THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
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 A SKETCH 
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS, 
 
 ^) 
 
 LATE OF 
 
 THE OHIO CONFERENCE 
 
 C i lit i n n ;t 1 1 : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY SWoRMSTEDT & POE, 
 
 FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE WESTERN BOOK 
 CONCERN, CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH STREETS. 
 
 K. P. THOMPSOX, PIUXTEE, 
 
 1^54.
 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1849, by 
 
 L. SWORMSTEDT & J. H. POWER, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District of the United States for the 
 
 District of Ohio.
 
 -^y: 
 
 TO THE READEE 
 
 This Sketch has been delayed some 
 time, under the hope of obtaining mate- 
 rials for a more extended account, than 
 I am now able to give, of the life of Mr. 
 Collins, who was one of the most devoted 
 and useful ministers of the Methodist 
 Church. But faihng to procure the ne- 
 cessar}^ facts, this outhne is pubhshed, 
 which might as well have been written a 
 few days after his decease. 
 
 The Writek. 
 
 461879
 
 A SKETCH 
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS 
 
 The Rev. John Collins was born in 
 Gloucester county, in the state of New 
 Jersey, on the first of November, 17(39. 
 He has left no sketch of his eventful 
 life, except a very short and imperfect 
 memorandum on two half sheets of 
 letter paper. But in the many fields 
 where he labored, there remain records 
 of love, TVTitten on the hearts of liis ac- 
 quaintances and friends, which can never 
 be effaced or lessened, until the pulsa- 
 tions of those hearts shall cease. 
 
 In the above sketch he savs, that 
 he has always reflected with pleasure 
 on the first moneyed transaction of his
 
 I> A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 lite, which was the purchase of a New 
 Testameut, when a small ho}', with the 
 first dollar he ever owned. He read, 
 and committed to memoiy, large por- 
 tions of that blessed book. His earhest 
 religious impressions were received while 
 strolhng with a boy, about his own age, 
 (►n the Sabbath, to diversify their amuse- 
 ments. They heard singing, and draw- 
 ing near to the house, they found that 
 a collection of people were singing the 
 hymn, beginning, 
 
 " Thee we adore, eternal name, 
 And humbly own to tiiee." 
 
 Every sentiment of the hymn touched 
 his heart. Never till then did he see 
 life so short and uncertain. The ensu- 
 ing night, for the first time, he bowed 
 his knees in prayer to God, in his father's 
 barn. He continued to pray regularly, 
 at fixed periods, for some time; l)ut, 
 through the influence of wicked com-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOIIN COLLINS. 7 
 
 panions, liis mind was drawn from relig- 
 ion. For several years he wandered 
 about seeking rest and finding none. 
 On his return home from these wander- 
 ings, he found that one of his friends 
 had been converted, and was preaching 
 the Gospel. This, as might be expeci> 
 ed, deeply affected him, and again he 
 became a seeker of religion. But he 
 soon found, that such were the numbers 
 and character of his associates, that he 
 could not hope to persevere in a relig- 
 ious course whilst Avithin the reach of 
 thefr influence. His feelings were social 
 and ardent, and he was unable to resist 
 the importunities and examples of liis 
 friends. 
 
 With the view of changing liis course 
 and habits, he resolved to travel to 
 Charleston, in South Carolina. He 
 hoped there to form new associates, 
 whose influence would be more salutaiy.
 
 8 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 At that eai'ly day, the usual and cheap- 
 est mode of travenng to the south, was 
 by sea. He accordingly embarked on 
 board of a vessel, and, on his passage, en- 
 countered a terrific storm. The captain 
 and crew, though vain and trifling before, 
 and seemed to rel}^ on the strength of 
 the vessel, and their art in navigation, 
 became supphants at a throne of mercy. 
 The danger was imminent, and there 
 seemed to be no ground of hope, except 
 in Ilim who rides upon the storm, and 
 calms the mighty surges of the deep. 
 On this occasion, he was strongly im- 
 pressed with the omnipresence of God, 
 wliich, in after years, became the solace 
 of his life. 
 
 This solace is felt only by the Chris- 
 tian. It belongs to no other system of 
 rehgion, or of ethics. Those whose 
 deeds will not bear the hght are fond 
 of darkness. They seem to persuade
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 9 
 
 themselves, that, by possibility, they may 
 escape the notice of an omniscient God. 
 Hurried onward by unbridled passion, 
 they endeavor to suppress reason and 
 conscience. The reflection, if indulged, 
 that "thou God seest me," would, gen- 
 erally, prevent the commission of crime, 
 by those who beheve the Bible. But 
 the Christian is cheered by the omni- 
 presence of his God. Under circum- 
 stances the most unfavorable to human 
 appearance, tliis consolation sustains 
 him. Like the prophet of old, w^ho was 
 surrounded by the Assyrian host, he 
 knows that the chariots and horsemen 
 of heaven encamp about him, and are 
 strono'er than his adversaries. 
 
 Mr. Colhns remained at Charleston 
 more than a year. During this period, 
 tie was in the habit of praying often. 
 On one occasion, w^hile on his knees, the 
 enemy suggested to him, if the Bible be
 
 10 A SKETni OF THE 
 
 true, he could not hope to be converted 
 at Charleston — that, being ashamed of 
 Jesus, he had left his home to seek him 
 in that city, and the words, "Whosoever 
 is ashamed of me before men, of him 
 will I be ashamed before my Father and 
 his holy angels," overwhelmed him. 
 Such was the effect of this device of 
 the enemy, that, for two years, he did 
 not ofler up a prayer. 
 
 Whether this temptation proceeded 
 from the evil one, as supposed, or was 
 the suggestion of his own nature, it is 
 not uncommon. AVhen the conscience 
 is tender, and the mind uninstructed, 
 under a sense of unworthiness, discour- 
 agements arise which are often difficult 
 to be overcome. Hoping against hope, 
 with a weak and tremulous faith, still 
 there is no ground for despair. But no 
 one can learn this, as he should know it, 
 who has not experienced it.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHxX COLLINS. 11 
 
 Having returned from Charleston in 
 November, 1793, Mr. Collins was mar- 
 ried to Sarah Blackman, whose amiable 
 disposition and pious hfe filled his home 
 with domestic bhss. She still survives 
 him, a hving example of the excellence 
 and truth of rehgion. 
 
 In June, or July, 1794, he was awa- 
 kened by a severe affliction which brought 
 him, apparently, to the verge of the 
 grave. In this extremity, he sought 
 religion, and found it in the ensuing Oc- 
 tober. His convictions were deep — his 
 struggle was protracted and earnest, but 
 the \ictor)^ was great. The evidence of 
 his acceptance was clear, and he soon 
 became an active member of the Meth- 
 odist Church. Sometime after this, his 
 mind was much exercised about preach- 
 ing. But, for a considerable time, he 
 resisted this impression of his duty. He 
 expostulated with the Almighty, that he
 
 12 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 was not qualified for so important an 
 undertaking, and that he was encum- 
 bered with a family. B}' fervent and 
 constant prayer, he besought the Lord 
 to send those who were better qualified 
 than himself for so great a work, and 
 who were less encumbered. But the 
 impression of duty became stronger, until 
 he yielded to the suggestion to attempt 
 to preach once, and if any one should 
 be awakened, he might receive it as an 
 evidence of his being called to preach 
 the Gospel. 
 
 Under this resolution, the passage of 
 Scripture occurred to him, "Many are 
 called but few chosen," but he did not 
 know where to find it. On his way to 
 the place of his appointment, he called 
 at a house, where he heard a young man 
 read the above passage. He immedi- 
 ately asked the individual for the book, 
 and he preached from that text. The
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 13 
 
 young man heard the sermon, became 
 awakened, and, soon after, converted. 
 That young man was Lamer Blackman, 
 the brother of his wife, who afterward 
 became an eminent preacher of the Gos- 
 pel in the Methodist Church. Many 
 who will trace these lines, will recollect 
 with what force and beauty Mr. Black- 
 man illustrated the truths of the Gospel. 
 He had few equals in the pulpit, whether 
 his eloquence, or the fmits of his labor, 
 be regarded. And many will recollect 
 the sympathy ^ excited, and the gloom 
 thrown over Cincinnati, and the Metho- 
 dist Church, when this eminent serv^ant 
 of God, having paid a visit to his 
 friends in the state of Ohio, in 1815, 
 and spending the Sabbath in Cincin- 
 nati, was drowned the next day in at- 
 tempting to cross the Ohio river. The 
 horses in the open ferry-boat became 
 much frightened, and crowding suddenly 
 
 r
 
 14 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 together they pushed him overboard. 
 He seemed not to be alarmed, and swam 
 sometime, but, eventually, sank to rise 
 no more. His wife remained in the 
 boat, though frantic and overwhelmed, 
 as may well be supposed. She is be- 
 lieved to be now living in the neighbor- 
 hood of Nashville, Tenn. The body of 
 Mr. Blackman was recovered and in- 
 terred by a great concourse of weeping, 
 though submissive friends. 
 
 The work did not end in the conver- 
 sion of young Blackman.^ Ten or elev- 
 en of the family were afterward awa- 
 kened and converted. These evidences 
 were received, as they well might be, by 
 ]\Ir. Collins as a clear indication of his 
 duty, and he could no longer hesitate 
 to perform it. He preached with gi'eat 
 acceptance, and the fruits of his ministry 
 were abundant. 
 
 In the year 1802, Mr. Collins visited
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 15 
 
 the Northwestern Territory, now the 
 state of Ohio ; and in the following year, 
 removed his family to the west, and set- 
 tled on a farm in Clermont county, on 
 the east fork of the Little ^liami river, 
 about twenty-five miles east of Cuicin- 
 nati. He continued to occupy this farm 
 until a few years before his decease, when 
 he removed to Maysville, Ky., and resid- 
 ed with his second son. Gen. CoUins, 
 who had lost his wife, and had the care 
 of several small children. 
 
 Mr. Collins preached, in 1804, the 
 first Methodist sermon that was ever 
 preached in Cincmnati, to twelve per- 
 sons, in an upper room. ^Yho can read 
 this and not think of that upper room 
 in wliich the disciples and the Savior 
 met? An upper room, being retked, 
 seemed to be a favorite place in which 
 to worship in the introduction of Chris- 
 tianity. And this was not limited to
 
 16 A SKETCH OF TJIE 
 
 Judea. One person, a most estimable 
 lady,"*^ is still living, and is a member of 
 the Church, who heard that sermon. 
 Her father occupied a small house on 
 Main-street, (at that time there were no 
 large houses in Cincinnati,)and kept an 
 article for sale which Mr. Colhns called 
 to purchase. He inquired if there were 
 any Methodists in town, and on being 
 informed that the wife of the gentleman 
 was a member, and that he had been 
 reared in the Church, Mr. Collins clasped 
 him in his arms with joy. And on be- 
 ing invited to preach, he consented. 
 Word w^as sent to the neighbors, and 
 twelve persons were collected, the same 
 evening, in the small upper room. Mr. 
 Colhns took for his text a part of the 
 fifteenth and sixteenth verses of the 
 sixteenth chapter of Mark, " Go ye into 
 all the world and preach the Gospel to 
 
 •Mrs. Dennison.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 17 
 
 every creature. He that believeth and 
 is baptized shall be saved; but he that 
 believeth not shaU be damned." In a 
 short time after the commencement of 
 the discourse, the preacher and his con- 
 gregation were in tears, wliich continued 
 during the whole course of the sermon. 
 Under this discourse, one individual re- 
 ceived his conviction, and his conversion 
 soon followed. He afterward became a 
 local preacher. 
 
 On his departure the next morning, 
 Mr. CoUins promised to influence the 
 Rev. John Sale to visit them for the 
 purpose of organizing a Church. He 
 came in a short time, and formed a class 
 having eight members, and appointed 
 Mt. Gibson its leader. The above lady 
 is the only survivor of that class. This 
 was the beginning of jNIethodism in 
 Cincinnati. Mr. Gibson was the only 
 person in the Church, whose circum-
 
 18 A SKEnX'H OF THE 
 
 stances enabled him tu entertain the 
 preacher. 
 
 Will the reader linger a moment on 
 that remarkable congregation of twelve ; 
 not remarkable for their positions in 
 society, but as the first assemblage of 
 Methodists, to hear a sermon by a Meth- 
 odist preacher, in a town which, in a few 
 years, was to become noted for Metho- 
 dism. In the small apartment, lighted 
 with one or two flickering candles, sat 
 the twelve. The preacher performed his 
 duty most faithfully and affectionately. 
 Many tears were shed. Some wept un- 
 der a conviction of their sins, others 
 from a joyful hope of the future. The 
 speaker had a word for each hearer, and 
 it took effect. There were no dry eyes, 
 nor unfeeling hearts, in the congregation. 
 How small and how humble was this be- 
 ginning ! and yet who can limit the con- 
 sequences which followed it! One step
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 19 
 
 led to another, and thus a chain of events 
 succeeded, and are still in progress at 
 this hour. A pebble is tln'own into the 
 ocean, which causes an undulation of 
 the water to an almost unLimited extent. 
 And is it not so in the moral world? An 
 impulse for good is given; it gathers 
 strength in purpose and in numbers, 
 until it bears down and overcomes all 
 opposition. 
 
