary to godly judgment, will have the
effect of neutralizing all good inlluences. 1 remember
a certain occasion, in the midst of a blessed revival,
a visitor, who had little sympathy at any time with
such scenes, was recjuested to preach. At this tiine
the meeting was at a white heat ; he preached what

REV FRIES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

might at some times and places be a very fine dis-
course, from "In the beginnirg God created the
heaven and the earth," and succeeded in tonino- down
the state of feeling far below freezing-point, requiring
much effort of the right kind to bring it to the same
pitch of power again. Did the Spirit of God inspire
that sermon ? I think not. " If any man speak. let
him spenk as the oracles of God ; if any man minister,
let him do it as of the ability which God giveth : that
God in all things may be glorifi3d through Jesus
Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen " (1 Peter iv. 11). If God puts any man
in a place, and enjoins upon him a duty, he is there
by divine right, and as the Lord's anointed no one
should touch him there. He is God's ambassador. So
deeply was the old prophet Ezekiel imbued with this
idea of non-substitution in the delivery of a divine
message, that he gave utterance to this tremendous
sentence, "His blood will I require at thy hands."
Nature may shrink for a time, but under the influence
of this conviction he ex aims :

' ' The love of Christ doth me constrain
To seek the wancloring souls of men ;
With cries, entreaties, tears, to save.
To .snatch them from the gaping grave."

And then prays :

"(iive me Thy strength, O (Jod of power;
Tlien let winds blow, or thunders roar,
Thy faithful witness will I be :
'Tis fixed, I can do all tlirough Thee."

INSPIRATION OP THE IIOLT SPIRIT. 99

2 A second element of power wrought in the soul
by the Holy Spirit is the deep conviction that you
have soniet.nng to say which ought to be said. It
IS not the Idea, I may or may not 8ay it, just as
circumstances may suggest, or simply "drawing the
bow at a venture." That will never inspire much
taith. On a certain occasion Jesus sent a disciple tb
catch a fish that had a piece of money in its mouth.
It Wfl^ not by a mere accident that the particular fish
would b,te at the hook. Faith in what you say your-
self will have power to move, shake and stir, so as
to cause them to tremble or cry out. It was this that
caused Fehx to tremble, and .igrippa to acknowledge
the power of Paul. And when a man .speaks with "the
demonstration of the Spirit and with power," careless
of all effects but that oi touching the conscience of his
hearers, they will always find something else to do
than to criticise what he may have to say. David
thought only of his sin, and the dishonor thereby
done to God, when Nathan said, •■ Thou art the man .' "
INathan 3 mission was to say something to David
and he sa.d it. Jonah could easily have .spoken to the'
people of other cities about the Ninevites, but the
message of the Spirit was not to those. So let it be
with everyone entrusted with the Spirit's mes.,age,
Wo and speak to this people."
3. Another element of power obtained only by the
mspirafon of God's Holy Spirit is supe,-natv.-al faith
tnthe teachings of lice Word of God. It is not only
l-elievmg an orthodox -.reed-being true to certain

100

REVERI ES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

well-understood traditions— nor is it the faith of the
intellect ; but that faith of the heart which makes the
promises, and threatenings, and examples, and illus-
trations of the Bible as present realities. It is this
faith that raises into spiritual manhood, and clothes
with the garments of salvation, giving "power with
God and with man." The former kind of faith is not
uncommon, in fact, can be found almost anywhere.
The latter is much less frequent.

Connected with that faith in the power of God's
truth will be the use of Bible terms. These will always
be found to be the most ettective. The men whom
God approves, with whom He trusts His messages, are
men not afraid of truth, men who call things by their
right names. They have a boundless faith in the teach-
ings of the "Word of the Lord." Their constant aim is
tolionor the Master, to work for the triumph of Chris-
tianity and the salvation of souls. They regard the
statements of the Bible as to facts, duties, or final
destiny, as needing no polish— no smoothing over, or
hewing down. They are the most appropriate, and
used as God has given, are ever producing effects.
As expected, there is constant success, and this gives
increasing encouragement for continued labor. As
the worker in God's vineyard sows abundantly, he
reaps a plentiful harvest, which consists on his part
specially in increased spiritual power to labor for
God. Who that has felt the influence of Divine truth,
himself under the moulding power of the Holy Spirit,
can doubt its influence over and applicability to

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

101

others ? And yet how often the question conies,
" How can these things be ? " " Is not this the car-
penter's son ? " " Whence hath this man this wisdom ?"
Expressions these, used in regard to the Master Him-
self, indicating the scepticism of some among His
auditors. " What is there in Mr. — to produce such
effects, or account for such display of power ? " This
has often been said when wondrous effects are seen
following the efforts of some man of very ordinary
ability. How can it be accounted for ? Simply
thus, — He has sought and obtained the gift of power !
He has in his own soul a supernatural evidence, as
well as confidence in the Word of God. The great
power of the Gospel is not always the most evident
when proclaimed by extraordinary men, but ordinary
men endowed with the Holy Spirit's influence, telling
the story of Jesus and His love, as felt by themselves,
have produced effects altogether disproportionate to
our expectation^ It is simj^ly Divine power.

4. The power is spiritual, and therefore can be
realized in answer to prayer ; — One of its leading
elements, then, may he regarded as being the result of
faithfal prayer. Jesus often went alone to pray.
Before setting apart His twelve disciples He spent
the whole night in prayer. Again, Jesus " being in
agony," He prayed, " with strong crying and tears."
He declared that secret prayer should be rewarded
openly, and promised also to be with them alway in
their work. lie left the promise, also, to give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask. We have both the
example and precepts before us. Let the principles

102

REVERIES— REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

involved therein be applied by every Christian
worker. The great need of the Church to-day, and
indeed at all times, is the presence of the Spirit.
There has been more or less of the presence of the
Holy Spirit ever since the first great Christian Pente-
cost. But there have been important differences in
the manifestations of His power. By virtue of His
perfections w^e may always expect that God is near,
and ever ready to display His power on our behalf.
This is not enough to satisfy our deep needs. We
want the splendor of His saving power. The sun
shines every day, and the light radiating from his
beams penetrates every cottage, and every glen,
waking up a new life every few hours. But the
genial warmth of a June morning is very different to
the brightness of January. So it may often be with
the presence of the Holy Spirit. There may be a
spiritual winter, and His mighty forces inactive and
unproductive. Humanly speaking, there may be an
equal degree of wisdom in the various appliances of
the Church, yet but little or no effect is seen. But
while the efforts put forth by men are God-ordained,
and designed by God to be successful, we see in all
this the great truth, never to be overlooked, that all
human agency derives its effectual energy from the
Holy Spirit. The power of the Church of God in any
of its workers to grapple with the world and sin, to
overcome the powers of hell, and bririg souls to the
cross of Christ, whatever may be their intellectual
training or culture, or however wise their plans of
operation, does not consist in any or all of these com-

"^y

INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

103

iristian
ay, and

Spirit,
i of the

Pente-
nces in

of His
is near,

behalf.
is. We
he sun
orn his
y glen,
»ut the
jrent to
be with
ly be a
ive and
Y be an
nces of
1. But
dained,
e in all
that all
rom the
. in any
. sin, to
I to the
llecfcual
lans of
se com-

bined, but in the power of the Holy Ghost. Bereft
of this, there will be feebleness, and the agencies of
God's Church will not be terrible to her foes, nor
mighty for the recovery of an apostate world. This
truth was solemnly averred in the words spoken to
Zerubbabel,— " Not by might,nor by power, but by My
Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Numerous facts in
the history of the Church stand out in proof of this-
Indeed, all the victories which have marked the
career of the Church for eighteen centuries have been
triumphs of the Spirit, and connected with events
which have also indicated the prayerful dependence of
Christian workers upon the Spirit.

