YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

9m-' wi, *; 4.. -..,»->• • ,«:-^. w.f,; ^--l

WALTER McCLINTOCK
COLLECTION

REV, ROBERT TREVER

LIPE AND LABORS
— OF —
REV. ROBERT TREVER
BOTH IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA
-ALSO-
A SKETCH OF FRONTLER WORK
IN CONNBCTION WITH THB
FREE METHODIST CHURCH
WITH AN
APPENDIX
CONTAINING TEMPERANCE
AND OTHER MATTER

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

St. Louis, Missouri
1905
J, H. Flowee, Publisher
1910 Olive Street

Press of Thos. P. Smith & Co., Third and Locust Streets

.¦),'

DEDICATION.

To the devoted saints who have been my
friends in the days of conflict, and my helpers
in the Gospel, with all that in every place love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, this book is
affectionately dedicated by the
Author,

CONTENTS.
Chapter 1, Birth, Early Life and Conversion.
Chapter 2, Entering into Business and Early Per
secution,
Chapter 3. Early Education and Call to the Minis
try,
Chapter 4. First Sermon and Early Dahors aa a
Local Preacher,
Chapter 5. Marriage, Business and Powerful Meet
ings held at different points.
Chapter 6. Emigration from England to America
and Voyage on the Sea.
Chapter 7. Landing at New York and Trip overland
to Wisconsin,
Chapter 8. The First Religious Service Attended
in America,
Chapter 9, Removal fromi Wisconsin to Harlan
county, Nebraska.
Chapter 10, First Introduction to the Free Method
ists.
Chapter 11. Uniting with the Pree Methodist church.
Chapter 12. First Circuit in the P. M. Church among
the French People.
Chapter 13. Uniting with and Organizing of West
Kansas Conference.
Chapter 14. Logan Circuit-^Horse broke its leg, and
confession at the altar of cutting my
Harness.
Chapter 15. Opposition from Come-outers,

CONTENTS.

Chapter 16. Lebanon and Mankato Circuits — ^Preach
ing to the Boys.
Chapter 17. Pastoral Visdting — Nearly knocked
down and then presented with a
quarter of beef.
Chapter 18. Glen Elder Circuit — Preaching Funerals,
eto.
Chapter 19. Pastor of a Circuit and District Chair
man the same time.
Chapter 20. Appointed as District Chairman on
Macksville District.
Chapter 21. Elected District Chairman and History
of Camp Meetings.
Chapter 22. General Description of the Work on
Mankato and Mackscille Districts.
Chapter 23. Lost on the Prairie among Wolves and
Rescued by a Station Agent — ^Wife
gets her name up as doctor.
Chapter 24. Self-sacrificing Preachers.
Chapter 25. Dedication of Glen lirlder Church.
Chapter 26. Caring for 100 People at Conference —
Saved from Tobacco — Organizing a
Class in Sheridan County.
Chapter 27. Drouth in Western Kansas and Aid Re
ceived and Distributed — Overshoes
Stolen.
Chapter 28. Labors in Oklahoma — Crossing Danger
ous Streams.
Chapter 29. Stuck in the snow drift and other en
counters.
Chapter 30. Life and- doings of the Indians — Horses
Stolen, and Preaching In the Chief's
Tepee.
Chapter 31. Removal from Glen Elder, Kansas to
Alva, Oklahoma,

CONTENTS.

Chapter 32, General Description of the Work— Heal
ing of a Child' — Wedding Ceremony
in Ness City Church.
Chapter 33, Some of the Difficulties of Pioneer lite
as a F. M. Minister.
Chapter 34. First Circuit after 8 years of District
Work — ^All going to a show.
Chapter 35. History of the Work— Wedding on the
State Line on a Load of Lumiber —
Temperance cause.
Chapter 36. Taken very sick at Conference— 'Wife
taken in a bed clear across the State
of Kansas.
Chapter 37. Removing from Oklahoma to Pana, 111.,
— New E3xperience.
Chapter 38. Home Life in Pana — ^Children all meet,
and all go down the Coal Mine to
gether.
Chapter 39. A Live Conference — Missions — ^Rescue
Work, and Meetings in Illinois.
Mrs. R. Trever. Brief Testimonial and Sketch of
her Life.
Appendix 1. Only a Drunkard's Bible — on Temper
ance and Tobacco.
Appendix 2. Submission to God in Seasons of Trial.
Appendix 3. Supporting the Ministry.
Appendix 4. The Unwelcome Preacher.
Appendix 5. A Revival of Salvation needed in the
Church.
Appendix 6. Private Prayer.
Appendix 7, Prayer Answered and Vow Paid,
Appendix 8. Experience of a Superannuated Preach
er.

LIPE AND LABOES

INTRODUCTION.
In conversation with friends with whom I
have labored in the West in reference to my
past experience and of incidents in my life, I
have been requested by several friends to
publish a short sketch of my past history and
life. I thought nothing of it at the time; in fact,
I did not think I ever could do anything of the
kind, as my education was very limited. So
the matter was not thought of until I became
comparatively helpless so far as the work in
the conference is concerned, I was disabled
by failing health and placed on the super
annuated list ; so finding myself shut in during
the winter months of 1904 and 1905, the
thought came to my mind all at once, why
not write some for the benefit of humanity in
reference to my past labors. It may do some
poor souls good when I am dead and gone,
and I believe the Lord impressed this on my
mind, for the more I thought and prayed about
it, the more it was impressed upon my mind
to write.
So I commenced to write January i, 1905, in
reality, and submit the following pages to the
careful perusal of those that may be in pos
session of this book.

OF RBV. ROBERT TREVER, 9
I feel quite sure that some good will result
from this effort. It is written in a plain, home
like style, and with the express purpose of
encouraging the young, as well as those in
mature life, and I trust that the readers of this
book will look over the mistakes and gram
matical errors therein contained, and take in
the real spirit and object of the book.
You will readily see that I have kept back
self in reference to my preaching as far as
possible, avoiding anything that would, appear
like a spirit of egotism, but have tried to hide
behind the cross and exhibit Christ.
Ever since God sanctified my soul I have
always been strongly opposed to anything like
compromise, but have stood to the front of the
battle and after doing all I have been able to
stand, I can declare with Paul I have not
shunned to declare the whole counsel of God,
and this spirit has been carried all through the
writing of these pages. I am a strong advocate
of prohibition, woman's suffrage, and woman's
foreign missionary societies ; and in fact every
thing that would tend to build up God's cause
and bring about the salvation of souls, and
cheerfully submit to all the will of God, And
my earnest prayer to Almighty God is that
this book may be made a great blessing to
many poor hungry souls, when this, my body,
will be silent in death and my soul will have
'gone to the God that gave it.
THE AUTHOR.

10 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER I.
Birth and Early Life.
I do praise God in this life and expect to
praise him throughout all eternity for praying
parents, and a good religious training. My
father and mother were real, genuine Meth
odists of the old type, and they both enjoyed a
very rich and glorious experience in both' jus
tification and sanctification. From very early
life they were both members of the Wesleyan .
Methodist Church, uniting with the church
when they were quite children, and remained
faithful members until death. They lived a
peaceful and very happy life ; I don't remember
of our hearing them speak what might even
seem like a harsh word one to the other. They '
were the father and mother of nineteen chil
dren, and I was the youngest in the family,
except a sister who was four years younger.
My dear father on his death bed stated that
he had the evidence that all his family would
be saved and meet him in heaven, and since
that time seventeen of the children have died
happy and gone to meet him in glory. There
are just two of us left, and we are to the
margin come, and we expect to die in peace;,
and meet our loved parents again. One very
wicked man came in to see my father on his

OP EEV. EOBERT .TREVES. 11
death bed, and with tears streaming down his
face said, "Let me die the death of the
righteous, and let my last end be like his,"
and shortly after father's death he, too, be
came a Christian, My father never could carry
a tune all through his life, but a few minutes
before his death he sang that old hymn:
Jesus, lover of my soul.
Let me to Thy bosom fly;
While the nearer waters roll.
While the tempest still is high ;
Hide me, O my Saviour hide,
Till the storm of life is past.
Safe into the haven guide,
O, receive my soul at last.
And so on all through the hymn, keeping per
fect time and clear voice he sang it correctly,
and then passed away to be forever with the
Lord, and to sing the songs of the redeemed.
He was a man of great usefulness in his day.
He was a class leader in the church nearly fifty
years in one town, and no doubt many will
rise up and call him blessed at the judgment.
My mother lived a few years after the death
of father, and then passed away very suddenly.
She attended three services at the church on
Sunday, and on Monday morning the Lord
called her, saying, "It is enough; come up
higher," and she went to join her loved ones
on the other shore.
I was born in the town of South Killing-
holme, Lincolnshire, England, in the year of

12 LIFE AND LABOES
our Lord 1842, May 23d. I was taken, by my
parents to the House of Prayer from an infant,
and was always taught to bow my knees during
prayer service, and after I became older I
never was allowed to sit in the back part of
the church, where young people often gather
together for the purpose of laughing and whis
pering, and thus annoy the minister and dis
turb the meeting, but I was taken to the front
with father and mother in the "amen corner"
and taught to behave in meeting. I have been
very thoughtful all my life and never did bring
disgrace to myself or parents by misbehavior
in meeting. I was also taken regularly to the
class meeting and also to Sunday School, where
I was taught to reverence God's house and to
study his word; but while listening to the
saints of God giving in their testimonies, and tp
see them get so wonderfully blessed, it got me
under deep conviction, and I often longed for
such an experience as they had, and God talked
to my heart and let conviction on me more and
more, until at last I was willing to yield up to
God by confessing and forsaking my sins. O
how God came to my young heart, saying,
"Thy sins, which were many, are all forgiven,"
and he did set my captive soul at liberty, glory
to God. Yes, for
My chains fell off, my heart was free ;
I rose, went forth to follow him.
I felt like saying with Mr. Isaac Watts :

OP EEV. EOBEET TEEVBE. 13
I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice.
While I have breath to pray or praise.
This work shall make my heart rejoice.
And fill the remnant of my days.
I was converted at the age of 14 under the
labors of Rev, Richard Williamson, in the
Wesley chapel at East Holton, England, and
united with the Wesleyan Methodist Church
in the month of November, 1856,
My conv,ersion was very clear, I can re
member the exact time and place where it was
done. It was such a great change that I surely
never will forget it. Everything seemed new.
In fact, it seemed to me like a new world
entirely. Surely old things had passed away and be
hold all things had become new. Praise the
Lord for a change of heart. Yea, all that is
within me, bless His holy name !
I hear of some people who claim to be con
verted and don't know when the work was
done; this is surely very strange, indeed, that
a person can pass through such a great change
and not know it. Is it possible? Surely such
people are deceived, for they never can know
such a great change and not know anything
about it or when it took place.
The Lord help us to examine our hearts and
see whether we are in the faith or not.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For
whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also
reap.

14 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER II,
Going into Business and Early Persecutions.
About the time of my conversion I had to
leave my parental roof and Christian associa
tions, which was a very great trial to me, and
one of the first spiritual trials of my life,
I was bound an apprentice for seven long
years to learn the merchant tailoring business
in the town of East Holton, without any com
pensation whatever only my board, my father
furnishing my clothes until I was twenty-one
years of age. This was a new kind of life for
me altogether, and it took me a long time to
get accustomed to it, especially to handle the
needle and to sit on a table with crossed legs
and press seams with a large goose (iron)
weighing twenty-eight pounds or more, I final
ly got so accustomed to it that I did not mind
the work, but the worst thing I had to contend
with and the greatest trial to me was living
in an ungodly family. Here we had no Christ
ian conversation, no encouragement spiritually,
no family prayer. This was something I could
scarcely endure. I had always been brought
up so differently, and it seemed almost impos
sible to sit up to table to eat without asking
the blessing of God upon the food set before
us. But I was a boy and could not say any
thing, and had to submit to the powers that

OP EEV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 15
be. At this home all was continual rush of
business from early morn until late at night,
and then I had to work in a shop with quite
a number of men that were very ungodly and
wicked men, and many very drunken men, and,
of course, I had to listen to all kinds of un
godly and filthy conversation, and had to
breathe an impure atmosphere caused by smok
ing the filthy weed. I also was sent to the
brewery to get beer for the men in the shop.
O, it was so hard, but there was no alternative.
I was an apprentice boy and was bound by
law to be submissive, and if I would fail to
obey I was liable to be punished by law. I
cannot describe here what I did pass through
while learning my business as a merchant
tailor. The master is also bound by law to
give his apprentice fair treatment and good
food and turn him off at the age of twenty-one
years as an expert mechanic, and qualified to
take a position in any place of business as a
merchant tailor.
I am glad I found out where to get real
spiritual help and encouragement, even under
the most trying circumstances in life. Many
times instead of going out into the town after
business hours I would find some place where
I could be alone with God, and pour out my
spirit to him in prayer, asking him to help me
bear up under the heavy trials I was passing
through, and O, how the Lord would come
to my rescue and cheer my drooping heart and

16 LIPE AND LABOES
raise my spirits and encourage me along the
way, blessing my Waiting soul. Praise his
name forever!
Truly I found in him a present help in time
of need ; surely the Lord will keep us under the
most adverse circumstances. I also found at
this time His word very precious to my soul
when I would read such, blessed promises as
these. "Fear not for I am with thee; be not
dismayed for I am thy God, I will deliver thee,
yea, my right hand shall uphold thee." And
again he says: "I will never leave thee nor
forsake thee." As long as we put our trust in
Him, the Psalmist David says, "The Lord God
is a sun and shield and he will give grace and
glory, and no good thing will he withheld
from them that walk uprightly," O, how these
blessed truths encouraged me all along the
line, and helped me to go through the midst of
opposition and persecution, for I was perse
cuted and opposed and even ridiculed for the
sake of Jesus, But the word helped me again
when I read, "Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great
is your reward in heaven." — Matthew 5:11,
I succeeded quite well in learning the bus
iness and followed this line of work for a num
ber of years, sometimes doing a large and very
prosperous business, which has always been
quite a help to me through the earljr part of
my life.

OF EEV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 17

One, thing I caji say truthfully, that I never
on any occasion or at any time allowed my
business to hinder me in the work of the Lord,
I always felt that the Lord's work was of more
importance and did lay nearer to my heart than
anything else in this world, O, the worth of
precious souls, I was just willing to do any
thing in order to win souls.
This and this alone was the real business of
my life ; whenever I was engaged in mercantile
business it was only to help to pay expenses,
and help me in the work of the Lord, I have
helped a good many poor families and preachers
by cutting, and making up clothing for them ;
and always have made up my own clothing,
which has been quite a help when engaged in
the work of the Lord. But amidst all the
trials and conflicts with the enemy I have
passed through and which I have spoken of in
this chapter, it surely has taught me one lesson
and that is this; there is no need for men and
women to backslide in this world, for God can
keep us true even under the most adverse cir
cumstances, and there is no power on earth
nor no devils in hell that can hinder us from
going clear through and getting to Heaven if
we will. Our God is more than a match for
the devil ; for if we will be true to him he will
bring us off more than conquerors through him
that has loved us and washed us in his own
precious blood.

18 LIFE AND LABORS
Lord I am thine, entirely, thine ;
Purchased and saved by blood divine ;
With full consent thine would I be.
And own thy sovereign right to me.
Thine would I live, thine would I die.
Be thine through all eternity;
The vow is past beyond repeal.
And now I set the solemn seal.

OF EEV. BOBEET TEEVEE. 19
CHAPTER III.
Early Education and Call to the Ministry,
My educational privileges were quite limited,
not having the opportunities that young men
have in these days. My father being a poor
man with poor health and a very large family
to provide for, he was not able to give me the
privilege of getting an education even that was
available in those days. But I did attend the
common schools for several years and also
had the privilege of attending high school for
a short time. I believe, however, I did make
the most out of it that I possibly could for I
was a very close student and studied very hard,
sometimes even to very late hours of the night,
I was a great lover of books and read a great
deal, especially the Bible, My father once said I
took more pleasure in reading books than I did
in working in the garden, but I believe I had
rather work in the garden now than read, as my
eyesight is very poor, I did, however, acquire
at least a common school education which has
been quite a benefit to me all through life.
Young men surely ought to appreciate the
opportunities for education that are offered to
them in these modern days. While I was
visiting the Greenville College in Illinois in my
latter days and met with so many promising
young men and ladies as students there, I

20 LIFE AND LABORS
thought, O, if I had these privileges and these
opportunities for learning when I was young
as these students have, how much more I
might have accomplished in the service bf the
Lord; but with a little education and a great
amount of the Holy Ghost and fire, I have
been enabled to succeed in doing at least some
thing in the work of the Lord, About this time
I had a clear and definite call to the ministry.
It came to me like a flash of lightning through
which I saw as clear as noonday the awful
woe is me if I preach not the Gospel, It was
quite a shock to me for I had not thought of
this before, I looked at myself and knew I was
so timid and bashful and then at my inability
and lack of education and environments; it
surely seemed impossible, I would have
thought of doing anything rather than preach.
I wrestled with God in prayer and tried to
excuse myself, but all to ho avail. I could not
get any help of the Lord until I was willing to
yield and say, yes, to God. But this seemed
impossible. When I attempted to pray this
matter would come up and I could not possibly
get around; there seemed no other way
through ; I was almost distracted, in fact I was
getting into darkness on account of my un
willingness to yield. For with me it meant to
yield up to God or be lost, and I am sure I
had rather preach than be lost ; so finally, as I
once said before, I would leave myself and my
all with Him and live in obedience to Him and

OF EEV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 21
do what He wanted me to do, let it cost what
it would. When I fully came to this point of
decision and really said yes to God, O, how he
let his blessings on my soul and all was light.
Now praise His Holy name ! I went on serving
the Lord and attended the meetings as usual
and said nothing to any one about my call to
the ministry or the work of the Lord.
But it seemed that the church had some im
pressions on this, for in a very short time I was
appointed as prayer leader ; that is, to take
charge of prayer service, and truly the Lord did
help me to read his word and corriment on the
same and we surely had times of refreshing
from the presence of the Lord, But God was
still leading me on as well as the church for
they very soon granted me exhorter's license,
which required me to accompany the preachers
and exhort and warn the people to flee from
the wrath to come and sometimes I was requir
ed to take charge of meetings alone, and while
I felt my own weakness and inability, yet God
did wonderfully bless my soul and open the
way for me and gave me success and did help
and fit me up for His work. Glory to His
name !
I thought surely this would be as far as I
would ever get on the line of preaching or in
the work of the Lord so I was perfectly satis
fied with this line of work and did it to the
best of my ability, but in about one yeair I was
recommended by the official board to the dis-

22 LIFE AND LABOES
trict quarterly conference for local preacher's
license, which was granted ; so I became a local
preacher; which meant a great deal to me.
Never did I feel my own weakness as now,
but God helped me and fitted me up for the
work, as he had promised he would. O, how
blessed it is to live resigned to all the will of
God and always feel that we are just where
God wants us to be, and to do what he wants
us to do and it surely brings joy and peace and
satisfaction to know that we are right with God
and to live in obedience to him.

OF EEV. EOBEET TEBVER. 23

CHAPTER IV,
First Sermon and Early Labors as a Local
Preacher.
After I was licensed as local preacher I was
given regular systematic work for three months
in advance, the names of the places to preach,
and the time for service was all printed on
what is known as a plan, so all the local preach
ers knew just where they had to go each Sun
day, as their names were printed opposite each
preaching point. This gave the local preacher
regular work all the time, which is a good
practice where there are so many engaged in
that line, of work. My first appointment was
at a small town which was called Imingham on
the Barton Circuit, Lincolnshire, England. I
went, 'tis true, with many misgivings as I felt
my helplessness and inability to take a text of
.Scripture and attempt to preach from it. But
I went, looking to God continually for help,
knowing that He had helped me so many times
before and promised to never leave me nor for
sake me, which gave me new courage and
strength. So while calling on God to open
the way for me and to help me through, this
text of Scripture came to my mind:
"Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sin of the Wdrld," and as I entered the
church and took my place in the pulpit I surely

24 LIFE AND LABORS
felt my own weakness and knew that if any
thing was done in this service God would have
to do it or work through me. I read that old
Hymn: Jesus, the name high over all.
In hell or earth or sky;
Angels and men before it fall.
And devils fear and fly.
While the congregation was singing these
beautiful words the Holy Ghost inspired the
song, and the shouts of the saints went up and
glory came to our souls to greet, and in answer
to prayer God did come in power right at the
very commencement of the service and fitted
us up for the work of the hour. After prayer
was offered and a portion of the Scripture read
I proceeded to read my text for the first time,
and though trembling from head to feet and
in broken sentences and disconnected words,
I was enabled to tell what the blessed Christ
could do for lost and ruined souls and spoke
of many that had looked on the Lamb of God
and were saved from all sin, and conviction set
tled on the people and some good was accomp
lished from this first service. Praise the Lord !
Many said that this was a profitable service
and had been a source of encouragement to
them, and they gave me a hearty welcome and
invited me to come again, which was quite
encouraging for a new begianer, I went awaj'
rejoicing in the pp^ oi my salvation, Thi§

OP EEV. ROBERT TBEVEE. 25
was in July, 1858, when I was 16 years of ago,
which was a memorable time to me.
From this time on I generally preached
twice every Sunday at different places and
worked at my business in the shop during the
week. I often had the pleasure of preaching
in my home chapel in the town where I was
working, and also where I was converted to
God, and saved from sin. It was truly a very
sacred place to me where God spoke peace to
my soul, I am glad I had the opportunity of
preaching Christ to my old associates and
even to them that persecuted me, and God did
bless the truth spoken and sent it home to
their hearts and I was blessed with the privi
lege of seeing some, of them really converted
to God, "God moves in a mysterious way.
His wonders to perform."
I had the privilege also of preaching in the
chapel where my father and mother worshiped
and where I had been taken so often when a
child, and where I had seen so many souls
saved. I was often spoken of as the boy
preacher, as I was quite young and looked
still younger. We often had to travel twenty
miles -or more on foot and pi^ach twice, and
then return home after night's preaching. Not
many local preachers would w-ant to do it in
these modern days, but we did then, and got
wonderfully blessed.

26 LIFE AND LABOES
Local preachers scarcely ever got any com
pensation for thgir services in those days and
did not expect anything. We went forth as a
matter of duty that we owed to God and the
love for lost souls, and the blessed Christ so
wonderfully rewarded us and strengthened
us for His servnce. Praise His name ! I believe
where we sacrifice for God and the salvation
of souls, we ar^ sure to have the blessings of
God poured ou^ upon us. It was really won
derful how those old saints of God that suf
fered so much for him, did get blessed. Praise
His name ! Ojir God is just the same to-day
and just as wijling to bless his children as he
ever was. In those old Methodist meetings it
would be considered quite strange indeed if
one or more souls were not saved at every
service, but in these modern times, when pride
and pomp and show and vanity and worldly
conformity 90 abound everywhere it is con
sidered a very rare thing, if souls are really
converted ii^ any ordinary service, O, is it not
time that njinisters of the Gospel should begin
to cry mightily to God? Yea, even weep be
tween thq porch and the altar, for lost and
ruined souls, and that the pilgrims every
where should pray and wrestle with Jacob of
Old for more of the old time power, that brings
conviction on sinners and gives us an intense
burning love for the salvation of souls? May
God help us to begin to inquire for the old
paths and walk therein, God is just the same

OF EEV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 27
and His mercy endureth forever. Is there not
a danger of becoming lovers of ease and pleas
ure and depending more on our talents and
education and ability than we depend on God
and the Holy Ghost power?
The Lord help us to watch and pray lest we
enter into temptation and thus be found lean
ing a little to the world.

28 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER V.

Marriage, Business anid Powerful Meetings
Held at Different Points.
At the age of twenty-one I commenced busi
ness in my own establishment, keeping a gen
eral clothing store, situated in the town of
Burgh le Marsh, Lincolnshire, England,
In this town I became acquainted with a
young lady. Miss Jemima Whydale, who at
that time was working in another store, and as
my business was increasing quite rapidly I be
gan to think that it might be better for me to
take a partner into business, as it was quite an
undertaking for me to run it alone.
So I took the liberty to speak to Miss Why-
dale in reference to the matter as she under
stood something about store business, but she
rather hesitated at first. After due considera
tion she thought it might be a profitable in
vestment, so in due time it was arranged to fix
the time and place where this union was to be
made sure; so April ii, 1864, was agreed
upon as the time, and the place was to be at the
Wainfleet Wesleyan Methodist Church, Mon
day morning, at 8 o'clock. Rev, Alford Lock-
wood officiating. It must have been an im
portant event as there were more than two hun
dred spectators at this early hour. All passed
off quite pleasantly, and our partnership

OF REV. ROBERT TEEVEE. 29
proved to be quite agreeable and profitable.
We have been in partnership now 40 years and
have not dissolved, or even disagreed yet.
For which we thank God and take courage,
looking to the time when death will sever this
partnership for a little while.
Father of the human race.
Sanction with thy Heavenly gi-ace;.
What on earth hath now been done.
That these twain be truly one.
One in sickness and in health.
One in poverty and wealth;
And as year roll after year.
Each to other still more dear.
One in purpose, one in heart,
'Till the mortal stroke shall part;
One in cheerful piety.
One forever. Lord with thee.
W. B. LOLLYER,
We continued in business in this town for
several years, and I also kept up my appoint
ments regularly every Sabbath and the Lord
helped me all along the Hne. Praise his name !
W^e left this town and moved about 150 miles
nearer Liverpool to Bolton, Lanshire, which
was a large manufacturing town of one hun
dred and thirty thousand inhabitants.
At this new place we did quite a prosperous
business, among the factory operatives for
several years.

30 LIFE AND LABORS
But I was regularly employed as a local
preacher every Sunday, preaching the Gospel
to lost sinners, and had the happiness of seeing
many saved from sin. I found it much more
difficult for me to fill appointment here, as the
churches were quite large and generally well
attended it was quite a cross for me to stand
up and try to interest such large congregations,
(sometimes one thousand or more people),
with my limited education, and I oftea won
dered why I was sent out by the church to
tliose places ; but the great God that called me
into his work, kept urging me out and was
preparing me for the work.
One Sabbath I was appointed to preach at
Harwood morning and night, and after hold
ing on to God in earnest prayer for help I
went to fill the appointment in the morning,
but during the service I did not seem to get
much help of the Lord and was considerably
embarrassed, and I really thought it was a
complete failure and the devil tried me over
it considerable. So I concluded I would not
try and fill the appointment at night, but on
closing the service several people came around
me in the front; some said the sermon had
done them so much good and. were much en
couraged; others gave me a hearty welcome
and were looking for a good meeting at night.
So I thought maybe it would be better for me
to try it again at night, not letting them know
my feelings. I found very kind friends and

OP RBV. ROBERT TREVER. 31
had a very pleasant visit indeed, I also found
time to get alone with God in prayer, asking
Him to help me through the night service
which He did. Praise his name!
My text at night was, "Wherefore he is able
to save to the utmost." Before I got through
preaching, one man came forward screaming
for mercy and fell on the floor in front of the
altar and about 20 more followed. This soon
brought to an altar service and we all gathered
around the altar and held on to God in prayer
for those souls and many of them were clearly
saved from sin. I felt considerably better now
for the devil was defeated and God gave us vic
tory. Praise his name !
On another occasion, I was called to preach
at the Mission Hall in Bolton, in the town
where we lived; this was a very large build
ing with a seating capacity of 1,500 people.
The morning service was a time of special
outpouring of the Holy Spirit ; the. saints were
wonderfully blessed and encouraged and the
house seemed to be filled with the Holy Ghost
and with fire. It was not very difficult to talk
to the people in such an atmosphere, as every
body was looking to a higher source than the
preacher and truly God had his way in the
meeting. But the night service was beyond
anything I had ever witnessed. The large
house was full to overflowing, and such con
viction I never saw; people were crying for
mercy all over the house and as the meeting

32 LIFE AND LABORS
continued, other ministers came in and fell
right in line and there were as many as eight
or ten altar services in the house going on at
the same time until after midnight, when I
closed the best service I ever held through life.
The Lord was there in mighty power and it
was said that over one hundred souls were
saved at this one service. It seemed there was
a general revival spirit; for every service was
a revival. These truly were good days to my
soul. It miiist be remembered that in those
days people were more easily effected and got
under conviction more than in these days of
form and pride and vanity where people are so
gospel hardened that they can sit under the
most heart searching sermon and listen to the
most powerful appeals and yet be unmoved or
very little effected.
I am glad I was converted when my heart
was young and tender and when I could be
effected by the preaching of the word and in
fluenced by the Holy Spirit, There is so much
sham religion and false doctrines taught, and
so many false issues that disgust people in
these days. They say, many of them, while
looking on these things, "If that is religion I
don't want it." This is one reason why it is so
hard to get people saved; the Lord help us,
is my prayer.
I was also blest with the privilege of
preaching in the same church that our venera
ble John Wesley preached in so many times,

01* EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 33
sitting in the same chair and using the same
hymn book and Bible that he used. These
relics were preserved in memory of him
in the town of Stockport, England, I
also attended the largest Sabbath school in the
world in this town. It is the proud boast of
the town of Stockport that it possesses the
largest Sunday school in the world; there is
nothing to approach it in any quarter of the
globe. The main school contains about four
thousand scholars and in its branches there
are about one thousand more, making a grand
total of five thousand children, exclusive of
preachers and officers, which number four hun
dred and fifty. It is indeed a giant Sunday
school. This great school was organized over
one hundred and seventy years ago. Nearly
forty years ago I had the privilege of going
all through this school and attended one of its
sessions. In this school there has been trained
6,000 teachers and over one million children
have been brought under religious influences;
the money collected for the support of this
school alone will equal five thousand dollars
per year,
I also visited the large town of London
where I spent several days, and also visited the
beautiful town of New Castle, in Staffordshire,
where I had the privilege of preaching several
times, I also heard that noted preacher, Rich
ard Weaver, the converted collier, who was
one of the best revival preachers I ever heard.