 When states or empires rise in gran- 
 deur, we naturally recur to their earliest 
 history with interest. We want to see 
 and comprehend the germ, the embryo 
 of that w^hich has become gTeat. And 
 we are edified and instructed by the 
 wonderfiil progression of events. All 
 men feel the force of this important fact ; 
 and interesting as it is, in relation to 
 the progress of states, it becomes still 
 more so in relation to the progTess of 
 Christianity. It retains the same hfe-
 
 20 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 giving principle which was so gloriously 
 manifested in the days of the apostles. 
 However humble and unpromising, to all 
 human appearance, the instruments may 
 be in this great cause, their faithful la- 
 bors are never in vain. What could 
 have been more unpromising than the 
 attempt of twelve fishermen and a tent- 
 maker, to establish this system at the 
 first, against the prejudices, the talents, 
 the learning, and the wealth of the world? 
 But the seed was sown, and the harvest 
 was glorious. And Christianity is still 
 the same. There is a divinity in it, and 
 because its progress is a standing mira- 
 cle, it does not strike the world as 
 miraculous. But what can be more mi- 
 raculous than to change the current of 
 the human heart, depraved and corrupt 
 as it is? This is the greatest of all mir- 
 acles. Had the miracle of healing all 
 manner of diseases been continued, as
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 21 
 
 in the days of the apostles, it would 
 have been less striking than the changes 
 which are daily witnessed. 
 
 In 1807, Mr. Collins joined the trav- 
 eling connection, and was appointed to 
 the Miami circuit, having for his asso- 
 ciate B. Lakin, a most excellent preach- 
 er. This new responsibilit}^ was assumed 
 by Mr. CoUins with much hesitancy and 
 doubt. He rated his own abihties much 
 lower than any one else. Before he left 
 home on this mission, he made out, for 
 his wife, a list of his appointments on 
 the circuit, stating the day and the hour 
 for the commencement of public worship. 
 She was a woman of ardent piety, and 
 had an unshaken faith ; and she solemn- 
 ly pledged herself to engage in prayer, 
 in his behalf, during the hour of his 
 preaching. Tliis pledge was faithfully 
 redeemed; and Mr. Collins had the 
 most satisfactory assurances, in his own
 
 22 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 feelings, and in the success of his la- 
 bors, that the prayers of his wife were 
 answered. 
 
 There are few more touching incidents 
 in the history of rehgion than this. The 
 husband, feeling the full weight of his 
 duty, and being diffident of his own 
 qualifications, asks the fervent prayers 
 of his wife during his preaching hours. 
 He had great confidence in the efficacy 
 of those prayers. And he knew they 
 were interceding in his behalf while he 
 was preaching to the people. That his 
 labors should be successful, under such 
 ckcumstances, was to be expected; and 
 they were, in a most extraordinary de- 
 gree, successful. Could the congrega- 
 tion have seen that pious woman on 
 her knees, praying fervently for her hus- 
 band, and for them, the whole hour he 
 was preaching to them, their hearts 
 would have been subdued. The men
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 23 
 
 of the world can show no parallel to 
 this. Their highest aspirations and 
 noblest acts do not compare with it. It 
 is more elevated, more subHme, more 
 heavenly, than any mere human efFoi-t 
 can be. 
 
 In the year 1808, Mr. CoUins traveled 
 the Scioto circuit, and the two following 
 conference years, the Deer Creek circuit. 
 He was next assigned to the Union cir- 
 cuit, which embraced the towns of Leb- 
 anon and Da}i:on. At the latter place 
 there was no Methodist church; very 
 few, if any, members of the Church re- 
 sided in the town; and if a Methodist 
 minister had preached in the town, it 
 was rare; for it was not at that time a 
 regular preaching-place. In passing by 
 the town, or through it, Mr. CoUins re- 
 solved to include it in his circuit. On 
 inquir}', he found that the court-house 
 was occupied by a preacher in the morn-
 
 24 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 ing, and Mr. Collins gave notice that, if 
 agreeable, he would deliver a short dis- 
 course after the morning sermon. The 
 morning sermon was unusually long, 
 which afforded but a short time for the 
 second discourse. Understanding that 
 the preacher regularly occupied the 
 court-house every other Sabbath, ]Mr. 
 ColUns made an appointment to preach 
 in the morning of the vacant Sabbath. 
 But when he returned to fdl this ap- 
 pointment, he found the house occupied 
 by the same preacher, who deemed it 
 to be his duty to preach a veiy long 
 sermon. After he concluded, Mr. Col- 
 lins delivered a very short discourse, and 
 in the conclusion observed, that he per- 
 ceived he was considered, in preaching 
 at that place, as an obtruder, and that he 
 would make another appointment in the 
 town, if a preaching-place could be pro- 
 cured. Some person rose in the con-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 25 
 
 gregation and stated, that he had an 
 unfinished house, which could be seated 
 at a small expense, and might be used 
 for a preaching-place. The next ap- 
 pointment was made at that house, and 
 a crowded congregation assembled. Mr. 
 Collins proposed to the congregation to 
 build a church, which proposition was 
 well received. Mr. Cooper gave a lot 
 for the site of the church, a liberal sub- 
 scription in money, and another lot to 
 aid in building the church. It was soon 
 built through the agency of ]Mr. Collins ; 
 and he formed a class in the town. This 
 was the origin of Methodism in the town 
 of Dayton. 
 
 On the Union circuit, and especially 
 in the town and vicinity of Lebanon, a 
 revival commenced, which, in a short 
 time, so increased the society in Leban- 
 on, as to make it one of the largest in 
 the state. It attracted the attention of
 
 2G A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 the preachers and the Church through- 
 out the western country. Before the 
 commencement of this gracious dispen- 
 sation, the congregations were so small, 
 as to find accommodation in one or two 
 small rooms. But the increase of mem- 
 bers and hearers was so great, as, in a 
 yery short time after the excitement 
 commenced, to require a different place 
 of worship. A house, the largest that 
 could be found, famiharly called "the 
 red house," was procured. It was a mere 
 shell, and was rented and fitted up with 
 common benches, and a temporary stand, 
 or pulpit. 
 
 This structure and its accommoda- 
 tions, would make a sony figure at the 
 present day. But it was the most in- 
 teresting place of public worship that the 
 writer of this ever entered. He has oft- 
 en, in his own mind, drawn a painful con- 
 trast between that rude and humble
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLIXS. 27 
 
 frame building, and the modem church- 
 es-, which everpvhere adorn and beautify 
 our cities and towns. The man of taste 
 may admke these lofty edifices, theu' 
 beautiful proportions, in accordance with 
 the most approved rules of architecture, 
 and theu' commodious seats, aisles, altars 
 and pulpits ; but these are as nothing 
 to the place where the preacher is full 
 of the inspkation of the Gospel, and his 
 hearers hang upon his hps with fervent 
 prayer and rejoicing. Under such cir- 
 cumstances, it is easy to preach and 
 easy to hear, and all are benefited. 
 
 Night after night, and day after day, 
 were these meetings continued, with in- 
 creasing interest, until few, very few, of 
 the citizens of the village remained un- 
 affected. Scores after scores were added 
 to the Church, and no doubt is enter- 
 tained, that many who were the subjects 
 of this revival are now^ among the sane-
 
 28 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 tified in heaven ; others are on theu' 
 way ; but some turned aside, who have 
 also gone to then- account. During the 
 whole course of this work, there was the 
 greatest cordiality, sympathy, and love, 
 among the members of the Church. 
 Every movement was harmonious, and 
 each one sought to advance the prosper- 
 ity and happiness of the whole. All 
 revivals are characterized by this spmt; 
 but in the one now spoken of, it pre- 
 vailed in an uncommon measure. 
 
 How rarely, if ever, do difficulties 
 arise in a Church whilst its members 
 are influenced by the spirit of their 
 Master! In the absence of this spirit, 
 members find fault with each other, with 
 their preacher, and with the general ad- 
 ministi'ation of the Disciphne of the 
 Church. Points of doctrine, too, are 
 discussed, and men, of more ardor than 
 piety, seek to introduce into the mem-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 29 
 
 bership vie\ys of civil polity not nec- 
 essarily connected with religion, and 
 which are sure to destroy the harmony 
 of the body. It is, at this point, the 
 doctrine of reform is advocated by im- 
 petuous minds, and a spirit of proscrip- 
 tion is generated and carried out, which 
 is not, unfrequently, destructive of the 
 purity of religion, and of the prosperity 
 of the Church. The chief matter in 
 controversy, thus introduced into the 
 Church, however foreign it may be to 
 rehgion, and to the best interest of the 
 Church, becomes the great question in 
 dispute, and absorbs every other consid- 
 eration. The venerable Collins once re- 
 marked, in reference to such a state, " It 
 is some evidence that the society think 
 of religion when they quarrel about it ;" 
 and it may be added, as a lamentable 
 fact, that no better evidence than this 
 is sometimes furnished of their piety.
 
 30 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 After continuing a second year on the 
 circuit including Lebanon, endeared as 
 Mr. Collins was to the society at Leb- 
 anon, and much as he was attached to 
 them, circumstances required him to lo- 
 cate. During his retirement from the 
 traveling connection, he often visited 
 Lebanon, and was always received as a 
 beloved father by the whole society. 
 His labors were blessed on these visits, 
 and the religious intercourse was instruc- 
 tive and sweet, and is still remembered 
 by the living, and we have no doubt by 
 the dead. 
 
 In regard to this location, Mr. Collins 
 said to a friend, who has communica- 
 ted the fact, that, "■ While he was labo- 
 riously cultivating the Lord's vineyard, 
 in the earlier years of his itinerant min- 
 istry, his faithful wife superintended 
 herself all the farming operations at 
 home. The produce of his fertile lands
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 31 
 
 was carefully liarvested and gathered in. 
 Pro\idence seemed to smile upon his 
 fields and the labor bestowed on them, 
 as well upon his own labors in tilling 
 Immanuel's land; and his family enjoyed 
 a competency of the necessaries and 
 comforts of hfe. The increasing cares 
 and labors devolving upon his beloved 
 wife, by the enlargement of the farm, 
 and the wants of his rising family, and 
 the seeming necessity of his personal 
 attention to both, began to be a source 
 of anxious thought to liim. He came 
 to the conclusion, that the cu'cumstances 
 justified his rethement fi'om the Lord's 
 vineyard, to cultivate his own. 
 
 ^* With this view, he located, and devo- 
 ted his entke time to the improvement 
 and cultivation of his farm. He pre- 
 pared a large quantity of ground, and 
 had the promise of a hea\y crop of all 
 kinds of grain. But the same smihnoj
 
 32 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 providence, which had hitherto blessed 
 his labors, seemed now withheld. A 
 rainy season mildewed, or rusted, his 
 fme crops of wheat and other grain. 
 liis meadows yielded a large supply of 
 hay; but, after being cut, it was render- 
 ed worthless by the long continued rains. 
 Thus, after bestowing so much care and 
 attention upon his farm, he lost almost 
 its entire products. But this was not 
 all; some of his horses, and several of 
 his cattle died. He rightly interpreted 
 this, and trusting his temporal interests, 
 and the concerns of his family, to the 
 same beneficent providence, which had 
 so well before provided for him and them, 
 he returned to his appropriate calling, 
 the ministiy ; from which he never again 
 retired, until the infirmities of age com- 
 pelled liim." 
 
 In 1819, Mr. Collins was appointed 
 presiding elder of the Scioto district.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 66 
 
 and he \vci5 continued in that office dur- 
 ing the year 1820. His efforts were 
 eminently successflil on this district. 
 He found the harvest ripe, and he and 
 those who co-operated with him, garnered 
 a glorious crop. 
 