We look at the state, and mark the operations of
those Spirit-baptized disciples, as narrated in the in-
spired history of the early Church. Their prevalent
sentiment is brotherly love, for the multitude of them
that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Their
prevalent habit was prayer. Their spiritual state was
being filled with the Holy Ghost. The success of their
ministrations was marked by the conversion of thou-
sands in a day. Is this real ? Is it sober truth, or
mere rhetorical declamation ? We reply, they are
naked facts, set before us for our guidance in the most
easy and simple form. This is speedily followed in
the inspired history by a narration of other triumphs.
Peter, now bold as any heroic victor, preached in the
temple, though opposed by Sadducees and rulers, and
we have the result thus stated, "Howbeit many of
them which heard the word believed ; and the num-
ber of the men was about five thousand." Here followj^

^^^m^

immmmF'^mmm

104

KEVElllES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

anotlier statement, " And believers were the more
added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and
women." And yet again we have another, " And the
word of God increased, and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company
of the priests were obedient to the faith." And thus
tlie work goes on. From thence it spreads to other
lands. In Samaria, in the polished cities of Greece and
imperial Rome, glorious results follow.

What was the secret of the ditference in effects now
produced and those previous to the Pentecost ? Were
prejudice and passion less strong to overcome ? What
was it that caused these victories to multiply and in-
crease so marvellously ? Philosophy has in vain tried
to bring to light the secret of this power. The Bible
alone explains to us this secret, though the mode of
operation is yet left an unexplained mystery. The
men who spake were tilled with the Holy Ghost. The
secret of their power was, that it was power from on
h'lrrh. The human voice was feeble, as before, but an
invisible energy from heaven tilled their souls, and the
word went like a magnetic shock to the sinner's heart !
The words were uttered by organs of human speech,
but the energy of the Spirit was omnipotent. Stout-
hearted men bowed before this Divine message, as
reeds before the wind. Their speech and their preach-
ing was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but
in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Coming
down to modern times we shall tind that in every
revival of religion the same power of the Spirit has
been acknowledged. In the days of President Edwards,

INSIM RATION OF THK HOLY SI'lHIT.

105

in connection with the work of the Wesleys and White-
field and many of their successors in various branches
of the Church, the same power has been felt and
similar effects have followed. More recently also in
that wave of wonderful revival which swept over
Ireland specially, about thirty years arjo, as well as
those even still more remarkable events resulting from
the efforts of D. L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey— one of
whom preached the Gospel and the other sung the
Gospel with equal profit— the yecret of their power was
ever acknowledged to be the inspiration of the Spirit
of God.

Now, the question which we desire to bring home to
every Christian worker of to-day is, may we— may I
—realize the power of that same Spirit? May I
expect to see results of a similar character under the
infiuence of the same inspiration ? I answer, unques-
tionably. The promises of God are just like Himself,
unchangeable. The condition of attaining that sacred
power is that we ask— seek — knock ; pbayer is the con-
dition upon which God gives the inspiring Spirit, as a
power to work for Him. Not only do results show
the Divine source from whence they come, but there
are many facts which prove that this power was
solemnly, earnestly, and importunately sought after by
believing prayer whenever a revival of God's work has
been experienced The Moravian Church adopted the
custom of maintaining intercessory prayer both day
and night. Members of the Church alternately engao-ed
to keep up the solemn vigil, so that holy importunity

106

REVERIES— UEVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

for the salvation of souls should never cease. This
was like the fire on the Jewish altar, it was never to
o-o out ! Every great revival has been preceded and
carried on by remarkable tenderness of heart and
much of the spirit of prayer. Here is the secret of
power 1 And if the secret of that power is known to
us, and yet we are destitute of it, what will be our
doom ? We have it in the words of warning already
quoted, " His blood will I require at thy hands." If
we, as Christian workers, have not that power, let us
acknowledge our deficiencies before God, and implore
in united wrestling prayer the baptism from on high.
Let there be any given number of souls in every one
of our churches, who will not desist from beseeching
God for the outpouring of His Spirit, and especially
that every Christian worker may have a double portion
of that Spirit, and a revival would soon take place
which would spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Prayer always precedes the presence of the Holy
Spirit. We must look for it, that it may come. And
when the secret of power has come and is made known,
the praying spirit must continue in order to maintain
His work. The shower must not cease. There must
be no intermission in the blessed eflusion, though there
may be a diversity of operations. Only one part is
accomplished, even when unwonted zeal and great
activity are evident on the part of public workers,
The harvesters must continue the work under the
same Spirit of power. The golden grain will ripen,
and must be gathered, or the harvest unjjathered may
be wors(^ than the field unlilled.

"T!"»

SCIENCE AND RELIGION.

107

e. This
lever to
[led and
sart and
lecret of
nown to
1 be our

already
ids." If
ir, let us

implore
on high,
very one
seeching

specially
3 portion
ke place
I Pacific,
le Holy
le. And
3 known,
maintain
3re mu.st
[(A\ there
3 part is
id threat
workers,
nder the
ill ripen,
jred may

SCIENCE AND RELIGION: A REVIEW.

DR. DRAPER'.S HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
RELIGION AND SCIENCE.

I^OR weeks and months after the publication of
.5S. this volume, newspapers, magazines and reviews
each took turn in reviewing, defending, condemning
and reprobating the book and its author. In some
professedly evangelical publications there were un-
qualified commendations, and in others of the same
type e(iually unfiualified condenmation. Why revive
it now ? I answer, the book is still extensively cir-
culated, and with a certain class of minds there is
much attraction in the agnosticism found here. I am
prompted to write because I think I have got some-
thing to say, and thus use my own discretion. Every
reader can use the same privilege.

Whatever is published by ])r. J. W. Draper will
doubtless have many readers, and be treated with that
respect which his learning and culture cannot fail to
command. The position he occupies, as Professor in
the University of New York, will be regarded as a
sufficient guarantee as to his capabilities to write ou
subjects connecttMl with natural science. Favorablv

Ill

108

IIKVEIIIES — REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

known as the author of a " Treatise on Human Physi-
ology," and other minor works on scientific subjects,
as well as the " History of the Intellectual Develop-
ment of Europe," and a " History of the Civil War"—
thus heralded, this last "History," published by D.
Appleton & Co., as the twelfth volume of the " Inter-
national Scientific Series," leaped at once into notice,
to be praised and condemned as the judgment, or, it
may be in some cases, the caprice, of the reader might
dictate. From a Christian outlook it cannot by any
means command universal praise, nor can it receive
universal condemnation. In fact, there is no party
having deep religious convictions that can be satisfied
with it. That Roman Calholicism cannot be pleased
is undoubted ; that Protestantism will be displeased is
equally certain. That there is evidence of great ability,
great independence, many peculiarities, no one can but
admit. I would like to add that it equally bears the
stamp of honesty and thorough research, thereby en-
titling every statement of the author to credit; but
this, I regret to say, I am not prepared to do. This is
a serious charge. Let us see to it.

Dr. Draper is the son of an English Wesleyan min-
ister, and as such enjoyed the privilege of an intellec-
tual and moral training at one of the educational
institutions of the Methodist Church in his native
country. To the present, in so far as I have learned,
he has spent an earnest, active, laborious life. At an
early period his attention was directed to scientific
studies,which,with the practice of medicine and literary

SCIENCE AND RELICxION.