34 LIFE AND LABORS
I also heard the very much noted converted
infidel, Joseph Barker. I heard his first ser
mon after he was converted from infidelity. I
never saw a man that had such power over his
congregation of two thousand people; some
times he had them weeping and even sobbing_
all over the house, and again he would have
them shouting. Of course, there was great ex
citement, but how much genuine good done or
souls really saved, I am not prepared to tell.
Near this town I saw every kind of crockery
manufactured, from a small lump of clay
in the hands of the potter, who could mould
at will any piece of ware you might ask for in
a moment of time, ready for the next man to
put on handles, and so on all through until we
reached the show room, where sets of china-
ware burnished with pure gold and valued at
a cost of one thousand dollars. It is true,
what King Solomon said; "Man has sought -out
many inventions."

OP REV. ROBERT TREVER. 35

CHAPTER VI.
Emigration from England to America and
Voyage on the Sea.
While we were living in the town of Bolton,
my health failed very rapidly; some thought
I was consumptive and could not last very
long, as I was so weak I could scarcely at
tend to business, or preach. Our family phy
sician thought a change of climate might help
me more than anything else.
I hardly knew where to go or what to do ; I
had one brother and one sister in America and
they wanted us to come to see them. America
was spoken of by a great many people as being
a very fine climate, especially in some of the
states, and a good place to live and make
money. Here is where a great many people
are deceived ; the country is flooded with pa
pers which over estimate things considerably
and they come to this country and don't find
it as represented. But it was health I was in
terested in, so we began to talk it up in good
earnest and finally decided to go.
Just at this time my brother, who lived in
Staffordshire, heard of our going and so came
over to see us and he decided to take his family
and go with us to America; this was quite an
encouragement to us, to have company, but it
was a very great undertaking indeed; nearly

36 LIFE AND LABOES
five thousand miles with three small children
to care for and a large business to dispose of,
and my health so poor ; but I sold the business
to a young man that had been working for me
a good many years, and we began to 'tear up
and pack up and sell out until all was ready for
the big move. By this time my brother had
his business disposed of, and his affairs all set
tled up and he, too, was ready. So he and I
went to Liverpool and secured a passage on
board the steamship named England, on the
National Line. Brother Joseph had a wife and
nine children and I had a wife and three chil
dren, so we made up a company of sixteen in
all, and in a very short time we got them all
to Liverpool and boarded the great ship on the
2Sth day of May, 1870, and left Liverpool and
the old shores of native England, never more
to return, as far as I was concerned, but my
brother went back on a visit a few years later.
Now he and part of his family are in glory.
A very strange feeling came over us as we got
clear out of sight of our native country; we
had a very pleasant voyage for the first 24
hours, or until we reached Queenstown, Ire
land where we took on five hundred more pas
sengers. Among the number was a large
number of girls who were coming to America
to work out; as wages were very much bettei
in America than in Ireland. This made up a
company of thirteen hundred and fifty pas
sengers and a little more than one hundrecj

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 37
crew or workmen, so we had a large company
of us altogether. We left Ireland the next
day and everything went on smoothly" until
we got out into what is known as the Irish
Seas; by this time, however, there was a gen
eral up heaving, for about one-half of the pas
sengers or more began to look very pale and
sickly, and they began to console each other
and tried to encourage each other, but they
kept getting worse and worse and there seemed
to be no help at all. All of our number were
among the sick ones, except one. I w.as deathly
sick and really thought I would die, and got
so bad that I would prefer death to such a feel
ing. Some would take stimulants, of course,
but it did not do much good, for I actually saw
over five hundred or more all vomiting at once,
standing in long rows on top deck, and nearly
the whole number on board went through it
in the course of a few days; some got over it
in a few days while others had to suffer much
longer. I was very sick for about ten days
and finally got so I could eat a little. The
board or food that was served on board of
ship was good in quality, but it was served up
so rough that a person had to have a very
keen appetite to eat very much. We got six
teen small loaves of bread every morning, and
also good butter. We got one for each mem
ber of the family and this was our principle
living while on board of ship, so we got along
fairly well, but we had to put one arm. around

38 LIFE AND LABORS
our dishes, which were tin, and eat with the
other hand, else the heave of the ship would
throw every dish into one mass, maybe several
feet from us. One time my wife was not
watching very close and a big heave of the
ship sent her clear from the table and sent her
rolling under the bed with a baby in her arms,
which bruised her up considerably. We soon
learned to be on the lookout, but it was so
hard to get used to the motion of the ship.
After we did, we got along much better. There
was a little circumstance that was quite dis
agreeable, but caused considerable amusement
on top deck. There was a group of people sit
ting down talking, and the ship was heaving
and tossing on the great mountains of water;
one time it struck the water with such force
that the water swept all over the front deck
and sent those who were sitting, floating in all
directions. Those of us who were standing
up a little farther away only got our feet wet;
the sea at this time was very rough, moun
tains of water, which seemed to me to be one
hundred feet high were rolling over and over,
dashing against the ship with such violence
that it seemed we would soon be buried in
water, and even the captain himself and the
crew almost gave up in dispair as they lost
control of the ship for a short time, the fire
being slacked almost out. At this time the
passengers began to get wonderfully excited
and one of the largest prayer meetings I ever

OF EEV. EOBEET TREVER. 39
saw was started up quite abruptly, but every
body was wonderfully in earnest and did not
wait one on the other ; almost everybody pray
ed; some prayed to the Virgin Mary, the
mother of Jesus; and some called on their
•Father God and some one thing and some
another, but I, with several others left our case
with the Lord, Jesus Christ, who brought us
through . alright. This prayer meeting was
composed of thirteen^ different nationalities,
who spoke 13 different languages. There were
about 25 different churches represented, and
thirteen hundred and fifty people present, so
it was a great prayer meeting indeed, but in
a few more hours the storm passed away and
the water became calm and while passing
through the Banks of Newfoundland there was
a dense fog, so they had to blow the fog horn,
in order to keep from striking anything. The
water at this point seemed almost like oil ;
quite smooth. One morning after this while
we were all down in the berths at breakfast,
we heard some one shout, ."land ahead," so a
good many rushed out to see land, but it was
jtoo far away yet for us to see.
In a very short time we really did see the
tops of the trees in the far distance, and as
we gradually got nearer to land we could begin
to see the green trees and shrubbery. It was
really beautiful to us, as we had seen nothing
but water .for 12 days or more. We finally
reached New York Bay late Saturday night

40 LIFE AND LABOES
with "just as many passengers as when we left
Queenstown. Two persons had died during
the voyage but two had been born, so it made
up the number, and this being Saturday night
we were not allowed to go on land until Mon
day morning. This was one time they ob
served the Sabbath. Praise the Lord!
Monday morning came and after being ex
amined by two doctors and our baggage all
carefully inspected we were allowed to pass
onto the soil of brave America.
I have written this chapter for the purpose
of interesting the young people that may per
chance read this book and all others that may
not be accustomed to sea warfare.

OF EEV. ROBEBT TEBVER. 41

CHAPTER VII.
Landing at New York, and Trip Overland to
Wisconsin.
The morning we landed at New York was a
time of rejoicing by a great many, as every
one, I suppose, was tired of being on the water
so long and some were glad they had a safe
voyage and had got through, and others (near
ly all) were very anxious to see America. It
took nearly all day Monday to get landed and
to claim all our baggage, for we had sixteen
large trunks, and twelve children to care for.
This was new business for us, and certainly
altogether a new experience. Everything we
saw after we got on shore looked different;
the ways and customs and habits and every
thing looked so strange to us, and we scarcely
knew how to act. We went to a restaurant to
get some refreshments, but people would get
their meals and were gone before we got fairly
commenced. We could not under.stand it; we
had always been taught to sit at the table until
everybody got through, and then return thanks
before we left, so we thought the American
people were very rude or were void of any
manners or else we were uncommonly long
time in eating our meal. So we left before
we got through, but afterwards learned, dif
ferently.

42 LIFE AND LABOES
I noticed the women folk in our crowd began
to look strange and were not natural at all, so
I spoke to them, and told them to cheer up,
this was America. "Yes," one says, "and I
don't like it at all, I wish I was at home," and
in not a very pleasant tone of voice. But we
were here and had got over our spell of sea
sickness, but I noticed another kind of sick
ness was coming on rapidly, and several
in the family were taken down with it. But
this disease proved to be not quite so bad as
sea sickness. The people in America pro
nounced this disease "home sickness."
It was quite bad, however, for it took a long
time to get over it. After leaving Castle Gar
den we went out for a walk in New York City,
taking in the sights and curiosities and when
we got tired of walking around we went to a
hotel, which had been previously recommended
to us as a good, comfortable place to stop for
the night. We ate our supper, i6 of us in all,
and when it was time to retire, we were con
ducted to our bed rooms, where we hoped to
have a good night's rest.
But lo and behold ! What did we see crawl
ing over the floor and on the beds and around
the lamp, running in every direction! In
America they call them "bed bugs" and there
was a very fine crop of them ; there must have
been several thousand of them. The poor chil
dren could not sleep unless we sat and kept
the bugs off them. As the grown folks did not

OP EEV. ROBERT TREVER. 43
feel like laying down, we passed a long, sleep
less night and were glad when morning came.
This was our first night in America. We went
down stairs and ate our breakfast and paid
seventeen dollars and fifty cents for the privi
lege of sitting up all night, fighting bed bugs.
This was no help for our "home sickness."
We left New York the next day and embarked
on a steamboat for New Jersey. We then
took the train for Chicago, leaving New Jersey
at 5 :35 in the evening.
We had a very pleasant trip across the river,
although it rained harder than I had ever seen
it rain before. We did not visit very much
in New Jersey, but took seats in the cars,
which was altogether different to our mode of
going in the old country. The cars were so
different, but we thought they were very nice
and very comfortable and so we felt very
much pleased for the first time in America.
The train started on and we traveled all
night. The next morning we arrived at some
"Junction" near Niagara Falls, about 9 a. m.,
where we were informed that our train would
have to wait for two hours on account of some
other train being late,. So I and my wife and
my brother and his wife got out, leaving the
small children with the big girls, so we could
go in search of food, as we had nothing left
for the children. We had to go about one mile
to the town and were gone just one hour,
bringing back the food ; but to our great sur-

44 LIFE AND LABORS
prise we found the train had gone, taking along
all the children, who were without food or
money or tickets or friends. We, of course,
did not know what to do. The two women
were almost frantic. Of course, the men folks
kept cool, at least we did the best we could.
But this was no particular help to "home sick
ness." It was still very bad. We went to the
agent, who told us there was no other train
until the next day.
So while explaining matters with the agent,
he just remembered that there was an express
train that was coming through in a little while,
but did not stop there ; so he said he would flag
the train and have it stop. He did so and after
he explained matters with the conductor, we
were allowed to get on. As the train that took
the children was ordered by telegraph to stop
at a certain station until the express train
reached there, I think in about 40 or 50 miles
we caught up with it. We found the children
alright (although very much frightened), to
the joy and comfort of us all. We passed
through Chicago, stopped a few hours and then
went on to Milwaukee, thence to Fon du Lac
City, where our brother-in-law met us, having
come 30 miles in a lumber wagon, but as we
had sixteen large trunks and sixteen in our
company, it was more than he had thought, of,
it being more than one load. We proposed to
take the boat across Lake Winebago to Stock-
bridge, thence four miles by wagon to Brant,

OF BBV. KOBBBT TEEVEE. 45
where our sister lived. We settled here for a
while, right in the woods of Wisconsin, until
we ^rested up. This has been a timber country
and being new, of course, everything was
rough and so different to what we had been
used to. We were all feeling bad, for our
"home sickness" was not cured yet.

46 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER VIIL
The First Religious Service We Attended in
America.
The first Sabbath in Wisconsin we attended
a meeting conducted in a small log school
house, without any floor and with very rough
home-made seats. We were there quite early,
but found some persons already there. The
men were generally barefooted and without
coats. Nearly all had their hats on. Of course,
this was very strange to us, having been used
to things so different, especially in churches.
In fact, we could not believe it was church, or
a place of worship, until we saw a minister
drive up and enter the house, and took his seat
in the front. As we soon learned, his name was
Rev. A. T. Brill. He looked around his con
gregation and saw there were some strangers
there. And surely we were strange, indeed.
He very kindly spoke to us and gave us a
a Methodist, but with very little grace. I did,
welcome. Having been informed that I was a
minister, he kindly invited me to preach. Of
course, I excused myself the best I could and
declined. The minister went on with the ser
vice, and preached a very good sermon, which
made us feel more reconciled than at the be
ginning. He closed the service, but announced
that I would preach at night.

OP RBV. ROBERT TRBVEE. 47
It seemed hard for me to preach under such
circumstances, but as was my custom, I went
to God and talked to him about it. So after
earnest prayer I went again at night to the
same school house. The house was crowded
with people. Many probably came out of
curiosity, but the Lord was there in power and
I felt at home, as I always do in his presence.
We had a good meeting and I believe that
some good was done, for every one seemed in
terested and invited me to come back, and I
did, preaching there several times after and
souls were saved.
I had letters of recommendation from my
pastor and class leader and also from the
chairman of the district, which I brought with
me from England. After I got a little better
acquainted with Brother Brill, the Methodist
Episcopal minister, I spoke of soriie of my past
labors and then presented my letters. He
seemed jquite pleased to have me come among
them. So I united with the church, as did
wife and brother and his wife. I was soon
put to work, and was employed as supply
under Elder White and also Elder Mead for
some time. We had many good meetings,
but spiritually I went down, gradually con
forming to the world a little, and step by step
we really lost the power ; but I was considered
spiritual and preached right along, and tried
to ease my conscience by thinking that I was
as good as others in the church ; and so I wenl

48 LIFE AND LABOES
on, with actually nothing but a form. I seemed
interested, and was, in the salvation of souls
and labored quite hard to get people saved.
I preached just as often, but, O, I had lost my
relish for the secret hours of devotion and
holding on to God in prayer, as before, and
I surely felt a lack of spiritual power in all
my labors, although I never believed in secret
societies, never used tobacco in any form, nor
never indulged in any of the popular sins of the
age. But I went gliding along with the
church into popularity. I was appointed to
the Sheboygan circuit to fill a vacancy made
by Dr. Coksil, who was very sick; I don't
think he ever was able to preach again. I felt,
however, a lack of education more than ever,
as it was quite a stylish congregation and
they had been accustomed to having con
siderable talent in the pulpit. I had hitherto
got along very well when I had had the glory
welling up in my soul, and the Holy Ghost
behind me, but now, without either, it surely
was up-hill business. But I got through to
the end, although not with glory in my soul,
as in days of yore. It is said that confession
is good for the soul. Oh, how the good God
bears with us. Yes, His mercy endureth for
ever, amen!

OP EEV. BOBBRT TEEVEE. 49

CHAPTER IX,
Removal to Harlan County, Nebraska.
My wife's health was very poor all the time
we lived in Wisconsin, I paid out $ioo, or
more, for doctor's fees; but she gradually got
worse, until we left. My health was quite
good, A friend of ours, and a member of the
Methodist Church, offered to pay all our ex
penses if we would go with him and his fam
ily to Harlan county, Nebraska, and he had
property there and wanted to move on account
of his wife's health. So we decided to go,
the two families of us, in covered wagons by
the overland route, it being a distance of over
six hundred miles. The neighbors and friends
gathered around to see us off, some saying
that we were foolish. Some said we were
crazy. Still others said we would bury our
wives on the road, and that we men folks
were about ready for the asylum. We thanked
them for the advice they were giving and the
encouraging words they said to us, so we drove
on saying "good bye.'
To our great surprise our wives began to
improve in health, and the further we went
the better they were ; and before we had gone
two hundred miles they looked like different
women altogether. They could eat almost any
thing, and although we camped out at night.

50 LIFE AND LABOES
Still they got better all the time. So we were
well pleased with the trip. We were on the
road about six weeks. We had many things
that were trying for humanity to contend with,
but we got through and reached our destina-
tion and settled down near a little village called
Bainbridge, about ten miles from Alma, Har
lan county, Nebraska. This was a new coun
try, with thousands of acres of fine prairie
land, all as yet belonging to the government,
but open for settlement. This was too good
a chance for me to let go by, so I sent in my
application for i6o acres of very fine land and
took it for a homestead. But, just like human
nature, I was not satisfied. There was another
i6o adjoinin.g this, with ten acres ploughed
on it, and, as I was informed, the man who
had taken it had gone to England. It was
what is known as a timber claim. As I could
get it for $5— that is, the right the other man
had to it — I paid the $5 and paid the govern
ment fees, which were $14. This gave me
320 acres of land.
The neighbors came in and helped me build
a sod house on the land, which we made quite
comfortable, and then moved my family into
it. This was a new experience for us. We
were farmers now, in reality, without money
or crops, and although we had 320 acres of
land, yet we saw harder times now than we
had ever seen before. Here we were with
nothing to farm with and the crops failed.

DP REV. ROBERT TREVER. 51 "
From what little ground we had ploughed we
could get nothing for ourselves or horses, and
it looked dark indeed. I got a chance to make
some suits for the county officers (who were
the only men that had money in those days).
This helped us out considerably. About this
time the Baptist minister left and they wanted
me to preach for them, as I had attended their
meetings. Of course, I was not a Baptist, but
a Methodist, but with very little grace. I did,
however, believe in "immersion," so they made
me a proposition that if I would unite with the
church and be immersed, I could preach for
them. So I did and was ordained elder and
did preach for them some time (I don't re
member just how long). I got along very
well, had a good time, found many kind friends
in the church, and some very fine people.
We really had some very good meetings, and
we were getting along fine, but wife and I
thought we would go to hear the Free Meth
odist preacher, who came around about once
a month. I believe it was Rev. J. Adams who
was their preacher at this time, but I am not
quite sure. The preaching was good, but it
made us feel quite uncomfortable. Yet there
was something about it attracting.

52 LIFE AND XiABOES

CHAPTER X.
First Introduction to the Free Methodists.
We spoke in the last chapter of hearing a
Free Methodist minister. This was the first
time we had ever met with any Free Methodists
and I must say we were quite favorably im
pressed. True, their preaching got us under
conviction, from the fact that it was so much
like what we had been accustomed to when
we were young. So it seemed like old times
to us. Yet their preaching always made us
feel that we were not just right. I tried to
fight it off, however, and did for awhile, but
there must be something charming about their
preaching, for the more we heard them the
more we wanted to go. Some people were
afraid we would be led astray, and told us not
to go near tham, as they were a very dangerous
people, claiming to be holy and even to live
without sin, which they said was impossible
to do in this world. Of course these comforters
were not converted, although they professed
religion and belonged to a church. We had not
gone so far down but what we could under
stand where their spiritual standing was. They
said many more hard things about these people.
Why, they said, if you should be drawn away
after them it would be terrible. They really
were interested in us, and I thanked them for

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 53
the interest they were taking in us and for
their advice. I suppose they thought they had
done their duty. But with all the advice and
warning we had from them, still we weht again
to the very next appointment the Free Method
ists had in this community. This time, how
ever, it made such an impression on my mind
that I could not shake it off, so I began to
examine myself and see whether I was in. the
faith or not, but soon found out that I was
not fight. I was really surprised to find how
far I had drifted from the old landmarks that
our fathers had set. But I was honest and
really wanted to get right, so I began to inquire
for the old way and decided by the help of
God to walk therein. I concluded Iwould arise
and go to the Father's house, and I found by
complying with the terms of the Gospel, by
confessing and forsaking my sins God was
willing to forgive me and restore me to the
joys of salvation Praise His name ! In a short
time wife and I were both sanctified and holy
and washed in the blood of the Lamb, This
was truly a. wonderful experience. Oh, how
we rejoiced in the God of our Salvation. Oh,
how glad I was that we ever met with this
dear people ! My preaching must have been
changed, for where I had been accustomed to
preach before with a degree of satisfaction,
the same congregation with whom I had once
been quite popular, did not seem to appreciate
my talk anymore. I noticed quite a change.

54 LIFE AND LABORS
somehow, but it passed for awhile, I got
blessed in preaching, and I am sure God helped
me to declare the whole counsel of God, I
saw the leading members of the church grouped
together and talking quite seriously. The very
next week a committee came to wait on me.
They spoke very kindly to me and inquired if
I had been attending the Free Methodist meet
ings. I informed them that I had and enjoyed
them very much. They said : "Well, we have
come to make you some propositions, arid if
you will comply with them, all will be well.
The first is, will you keep away from that
wild, fanatical set, the Free Methodists? Sec
ond, will you, from this time on, change your
preaching and preach as. you did a while ago?
Third, will you promise us that you will not
make as much noise in meeting and be more
quiet ?" They said : "We want you to answer
these questions satisfactorily, as our church
is in danger of being divided, if not broken
up." I said : "I am sorry there is such a feel
ing in the church, for I am sure I wish you
well and hope you will have no further trou
ble; but in answer to your questions, first, I
will not keep away from F. M, meetings, be
cause they do me good and it is there where my
souls get fed. Second, I will change my man
ner of preaching if the Lord leads that way,
but I must obey God rather than man. Third,
I will keep more quite in meeting if the Lord
will let me, but when God lets His blessings

OF REV. ROBERT TREVES. 55
on my soul, I cannot keep still," They left me
by saying they w^ere afraid I was too far gone.
I suppose my answers did not please them.
They would have taken steps to expel me from
their church, but I relieved them of this trou
ble and quietly withdrew. I think some others
came out about the same time; at least, there
was quite a sensation when it was rumored
that we had left the church. But on finding
ourselves outside the church, without any letter
pf recommendation whatever, we naturally
went to our Own company. That branch of
the above church in that community did not
only divide up, but was actually broken up
some time afterwards. So the Lion of the tribe
of Juda prevailed. Amen, so let it be !.
Jesus, the name high over all.
In hell on earth or sky;
Angels and men before it fall.
And devils fear and fly.

56 LIFE AND LABORS

CHAPTER XI.
Uniting With the Free Methodist Church.
I shall always feel that I owe a debt of grati
tude to Rev, J, Adams, Rev, J. E, Whiting, Rev,
E, E, Miller and others fOr the plain, practical
truths they preached, their faithful labors and
the kindness they manifested towards wife and
I, They did not turn a cold shoulder towards
us. They used us kindly and friendly and
acted as if. they were really interested in our
souls. It was this friendly spirit manifested
towards us that really won us over to God and
drew us towards the Free Methodist Church.
Thank God for faithful workers !
In due time we united with the Free Method
ist Church — wife and I and several more, at the
same time. I think Rey, G. B. Howard took us
into the church, in the town of Alma, Harlan
county, Nebraska. I don't remember the date,
but we got in, for which we praise the Lord.
We felt quite at home with our new sur
roundings and glad to get where we were al
lowed to declare the whole counsel of God.
Thank God for a clean people that dare to stand
out against all the popular sins of the day,
either in or out of the church !
May God help the church to continue to
stand and after having done all, to stand out
against sin in all its various forms, and stand

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVBE. 57
to the front, warning every man, night and day,
with cries and entreaties, urging him to flee
from the wrath to come! Shortly after we
united with the church we were (I say "we,"
because wife was a very important partner in
the work) employed on the Alma and Orleans
circuit as supply, under the Rev. J. M. Cook,
with Rev. C. M. Damon, district chairman.
Here we found many kind and loving friends,
who gave us a hearty welcome and helped us
with their means and prayers. I don't remem
ber much about this year's work. I traveled
over the entire circuit, which was many miles
in extent, and filled the appointments regularly.
Brother Cook held a very successful meeting
in Minden, Neb. I was invited to go there for
the purpose of baptizing the candidates by
immersion — eleven in number. One of the
number was the Rev. J. Higans, now district
Elder, Macksville District, West Kansas con
ference. Another was Miss Ida Heffner, who
was afterwards sent as missionary to Africa.
Some of the others have died and gone to
Glory, We worked in harmony with Brother
and Sister Cook and had a good year in this
new country. It was not uncommon to see
people coming to meeting in lumber wagons,
drawn by oxen, some of them coming a long
distance. This was the only vehicle I had, but
I had horses to draw my big wagon. I had
no spring seat and wife and I would travel hun
dreds of miles with nothing but just a board

58 LIFE AND LABOES
to sit on, without any money at all. But we
had .glory in our souls, praise the Lord ! About
this tirae we met with a terrible accident — the
loss of both my horses. They took a bad
disease and both died; so we were in a bad
condition, having no way to go at all. I had
one colt twenty months old, that was quite
sick, but it got better in a few weeks. The
devil said we would have to stop preaching
now, but after praying over the matter I knew
the Lord wanted me in the work, so_ I struck
on a plan that I thought I could make work all
right. I got two old cultivator wheels and an
old box that had been used on a harvester and
made a cart. Of course, it did not look very
nice, but it was a cart. I also fixed up a single
harness from my other harness and then I
hitched up my young colt. Wife and I loaded
up and went on our way, rejoicing, traveling
from one appointment to another and warning
men and women to flee from the wrath to come,
thanking the good Lord that we had such a
good way to go. Thus the devil -was defeated
again.