 The follo^\ing has been communicated 
 by a friend, in relation to this period: 
 
 "During the great revival of religion 
 in Chillicothe, while Mr. Collins was pre- 
 siding elder of the Scioto district, he 
 devoted all the time that he was not 
 necessarily employed in the other parts 
 of the district, in forwarding the work 
 in Chilhcothe. The town was at this 
 time in the circuit, and had circuit 
 preaching but once in two weeks. But 
 the magnitude of the work, and the 
 great increase of the membership, re- 
 quired for it the constant labors of a 
 pastor. The presiding elder, seeing the 
 necessity of the case, erected Chillicothe
 
 34 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 iuto a separate pastoral charge, and 
 took the senior preacher (Rev. William 
 Swayze) from the circuit, and placed 
 him in charge of the new station thus 
 created, and employed another to fill the 
 vacant place on the circuit. Father 
 Collins' arrangements for carrying on 
 the revival, and his management of it 
 while in town, were exceedingly judi- 
 cious and successful, exhibiting his great 
 skill and experience in this department 
 of ministerial labor. He rendered every 
 practical aid, both in the pulpit and in 
 the pastoral work. His preaching, which 
 has always been distinguished for being 
 plain, practical and pointed, was, on these 
 occasions more especially, dehvered ^in 
 power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in 
 much assurance;' and, at times, were 
 fine specimens of tme pulpit eloquence. 
 "At one of his quarterly meetings 
 about this time, (in March, 1819, we
 
 LIFE OF EEV. JOHN COLLINS. 35 
 
 believe,) his sermon on Sabbath morning 
 was an unusually fine effort. He seem- 
 ed to have received a fresh baptism of 
 the Holy Ghost, and to be newly com- 
 missioned as an embassador of the Most 
 High. His text was: ^Now then we 
 are embassadors for Christ, as though 
 God did beseech you by us; we pray 
 you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled 
 to God.' His description of the office 
 of an 'embassador,' and of the nature 
 of the embassy, in the text, was lucid 
 and convincing, and fully prepared the 
 audience for the enforcement of the ex- 
 hortation: 'We pray you in Christ's 
 stead, le ye reconciled to GocV In this 
 part of his discourse he exceeded him- 
 self, and poured upon his congTCgation, 
 in demonstration of the spirit and of 
 power, such a stream of impressive and 
 impassioned eloquence, as thrilled every 
 heart, and awakened the consciences of
 
 oG A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 several stubborn sinners who had never 
 before showed any signs of feeling. 
 Some of these 'who came to scoff, re- 
 mained to irraji'' when the congregation 
 was dismissed, and, trembhng under 
 strong emotions, seemed transfixed to 
 their seats, unable to leave. 
 
 "The meeting was protracted more 
 than an hour after the benediction, in 
 prayer with the penitents, and in ex- 
 horting the trembling sinners to be rec- 
 onciled to God ; very few of the congre- 
 gation retiring until the close of the 
 prayer meeting, and even then, with 
 evident reluctance. 
 
 "Returning from the meeting, the wri- 
 ter was overtaken ])y a very intelligent 
 Presbyterian gentleman of the town, 
 who was present at this meeting, and 
 heard the sermon. He seemed lost in 
 deep thought; and, after walking some 
 twenty or thirty paces along side, he
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 37 
 
 turned to the ™ter, and very earnestly 
 asked him: 
 
 '^^Who is that minister?' (meaning 
 the one who preached.) 
 
 "^That, sk, is the Rev. Mr. CoUms.' 
 
 "^WeU, Mr. W ,' continued he, 
 
 after a pause of nearly half a minute, 
 ^that is the most eloquent, evangelical, 
 and apostolic sermon I ever heard!'" 
 
 In 1821, and also the following year, 
 j\Jr. CoUins was stationed in Cincinnati. 
 He was there among his spuitual chil- 
 dren, who loved him, and many of whom 
 are now with hun in heaven. Through 
 his instrumentahty, many members were 
 added to the Church during the two 
 years. In 1823, he was stationed in 
 Chilhcothe, and in 1821, he was appoint- 
 ed to the Cincinnati district, and after- 
 ward to the ]\Iiami district. In this 
 district, as changed, he continued to 
 travel during the years 1825, 6, and 7. 
 
 461879
 
 38 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 He \Yas then transfeiTecl to the Scioto 
 district, where he labored from 1828 to 
 1831. In 1832 and 3, he was on the 
 New Richmond circuit. He returned 
 to the Cincinnati station in 1834, and, 
 in 1835, traveled the White Oak circuit. 
 This was the last circuit he ever trav- 
 eled. On the ^Jinutes of the Ohio an- 
 nual conference of 1836, he was return- 
 ed as superannuated, which relation was 
 not changed until he left the Church 
 militant for tlie Church triumphant. 
 
 From the time of this location, he 
 lived about seven years to bless the 
 Church with his labors, and to do good 
 to all as his strength enabled him. The 
 pressure of years and of infirmities was 
 visibly upon him; but, with a Christian 
 cheerfulness and resignation, he contin- 
 ued to preach; and although his health 
 was feeble, yet the same overflowings of 
 love were in his heart, and liis words
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 39 
 
 reached the hearts of his hearers. His 
 hair had become white, his countenance 
 pale and somewhat sunken; but his eyes 
 showed that the fire of his soul burned 
 brightly. He visited his friends fre- 
 quently at Cincinnati and other places, 
 and was received evei'}^Yhere with the 
 veneration due to his years and his 
 eminent services. His debility contin- 
 ued to increase with the advance of 
 years, and a complication of diseases, 
 until he was confined to his room and 
 his bed. But there he continued to 
 preach, in his conversations, to all who 
 called to see him; and he was nu- 
 merously visited by his friends. The 
 approach of death, which he clearly 
 perceived, gave him no alarm nor un- 
 easiness. He patiently waited for the 
 coming of his Lord. Rarely did he ever 
 preach a sermon without referring to the 
 promise that grace should be given to
 
 40 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 the Chiistian in proportion to his day 
 and trial. This promise was realized by 
 him in his dying hour. His sky was 
 clear; his soul was serene and joyful. 
 His last words were, *' Happy, happy, 
 happy!" Such a death was expected 
 from such a life. Thus departed, on the 
 twenty-first day of August, 1845, this 
 venerable man, in the seventy-sixth 
 year of his age. On his death, the of- 
 ficial members of the Church at Mays- 
 ville, passed resolutions expressive of 
 their grief at his loss, and of the high- 
 est appreciation of his labors as a Gos- 
 pel minister; and also of condolence 
 with his surviving companion, children, 
 and friends. 
 
 There is no scene on earth so impres- 
 sive and so instructive, as the death-bed 
 of an aged Christian. There he lies; 
 his race is run; his work is done. The 
 shades of death are thickening around his
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 41 
 
 couch. They grow darker and darker. 
 He has hved a long and active hfe. As 
 a minister, his days and nights have been 
 spent in calhng sinners to repentance, 
 and in eyicouraging behevers. The prom- 
 ises of the Gospel have been upon his 
 tongue. More than a thousand times 
 has he brought before his auditory a 
 death-bed scene. He has spoken of the 
 Christian's triumph in that hour; and 
 now that hour has come to him. 0, how 
 inexpressibly solemxU is it ! how moment- 
 ous! His time ends, and his eternity 
 begins. To him it is a glorious eternity. 
 The assurance of this is the Christian's 
 triumph; and the only triumph worthy 
 of the struggle of a probationary life. 
 
 As a local and an itinerant minister, 
 it is supposed the Methodist Church in 
 the west has not had a more successful 
 preacher than Mr. Collins. Without 
 any disparagement to others, it may be
 
 42 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 said, that, more than any one, he se- 
 cured the affection of his hearers, and 
 especially of those vdio were converted 
 through his instrumentaUty. He was 
 so unassuming and gentlemanly" in hia 
 manners, so instructive and religious in 
 his conversation, and so affectionate and 
 pious, and evinced so much sohcitude 
 for the happiness, in this world and in 
 the next, of all with whom he conversed, 
 that the most obdurate hearts were over- 
 come. Some may have resisted his ef- 
 forts, but no one parted from him, after 
 a short acquaintance, who did not love 
 him and was not deeply impressed with 
 his piety. And there were but few, af- 
 ter an interview with him, who were not 
 more impressed with the lovehness and 
 attractiveness of rehgion, than they ever 
 had been. 
 
 Mr. Colhns was not a classical scholar, 
 but he was a deep thinker and an ex-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 43 
 
 tensive reader. Very few equaled him 
 in Biblical knowledge, and he had a 
 general acquaintance with history and 
 literature. His perceptions were re- 
 markably acute, and his power of dis- 
 crimination just and logical. His mind 
 was so well balanced, that he had rarely, 
 if ever, to regret what he had said or 
 done. His nature was impulsive, but it 
 was disciphned by gTace and pmdence. 
 Though an acute logician, he did not 
 care to treat his subjects in the most 
 approved mles of scholastic discussions. 
 He was a profound judge of human na- 
 ture, and, in his addresses, he aimed 
 more at the logic of the heart than of 
 the head. His manner was entkely free 
 from all affectation. His countenance 
 showed a glow of affectionate benevo- 
 lence and earnestness, if equaled, was 
 never excelled; and the silvery, plain- 
 tive tones of his voice, at once capti-
 
 44 A iJKETCll OV THE 
 
 vatcd the heart. He never preached 
 without shedding many tears himself, 
 and he ahnost ahva}'s had a weeping 
 con<2:rec:ation. His sermons did not con- 
 sist so much of an inductive chain of 
 reasoning, as the most striking illustra- 
 tions of his subjects by facts drawn forth 
 api)ropriately, and most impressively de- 
 tailed. Many men of the most enlarged 
 experience and observation have said, 
 "We have heard greater preachers than 
 Mr. Collins, but we never heard one w^e 
 liked so weU." 
 
 He was not a Paul nor a Cephas ; but 
 he was hke the beloved apostle John. 
 His theme was love — love to God and 
 man. His acquaintances, in going to 
 hear him, expected a feast; and they 
 were seldom disappointed. The enter- 
 tainment afforded so many delightful 
 dishes, so tastily got up, and so admira- 
 bly suited to the appetite and the oc(a-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 45 
 
 sion, that those who attended, ^Yere, 
 generally, instructed and delighted ; and 
 it may be said \Yith as much truth in 
 regard to him as to any other man, that 
 no one ever heard him without forming 
 resolutions to reform his life. His mind, 
 not unfrequently, became full of the in- 
 spu'ation of his subject ; and on such oc- 
 casions, he rose to a height of impres- 
 sive eloquence which was unsurpassed. 
 These were never premeditated. They 
 were of a character which defied all in- 
 genuity and study. They were so spir- 
 itual in then' conception, and so lofty in 
 their description, as to seem to have no 
 connection with material things. And 
 the gTish of tears which always accom- 
 panied these elevations, made them irre- 
 sistible. No one, for the time being, 
 could find it in his heart to resist such 
 appeals. He yielded at the moment, 
 not only willingly, but penitently.
 
 46 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 How often is it said, that no one should 
 be permitted to preach the Gospel, who 
 has not had a collegiate education, and 
 who has not passed through a regular 
 course of study in divinity ! Now, with- 
 out depreciating learning in the least, it 
 is not improper to say, that colleges arc 
 not the places to make men great or 
 learned. A knowledge, and it may be a 
 very important knowledge, which many 
 receive at colleges, may do more harm 
 than good. It may make an individual 
 conceited and vain, when, in fact, he 
 may be less informed than others of the 
 same age who have never been at col- 
 lege, but who are deep readers and 
 thinkers. 
 
 The man who aspu^es to eminence, 
 must consider his work only begun when 
 he leaves college. He has laid a foun- 
 dation for a structure, which it will re- 
 quire his whole life to complete. But
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 4i 
 
 if he rest upon his college course, in a 
 few years he will forget almost all that 
 is valuable which he has learned. To 
 avoid this, he must constantly add to 
 his stock of information. But the man 
 who cannot claim these advantages, is 
 often more studious in the acquisition 
 of knowledge, from a consciousness of 
 his deficiency. And this apphes espe- 
 cially to the itinerant ministers of the 
 Methodist Church. They are in the 
 daily practice of preaclnng to a differ- 
 ent congTegation, which reqmres the 
 exercise of their talents, and urges them 
 to the attainment of knowledge. Facts 
 will show how much many of these men, 
 in vigorous eloquence and power, surpass 
 those who have passed through college. 
 Every man must make himself; the 
 college cannot do this for him. Some 
 who had very foAV advantages in early 
 life, may be most emphatically said to
 
 48 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 be great men. Indeed, every man who 
 becomes eminent, must be, in a substan- 
 tial sense, a self-made man. 
 
 Bishop M'Kendree was not a classical 
 scholar; and vet there has not appeared 
 in the ^Methodist connection a finer model 
 as a preacher. lie was eloquent, in tlie 
 tme sense of the term. Few men ever 
 filled the pulpit with greater dignity 
 and usefulness; and the beautiful sim- 
 plicity of his sermons was, perhaps, un- 
 equaled in our country. 
 