109

pursuits, he has prosecuted with much assiduity and
great success. He is, however, untrue both to his early
training and the antecedents of his life. While we
have the power to use our intellect, every man is liable
to change his views, and, of course, has perfect liberty
to do so ; and, moreover, may be equally honest and
truthful in advocating views in direct opposition to
those which he has previously held. But sincerity
alone is not sufficient to make any man morally a good
man. Dr. Draper, in forsaking the C'hurch and the-
ology, as well as the country and politics, of his fathers,
may have been conscientious and honest ; and yet some
things which he learned during the early period of his
life, which still have and must ever have the same
being, in this production he seems to ignore even the
fact that he ever knew them or heard of their existence.
In pleasing contrast is the case of any one who, dur-
ing a life of mental and bodily toil, remains true amid
various oppositions to the traditions of his fathers, and
spends his energies of both mind and body in promot-
ing the interests of God's cause and uplifting our com-
mon manhood. Among the earliest recollections of my
childhood is that of a pleasant, cheery, communicative
and gentlemanly Methodist minister, seated in an arm-
chair at the fireside in my father's old English home,
or at the supper-table, after attending to the duties of
his calling in the little chnpel near by. His name, the
liev. Charles Ratclifi'e ; his appe/nance and maimers
would strike you as those of a " line old English gen-
tleman." Some of his utterances I have remembt^red

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

ever since. Referring to a certain kind of criminality
Mr. Ratcliffe said, " The man thus guilty ought to be
hung on the highest tree you can find." He was pas-
sionately attached to antiquarian curiosities, and, in
fact, was regarded as a perfect connoisseur in all mat-
ters pertaining thereunto. But a few years ago he
was taken to his reward.

Dr. Ratcliffe, his son, had a similar training to Dr.
Draper — perhaps at the same school, about the same
time. Like Dr. Draper, he has led an active, laborious
life, and is now one of the most extensive and success-
ful practitioners in the largest city of the world. His
published works on various scientific subjects, bearing
directly or otherwise on his profession, are regarded
as worthy of universal admiration for the honesty and
candor therein manifest, and are constantly referred
to as containing perfectly reliable and authoritative
statements on the subjects which he treats. Unlike
Dr. Draper, also, he is true to his religious antecedents
— he still, in middle life or perhaps past that period,
remains a faithful adherent of the Church in which
his father ministered during a long life, and to which he
and every one thus trained must owe much of their
Hucce.ss. Is he honored the less for this ? Are his
productions less scholarly ? Is he less successful in
his practice ? And further, is he less happy while
thus endeavoring to glorify God by helping the souls
a^ well as the bodies of men ? I, for one, think not.
Who will say he is ?

While we may concur in all that Dr. Draper says

SCIENCE ANt> RELIGION.

Ill

about the real value of scientific investigation, as well
as the blasphemous pretensions, the prodigious hypo-
crisies, the intolerance and persecuting ppirit of the
Romish Church, it is yet impossible to believe with
him that Roman Catholicism is the purest type of
true religion at present on earth. The Divine Founder
of Christianity forbids persecution for opinions that
differ, endows every man with the right of private
judgment, and holds him responsible for both faith
and practice. Dr. Draper combats these views as em-
bodiments of religion and as opposed to the investi-
gations of science. It' Romanism is, as assumed by
him, the representative of true religion, and all the
facts of history attributed to it are part and parcel of
religion as taught by Jesus, we have not another word
to say. But surely every Christian student of history
will a*t once utterly and indignantly repudiate any
such statement. There may have been war for ages
l)etween science and the spirit that would not tolerate
investigation, fostered by the Church of Rome. This
book is a " History of the Conflict between Religion
and Science." The very title is a misnomer. There
is no conflict here; nor can there be, inasmuch as
many of the most devout religionists have been the
most enthusiastic scientists. I need but mention
in this connection the names of Newton, Herschel,
Karaday, Brewster, Agassiz, and a host of others if
required.

It is of little importance to determine whether the
birth-place of modern science is in I'^urope or in Africa.

I i

112

rn-:VEIirKS~HEVIEWS— HECOLLFXTIOXS.

*, ^'^^IS^'5 '^t

Dr. Draper is probably correct in stating it to be in
tlie famous Alexandrian Museum, which was destroyed
in a great measure by paganized Christians, and the
work of destruction thus begun, completed by fanatical
and embittered Moslems. Nor will it retard our efforts
in the pursuit of knowledge to believe with the author
that the honor of reviving the true scientific method
of research, by induction, belongs to Leonardo D.a
Vinci, and not to Lord Bacon. It is much more val-
uable to know that religion fosters and encourages this
spirit of investigation, ever has done, and ever must
do the same. This conflict is found to exist now, as
formerly, in that system which Dr. Draper tells us " is
the most widely-diffused and the most powerfully-
organized of all modern societies ; and is far more a
political than a religious combination." Much impor-
tant and valuable information, and many hi'storic
facts, well put, are found in this book ; but great
caution is necessary in separating the precious from
the vile.

Several misrepresentations will strike the reader of
this volume, which I cannot refer to at present more
than to mention.

Dr. Draper assumes there exists a deep and wide-
spread divergence in popular feeling in opposition to
religious faith. Where is it ? True religion has more
power, attracts more attention in the world, at present
than at any preceding perir^d of history. Christianity
has everything to gain from science, nothing to lose.

i,.i

SCIENCE AND RELIOION.

11.*^

Christianity being still an aggressive movement, is not
the statement of our author a misrepresentation ?

Is It not slanderous to say that revelation is tolerant
ot moral divergency, but not so of the facts of natural
science ?

Dr. Draper's scepticism leaks out in his laudations
ot btoical or necessitarian views. Is not the philosophy
of Paul relating to a future state at least equal to indeed
infinitely preferable to, that of Zeno ? I believe in
Providence, not in fatalism.

Science is credited with all human progress. Is this
its due ? Does not all ancient and modern history
establish the fact that where revelation is absent
science is also unknown ?

114 nEVEUlES — REV fEWS — RECOLLECTrONS.

THE BACKSLIDER'S DEATH-BED.

ORE than forty years have now elapsed since
the following circumstances occurred, but
such was the impression produced on my mind there-
by, tliat the scene seems to be as vividly presented
before me to-day as when it first took place. It was
in the year 184- the second of my ministry, that I

was appointed to the small but rising town of .

Connected with it as a mission was a larofe tract
of surrounding country. The first two or three Sab-
bath evenings I observed a person coming into the
church and seating himself near the door, retiring as
speedily as possible after the service, a!j>parently in
order to avoid contact with any of the congregation.
His person was attenuated ; his countenance pale and
haggard, though presenting marks of intelligence ;
his whole frame was tremulous ; his step was infirm,
though not with age, and he evidently needed the
support of the cane upon which he leaned. Disease
of some kind was manifestly preying upon his system.
I occasionally saw him walking slowly, and always
alone, with averted eyes, along ohe streets ; and also
noticed his abode as one of the poorest and most un-
inviting in the place. After a few Sabbath evenings

THE backslider's DEATH-BED. 115

I missed him from his usual place. Incidentally I

heard Mr. , the person I had observed in the

church, was in poor health ; in fact, it was expected
he would not live many weeks or months at most, and
that he had expressed a wish that I would call and
see him.

During my ministerial life hitherto I had always
made it my first business to visit the sick of the
Church or the congregation, or any other, if such a
desire was expressed. In this case I hesitated. The
reason why I hesitated will be found in the following
cicumstances, which were evolved in answer to my
inqwries respecting him. I was also told that, from
the nature of the disease, be was likely to lino-er
probably for several months. I felt desirous-behio-
then but young in the ministry-of having time for
consultation with those who, as I learned, knew his
history from his childhood, as to the best mode of
doing him any good.