OF EEV. EOBERT TEBVER. 59
CHAPTER XII.
Jack Creek and French Settlement Circuit.
This part of our work was still within the
bounds of Kansas conference. This conference
year, I labored on the Jack Creek and French
Settlement circuit with Rev, C. M. Damon as
my District Chairman,
We loved Brother Damon, and enjoyed his
quarterly visits. This was truly a year of hard
ships, looking at it from a temporal standpoint.
Yet amidst all the trying things of life, surely
God was with us and did open up the way for
us. Bless his Holy name !
Many of the Saints were wonderfully blessed
and encouraged and strengthened by the way.
We held one meeting of considerable interest
in a beautiful grove owned by Father Painter
whose home was always open for the Lord's
people. Wife and I were very kindly enter
tained many times at this home. This meeting
was quite remarkable in many respects. Broth
er G. B, Howard assisted in this meeting and
did good service, and as the word was preached,
truly, God came down in power. And O, how
the Saints got blessed and conviction settled
on the people and many were saved and sancti
fied, and as the shouts of the saints went up the
enemy got stirred and came in human form and
tried to break up the meeting, if possible. But

60 LIFE AND LABOES
the great God was with us in mighty power and
the meeting continued increasing in interest,
but the worst thing we had to contend with in
the way of opposition was a woman who lived
in the neighborhood and she professed religion
and had considerable influence over the young
people and when any one would come forward
to the altar, and showed some signs they
wanted to get saved, she would make it her
business to see them right away and try and
influence them against the Free Methodists —
calling them wild, fanatical, crazy people and
saying many very ridiculous things about them,
falsely of course, but it had its influence and
was really right in the way of the meeting.
Some of us got together and talked the matter
over and finally decided to meet at a special
time for prayer, asking the Lord to remove the
difficulty, so we did meet and I think I never
saw the saints get hold' of God as they did.
Some said they had the evidence that God
would remove the difficulty. So the very next
morning news came to the camp ground that
this woman was sick — paralized — so she could
not walk. She remained in that condition for
several years and I don't think she ever got
better. So the Lord answered prayer and this
made a wonderful impression on the people,
and many more were gloriously converted. So
the devil was defeated again and Christ's King
dom was honored. This meeting was well at
tended, people comin|r for miles alj argund;

OP REV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 61
surely very much good resulted from the efforts
put forth in this meeting — I believe it will tell
in eternity.
The next point of interest was our district
quarterly meeting held in the neighborhood of
Almenia, There was quite a large representa
tion from the district and surrounding country,
although many of us had to dig through large
drifts of snow which made it exceedingly dif
ficult to travel, but we finally reached the home
of Brother E, E. Miller, which was to be our
stopping place through the entire meeting. In
fact our dear brother undertook to take care
of the entire district conference, and he did, to
a very great extent, God bless him and his
family !
It meant something in those days when peo
ple would come, sonje of them lOO or more
miles, and flock in from all directions, but with
their large sod house and considerable out
buildings where he stored away the people as
they came together, and at night beds were
made anywhere — some in the grain bins, some
in one place, and some in another. It was sur
prising how many people were so comfortably
provided for. There were also ample provi
sions, plain p.nd good, provided for all. It is
said that where there is a will, there is a way.
Brother Miller surely had the will and the
way was opened. He also had long sheds
where he took care of a vast number of horses,
providing grain and cane fodder, etQ,

62 LIFE AND LABOES
The people seemed to be happy and thanked
God for such large generous open-hearted pil
lars in the church, that were not afraid to step
under the burden. I can scarcely describe the
meetings, only I know there was wonderful
victory and the shouts of praise went up from
every direction in the house where the meet
ing was held. There was also a good deal of
conviction on the unsaved, and a goodly num
ber were saved, and sanctified, praise the Lord ;
There were a few in the crowd and some of
the preachers too, who wanted to go part way
home on Sunday, which is a very bad habit
that I fear is creeping in among us. Brother
Miller (who was then" district chairman), was
very much opposed to this practice unless in
case of sickness or other unavailable circum
stances, so he positively refused to let any of
the horses out of his stables for the purpose
of going home on Sunday, and this had a very
good effect, for we have had but very little
trouble on this line from that time on.
I might say however, that preachers leaving
the district quarterly services on Sunday, and
going home or elsewhere, has a very bad in
fluence both on the meeting and the church
and also on the outside world. We should
avoid this as much as possible.
We held another meeting in what is called
Good's school house on Jack creek in Kansas.
This meeting was marked with success. Large
crowds of people attended the meeting night

OP EBV. ROBERT TREVER. 63
after night and much conviction was on the
people. Some opposed the real way, and
fought against it and opposed the pilgrims but
some really did take the way with all it means.
Several were converted, and some sanctified,
and united with the church. We were very
kindly entertained at the home of Brother
James Good, also at other homes in the neigh
borhood. Brother Good felt that the Lord
wanted him to give the preacher loo pounds of
flour which was very much needed in his
family. So he took the wheat to mill, and he
positively declares that he got just as much
flour for his own family as he had been ac
customed to. getting from the same amount of
wheat, and had the lOo pounds extra. Be that
as it may the flour was thankfully received by
the preacher.
In the French Settlement we had another
very successful meeting where much good was
accomplished. Here the pilgrims were much
encouraged and blessed although some of the
French could not talk English very well. Yet
they surely got blessed and had the shine on
their faces. The church was built up and very
much strengthened, and we had many very
kind and true friends. The Lord bless them
all!

64 LIFE AND LABORS

CHAPTER XIII.
Uniting With and Organizing of the West
Kansas Conference.
The West Kansas conference was organized
in the year, 1882, by General Superintendent B.
T. Roberts (who is now in Glory) at Logan,
Kansas, At this conference I presented my
ordination paper as elder which was accepted
by the conference and granted me certificate
of ordination for elder, signed by the superin
tendent, which parchment I have at this writ
ing. I see some of the ministers of the annual
conference have me down as deacon, but it is
a mistake, I never was honored with that office
in the Free Methodist church, I was an or
dained elder when I united with the church
and have been ever since.
The Rock Church at Logan was dedicated at
this time by the superintendent. This was a
very profitable meeting, indeed. The solemn
truths preached and encouraging remarks made
by our beloved Brother Roberts will never" be
forgotten. The preachers generally received
their appointments as coming from the Lord
and went home with renewed courage and
energy and strong faith in God.
I was appointed to the Alma and Turkey
Creek Circuit, As I had been on. this circuit

OF REV, ROBEBT TREVBK, 65
before I met with many kind and loving friends.
The pilgrims gave me a hearty welcome. I
found the pilgrims had been worshiping in a
small hall in the town of Alma, Nebraska, but
as this building was sold and used for other
purposes, it was utterly impossible to find any
other place. We were really left without any
place to worship in, so I called the official
board together to make some arrangements
about getting some place. It was suggested
by one to build a new church but this was met
with considerable opposition as money was
scarce, and times very hard. But I really
thought a church could be built if we took the
proper course, so I just took up a subscription
among ourselves and was really surprised to
find so much pledged. This encouraged us to
appoint a committee to canvass the town. It
being a new place the people were anxious to
improve it, so they subscribed quite liberally.
In fact we were astonished when the commit
tee reported what they had done.
We had enough raised to get all the lumber
on the ground, so we appointed a building com
mittee, to arrange about getting a lot and to
go on with the building. A lot was donated
and nearly all of the work, so we very soon
had a building up. I think about six weeks
from this time I preached my first sermon in
the new building. In a short time afterwards
the church was dedicated to the worship of
God by Rev. E. E. Miller, district chairman.

66 LIFE AND LABORS
This was certainly a source of great encourage
ment to the preacher and people. Surely God
was with us!
The building was frame and was 26x36 feet
in size which was a very neat building and
when dedicated it was all clear of debt. So
the Lord provided for us a house and in this
house we held a meeting which proved to be
very successful indeed. Sister Jane Dunning
from New York, and Rev, J, B, Howard, as
sisted in this meeting. We had very large
congregations every day and night. There was
a great solemnity and deep conviction on the
people for three weeks without a break or even
any one getting saved. Some thought it might
be better to close the meeting, but I thought
we had better try it a little longer. So we did
and I think the next day the break came. There
were several at the altar nearly every service
and the meeting continued three weeks longer
— six weeks in all, with about 30 clear conver
sions and many added to the church. So man's
extremity is God's opportunity ! We had some
most remarkable friends who so kindly enter
tained us and stood by us all through the year.
Among whom are Brother and Sister Procter,
Brother and Sister Newman, and Brother and
Sister Miller, and many others whose kindness
to us will never be forgotten. The Lord bless
them. I expect to meet them in glory; some
have already gone and part are crossing now.

OF EEV. EOBERT TEEVBE. 67
but by and by we will have a grand reunion
when we meet on the other shore. Amen !
On another occasion several pilgrims and
friends all took our wagons and went a long
distance to a camp-meeting which was being
held at Logan in a beautiful grove. There
we met with our venerable Father Harroun
and many other worthy preachers who surely
declared the whole counsel of God. Some of
the truths presented at this meeting made such
an impression on our minds that they will never
be shaken off. There were not such a large
number saved but a great amount of good was
accomplished in the way of breaking down
prejudice and settling up old difficulties and
straightening up matters generally. On our
way home a most remarkable meeting was
held. After we had traveled the first day we
camped out on the prairie, pitched our tents
and got our supper. After supper some one
suggested we should all meet in one tent and
have family prayer. We were all very tired
and thought we would go to bed quite early.
.So I called in the pilgrims for prayer and when
the first hymn was sung the pilgrims got bless
ed and began to shout and very soon forgot all
about the tired bodies and God came in mighty
power. In fact, it was wonderful how we all
got blessed, and prayer was kept up the whole
night long and some were wonderfully saved.
Rev. J. W. Edwards was wonderfully saved
at this little prayer service. The whole com-

68 LIFE AND LABOES
munity was stirred for miles around. Surely
the Lord heard and answered prayer. The next
morning we hitched up our horses and started
for home with glory in our souls and singing
"Praise God from Avhom all blessings flow."
This was a grand good year. Quite a number
saved and sanctified and the church was built
up and the saints wonderfully encouraged. The
preacher and wife finished up this conference
year feeling we had done what we could, but
giving God all the glory. The year, 1883, we
were stationed on the Jack Creek and French
Settlement circuit the second time. I don't
remember much about this yestr's work only
we had lots of kind friends and we had very
good and profitable meetings held at different
points where quite a number were saved, sanc
tified and united with the church. Among the
number were, if I remember. Brother Bundle
and part of his family ; also Brother and Sister
Trainer, and others, who became true Free
Methodists and were real pillars in the. church.
Truly the Lord stood by us all through the
year, and although we had some discourage
ments yet we had victory all along the line.
Brother G. Delmont of the West Kansas con
ference ; also Rev. J. E. Whiteing, both had
their homes within the bounds of this circuit
and gave us considerable encouragement. God
bless them!

OF EEV. EOBERT TREVBE. 69

CHAPTER XIV.
Logan and Densmore Circuit.
In the year, 1884, we were appointed to the
Logan and Densmore circuit but when the ap
pointment was read off pilgrims on the con
ference grounds began to pity us as we had
such a poor field of labor to work on this year.
They said we would find nothing there but the
old Rock Church and really tried to discourage
us. Now if all this had been true it was very
wrong indeed to try to discourage any preacher
from going on his circuit. The poor preachers
have enough to discourage them anyway with
out the pilgrims trying to do it.
We need to give the preachers all the en
couragement we can. The Lord help us. But
wife and I were not so easily discouraged (wife
especially). We went to Logan because the
conference sent us, therefore, we believed it
was right, and in God's order. When we
reached Logan, after a long dreary ride, we
stopped at Brother and Sister Widowfields'
home about two miles from Logan, We found
them very kind indeed, giving us a very hearty
welcome on the circuit, and also encouraged
us all they could. The next day we drove into
town where we found our beloved Brother and
Sister Watrpus and their dear family, where

70 LIFE AND LABORS
we received the best kind of encouragement
and welcome.
We then drove on about two miles east of
town where we were very kindly entertained
at the home of Brother and Sister Chapman,
who also gave us a hearty welcome and did all
they could to encourage us. We then went to
look at the parsonage which was to be our
home for one year. We found a very neat sod
house, which had just recently been built, for
our benefit I suppose. But the best of all we
found the house all ready for housekeeping and
inside a good supply of provisions, and horse
feed; also, provisions had been made for hay
outside. So our comforters on the conference ground
had better kept still for the Lord our God, went
before us, and had everything ready for work.
Praise His name ! We traveled all through the
entire circuit and found many good kind-heart
ed people. The circuit of course was considera
bly run down and some of the pilgrims were
discouraged, biit were glad to have us come
among them. So after we had been all around
we went back home to Alma to get our goods,
furniture, etc. We had them loaded on a big
wagon and started off with two teams for
Logan. But when we had gone about 30 miles
one of our horses fell down and broke his front
leg which of course brought us to a halt. We
were quite a distance from any house so we
tried to get the horse down to a creek close by.

OF EEV, ROBERT TREVER. 71
which we did, and poured cold water on the
horse's leg. In fact we kept it wet all day but
we finally got a veterinary surgeon and left the
horse in care of a farmer who charged seven
cents per day for his trouble. We got another
horse and started on our journey reaching
Logan without any further trouble. I think in
about 8 weeks the horse was able to walk home
although very lame, but it finally got better,
we had real salvation times and good meetings
and several saved during the year. We held
one meeting at Logan with considerable inter
est and while some were getting saved in the
church the devil was on the outside in the
shape of a man who tried to do us an injury
by cutting the lines on my harness almost in
two supposing that when we would start home
the line would break and we would have a
runaway, but having a light with us we dis
covered it in time. It might have been serious,
but the Lord delivered us and in a few nights
one man came to the altar and prayed in good
earnest, but he stopped all at once and saw mc
and called me to him. He said I want to make
a confession. I said all right, that is the only
way through. So he said, "The other night I
cut your lines and I want you to forgive me and
I will make it alright." Of course I forgave him
and he went on praying and seemed to get
some help of the Lord and professed religion
a while, but I was not just satisfied with his
conversion. About this time or just after the

72 LIFE AND LABORS
meeting, wife and I came very nearly being
killed. We had a team of rather wild horses
and as we were traveling to Densmore along"
the railroad or close to it one of the lines broke
and our horses started up quite lively. In fact
they were going so fast I could not get out so
I pulled them around to keep from going on the
railroad track, when one side of the wagon
went down a deep ditch which turned the
wagon completely over. The horses were right
on their back in the ditch. Wife and I were
under the wagon in a bed of sand burrs with
all we had in the wagon. I managed to crawl
out the best I could being completely covered
with sand burrs. I then got wife out. We had
no bones broken, but we were badly scratched
up and bruised. I then tried to get the horses
up, but I had to take the harness off the best
I could by taking it nearly all apart. Several
places it was broken and the neckyoke was
broken in two. It took me quite awhile to get
the wagon up and the harness and neckyoke
tied together and then get the horses hitched
up again. But we finally got it all done and
got in the wagon and started on the road again
arriving at the home of Brother Cyrus Archers.
Here we were comfortably entertained. Broth
er Archer helping me to fix up more substan
tially. We surely did praise God that we got
off as well as we did, for it might have been
worse. The. picking sand burrs off ourselves,
quilts, blankets, etc., was quite a tedious affair.

OF EBV, EOBEET TREVER, 73
We stopped a little while and preached at
Densmore, and then returned to Logan the
next day, with glory in our souls. We had
many precious meetings while on this circuit.
Truly the Lord was with us in mighty power.
I was especially helped in preaching the truth,
and the foundation was laid for a wonderful
work in Logan and Densmore. Although the
seed sown, laid dormant for some time, it did
spring up and now they have a large and pros
perous work on this field. We came to this
circuit under discouraging circumstances, but
we had a good year, one of the best we had
up to this time, for which we praise the Lord.
We went to conference this time feeling that
we had not finished up our work, but satisfied
with the past and looking for greater victories.
The next conference thought best to change
us on another circuit. I never knew the reason
why — probably it was for the best, but I never
could see it. God's ways are not men's ways
and we know that what he wills is best.

74 LIPB AND LABORS

CHAPTER XV.
Opposition from Come-outers or No-sectites,
I believe this conference was held in a nice
grove near the city of Osborne, with the Rev.
E. P. Hart, general superintendent, presiding,
in the year 1866. The word was preached in
power, being backed by the Holy Ghost. The
saints were fed with the heavenly manna and
deep conviction settled on the people, and
many were saved and sanctified. At this time
I was in straightened circumstances financially,
having a mortgage on my farm which was
coming due in a short time, and it seemed
everything was closed up. I had no money
and no crops, so I thought it best to ask the
conference to leave me without appointment
for one year. I thought probably I could go
into some secular business, making clothing
or something; so I could get the money or part
and make some arrangements so I would not
lose my farm. I advised with my elder. Rev.
E. E. Miller, but he thought it would not be
best to make such a request as I was needed
in the regular work. I was obedient to the
powers that be and left it entirely in the hands
of the Lord, and it was really wonderful how
the Lord opened up the way for me, for in
a short time I had a chance to sell my farm
subject to mortgage at fair figures, and I

OF EEV. EGBERT TREVER, 75
bought a smaller place and thus was out of
debt, so the way was made clear for me to
stay in the work of the Lord, O, how the bless
ed Lord, does hear and answer prayer, glory to
his name! At this conference the Alma and
Turkey Creek circuit was divided and I was
appointed to. the north end of the circuit but
in a short time the preacher on the other part
of the circuit resigned so I had to travel the
entire circuit. This was the third time on
this field but the Lord blessed our labors and
we had a good time preaching the word, and
the saints were much encouraged.
We had however considerable opposition
from the come-outers or no-sectites. Some of
these people had made their threats that they
would break up the Free Methodist Church so
they got one of their leaders, one of the best
they had, to come with a large tabernacle and
put it up just as near to the Free Methodist
Church as they could possibly get it and held
their meetings every day and night and did all
they could to get our people to attend their
meetings and thus draw them away with them.
Some of our people began to think they were all
right, they preached so near the line. At first
they would at times come into our meetings
and make trouble by claiming the Free Method
ists were compromisers and said many other
evil things about them, but I kept on preaching
the Bible and holding them to the real gospel
line without scarcely making any reference to

76 LIFE And labors
them whatever, I thought this was the best
course to take as they just wanted to argue
and fight. We just attended to our business
and let them alone. In the mean time, how
ever, wife and I spent our time in visiting from
house to house, praying with the people and
trying to keep our people blessed up so they
could detect the difference between the false
and true. Thank God we succeeded in holding
our own and none of them were lost, so- the
"no-sect" people failed to break up the Free
Methodist, but on the other hand they got so
bold in preaching Free Loveism, that the town
got stirred and ordered them to leave or they
would burn up the tabernacle. So they left,
but the Free Methodists still stand. Praise
the Lord!
Thus we were delivered and God's c4use
honored, amen ! We had a very strong class of
real saved pilgrims at this place; many real
pillars in the church. Some remain to this day
but some have gone on to rest forever with the
Lord. We held a very good and profitable
meeting at Republican City in the Methodist
Episcopal Church, which was kindly loaned to
us for this purpose.
We had remarkable interest in this meeting
from the first. Very large congregations and
deep conviction was settling on the people and
some already yielding up to God, some taking
off their jewelery and fixings, some giving up
the use of tobacco and some really getting

OP REV, ROBERT TREVER, 77
saved from all sins. One sister belonging to
M. E. Church took all her jewelry and extras
by which she had adorned her body, tied them
all up in a bundle and gave them to her preach
er to sell for the benefit of the missionaries, and
so the good work went on, praise the Lord I
The minister of the church was visiting in
a neighboring town and was asked how the
Free Methodist meeting was getting along in
his church kt Republican City. He remarked
that they were having a wonderful time. Why
he said they are getting nearly all my mem
bers, that is, many of them were getting to see
their spiritual condition, and did really begin
to look that way. At the close of this meeting
we organized a Free Methodist class of nine
good solid substantial members, so the good
work goes on — the devil was defeated, and
the blessed Christ exalted. Praise the Lord!
We were very kindly entertained at the beauti
ful country home of Brother and Sister Horn.
We also -visited many other hoines, some that
took a very active part in this meeting and one
who was so much interested was Sister Burr
who is now in glory.
During this year's labors I was taken down
with typhoid fever, had a long spell of sickness,
sometimes very low indeed. My Hfe was even
despaired of at times but, O, how sweet it was
to trust in God even when very low. My soul
was wonderfully blessed — ^yes in the time of
suffering 1 found him to be a present help in

78 LIFE AND LABOES
time of sickness — for they that put their trust
in him shall renew their strength; they shall
run and not grow weary; they shall walk and
not faint; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles, glory to God ! It pays to trust in him
for his promises are yea and Amen to them that
believe- It was very hard for wife and I to leave this
circuit as we had so many kind and endearing
friends. O, how we would like to meet those
dear old saints of God again, but if we do not
meet on earth, we can all meet in Heaven,
where there will be no more parting, but we
shall be forever with the Lord, Amen, so let it
be.

OP RBV. ROBERT TREVER. 79

CHAPTER XVI.
Lebanon and Mankato Circuit,
This annual conference was held in the new
college building at Orleans, Nebraska, in 1887,
General Superintendent G. W. Coleman, pre
siding. There was a very large attendance, two
hundred and five partook of the Lord's supper
Sunday morning. This surely was a glorious
day to many souls. I was sent by this confer
ence to Lebanon and Mankato circuit. This
was a very long move for us especially as I was
very weak in body and then the circuit was
very large indeed, being nearly 100 miles across
it and several places to preach regularly. I felt
quite unable to undertake such a task but as I
had never failed to go to a circuit yet, I thought
I would try and do what I could, and I began to
look to the Lord in prayer to strengthen my
body. Wife also encouraged me very much
at this time by saying that the Lord had helped
us through many hard places, and He surely
would not leave us now. So we went in the
strength of the Lord, against the mighty.
After we arrived on the circuit we found a
sod parsonage, which was to be our home for
a while. The first service was held in a school
house near Lebanon, and quite a large con-
.gregation was out to hear the new preacher.
The Lord blessed us in presenting the truth

80 LIFE AND LABORS
and we had a good meeting. The people gave
me a hearty welcome but said they thought I
never could stand the work on this circuit I
looked so sickly. But the Lord said fear not
for Lwill be with thee, be not dismayed for I
am thy God, yea, I will strengthen thee, my
right hand shall uphold thee.
So wife and I taking courage from God's
word went from house to house visiting every
member on the entire circuit, also many other
homes. In fact we were just going all the
time, preaching three times on Sundays, and
also several times through the week and at
tending the different prayer meetings all over
the circuit. For this year's services, I was ap
portioned $250, being the largest amount I
had received up to this time. O, how the Lord
helped us through the entire year. We went
through with victory in our sOuls and were
stronger in both body and soul at the end of the
year, then at the beginning. Yes, God, does
hear and answer prayer, bless His name ! We
held quite a number of meetings in both Smith
and Jewel counties where much good was ac
complished, several souls saved and the church
encouraged and strengthened. One meeting
was held in an old sod church, near Lebanon.
Some told us it was no use to hold a meeting
there as the boys were so bad they would break
up the meeting. I said the Lord is a match for
the boys and I was their friend and could
manage them all right. The meeting was com-

OF EBV, EOBERT TREVER. 81
menced and very large crowds of people came
out to the meeting. I believe there was the
most young people I ever saw in one neighbor
hood. The meeting was progressing nicely, the
house being filled up every night, deep convic
tion was settling on the people and some were
getting saved. But the devil was in the boys
as they began making trouble outside by tak
ing straps and rings off the horses and in some
way trying to disturb the meeting. We ap
pointed a committee to look after them on the
outside which very soon stopped any further
trouble of this kind. On another night however
they thought they would try another plan to
annoy the meeting, so about 40 or 50 boys
went quite early to meeting before any one else
was there and took their seats in front, all
around the stand, completely filling up the en
tire front parf of the house so the pilgrims and
workers all had to sit back, as well as the rest
of the congregation. After a while T came in,
looked around but very soon saw the situation
but said nothing and passed through with great
difficulty reaching the stand. I got there but
could not sit or even kneel down, so I stood
there. The boys seemed to enjoy the fun. I
called for singing. Then we had to stand up
and pray^ — not very customary for Free
Methodist preachers, but it was the best we
could do. When it was time for preaching I
turned to the congregation and asked them to
excuse me from preaching in the regular way

82 LIFE AND LABORS
as I felt I ought to preach to young people to
night stating that I was much encouraged to
see so many young men interested and taking
their seats in the front. Then I turned to the
boys and addressed them as follows : First by
marking out the two ways which two young
men took, both starting out together. One
commenced by being disobedient to his par
ents, by disturbing religious services and bad
behavior in meeting, then smoking, drinking
whiskey, stealing, and on and on until plunged
over the precipice of sin into hell, there to
dwell forever. The other boy started out by
being kind to his parents, going to the house of
prayer, and thus rising higher and higher until
he became a great man and honored and re
spected by every one, until he reaches the
heaven of glory. This is about the line I led
them out on but of course enlarging consider
ably on the above. Then I asked the boys
which road they would like the best. Of course
they wanted to go the route that led to fame
and honor and heaven. The boys became quite
serious as I urged them to repent and forsake
their sins and turn to the Lord. There vjas
great solemnity all through the congregation
especially among the boys in the front.
I then thanked them for their good behavior
and good attention and invited them back to
morrow night and at the close of the service I
took them by the hand as they passed out and
then the pilgrims got a chance to shake hands

OF BBV. EOBEET TREVER. 83
with them as they passed by and talk to them
about their soul's interest.
The boys finally got out but never gave us
any more trouble after this time. The meeting
went on in power and several were saved and
added to the church. The devil was defeated
and Christ's kingdom was exalted. Glory to
our God!
Another meeting was held near Burr Oak,
where we were kindly entertained at the home
of Brother and Sister Hoagland, who were true
Free Methodists. There was nothing very
remarkable about this meeting, only won
derful interest was taken in it. It was a
very rough country, roads almost impassable,
yet the people would come in crowds, many
of them a long distance, and the house
was crowded every night. Such conviction,
I scarcely ever saw. The saints held on to
God in prayer, and some were saved and
really took the way. The church received
wonderful help, and encouragement in this
meeting, and although there was not as many
saved as we expected. Yet God was there in
mighty power, and we had the victory. Praise
God forever! One Dunkard minister attended
the meeting quite often and said we had a very
good meeting, but we failed to preach all the
Bible, or had not told all the truth.. After we
closed the meeting and pronounced the bene
diction, he got up and called the house to
order, which was very crowded. He said to

84 Life and Labors
the people that he would hold a meeting for a
few nights stating that he did not want the
people to be deceived and invited everybody
to come back the next night, as he wished to
tell them something that would be to their in
terest. There were just two. or three boys to
hear him so he got discouraged and gave up
the fight and victory was on the Lord's side.
Another meeting was held a few miles from
Mankato, which was a grand success. The
Lord wonderfully helped me to declare the
truths of the gospel. The saints were wonder
fully blessed, the sinners were inquiring the
way to God, backsliders were coming back to
the Father's house, formal professors were get
ting awakened, and the devil was at work on
the outside to defeat the work of God in the
way of getting up a festival to keep the young
people away from meeting. As we were hav
ing our meeting in the school house, they also
were getting up an entertainment and wanted
the same school house oh a certain night. It
being a public building, we had to give way
and announced that we would hold our meet
ing at a private house for that night and invited
everybody to come, I also stated that it was
more important to get souls saved, than attend
festivals and other places of amusement. This
so enraged the leader of this "doings" who was
a class leader in another church, that he
actually threatened to knock me down, and
abused me terribly with his tongue; also the

Of rev. ROBERT TREVER. 85
Free Methodist Church. But we got away
without getting hurt and the next night we had
an overflowing congregation. Very few were
at the school house.
Our meeting went on in power and quite
a number saved and took the old rugged way
of the cross. Praise the Lord! The class lead
er got under conviction I suppose for in a
short time after this he sent me one-fourth of a
large beef which was thankfully received and
greatly relished by the preacher and his family.
"Trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt
¦thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt
be fed." — (Bible). After a few more hard strug
gles and fightings with the devil we became
more than conquerors through him that loved
us. Thus ended another year of toil and labor
and we went up to conference with glory in
our souls. Amen!
The next conference was held in the town of
Macksville, Kansas, in the Free Methodist
Church.