 Classical learning is of great value, 
 and should be acquired, if practicable, by 
 every individual who aims at a profes- 
 sional life. But this learning does not 
 qualify an individual for the high duties 
 of the pulpit or the bar. There must be 
 a deeper knowledge, which can only be 
 attained 1)}' much reading and mature 
 reflection. An individual who is brought 
 in contact with men. and whose aim it
 
 LIFE OF REX. JOHN COLLINS. 49 
 
 is to influence them, must become ac- 
 quainted with the sympatliies of human 
 nature. And he must liimself possess 
 those sympathies in a high degree, or 
 his ei Forts will be in vain. How often 
 have we seen men in the pulpit, with 
 gTeat zeal, and ua a vociferous manner, 
 speak for hours without producing any 
 other effect than weariness on their 
 hearers! Such speakers, however zealr 
 ous, are strangers to those gushing emo- 
 tions of the heart which, with an elec- 
 tric effect, are imparted to the auditor}'. 
 Without these, no man can be eloquent. 
 He may be instructive ; he may string 
 his sentences together, and embody all 
 the figTires of rhetoric, but he can never 
 reach and overcome the citadel of the 
 heart. And unless he can do this, he 
 can never become a successful instru- 
 ment of reform. 
 
 Mr. Colhns possessed these sympa- 
 
 4
 
 50 A .SKETCH OF THE 
 
 thies in an eminent degree. And this, 
 aided by the spuit of his Master, 
 which he possessed, made him a most 
 efficient minister of the Gospeh lie 
 was not fond of controversy, and sel- 
 dom engaged in it. He overcame his 
 opponents by love more than by contro- 
 verting then' views. But, occasionally, 
 in the course of his sermons, he would 
 touch doctrinal points with so much for- 
 bearance and charity, and yet with so 
 much force, that he seldom failed to 
 make a lasting impression upon his 
 hearers. No one could turn aside from 
 an argument, even against his own 
 prepossessions and convictions, which, 
 though pointed, was full of love and 
 mingled with tears. The ground was 
 thus prepai'ed, while the seed was being 
 sown. How few learn this great and 
 Christian duty of a minister! No one 
 w?s ever convinced of error, or reformed
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 51 
 
 by the use of imcharitable epithets, or 
 by an attempt to make his principles 
 and arguments appear ridiculous. There 
 is a feehng in every man which is hos- 
 tile to this course, and which will, effect- 
 ually, resist it. It is unbecoming in 
 any Christian minister, to have no high- 
 er aims than to confound his adversary^ 
 He should desire to convince him of his 
 errors, and estabhsh in his mind the 
 principles of truth. This will save him 
 from error, and, probably, from ruin. 
 Here is a noble motive, which a Chris- 
 tian minister may well cherish. 
 
 In conversation, and in his general 
 intercourse, there was a gentleness, a 
 bearing so unassuming, so kind and 
 meek, in Mr. CoUins, and all he said 
 was so interwoven with religion, that he 
 preached more out of the pulpit than in 
 it. There was a rehgious charm in his 
 society, that delighted the most incon-
 
 52 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 sideratc, and caused them to love him. 
 His Mends lingered around him Avith an 
 affection surpassing the love of man; 
 and they who still live, can call up in 
 their memories those delightful scenes 
 as the happiest hours in their history. 
 They are, indeed, "as the memory of 
 past joys," "sorrowful to the soul;" but 
 they are cherished as a priceless inherit- 
 ance. What part of human life is so 
 bright, so full of hope and of real hap- 
 piness, as an assemblage of persons, 
 united by the strongest religious sym- 
 pathies, watching over each other fur 
 good, and seeking an inheritance that is 
 incorruptible! Such an association is 
 without alloy. It is the summit of 
 earthly enjoyment. 
 
 Like other men, Mr. Collins had to 
 struggle with the infirmities of our com- 
 mon nature. To a friend he said, that 
 shortly after he commenced preaching
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 53 
 
 in Ohio, being then on the Cincinnati 
 circuit, he preached one day in the town. 
 Havmg for that day a large congregation, 
 and feehng a desire to discharge his 
 duty faithfully and to the general ac- 
 ceptance of the congTCgation, he became 
 embarrassed, and utterly confused in his 
 ideas; and being wholly unable to re- 
 cover himseh", the thought occurred to 
 him, while preaching, that so soon as the 
 service was ended he would leave the 
 house, avoid his friends, and never re- 
 turn to the town. This suggestion he 
 eventually resisted; but he was deeply 
 mortified and dejected. The next day 
 he preached in the country, on his cir- 
 cuit; and he felt uncommon liberty. 
 This, before he was aware, elevated his 
 Teehngs, and he saw there was a selfish 
 principle at the bottom. On this view, 
 he retked to a solitary place, fell upon 
 his knees, and poured out liis whole soul
 
 54 A SKKTCll OF TIIK 
 
 before his God. lie pvjued iervcntl}', 
 that he might be kept fi'om despondency 
 on the one hand^ and from an undue ele- 
 vation on the other. Some two months 
 after this, being at a love-feast in Cin- 
 cinnati, a sister rose and told the con- 
 gi'egation that she received her convic- 
 tions, which led to her conversion, under 
 the discourse of Mr. Collins which had 
 given him so much pain. Hearing this, 
 "he thanked God and took courage." 
 And this led liim to a resolution, which 
 was never afterward shaken, that in 
 preaching he would do the best he could, 
 and leave the result to God. 
 
 The above reminds one of an occur- 
 rence in the life of Whitfield. During 
 his visit to this country, he preached in 
 many parts of it. On a certain occa- 
 sion, he delivered a most eloquent dis- 
 course in the city of Charleston. On 
 retiring from the pulpit, lie met an ac-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 55 
 
 quaintance and friend in the aisle of the 
 church, who, shaking him cordially by 
 the hand, said, "Brother Whitfield, you 
 have preached a most eloquent dis- 
 course." The minister rephed, in a 
 solemn and subdued manner, "Ah! 
 brother, the devil told me so before I 
 left the pulpit." 
 
 A gifted preacher, who, by his elo- 
 quence, draws the attention and excites 
 the plaudits of multitudes, is more 
 strongly tempted on this gTound than 
 on any other. He often excites the 
 envy of his associates; but the eulogies 
 of the world are most dangerous. A 
 more sickening and disgusting exhi- 
 bition can nowhere be witnessed, than 
 to see a minister of the Gospel, forget- 
 ful of his high duties and holy calling, 
 prostituting the pulpit by preaching liim- 
 self Any attempt to play the orator, 
 on such an occasion, sinks the minister
 
 56 
 
 A SKiri'CII OF THK 
 
 into contempt in the view of any indi- 
 \idual of cultivated taste or piety. The 
 minister should be forgetful of himself, 
 and think only of liis hearers and his 
 subject. He stands between the living 
 and the dead. His mission is of the 
 last importance to man; and he should 
 fill it with singleness of heart. If this 
 be the spirit of the preacher, he cannot 
 fail to be eloquent. The eloquence of 
 the pulpit consists in the greatest sim- 
 phcity of style and manner, in the dig- 
 nity and sublimity of the topics dis- 
 cussed, in the awful interests involved, 
 and in the ovenvhelming manifestations 
 of a Redeemer's love. Let these fill 
 the soul of a speaker, and he will be 
 sufficiently eloquent. 
 
 There was a remarkable appropriate- 
 ness and point in his rehgious conversa- 
 tions. Having preached at a private 
 house in Springfield, Ohio, a Calvinistic
 
 LIFE OF RE\'. JOHN COLLINS. 0/ 
 
 lady remained after the congregation 
 had left, to converse with liim. She 
 commenced the conversation by saying, 
 "Mr. Colhns, I don't hke your doctrines." 
 With a mild and benevolent smile, he 
 observed, ^-'I am sorrv' to hear you say 
 so, sister; but to what particular doc- 
 trine do you obj ect ?" She rephed, " You 
 do not preach the perseverance of the 
 saints." '-My dear sister," said he, 
 "you are mistaken; I preach to the 
 saints that they must persevere, or they 
 cannot be saved." 
 
 One day he met a drunken man in 
 the street, who came up to him, and pro- 
 fessing much regard, observed, ^OJr. 
 Collins, you converted me some years 
 ago." "I converted you! no doubt it 
 was me; it looks like my work." 
 
 A young man who had taken some 
 pains to become skeptical, and was in- 
 clined to consider the profession of Chris-
 
 58 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 tianity as a weakness, accidentally heard 
 Mr. Collins preach at a private house in 
 Lebanon. The two rooms occupied by 
 the congregation were smallj and they 
 were crowded. Several stood around 
 the doors for want of better accommo- 
 dations. This person remained on the 
 outsku'ts of the congregation; but he 
 could hear the preacher distinctly. The 
 first word that fell upon his ear was eter- 
 nity. That word had never struck him 
 before as it then did. It was uttered 
 with a voice so solemn and impressive, 
 that its full import was felt. All things 
 beside seemed to be as nothing in com- 
 parison with it. Time was spoken of as 
 a mere fragment, of very short and un- 
 certain duration. It was the antecham- 
 ber of life, where preparation must be 
 made for eternity. The two states were 
 contrasted — the duties of the one, and 
 the happiness or miseiy of the other —
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 59 
 
 with SO much earnestness and affection, 
 and with an unction so holy, that his 
 heart was touched. He had never heard 
 the subject treated with so much power. 
 It was invested with consequences so 
 tremendous and absorbing, that other 
 considerations were banished from the 
 mind. The fearful power which man 
 exercises over his future destiny, was 
 stated in such a manner as to create an 
 awful sensation. This sermon he never 
 forgot; and it led to an acquaintance 
 with Mr. CoUins. 
 
 A short time after this, the same per- 
 son accompanied Mr. CoUins, at his re- 
 quest, to a preacliing-place in the coun- 
 tiy. It was at a private house, and the 
 congTCgation was not large ; but the peo- 
 ple hstened with interest to the discourse. 
 His text was, James i, 25: "But whoso 
 looketh into the perfect law of liberty 
 and continueth therein, he lieing not a
 
 60 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, 
 tliis man shall be blessed in his deed." 
 He spoke of the perfect law of liberty, 
 and what it was to look into it — of the 
 necessity of perseverance, and the con- 
 sequent blessings promised. This em- 
 braced the whole duty of man as re- 
 quired in the Gospel. And that duty 
 ^vas treated in so plain and practical a 
 manner, and was so fully sustained by 
 reason and Scripture, that it was made 
 to appear in a new and an impressive 
 light. 
 
 The sermon being closed, a notice was 
 given that class meeting would be held; 
 and all seriously-disposed persons were 
 invited to remain. The companion of 
 Mr. Collins had never been in a class 
 meeting, and he was wholly unacquainted 
 with its exercises. He remained, how- 
 ever, in the house, and was spoken to by 
 Mr. Collins in his course of speaking to
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 61 
 
 the class. There was no httle embar- 
 rassment on both sides; but the manner 
 of Mr. Collins was so affectionate and 
 gentle, that it made a strong impression. 
 These exercises seemed to be so admha- 
 bly calculated to increase the faith, and 
 encourage the hope of professors of re- 
 hgion, that he was astonished he had 
 not been acquainted with them before, 
 and that they were not practiced by 
 every religious denomination. 
 
 On their way home, Mr. Collins stated 
 to his companion, that he had a request 
 to make of him which was reasonable, 
 and which, he hoped, would not be re- 
 jected. The request was, that he would 
 read the New Testament, at least fifteen 
 minutes every day, until his next visit. 
 This promise was made and strictly per- 
 formed. At first his watch was laid on 
 the table, so as to be exact as to the 
 time ; but the interest in the Scriptures
 
 G2 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 increased so, that the time of reading 
 was increased dail}\ In the progress of 
 time and circumstances, a covenant was 
 made between them, to meet each other 
 at the throne of gTace at the setting of 
 the sun. This was continued for a long 
 time. These circumstances are referred 
 to, that the reader may understand the 
 aifectionate disposition and entire devo- 
 tion to his duties by Mr. Collins as a 
 Christian minister. And this may ac- 
 count for the great success of his min- 
 istry. 
 