Mr. was of respectable parentage in the north

of Ireland, had the advantage of religious training,
and was .in early youth converted to God. He wis
pious and devoted, and gave promise of usefulness in
the Church. He was married— with perfect satisfac-
tion to both families— to a young woman in every
respect his equal, and whose efforts were to help him
on in the right way both '« for this life and that which
IS to come. ' He became successively an exhorter and
a class-leader, and for several years lived a happy
and a useful life. Wherever he went he met with a

1 1 G HEY KRIES— REVIEWS— RECOLT.ECTIONS.

cordial greeting. Few persons were more acceptable
at any of the appointments on the circuit than he
was; and my informant also stated that he became
the God-honored messenger of salvation to many
souls; and some in h:s native land, and others who
are now in Canada, remember, with gratitude to God,
the earnest zeal and faithful entreaties which were
instrumental in drawing them to Christ. But, alas!
in an evil hour the demon entered his soul. To all
who knew the parties concerned, the most unexpected
and unaccountable circumstances took place. Sud-
denly his attendance to religious duties ceased, and
the kind husband and affectionate father became»dis-
satisfied with and inattentive to the pious, excellent
wife of his youthful days, and the sweet children
whom God had given them to watch over. A few
unhappy weeks passed by, and the tears and prayers
of wife and entreaties of other friends were unavail-
ing to bring him back to moral consciousness. Event-
uaHy he left the neigborhood which had been the
scene of much satisfaction and happiness for several
years, and took with him the wife of another, who
heartlessly left her own family and home to become
the unlawful and scorned companion with whom,
under other circumstances, there could have been no
thoughts or feelings in common. To him life here-
after—in view of life's great object — was to be a
blank ; and though now in the full vigor of his man-
hood, days of happiness and usefulness had tied, never
to be recalled again. They embarked for America ;

THE backslider's DEATH-BED.

117

and at the time I found him with the companion of
his guilt and two children, they had Itved in adultery
for six or seven years. Those years, however, as I
learned, had been spent under one huge dark cloud.
He was the victim of disease ; seldom free from in-
tense pain ; and, what was still worse, on some occa-
sions almost mpddening remorse ; and the woman was
like one sent to "torment him before the time."
Their existence was in the most squalid poverty and
all its attendant wretchedness.

In the above circumstances will be found the cause
of my hesitation after he expressed the wish to be
visited. Though I determined to do so .at some time,
then T saw scarcely any ground for the faintest hope
of doinir him any ffood. I felt that before I could enter
upon any conversation with him relative to his soul's
salvation, I must of necessity first ascertain his willing-
ness to change his course of life, and j)lace himself on
promised ground. From all I could learn, I was afraid
there was little or no disposition to do so ; that he was
in fact trying to persuade himself, under the blinding
influence of Satan, that it was possible for him to con-
tinue his present life, and also enjoy religion and be
prepared for heaven.

In the course of a short time I was, however, unhesi-
tatingly led to his habitation. I had retired to rest
near two o'clock in the morning, but shortly after was
aroused by a sharp rapping at my bedroom window.
In reply to my question, " What is wanted ? " I received
the answer, " Mr. is very bad, and wishes you to

f--'

118 REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

go and see him at once ; he thinks he cannot live many
hours longer." -J rose and dressed myself immediately,
and, before leaving my room, offered a short but anxious
prayer that God would aid and direct me in my con-
templated interview with the dying man. During the
few minutes which intervened before I came to his
presence, on my way there, a confused and strange
hopelessness seemed to pervade my mind. A little way
from the dwelling I met a person who told me he

thought " Mr. would soon be gone," and that he

was leaving the house because he could not bear to
remain any longer. As I oame near, I heard his cries
of agony, and on entering the doorway a scene of hor-
ror presented itself. The dying man was forsaken by
every one (for several had been there, as I learned,
during the early part of tlie night) but the equally
guilty partner of his few last years. All the house
contained could not have been valued' at five dollars.
The two poor children were crouched in dirt and rags,
weeping and shivering. The woman, whom I now s^w
for the first time, was as repulsive an object as almost
any of her sex could bp The poor man was suffering
the most excruciating pain of body but this, I was
soon persuaded, was llllic compared to the agony of
mind he was then enduring. He was only p'Lrtially
undressed, and his bed was a wretched palleo of straw.
On this he was throwing himself from side to side, and
ceaselessly uttering cries of despair. He literally
"roared for the disquietude of his soul." He gave
utterance to his feelings in sentences varied as follows :

li^

THE backslider's DEATH-BED.

119

" O, my God ! I shall be dead in a few hours, and where
will my poor soul be ? " " O, my God ! I shall soon be
<?one, and what a life I have lived ! " "I was not
always this way, but there is no hope for me now ! "
" 0, God ! I shall be dead before daylight, and my poor
soul will be in hell ! " He seemed to regard his doom
as already irrevocably fixed, and only once during the
few hoars which transpired before his death did I suc-
ceed in arresting his attention, and then only for a
moment. In reply to a question, he groaned out the
words, '- Pray ! yes, you can pray ! " He continued to
give utterance to those despairing cries, and throw
himself on his bed for a few hours until entirely pros-
trated,paying no attention whatever to external objects
and even witb his dying breath tried to utter the words'
of deprecation so often before expressed.

Thus passed into the presence of his Judge this
BACKSLIDER. " The Way of transgressors is har'd."

120

KEVEIUES — HE VIEWS — IIEGOLLECTIUNS.

TIMOTHY OLDBOY'S RECOLLECTIONS.

1. PRELUDIAL.

PROPOSE in these sketches to rescue from
(^ oblivion some things which, if I do not perform
this duty, I am perfectly certain no one else ever can.
I say this without the least degree of hesitation, and
also without any fear of being charged with egotism.
It is the simple statement of an obvious fact. But
some one may ask, and others probably reiterate, "Are
the things which follow worth recalling ? Shall we be
any better — wiser ? Will they afford even any amuse-
ment?" Questions these which I cannot positively
solve for you. I will venture, however, two or three
remarks as being in some sort a reply to your queries.
First, I will say, you are not obliged to read ; your
reading is as purely voluntary as my writing. Then,
again, if you desire to obtain information, unless you
are already wise above most other people, I think I
can put you on the track — turn to the leading edi-
torials of this paper (the Mall), in which I greatly
rejoice in these days of independent thought ; though
I do belong to the Oldboy family, yet 1 do not acknow-
ledge any connection whatever with another family
to whom many people hav(; thought we were closely

TIMOTHY Ui.DliOV's RKCOLI.ECTIONS.

121

allied, viz., the venerable family of Oldfogie. Read
those editorials and you will be both better'lnd wiser.
Then, I will further say, reminiscences of the kind I
have faintly in view, some of them very deep in the
recesses of memory— if I can succeed in bringing them
up and placing them in the sunlight of to-day— have
always been to me the most popular kind of reading.
They have ever been, and are still to me, " philosophy
teaching by example." You will infer from these re-
marks that I am trying to reason from analogy. I am
presuming that your human nature is similar to my
own, and that other men are just about like us. On
this point I will say no more, but, should you read
these reminiscences, leave you to be pleased or dis-
pleased— I hope the former— as the case my be.

What I propose to do is this, to present these scenes,
not in any chronological order, but as they may occur
to me; possibly the last may be first and the hrst last,
appropriately or inappropriately. From this you see
I do not propose writing an autobiography of Timothy
Oldboy, in whom, it is presumable, you have no special
interest.

But who is this Rev. Timothy Oldboy ( Did we,
or do we ever see or hear him in any of our city
pulpits or platforms ( Well, 1 do not think it would
be wise on my part to attempt to answer every
question.

I will make a statenjent and conclude this preludial
part with some lines from Wordsworth.

My father was an Engli.sluiian, the family having'
9

122

llEVKRIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

lived on the same estate at least from the time of
James II.; I know not how much longer. He decided
on leaving England and going to Ohio. A letter re-
ceived just before leaving, from Sir Richard F , in-
duced him to change his purpose, and I landed with
him in Toronto (Little York) more than fifty years
ago. Within one month from the time of landing in
the city of New York, with my father's family, I was
living on a farm a short distance from Little York,
paid for with bright English sovereigns. Since that I
have become the Rev. Timothy Oldboy, and now you
know all about me.

"I ask not from w]\at Unci he came,
Or where his youth was nursed ;
If pure the stream, what matters it
The spot from whence it burst."

h IE

It!

II. HOW I WAS MADE A D.D., — AND HOW SOME OTHER
MEN ARE MADE D.D.'S.

I AM essentially a self-taught man. I have no
recollection of ever having been taught to read, or of
anyone who taught me. Undoubtedly 1 was taught,
and someone taught me. I distinctly remember that
when I was five years of age I could read as well as I
can to-day. For more than threescore years I have
been a most omnivorous reader. The habit formed in
childhood cleaves to me still, and I trust it will long
as life shall last.