86 Life and labors

CHAPTER XVII,
Pastoral Visiting and Lebanon Circuit Second
Time.
This conference was held in Macksville, Kan
sas, in the year 1888, General Superintendent
B. T. Roberts, presiding,
A very blessed spirit of harmony prevailed
in all of the deliberations of conference, I
was sent back to the same circuit the second
year, with Rev. J, H. Robbins, supply, as the
circuit had heen spread out and new points
opened up the last year. The conference
thought it best to give me help this year for
which I was very thankful. Brother Robbins
proved to be a good worker and was quite a
help on the circuit. I had the same apportioned
as last year, namely, $250, and Brother Rob
bins $200 for the year's labor, and we had a
very good year. Wife and I spent a great por
tion of our time in visiting from house to house
and filling appointments on Sundays, also on
week nights. I will here give a little advice on
pastorial visiting from my own experience. I
have found it very profitable and necessary.
It has been a great help to me on my circuit
work, and I believe it would be to all Free
Methodist preachers. I liave been helped
financially, some years as much as $50, that
would never have been given at all if I had

OF EBV. ROBBET TREVER. 87
not visited the homes of the unsaved. I will
just mention one case of pastoral visiting
(among a great many), that really did good.
In going my regular rounds of visiting I met
with one family that were in good financial
standing, who proved to be members of an
other church.
I was well received and very kindly enter
tained and the brother and sister of the house
conversed quite freely on the topics of the day
but after a while we got to talking on religious
subjects. The brother said you Free Method
ists are quite conserative people. You don't
visit with any but your own members. I told
him he must be misinformed for I was alike
interested in all. My business was to get peo
ple saved. Well, he said I was the first Free
Methodist preacher that ever entered his house
and he was glad I had come to see them. After
considerable conversation he inquired how I
was getting along financially.. I told him that
I was trusting in the Lord and doing good and
hitherto I had been fed. After we had prayer
he gave me of the good things of life, and kept
on givin,g nearly every week all the year I
was on that circuit and became quite interested
in our meetings, and did really get help in his
soul. His help to me and the circut alone
must have been at least $30, that would never
have been given if I had not visited his family.
They were true friends of ours and they at
tended our meetings regularly and much pre-

88 LIFE AND LABOES
judice was broken down that had hitherto ex
isted and I had hopes of them getting to glory.
This was all brought about as a result of the
first visit. I know it is good for the preacher
and circuit and people to make regular pastoral
visits irrespective of color or name or order or
circumstances and a failure to do this is a great
loss every way. Again pastoral visiting is
beneficial because it enables the minister to
meet many false impressions that have been
made and rumors' and stories that have been
going the rounds causing prejudice, etc. The
minister can often straighten up matters in
homes he could not do in the pulpit, and
pastoral visiting always increases the congre
gations and helps the preacher to apply the
truth. It gives him thought for the pulpit and
I trust every minister that reads this will prac
tice regular, systematic visiting. The Lord
help you ! Hear what St. Paul says (Act 20-
20) : "And how I kept back nothing that was
profitable unto you, but have showed you and
have taught you publicly and from house to
house." I know of many families that really
have been brought to God and have been saved
from sin, and have been taken into the church,
that would probably never have been saved, if
they had not been made to feel at their homes
that the minister was really interested in them
and their families. Also many children have
been drawn tO pur Sabbath schools by pastoral
visiting.

OF RBV, ROBERT TREVER. 89
I am also a great believer in public and pri
vate prayer and supplications to God — always
urging its importance and necessity on the
people in all my public ministry.
Mr. T. Montgomery, says :
"Prayer is the Christian's vital breath ;
The Christian's native air.
His watchword at the gates of death.
He enters Heaven with prayer."
Jatnes says: "The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much,"
I have proved it over and over, many times,
how wonderfully God hears and also answers
prayer. On orie occasion we had been holding
a meeting where many young people had been
saved, and the devil through his agents got up
a social dance (so called) in the same neigh
borhood for the purpose of drawing these
young converts astray. It was gotten up most
ly .by professors of religion which made it all
the more dangerous and they made it just as
attractive and religious as they could so these
young people would be the more likely to go
in with them. Wife and I were afraid they
would be drawn into the net, so we prayed
earnestly to God, asking him to overthrow it
in some way and thus save the young converts
from the snare of the devil. Before the time
for the- entertainment, nearly all interested in
the social were taken down with the measels.
The Lord answered prayer, and the devil's
trap was spoiled. Praise our God !

90 LIFE AND LABORS
Another time our faith in God's promises
was tested severely. We had no provisions in
the house nor any money to get any. So wife
and I went on our rounds of pastoral visiting,
trusting in the Lord as usual, but for some rea
son or other no one inquired about our needs,
or gave us anything to take home, which was
very unusual. We went home Saturday night
without anything but just a little flour, no
grease, no butter, nq meat, no groceries. We
thought of .course this was God's way of deal
ing with us, and we thought we would have to
fast. When I opened the cellar door I saw a
nice young rabbit and took it and killed it and
with the little flour we had were enabled to
live over Sunday, without fasting very much.
How the rabbit ever got into the cellar is a
mystery that has not been solved, as every
thing was perfectly tight.
Anyway we believed it to be' in answer to
prayer and as the little girl said: "Expect God
sent it." It seemed that way to us. Praise His
name! Brother Robbins and I worked together in
perfect harmony and had good meetings.
Souls were saved and the saints encouraged
and blessed, and to God be all the glory. So we
finished up another conference year with glory
in our souls.

OF REV, ROBERT TEBVER. 91

CHAPTER XVIII,
Glen Elder, Springfield and Downs Circuit,
This conference was held at Almenia, Norton
county, Kansas, in the year, 1889, our late
General Superintendent B, T. Roberts, pre
siding. I was appointed to Glen Elder, Spring
field and Downs circuit. This was another
very large circuit. At Glen Elder or near that
town I owned a small place of 45 acres with a
frame house on it, so I had a place to live
while on this circuit. We had many very kind
friends near Glen Elder. Brother Wallace
Atchison and family. Brother and Sister Fox,
and Brother and Sister Crawford (who is now
in the West Kansas conference) , a very suc
cessful minister. These and many others kindly
entertained us at their homes. Their kind ac
tions and encouraging words will never be for
gotten. Also many outside the Free Methodist
Church, Mr. and Mrs. Renshaw, Mr. and Mrs.
Howe, and a host of others were very good and
kind neighbors. We had quite a good lively
class at this point, men and women who were
blessed while the truth was being preached.
They were very demonstrative, sometimes
shouting, sometimes running around the house,
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Sure
ly we had wonderful power in those days. O,
how I long to see those dear old saints again

92 LIFE AND LABORS
and meet with them in the house of prayer as
we used to meet in days that are past.
There were some things in this class however
that might be improved. I thought first there
was a task on the part of the leader in refer
ence to class meetings proper, ^hey thought
a class meeting was nothing more than just
throwing the meeting open and letting any.
one speak that wanted to. There are also many
other places that run their class meetings on
this line. Of course these meetings are pro
fitable and good but they are not class-meet
ings proper, according to Free Methodist dis
cipline (see general rules). The duty of the
leader is. to see each member in hisclass once a
week. Not at their homes or in the public
service, merely, but in the class room. What
for? First, to inquire how their souls prosper;
second, to advise, reprove, comfort or exhort,
as occasion may require ; and then in sec. 20,
p. 131, we find that each leader should carefully
inquire how each soul of his prospers. Not
only how they observe the rules, but .how he
grows in the knowledge and lov^ of God. Now
if the leader will do this, by calling on each
one to tell how they are getting along and then
give them such encouragement as they -need,
or reproof if necessary, I do not think there
would be nearly as many backsliders as there
are. There are times when one word of en
couragement will help a poor soul wonderfully.
It would also increase love and harmony one

OF EBV, EOBEET TREVER, 93
with another and the saints would grow faster
in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ, and- the church would prosper
better. To my mind the old Methodist class
meeting is the life of the church. This class
at Glen Elder, after they got the light by a
little advice on the subject soon saw the impor
tance of the class meeting, and I am informed
that they still have the real class meeting of
the old type. Praise the Lord! I am afraid
we fail on this line in many places, which is a
great loss to the church. O, may the Lord
help us to inquire for the old paths and not
leave the ancient land-marks which our fathers
have set. Again some in the class above re
ferred to were not as much interested in the
Sabbath school work as they should, but by
urging this matter and showing the importance
of the Sabbath school work we finally succeed
ed in getting a Sabbath school in good run
ning order. Also other Sabbath schools were
organized on the circuit but probably more will
be said on this important subject in this book
later on.
I held one meeting at Springfield where we
were kindly entertained at the home of B. F.
Howorth. At this point we met with some op
position and discouragement, but the Lord
was with us in mighty power. The meeting in
creased in interest and I believe lasting good
was accomplished. O, how the Lord helped
me to declare the whole counsel of God !

94 LIFE AND LABOES
Wife and I visited around the community
and found much prejudice existing among a
good many but by the help of the Lord it soon
began to give way. The work began to move
and God did wonderfully, let his blessings on
the entire community and some souls were
saved. We closed the meeting in due time
and left an appointment which we filled every
two weeks. We had many friends at this point
that helped us out many times during the
year. In another part of this circuit there was
much prejudice against us as a people. One
lady said she would not attend the Free
Methodist meeting, or hear any of them preach
any more. While I was on the circuit there
were three deaths in the neighborhood where
this lady lived, all of which she was more or
less interested in, and as I was called upon to
preach at all the three funerals so this lady
heard me preach at least three times. It had
a tendency to break down the prejudice in the
neighborhood, and this person afterwards
became very friendly to wife and I. We had
very large congregations and good interest in
all our meetings. There is a good church
building, 28x40 feet, and a neat comfortable
parsonage at the present time. O, how good
the Lord is! I feel like saying with the
Psalmist, "Bless the Lord, O my soul', and all
that is within me, bless His Holy Name !"

Of eev. EOBERT TEBVER. 95

CHAPTER XIX.
Glen Elder, Downs, and Osborne Circuit Sec
ond Year.
This conference was the eighth annual ses
sion held at Lebanon, Smith county, Kansas,
1890. It was held in connection with a camp meet
ing in a beautiful grove on Oak Creek, three
miles west of Lebanon; General Superinen-
dent E. P. Hart, presiding. There was a very
large attendance from all parts of the con
ference — sixty tents and covered wagons were
on the ground.
Brother Hart preached on Wednesday morn
ing from Romans 8-9, "If any man have not
the .Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." He set
forth the doctrines of regeneration and entire
sanctification very clearly and the divine unc
tion attended the di-scourse. The whole con
ference was greatly blessed.
Very able sermons were also preached by
the other brethren in the interim of the con
ference sittings. The truth found its way to
ma'ny hearts and souls were saved in nearly
every meeting. A very large crowd attended,
especially on Sunday. On the whole it was
perhaps the best of all our annual conferences
up to this time.
The pilgrims of Lebanon circuit deserved the

96 LIFE AND LABORS
vote of thanks that was tendered them for the
manner in which they entertained the confer
ence in this time of drouth and hard times.
The preachers received their appointments
without murmering and each went to his field
of labor very mtich encouraged and strengthen
ed for the battles of another year.
I was sent back to the same circuit with an
other large territory known as the Osborne cir
cuit added. The two circuits were put to
gether on account of the terrible drouth that
prevailed in this country at that time. I had
a very large country to travel over and financial
prospects not very flattering. It certainly
looked quite an undertaking for wife and I, but
we went to work without a murmer trusting
alone in Him that had always helped us in
the past.
This was a hard year financially as there
had been no crops this season. The pilgrims all
being poor, could scarcely get along and sup
port their families. One man at another point
on this circuit said they could not possibly pay
anything this year, and it looked impossible,
as everything was dried up. I replied, saying
we would work and preach and travel . all
through the year if the Lord would give us
strength of body, and we would trust in Him
for support.
The work was so large that it was impossible
to spread out very much. We kept going,
preaching at all the points, Sundays and week

Op eev. ROBERT TREVER, 97
days, and visiting with the members and try
ing to encourage them the best we could and
thus keep the work together at least until times
would be better.
Of course, we met with many discourage
ments and our faith was tested to the utmost
at many times. But the great God never left
us, but stood by us all along the way. Praise
His Holy name!
One time e.specially, we were in real need.
As usual, we began to talk to God about it, and
the next mail brought a letter with two dollars
enclosed. The letter was from an aged lady.
I don't think she had been married. . She said
she had t-\yo dollars of the Lord's money and
while asking Him where would be the best
place to put it, her mind all at once was di
rected to us. She had never seen us — only
knew of us.
The money was very thankfully received and
was a great help in this time of need. O, how
wonderfully the Lord answers prayer.
The Psalmi.st says : "The Lord God is a sun
and shield, and He will give grace and glory,
and no good thing will He withhold from them
that walk uprightly." O, how important it is
to walk uprightly and honestly in the sight of
God! We held several meetings at different
points on this circuit, where the power of God
was manifested to a very great degree. This
was especially a good year for revival work
as the people seemed more interested in spirit-

98 iiiPE And lAborS
ual things, than they were in times of pros
perity. We had very large congregations at
nearly every point and very much conviction
was on the people. Many yielded to the striv
ings of the Spirit and were really saved. The
church was built up and the saints very much
encouraged and helped. It is really wonder
ful how the Lord took us through this year,
and how the pilgrims and those outside of the
church divided up with the preacher and gave
of their means. I think we got along financial
ly about as well as any previous year, I or
ganized a class at Downs, I think of about ten
members and preached for them regularly
every two weeks, as long as I remained on the
circuit. We also held a meeting in the Moro-
vian Church in Osborne City, where we were
very kindly entertained at the pleasant homes
of Father Freemont Martin, and Father Kes-
sel : also at other places where we were well
cared for. There was very good interest in
this meeting and much good accomplished.
Another meeting was held about 20 miles
west of Osborne where we were entertained at
the home of Brother Wesley Harris, I don't
think there was very much accomplished at
this meeting, although there was seed sown
that may tell in eternity. The truth was pre
sented, and God always honored His truth,
so we leave the results with Him, Amen!
My labors on this circuit were shortened up
somewhat as I was appointed as district chair-

OF RBV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 99
man by Rev. E. P. Hart to fill a vacancy caused
by B. F. Smalley removing to Oregon.
God was with us all through and we had a
grand good year, yes,
"God moves in a mysterious way, His won
ders to perform."

100 'LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER XX.
Appointed as District Chairman on Macksville
District.
I was appointed by Rev. E. P. Hart, General
Superintendent, to fill a vacancy made by Rev.
B. F. Smalley, District Chairman, on the
Macksville district who resigned his work to
go to Oregon.
This surely was a surprise to me as I had
not even thought of ever reaching that posi
tion in the church. I did not know what to
do as I had my hands full already, being on
such a large circuit. I brought the matter be
fore the official board of the circuit but they
were very unwilling to give me up, and posi
tively refused to let me off before the end of
the conference year which wouJd be about four
months longer. This was one case where I
could hardly be subject to the powers that be,
at least on both sides. I did not know just
what to do. I advised with my district chair
man. Rev. E. E. Miller, who thought it best
to leave me in charge of the work, and get the
appointment supplied the best wC could and I
go to the district work, making the last round
on the district, and then come back, hold my
circuit meeting and finish up the business for
the year. I surely had a big job on my hands.
In my own strength I could not stand it, but

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 101
God wonderfully helped and strengthened me
all the way, so I was enabled to go through
with victory in my soul. Praise His name !
I felt my inability to take such a responsible
position in the church. If I looked ahead I
saw difficulties that I thought I never could go
through. I was in a terrible condition for a
while thinking there must be some mistake
somewhere as I surely was not the one to go.
Of course I knew that God had helped me in
the past and that his promises were true. I
dare not refuse to go. The only thing I could
do was to cast my burden on Christ and trust
Him. I did and found in Him a present help
in time of need. One thing that made it more
difficult for me to go was I had to go alone.
Wife had always gone with me before and en
couraged me while passing through the hard
places but this time she had to remain at home
on account of the severe sickness of our young
est daughter, Kate. It was quite a cross for
me to leave home at this time. Trusting in the
Lord I started with my spring wagon to travel
a distance of one hundred and fifty miles or
more. It was a long dreary ride over a country
I was not familiar, but in due time I reached
the place of my first quarterly meeting, which
was held in the Friend's Church, near Ainsville.
We had quite a good congregation the first
night and the Lord helped me to preach his
word and the saints were blessed and we all
felt the power of God in our midst. The next

102 LIFE AND LABOES
day we met the ofiicial board and proceeded
to finish up the business for this conference
year. Rev. J. J. Wait, preacher, in charge. On
Sunday the services were good and I believe
the services of the entire meeting resulted in
much good to the entire community where the
meeting was held. We found many very kind
friends. I was entertained at the home of
Brother Ward's and family. I found them to
be good kind people and my visit with them
was quite agreeable. Rev. T. Weir, a local
preacher, also kindly welcomed us to his pleas
ant home in the same neighborhood, and after
wards proved to be very intimate friends to
wife and I. We often visited with them as we
passed through the country, for this was one of
the homes where we always felt perfectly free
and always had pleasant visits and enjoyed
them so much. After this meeting I felt some
better but still thought the quarterly confer
ence would not ratify the appointment of
Brother Hart, which action would release me
so I could return to my home, family and cir
cuit. I still waited on God and he renewed
my strength. My next meeting was the dis
trict quarterly conference which was to be
held in connection with a camp meeting in a
beautiful grove in the town of Medicine Lodge,
which was about 50 miles further south. I
left the home of Brother Weirs to find the
camp meeting. My first introduction to this
meeting was to read some hand bills that was

OF EEV. ROBERT TREVER. 103
placed in conspicuous places. They read as
follows :
"A camp meeting of the Free Methodist
Church will be held in a beautiful grove in
Medicine Lodge (giving date for meeting)—
will have charge of this meeting assisted by
Rev. R. Trever, Rev. R. H. Cline and other
prominent divines/' I thought this was quite
high sounding for Free Methodists and I said
little but went on and took my place as leader
of this meeting.
I don't know just how the would-be leader
felt but I suppose he soon found his place for
the camp meeting was a powerful meeting.
Truly God was there in mighty power. O, how
the saints were blessed of God as his servants
declared the truth ! Conviction settled on the
people, restitution was made, backsliders were
reclaimed, old grievances were cleared away,
sinners were converted to God, and believers
were sanctified. _ I think all the preachers from
the district were present, and also Rev. D. T.
Good and Rev. J. O. Richeill, from the North
District, who rendered valuable assistance.
The preacher had the old-time power and the
saints were very much encouraged. The peo
ple from the town of Medicine Lodge were
much interested, and stood by the meeting
with their presence and also their means.
Father and Mother Wright and others rendered
valuable aid in providing the necessaries of
life. Truly God was honored and much good

104 LIFE AND LABORS
accomplished at this meeting. The quarterly
conference passed off very pleasantly and was
quite harmonious. The conference ratified the
appointment of Brother Hart and I was district
chairman the rest of the year.
Sunday, the last day was the crowning day
of the meeting an.d we had times of refreshing
from the presence of the Lord. It was a great
day — a day long to be remembered — on account
of the presence of the Lord and the salvation
of souls.
The next quarterly meeting was ori the
Spring Vale and Kingman circuit, with Rev.
J. S. Ogg in charge. We found this circuit in
good condition and also some genuine Free
Methodist pilgrims who were not afraid to
stand to the front and push the battle. We
had a very good and encouraging meeting and
then traveled across the country to our next
meeting at Macksville. Rev. A. S. Manning
was preacher in charge of the circuit at this
place. We have a good church and a very com
fortable parsonage here, and many good saved
souls. We generally were entertained at the
home of Father and Mother Andersons where
we had very many pleasant visits.
We had a very good harmonious quarterly
meeting; the saints were blessed and were
much encouraged.
On Monday we drove on west of town to the
nice home of Brother and Sister Bissett where
we were very kindly entertained. At this

OP REV. ROBERT TREVER. 105
place we generally got corn for our horses and
some refreshments for ourselves to take along
the road as we went into the far western
points. We left this place and traveled 50 miles west
to the home of Brother and Sister Porter, where
we have so often been entertained. These are
fine pilgrims and a good home for Free Meth
odist preachers. We left here for the quarterly
meeting which was held at Royal. Brother and
Sister Cook, the old pioneer preachers, that
always were ready for work and stood to the
front all the time were thorough Free Metho
dists. We had real victory in the meeting, for
God was with us in mighty power. After the
quarterly meeting we stopped over a few days
visiting around this wild prairie country. We
visited the home of Brother T. Griffeth and
also Brother A. Griffeth where we were very
kindly entertained, after which we traveled
north to Schoharie and Eden circuit where
Brother and Sister Helsel were laboring, as
preacher in charge. We found them good,
earnest faithful workers and God was giving
them success on their circuit. We held their
quarterly meeting and God helped in the
preaching of the word and the saints were en
couraged and good accomplished. Praise the
Lord !
We then traveled on to Hays City, where
we found Brother^T. Grenel, preacher in charge,
and were very kindly entertained at his beauti-

106 LIFE AND LABOES
ful country home. We then went on to Wilson
and Dorrance and found a good circuit with
Brother and Sister Robbings, in charge of the,
work, which was in good spiritual condition.
I then returned home in Glen Elder and found
wife well and our daughter feeling better. We
had traveled over seven hundred miles in
about nine weeks and held eight quarterly
meetings and found all the preachers self-
sacrificing, loyal and faithful workers. I was
much encouraged with the work. The Lord
wonderfully strengthened my body and blessed
my soul and although I had a hard trip, yet I
returned home feeling some better than when
I started out.
My circuit of Glen Elder had not improved
very much. I did what I could however on my
return to encourage the saints and held my cir
cuit meeting, finishing up the business of the
circuit the best I could and was ready to
travel another 150 miles to conference.
This time, however, my wife accompanied
me.

OF EEV. EOBERT TREVBE. 107

CHAPTER XXI.
Elected District Chaiman and History of
Camp Meetings.
This conference was held at Orleans, Neb.,
1891, with the Rev. G. Coleman, general super-
tend ent, presiding. At this conference I was
elected district chairman by a vote of nearly
the entire conference, and appointed to the
Mackville and Mankato districts. We started
out on our year's labors trusting alone in the
blessed Christ, feeling my own weakness and
inability. But in God I found sufficient
strength to go through. Our work in both dis
tricts was quite encouraging, and quarterly
meeting occasions were quite profitable. They
were times of refreshing from the presence
of the Lord. One camp meeting was held on
the Concordia circuit in a grove near Bethel
chapel, and was well attended by large crowds
of people every night. There were also several
pilgrims and some preachers from the Kansas
conference, as this meeting was near the line
of both conferences. Rev. E. Lenardson and
Rev. Huff were among the visiting ministers
who did quite effective work, and judging from
their preaching they evidentl}'^ had the old-
time power. Some of the visiting pilgrims
received much help on the line of worldly con
formity. So much so that they began to trim

108 LIFE AND LABORS
down a Httle as the light shone on them, and
they looked like pilgrims. I really believe
they were good, horiest souls, ready and willing
to walk in the light and let the blessed Christ
lead them beside "the still waters and feed
them in the green pastures" of His mercies.
I do thank God for real humble, child-like
consecrated saints. The preachers were filled
with the Holy Ghost and with fire, for as they
presented the truths of the gospel without
fear or favor, without partiality and without
hypocrisy, it seemed the Lord was holding His
servants to the line of honesty one with an
other, honesty in the eyes of the world, and
honesty in the sight of God.
O, how important this is, especially in this
age of deception and false doctrine, when men
are taking advantage of one another and de
ceiving one another, and even trying to deceive
the great God who searcheth all hearts. This
line of truth had its effect on the masses
of the people, as deep conviction settled on
their hearts until many began to see their
condition and began to cry for mercy, get
ting sufficiently in earnest that they were
willing to make restitution, repent, and forsake
their sins and yield up to God. If I remember
right, Brother Keener, who is now a member
of the West Kansas conference, was converted
in this -meeting. The meeting was very power
ful, some of the services lasting all night until
daylight, and people crying for mercy all the

OP EEV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 109
time. Surely these were good days to my soul.
Sister Thomas, Sister Everly, and others took
a very active part in this meeting and rendered
valuable service both in the meetings and also
in providing the necessaries of life. Wife and
I were very comfortably provided for at this
meeting and many other times while holding
meetin.gs or passing through, in the homes of
Sisters Thomas and Everly. The Lord bless
and reward them for their kindness. Another
meeting was held at Great Bend, about this
time, in a very fine grove .about a mile from
town. In some respects this meeting was real
good and profitable. The saints of God were
blessed and encouraged and conviction was on
the unsaved and a few were converted, some
recljiimed and some sanctified. The congre
gations were quite small and not as many
saved as we expected. There was one very
remarkable feature about this meeting. The
preachers and principal workers all were taken
down sick, so much so that it was almost im
possible to get anyone to preach on account of
sickness, and some that attempted to preach
had to give up before they got through the
service. I tried to hold up as long as I could,
"but finally had to be taken off the camp-grourid
and cared for at the nice home of Brother
and Sister Gwinn, who did all for me that
could possibly be done. I was glad I had
kind friends that cared for me. The meeting
finally closed with not as much accomplished

110 LIFE AND LABOES
as we would liked to have seen. I think all
the workers finally got better, as I did not
hear of anyone that died at that time. There
were many reasons given as to the real cause
of the sickness. But I don't think anyone knew
definitely what did bring on the sickness. All
I know about it was that we all got sick during
the meeting, and when the meeting was closed
we all got well. Praise the Lord ! Brother R. H.
Clyne, evangelist, was quite active in the finan
cial part of the meeting. But Brother S. Gwinn
of Great Bend stood under the financial burden,
while many others helped considerably and
did what they could to make it a success. Dur
ing this conference year - we conducted the
services at fifty-two quarterly meetings, three
camp-meetings, helped in several revival meet
ings and preached three hundred times, besides
administering the sacrament of the Lord's sup
per fifty-two times and the sacrament of bap
tism several times. We traveled in our wagon
eleven hundred miles or more, and finished up
by going to our last camp-meeting, which was
held at Hays City, the seat of our next annual
conference. This last meeting of the year was
one of great power. It was held in a large
tabernacle on the "north side of the town of
Hays City. A very large building was secured
for the use of pilgrims to camp in, and several
other houses that were vacant were used for
the same purpose during the entire meeting,
which made it quite convenient for the pii-

OF RBV. EOBERT TREVER. Ill
grims and friends. Brother T. Greenel and
W. Davis furnished an ample supply of very
fine beef for the entire meeting, and other
provisions were furnished. In fact, the camp-
meeting, district quarterly meeting, and annual
conference were well provided for and every
body so far as I know was well satisfi.ed. We
had some difficulty, however, in getting to this
meeting as our daughter, Kate, was very sick
and while I and wife were praying for her and
that the way might be opened up for us to go
to the meeting, we both received a great
amount of help frOm God and considerable
encouragement. Wife had the assurance that
if we could only get her to camp-meeting she
would get saved. This, of course, looked im
possible, but wife felt sure it was the Lord's
will for us to take her. , We made a bed in
the back part of our wagon and took her on the
bed. We were somewhat censured by others
for taking her in that condition, but it was of
the Lord and He would see us safe through.
We left our home in Glen Elder and drove as
far as Osborne, a distance of thirty miles, the
first day. Here we were kindly entertained at
the home of Father Kessels for the night, and
while visiting at this home we had the pleasure
of uniting Rev. G. G. Kessel and Miss Attie
Flenican in the bonds of holy matrimony. This
was a very pleasant occasion, having the
privilege of meeting with several of our old
friends and pilgrims.