 In the early settlement of the coun- 
 try, Mr. Collins was riding up the Ohio 
 river, some thirty or forty miles above 
 Cincinnati, in company with a friend, 
 Avhcn they came to the forks of the 
 road: the left hand road led to their 
 place of destination, the right was more 
 circuitous, and increased the distance; 
 but Mr. Collins, against remonstrance.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 
 
 03 
 
 prefeiTed the latter, from an impression 
 which he did not particularly define. It 
 led to the mouth of Red Oak, where 
 the town of Ripley is now situated. As 
 they approached this point, they saw a 
 funeral procession, which they immedi- 
 ately joined, and followed it to the grave. 
 The corpse was the wife of a man who 
 was an avowed infidel. After the gTave 
 was covered, Mr. Collins made known 
 to the people that he w^as a preacher of 
 the Gospe], and would then preach a 
 sermon to all who should remain. No 
 one left the ground. He read, for his 
 text, a part of the twenty-fifth verse of 
 the eleventh chapter of St. John: '^I 
 am the resurrection and the hfe : he that 
 beheveth in me, though he were dead, 
 yet shall he live;" and he preached with 
 an irresistible power. The solemnity 
 of the occasion, and the circumstances 
 which brought him to the place, added
 
 G-4 A J^KETCll OF THE 
 
 no doubt, to the effect of the discourse. 
 No one could apply circumstances more 
 forcibly than J\lr. Collins. There were 
 many tears and sobs in the congrega- 
 tion. The infidel husband was over- 
 whelmed; and from that day and hour 
 he renounced infidelity, shortly after be- 
 came a member of the Church, and 
 hved to adorn the Christian relidon. 
 
 Mr. Colhns believed in a special prov- 
 idence, and he did not confer with flesh 
 and blood, under a strong impulse of 
 duty. And he yielded to the gentler 
 emotions of the Spirit for good, even 
 though he might not clearly see how the 
 good was to be effected. The inclina- 
 tion to take the right hand road, was 
 prompted, as he, no doubt, believed, by 
 Providence, of which he could entertain 
 no doubt when he saw the funeral pro- 
 cession, and preached to the mourning 
 crowd. And is this too small a matter
 
 LIFE OF PvEV. JOHN COLLIXS. G5 
 
 for Deity? Peter was called to preach 
 to CorDelius; and his o I ejections were 
 overcome in an extra ordinav}' manner. 
 Philip, being prompted by the Spirit, 
 joined himself to the chariot of the 
 eunuch, and "preached to him Jesus." 
 And who, that beheves the Bible, does 
 not beheve that the same Sphit operates, 
 more or less, upon Christians of the 
 present day? The mode of its action 
 may not seem to be miraculous; but it 
 is spiritually discerned. It is a Divine 
 agency — that spirit, or hght, a portion 
 of which is given to every man. It 
 leads to good actions and happy results. 
 And we are commanded not to " quench 
 the Spuit." Every rehgion, without 
 this spuit, is cold and lifeless. John 
 says: "Beheve not every spuit; but try 
 the spirits, whether they are of God." 
 The revelator was "in the spirit on the 
 Lord's day." The apostles, "after they
 
 66 A SKETCH UF THE 
 
 came to ^lysiMj assa}'ed to go into By- 
 thinia; but the Spirit sullered them not." 
 
 This doctrine is Scriptural; and it af- 
 fords the sweetest consolation to the 
 Christian. He can readily ])elieve, if a 
 "sparrow fails not to the ground without 
 his notice," and the '^very haks of his 
 head are numbered," that there is a 
 special providence in his ways. And 
 this encourages him to be firm under 
 the most trying emergencies. 
 
 At another time, Mr. ColUns being 
 on a journey with a friend, they inquired 
 of the keeper of a public house, at what 
 place on their route they could find ac- 
 commodation for the night. He said to 
 them, "You can stay at a certain house; 
 but by going ten miles further, you w^ill 
 be much better accommodated; and I 
 would, myself, go to the farthest house." 
 On the next Sabbath, he adverted to 
 this circumstance in such a manner, as
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 67 
 
 deeply to affect the congregation. He 
 spoke of the labor and difficulties which 
 were w^illingly encountered for a comfort- 
 able night's lodging; and contrasted this 
 with the journey of hfe and a blissful 
 immortality — the transient and incon- 
 siderable enjoyment of the one, and the 
 eternity of the other. Truths always 
 affect us when forcibly stated. 
 
 The Rev. John F. Wright, in a com- 
 munication to the "Western Christian 
 Advocate," dated in October, 1847, 
 says: "Having been informed that the 
 road leading to Ripley, passed within 
 three-quarters of a mile of Bethel meet- 
 ing-house, where all that was mortal of 
 that venerable man of God, Rev. John 
 Colhns, was deposited, I determined to 
 turn aside and look upon his grave. I 
 found the sacred spot of earth distinctly 
 marked by a neat httle monument of 
 marble in the form of a p} ramid. On
 
 68 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 its Iruut may be seen, in raised letters, 
 the following brief notice : 
 
 REV. 
 
 JOHN COLLINS. 
 
 Minister 
 
 of the 
 
 M. E. Church. 
 
 Died, 
 
 Aug. 22, 1845, 
 
 aged 75 years, 
 
 9 months, 22 days. 
 
 "While I lingered about the resting- 
 place, and looked upon the tomb of my 
 friend, many reminiscences of his life 
 and times came up in my mind. For 
 twenty-four years, I had an intimate ac- 
 quaintance Avith much that this servant 
 of Christ did, suffered, and enjoyed. In 
 1821, when 1 was transfeiTcd to the 
 Ohio conference, brother CoUins was 
 among the strong men of that body. 
 Throughout nuich of the western coun- 
 try, his praise was in all the Churches. 
 He was then stationed in Cincinnati."
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOITN COLLINS. 69 
 
 And among other incidents, Mr. 
 Wright relates the following: 
 
 "Brother Collins was reared in the 
 doctrines and usages of the Society of 
 Friends ; and as was common among that 
 people, he was much prejudiced against 
 the ^Methodists. He was first licensed 
 to preach in a local relation, but traveled 
 extensively, and sowed the precious seed 
 of the kingdom through much of West 
 Jersey; and his labors were crowned with 
 glorious success. During the revival of 
 the work of God, many of the Friend 
 Quakers became ^Methodists, while oth- 
 ers were much opposed to them, and 
 would not attend their meetings. The 
 night previous to an appointment for 
 preaching in the neighborhood, one of 
 the Friends had a very remarkable 
 dream, which made a deep impression on 
 his mind. He supposed, in his dream, 
 the day that God had appointed to judge
 
 70 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 the world had arrived, and that our 
 whole race was assembled before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ. He thought 
 the method of determining the case of 
 each was to weigh them in scales. lie 
 saw many weighed, and receive their 
 sentence, fixing their destiny for ever. 
 He, of course, felt an indescribable solic- 
 itude in regard to his own case; and 
 when it came to his turn to be judged, 
 he was placed in the scales, and, to his 
 great terror, he was found wanting; but 
 before the sentence was passed upon 
 him, the Judge said to the officers, 
 ^ Weigh that man again.' Before the 
 order, however, could be complied with, 
 in his fright he awoke. The next day, 
 one of his intimate neighbors called at 
 his house, and kindly invited him to ac- 
 company him to meeting, as he was one 
 of the opponents of the Methodists. 
 He positively refused, saying that he
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 71 
 
 had no business at that place, and did 
 not wisli to hear the Methodist preach. 
 The ingenious neighbor then invited him 
 to take a walk with him, expressing a 
 deske to have some friendly conversa- 
 tion mth him. To this he agreed; and 
 the neighbor was careful to walk in the 
 direction of the meeting, and kept his 
 friend so much interested in tall^, and 
 absorbed in thought, that he was in 
 sight, and very near the preaching-place 
 before he was aware of it. He then 
 suddenly stopped, and said he must re- 
 turn. The neighbor then renewed his 
 presskig invitation, urging him to go in 
 and hear what the preacher had to say, 
 assuring him, it could do him no harm 
 to hear the discourse; that he was now 
 at the place, and could go into the house, 
 sit with his hat on, and when the dis- 
 course was ended, he might leave as 
 soon as he pleased. Finally, through
 
 72 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 the skillful importunity of his Mend, he 
 consented to hear the Methodist once 
 in his life, supposing, no doubt, that he 
 would never be ensnared again. 
 
 Brother Collins was the preacher; and 
 after singing and prayer, he announced 
 as his text, 'Thou art weighed in the 
 balances, and art found wanting.' The 
 reading of tliis passage, of course, re- 
 vived the dream in the Quaker's mind, 
 and riveted his attention to the speaker. 
 Before the discourse was ended, he found, 
 according to the infaUible balances of 
 God's word, he was gTcatly wanting in 
 that Christian experience which is con- 
 templated and enjoined in the Bible, and 
 is an indispensable prerequisite to all 
 who would be prepared to stand before 
 the judgment-seat of Christ, and enter 
 into the joy of their Lord. He deter- 
 mined never to rest until his deficiency 
 was made up in the abundance of that
 
 LIFE OF EEV. JOHN COLLINS. 73 
 
 grace of wliich he had just heard. He 
 sought and soon found the great blessing 
 of justification by faith, and realized 
 peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. From the day he first heard 
 brother Collins preach, he needed no per- 
 suasion to attend the ^Methodist meet- 
 mgs, but always dehghted in the asso- 
 ciation. I recollect, when brother Collins 
 related this narrative, his closing remark 
 was, ^He made one of the best class- 
 leaders in the Church I ever knew.' " 
 
 At the time of his conversion, Mr. 
 Collins held the post of Major in the 
 militia. On parade he had appeared in 
 complete uniform, and was ambitious to 
 excel in military tactics. But rehgion 
 extinguished liis military ardor; he re- 
 signed his commission, and sold to his 
 successor in ofiice his uniform. On de- 
 livering the uniform, Mr. Colhns ob- 
 served, in a most impressive and aftec-
 
 74 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 tionate manner, ^Oly friend, when you 
 put these on, think of the reason why I 
 laid them off" This Avas "a nail fast- 
 ened in a sure place." The words were 
 deeply impressed upon the mind of his 
 successor. He became penitent, found 
 dehverancc in the promises of the Gos- 
 pel, resigned his office, and joined the 
 Church. 
 
 Shortly after Mr. Collins removed his 
 family to this country, he became deeply 
 solicitous for the conversion of his father. 
 The old gentleman remained in New 
 Jersey, and was a very respectable mem- 
 ber of the Quaker Society. This feel- 
 ing became so strong, that he was led to 
 the determination to visit New Jersey, 
 for the sole purpose of personally solic- 
 iting this parent to seek religion. He 
 set out on horseback with this view; 
 and during the long journey, he scarcely 
 passed over a mile of the road without
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. ( 'J 
 
 lifting his lieart in prayer for his vener- 
 able lather. He arrived at his former 
 home in safety, and v>as kindly and af- 
 fectionately received by his father and 
 family. He talked much of rehgion, 
 and prayed with tlie lamily. Some days 
 after his return, his father observed to 
 him, "John, we are all glad to see thee; 
 but I don't hke thy rehgion." This was 
 unexpected, and it gTcatly depressed 
 him. After some reflection, he resolved 
 to spend the whole of the ensuing night 
 in prayer for his father. Accordingly, 
 at nightfall, after supper, he retu-ed to 
 the barn, that he might not be inter- 
 rupted. Here he engaged in ferA'ent 
 prayer, until near ten o'clock. Some 
 one knocked at the barn door; but he 
 made no answer. In a short time, an- 
 other messenger came, and opening the 
 door, discovered him. This messenger 
 was his sister, who had experienced re-
 
 76 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 ligion, and ^vllO informed him that he 
 had been sought for in his room, at his 
 brother's near by, and at other places, 
 and that he was supposed to be in the 
 barn. And she told him that their 
 father was suffering the greatest mental 
 agony, and wished to see him. 
 
 With a joyful heart, Mr. Collins hur- 
 ried to the room of his father, and, em- 
 bracing him, wept and prayed with him. 
 The struggle continued until near day- 
 light, when deliverance came. His fath- 
 er was filled with peace, Avith joy, and 
 triumph. This was a glorious answer to 
 his prayers and tears. His joy was in- 
 expressible, and full of glory. The fath- 
 er and son were united more closely 
 than they ever had been. Having ful- 
 filled his mission, and attained its great 
 object, Mr. ColHns separated from his 
 Mends, and returned to his home in 
 Ohio.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 77 
 
 Several years after this, while travel- 
 ing his district as presiding elder, Mr. 
 Collins dreamed that he received a large 
 letter from the mail, sealed in black, 
 and, on opening it, he was informed of 
 the death of his father. This made so 
 strong an impression on his mind, that 
 he wrote a memorandum in his pocket- 
 book of the dream, and the date, that 
 none of the chrcumstances should escape 
 him. Mr. Collins had an acute and a 
 deliberative mind, free from fanaticism, 
 and not at all lil^ely to be misled by 
 enthusiasm. And whilst he paid as 
 little attention to dreams as most per- 
 sons, the circumstances of this dream 
 were so extraordinary, that he could not 
 beheve it to be an ordinary vao-arv of a 
 sleeping mind, influenced by the subject 
 of previous thoughts, or indisposition of 
 the body. He believed it possible for 
 God to impart a knowledge of passing
 
 78 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 events to man, through the instrumen- 
 tality of a dream; and that this was 
 sometimes done for wise purposes. This 
 opinion has been held by many persons 
 of profound minds, and of great acquire- 
 ment, founded, as they believed, upon 
 krefragable evidence. 
 