My elementary education was nqt neglected. ] had

TIMOTHY OLDBOY'S RECOLLECTIONS.

123

the best advantages which were available, though far
from equal to those of to-day. Mathematical study-
was my special forte. In this I was generally dux.
I went through and, I presume, mastered some of the
first books of Euclid without a teacher. Reading and
study were always my delight. True, I had not the
most remote idea, at that time, of becoming dis-
tinguished as a D.D. ; at the same time I had, even in
my early boyhood, a consuming ambition to become an
author.

During the time of my preparation for the in|piistry
I was at home assisting (?) my father to work the
farm, a few miles west of this good city of Toronto.
I never left the house without a book. On a certain
occasion I was engaged in ploughing, though I never
could plough a straight furrow. In order to utilize
the time, — for I thought rJl time thrown away which
was not used in intellectual culture, — I fastened a
Greek Testament, then newly acquired, on the handle
of the plough, so as to be able to get a glimpse of the
words as I passed up and down in the furrow. In
this manner I first became acquainted with the begin-
ning of St. John's Gospel in the original. In due time
my annual and final examinations were passed credit-
ably, it was said at the time, and I was appointed to
a pastorate by the properly constituted authorities of
the Church.

But I am in this paper to state how I was made a
D.D., as well as how other ministers may attain
similar honors, I spent several years in maturing my

!■!'

124

REVERIES — REVIEWS — RECOLLECTIONS.

if!

thoughts on systematic theology, on which I prepared
a most elaborate work. In view of making arrange-
ments for its publication, I paid a visit to the city of
Boston, Irlass. While there I became acquainted with
several professors of the University, and was invited
to preach before them. The Dean of Theology said
the prayers, and my sermon was delivered before the
most learned congregation of the American Athens
I was duly honored by reporters, and my sermon was
published in some of the leading city papers. Criticisms
aboundiKl. By one it was said to be perfectly orthodox,
and full of sound theology. By another it was thought
to favor the new theology, which was then just begin-
ning to crop up into notice. By another it was said
to be learned, as a composition, beautiful, well-
delivered, but did lot voice any decided opinions in
theology.

Having completed the arrangements for the publi-
cation of my work, which was to be in two beautiful
octavo vohmies, I returned and again began to work.
It was now the first of May, and such a work as I had
produced would take some months to bring it out in a
a proper style. It could not be »'eady before autuum.

I had been at home about six weeks when I received
a large envelope bearing tlie insignia of the Boston
Uriversity, addressed, " The Reverend Timothy Old-
boy, Diuinitatis Doctor." This was the first time I
had seen my name in such connection. I was naturally
much excited, and at once broke the seal to see what
it contained. I read wiUi <leliijht an<l i^ratitude a

TIMOTHY OLDBOY'g RECOLLECTIONS. 125

beautifully-written Latin diploma on parchment, con-
ferring on me the degree of D.D. This' was
accompanied by a private letter from the President, of
which the following is a c( py :

"Boston University,

uT> m ^ "June 4th, .8 — .

"Rev. Timothy Oldboy, D.D.

"Dear Sir,— I Imve the honor to inform you that our
University has conferred upon you the degree of D.D. at the
recent convocation. Herewith also you will receive the diploma,
duly signed. I trust, dear sir, you may long live to enjoy this
honor, and become increasingly useful to an appreciative people.
"Allow me also to Cf.ngratulate you on the profound impres-
sion produced by your sermon preached in our University
Church. The beauty of its composition, the quotations from
the original Greek, the proofs and illustrations from Juvenal
and Horace so appropriate and correctly enunciated fronj the
author 3 own Latin, all combine to show your erudition, and
prove t ^ correctness of the remark made l)y a gentleman at the
convocation, that it was rather an honor to the University to con-
fer a degree on you than honi>ring you thereby.

" Hoping we may have a visit from you at no very distant day,
"1 am. Dear Sir,

''' Very truly yours,

"H. Banks, D.D., LL.D.,

'^Priiu'ipal Boston University."

T was no longer an ordinary man ! I communicated
all this pleasing news to my family, with the direction
that 1 was now to be called " the Doctor." My eldest
boy wanted to know if he was not to be called " the
young D.D."

Well, another thing I must notice— honors always

126

REVERIES— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

bring additional expense and responsibility. Thip was
to be no xception, as I soon discovered. My people
were delighted, and very considerately sent me a
present of $100, and also increased my annual stipend
by the same amount. Letters of congratulation came
in by every mail, for you must know that D.D.'s were
not as plentiful in Canada a quarter of a century ago
as they are at present. It was then regarded by the
great majority as a real mark of distinction. Requests
came by the dozen from various congregations, hoping
" the Doctor " would give them a Sabbath on the occa-
sion of their next church anniversary, about half a
dozen of which I endeavored to comply with annually.
Some four or live years later, 1 received a letter of
which the following is a literal copy. There may be
honorable men who judge others by themselves, and
on reading this account may doubt its truthfulness.
Now, I beg to assure every such doubter that I have
not set down aught in malice. I dare say some of the
blanks referred to could be found among bundles of
other rubbishly papers, if I were to make the search :

' ' Office of T)e Bleury College,

"City of Cavour, M<>.,

"August 26th, 18—.

"Rev. and Dear Sir,— I take the liberty of sending to your
atUlreBS ten blank diplomas from the Faculty of Do Bleury Col-
lege, conferring the honorary degree of D.D. upon as many
ministers as may be willing to comply with the conditions. Wo
leave it to your (.wn judgment as to who may receive the degree.
The recipient t)f a parchment usually pays twenty dollars, the

TrMOTHY OLDHOYS RECOLLECTIONS,

half of which you are at liberty to retfiin, and the balance please
to remit to uiy address for the l)enefit of tht? College. We have
already had returns from some of the principal cities of your
Dominion, and also from every State of the U'^'on.

"Our charter was i)rocured only three years ago, and i)aying
the members of our Legislature through whom it was o])tained
has kept us poor. As yet we have no building — the ofHce is in
my own house. The President has been appointed Professor
of New Theology, and also Rhet«)ric and Belles Lettres, so Miat
his hands are already full.

" Hoping to hear frtmi you as speedily as possible,
"Believe me to be

" Yours fraternally,

"JoHiAH Newman, D.D.,

^^ President D<> Blenrij CoVe<je,
"The Rev. T. Oldlx.y, D.D.. etc. etc."

I jumped up, throwing over my chair, and strode
across the floor of my study, exclaiming to myself,
" What does the fellow take me for ? " Mrs. Oldboy
rushed upstairs to see what was the matter. " Matter
enough," said I, " read that insolent letter and you will
see." How much the cloth may be indebted to him
for the increase in the number of D.D.'s I have no
means of knowing. From that day to this, nearly
thirty years ago, I have never heard either of the
College or its President.

! i

128 J'KVKinKS— HEVIKWS— nECOLLECTIONS.

THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL AND THE CHURCH
OF THE FUTURE.

R. HOSEA BIGLOW, or some one else just as
wise as he, gives the following most excellent
piece of advice, " Never prophesy until you know." I
do not think, however, there is much danger of being
classed among false prophets if I say the Sunday-school
of to-day will in a great measure produce or settle the
type of religious experience of the future. This being
the case, it is a question of momentous importance.
What should its teachings he? If experience is the
outcome of a belief of the truth, then our children
must have doctrinal teaching if the Church of the
future is to have a scriptural experience. How is this
to be brought about ? Let me indicate certain truths
which must be taught. The necessity of the Holy
Spirit's work,— th&t genuine Christian experience only
can follow conversian,~t\nit there must be corres-
ponding fruits in a pious life,— that every true disciple
may know that he is a child of God. Let these truths
be deeply impressed on the mind, and take possession
of the heart, the Church of the future will not be a
mere school of morals, but be all aglow with songs of
gladness. Again, there are certain elements which are

THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL AND THE OHltROH. 129

Vital to Christian experience. They are such as
these : Conviction and repentance of sin, pardon re-
generation by the Holy Spirit, the witness of the
Holy Spirit, sanctification, joy in the Lord. These
and many mure, are taught in the Bible.