112 LIFE AND LABORS
The next morning we traveled on toward
the camp-meeting, in company with the newly
wedded pair, and reached the camp-ground
at the end of the third day, our daughter feeling
quite tired and weary after such a long drive.
A good, comfortable place was provided for
us and we soon got her where she could rest.
We found a good Holy Ghost atmosphere on
the camp-ground, and the same spirit pervaded
the entire meeting.
There was a very large number of ministers
and pilgrims from all parts of the conference
present at this meeting, and the great God was
present and did work on the hearts of the
unsaved. In every service the Spirit of the
Master was manifest, and as the shouts of the
saints went up the glory of God came down
and sinners trembled while listening to the
heart-searching truth. Even hard, out break
ing sinners began to weep and inquire the way
to the cross. Formal professors saw their lost
condition and dug down until they reached the
solid rock. Backsliders were reclaimed, sin
ners converted to God, believers were sanc
tified and the devil was mortified and defeated.
Our daughter Kate was gloriously saved and
her body was healed, and she was sanctified
wholly and was called to the work of the Lord.
She is now preaching the truths of the gospel
with her husband. Rev. S. V. Coe of the Central
Illinois conference. We think it paid to take
her to the camp-meeting, for I believe many

OF REV. ROBERT TREVER. 113
will rise up in judgment and thank God she
ever got saved. Our quarterly conference pass
ed off quite harmonious, except a little friction
in reference to granting a woman a local preach
er's license because she was a woman. I won
der sometimes how our work could be carried
on successfully without the aid of women,
and yet, notwithstanding all their ability and
talent and success as preachers, there are a
few men among us who are so afraid that
women will become too prominent in the
church as preachers that they will even dare
to vote against them. The Lord pity this
class of preachers and bless the women, is my.
prayer !
"Go preach my gospel, saith the Lord;
Bid the whole world My grace receive.
He shall be saved who trusts my word.
He shall be damned who won't believe.
I'll make your great commission known,
x\nd ye shall prove my gospel true;
By all the works that I have done.
By all the wonders ye shall do,"

114 LIFE AND LABOES
CHAPTER XXII.
General Description of the Work in Mankato
and Macksville Districts.
In 1892 our tenth annual conference was
held on the ground recently described in Chap
ter XXI, with general superintendent, B. T.
Roberts, presiding. I was re-elected district
chairman on the first ballot, it taking nearly
two whole sittings to elect the other chairman.
I was appointed to the same districts, Mankato
and Macksville. We had another year of toil
and labor, having the oversight of fourteen
quarterly meetings every quarter. I will here
give an article published in the Free Methodist
pajier in the year 1892, which will give a gen
eral description of the work at that time ; also
short articles written by other brethern of
the Macksville district.
"The Lord is wonderfully reviving His
work in our midst. There is a revival spirit
all over the district, and a number of souls
have been brought to God. Some new classes
have been organized, and quarterly meetings
are truly times of refreshing from the presence
of the Lord. The saints get blessed, and the
shouts of the inhabitants of the Rock are
heard in our midst. "Some fall under the
power, as of old, believers are sanctified, back
sliders are reclaimed, sinners weep and confess
and infidels are led to Christ. Formal pro
fessors realize their condition, and the Devil's

OP EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 115
Kingdom is beginning to shake and tremble.
We expect to double our membership this
year. We intend to keep low at the Master's
feet and let God have His way among us,
and use us to His gl6ry. The Free Methodist
bands are doing a good work and God is surely
blessing their labors. The preachers are work
ing in harmony, and getting under the work
as never before. The laborers have been re
warded with success. Tp God be all the
praise." — R. Trever.
The following article was written from
Dodge City, Kansas, by R. H. Clyne:
"We are in the midst of a real, God-given
revival. The meeting has been in progress just
one week. Two were at the altar last night.
The whole city is awakened by the power of
God. Dead church-members are saying if this
is the way of salvation we never have had it
preached on this line. We are asking God to
come in slaying power and save souls. The
preacher in charge, Brother Helsel,' is full of
faith and has good courage. Band No 2 is
helping in the meeting. They have the work
at heart and God is blessing their labors. We
have come here to stay till the Lord says go.
We mean to stay until the Lord gives us a
Free Methodist society in Dodge City. The
church is full ; all cannot get in ; they come
and look in at the windows. Truly God is
here in power. Amen and Amen!" — R. H.
Clyne.

116 LIFE AND LABOES
The following article was written by A.
Helsel, of Dodge City, Kansas, March 20, 1893 :
"We praise God for victory over the world,
the flesh and the devil. .We began a meeting
at this place February 2nd, , and God was
with us from the beginning in power. We
soon had to get a larger place to hold our
meetings. We rented a hall 24x80 feet, and
it was crowded every night. Brother R. H.
Clyne, evangelist, had charge of the meet
ing, and Sisters Nellie Lewis and Kate Trever,
band workers, did effectual work in the meet
ing. God blessed and owned the truth, and
the result was many were saved. We have a
class of twenty-three, the most of them good,
solid members. The Lord shook the town
from one end to the other. We have two
prayer meetin.gs in the week and have organ
ized a Free Methodist Sunday School and
expect to keep the fire burning. We have set
up our banner in the name of the Lord and'
expect to conquer, though we die. Amen !" —
Albert Helsel.
The Mankato district was in a very pros
perous condition at this time. Brother J.
Adams on the Lebanon and Mankato circuit
failed not to declare the whole counsel of God,
and laid a foundation on which the work of
the Lord was built in after years. The Lord'
blessed his labors. Brother B. F. Clossen on
the Glen Elder circuit labored very hard and
was self-sacrificing in the work of God. His

Op rbv. EOBEET TEBVER. 117
preaching was clear and practical and proved
effectual in reaching hearts and encouraging
the saints. He also took steps to build a good
church, 28x40 feet, of which further mention
will be made. D. D. Dodge, preacher in charge
of Osborne circuit, was a young man of excep
tional talent. His preaching was always ac
ceptable wherever he went, and both preacher
and circuit were wonderfully blessed, the
church edified and the work built up. He had
a revival nearly the whole year around.
At a camp-meeting which we were holding
in this district. Brother Lenaidson, a very able
speaker and a man of experience, was present
and very kindly assisted in the meeting. On
Saturday night I invited Brother Dodge to
preach. There were several hundred people
present. Brother Lenardson, who was sitting
with me on the stand, spoke to me in a low
tone, saying, "Why did you put up that boy to
preach to this congregation ?" My answer was,
"Just wait until he gets through and then I
will tell you." Brother Dodge, in his homely
manner, proceeded with the service and the
Lord wonderfully helped him to present the
truth in a manner that got hold of the hearts of
the people, and I believe it made a lasting im
pression on the entire congregation. Brother
Lenardson said he was much surprised and
thought I understood my business. We can
not always tell what a man is by his outward
appearance. Cuba and Minersville circuit was

118 ¦ LIFE AND LABOES
succeeding quite well under the able manage
ment of Brother W. W. Hulet who was a good
preacher and a real man of God, Concordia cir
cuit was quite new at this time, which after
wards became a good strong circuit. We had
np preacher at this point. Our quarterly meet
ings were seasons of grace, God came in
mighty power and souls were saved and the
saints encouraged. The camp-meetings on
both districts were times of special power and
help from God and many souls were saved
in nearly every service. The preachers were
full of courage and zeal in . the work of thfe
Lord and the pilgrims rejoiced in the God of
.their salvation. We went through this year
of toil and privation with glory in our souls,
feeling stronger in body than we had for some-
tiipe. We met with fathers and mothers in
Israel and a host of kind friends too numerous
to mention. Glory to our God forever. Amen !

OP EEV. EOBEET TREVER. 119
CHAPTER XXIII.
Lost on the Wild Prairie Among the Wolves
and Received by a Station Agent.
While traveling the Macksville District, I
think in the year, 1892, we held a quarterly
meeting at a country point near Dodge City
and were entertained at the country home of
Brother T. Griffeth. Leaving here to get to
our next quarterly meeting, 16 miles west of
Ness City, we had to travel over an uninhabited
country for fifty miles or more. It was wild
and rough and abounded with prairie wolves.
We left Brother Griffeth early one morning and
over this long dreary road we traveled very
well until nearly noon, but found ourselves
sometimes without any track to travel, as this
was a new country and no roads opened up,
only through very large pastures, some of
which took in several miles of country. We
never met any one to inquire of, so we had to
do the best we could. When it was noon, we
stopped on the prairie and fed our horses and
ate our lunch. After which we traveled on
again hoping to reach, the home of Brother
Skinners that night. We soon found ourselves
without any traveled road and not knowing
what was best to do or where to go, we of
course began to feel quite nervous as the
darkness of the night was fast approach
ing and would soon overtake us. Wife and
I spoke of camping all night but it was

120 LIFE AND LABOES
very cold and having no food for ourselves
or horses we concluded we had better
travel on and it might be we would see a light
somewhere, and try and stop there as we
thought we must be getting near a settlement.
We traveled on and on until quite late, but
saw no light or any human being, but we kept
going until we got all tangled up near a deep
creek. All at once we thought we saw a light
but of course it was to us like the star which
the wise men saw and followed when in search
of the babe Jesus. We tried to travel towards
the light but found we could not as we were in
a very rough and dangerous country and it was
very dark indeed. Of course we were at a
stand-still and did not know what to do for the
best. To stay there all night without food or
feed for horses or proper covering, meant much
suffering or maybe death, we could not tell.
I proposed to leave wife here with the horses
and I would travel on vfoot in search of the
light which still was in sight but it seemed a
long distance off — about two miles away. But
wife being quite nervous, of course with such -
surroundings, probably in the midst of prairie
wolves and other wild animals, so she said she
could not possibly stay there alone as I might
not find her again that night. I did not blame
her for feeling that way but after looking to
the Lord for protection she finally decided to
stay, but it was the hardest place I ever was
in. I did not want to leave wife in that condi-

OP EEV. ROBERT TREVER. 121
tion and 1 was afraid to make the trip, but look
ing to the Lord for protection I started out in
the direction of the light. I found the way was
hard and rocky and very dangerous — sometimes
climbing up the steep banks and sometimes
scrambling through brush until I reached a
place where I could see the light plain. I also
found a much smoother way to travel and I
hurried on until I reached the light which
proved to be a light in a railroad way station.
There were two men sitting down in the room.
I told them -that I wa's lost and that my wife
was away out near a large creek probably
about two miles away and we could not find
any way out with the horses and wagon. They
said that was nothing, people often got lost out
there. Of course that was not much consola
tion to me but I made some inquiry about how
to get out and asked the agent to lend me a
lantern so' I could see my way out. He said I
could have a light. But he says, "You can
never find your waiy out alone; I had better go
with you and help you out, if I can?" I, of
course, thanked him kindly and felt it was the
Lord answering my prayer. We both started
out in the direction that I thought I had come.
He said the only way to find wife would be
by shouting and have her respond. After v/e
had gone some further I shouted but cou'd
hear no response so we still went on further
and then I shouted again. This time wife re
sponded and I felt like praising the Lord, and

122 LIFE AND LABORS
did for He surely was answering prayer. We
went on a while going through the same pro
cess until we reached the place where wife was
and I am sure I felt better and I suppose wife
did. The agent said, "I don't know how to get
you out." He went up and down the creek to
find some place to cross, for he said if we could
cross we would soon find a road that would
take us out. He finally found one place where
he thought we might possibly cross if the
horses were true. I went and examined the
place and said I would try it. I did but we
dropped down suddenly about four feet which
tipped us on the dashboard and on rising the
liank on the other side turned us into the back
part of the wagon, shaking us up considerably,
but we got out all right and soon recovered,
and found a road that led us to the station. The
agent said he did not know what to do with us
as his wife had gone back east. He said there
is an old store building I could put my horses
in out of the cold, but he had no feed. He told
us of some old people living close but the lady
was very sick, but we might go to see them
and if we could not stay there all. night we
might stop in the depot the rest of the night.
As this was the only house very near we went
to see them and found the old lady very sick
indeed — not expected to get better. Wife in
quired a little about the disease and then pre
scribed a very simple remedy for her body as
well as prayer for her spul's welfare. The

OP EEV. EGBERT TEBVER. 123
remedy helped the old lady, as she became
much easier and we were informed later that
she got entirely well. Wife was considered in
that country an expert doctor. We found
was not convenient for us to stop all night so
we went and slept in the depot the rest of the
night. We thanked the agent,. and read a por
tion of Scripture and prayed with him which I
believe did him good for he seemed quite ser
ious and promised to attend meeting when he
could and get ready to meet God.
He offered to get us some breakfast, but we
did not feel much like eating and as I never
like to eat myself when I know my horses are
not cared for, we thought it best to travel on
and get to Brother Skinners as soon as we
could. We had not much trouble in finding
them as this was a good settled country. We
arrived there at noon having had no food for
ourselves or horses for twenty-four hours. We
were very kindly received at Brother and Sister
Skinner's home. Sister Skinner soon got us a
good warm dinner and Brother Skinner had
plenty of feed for the horses, so all of us were
glad and praised the Lord for bringing us out
safely, and we soon forgot our troubles. Our
quarterly meeting at this place was good with
quite a large attendance and very good interest
and much good accomplished. We were glad
to find our old friends. Brother and Sister
Eliott, who had charge of the work and were
glad to be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus's
sake,

124 LIFE AND LABORS

CHAPTER XXIV.
Self-Sacrificing Preachers and Pilgrims.
In the year of 1893 our eleventh annual con
ference was held at Almenia, Kansas, Rev. E.
P. Hart, General Superintendent, presiding.
There were a large number of pilgrims and
preachers from all over the conference and a
wonderful spirit of harmony prevaded the en
tire session, and the Spirit of the master was
truly manifest in all the religious exercise*.
Every night the altar was crowded with seek
ers and many found peace and pardon and
sanctification through believing on Him. I
was again elected district elder and assigned
to the Mankato and Norton districts at the
commencement of this year. I was invited to
assist in building Glen Elder church. I said
I would give $10 to each church that was built
during the time I was on the district. I had
to pay $40 as there were four churches built.
I will now give an article that was published
in the Free Methodist paper which gives a
very good description of the work at this time :
Northwest Kansas.
"The work here in some respects is quite
encouraging, yet the financial condition of the
people is anything but flattering. They are
having closer times here than they have had

OP REV. ROBERT TREVER. 125
for years and of course this stands in the way
of our work to quite an extent.
"Our preachers are self-sacrificing and loyal
to the word of God or they would surely leave
the field discouraged as it is hard for them to
pull through. Financially they are having
close times. I found one of our preachers with
out any feed of any kind for his horses, and
he had to turn them out on the prairie to hunt
their own feed in mid-winter. He also said
he had nothing in the way of provisions for his
family, and yet he had a circuit embracing
four counties. It is not want of territory that
causes a lack of support for every preacher in
west Kansas conference has all the territory
he can possibly work successfully. There may
be minor reasons why this state of things exists,
such as lack of faith in God or spiritual power,
but I think the real cause is a failure of crops
which affects all classes. We all have to suffer
alike and the work is more or less hindered.
But by looking to God and putting our whole
trust in him we are sure of success a^nd amidst
all the above discouragements theiv,' iS a bright
prospect for Kansas and we expect to go
through. Glory to God forever! I have just
finished my second round of appointments on
the Mankato and Norton District. God has
been with us and He wonderfully helped me to
declare the truth. The work on Osborne cir
cuit is very encouraging. Several souls have
been saved and quite a number have been

126 LIFE AND LABORS
added to the church. Brother and Sister Cook
are faithful workers, having now about 70
members on their circuit. . Brother and Sister
Kenedy have been working hard on the Glen
Elder circuit and not without success. Some
have been saved and joined the church and we
expect the good work to go on. The work on
Mankato circuit is looking up. A new class has
been organized in Mankato and one in Mon
trose. There is good interest at these points.
Brother and Sister Coe have charge of this
work and are doing well, for God is with them.
Brother and Sister Adams have been laboring
very acceptably on the Lebanon circuit. Not
many souls have been saved, but there is good
interest and the work is coming up. Brother
C. E. Harroun, from the south district has
just dedicated a very nice church on this cir
cuit. His preaching while with us was much
appreciated by all. Brother Hulet on the Con
cordia and Glascow circuit, and Sister Hill on
the Cuba circuit are doing all they can to ad
vance God's cause and get souls saved. I pray
that God's blessing may rest upon them and
their work. The preachers on the Norton dis
trict are truly consecrated men of God and are
faithfully working on their several circuits for
the salvation of souls. God has honored their
labors by saving souls and sanctifying believers
and the work on the district is quite encourag
ing. A small class has been organized by the
chairman in Sheridan county and although we

OF REV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 127
have no preacher at this point, God is with
them. They are real Free Methodists and will
stand by our work. May God bless them and
keep them true. Brethern pray for me.
"Glen Elder, Kansas. R. TREVER."
I am glad that our preachers, as a rule, feel
it a privilege as well as a duty, to work for the
Master, and this with a real love for perishing
souls gives them a holy boldness which makes
them willing to sacrifice anything so they can
see the work of the Lord move.
A mini.ster of Christ a few years ago paid a
visit to one of the churches in Europe where
there had been a powerful revival of religion
going on for sometime. In speaking with the
pastor he said, "Do your members consider it a
duty to seek the conversion of sinners around
them." And he received this striking reply, "I
know not whether they think of it as a duty
but they all esteem it a privilege to be allowed
to do so." This is just as it should be. Here
is the secret of success. How could a minister
help succeeding in leading souls to the Saviour
if every member of his church felt it to be a
privilege to seek the conversiori of the sinners
around them? Here is the proof of the pres
ence of the Holy .Spirit for the Holy Spirit must
be present with a people that feel and act that
way. This state of things was the effect of
much prayer in private, as well as public
prayer, in union with like-minded believers.
The prayer of the heart — it was the evidence

128 LIFE AND LABORS
of soul prosperity. Such souls must be healthy,
they breathe a pure atmosphere, they feed on
heavenly manna, they walk with God. It was
the result of nearness to God. O, if we could
live so near to God as to feel as he felt when
he said, "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth." This
is just what is needed in all our congregations.
We shall never get on as we wish; we shall
never mold the masses ; we shall never be full
of life, love and joy, until we feel it a privilege
to bring lost and ruined souls to Jesus. This
is just what we should seek for ourselves and
inculcate in" others. Souls are perishing. Hell is
filling, .Satan is triumphing, time is flying! We
are the salt that is to season others ; we are
the light that is to enlighten others. Shall thc
salt lie unused until it loses its savor? Shall we
put our light under a' bushel or in a dark lan
tern? Or shall we let our light shine arid
spread our savor abroad? There are souls, who
if they do not hear of Jesus through us, thev
may never hear of Him at all. If we do not
seek their salvation perhaps no one will, and
by our neglect some soul may perish forever.
O, that the Holy Spirit majr come down upon
us, that we may feel as if we could not rest,
could not live, even, only as we seek the salva
tion of souls. May His word be as a fire in our
bones, prompting us on in this grand and
glorious work of bringing sinners to Christ.
Let me give one word of advice to those in

OP EBV. ROBERT TRE-VEE. 129
the church that may be treating this matter
with indifference, or those who may be laying-
dormant, doing nothing, and who are losing in
terest in perishing souls, examine yourseh^es.
Is it not distance frora God that makes you
cold; is it not alienation from Jesus that
makes you careless? Careless, 's that word
correct? Can you, can you be careless about
the eternal happiness or eternal miser}- of the
souls around you? Can it be said of any near
you, they perish forever, without my regarding
it? Where, O, where is the love of Christ?
Where, O, where is your zeal for God? Or
where is your pity for poor perishing sinners?
What would a church soon become if it-i mem
bers felt it their privilege to seek thc salvation
of those around them? Surely it would roon
look forth as the morning, fair as the moon,
and terrible as an army with banners. This is
just what is needed in our church that every
member should prove by his daily conduct that
he esteems it a privilege to seek th'.: salvation
of sinners around them.
Awake, thou that sleepeth, arise from the
dead and Christ shall give thee light!
The Lord help us to buckle on the whole
armour of God and fight manfully the battles
of the Lord.

130 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER xxv.
Dedication of Glen Elder Church.
The following is written by B. J. A.'ams and
published in the Free Methodist paper:
Dedication and District Meeting:
"Glen Elder dedication and district quarterly
meeting was held in the new church, north of
Glen Elder, Dec. 29 to 31, 1893, All the
preachers and a goodly number of pilgrims
from the district were present at the first meet
ing and the Lord blessed his people. Sister
Cook preached the first evening^from Zacha
riah 9:15 in demonstration of the Spirit and in
power. Several came to the altar and some
were converted, some reclaimed and some sanc
tified. Thursday morning the ministerial asso
ciation was organized and the questions : 'The
neglect of Christian duties, and its effects,' and
'systematic Christian giving,' were ably dis
cussed at night. Sister Hill preached from Job
T ¦.-]. Seekers came forward and some found
peace through believing. Friday morning the
question, 'Holiness ; what is it, or the differ
ence between true and false holiness,' was
taken up. It was a time of profit and of heart
searching with many souls.
The testimonies of Sisters Fanny Martin,
Winn and Adams were especially interesting

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 131
and profitable to all. We trust much good will
result from the light shone during this service.
The afternoon was devoted entirely to Sunday
school work and quite a number of those
especially interested in Sunday schools, spoke
on the subject and so much light came, that
at the close of the service a brother said, 'I am
under conviction; now all you that are and
will take more interest in this work than you
have done in the past raise your hands.' I
think nearly all the pilgrims raised their hands.
Sunday school work will move forward in
Mankato district.
"J. Adams was to preach at night, but as the
congregation were singing the opening hymn,
the Holy Ghost was poured out on the pilgrims
with such Pentecostal power that there was no
possibility of preaching. Conviction settled on
the unsaved and Brother Adams and others in
vited seekers forward and soon the altar was
filled with earnest seekers, and a goodly num
ber found peace with God. This service
continued quite late and will be remembered as
a time of power and victory. A special time
of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
Saturday night W. W. Hulet preached from
Luke 4:18-19 and we felt that the Spirit of the
Lord was upon him again. There were seekers
at the altar and God owned the service. Sun
day was a day of unusual power and victory.
Many faces had the glory shine in them. Sixty-
one testified during the love feast service and

132 LIFE AND LABOES
floods of glory rolled over us. The young pil
grims were especially helped and blessed.
Then come the dedication service. The ser
mon was preached by our District Chairman,
R. Trever, from Psalms 127:1. We never
heard him. preach so well before and he was
the most blessed we had ever seen him, God
owned the preaching of the word and the fire
burned in the hearts of the saints. Brother
Adams followed with a short exhortation and
the Lord came suddenly to his temple and the
fire burst forth iri shouts of joy and glory
from man}' happy hearts. The church was
then given to God in prayer by the elder and
all the pilgrims said Amen, feeling that God
did accept the house.
"In the evening we held a watchnight service.
Two sermons were preached and one altar ser
vice held. The last few momnets of the old
year, were spent in silent prayer and all felt
that we entered upon the new year with re
newed strength and courage. This was one of
the best meetings we have had for years. The
Glen Elder circuit has done well to build a
good church, 28x40 feet. B. F. Clossen who
was in charge of the circuit last year deserves
credit for the part he took in the building. The
preacher, circuit and friends, outside the
church, need not be ashamed of their work.
They only had to raise seven dollars and
twenty-five cents to clear all indebtedness. — J,
Adams,"

OF EEV. EGBERT TEBVER. 133
This was a year of victorjj and much might
be said about the self-sacrificing preachers for
God was with them and wonderfully helped
them all through the year and gave them suc
cess. The lay members were also self sacri
ficing. I will mention one case that comes to
my mind particularly. Brother Sam Vincent,
near Long' Island, people would say never
would raise anything on his farm, as he was
always running off to meeting so much and he
did attend the different meetings considerably
and always was blessed in his soul. But his
farm was all right for he generally raised more
grain to the acre than any one around — it pays
to serve Christ.
On another occasion he saw the preacher's
shoes badly worn, so he gave him the last
dollar he had to get some shoes. The next
morning his wife informed him they had no
flour in the house. He said, "I have no money
but I will try and get some." He went out
and soon met a man that was in debt to him
for three dollars and the man paid him, so
he had money again to buy flour. This money
he never expected to get but the Lord God is
a "present help in time of need," and He will
help those that have faith in Him,

ir

134 LIFE AND LABORS

CHAPTER XXVI.
Caring for One Hundred People at Annu£il
Conference and Saved from Tobacco —
Organizing a Class, etc.
In the year 1894, our conference was held
in Sherman Park, near the town of Burr Oak,
Jevvel county, Kansas, Rev. G. W. Coleman,
General Superintendent, presiding. There was
a very large attendance, 350 people camping
on the ground in 36 tents and 42 covered
wagons which were used for sleeping purposes.
Many were entertained in town. Wife and I
and family, including Rev. S: V. Coe and wife,
provided and cared for from seventy-five to
one hundred and twenty-nve people each meal
during the meeting. This was no small under
taking but we went through in the strength of
the Lord and came out with nearly as much
provisions as we had at the beginning — so our
God does provide, bless His name! The con
ference and meetings were held in a large
tabernacle. The Spirit of the Lord was mani
fest at every service, and a blessed spirit of
harmony prevailed the entire session. I was
again elected district elder and appointed to
the same districts, Mankato and Norton.
One meeting was held this year, near Long
Island, which was a very powerful meeting.
The word was preached in great power and the
Spirit drove it home to the hearts of the peo-

REV. R, TREVER AND WIFE

OP REV. EOBERT TEEVEE. 135
pie. Striking sin on every hand — both in the
church and out. The saints got blessed under
the searching truths of the gospel as the hiding
places of sin were brought to light. The
formal professors began to realize their condi
tion and the ungodly began to fight and plead
for sin. The devil was wonderfully stirred,
and some said they never would attend those
meetings again. But they came night after
night until at length they began to yield, and
give up, and turn to the Lord. Many were
saved and sanctified.
At another point in the same district, a dis
trict quarterly meeting was held that resulted
in great good. The preachers were filled with
the Spirit and preached in power and the pil
grims were greatly helped and encouraged.
The love feast service on Sunday morning was
especially a time of victory, when waves of
glory overshadowed the meeting and the testi
monies of the saints were clear and pointed in
reference to what. they had been saved from.
Some said they had been saved from tobacco,
some of the preachers thanked God they h^d
been saved from the filthy weed. I also gave
in my testimony and said that God had done
more for the brethern than he had for me for
he never saved me from the use of toba<:co.
One minister spoke right up, and said he did
save me (praise the Lord). Well I said that's
all right, but common decency saved me from
it, or kept me from the use of the nasty, dirty

136 LIFE AND LABOES
filthy stuff. The preachers got their heads
down but said no more. After the meeting
was closed one preacher said he would never
be caught in that trap again. At another time
'I was going from Almenia to Colby to hold a
quarterly meeting. I stopped the first night
in Sheridan county at the home of Brother G.
Lunchbaugh where we were very kindly enter
tained. A minister of another denomination
was holding a series of revival meetings in this
neighborhood which was causing considerable
excitement and some were professing religion.
I was invited to attend the meeting. I felt
quite tired and worn out, as we had been
traveling all day, but I consented to go that
night. There was quite a large attendance and
there seemed to be s'ome interest. They had
what they called a very good meeting but it
was on a very popular line and hardly in ac
cordance with my idea of a revival meeting.
I made no remarks but returned to my board
ing place. The preacher had previously agreed
to go with Brother Lunchbaugh for the night,
but he tried to excuse himself as the brother
had company, but Brother Lunchbaugh told
him to come anyway as he had plenty of ac
commodations for us all. So we were together
at the same place, and had quite a good visit
talking over church matters, etc. The next
morning we were to leave and travel on to
Colby, county seat of Thomas county. As it
was snowing very hard Brother Lunchbaugh

' OP EEV, ROBERT TREVBE, " 137
thought it was not safe for me to fake such a
long trip, as snow storms were quite danger
ous in those days in that country. I had one
more day to spare so I concluded to stop over
another day. The minister then spoke up and
said I had better preach at night. I said all
right if he thought best, and as it was my
custom I prayed earnestly that God would
help me and direct me to the right line of
truth. I went to the meeting and found the
house packed full. In the strength of the
Lord I endeavored to preach, using the follow
ing text; "Repent, therefore, and be converted
that your sins may be blotted out," dwelling
principally on repentance and its necessity.
The Lord helped me to hold to that line, but
the sermon seemed to change the spirit of the
meeting for many came forward at the close of
this service and said if that was the' line they
were not converted, f asked, "Was it not the
Bible line?" They admitted it was, but asked
why did not their preacher preach that way,
at the same time, requesting^ me to come back
and preach again. I told them if this meeting
closes this week I might preach a few nights
next week. The minister, however, did not
invite me back and seemed quite distant and
very cool towards me. I thought he was glad
when I went out of the neighborhood.
The next morning wife and I left for Colby,
a distance of fifty miles or more. At night we
reached Colby and found Brother and Sister

138 LIPE AND LABOES
Hilgard, where we were very comfortably en
tertained. At this point our society was quite
small but there were a few good saved souls
who were holding on to the Lord'. Our quar
terly meeting was good ; the pilgrims felt much
encouraged, and blessed. Brother and Sister
Robb were working faithfully under very dis
couraging circumstances having a very large
territory to travel over with but very little sup
port except God who has said, "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee," He took them
through without a murmer or complaint.
Thank God for such consecration! After this
meeting we returned back to Sheridan county
and found the meeting in Brother Lunch-
baugh's neighborhood closed and an appoint
ment had been left for me. I stopped a few
nights and preached to the people. The con-
grc.q-ations were very large and conviction set
tled on the people. Some opposed the way
and fought against the truth, but others were
very serious and really met the conditions of
the gospel — dug through and got the victory,
praise God ! The meeting of a few nights re
sulted in much good and left a very good im
pression on the entire neighborhood. We or
ganized a class of real saved souls and made
arrangements for meetings in the future.
There were also many more good profitable
meetings held during this conference year and
wife and I felt wonderfully encouraged and
blessed all through the year.