 Some two weeks after tliis dream, 
 which remained vividly in his mind, Mr. 
 Colhns returned home, sent to the post- 
 office, received a large letter from the 
 office, sealed in black, answ^ering the de- 
 scription of his dream; and on opening 
 it, he found an account of the death of 
 his father, in the same terms which had 
 been shadowed forth in his dream. And 
 the time of his death corresponded ex- 
 actly with the dream. 
 
 On another occasion, Mr. Collins, be- 
 ing at West Union on Saturday night, 
 with the view of preaching the next 
 day, had a dream which disturbed him
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. / \J 
 
 much ; and being depressed in the morn- 
 ing, he said to the lady of the house, 
 '"'From my dream last night, I cannot 
 but apprehend that some one of my fam- 
 ily is either dead or dying." The lady 
 suggested, that it was a device of the 
 enemy to prevent good from being done 
 at the Sabbath exercises. He replied, 
 that that had not occurred to him. He 
 preached that day with liis usual power 
 and success. And on his way home, 
 the following day, he called at a house 
 where he had been accustomed to stop. 
 The family, as usual, received him with 
 great kindness; but he observed some- 
 thing unusual in their countenances, 
 which led him to inquire whether he had 
 done any thing to offend them. They 
 rephed, " Certainly not." The Eev. John 
 Sale happened to be at the house; and 
 having stated that he had been at Mr. 
 Collins' house the day before, Mr. Col-
 
 80 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 liiis inquired if bis family were well. 
 Being answered in the affirmative, Mr. 
 Sale asked him to walk, observing, that 
 he wished to have some conversation 
 with him in relation to his family. 
 
 Mr. Sale inquu^ed if he was willing 
 that any of his sons should become 
 Methodist preachers, and encounter all 
 the hardships and reproaches incident to 
 such a calHng. lie replied, certainly he 
 was; and that he considered it the most 
 important work in which a human being 
 could engage. Mr. Sale inquired if he 
 had a son that he thought would make 
 a preacher. Mr. Collins named one of 
 his younger sons, that both himself and 
 his wife thought might become a minis- 
 ter. "And you would be willing," said 
 Mr. Sale, "that this youth should preach 
 the Gospel, that he might secure a place 
 among the blessed in heaven?" "Yes," 
 rephed Mr. Collins, "and foi- the good
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 81 
 
 he might do in the world." "Well," 
 said ]Mr. Sale, throwing his arms around 
 him, "he is now in heaven. He died 
 on Satm^lav nio^it." 
 
 That visions of the night may, gen- 
 erally, be accounted for, on philosophical 
 principles, must be admitted. An im- 
 pression of the mind, which has long 
 been forgotten, may be revived, b}' a 
 sohcitous feeling on the subject. Sin- 
 gular incidents have occurred under such 
 circumstances. But there have been 
 dreams, so minute in their facts, and so 
 exactly corresponding with facts which 
 transpired at the same time, and at a 
 remote place, that no philosophy can 
 satisfactorily explain them. They must, 
 then, have been the result of accident, 
 or of a supernatural agency. The facts, 
 in the above cases, are unquestionable; 
 and they are here stated, as they are 
 deemed exceedindv interestinsf.
 
 82 A SKET<"II OK TIIK 
 
 No man seemed to live nearer to the 
 spiiitiial world than Mr. Collins. The 
 atmosphere in which he moved, appeared 
 to be purer than was common to man. 
 His conversations had less of things 
 earthly, and more of things heavenly, 
 than was found in the intercourse of any 
 other individual. 
 
 The following incident has been com- 
 municated by a friend: 
 
 "Mr. Collins, many years ago, when 
 on a journey to the east, stopped a night 
 with a ^Methodist friend, in a small town 
 in Maryland. He was told the case of 
 a woman, who lived in the village — a 
 pious member of the Church — who had 
 been, for some weeks, laboring under a 
 very singular exercise of mind. She 
 was in a state of most distressing mental 
 agony, caused, as was gathered from her 
 lamentations, by total spiritual darkness, 
 and the deepest settled despair of God's
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 83 
 
 mercy. She had frequent paroxysms 
 of raving, in which she would utter 
 heart-rending shrieks, and the most pit- 
 iable lamentations, and even profane and 
 blasphemous expressions, accompanied 
 with strono' contortions of the body; 
 during which she had often to be forci- 
 bly prevented from doing personal injury 
 to herself, or those near her. At the 
 time Mr. CoUins visited the place, her 
 body was emaciated, and her strength 
 much exhausted. Her physicians did 
 not understand her case, nor its cause ; 
 and then* prescriptions gave no relief 
 Her friends and brethren seemed, also, 
 at a loss to comprehend the nature of 
 her affliction; and all their efforts to 
 alleviate her distress, and comfort her 
 mmd, were unavailing. 
 
 With a heart that always melted at 
 human woes, and sympathized ^rith the 
 suffering, Mr. Collins immediately visited
 
 84 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 the afflicted woman, with the view, if 
 possible, of aiding her in obtaining de- 
 liverance from her deep affliction of 
 spirit. He endeavored to engage her 
 attention, and interest her b}' words of 
 comfort and encouragement. He tried 
 to reason her into a more rational view 
 of her own state, and inspire her with 
 trust in God's mercy; but it availed not. 
 After scrutinizing her case attentively, 
 he strongly inclined to the o[)inion, that, 
 if such a thing were possible in these 
 latter days, here was a case of demoni- 
 acal possession! Whether this conclu- 
 sion was well founded, or not, we do not 
 pretend to say. He inquired for the 
 pious, praying friends in the place; and 
 ha\ang called a few of them together, 
 he told them the result of his interview 
 with the afflicted sister, and stated his 
 opinion of her extraordinary case. He 
 then requested them to accompany him
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 85 
 
 to her room, and unite with him in earn- 
 est prayer and supphcation in her be- 
 half; expressing his belief, that God 
 would hear and answer their united, fer- 
 vent prayer of faith, and deliver her 
 from the power of the wicked one. To 
 this they readily assented, and repaired 
 with Mr. Collins to her room. 
 
 On entering the room, Mr. Collins 
 made known to her the object of then: 
 visit; but she peremptorily forbade 
 prayer to be made in her behalf, and 
 manifested the gTcatest horror and aver- 
 sion at the mention of it. Deterred not 
 by her remonstrances, the little com- 
 pany, kneeling down, commenced prayer, 
 Mr. Collins leading in the exercises. 
 The woman fell into an agony of mind, 
 shrieking and howling, with expressions 
 of horror and blasphemy; while it re- 
 quired two or three persons to hold her 
 in bed, to prevent her from offering per-
 
 86 A SKEl'CII OF THE 
 
 sonal violence to the pra}ing circle. Af- 
 ter t\vo or three others had engaged in 
 prayer, Mr. CoUins again addressed the 
 throne of grace, in strains of most earn- 
 est, fervent, importunate supplication, 
 for the deliverance of the poor sufierer 
 from the bondage of Satan, and her res- 
 toration to peacefulness of sphit and 
 the comforts of religion. Before pra}'er 
 was concluded, the paroxysm under 
 which the woman was laboring suddenly 
 ceased, and with it all vocal and other 
 outward manifestation of mental and 
 bodily suffering. She remained a few 
 minutes in a calm, peaceful state, with 
 her hands clasped, while she seemed ab- 
 sorbed in intense thought, or mental 
 prayer. All at once, her countenance 
 was lighted up with serapliic joy; she 
 raised her hands, clapping them together, 
 and broke out in shouts of praise to God, 
 who, she declared, had broken the chains
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 87 
 
 by which she had so long been kept in 
 bondage by the devil, and had turned 
 her midnight darkness into glorious day. 
 Her happy soul was freed from that 
 hour, and she continued to rejoice in 
 the Lord, and to stand fast in the liberty 
 wherewith God had so strangely made 
 her free; and Mr. Collins so found her 
 as he passed that way, a few weeks after, 
 on his return home." 
 
 From the great respectabihty of the 
 person who made the above communica- 
 tion, there can be no doubt that the facts 
 are substantially stated. In a physiolog- 
 ical point of view, they will be interesting 
 to the general reader, but much more so 
 to the Christian who iDclieves in a special 
 providence, and in the efl&cacy of prayer. 
 Mr. ColUns, more than once, observ^ed 
 to the writer, that he had often been 
 struck with the extraordinary effect of 
 the fervent suppHcations of Mr. Wesley.
 
 88 A iSKETCii UF THE 
 
 Seldom did he pray for a penitent in- 
 dividual, who was not converted innne- 
 diately, or shortly afterward. There is 
 no duty more clearly inculcated, in the 
 Old and in the New Testament, than 
 that of prayer for others. James says: 
 " The prayer of faith shall save the sick ;" 
 and again, "Pray for one another, that 
 ye may be healed. The effectual fer- 
 vent prayer of a righteous man availeth 
 much." 
 
 Mr. Collins believed that he seiTcd a 
 prayer-answering God ; and his faith was 
 strong. The instances are numerous 
 where the captive was made free, before 
 the close of a fervent suppUcation in 
 his behalf And no one appeared to 
 have a nearer access to a throne of 
 mercy, or more power in prayer, than 
 Mr. Collins. And yet he was no enthu- 
 siiist. He believed the Scriptures, and 
 claimed the promises with a fervent hope,
 
 LIFE UI' REV. JOHN CULLL\.<. 89 
 
 and an unyielding perseverance. This 
 doctrine may be rejected by the formal- 
 ist, or the mere theorist, in rehgion. 
 But such a one, as Mr. Collins frequently 
 remarked, "has only rehgion enough to 
 make him miserable." 
 
 Who can estimate the good that may 
 be done by a devoted minister of the 
 Gospel? Whether at home or abroad, 
 on a journey, or engaged in his pastoral 
 labor, every day Ijrings to him new 
 duties and privileges. The dawn of 
 every morning is new to himself, and to 
 the world, and it constitutes a new chap- 
 ter in the great drama of life. The sun 
 rises to its zenith, and then declines, as 
 it has done since the beginning of time. 
 How numerous and important are the 
 events of each day! Physical nature, 
 true to its laws, moves onward in its 
 infinite modes of operation; but moral 
 agency affords a theme of contemplation,
 
 90 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 of far higher and deeper importanct 
 than the laws of matter, whether applied 
 to this globe, or to the endless systems 
 of the universe. On this moral agency 
 is founded our accountability, and the 
 day of judgment. And each accounta- 
 ble individual, every day of his life, adds 
 something to that record by which he 
 shall be judged. Is this, indeed, true? 
 It is, if the Scriptures be true. What 
 importance is thus given to the events 
 of each day! and how little do we re- 
 flect upon it! 
 
 But the pious minister of the Gospel, 
 who has given up all for Christ, improves 
 every hour in every day, in recommend- 
 ing the religion he professes. He does 
 this in his appearance, in his words, and 
 in his acts ; and the impulse thus given, 
 increases with time. In this way the 
 works of many are seen and felt, long 
 after their acts have ])een forgotten by
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLL\^. 91 
 
 the living. But in the day of judgment, 
 nothing shall be lost. All things will 
 then be made manifest in the presence 
 of the human race. What a glorious 
 reward will await the faithful minister! 
 At a camp meeting in Ohio, Mr. Col- 
 1ms met with an interesting young man, 
 who had been an unsuccessful seeker of 
 rehgion for a considerable time ; and he 
 remarked, that he came to that camp 
 meeting with a determination to devote 
 himself to God, by the use of every 
 means in his power; and if he should 
 fail to obtain dehverance during the 
 process of the meeting, he had resolved 
 to abandon all hope of salvation. Mr. 
 Collins, embracing him most affection- 
 ately, and after praying with him, ad- 
 vised him to walk a short distance, and 
 to inquire of the first man he should 
 meet, if he had rehgion; that, if he 
 should answer in the affirmative, then
 
 92 SKETCH UF THE 
 
 the }'oiuig man should exhort him t^ 
 persevere, and be zealous in the cause; 
 but, if the answer should be in the neg- 
 ative, that the }'oung man should en- 
 courage him as a seeker and pra}' with 
 him. 
 
 The young man took this advice. 
 The first person he met was a professor 
 of rehgion ; and he was exhorted to per- 
 severe, and, by an active and zealous dis- 
 charge of every duty, to influence others 
 to seek religion. Continuing his walk, 
 he next met a serious and well-disposed 
 person, but wdio had not been converted. 
 The young man inquired of him if he 
 was willing to have rehgion, and w^ould 
 engage to seek it earnestly and perse- 
 veringly. The stranger was touched, 
 and answered encouragingly. He then 
 inquired if he was wilhng to be prayed 
 for. The stranger assented, and they 
 both kneeled down, and the young man
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLIN?. 93 
 
 prayed fervently for him ; and before the 
 conclusion of his prayer, he was himself 
 most powerfully converted. He returned 
 to the camp-ground rejoicing in God, 
 under an overwhelming sense of his par- 
 doning mercy. 
 