Moreover, every phase of modern experience and
Christian life has its type in the Bible. The conver-
sion of Saul was certainly as marvellous in its mani-
festations as anything ever seen in modern revivals at
camp-meetings or elsewhere. To raise the cry of
'' enthwsiasmr o- "fanaticismr unless we can disprove
the account of Saul's conversion, is to be guilty of the
veriest folly ! These experiences are an inspiration
and give birth to religious activities, and make zeal
glow like a fire. Here, in fact, is the key to the
holy heroism of the first, and the wonderful progress of
Christianity of this the nineteenth, century.

Shall this experience continue ? If these truths are
taught in our Sunday-school3, and above all, if our
Sunday-school workers present a living, practical
Illustration of such truths, then may we expect the
Church of the future to be full of vital power ' On
the other hand, if our Sunday-schools are mere schools
of morality, then the Church of the near future will
be the same. More than this is required. Definite
and heart-belief of God's truth, and experimental piety
as the outcome of that belief, only can produce the
desired effect.

The same principles are applicable as to amusements
ol a doubtful character. Wine-drinkino- ca

-nlavi

mr.

KEVEHIE8— REVIEWS— RECOLLECTIONS.

dancing, covefcousness, among Sunday-school workers,
will till the Church, before the children of to-day be-
come men and women, with members of the same kind.
Thistle seed will not grow wheat. Thorns will not
produce oranges. Lax ideas of doctrine, of devotion,
and of morals, practised and taught, even negativel}*,
by Sunday-school workers of to-day, will produce the
same in the Church of the very near future.

It is the same as to benevolence. If missions, if
educational institutions, if hospitals for the sick and
infirm who cannot provide for themselves, are to con-
tinue in operation and be increasingly useful, it must
be determined norv. Upon the Sunday-school workers
of to-day there rests a tremendous responsibility, as
they also possess a wondrous power. The teaching of
the present touches the future, and solves the problems
of to-morrow. Parents leave this chiefly— far too much,
in fact — to Sunday-school workers. Every element
which enters the structure of our Sunday-schools
should be a subject of intense solicitude, even as much
or more so than our standards of doctrine or confes-
sions of faith for the Churches.

At the risk of being regarded as heterodox on this
point, I will place on record the following: I have
known Sunday-school teachers who always appeared
before their class with their prepared helps in hand,
and, in not a few cases, never having studied the lesson.
These " teachers " almost invariably allow the children
to read answers to any questions from the " leaves."
This is using "helps" with a vengeance. Result,

THE SILNDAY-SCHOOL AND THE CHCRCH. LSI

neither teacher nor pupil know any more about the
lesson at the close than at the beginning. Now, while
we gladly use the International Lessons, let the Scrip-
tures be interpreted and applied in accordance with
our denominational standards. Let the lesson also be
read and studied from the Bible, and all "Banners,"
limes, and other helps be left at home. There
should also in this be perfect uniformity. Sunday-
school teaching must also have a thoroughly evanffeli-
ca tone. This will fill the Church of the future all
aglow with hallowed fire. Every Sunday-school worker
IS shapmg the course of immortal souls ! There is no
room here for triflers !

Let every Sunday-school worker appreciate the
dignity as well as the responsibility of his oflice A
certain artist once said he was painting for eternity
In a much more extensive sense is the Sunday-school
teacher working for eternity. He is moulding the
eternal destiny of souls !

■'I

■n

r> i

POKMS.

FAREWELL TO HOME.

Tune—*' Bounding Billow. "

WELLS my heart with poignant sorrow,
While I think of friends and home ;
Forth I leave you on the morrow,
O'er this weary world to roam.

But each duty brings its blessing,
When the heart is cheer'd by God ;

With His streams of grace refreshing,
Then I'll spread His praise abroad.

And my God will surely guide me

O'er the weary waves of life ;
'Neath His wings I'll safely hide me,

'Mid its changing, fluttering strife.

When its toils and joys are over,

All its sorrows, all its pain,
Then in heaven we'll meet each other,

Where we'll never part agaii] !

136

POEMS.

ELORA.

.">-> <

LORA ! T would that I had seen thee
When no other but the native Indian,
Or the wild woodland deer, with outspread horns,
Or other forest denizen were found
Wand'ring aside thy meand'ring river, —
Then might I have survey 'd the works of God,
In all their unadorned ii.ajesty !
But now the busy hum of men is heard
Around thy unique waterfall ;
Forests have yielded to the woodman's axe,
Where erst the aboriginal abode
Was found- a wigwam, in sitnplicity
Of style, with native luxury adorn'd.
The Huron or the Mohawk no longer
Finds place to rest ; the race is ebbing out,
And soon not e'en a renmant will be found !

Still thou art beautiful !
Th}' rising hills, each side thy nnirm'riug stream,
Refresh the sight of weary travellers.
And call from thy own sons, and daughters i'air,
Exulting strains, praising thy rural scenes !
Still thou art beautiful ! Thy old river
Rolls unceasingly in its ancient couise,
With slonimr banks unto its verv edtro ;

...^Aimmm!.. ^'^m

KLOUA.

Or, more majestic, dances o'er the rocks
In its firm bed, with banks of durinjr stone
Reared upward ; and whirling eddies form,
Or bounding spray leaps up.

Emblem of life !
Ever swiftly in its allotted course,
But seldom smoothly, may it pass away.
The rocks of pride— the quicksands of despair-
The yawning whirlpools of our common foe,
Are lurking ever in its devious path !
I love to look upon that waterfall !
In haste it rushes o'er the shelving rocks,
And hurriedly pursues its course below ;
I love to look upon the rising sprav,
And watch until, its force all spent, it falls
With listlessness into the pool beneath.

137

And that old rock !
Alone and solitary does it stand ;
Its rugged edge o'erhangs the bubbling eddies ;
The passing stream of many ages gone
Has wash'd away its base and left it there.
Ere many years, like some time-worn old man,
Whose age is more than his allotted space,
'Twill suddenly, with some bold rushing flood,
Roll o'er into the deep beneath !

I love to look upon thy cypress trees.
With drooping branches, ever-during green ;
Or tap'ring balsam, with its spiry top;
10

188

I'OEMS.

Or climb among thy everlasting rocks,
Of primitive formation, as they were
When He, whose wisdom governs all things,
Gave them a new existence !

Elora, thou art beautiful !
Here commerce, health and beauty all may bloom ;
Religion, too, might flourish 'mid thy scenes
Of peace, where poverty nor luxury
Have bound thy sons with stern, unbending hand.
May no deadly moral blight e'er throw
Its with'ring coil around thy infant name ;
May thy fair daughters and their sons know Him,
Whom if they know, eternal life enjoy !

ENVY.

Thou taintest all thou look'st upon."

r'-i:«s- •>

jTrCTENCE, baneful Envy, monster, demon, hence I
cis Presume not like a king, as thou art wont,
To sway thy with'ring sceptre o'er our race,
Or, like a god, to reign within the breast,
And shed thy flick'ring, dimming light around
In every action ! I've seen thy sceptre,
Malicious tyrant of the sinning race !
With vengeful zeal swayecj q'er m> fellow-man ;

ENVY.

139

Men, created to partake of joys divine —

Men, designed of God to live forever —

Men, redeemed with Christ's most precious blood,

Have yielded to thy death -diffusing power !