OF REV. ROBEBT TBE"VEE. 139

CHAPTER XXVII,
Drouth in Western Kansas and Aid Received
and Distributed.
The year 1894, was a year of terrible drouth
in western Kansas and hundreds of people
were reduced to poverty and some even to
destitute circumstances. Many farmers were
depending entirely on their crops to pay inter
est and taxes and the support of their families
through the winter and many had gone in
debt for their groceries and machinery and
other needful supplies, depending on their
crops to meet these demands. But every
thing was cut off ; they did not have even feed
for their horses ; they could not move away as
they had nothing to go with. Some of them
suffered for the necessaries of life. And
what made it worse, speculators and land
agents, tried to keep this state of things from
the world at large as it would hurt their line of
business and would be a discredit to Kansas.
They tried to hush it up and keep the county
papers still as much as possible, but something
had to be done as there was a ^reat cry for
help. Other churches began to solicit aid for
their members and as I had the oversight of
two districts I thought it my duty to do some
thing for our people and the real destitute in
general. I began to make this condition of

140 LIFE AND LABOES
things known through our church paper the
"Free Methodist." I also wrote to our lay
delegate, who was attending the general con
ference, held at Greenville, Illinois. It was
surprising how our people in the east, and also
in the extreme western states, responded to the
call. I shall always feel honored- by belonging
to such a noble class of generous-hearted and
liberal people as the Free Methodists. We also
got some aid through the "Christian Herald"
office. New York, and some from non-profess
ors, but kind hearted and sympathizers with
our people.
I don't remember just how much aid we got
as the papers have been destroyed, but it would
be safe to say seventy-five barrels and some
boxes of clothing, also socks, some boxes of
fruit and groceries, one box of very fine fruit
from a friend in California and two car loads
of wood from our esteemed friend. Rev. A. T.
McKenny, Denver, Colorado, and nearly
enough money to pay expenses. These goods
were all sent to our home at Glen Elder, and
were unpacked and assorted out for the most
needy. Our front room was filled up with
goods of all kinds. In fact, our house was like
a free store — people coming all the time from
early morning till late at night. Some would
bring their teams and stop for dinner, and it
meant something to feed people and horses in
those hard times. ' Probably from fifte:en to
twenty teams of horses in a week, some of

OP BEV. EOBEET TEE'VEE. 141
them coming ten to twenty miles, would stay
all night, and then I. shipped a great many
barrels to other towns where I knew people
were in real need. I also took several wagon
loads with me as I would go around the district
holding quarterly meeting. This business was
not attended to without considerable corre
spondence. From ten to fifteen letters were
written daily to people asking all kinds of
questions, and also in receipt of goods. This
was quite an addition to our regular work,
two members of our family spending their
whole time in assorting and distributing cloth
ing, and yet it was -almost impossible to get
the clothing out where it was most needed.
Some persons would take advantage of us not
withstanding all we could do. Even some of
the farmers were not so needy as they had
old grain left over from last year and of course
could struggle through. But this class were
more determined to get things than the real
need}^ They would make all kind of excuses
for comin,g and tell pitiable stories stating
they Avanted clothing for relatives, grandchil
dren, etc. These same people were seen after
wards wearing the clothing, that they had got
ten for others. One man that was quite well
to do and had money in the bank, came and
got goods under false pretense, and actually
stole a pair of new overshoes that I had bought
at the store for my own use, which were placed
near the door. These shoes were afterwards

142 LIFE AND LABORS
seen on his feet while in church. Of course
we did not have any confidence in his profes
sion after that. This class of people always
wanted the very best, but we had to be very
firm and positive and were sometimes censured
on this account.
However, there were a class who were real
needy and in very straightened circumstances
and were very thankful for anything they could
get. We generally gave them such things as
they needed the worst and supplied them quite
liberally if we could. I am sure it would do
the kind donors good, if they could see how
thankful these poor people were and how the
tears would come to their eyes as the clothing
was presented to them. The Lord bless them!
In one sense this work was not pleasant bui
very unthankful and yet it was a real pleasure
to us to be enabled to relieve so many sufferers
in this time of need.
AVe did the best we could to satisfy every
one, but it was impossible to do it. I kept an
account of all expenses connected with the
distributing of clothing, groceries, fruit and
wood, and found we were behind a few dollars,
and I gave about seven dollars to very poor
people. There was often something that came
especially for our benefit, with my name or
some member of the family. These we used
and were very thankful for them, although
some of them that we did not need at the time
we gave to others. One thing was rather re-

OP EEV. EOBEET TREVER. 143
markable in this line. A suit of clothes was
sent from Oregon for the district elder him
self. We were perfect strangers to the party
that sent the suit but strange to say the coat,
pants and vest all fit perfectly, and was just
exactly what I needed and was very thankful
for them. Surely the Lord overruled! If it
had been a matter of dollars and cents, I
would not undertake the same work for fifty
dollars, but for suffering humanity I would be
willing to sacrifice as much more if I could.
It has been a source of great satisfaction to
wife and I now, that we were enabled to help
so many poor and destitute people. We have
been thanked many times over by so many
with tears in their eyes, saying they did not
know how they could possibly have gotten
through if it had not been for us. And we
could not have done it, if it had not been for
kind friends. It is a great blessing to be In
a position to help each other and thus follow in
the footsteps of our divine Master, as he went
about doing good. The two car loads of pine
wood sent from Colorado was a great blessing
to many poor people. We distributed it out in
half-cord lots, giving half cord to each family.
We also gave out the fruit from five to ten
pounds to each family in need, especially to
Free Methodist preachers.
I kept an account of the number of families
relieved but in moving, the papers havt !>een
lost. There were several hundred people that

144 LIFE AND LABORS
received some aid and many of them expressed
their gratitude to the Free Methodist church,
and other kind people, even unto this day. Of
course we did not confine our gifts to the mem
bers of the Free Methodist church altogether,
but gave out to any or all real needy people.
The next year the crops were better and
farmers began to look up a little financially,
and since then times have, been considerably
better and most of them are in quite comforta
ble circumstances. If another drouth should
overtake them "they are in a better condition to
go through and would not be so depending on
their fellow men.
Mr. T. Addison says:
"The Lord my pasture shall prepare.
And feed me with a shepherd's care;
His presence shall my wants supply.
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noon-day walks he shall attend.
And all my midnight hours defend."
"My God shall supply all your needs." —
Bible.

OF RBV, ROBERT TREVER. 145

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Labors in Oklahoma — Crossing Dangerous
Streams, etc.
Our next conference was held in Brother
Nev^rman's grove near Alma, Nebraska, 1895,
Rev. P). R. Jones. General Superintendent, pre
siding. There were forty-two tents, twenty-six
covered wagons, and a large tabernacle with
eighteen apartments partitioned off for sleep
ing purposes. With all the drouth of the past
two years the preachers and pilgrims were well
provided with the necessaries of life. We be
lieve, in taking our families to camp-meetings
and conferences and leaving the dogs at home.
I was again elected district elder, but was ap
pointed to the Macksville and Cherokee dis
tricts. There was no district organized in the
new country.
Our people from all parts had settled in
Oklahoma and secured homes there. Some of
them had been looked after by other elders.
Rev. C. E. Harroun, and Rev. J. Adams, and
sorne classes had been organized. At least two
that I know off, but there had been no district
meetings or any organization effected as a dis
trict. The work kept spreading and new
classes organized and circuits opened up, so
we thought it best to organize a district and
have our regular district quarterly meetings

146 LIFE AND LABOES
held. I appointed the first meeting to be held
in a sod school house at Timberview and at
that time effected the organization known as
Cherokee district. But as other circuits were
built up and classes organized during the year
I brought the matter up at our next annual
conference and proposed to name the new
district Cleo and the stationing committee
agreed and it was ordered placed on the
minutes as Cleo district.
This was a new country, having been opened
up for settlement only a short time. In many
places the travel was exceedingly bad, no
roads having been opened up, and the rivers
were very hard to cross and dangerous in some
places on account of quicksand and high
waters. I remember crossing the Salt Fork
river when I had to stand up on the seat of
my wagon and then got my feet very wet.
The wagon was level full of water and my
horses had to swim in order to cross. Many
other times we run terrible risks of our lives
in crossing those dangerous streams. We have
books now that show the effects of crossing
when water was high. One needed a good
deal of grit, grace and greenbacks to travel
this country. We had a little grit and a large
amount of grace, but no greeribacks. After
all we got through safely to land. Rev. C. A.
Elliott and his wife accompanied us the first
round, which was quite a help as he was better
acquainted wdth roads and crossings than we

OF EEV. EOBEET TEEVEE. 147
were and we very much appreciated this help.
The timbered country or what is known as the
Jack Oak country was very rough indeed. We
would start out bn what is known as the Indian
Trail, sometimes traveling several hours wind
ing back and forth not knowing which direction
we were traveling. At times going through
thick brush and timber, scarcely ever meeting
any one except a number of Indians and their
squaws with guns, and dogs, and ponies. Wife
and I got a little nervous sometimes while
meeting those wild people but we got through
without being molested. We would then come
out into what is known as openings or timber
cut out where many of our people and others
had their little homes. The houses generally
were made from logs or trees that had been
cut out, and at these places we would hold our
quarterly meetings, which were always well
attended, people being anxious to hear the
truth and to have a meeting in their neighbor
hood. The Lord gave us a wonderful victory
in our own souls and the pilgrims were blessed
and souls saved in nearly every meeting in
the settlement.
The Lord himself was our captain and guide
and He brought us off more than conquerors.
Glory to His name!
At another poirit in this timbered country
we found a class of. Free Methodists who
wonshiped in a log school house, where we held
a quarterly meeting which was a time of real

148 LIFE AND LABOES
power and victory. Truly the saints came to
gether filled with the Holy Ghost, and it was
not hard to preach in such a place and under
such circumstances, for wherever the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is liberty, and we had liberty
and the saints were blessed and souls were
saved. We were very kindly entertained at
the home of Sister Zeller and her husband '
who were not converted. They had a fine piece
of land, i6o acres, which was not all cleared,
from timber. Their log house was quite com
fortable, but without doors or windows, hav
ing muslin tacked over the space left for win
dows and something heavier for doors. We
were there -when it was winter-cold weather,
but they had plenty of good wood and made
us quite comfortable. After a while a house
was finished up, the farm cleared and now they
have a very nice home. In this house I had the
pleasure of uniting Mr. Clarence Groseclose
and Miss Maggie Zeller, their oldest daughter,
in Holy matrimony. Quite a number of friends
had been invited in and it was a very pleasant
gathering and an enjoyable tirne.
These young people lived together quite
comfortably, and were in good circumstances
for several years, but the young man was called
away to prove the reality of eternity and the
wife and children were left to mourn his loss.
Brother Hollingback, one of our ministers, had
a nice home in this neighboi-hood and a good
farm. There were many other places where

OP EEV. EGBERT TREVER. 149
we were very kindly entertained many times.
There are other points of interest in connection
with this country that will be noted in an
other chapter.
There is one other meeting I wish to speak
of which was held within the bounds of Macks
ville district,. Kingman circuit. The meeting
was held in Tripp school house under very
painful circumstances. We preached Friday
night, having a great amount of help from
God. There was quite a revival spirit in the
meeting and some were saved. The next
night the Lord again gave us victory by bless
ing the saints and convicting sinners and more
were saved. Brother. Wetzel Pinkerton was
a real man of God and assisted in the meetings,
especially at the altar service. Sunday morn
ing service was a time of victory that will not
soon be forgotten. Brother Pinkerton was
especially blessed of God during the love feast
service. The Lord helped us to preach again
at night to a very large congregation — people
coming for several miles. After the sermon
we called an altar service and several came
forward. Brother Pinkerton also came to
speak and pray with those at the altar, and
while doing so he looked up and put his hand
across his face and in a moment he fell dead
at my feet. Everything was done for him that
could be done, but he was beyond human help.
His wife and all his children were present in
the congregation and came forward to see their

150 LIFE AND LABORS
husband and father dead. This was a very
affecting sight. So much so I cannot describe
it. The congregation looked as white as death
almost, and the sinners, trembled. Surely we
were in the midst of death. His body was
taken to his home, a short distance from the
school house. I stopped in the neighborhood
a few more days and preached his funeral and
saw him lowered into the grave. He died with
the shine on his face and pardon written on
his heart, but lives in glory now where we ex
pect to meet him again. God bless the family !
We continued the meeting for a few nights
and several Avere saved, but had to leave to
attend our next quarterly meeting at Medicine
Lodge. This was a good year to our souls and
the Lord gave us victory through the blood
of the lamb.
"Servant of God, well done —
Thy glorious warfare's past ;
The battle's fought, the race is won,
And thou art crowned at last.
"Redeemed from earth and pain ;
Ah, when shall we ascend.
And all in Jesus presence reign.
With our translated friend,"

OP EEV, ROBERT TREVER, 151

CHAPTER XXIX.
Stuck in the Snow Drift and Other Encounters,
While traveling iu the Macksville district,
I met with some rather discouraging circum
stances which I will note here in this chapter.
Wife and I left the home of Brother Bisset,
six miles west of Macksville, on a fifty-mile
journey. It was very cold and kept on
snowing the whole day. We arrived at Kins
ley about noon and put our horses in the barn
and ate a lunch in the office. We were very
much chilled but we got warmed up and
started on our journey again, expecting to
reach the home of Brother Griffith at night.
It kept getting colder all the time and when
we reached there we were nearly frozen
through and I could scarcely stand alone. Wife
was not quite so bad as I, but she was very
cold and a little more would have chilled us
to death. The Lord had not got through with
us yet.
Brother Griffith and family were very kind
to us and soon got us to the fire and the horses
cared for and we soon felt better. It was a
very stormy time and excessively cold for our
quarterly meeting services. We had a good
meetin.sr and I trust some seed was sown that
would bring forth fruit to the glory of God.

152 LIFE AND LABOES
The snow was quite deep in places and badly
drifted, which made it quite difficult to travel.
We carried a shovel along so we could .dig
through the bad places.
The next week we started on the road again,
going west and arriving at the soldiers' home
at Dodge City, for late dinner, at Brother and
Sister Biman's place where they stopped in the
home. We then went on to the home of
Brother Porter, where we were very kindly en
tertained for the night. This had been a hard
day on account of deep snow and digging
through the drifts, but we rested up at Brother
Porter's, and then started on to Ness City, a
di.stance of fifty miles, through the deep snow.
We got along very nicely the forepart of the
day, making fair time, but in the afternoon
we had to cross a river which was quite hard
to cross on account of so much ice which was
badly broken up. But on the other side was
a very deep cut up a very steep bank, and this
was washed out about four feet deep,' which we
did not know anything about. As the whole
thing was filled with snow and no travel had
been through this way, we attempted to climb
the bank of snow, but our horses got down and
the wagon was nearly out of sight, as well as
the horses.
We were in a fix. I got wife out of the
wagon, and through the snow on top of the
bank, where she had to wander around in the
deep snow, while I went to digging snow. It

OP EBV. EOBEET TREVER. 153
was quite unpleasant for wife to wan-der around
on the bleak prairie with about eight inches of
snow on the ground for two hours, which time
it took me to dig out. I don't think wife was
singing, "This is the way I long have sought
and mourned because I found it not." It took
me nearly two hours to dig the horses and
wagon out and I was completely used up when
I got through. I had to go to a farm house
about half mile away to get someone to come
and help me get up the hill, as it was impossi
ble to .get my horses down in that big ditch
where the wagon was. It looked like a deep
cistern after I got through digging. The man
came with his horses and some long ropes and
chains and fastened one end to the wagon and
hitched all the horses to the other, and with
considerable trouble got the wagon out on top.
Then I hitched up my horses ready to try it
again. I settled with the man and he advised
me never to drive into such a place again, and
I thought it good advice. T got wife into the
wagon and we started on with our clothes all
frozen stiff. I was wet to the waist, but we
had twelve miles to traA^el yet in the dark to
get to Ness City and did not know much
about the road. I told wife if this was being
district elder I thought the conference would
do well to put younger and stronger men than
me into the office. In fact I was feeling quite
blue about this time with my clothes freezing
oji me. Wife tried to encourage me by saying

154 LIFE AND LABORS
we would .soon get through but we began to
look to the Lord and asked him to take us
through and he did, praise his name!
We soon began to see the lights in the city
and about ten o'clock we arrived at the home
of our Brother and Sister Crandle's in Ness
City. They were expecting us to come that
night and we were very kindly entertained.
After the horses were cared for we went to
a good warm room, dried our clothes and ate a
good warm supper. Thus we came out all
right without even the smell of fire on us. O,
how wonderfully the blessed Lord takes care
of his people, even if he has to bring them
through deep snow. Yet He says, "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee." Bless His holy
name! I was holding another quarterly meeting in
the Tripp school house on the Kingman circuit.
We had considerable interest and I stopped to
preach a few nights. I also preached a fun
eral sermon for a child in the morning, and
preached at Medicine Lodge at night, a dis
tance of thirty-five miles, but I reached Medi
cine Lodge just in time for service, I got my
horses in -the barn and went to meeting, but on
returning to the parsonage we went to the bam
to care for the horses, and found one of them
very sick. I called Rev. R. H. Clyne, as he is
quite a good hand with horses and understands
them. He informed me that the horse was
very sick and ought to have some help and ad-

OP EBV. EOBEET TEBVER. 155
vised me to send for a horse doctor, which I
did. He treated the horse one week and then
it died. I paid him for his services, which was
fifteen dollars besides the medicine, and was
all the money I had.
This left me over two hundred miles from
home with one of my horses dead. I stopped
at Medicine Lodge and helped the pastor, Rev.
T. S. Ogg, in a meeting, I think about two
weeks. I borrowed one horse to take me to
the next place where I held quarterly meeting.
There a good brother took me over to the next
meeting, and so on until I reached Dorrance,
which was about seventy-five miles from home.
At this point my son met me with another
horse, so I was enabled to reach home. These
were rather discouraging times, but out of it all
the Lord delivered us. The meeting at Medi
cine Lodge was one of great power. Rev. R.
H. Clyne, evangelist, and the Band No. i were
there, so we had lots of help. There was won
derful interest and very large congregations.
The word was, preached in power, striking sin
in all its different forms. Hard-hearted sinners
melted under the sound of the gospel and for
mal professors, who saw their condition du.g
through and got right. A number were saved
and some were sanctified and the circuit was
built up. As a whole. Brother Ogg had a good
A'^ear, being one of soul saving and victory all
through.

156 LIFE AND LABOES
CHAPTER xxx.
Life and Doings of the Indians — Preaching in
their Tepees. *
Our work on the Cleo District included a
very large tract of land which was occupied
by the Indians. Two tribes, the Araphoos and
Cheyennes, who were not civilized very much.
There were a few of them that had been edu
cated in the government schools, who would
work and take a little interest in supporting
themselves like the Americans. The rest were
wild and spent their time in hunting, and trap
ping and fishing, and did not care to work, liv
ing in tepees or tents.
Wife and I visited their headquarters in com
pany with Brother Elliott, at Cantonement,
Here the government had built them large
\schools. The Minnonites also had a mission
school, which we visited, and it was really sur
prising how the Indian children would answer
questions, in reference to the Bible and also
some questions on history. I don't believe
many schools of white children would do much
better. The government also had their com
missary here, where provisions, groceries,
clothing, etc., were dealt out to the Indians, so
much every week. They also had their slaugh
ter house here and about 28 very large, fine
cattle were slaughtered every two weeks for the
benefit of the Indians, and a number of pounds
of beef were giveri, put tp them every week,

OP EBV. EGBERT TRBVBR, 157
We also visited the home of the head matron,
Mrs. Armour, a very fine lady, where we were
very kindly entertained almost three days,
which gave us a good opportunity to get ac
quainted with the Red People, visit their
schools and other places of interest. We also
had an introduction to the Indian agent, who
was virtually the Governor of the tribes of In
dians above mentioned. He was exceedingly
clever and gave us considerable information in
reference to the life and habits of the Indians.
We were very greatly surprised to learn how
much the government was doing for the In-
diaris. Their object was to get them to learn
to work. A farmer was employed at sixty dol
lars per month to do this work. Farm machin
ery, wagons, harness, and all tools necessary
for farm work were furnished in order to get
them interested in working their farms, which
was very choice land, and yet only a few took
interest in this line of work, and became self
supporting. The matron accompanied us while
visiting among the Avild people of the west.
During our visit at the matron's home, one
of the officers said I could put my horses in the
government pasture, which was a very fine
place for them. I put them in supposing they
would be perfectly safe. While we were here
Brother Elliott and I went out about twenty
miles in the country to vi,sit some pilgrims that
had recently settled there. On our journey we
had to pass through another Indian settlement

158 LIFE AND LABORS
(or town of tents). In this town we saw a
large herd of horses and ponies, and as we
drove quite near to them I remarked: "There
are my horses." Brother Elliott thought it
could not be possible as he thought my horses
were in the pasture with good fences, etc., but
I felt sure they were my horses, so we drove
up close to them and found it to be them. One
was tied to a rope and the other was loose. We
would have taken them away but about ten
or twelve large Indians came rushing out from
the tents. We thought we would try to inter
est them by giving each one a Sunday school
paper, knowing they were very fond of pictures,
and they were very much pleased. Bro. Elliott
then took me around and introduced me to thejn
as a medicine man (or preacher), at the same
time pointing to the horses and said they be
longed to medicine man. But they shook their
heads meaning- no. We told them they were
mine, and after a while two or three of them
went aside and talked in their language. Then
one said, ''yes." They helped us get them and
we took them away and were glad. We then
went on to the pilgrims at Fountain, Oklaho
ma. We found them to be real pilgrims and
delighted to see us. After eating dinner we
had a good time praying with them and left,
leaving an appointment to preach in two
weeks. This appointment has been kept up
right along. A class was also organized in this
neighborhood. We returned, to Cantonement

OF EEV, ROBERT TREVER. 159
that night and next day visited the schools.
Then we left and returned to another part of
the county for the purpose of visiting some
other families of Free Methodists that had re
cently moved in. On another occasion we vis
ited the Indians again several miles west of
Cantonement. At this time we had four more
pilgrims with us who were good singers. We
all went to the Indian chief's large tent and in
troduced ourselves as religious workers and
asked permission to have meeting in his tepee.
His name was White Horse. He received us
kindly and gave us the privilege, and at the
same time began to make preparations
for the meeting by clearing several things out
in order to make room. We did not have much
show for a congregation. When his room was
all ready we were invited in and occupied the
only seats in the tent. I felt a little strange
and scarcely knew how to proceed with the ser
Adce as there were so few of us. Then the chief
went outside and gave a peculiar whoop, when
all at once, Indians could be seen coming from
all directions, and very soon filled the tent to
overflowing. The entire congregation seated
themselves on the ground. The singers began
singing and sang several pieces, which very.
much pleased the Indians. I then offered
prayer, after which I read some Scripture, and
sang another song. I then talked to them
about the happy hunting grounds, and the
Great Spirit, explaining what these were and

160 LIFE AND LABORS
how they could get there, in just as simple
manner as I could. They seemed very much
interested and some of the older ones that did
not understand my language spoke in their
way to the younger ones that had attended
school and could understand, asking what I
had said. We closed the service and bid them
farewell, but we invited them to come over to
the camp-meeting, that we were holding in a
grove three miles away.
On Saturday a few of them came, but on
Sunday morning there was a large tribe of
them. Several wa.gon loads, and some on
ponies and some on foot, came to the meeting,
which was held in a large tabernacle. They
were very quiet and orderly and behaved well
in meeting, setting a very good example to the
white people who claimed to be civilized.
At the close of the morning service I pro
ceeded to baptize some infants. This aroused
their curiosity, as they probably never had seen
the like before, but they did not disturb the
meeting. A dog happened to come into the
tent and one Indian rose very quickly and took
it out. They remained on the ground for din
ner, some of them eating with the pilgrims and
friends. In the afternoon we had another bap
tismal service. Several were baptized by im
mersion down in the riA'-er a short distance
away. This again excited the Indians, and
many of them waded clear across the river
waist deep to get on the other side, where
they could see what was going on.

OF RBV. ROBERT TRE'VER. 161
This camp-meeting was held near Trivola,
Oklahoma, and resulted in much good. Some
were saved and the cause of God was built up,
and it left a good impression in the entire
neighborhood. A short time after this we
again .Aasited the Indians, but found a large
number of them engaged in one of their re
ligious services or Indian dance. They had a
very large circle and in this circle they were
going- round and round, one following the
other, with their heads bowed and taking very
short steps, making a peculiar noise. The first
one carrying a large bird of some kind, but I
did not learn what it represented. After they
had gone around a great many times, one of
their number, a woman, began screaming and
taking on terribly, acting about the same as if
she had been seriously hurt. I turned around
and asked one of the Indians what the trouble
was and he said, the Great Spirit had revealed
to this person that there would be no great rain.
I afterwards learned that they had been danc
ing for rain, as it was A'ery dry. There came a
slight rain that night, so I suppose they
thought their prayers had been answered, in
part at least.
Rain was much needed, and this was their
way of asking for it. Surely we ought to be
thankful that we arc blessed with Christian
privileges and are -taught in this enlightened
land to worship the true and livin,g God.
May God help us to appreciate these privi
leges.