 Xo one, except Mr. Colhns, would 
 have recommended so novel an experi- 
 ment. But he saw the deep sincerity 
 of the young man, and understood his 
 character. Any other mode could not, 
 probably, have been successful. It was 
 necessary that he should take a bold 
 and a determined stand for religion, 
 w^hich would increase his faith, and re- 
 vive his hopes. And the question may 
 here be asked, whether any one, saint 
 or sinner, ever prayed in sincerit}' for 
 another, that w^as not himself blessed. 
 The exercise softens the heart and ele- 
 vates the feelings, and can seldom, if 
 ever, fail to make the individual better.
 
 94 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 The kindly sympathies of our nature 
 were given to us for wise and noble pur- 
 poses, and when properly indulged, under 
 the enhghtening influence of the Spirit, 
 given to every man, they will lead to a 
 religious life. 
 
 Mr. Collins, wiiile preaching, one day, 
 on the danger of procrastination, stated 
 the following case: At one of his ap- 
 pointments, he was informed that four 
 respectable men, being deeply impressed 
 with a sense of duty, and with a sincere 
 desire to seek religion, had determined 
 to join society at his next appointment. 
 He had a serious and most interesting 
 conversation with them, and urged them 
 not to postpone a union with the Church ; 
 that in doing so they incurred a fear- 
 ful responsibility; that this resolution 
 might be the turning point of their 
 salvation; that life was uncertain; and 
 that, should they live, there was no cer-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOITN COLLINS. \JD 
 
 tainty as to the future — temptations 
 might overcome them ; and the strivings 
 of the Spirit might be withdrawn from 
 them. But the}' said that they had 
 made up then* minds on the subject, 
 having counted the cost, and they had 
 confidence in their own firmness of 
 purpose. 
 
 Not one of the four came forward at 
 the next appointment. Some years af- 
 terward, in travehng, he called at a pub- 
 lic house ; and he, walking uato the stable 
 to see that his horse was properly at- 
 tended to, y>as followed by a drunken 
 man, bloated and diseased by the use of 
 ardent spuits, who, with tears and sobs, 
 told Mr. Collins, that he was one of the 
 four individuals who had, some years 
 before, postponed a union with the 
 Church ; and, in the language of despau', 
 he spoke bitter thuigs against himself. 
 
 An account of a sermon, preached by
 
 96 A SKETCH OF TlIK 
 
 Mr. Collins many years ago, has been 
 transmitted to the writer; and although 
 it was pubhshed at the time, yet, as the 
 description is graphic and interesting, it 
 is inserted. The occasion was a quar- 
 terly meeting in Ohio. The writer says : 
 "The meeting was opened by a young 
 man, who, I was informed, had been re- 
 cently initiated into the ministry. He 
 was followed by an old man, dressed in 
 Hnsey woolsey. He was tall and thin. 
 His head was whitened by the frosts of 
 years. His countenance was one that 
 men love to look upon. There was 
 nothing remarkable or peculiar in his 
 features. His forehead was high and 
 a little projecting; his eyes small and 
 somewhat sunken; nose thin, and a 
 little aquihne ; and chin rather long 
 But he had an expression of counte- 
 nance, that is not readily forgotten. His 
 image is hung up in the chamber of my
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 97 
 
 memory, to be contemplated and ad- 
 mired. As he arose, every eye was 
 riveted on him ; and such was the silence 
 of the large assembly, that the softest 
 whisper might have been heard. ^ly 
 interest was excited in his first appear- 
 ance; but when he spoke, I felt that I 
 was in the presence of no ordinary man. 
 His voice was rather weak, but its in- 
 tonations were soft, sweet, and touching. 
 It is what we readily conceive as per- 
 fection in utterance, though it may not 
 be so easy to describe it. His gestures 
 were few and unstudied. In fine, there 
 was in his whole manner an indescriba- 
 ble charm, which I have not before 
 witnessed. 
 
 ^•He read the parable of the prodigal 
 son. On coming to these words, ^And 
 when he saw him afar off, he ran and fell 
 upon his neck, and kissed him,' he 
 stopped. ^This,' said he, is my text.'
 
 98 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 I had heard it preached uii a liundred 
 times; I thought I could preach a de- 
 cent sermon on it myself. But even 
 his manner of reading it, told me he 
 had discovered something in this passage 
 of Scripture, which was new to me. He 
 proceeded to illustrate the love Avhich 
 our heavenly Father bears to his diso- 
 bedient children, by the alfection man- 
 ifested by parents toward their offspring 
 in all circumstances, even when disobe- 
 dient and unnatural in their conduct, 
 and the joy they experience when they 
 return to their duty. I felt that I had 
 never heard the subject handled in so 
 interesting and feehng a manner; and 
 my reflections involuntarily took a retro- 
 spect of m}-^ early life; and I taxed my 
 memory for an unkind look, word, or ac- 
 tion, toward the dear authors of my 
 being. I felt an assurance that those 
 around me were similarly emplo}'ed.
 
 LIFE OF EEV. JOHN COLLINS. 99 
 
 There was a peculiar solemnity pervading 
 the whole audience. Some eyes began 
 to moisten; I felt my own do hkewise. 
 "'But/ says the preacher, '^I will tell 
 you a story. In the year 1812, I was 
 stationed on the Mad River circuit. 
 You know, my friends,' said he, 'there 
 are extensive prauies in that part of 
 the state. In places there are no dwell- 
 ings within miles of each other; and 
 animals of prey are often seen there. 
 One evening, late in autumn, a few of 
 the neio;hbors were assembled around 
 me, in one of those sohtary dwell- 
 ings, and we had got w^ell engaged in 
 'the worship of God, when it was an- 
 nounced that the child of a widow was 
 lost in the prairie. It was cold ; the wind 
 blew; and some rain was falling. The 
 poor woman was in agony; and our 
 meeting was broken up. All prepared 
 to go in search of the lost child. The
 
 100 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 company imderstood the business better 
 than I did; for they had been bred in 
 those extensive barrens ; and occurrences 
 hke the present, are, probably, not un- 
 frequent among them. They equipped 
 themselves with lanterns and torches — 
 for it was quite dark — and tin horns, to 
 give signals to diflerent parts of the com- 
 pany when they should become widely 
 separated. For my part, I thought duty 
 requu'ed that I should take charge of 
 the miserable woman. She was nearly 
 frantic; and as time permitted her to 
 view her widowhood and childless condi- 
 tion, and the circumstances of the prob- 
 able death of her child, her misery 
 seemed to double upon her. She took 
 my arm ; the company divided off into 
 parties; and, taking different directions, 
 we commenced the search. The under- 
 standing was, that when the child should 
 be found, a ceiiain wind of the horn
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 101 
 
 should be made ; and that aU who should 
 hear it, should repeat the signal. In 
 this way, all the company would receive 
 the information. 
 
 ^•' ' The prospect of finding a lost child, 
 in those extensive prahies, would, at any 
 time, be sufficiently discouraging. The 
 difficulty must be greatly increased by 
 a dark, rainy night. We traveled many 
 miles, and to a late hour. At length 
 we became satisfied that further search 
 would be unavailing; and all but the 
 mother determmed to return home. It 
 was an idea she could not, for a moment, 
 endure. She would hear of nothing but 
 further search. Her strength, at last, 
 began to fail her; and I prevailed on 
 her to return to her abode. As she 
 turned her face from further search, and 
 gave up her child as lost, her misery 
 was almost too great for endurance. 
 ^^My child," said she, ''has been devoured
 
 102 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 by wild beasts; his little limbs have 
 been torn asunder, and his blood been 
 drank by the liideous monster; " and the 
 idea was agony. As she clung to my 
 arm, it seemed as if her heart-strings 
 would break. At times I had almost 
 to support her in my arms, to prevent 
 her falling to the earth. 
 
 " ^ As we proceeded on our way back, 
 I thought I heard, at a great distance, 
 the sound of a horn. We stopped and 
 listened; it was repeated. It was the 
 concerted signal. The child was found. 
 And what,' said the preacher, ^were 
 the feelings of the mother? "^ly child 
 was dead, and is alive again ! he was lost, 
 and is found!" ' It was too much; the 
 whole assembly burst into an involun- 
 tary gush of tears. Some sobbed out- 
 right, and attempted in vain to conceal 
 their emotions. ' Such,' said the preach- 
 er, 'are the feelings of your heavenly
 
 LIFE OF RF\\ JOHN COLLINS. 103 
 
 Father; when he sees his disobedient and 
 wandering children returning unto him, 
 when even afar off.' 
 
 "I have given an abstract of a ser- 
 mon of forty minutes. My readers may 
 form some idea of what the preacher 
 said; but to feel such a sermon in all 
 its power, it must be heard. I retired 
 from the house with feehngs that do not 
 readily find utterance. 
 
 "I heard him preach the two succeed- 
 ing days, and with a still more exalted 
 idea of his oratorical powers. In fine. I 
 have come to the conclusion, that the 
 British spy only dreamed of a pulpit 
 orator — that it was left for me to behold 
 one." 
 
 From his letters, as well as his con- 
 versations, the theme of religion appears 
 to have filled the mind and heart of ]\Ir. 
 Collins. A friend, who formerly resided 
 in Chillicothe. has favored the vaitei
 
 104 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 with some of his letters, from which the 
 following extracts are made : 
 
 '-At Home, March 21, 1819. 
 
 "Your kind letter came to hand in a 
 few days after its date, and Vj i read 
 with emotions of gratitude and thank- 
 fulness. 1 received one, last evening, 
 
 from , in which he mentioned the 
 
 names of several who had experienced 
 the blessings of sanctification, yourself 
 being among the number. Happy news ! 
 Happy privilege! to rejoice evermore, 
 pray without ceasing, and in all things 
 to give thanks. But yet there is room 
 for a growth in grace. 
 
 "I thank you for the interest you 
 take in the salvation of M. and D. I 
 hope your best wishes may be realized, 
 and all your labor of love rewarded in 
 both worlds. I found, on my return 
 home, the flimily and friends much en- 
 gaged in the duties of religion; upward
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 105 
 
 of forty have joined our class in a few 
 weeks. Indeed, I hear the same blessed 
 news from every quarter of God's moral 
 vineyard. 
 
 "I ink the time long until I can 
 worship with you in the Church, and 
 under your friendly roof I hope you 
 are employing every opportunity in turn- 
 ing sinners from the error of their ways, 
 as well as building up your class in the 
 love of God. A class-leader is one of 
 the most important stations in our 
 Church. He has to deal with all the 
 pecuharities of the members of his class. 
 He must pay due respect to time, place, 
 and character. His office calls on him 
 to watch over every member, to instruct 
 the ignorant, incite the negligent, con- 
 firm the weak, comfort the afQicted, and 
 admonish the disorderly. And in doing 
 these things, he must accommodate him- 
 self to every capacity. All the em-
 
 lOG A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 blems which represent our office are full 
 of eyes, to show us the need of pru- 
 dence in every step of life, and in every 
 part of the duties of our office. But, 
 thanks be to God ! his grace is sufficient 
 for all the variety of human character. 
 We should become famihar with every 
 family where our members reside, wait 
 around the death-beds of the afflicted, 
 and wipe the falhng tear from the faded 
 cheek of the departing soul. Such kind 
 attentions often win whole families. 
 When you visit them, they meet you 
 with a hearty welcome; and when you 
 depart, they follow you with gratitude 
 and thanksgiving. But, I need not 
 speak to you of your duty; you know 
 it and perform it better than myself I 
 feel less than the least of all saints. 
 But, thanks to His precious name ! I re- 
 joice in his strength, and hope in his 
 salvation. He has done much for my
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 107 
 
 family already; and I trust all my chil- 
 di-en will submit to his laws, and be sub- 
 jects of bis kingdom." This last ex- 
 pression of hope, though so long cher- 
 ished, and with so much sohcitude, was 
 not fully realized during his life. But 
 the surviving parent may still hope, 
 that his many tears and prayers, in this 
 respect, may yet be answered. 
 