Yea more :
Malignant Envy rose above the skies,
And fain would climb high heaven's imperial throne !
Lucifer, impelled by the malign decree,
Made war in heaven ; his unholy object
To dethrone th' eternal glorious King !
Was it not well, infernal monster, ,

That angels once all were hcfiy, happy.
In the presence of their God ? Till thou
Since then, and now, with zeal unabated,
Infused into the peaceful breast of one,
Brighter, it might be more holy than other
Of heaven's inhabitants, struggling passion
For pre-eminence ! A sad pre-eminence
He has obtained in a less holy place !
There may thy sway, henceforth, alone be found !
Arise, ye Christian race ! Shall deathless souls,
Designed to sing forever unto Him
Who loved and washed them from their guilty stains,
Thus yield their powers to thee ? Shake off the yoke
By which the soul has been enchained. Arise !
God calls you to a better, nobler state ;
A constellation of eternal bliss
Lies in the vista of futurity !
Repeat the strain ; arise ! partake the bliss ;
No lonirur yield vou to th«» temntfir's nower !

140

POEMS.

CHRIST'S NATIVITY.

"The Word was made flesh.'" — John i. 14.

pro-

HE world was dark,— systems had bee
claim'd

Some thousand years before, — tottering they stand,
But speedily to fall. Truths not even nam'd
Beyond the precincts of Judea's land
Had travers'd to the broad sea's utmost strand ;
Nations had tasted truth's life-giving spring,
But yet they thirst, — they wait till God's comniand,
Obeyed, shall to their souls sweet solace bring,
And He, the Christ, stand on the earth a God-like
king !

II.

Ancient forms, yielding to a ruthless power.
No longer give the mind a resting-place ;
The Gentile priests, amazed, look for the hour
When their frail imag'ry shall have no space
Whereon to stand. Apollo's priestly race
Have lost their power ; the oracle no more
Responds in Delphi's hall — dark is the case —
All is cheerless sadness, niirht's srloom hano-s o'er
Futurity ! though time runs ceaseless as before !

CHRIST S NATIVITY.

141

III.

The nations bowed to famed Imperial Rome.
Liberty ! prized as life by patriotic bands,
Was far from many as their much-loved home ;
Led on in sorrow from their distant lands
To grace the triumph of a victor's hands,
Sad was their fate, and heavy was their heart
While they obey'd a Roman's stern commands ;
And yet they dare not but perform their part
To please, though it should be with melancholy art.

IV.

But war had ceased, and peace its right maintained,
The doors of Janus' temple now were closed ;
Augustus Csesar his mild sway sustain'd,
The world bowed to his sceptre and proposed
To celebrate his triumph o'er his foes ;
From Juda's hills to Britain's distant coast
Then loudly a wild song of praise uprose.
The strains prolong'd by an unthinking host, —
Proud C.iBsar is their joy, their glory, and their boast

Events do not on all occasions shine •

With such transparent lustre to afford
At once surpassing bri^'htness to their shrine —
Attract a wond'ring throng and best accord
With human thoughts — such as the warrior's sword
Achieves. More glorious are Jehovah's ways —
" Let there be light," was His creative word.
Light came, obeying what the Almighty says ;
Albeit we wonder not to see its beauteous rays !

142

POEMS.

f u*

VI.

Thus while the source of uncreated light
Was born in favored Palestine, no fame
Or vain display of human pomp or might
Told where the Son of God, whose glorious name
Should give new life, whose constant work and aim
Should be to do His people good, was found ;
No empty human pageantries proclaim
Hosannas with a loud and solemn sound ;
Thee, O Ephratah ! only heard his praise abound '

VII.

Nobler paeans than aught of earth could raise
Were chanted o'er Bethlehem's favor'd plain, •
Shepherds, who watch their flocks, stand in amaze •
A glorious light from heaven descends amain
And shines around, bright and more bright again,
While angels sing, Glory to God above —
Prolong the strain — peace and good- will to men, —
Secure the bliss — partake his offered love
To man, through Bethl'em's babe God's choicest bless-
ings move.

VIII.

But lo ! a star adorns the horizon

To guide to Him the wise men of the East ;

Bright were the rays it shed their path upon.

They go, obeying the divine behest,

Salute the King with holier zest

Then they had every felt or known before

Within their joyous, consecrated breast, —

ON THE OEATH of MY ONLY DAUGHTER. 143

They fall before His feet — present their store
To Him, who gives them joy and life for evermore.

IX.

Bright star ! O wouldst thou shine and guide us

now
To where the world's Redeemer may be found ;
We see thee in the Book Divine, and bow
Before His glorious face ; with solemn sound
We sing His praise, and shout the world around,
Glory to God, a Saviour's now revealed.
Our songs of praise shall more and more abound ;
Awake the sleeper — let the sick be healed —
And may each heart be by thy Holy Spirit seale:! !

ON THE DEATH OF MY ONLY DAUGHTER.

DECEMBER 29, 1882.

CX:

MARY, thou art beautiful ! I think
I never gazed upon a face like thine, —
Guileless, pure, lovely, only to be loved ;
With large, soft hazel-eyes, a ceaseless smile
Played on every feature ; thy rosy lips
Half -parted ever, tempting to partake
Kisses, sweeter than nectar of the gods.
" A thing of beauty, and joy " of many.
Many hearts wert thou while with us thou stayed !

144

POEMS.

Oft had my thoughts run thus
Since this new object of my love had come
T' enchain my heart in such a sweet embrace ;—
If I should live to age and feebleness,
Unable to minister to any want,
How blest to have my own dear Mary near,
To hear the music of her voice, to see
Her beauty-beaming eye, to feel the touch
Of loving, gentle hands,— so tenderly I

Mary ! a minist'ring angel thou wouldst be !
The mother, now so bright p.nd beautiful.
Would then begin to feel the weight of years.
How would oyr hearts rejoice in Mary's love,

No human tongue could tell. Such were my dream.s.

The loving Father came from heaven and said,
" I'll take her to a better clime than this,
Where she may live and love for evermore !"
Day and night I gaz'd on thee, my Mary dear,

1 did not think— I could not think that thou
Wouldst leave us, until I saw thee struggle.
E'en in the very jaws of death itself.

Two little girls, two little boys, children
Of one common stock, on earth, in heaven too,
Were there long years before to welcome thee !
Long as my God while here shall lend me breath,
I'll think sometimes of thee, my darling girl !
I know not if they greet thee sister there,
I know not if they call thee Mary now,—

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.

But this I know, thou art an angel bright,
And pure, and beautiful, and good, — too good
To stay with us below, I'll therefore go
To THEE,

145

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.

*' And is there love
In heavenly spirite to these creatures base.
That may compassion of their evils move ?

There is.
How oft do they their silver bowers leave,
To come to succor us that succor want ?
How oft do they with golden pinions cleave •
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant."

—Spenser's "Fairie Queen."

DT T was the calm, still evening hour,
. 4^, I sat me in the summer bower ;
I thought of home~I thought of bliss—
I thought of other worlds than this !
While gazing on the starry sky,
A bright and beauteous thing stood by :
And then outbeamed a heavenly smile,
He thus commenced his song the while :
" My home is yon bright world above,
But Fm a messenger of love !
I've been thy guardian, child of earth,

From the first hour whinh anvp fboo Ki»'Hi •

146 POEMS.

Oft have I left that glorious scene,

And followed thee o'er this terrene ;

I guided thee o'er the trackless deep ;

I've followed thee up the mountain steep ;

I've seen thee stand on the craggy rock ;

I've watch'd thee 'mid the earthquake's shock,

And when the fierce tornado's blast,

With gathering fury round thee cast,

With dread intent, its firm embrace,

And thou hast sought some sheltering place,

Wherein to hide thee from its aim,

I've still thy friend and saviour been,
And thus prolonged life's changing game,

In this unknown and varied scene.

But more than this, thou child of earth ! —

I've guarded thee 'mid scenes of mirth !

I've brought thee safe through snares of vice,

And many ills which youth entice.