162 LIFE AND LABORS

CHAPTER XXXI.
Removal from Glen Elder, Kansas to Alva,
Oklahoma.
In the year 1896 the Conference was held at
Stafford, Kansas, Rev. E. P. Hart, presiding.
I was again elected district elder, and ap
pointed to Macksville and Cleo districts.
My home was in Glen Elder, where I had
forty-five acres of land. My district work was
so far away from my home that I decided to
sell this property and get me a place in Okla
homa. I did so and leased one hundred and
sixty acres of school land near Alva, Woods
county, Oklahoma, and built a small house and
other buildings on the place. Then moved my
household effects and all my belongings from
Glen Elder to this place in order to be nearer
to my district work and thus save time and
travel. I had a piece of very fine school land,
which made me a very nice home, for which 1
was thankful, but I had to pay twenty-five dol
lars per year for the first three years and the
next three years I had to pa}'- thirty dollars per
year and so on advancing eA^ery three years as
the land became more valuable. My son had
another farm adjoining mine, so he took charge
of and worked both places, and we had a place

OP REV. ROBERT TEBVER. 163
to stop when not otherwise engaged which was
very seldom as we were going nearly all the
time. The first meeting we held I think was on
the farm of Brother Simon Dixon. This was a
beautiful country and a nice place for meeting.
The meeting was well attended, and there was
the most remarkable interest. We had a large
tabernacle to worship in and people came from
a long distance to attend this meeting. The
pilgrim.s came filled with the Holy Ghost and
fire, and God was truly manifest in all the ser
vices. Rev. O. Zimmerman was preacher in
charge at this point and labored hard to make
this raeeting a success. He was a young man
of considerable activity and generally kept
everything moving. He was very powerful as
a christian Avorker, both in the pulpit and out,
constantly doing something for the Master.
The other preachers from the district were
present and preached the word in all its full
ness and the way was plainly set forth and sin
ners were told what they must do to be saved.
The Doctrine of Justification and Sanctifica
tion Was A'ery clearly presented in all its differ
ent phases. Men and women confessed and
acknowledged their wrong doings and sinful
practices and got to the Lord, and were saved
from sin. Quite a number were saved and
sanctified and the pilgrims were much encour
aged and strengthened. This was a good meet
ing and everybody went home feeling that it

164 LIFE AND LABORS
was good to be there and that much good was
accomplished.. The financial burden rested on
a few of thc brethren, especially Brother Simon
Dixon. Another meeting was held in King
man, Rev. R. H. Clyne, preacher, in charge of
the circuit. The town of Kingman was com-
parativel.v new for Free Methodists. As we
had no society there the preacher in charge
had his home here. A large tabernacle was put
up in town, which was a very good plade for
meeting. There were quite a number of the
pilgrims and preachers present, both from the
circuit and other places in the district, and
good congregations from the town every night.
The minister of God presented the truth, es
pecially on the line of Holiness, which made a
good impression on the minds of the people.
The'professors of religion, both in and out of
the church, began to realize they did not have
the rich experience and many found out they
did not have anything except a profession.
There was considerable heart-searching, some
di.ggin.g out, and confessions made, and much
.good was accomplished. Some were really
saved and sanctified, much prejudice was
cleared away, and the meetin.g left a very good
impression on the people in town, who very
liberally helped to bear the expenses of the
meetin.g. Another meeting was held in Brother George
Helsel's grove. This was a beautiful grove,
planted by the owner several years ago.

OF EEV. EOBEET TREVER. 165
Enough trees were cut out in order to get the
large tabernacle set up in the center which
made a fine place for camp-meeting. Brother
Helsel took a very active part and did his best
to make the meeting a success. His large barn
and pasture were thrown operi for the benefit
and convenience of those attending the meet
ing, and several had excellent accommodations
at the home of Brother and Sister Helsel. The
Lord bless and reward them for their kindness
and hospitality !
There were large crowds at this meeting all
the time. The preaching was clear, plain and
very practical. I was esjDecially led by the
Lord to preach on the line of practical piety,
or living our religion, before the world, follow
ing the adAdce of our Savior when he said,
"Let your light so shine before men that others
seeing your good works may be led to glorify
your Father which is in HeaA^en." Other
preachers were led about the same way. This
line of preaching waS' very much needed then,
as well as now, in the age when so many are
leading A'ery crooked lives — conforming to the
world, taking advantage of and deceiving one
another in every possible way — unthankful, un
holy and yet professing religion over it all.
The good Lord deliver us from such deception !
Rev. C. Carcuff, Wesleyan minister from Ness
City, preached on Sunday at 2:30 p. m. He
dealt out the truths in big chunks and pre
sented it rough shod. Some were offended.

166 LIFE AND LABOES
some found fault, but it found a lodging place
in many hearts and much good was done. The
preachers all held to the Bible line and preached
the plain, uncompromising truths of the Gos
pel, backed by the Holy Ghost. Sinners got
under awful conviction, and soon began to cry
for mercy.
The altar was crowded with seekers at near
ly every service, and some dug through the
nibbish of sin and wickedness and struck the
Rock where they could sing unto Him that
hath loved us and washed us in His own pre
cious blood. Praise the Lord !
Another meeting was held near the Union
Church, Prairie Lake, Oklahoma. This was in
my home neighborhood, and for a new country,
there were large crowds attending the meet
ing. We had a large tabernacle pitched out on
the open prairie. Near the commencement of
this meetin.g Mr. Heron was driving a number
of young fat cattle on the road near the taber
nacle he called out to some pilgrims standing
by and asked if we had anythiiig to eat on the
camp ground. They'said yes, a little. He then
said bring on three or four men and pick out
one of the best of these steers and kill, dress,
and make ready for the use of pilgrims on the
camp ground. Of course we thanked him
kindly and did as He requested, so the dear
Lord does provide for the needs of his children.
This same brother that donated the beef, I had
the pleasure of taking him and his daughter

OP RBV. ROBERT TRBVBR. 167
into the Free Methodist church a few years
later. We became intimate friends, and oft
times welcomed us at their beautiful home in
Kansas. I was taken very sick at this meet-
.ing and continued in this condition for several
days. This was a very good meeting and sev
eral were saved.
I think this was last camp-meeting that
our dear Brother Holmes ever attended, as he
passed away into the other world in a very few
months. He was a good husband, loyal Free
Methodist in every sense of the word, and a
real man of God and a good preacher. He died
very peacefully, rejoicing in the God of his
salvation. His dear wife. Sister Holmes, was
left to mourn his loss and is now in the work of
the Lord, assisting in a rescue home at Guth
rie, Oklahoma. A short time after this meet
ing closed we held a district quarterly raeeting
at Wisby, Oklahoma. Brother Charles Young
accommodated a great many of those attending
the meeting. Wife and I were among the num
ber but as the house was crowded we preferred
to sleep out in our wagon on New Years' night.
It was quite a cold night and next morning the
wagon was covered with snow, but we slept
quite soundly and got along nicely, for the
great God was with us and kept us real sweet
in our souls and blest, all the time ready to do
his bidding. Brothers Young and Holmes,
and myself, went to visit a very aged man in
this neighborhood, Avho was lying very low.

168 LIFE AND LABORS
He was not expected to live, in fact, his friends
were expecting his death any time. We prayed
with him and talked to him about his soul, as
he did not profess religion. He seemed to real
ize his lost condition and was interested in his
soul's welfare. While we were pleading with
God for him and asking God to save him he
began to pray and finally got in real earnest
and in a short time he struck the rock and
found peace with God. As the shine was on
his face he sprang from his bed, went around
the room shaking hands with every one present
exclaiming, "I got it. Praise the Lord, I'm
saved!" and before this time he could scarcely
turn himself in bed, he was so weak. I never
saw a brighter conversion in all my life. Sure
ly the Lord is good and can save even to the
utmost, and also heal all our diseases. Praise
the Lord, Amen !
I have had charge of several faith-healing
services, have annolnted quite a number, and
have seen some A'ery clear cases of healing by
faith. Surely the age of miracles is not passed,
as some would have it. God is the same today,
yesterday, and will be forever. Sister Coch
ran who had been confined to her bed for sev
eral years (seven I believe) was not able to sit
up at all, but as her faith took hold of God on
one occasion she was healed and strength came
to her body. She got up and began to attend
to her household duties, and the needs of her
children, and in a very short time she could

OF RBV. ROBERT TREVBE. 169
walk to meeting, about two miles or more, to
tell the wonderful story.
No wonder she felt good as she went bound
ing around the church telling what God had
done for her.
I was well acquainted with this sister, and
often saw her get blessed.

170 LIPB AND LABOES

CHAPTER XXXII.
General Description of the Work in Oklahoma
— Healing of a Child and Marriage Cere
mony in Ness City Church.
This annual conference was held at Glen
Elder, Kansas, in 1897. I was elected district
elder again and appointed the same two dis
tricts. This was a year of hardships in many
respects. I had a A'ery large field of labor —
about twelve hundred miles to travel every
three months in a wagon, and held fifty-two
quarterly meetings, as well as several camp-
meetings to conduct. My health rapidly fail
ing I thought it would be impossible for me to
go through the year. As I had hitherto done,
I left my case with the Lord and he wonderful
ly helped me through and I came out at the
end of the year with my work all done and vic
tory in my soul. The work, on Cleo district
was exceedingly laborious on account of high
waters and bad roads.
ATany times I suffered considerably by cross
ing swollen streams, getting wet and chilled by
long cold drives; .sometimes traveling through
very deep sand and losing our way among the
hills and mountains. We held a camp meeting
near the Hne of Beaver county. This was quite
a rough country and very bad roads, but we

OP EEV. ROBERT TEBVER. 171
had a few real consecrated souls that were anx
ious to get our work introduced in their neigh
borhood. At this camp meeting there was a great
amourit of good accomplished. Most of the
preachers from the district were present and
the saints were wonderfully blessed and helped
by the Lord during the meeting. Brother and
Sister Bershon's baby took A'ery sick indeed.
Experienced people thought it could not pos
sibly Hve but a few hours, and the child was so
far gone that the sisters and friends stood
around, expecting to see it take its last breath.
Certainly no huraan help could save the child.
Some one suggested that we have a season of
prayer and talk to God about it, knowing that
man's extremity is God's opportunity. I called
the pilgrims together, and we all prayed ear
nestly for the child's recovery, and as the saints
of God were praying and our faith took hold of
the Deity, the child looked up and smiled, and
began to act better. In a little while the child
was. well — so the Lord did hear and answer our
prayers. There were quite a number saved at this
meeting and seed was sown that afterwards
sprang up and brought forth an hundred fold.
Eternity alone will show the good that was ac
complished in this rough country at this meet
ing. Brother and Sister 'Fisher had a good year
at Dane and Isabella circuit. Quite a numlier
were saved and much prejudice was broken

172 LIFE AND LABORS
down. The circuit was built up and the saints
very much encouraged and blessed.
Sister Isabel was an old pioneer. She had a
very fine farm, nearly all covered with timber,
which she got in the race when this part of
Oklahoma was first given to the swiftest riders,
or those that reached their^ claims and set up
their stakes first. She was a real Free Metho
dist and was anxious that our people should
settle in this neighborhood. She had a sod
building put up on the farm, which was used
for a church for a long time. It was a very
rough, rude looking building, but we had some
grand, good meetings in it and large congre
gations. It was the birth-place of several
precious souls that found peace through be
lieving. I was especially helped and blessed
while preaching in it.
In a feAV years when times were better and
money more plenty, and the country more set
tled, the old sod church was removed and a
very nice ncAv frame church was built, 26x36
feet. Brother Norton took a very active paft in
the erection of this building, as he was a fine
workman and builder. Sister Isabel donated
one acre of land on which the church stands,
all clear of debt. I think this was the first
frame Free Methodist Church built in western
Oklahoma. They also had a parsonage close to
the church, of rather rude construction, part
sod and part log, without any floor except the
earth. Of course the preacher covered the

Of rbv. ROBERT TRBVBR. 173
ground Avith some kind of carpet, and if the
preacher's wife was a good housekeeper, she
could make it look quite neat and very com
fortable. Wife and I have been quite com
fortably entertained several times in this house,"
when it was occupied by Brother and Sister
Fisher, Brother and Sister Shurts, and Brother
and Sister Westwood. Sister Westwood, who
was a good housekeeper, good mother and a
good preacher, has gone to her reward since
that time. She passed away leaving a bright
testimony that she has gone to glory. Brother
James Graham and family were located in this
neighborhood, at AA'hose home we have been so
many times entertained. They were real friends
of ours and we shall ever remember them. Rev.
F. M. Hollenbock and wife, who supplied the
Trivola and Cottonwood Lake circuit were very
hard workers and self-sacrificing people. They
went through many hardships and yet were
always looking on the bright side and were
cheerful and happy even under trying circum
stances. They had a good year and held some
profitable meetings where souls were saved.
They had a nice farm, nearly all covered with
oak timber.
A few miles from this place, Timberview,
Inglewood and Holt circuits, with Rev. S. V.
Coe, preacher in charge, was a good circuit
with many good pilgrims. Brother and Sister
Coe are both preachers, and very good pastors
and were A'ery successful in not onl}' building

174 LIFE AND LABOES
the work up, but also could hold it together
and keep the pilgrims encouraged.
Good meetings were held and several souls
were saved during the year at Cheyenne mis
sion, of which Rev. C. A. Elliott had charge.
This was quite an extensive field. Brother and
Sister Elliott kept going, visiting from house
to house, praying with the people, and distrib
uting tracts, books, etc., especially among the
Indians, They had many friends all through
the country, but since that time Sister Elliott
passed away, sweetly in Jesus and has gone to
be forever with the Lord,
On the Macksville district there were many
good meetings held and quite a number of souls
saA'ed. Rev. O. Zimmerman and wife, preacher
in charge ,of Macksville circuit, had some glori
ous reviA'als on his circuit this year. It was re
ported that one hundred souls were saved in
one meeting. They were great workers and
active in the cause. Rca'. W. F. Cook and wife,
preacher in charge of the Medicine Lodge and
Kingman circuit, though this was a very large
circuit, kept going, working very hard, and
sometimes under very discouraging circum
stances, but the Lord Avas with them, and they
had some powerful raeetings and several souls
were saved. Credit is due Brother and Sister
Cook. They have been faithful workers in the
Master's vineyard and have been true and loyal
to the church, and although they have -been
moved around by the conference from one end

OF RBV. EOBERT TRBVBR. 175
of the work to the other, yet they have always
taken up their cross and gone where they were
sent and God has blessed their labors and given
them success.
Rev. T. S. Ogg, preacher in charge of the
Dodge City and Wright circuit, had many kind
friends. They held some very successful meet
ings. Many fine pilgrims were on this field
that would stand by the work and the preach
er. The Lord bless them and keep them true,
is my prayer.
Ness City and Laird,' with Sister Lizzie
Thompson, preacher in charge, was quite a
large field of labor. She held some quite inter
esting meetings during the year and some souls
were saved. The Lord gave her the hearts of
the people and she had success. The circuit
was built up this year.
It is said that it is not good for man to live
alone, so I presume that Sister Thompson
thought it was not good for a woman to live
alone, for at the end of the year, she decided to
take a partner into the business. A young man
came on the train one night, whose name was
B. B. Orr. We were all stopping at the home
of .Sister Crandle in Ness City, and after supper
we all went to the Methodist Episcopal church,
where I had the privilege ol preaching to a very
large audience.
The large church was packed full and the
Lord helped me to preach the truth. After the
sermon I stepped doAvn from the pulpit and in-

176 LIFE AND LABOES
vited those to come forward that wished to be
united in the bonds of holy matrimony, while
one verse was sung. The Rev. B. B. Orr and
Miss L. Thompson came forward and I pro
ceeded with the marriage ritual and pronounced
them man and wife.
It was a good service and a very pleasant
gathering. Everybody retired from the house
feeling that it was good to be there. This was
a year of hardships and yet it was a year of
victory. Many souls were saved and added to
the church and God was with us and opened up
the way for us all through the year. To Him
be all the glory. Amen !
We traA'eled nearly two hundred miles in our
wagon and reached our home in Oklahoma
where we remained a few days before going to
the next annual conference. We did not have
the privilege of being at home very much as we
were traveling nearly all the time. This was
quite a cross for me in the spring, as I enjoyed
Avorking in the garden so much, however, I did
stop a few days and planted ray seeds and po
tatoes. We worked hard Avhile we were at
home but we had to go out again on the road,
and leave our garden in the hands of the Lord,
trusting him to bring it out all right. After
being gone from home nine weeks we came
back and found lettuce, radishes, onions, and
peas all ready for use, the potatoes ready for
hoein.g, and the garden not so bad with weeds,
So the Lord does help in time of need!

OP RBV. ROBBET TEBVER. 177

CHAPTER XXXIII.
Some of the Difficulties of Pioneer Life as a
Preacher.
In 1898 the conference was held at Medicine
Lodge, Kansas, Avith Rev. B. R. Jones, general
superintendent, presiding.
Although I was quite weak in body, I was
placed on seven different committees and again
elected district elder and appointed .to the sarae
districts the fourth year.
Wife and I would have preferred to have
been appointed to a small circuit this time, as
we were beginning to feel the effects of being
so much exposed to the heat and cold, wet and
dry, through the long fifty-mile drives, and then
haA'e to hunt a long time to get a chance to stop
all night and many times, in the extreme west,
have to stay in the wagon and put our horses
on the road-side, secured by a rope. Then
traA'el on again, and at noon shovel snow away
so we could feed our horses on the ground, wife
and I eatin.g cold lunch in the wagon and some
times feeling so badly we could not eat at all.
Then again we traveled through sand storms,
where everything we had would be completely
covered up: dust storms so thick that we could
scarcely see the horses, and wind storms so
strong that it would raise our wagon from the
road and often traveling a long distance with

178 LIFE AND LABOES
all the speed there was in the horses to find a
place of shelter from the blinding storms.
Often we would be caught out on the prairie
late at night and become lost. One time we
were on the road when a cyclone passed by us
so close we could almost feel the force of the
wind, and a short distance from us it took a
new school house, which had just been com
pleted," and scattered it all over the prairie.
Some pieces of it being found two miles away.
One very large tree was split to pieces not far
from us, yet the good Lord took care of us and
protected us from harm.
Another time we were traveling on the ex
treme west side of Kansas, Avhere we were to
hold a quarterly meeting at Goodland. Just
before we reached the town a terrible blizzard,
or blinding snow storm, overtook us. As we
were so near we got into town and found shel
ter, but if we had been a few miles out we
would surely have perished on the wild plains.
Next morning we had to dig snow some time
before we could get to the horses. Once again
the Lord shielded us from the storm, and gave
us a good quarterly meeting in Goodland, it
being the' first Free Methodist quarterly meet
ing ever held in that town. There were a few
real hungry souls that were anxious to have
the Word of life preached'to them, and Ave had
very attentiA'e congregations and much good
results from this meeting.
We tried to encourage the saints the best we

OP EEV. ROBERT TEBVER, 179
could and they gave us a hearty welcome and
invited us back. We were sheltered and God's
cause built up, the saints very much encour
aged and strengthened, and God honored.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow !
On leaving Ness City one cold blustering
morning en route for Great Bend, a distance of
sixty-eight miles, the snow in some places -was
quite deep and other places it had melted con
siderably so that large ponds of water were
seen all around. The roads were badly washed
out and the culverts and bridges gone, which
.gave us considerable trouble,, sorae tiraes hav
ing to take down fences and go long ways
around in order to get through. At another
place we had to drive in between two large
hedge fences. The snow was drifted from six
to ten feet deep in places, but as it was frozen
over, people were traveling over the top. We
followed on, but came to places where some
had broken through and had to dig out their
horses Avhich made it quite difficult to get
around. We got through those hard and dan
gerous places but it was hard on the nerves
and was quite severe on old people all alone.
I cannot describe what we passed through only
in part.
The darkness of night overtook us when we
were about sixteen miles from Great Bend. We
were very cold and weary and the horses could
scarcely go any further, so we stopped at a
house near the road and inquired if we could

180 LIFE AND LABORS
Stop all night. They said they could not pos
sibly accommodate us as their house was small,
and advised us to go to the next house. We
thought it might be the same at the next house
so I urged the mother and spoke about my
horses being used up and that we were tired
out and very cold and could put up with. most
any kind of accommodation if we could get our
horses in the barn. The woman, whose human
sympathies began to be aroused, said if we
could sleep on the floor and furnish our own
bedding we might .stop so far as she was con
cerned. She said we would have to ask her
man about the horses, so I virent around the
yard to try and find the man and with some
trouble I found him and told him my story.
He said "all right, drive into the yard." I did
so and got wife into the house, then took care
of the horses, brought in the bedding and got to
the fire and was thankful to get warm. In
course of couA'ersation and in answer to an in
quiry, I informed them who I was and where I
was going. As soon as they heard I was a
minister on my way to Great Bend to hold a
meeting, they completely changed and began
to hurry up supper, and instead of using our
own quilts for bedding to sleep on the floor,
they gave us their A'ery best bed to sleep in
and all the accommodations we needed. They
apologized for their apparent coolness and in--
difference, stating they thought we were ped
lers and might not be very clean and clear of

OF RBV. EGBERT TEE'VEE. 181
vermin. We smiled and thanked them for the
compliment. In due time I read a portion of
the Word, and offered prayer, then retired for
the night glad to get a chance to rest. Next
morning breakfast was ready quite early and
my horses all cared for when we arose. After
breakfast and prayer they seemed very much
encouraged and urged us to stop over another
day. Wife and I thought that with all the hard
ship connected with a preacher's life, this time,
however, it paid to be a preacher. This home
was always open to us whenever we passed
that way, and we heard they felt very much
slighted if we passed and did not call. After
we left the district they corresponded with us
and wanted us to visit them, so the Lord does
provide. We also suffered very rauch at times in Okla
homa by missing our Avay and getting entan
gled in brush and timber, in crossing bad
creeks, losing our way in the rough mountain
ous country', and finding large washouts where
we had to unload and lead the horses across bad
places. Sometimes we would cross dangerous
rivers filled with quick sand, and often in the
dark, would get into the water so deep that
we would get wet and then ride several miles
in our wet clothes, sometimes being compelled
to get raen with large horses and big wagons
to pilot us across the strearas and many other
things that were very trying to the physical

182 LIFE AND LABOES
system, but having obtained help of the Lord
we continue unto this day. Praise the Lord!
We are feeling the effects of these things
more now than we did at that time, and more
so as we get older, yet we can say with the
poet, Mr. J. A. Rothe :
"Thou.gh Avaves and storms go o'er my head.
Though strength and health and friends be
gone.
Though joys be withered all and dead.
Though eA'ery comfort be withdrawn.
On this my steadfast soul relies.
Father, thy raercy never dies."
"Or Avhy should I shrink at pain and Avoe,
Or feel at Death's dismay,
I've Canaan's goodly land in view.
And Realms of endless day."

OF EEV, ROBERT TEBVER, 183

CHAPTER XXXIV.
First Circuit After Eight Years of District
Work — Going to a Show, Etc.
This conference was held at Lincoln, Kansas,
in 1899, with Rev. E. P. Hart, general superin
tendent, presiding. There was quite a large at
tendance, filling one large tabernacle, forty-
six small tents, and thirty-eight covered wa
gons. A spirit of harmony prevaded the entire
conference. I spoke to several of the brethren in reference
to failing health and thought I needed lighter
work in the conference. Taking my health and
age into consideration they appointed me to the
Timberview, Cleo and Augusta circuits. This
was only twentv-eight miles from my horae in
Oklahoma, so I did not have a long move, and
had a nice parsonage to liA'e in and was very
comfortably situated, as I did not have those
long tedious drives as when I was on district
work. Of course, circuit work was rather
strange to me now, but I soon fell into line, and
went to work in good earnest.
I held four protracted meetings, organized
two ricAA' classes and established some new
preaching points. One meeting was held in a
sod school house which comraenced under very
peculiar circumstances in the neighborhood
where they wished to have this meeting.

184 LIFE AND LABORS
The pilgrims sent a young man down to the
parsonage to see if I could not hold the meeting
commencing in ten days, and as I was not
otherwise engaged I consented to go, stating
the exact time when I A\'Ould commence, telling
the young man to be sure and have the meeting
well circulated. He said it would be made
known in school and he would have everything
ready. I heard no more from the place, only I
knew they were looking for the meeting to com
mence at that time.
Wife and I, Sister Coe, our daughter, and two
other pilgrims, all went to the school house, a
distance of eight miles, and when we reached
the place it Avas about time for meeting. The
house was all lighted up and several teams out
side. I said, "this is a pretty good show for
meeting for the first night." As wife and the
rest went in I hitched the horses and then went
in, but there was a man at the door to sell
tickets. Wife and the rest of, them paid no at
tention to him, but passed right on to the
front. T noticed things looked quite strange
but said nothing. The man who was selling
tickets spoke to some of our crowd and wanted
money for the entrance fee to the show. Wife
spoke right up and said, "Show, why we did not
come to show, Ave came to raeeting." This
caused a smile among the audience so they
jumped up and came to where I was standing
in the center of the house. I had already taken
in the situation, seeing curtains strung across

Op rev, ROBERT TRBATER. 185
the house and thought things looked strange
for a meeting. Wife says to me, "Let's go back,
this is nothing but a show, we don't go to
shows." By this time the people were pretty
well amused, but the show man stepped over
to me and apologized, saying he was sorry
there had been a misunderstanding, that he had
the house engaged two weeks ago. He said,
"You can all stop to the show, it won't cost
you anything." We said no, we would prefer
to go home. I asked him if he had his show
more than one night, and he said no,' so I gave
out my appointment for the next night and in
vited everybody to come. Then we all went
out but the show man followed us and said if
we would stop they v/ould soon be through and
then we could hold our meeting. But I said we
would go home and come back tomorrow, but
wife was not afraid to let him know that we
did not believe in shows. We went back home
feeling a little ashamed, that we had been to a
show. Kate, our daughter, said she came very
near singing the old hymn, "Jesus, Lover of My
Soul," but she remernbered her surroundings.
Of course, none of our people were there as
they had found it out but not in time to let us
know, so the preacher and his workers all went
to a show.
The next night we thought we would try it
again, but this time we found things looking
much more favorable for raeeting, and also a
much larger crowd, some coming probably to

186 LIFE AND LABORS
hear what Ave had to say about the show. The
meeting was good and there was splendid in
terest and souls saved. As the truth was
preached and sin exposed, the devil became
stirred, and men began to oppose us and tried.
to stop the meeting. It made quite a stir in the
community, but the meeting went on increas
ing in power and God was giving us victory.
The devil, through his agents would put a pad
lock on the door and lock us out of the house,
and those interested in the meeting would
break the chain or pull out the staples, open
the door, light up the house, and build the fire,
and everything was ready for meeting when I
got there. We always had good crowds every
night. This state of things continued for a few
nights, when they gave it up and the meeting
continued with splendid interest and souls
were saved and some sanctified. We had a
good class organized and in spite of the devil
and his agents, the cause of God was advanced
and good . accomplishe'd. Brother and Sister
Wells, at whose home we were so kindly enter
tained, took a very active part in this meeting
and rendered A'aluable assistance
Brother Ad^arlow and his family, at whose
home we have been made welcome many times
are old Free Methodists, and united with this
class; also Sister Holmes, a real consecrated
soul, was taking care of her sick father. Brother
Levenworth, an old pilgrim, who also united
with this class. These all assisted in the meet-

OF REV. EOBERT TEBVER. 187
ing to the best of their ability. Father Leven
worth died during this year, and is now before
the .throne in the realms of Glory.
This meeting was truly a blessing to the
community. The parsonage where we resided was a good
frame structure and was a comfortable house
for a small family and was located on the beau
tiful farm of Sister Holmes who kindly do
nated one acre of ground for its use. This
made a nice home and we had a good garden
and also fruit trees. This was the best looking
and raost fertile country I had seen in Okla
homa. We had a good class at this point, of
well-to-do farmers, at whose homes we often
visited and were kindly entertained. The very
pleasant and enjoyable visits will not soon be
forgotten. Another meeting was held near
Helena, also one in Brother Cooperider's school
house, where we met with considerable opposi
tion from a class of people called come-outers,
also from another class who named themselves
true-followers, or snake charmers. They were
sometimes quite abusive and would even dis
turb the meetings by calling the true ministers
of God liars, etc.
Of course this class soon dies out and passes
into oblivion.. In this country vve had all kinds
of doctrines introduced by people coming from
all parts of the United States and also from
other countries, so that nearly every neighbor
hood had some peculiar doctrine presented.

188 LIFE AND LABORS
which had its followers. We had a raixed class
of people to labor amongst and having these
things to contend with, it was quite difficult to
introduce our line of work, namely, salva'tion
from sin, but amidst it all God gave us victory
throu.gh the blood of the Lamb. Some souls
were saA'ed and sanctified in all of our raeet
ings, praise the Lord!
My health, however, did not improve this
year, although we went through successfully,
and had a good year, and we felt at its close
that we had done what we could.
"His only righteousness I show.
His saving truth proclaim,
'Tis all my business here below
To cry behold the Lamb.
"Happy if with my latest breath
I may but gasp his name,
Preach him to all and cry in death
Behold, behold the Lamb!" — C. Wesley.