 ''At Borne, Sej)tember 4, 1820. 
 "Mr DEAR Brother, — By this you will 
 learn that I am stiU increasing the long 
 list of obhgations to Him who rules the 
 world. In the midst of many infirmities, 
 I enjoy health and peace. My family 
 are well, except two little daughters, 
 who have been sick; but their health is 
 improving. I should have moved my 
 family this day, to my station, had it 
 not been for the above aCQiction. I have 
 a good prospect for the commencement 
 of the work. Ten or twelve have been
 
 108 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 converted, and some more have joined 
 society. I found things in a low state; 
 believers had become lukewarm. But, 
 blessed be God! he owned his word as 
 usual; the congregation trembled and 
 wept almost every sermon; and when an 
 invitation was given, mourners would 
 crowd the altar, with streaming eyes and 
 bitter groans. But behevers pra}ed 
 with so much indifference and unbelief, 
 that I have sometimes doubted whether 
 I ought to call mourners to the altar. I 
 am happy to find, however, that profess- 
 ors are reviving." 
 
 '^ Cincinnati, March 2, 1821. 
 
 Dkvr Brother, — I am indebted to 
 you two or three good letters, and have 
 nothing to pay; I pray thee, forgive me 
 my neglect, as you know it is not for 
 want of good-will or obligation. 
 
 "Through a kind Providence, we are, 
 I trust, on our way to the good world.
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 109 
 
 Times are not so prosperous as I could 
 wish. Seven persons joined society last 
 night ; and about ninety since I came to 
 the station. Xone have been expelled, 
 and one only has withdrawn. A num- 
 ber have i-emoved, and some have 
 died; but I hope we shall keep up the 
 number of members in the Church. Our 
 congregations are large and attentive; 
 and, frequently, we have a crowd of 
 mourners, and some converts. I would 
 be glad if you would embrace every op- 
 portunity to talk to D. I often fear for 
 him, and would be still more alarmed, 
 
 were it not for the excellency of . 
 
 Her piety and firmness will be a great 
 help to him. 
 
 '^ Dr. M. has been A-ery studious in his 
 medical profession ; and I expect that to- 
 moiTOw he will receive the honors of a 
 gi'aduate. He has preached a number 
 of times, but has not enjoyed himself;
 
 110 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 owing, I presume, to his application to 
 different studies. How many pierce 
 themselves through with many sorrows, 
 by seeking riches, honors, &c.! 'Strait 
 is the gate, and narrow the way, that 
 leads to life; and few there be that 
 find it; 
 
 "I am very thankful to hear that 
 brother Q. is doing well. It must be 
 painful to every good man, to see an old 
 worn-out Methodist preacher, who has 
 grown gray on the frontiers of the itiner- 
 ant vineyard, neglected or in want. But 
 that broad Eye that sees the falling spar- 
 row^, marks the end of that man, and it 
 is peace." 
 
 " Cincinnati, May 1, 1822. 
 
 "My dear Brother, — I received youi 
 friendly letter by D. Collins, and rejoice 
 to find you and yours enjoy good health, 
 and are growing in grace. By this you 
 will see that we still are surrounded with
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. Ill 
 
 the goodness of God, who dehghts to 
 do aU his creatures good. It is a time 
 of general health in this city; and I 
 wish I could say of a general revival of 
 religion. But we have only common 
 times. But few haye joined society 
 these last few weeks. I know of a 
 number under awakenings, who are halt- 
 ing between two opinions. Our congre- 
 gations are large and attentive; and 
 although we haye not witnessed so gTcat 
 an outpouring of the Spuit as we wished, 
 yet there has been, and stiU is, a time 
 of union, and a good increase. I have 
 sent your letter, which contained the 
 account of the triumphant death of 
 brother English. I am sorry that I 
 haye not by me any of his letters, as 
 they would be of gTcat use to you, in 
 writing a memou: of him for the press. 
 With respect to your inquir\', if I ^ would 
 be willing to take a station in Chilli-
 
 112 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 cothe?' I can only say, at present, that 
 I desire to be wholly at the disposal 
 of Providence. But I believe you can 
 be much better suited from conference. 
 Our Sabbath school is in a flourishing 
 state. I find, by experience, that a sta- 
 tion is much harder than a district; but, 
 in a few days, all our toils will be over 
 on earth. I look for it every day, and 
 hope I may not be unprepared when 
 death shall come." 
 
 "Piqua, July 27, 1824. 
 
 "My dear Brother, — After a long si- 
 lence, I WTite a letter to my old friend, 
 for the double purpose of obtaining a 
 line from him, and of rejoicing his heart, 
 by sending him good news from the 
 walls of our spiritual Zion. My health, 
 since I left Chillicothe, has not been 
 good; but, at this time, it is much bet- 
 ter than it was through the late winter. 
 
 "We have good times on all the cir-
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLI^'S. 113 
 
 cuits in the distiict, two only excepted. 
 Our increase will, I think, amount to 
 twelve hundred on seven circuits. At 
 two camp meetings on this, and Mad 
 River circuits, upward of one hundred 
 joined society; and brother Lamden 
 informed me, by letter, that in less than 
 a week after the meeting, on one of the 
 circuits, sevent}^-five more joined, as the 
 fruit of our camp meeting. Yesterday, 
 another camp meeting closed on this 
 circuit. It being so near harvest, many 
 were prevented from attending it; but 
 the meeting was excellent. About fifty, 
 it was thought, were converted; and 
 about twenty of the most respectable 
 citizens of the place joined society, 
 many having left before the offer to re- 
 ceive members was made. 
 
 "I had the pleasure of seeing your 
 uncle, Judge Widney, and family, your 
 daughter and her cousin. T cannot de-
 
 114 A SKETCH or THE 
 
 scribe my feelings when the two httle 
 girls pressed through the crowd to speak 
 to me. They wept for joy, and listened 
 attentively while I exhorted them to 
 strive to meet a father and a mother in 
 heaven. The children of our friends 
 feel like relatives. May that God we 
 love, deign to hear our prayers for our 
 dear children ! I hope, my dear brother, 
 you will take some opportunity to speak 
 plainly to D. on the subject of his af- 
 flictions, and help him on in the good 
 way. 
 
 "I bless God, that I have never en- 
 joyed myself better in religion, than on 
 this district. It includes the ground I 
 formerly traveled, and many precious 
 souls whose names I first recorded with 
 the people of God. 
 
 "I often think of the good times we 
 have had together; and as often have I 
 wished that I could blot firom my life
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 115 
 
 that unprofitable period I spent in Chil- 
 licothe. I hope God, in his goodness, 
 will never permit me to pass another 
 such a year. And I am thankful that 
 you have, this year, a man much better 
 quahfied to fiU a city station; and God 
 knows that I have often prayed, and 
 still pray, that he may find favor in the 
 sight of his charge, and be useful to 
 them." 
 
 Mr. CoUins was a strong advocate for 
 popular, or camp meetings. And there 
 can be no doubt, at an early day in the 
 settlement of our countr}'", that those 
 meetings were eminently useful. The 
 people would often attend them fi'om a 
 distance of ten to twenty miles. They 
 would leave their houses, and the cares 
 of the world, to worship, for several days, 
 in some beautiful grove. There were 
 but few, and often none, to inteiiTipt 
 such assemblages. And it was not un-
 
 IIG A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 common, at that day, for many scores, 
 if not hundreds, to be convicted and 
 converted at one of those meetings. 
 Among the most active, persevering, 
 and successful ministers on such occa- 
 sions, was Mr. Colhns. The hearts of 
 hundreds were broken, through the in- 
 strumentahty of his tears and prayers, 
 in the congregation, in the tents, and 
 sometimes in a place of retirement. His 
 labor of love was incessant under all 
 ckcumstances. 
 
 In most parts of our country, the 
 population having now become dense, 
 and our churches numerous, it is doubt- 
 ed by many whether camp meetings are 
 productive of much good, especially in 
 the vicinity of our large cities and towns. 
 Among the crowds which surround en- 
 campments of late, many evil-disposed 
 persons are found, who are zealous to do 
 mischief
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLTN^J. 117 
 
 Mr. Collius preferred the early forms 
 of Methodism, though he was free from 
 all bigotry. And it will be found, that 
 wherever there shall be a departure from 
 the primitive modes of Methodism, there 
 will be a decline in the spuituahty of 
 the Church and in its growth. The 
 rules adopted by John Wesley were few 
 and plain, but they constituted a relig- 
 ious community distinct from any that 
 had before existed. Like the Friend 
 Quakers, they were known by their 
 dress, and general intercourse, as well as 
 by the pecuharit}' of their forms of wor- 
 ship. In the language often used by 
 Mr. Collins, "they dared to be singular." 
 Like the Quakers, they were denounced 
 as enthusiasts, and were not unfre- 
 quently pitied as a weak and deluded 
 people. By some who were unchaiita- 
 ble, they were called h}^ocrites; and 
 they were not unfrequently persecuted.
 
 118 A SKETCH OF THE 
 
 But theii' numbers multiplied in Great 
 Britain and afterward in America, be- 
 yond all former example. And they 
 are now among the most numerous sects 
 of Christians in this country and in 
 England. 
 
 But the Methodists have lost much 
 of that simphcity of demeanor and dress, 
 and of that zeal which at first distin- 
 guished them. A few months ago, the 
 writer of this entered into a Methodist 
 church on the Sabbath, but seeing the 
 house fitted up with pews, and the males 
 and females sitting together, and observ- 
 ing that they did not kneel in time of 
 prayer, but occupied their seats, he sup- 
 posed that he had mistaken the house. 
 He looked round for the old way-marks, 
 but could not see them in the fervid sup- 
 plication, or the hearty responses of for- 
 mer times; and his inquiries were not 
 satisfied until the preacher, before he
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 119 
 
 commenced his discourse, requested the 
 "leaders" to meet him punctually the 
 next evenino:. 
 
 Some individuals, proud of their ac- 
 quired knowledge, and of then positions 
 in society, may congratulate themselves 
 on this advance of the ^Methodist Church. 
 It is becoming more refined, and en- 
 deavors to accommodate itself to the im- 
 proved taste and comforts of its mem- 
 bers. And this, it is supposed, may 
 increase the respectability of the Church. 
 This may be the tendency of the changes 
 spoken of; for -'the world will love its 
 own." The world hated the Author of 
 our holy rehgion, and it can never love 
 his disciples. The old paths have been 
 proved to be good, and they should be 
 inquired after. By steadily walking in 
 them, the Methodist Church has flour- 
 ished, and has been the instrument of in- 
 calculable benefit to the world. Let it
 
 120 A SKETriT OF THE 
 
 not, then, depart, from them, Init rather 
 suffer, that good may be done. 
 
 Human nature is more influenced by 
 apparently small matters than superfi- 
 cial observers suppose. Let any one 
 take a retrospec^t of his life, and he will 
 find incidents, considered of trivial im- 
 portance at the time, have led to the 
 most important results. We are gener- 
 ally led on to our destinies in this man- 
 ner. And this is peculiarly the case in 
 regard to religious influences. What- 
 ever may act with effect upon the mind 
 of one individual, may be likely to act 
 upon the minds of many. A preacher 
 in the pulpit, of gTave and solemn as- 
 pect, whose countenance in eveiy hnea- 
 ment shows deep thought and serious- 
 ness, and whose appearance and bearing 
 become his holy cafling, always makes 
 a favorable impression. liis hearers 
 are prepared to believe that he brings
 
 LIFE OF REV. JOILN COLLINS. 121 
 
 a message from Heaven. But if, in such 
 a character, a levity appears in his coun- 
 tenance, his words, his demeanor, or his 
 dress, he can be the instrument of good 
 to no one. One of the most successful 
 preachers of antiquity, in a great enter- 
 prise, addressed a people who were igno- 
 rant of his language. The sympathies 
 of the heart are reached more effectu- 
 ally, often, by a comminghng of feehng 
 than by words. This is the language of 
 nature; and it is seldom misinterpreted. 
 A congregation reads it when a preacher 
 rises to address them. 
 
 The appearance of Mr. Collins never 
 failed to make the most favorable im- 
 pression. His dress was always neat, 
 and always plain and Quaker-like. So- 
 lemnity and benevolence were beautifully 
 blended in his countenance, which was 
 Hghted up ^nth intelligence, and an eye 
 that evinced great sagacity. His voice
 
 122 LIFE OF REV. JOHN COLLINS. 
 
 was shrill, but so full of the sweetest 
 melody, that tears were often seen to 
 start in the eyes of his hearers, and of 
 his own, on his reading the first hymn. 
 But that tremulous and soothing voice, 
 so full of consolation, is silent in death — 
 that heart, so full of Christian benevo- 
 lence, has ceased to beat — and that 
 countenance, which beamed with love and 
 hope, is mingled with the clay of the 
 valley. He has left us his bright exam- 
 ple. His pathway was so marked, that 
 no one can mistake it. And any one 
 who knew him well, must have a strange- 
 ly obdurate heart, who can think of his 
 labors, and of his triumphant end, and 
 not desire to live as he hved, and to die 
 as he died. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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