I've touched thee with my radiant wing,*

When thou hast thought no holy thing

Did thus its kindly aid afford,

To cause each heart, in sweet accord,

With thee to join in songs divine.

To Him who doth His gifts bestow
On seraphs bright, who ever shine

Before His throne, and men below.

* A beautiful legend exists in some parts of Germany, that a
Person who first breaks silence in a mixed company after a pause,
is touched by an angel's wing.

AUTUMN.

I'll be thy guardian angel still ;
I'll teach thee God's most holy will ;
I'll be thy guide where'er thou 'It go ;
I'll keep thee safe from every foe !
While thou'rt submissive to ray power,
I'll comfort thee each trying hour.
Though devils all their arts avail,
And men with them thy faith assail,
Trust thou in Him wr » doth declare,

I'll not foi'sake nor ever leave ;
The soul He's watched with tender care,

He never, never can deceive."

Fare thee well, thou guardian spirit !

When this vain pilgrimage is o'er,
And wash'd throughout by Jesus' merit,

I'll meet thee where we'll part no more.

147

AUTUMN.

lat a
uise,

GAIN old Time with ceaseless round has brouorht
His autumn days, with pensive pleasure fraught;
Nipt by the early frost, the forest tree
Presents the emblem of mortality.

148

POEMS.

The spring diffused its quickening showers,
The forests spread their shadowy bowers,
The summer sun shed forth its genial rays,
All nature smiled to see the lengthened days.

But summer's beauties soon, alas ! are past,
To summer sun succeeds the autumn blast ;
The withering leaf assumes its yellow hue,
To teach frail man that he is mortal too !

Sweet autumn day ! I love the pensive sadness,
Thoughts of thee infuse, more than all the gladness
Of gay, young hearts, who, without God or heaven,
Think not of thee, or thv sad lessons jjriven.

I own it is a uielancho^ thought,
That we, like fallen leaves, must soon be brought
To kiss our native earth, and closely lie
Entombed. O man, remember thou must die !

But what if on the resurrection's morn
We rise renewed on angels' wings upborne ?
The monster death may lose his boasted power.
The Christian meets him in a happy hour.

LINES TO MARY ELIZA.

149

LINES TO MARY ELIZA.

[The subject of the following lines is a little girl about four
years of age, who always greeted the writer in the tenderest
terms of aflfection, and left for a distant home without having an
opportunity of saying farewell. A few weeks after this she died
of scarlet fever.]

§ND art thou gone, sweet little one,
Without a last good-bye ;
And may I not that welcome find,
From thy young beaming eye ?

Thy words of love to parents dear.

Are like the thoughts of heaven
The Christian feels, when by his God

Are purest blessings given.

And those to me were oft address'd

In accents of delight ;
Such as should rise in praise divine

To heaven's majestic height.

The Saviour taught, while here He stay'd,

That children such as thee,
Before His Father's throne appear.

In blessed purity !

I'll pray for thee, sweet little one,

That thy life's stream may flow
O'er these tempestuous, troublous waves,

Ever as calm as now.

150 POEMS.

may thy life be trained for God !

That when at last we rise,
That if on earth no more we meet —

We meet above the skies !

TO MARY ELIZA IN HEAVEN.

[HERE is a world above this earth,
A world of spirits bright,
Where all is joy and heavenly mirth,
And love and heavenly light.

To that blest world our thoughts aspire,
While here God's praise we sing ;

We strike with joy the golden lyre,
And cheerful tribute bring.

And when we think of those we loved,
Though transient was their tay ;

With lively hope our souls are moved,
We long to soar away !

Oh, happy, happy is that place

Where all our spirits meet ;
Beyond the bounds of nether space

We'll soon each other greet.

Sweet little girl, and thou art there,

An an^el bright and pure,
Far from the reach of every care,

And every sinful lure.

TO MARY ELIZA IN HEAVEN. 151

And thou art fit to dwell with God !

From sin thy soul is free ;
I hail thee in thy blest abode,

And pray to dwell with thee.

Short was thy stay in this vain world,

Its cares thou never knew,
Affection's banner, wide unfurled,

Its shadow o'er thee threw.

Though thou this world art far above,

And sorrows cause to sigh,
I'll not forget thy smile of love,

And beauty-beaming eye.

When anxious thoughts would tear my breast,

And cause the tears to flow,
I'll think of thee and heavenly rest,

Far from these scenes of woe !

What though thy parents mourn thee lost,

And sorrow tills the heart ;
Thou'rt one of God's redeemed host,

From Him no more to part !

Angelic spirit ! fare thee well ;

A few more days and years,
We hope to join the song and tell

JJe's wiped away our tears '

152

POEMS.

TO THE YOUNG MEN OJ GUELPH.

^M^OM.^ listen to me, I'll sing you a
y^ A theme I've obtained, and moi

ditty,
more is the pity ;
I'll not, with old Homer, go back to Troy,
Nor sing, with Kirke White, of the " Wandering Boy."
My theme is a good one, I know you'll admit.
If you'll have the patience a minute to sit ;
'Tis not, of all others, my own pretty self —
Far better than this — 'tis the "young men of Guelph !"
The "young men of Guelph!" why, what have they

done,
That thus you are writing and making a pun ?
They've done nothing yet, but propose to begin
A course, of all others, to keep them in sin !
They intend to "get up," as you will see.
An Amateur Theatrical hee ;
In order to cheat Old Nick of his due.
For charity's use they'll give every sou !
The Herald may say he sees " no objection,"
But by this he just proves that he's caught the infection.
We think it's a pity but Shakespeare could rise
And see how these " young men " his heroes disguise ;
Could he hear Othello declare his firm hate.
Or Desdemona bewail her sad fate,
1 trow he'd think them from some foreign hiiul,
Put in his caveat, and call them to stand.

Yei

Tho

No\
'Tis
V

Sto

THE infant's burial.

1 5J^

Ye spirits of Kean— of Siddons— of Kemble !

Those "young men" declare they'll make you all

tremble !
Now Garrick's no more— Macready has done—
'Tis here they will have most wonderful fun !
why should you act like some silly elf ?
Stop, ere you begin, ye " young men of Guelph !"

THE INFANT'S BURIAL.

FOUNDED ON FACT.

e::*-

ITl saw a mother bending o'er
J<, A lovely daughter's grave,
While sorrow pressed upon her heart,
For her she could not save.

I heard her say, " My lovely child,

Why art thou gone from me ?
My heart was glad whilo here thou stayed,

And I thy face could see !

But then," she said, in accents mild,
•' My Father's will is best ;
'Tis His design, my Mary's gone

To her eternal rest."
11

154 POEMS.

She raised her heart in humble prayer
To heaven's glorious throne :
" Support me in this trying hour,
My God, Thy will be done !

" All wisdom doth belong to Thee,
Thou God of heaven and earth ;
Our joys and sorrows are divine,
They have in Thee their birth.

" I mourn not, Mary, without hope,
Though thou'lt not come to me ;
I'll live to God while here below,
And then I'll go to thee."

She bowed submissive to the will

Of Him who ruleth well ;
Though nature still its right maintained,

Her grief she did not tell.

That mother's heart yearned o'er her babe,
Though not a tear she shed ;

Her cheek was pale — her eye was fixed,
She felt her child was dead !

A little boy stood by the grave —
He had not learned to weep,

For sorrow had not touched his heart, —
He thought she was asleep.

THE infant's burial.

He kissed his sister's cold, pale cheek

(Her corpse was covered o'er),
And then he turned, and cried aloud,
" I'll never see her more !"

" Why weepest thou, my darling boy ?"

His mother softly said ;
" The grass will grow upon her grave,

It is a quiet bed !

" 0, nearer to thy mother's heart
Wilt thou and Annie be.
Since Mary's gone to heaven above.
Her Father's face to see.

155

" If thou art good, as Mary was,
While here she stayed below,
Thou'lt see her in a brighter place,
Nor sin nor sorrow know !"