OF EBV. EGBERT TREATER. 189

CHAPTER XXXV.
History of the Work — Wedding on State Line
— Temperance Cause.
This conference was held in the town of St.
John, Stafford county, Kansas, Rev. G. W.
Coleman, general superintendent, presiding.
I was appointed to the Mound Center, Green
Valley and Winchester Circuit, which was con
sidered a lighter circuit for me to work, as I
was quite feeble in health.
I was well received in the circuit, in fact, I
had a hearty welcome among some of the best
and oldest Free Methodists in the conference.
Father and Mother Wright being among the
oldest in the connection. They and their fam-
,ily were true friends to us. There was no par-
.sonage on this circuit and no house available
at the time that they could get for us. Brother
Van Wright was building a fine residence
near Mound Center school house, which was
nearly completed, so he offered the use of one
room in his new house, where wife and I could
sleep and use it for a sitting room and study,
taking our meals with the family. We accept
ed this offer and moved into the room which
was very pleasantly situated. We remained
in this room about four months, and were very
comfortable. A finer family we scarcely ever

190 LIFE AND LABORS
met with, as they were always pleasant, cheer
ful a,nd happy, and were very kind to us, help
ing with their means in every way possible.
The Lord bless them!
About five months after conference. Brother
M. New, .local evangelist in the church, built a
nice frarae house near the state line between
Kansas and Oklahoma, where he had a nice
farm, and as he lived alone and was gone, help
ing in meetings considerably, he offered us his
house for a parsonage, at least for a while. He
also allowed us the use of his barn and pasture
which made a very pleasant place to live as
it was about the center of the circuit and near
the town of Kiowa, where we got our mail.
While living in this house I was called on to
marry a couple pretty well advanced in .years,
which probably made them a little peculiar.
The man had been to town and returned with
a large load of lumber, his intended bride ac
companying him on the lumber; he stopped
his wagon in front of our house and called to
me, inforraing me what his business was. I
invited him to come into the house and I -would
attend to the matter. He said he would prefer
to be married on the state line, and on the load
of lumber, so I said all right any way. I went
out to the road and took Brother New with me
for a witness, and after he introduced his lady,
I proceeded with the ceremony, and pronounced
them man and wife, while standing on the lum
ber and in the rain. The man gave me one dol-

OF RBV. ROBERT TREVER. -191
lar and drove on his team. This was the most
novel wedding ceremony I ever performed, but
he had his license all right and I got the dollar,
so I suppose it would pass for a wedding.
We had a regular appointment at Winches
ter, near the home of Brother and Sister D.
Clyne, where we were often entertained. One
time my appointment came in the sarae house
where a very popular revival was being carried
on by a preacher of another denomination. He
had several, Avhat he called converts. I went
in, but not expecting to preach as his meeting
was going on, but he wanted me to take the
pulpit and preach and I did so, and then gave
the meeting over to him. He gave us quite a
stirring address and spoke in flattering terms
in reference to the sermon and said he was go
ing to open the doors of the church and give
the converts a chance to join any church of
their choice, and when- giving him their hands
if they Avould mention the church they wished
to unite with he would report them to the pas
tor in charge. He said this Brother, referring
to me, would be glad to receive any into the
Free Methodist church, if they would state that
fact when coming forward. I said, yes, if they
are saA'ed from sin through faith in our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. None came forward .
so we w.ere relieved from all further embarrass
ment. I afterwards held a meeting in this
same house with considerable interest and
good congregations, but not as much success

l92 LIFE AND LABORS
as we hoped to have. Good was done and seed
was soAvn that I trust will spring up in after
years and bring forth fruit to the glory of God
and salvation of souls.
We also held a meeting at Mound Center,
with remarkable interest. Rev. F. Clyne and
Doctor F. S, Atwell and wife assisted in this
meeting, A great amount of prejudice 'was
broken down and deep conviction settled on
the people, the pilgrims all took right hold and
worked for the sah'ation of souls, which efforts
resulted in souls being saved and believers
sanctified. The church was strengthened, the
saints blessed and encouraged, and much good
resulted from this meeting. There is one. thing
worthy of notice in this neighborhood, that is,
so many young children are really saved and
have good experiences who belong to the class
here. They were surely very bright little pil
griras. The Lord bless them !
We had a strong class of good pilgrims, a
good, prosperous Sunday school, and a host of
kind friends in this community.
We also held a meeting at Crown Point,
Avhich proved to be quite a successful meeting,
having large croAvds every night. The Word
was preached in all its fullness and formal pro
fessors were aroused,, backsliders reclaimed,
and sinners were couA'erted to God. Brother
Van Wright, superintendent of the Sabbath
school, was much interested in the meeting,
and did all he could to make it a success.

OP RBV. ROBERT TEEAnER. 193
Brother Hull and family, also Brother Heam
and family, all took considerable interest in
this meeting and were much helped by the
Lord and encouraged. They assisted consider
ably in paying the preacher and keeping up the
expenses of the meeting. We had many other
very kind friends in this community and this
circuit was one of the best we ever traveled.
They seemed to take into consideration the
state of our health and our age, and did not
expect as much as they would from a young
man. They were exceedingly kind to us all
through the year, for which we are thankful,
and will always appreciate their kindness and
remember them, trusting we will meet thera in
Heaven. Since we left the circuit one of their number
has died and gone to Glory — Mother Wright,
who was a faithful worker in the church and
Sabbath school, teaching a class for a great
Tnany years. .She was a loving wife and moth
er, a loyal christian, and a bold, valiant
soldier of the cross, dying at her post very sud
denly. Many of the pilgrims we may never see
again on earth, but we hope to meet in Heaven,
where parting will be no more.
There is one point of interest in the Crown
Point neighborhood, which I think is worthy
of note. The young people in the community
all meet one Friday night eA'ery month for the
purpose of reading essays and discussing the
temperance question.. I think a prize was

194 LIFE AND LABORS
given for the best speech and best essay or
reading on the subject. Brother Van Wright
had charge, and it was surprising how much
they were interested in this great and glorious
cause. I would that all young people every
where would be alike interested in putting
down this terrible evil that is cursing our land,
blighting humanity and ruining the noble
young men of our country and bringing dis
grace and shame to thousands of girls in highly
favored America and bringing misery. Wretch
edness and poverty to thousands of homes. The
Lord save us from this terrible curse!

OP EEV. EOBEET TEBVER. 195

CHAPTER XXXVI.
Taken Very Sick at Conference, Given up to
Die — Wife Taken in a Bed Clear Across
the State of Kansas — Visit to Illinois.
In the year 1901, the conference was held in
Glen Elder, Kansas, Brother W. A. Sellew, gen
eral superintendent, presiding.
This was my old home where I had lived a
few years ago. I was appointed to the same
circuit the second year, with Brother Harry
Peacock supply. As soon as the appointment
was read, my delegate Brother Van Wright,
gave me a welcome back to the circuit, at the
same time giving me a five-dollar bill, which
was putting the welcome on a good substantial
basis. The money was very thankfully re
ceived and was quite a help to us as we were
two hundred miles from home. Wife and I
both were very weak and sick in body during
the Conference session. Wife, was unable to
sit up and had the doctor attending her all the
time, and she continued to get worse and worse
burning up with fever which ran up as high
as 104, Sunday I was taken down with fever
fully as high as wife's and could not sit up.
The doctor ordered us taken off the camp
ground into some private house and as no pil
grims lived very near, the brethren rented a

196 LIFE AND LABORS
room in quite a large house which was close by
and hired a nurse to care for us. We were
put into a spring wagon and taken to the doc
tor's office and given a treatment on the X-rays
when we were carried to our room. Josephine
Wells, the nurse, and Brother and Sister Coe,
and other friends, stopped with us. We had all
the care that could be given us but wife was
getting worse and the doctor gave her up,
stating that she could not live twelve hours.
Of course, I was too weak to realize any dan
ger. The doctor said with good care I might
possibly pull through, but it would be a long
time before I would be better and that I must
not think of preaching for six months at least.
We were in a bad fix, and far away from home,
but the friends were very kind, and took up a
collection of fifteen dollars to pay expenses.
This was very kind, and was a wonderful help,
but the best of all was the saints were holding
on to God for our recovery and the next morn
ing we were some better, but very low. Many
of the pilgrims came to bid us good bye on
Monday morning. It was hard to see them all
go and us be left, but this was God's way, not
ours. Some pilgrims thought that the Lord
had answered prayer, and we would be spared
to go on our circuit, and others thought they
would never see us again this side of the river,
but according to their faith, so be it done.
Wife did not realize what it meant to be left
in a strange house among people we were un-

OF REV. ROBERT TREVER. 197
acquainted with, and on expense so far away
from home. I left it all with the Lord, know
ing what He wills is best. Brother and Sister
Coe and the nurse stayed with us and gave us
all the care we could possibly have. We were
again taken to the X-ray for another treatment
at the doctor's office, and the doctor came
down to see us every day and was much sur
prised to find us getting better so rapidly. We
were there about five days after the pilgrims
left and during this time many of our old
neighbors and friends, that we had labored
among years ago, came in to see us. At the
end of five days Brother Coe went to see the
doctor and ask if he could not take us out into
the country in the cool of the night to a friend
we were acquainted with. This was about six
teen miles. The doctor said as we had been
used to going all the time on the road and in all
kinds of weather, otherwise it would not do at
all, and if we could fix wife in a bed in a cov
ered spring wagon and take her in the cool of
the night it might not hurt her. Brother Coe
began to make arrangements for us to go that
night, and secured two covered spring wagons.
We settled up our rent bill, and started out,
calling at the doctor's office. He gave us an
other treatment on the X-ray, after which I
inquired of the doctor what the charges were
for his services during our sickness. He said
as I was a minister and an old friend he would
not charge me anything, and also gave us con-

198 LIFE AND LABORS
siderable medicine to use along the road. Of
course I thanked him very kindly, but he said
you need not thank me, but thank the Lord, as
no human being could have saved your wife, if
the Lord had not helped her. He did not pro
fess religion, but he evidently believed in the
power of prayer, and I believe it was the faith
ful, earnest prayers of the pilgrims that pre
vailed with God that her life was saved. God
blessed the means used, and we give him all the
glory. We left the doctor's office about six
o'clock in the evening and traveled sixteen
miles, reaching the horae of Brother and Sister
Miller that same night, who received us very
kindly. Wife was quite tired, but did not seem
any worse for the ride. She rested comfortably
in bed in the wagon, and we all thought it bet
ter not to disturb her but leave her in the
wagon air night. I stopped with her, it being a
very fine night, and we were closed in and
were quite comfortable. Next morning we left
Bro. Miller's and drove on to Lincoln, about
fourteen miles, and got wife into the house of
Brother and Sister Melrose, where we were
very comfortably entertained over the Sabbath.
This was a very nice, quiet place to visit and
they did all they could to make us comfortable.
We appreciated their kindness very 'much. I
was gaining in strength but still was very weak
and could scarcely get around. Wife also was
feeling some better. The Brethren and Sisters
in Lincoln thought I must preach on Sunday

Op eev. EOBEET TEEATEE. 19^
in their church, and as I was in the hands of
the Lord to be used as He thought best. He
would surely help and give me strength to go
through, although the doctor forbid me to
preach inside of six months. Yet in less, than
forty-eight hours I made the atterapt in the
strength of the Lord and he helped rae through,
praise Plis name !
On Monday morning, we left Lincoln and ar
rived at Brother Able 'VV^altz's home near Dor
rance, where we stopped all night in his yard.
Next niorning we left quite early for Great
Bend, 50 miles distant, arriving at the beautiful
home of Brother and Sister Guinn at nigrht.
Here we were comfortably entertained for the
night. Next morning we started on again en
route for Pratt Center and arrived at the pil
grim's home, Sister Coe's residence. By this
time we were all tired out, feeling very wearied
in body, especially Mrs. Trever, who was not
feeling quite so well. We were entertained
here about one week, resting up for the remain
der of the journey. During this week 1 had
the honor of uniting Mr. Edward Parker and
Miss Nora Clyne in the bonds of holy matri
mony, in the nice home of Rev. R. H. Clyne,
the bride's parents.
This was a very fine young couple and bid
fair for a long life of happiness and usefulness,
as they were both saved soon after they were
married. There were quite a number of friends and

200 LIFE AND LABORS
relatives invited to the wedding and all had a
very enjoyable time. The bride received a
number of valuable presents and all seemed
happy. I was very pleased to meet with our
old friends, ' Brother and Sister Parker, at
whose horae we have had many very pleasant
visits. They were the parents of the bride
groom. The Lord bless them all, is my prayer !
By this time wife was some better, so we trav
eled on towards our home near the state line of
Kansas and Oklahoma, having gone two hun
dred or more miles in our spring wagon, wife
lying on the bed. Yet we were still alive, but
not able to do circuit work, so they agreed to
let me off from my duty a few weeks in order to
rest up until I was stronger. In a few days we
took the train at Kiowa, Kansas, for St. Louis.
Then to O'Fallon, Illinois, Avhere we found our
second daughter, Mrs. P. W. Taylor and her
family. We visited a few weeks, attending the
meeting at Alma, at which place I preached a
few times. Brother Elias Devers was very kind
and took us around in his comfortable buggy,
both to meeting on Sunday, and through the
week to see the country.
We appreciated this kindness as we had the
privilege of getting acquainted with other pil
grims, as well as breathing the fresh air of Illi
nois. We had a very pleasant visit here, after
which we took the train to Pana, Illinois, our
daughter going in company with us. At Pana
we were kindly entertained at the home of

OF REV. EGBERT TREVBE. 201
Father and Mother Taylor's about one week.
At which time we attended the Central Illinois
conference of the Free Methodist church. Here
we had the privilege of meeting with our be
loved Brother W. A. Sellew and wife, also sev
eral of our Kansas friends. Brother C. M. Da
mon from LaClede, and Brother J.- Adams from
Greenville, and others which made it seem
quite homelike. I was introduced to the con
ference by the president, who invited me to
preach, but declined on account of weakness of
body. We had a good conference and enjoyed
it very much and finishing up our visit at Pana,
we soon returned to our home and circuit near
Kiowa, Kansas.
The first meeting we attended was a camp
meeting held at Alva, Oklahoma. This was a
good meeting held under very difficult circum
stances, after having a very hard rain which
nearly washed us away, making it very disa
greeable to camp on the ground, but the Lord
was with us and souls were saved and we or
ganized a class of nine members. We also
held a meeting at Green Valley school house
with a great amount of interest and deep con
viction settled on the people. Brother Harry
Peacock, supply, assisted in this meeting and
preached with considerable power for a young
man. Some pilgrims from other parts of the
circuit carae and helped to drive the battle and
worked faithfully. Wife and I, also Brother
Peacock, spent considerable time in visiting

o

202 LIFE AND LABORS
from house to house, which was a great help to
the meeting. Several were saved and some
sanctified. Altogether we had a very profita
ble meeting, and a class was organized of seven
members and more have been added since.
I visited the town of Medicine Lodge and
found our work had run down as several of the
pilgrims had moved away and it was hard to
get a place for preaching. We had a few pil
grims left which I preached to and tried to en
courage the best I could. I also visited Sharon
Valley, a very fertile country and noted for
fruit raising, etc. Here I found the country
home of Doctor F. S. Atwell and family, at
whose home we had often been entertained
when living in another place. Brother Atwell
has a very nice home and a farm of nearly four
h'undred acres, and although an excellent'
preacher, he had a large practice in medicine,
going nearly all the time. We had a very pleas
ant visit, but sorry that such talent as Brother
and Sister Atwell had, should be laid dormant
to a certain extent. Of course, they were do
ing what they could, but not in the regular
work, on account of sickness. We opened up a
preaching point in Sharon, where this dear fam
ily attended and helped all they could. Brother
Keener and Brother A. S. Brown, both Free
Methodist ministers and members of West
Kansas conference have settled at this point,
and are good preachers, yet laid up on account
of poor health. We have four able preachers

Of RBV. ROBERT TREVBE. 203
here that are too feeble to take regular work in
the conference. I think that a Free Methodist
hospital would be in order here.
I filled the appointments the best I could,
and did my duty as pastor and yet felt that
much more might have been done if I had been
stronger in body, but I leave it all with the
Lord and put my whole trust in Him and while
looking to Him for advice and help, I concluded
it would be best to take a rest, as wife and I
were both quite feeble.
At the end of the year we requested the
conference to grant me a superannuated rela
tion, and in view of my failing health this favor
was granted. ' We were left without any field of
labor, the first time for nearly twenty-four
years in the Free Methodist Church.
In age and feebleness extreme.
Who shall a helpless worm redeem,
Jesus, my only hope thou art.
Strength of my failing flesh and heart;
O, could I catch one smile from thee.
And drop into Eternity, — C, 'Wesley's last hymn.
* * * *
Savior, thy meek and lowly mind
Be to Thy aged servant given.
And glad I'll drop this tent to find
My everlasting house in Heaven.

204 LIFE AND LABOES

CHAPTER XXXVII.
Removing from Oklahoma to Pana, Illinois —
New Experience.
I had one hundred and sixty acres of school
land leased in Oklahoma, and was not able to
go to farming for a living and my son having
sold his improvements and lease and moved
away, we were left all alone and I thought it
would be better to sell our lease and improve
ments. We adA'ertised the same in the Free
Methodist paper, which proved to be a good
place to make known our wants as I had more
answers to the "ad" than I knew what to do
Avith. T think about thirty people answered so
I sold out my interest in the place for the sum
of twelve hundred dollars cash, and bought a
house and several lots amounting to nearly
three acres in the town of Pana, Christian
county, Illinois, for ten hundred dollars. It
cost us about two hundred dollars to put the
necessary improvements on the place, so I had
a nice little home all clear of debt, for which I
praised the Lord.
The next thing was to move, which was no
small undertaking, it being such a long distance
and having considerable household goods, gar
den machinery and other truck, together with
two horses, one cow and a spring surrey. I

OF REV. ROBERT TREATER. 205
chartered a car on the railroad and took every
thing we had. The car cost me sixty-three dol
lars for the entire distance. IMy neighbors were
very kind and turned out with their teams and
wagons, seven in number, and loaded up all
my belongings and took them to the car, a dis
tance of seven miles, and packed everything
away, without any charge to me whatever. I
was very thankful indeed. The Lord bless and
reward them for their kindness !
Brother Coe, our son-in-law, and his wife,
our youngest daughter, very kindly consented
to not only help to get us off but would go
with us and help us to get settled in our new
home in Illinois. The Lord was helping us
through and preparing a way for us.
We took the train at Kiowa and in tAVO days
we were at Pana, Bro. Coe coming along with
the car of goods which arrived about two days
later. Our reason for moving to Illinois was to
get near our second daughter, Mrs. P. W. Tay
lor, who was settled in Pana, as wife was quite
feeble and in case of sickness it is very con
venient to be near our children.
When the car arrived at Pana, Brother Coe
and Brother P. W. Taylor, our sons-in-law, got
the horses off and borrowed a large wagon and
soon had the car unloaded and goods in the
house. They worked very hard to clean the
house throughout, painting and papering on
the inside, and putting on a new roof. They
also built us a commodious barn. Wife and I

206 LIFE AND LABORS
were not able to help much, but they fixed us
up nicely for housekeeping in Illinois.
Brother and Sister Coe stopped with us one
month and then returned to Kansas, leaving us
nicely accommodated in our new home. But
when all the excitement of moving and fixing
up was over and wife and I left alone, O, the
reaction! It was terrible to be settled down
without any responsibility, without any regular
work, and among strangers. I cannot describe
how we did feel as we had always been accus
tomed to traveling from place to place. We
had the same interest in the work of the Lord
as ever, and in the salvation of souls, but our
weakness of body would not admit of our doing
A'ery much, so we had to just lay still all the
time, actually doing nothing. We were not
asked to do much in the church, probably on
account of the condition of our health, but we
thought it was because I was a western preach
er and not quite as much refined or cultured
as the work demanded here. But we had Bible
salvation and its joys welling up in our souls,
which raade us anxious to be doing something
for the blaster. We had a Free Methodist
church in Pana, with J. M. Van Natten, preach
er in charge, which Ave attffnded when we were
able to go and very much enjoyed the preach
ing, which was food for our souls. We some
times had meeting in our house and kept saved.
The first winter in Illinois was very wet in
deed, and just awfully muddy. So much so

OP EEV. ROBERT TRBVEE. 207
that we were housed in for several weeks to
gether, not being able to get out to meeting.
Wife, who had withstood the rough and hard
places of Western life, could scarcely stand
this and the devil tried us in every possible
way. He would tempt and suggest, and try
every way to get us discouraged. But the
great God that had brought us through thius
far was abundantly able to carry us through to
the end, praise His name ! We still found Him
a present help in time of need.
Spring time came after a while, and fruit
trees began to bloom, and everything looked
more cheering and encouraging. I began to
put out garden and Avas pleased to see how
everything grew and thrived. We soon had
some vegetables to eat and a little to sell, which
was quite a help, as we had been quite short
through the winter. During the summer, we
got along rauch better, and I also had the priv
ilege of preaching in Pana every two weeks,
which helped to wear off the rust that had ac-
cUraulated by being laid dormant so long. We
got better acquainted with the pilgrims, as they
were not so much afraid of a western preacher
as when we first raoA'ed to Pana. We stood it
in Illinois as long as we could, but had to get
back to Kansas to attend the annual conference
and visit our children and old friends once
more. The conference gave us fifty dollars,
and Rev. E. P. Hart, general superintendent,
gave us ten dollars, which was sufficient to get

208 LTPB AND LABORS
US back home again and a little tb live on
through the winter. This is a good country for
farmers and business men, and is all right for
superannuated preachers. But if I was in the
active work, I believe I would prefer and feel
more at horae in Western Kansas, as I am more
accustomed to that country. There are good
pilgrims here in Pana and we are beginning to
feel more at home amony- them, I don't know
just what the Lord will do with us yet. Our
health is improving some and it may be we
will be led out into the work again. We are
in the hands of the Lord and willing to go at his
bidding, perfectly resigned to all the will of
God, praying that God may lead us according
to His blessed will. I can say with the poet :
While here in the valley of Conflict I stay,
O give me submission and strength as my
Day.
Tn all my affiictions to Thee would I come.
Rejoicing in hope of my glorious home.
Whatever Thou desirest, O give me Thy grace.
The Spirit's sure witness and smile of Thy face ;
Indulge me with patience to wait at Thy throne
And find even now a sweet foretaste of home.
I long, dearest Lord, in Thy beauties to shine,
No more as an exile in sorrow to pine.
And in Thy dear image arise from the tomb.
With glorified millions to praise Thee at home.

OF REV. ROBERT TRBVEE. 209

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Home Life in Pana — Children all Meet To
gether and All go Down the Coal Mine.
We are still on the superannuated list and re
ceiving a small compensation for our labors in
the past and the great God is still leading Cis
by his Holy Spirit. We are just resting on
Him and Avaiting patiently to hear the Master
say, "It is enough, come up higher." Surely
the Lord is good, bless His holy name !
I have been doing a Httle more preaching this
year, have filled appointments in several differ
ent places for our brethren in the regular work.
I also assisted in a revival meeting, held in
Bingham, conducted by the Rev.-S. V. Coe and
wife, which was a very successful meeting.
Deep conviction settled on the people and sev
eral souls were saved and some sanctified. The
saints were blessed and encouraged and the
church was strengthened.
We also preached a feAV times in Coffeen,
with some degree of liberty. I had the pleasure
of attending a district quarterly meeting, held
in Zion church, near Greenville, Illinois, which
was a good meeting with good preaching and
singing, but I thought it lacked the old-time
power as we had seen in days of yore. We also
noticed a lack of interest on the part of pii-

210 LIFE AND LABORS
grims and friends from the district as so few
came out to the meeting to hear the gospel
preached. I believe a good baptism of Holy
Ghost and fire throughout the entire district
would' make a change in the general gatherings.
We need to wake up a little in reference to
coming out to these very important means of
grace. We cannot well afford to be indiffetent
in matters of such vital interest. The Lord
help us to stand to the front! We Avere very
comfortably entertained at the home of Brother
and Sister Brown.
After this meeting we went to Greenville,
where we had the privilege of visiting the Free
Methodist colle.ge for the first time and were
very favorably impressed with its general ap
pearance and much encouraged to find so many
very promising young students who bid fair
for a life of usefulness in the Church of God.
The Lord bless the young people and keep
them true and loyal to the Master's cause in
this age of sham and false religion, is my
prayer. We were sorry we did not get to call upon
the principal, as he was gone. Several of the
students were acquainted with us, but we had
lost track of thera. We were also acquainted
with the matron, Mrs. Dowe, in by-gone days,
and were pleased to raeet with her. She kindly
entertained us. It was also a great pleasure
to us to meet so many of our old friends from
Kansas, Brother Hycfe and family. Brother

OF RBV. EGBERT TREVER. 211
Adams and family, and our old friend, Brother
Clyne and family. Sister Harroun, Sister Hav
iland, Brother John Smith, and a host of young
people. It seemed like old times to meet so
many friends with whom we had taken sweet
counsel, and worshipped together, visiting
their homes in days that are gone. We met
together in prayer meeting once more at the
home of Brother Hyde, which brought to us
pleasant recollections of the past.
We were also pleased to meet the whole of
our family once more on earth, it being seven
teen years since we all met before. Our chil
dren, who visited us, were Mrs. M. Risheill
from Denver, our oldest daughter, remaining
with us scA'eral weeks; Mr. Joseph Trever,
our only son, made us a short visit from Glen
Elder, Kansas'; our second daughter, Mary L.
Taylor, who lived near us in Pana, and our
youngest daughter, Kate Coe, wife of Rev.
S. V. Coe of Bingham, member of the Central
Illinois Conference. We greatly enjoyed their
visits, but they are all separated, probably
never to meet again ; but we hope to meet
them, if not on earth, in Heaven, where there
will be no more parting or saying good bye,
but where we will Ha'c together for ever and
ever. The Lord grant that it may be so!
While we were together we all went down
the coal shaft, seven hundred and fifty feet
in the earth, and traveled two or more miles
where the coal has been taken out. The town

212 LIFE AND LABORS
of Pana, in which ten thousand people live,
is all undermined. The coal has been taken out
for several miles, and the main entry is laid
out just like streets, with thirty-five feet of
coal between the passages or entries, and an
other opening is cut out for air eyery sixty
feet. There are also stub entries running
from the main passages in which rooms are.
cut about thirty feet wide and two hundred
feet long or more, and seven feet deep. Two
raen work in a room and a number of men
work in the entries, while others are employed
in cleaning up rock and slate, putting in props
and keeping everything in order. The coal is
taken to the mouth of the pit in trolley wagons,
each one holding two tons. A long string of
these Avagons are drawn b}' one mule — many of
the mules never seeing daylight, spending their
entire lives at this Avork. The enormous amount
of coal is raised up seven hundred feet at the
rate of four tons of coal every minute, or two
hundred and forty tons every hour, and there
are four mines working in Pana. It is won
derful what man can do. Several hundred
people are employed when the mines are all
running full time, and nearly one thousand
tons of coal are loaded on the cars every hour
and shipped to other points. Yet there is an
abundant supply in the bowels of the earth
that can scarcely be exhausted. Truly our
God is a great God, and his wonders past
finding out. Oh, that men would praise the

Op eev. ROBERT TREVER, 213
Lord for His goodness and His blessings
toward the children of men. My God shall
supply all your needs, bless His holy name!
Wife and I were having better health since
living in Illinois, and I had a nice piece of
ground of about two acres planted in garden,
which kept me busy trying to keep down the
weeds, and raising corn and vegetables, po
tatoes, etc, during the summer, sometimes
doing a little more than my strength permitted,
but I tried to keep my body under subjection
by taking care of my health the best I could,
for it may be that the Lord may still want to
use me in His vineyard some time. The lang
uage of my heart is :
Lord, obediently I'll go.
Gladly leaving all below ;
Only Thou my leader be.
And still I will follow Thee.

214 life AND LABOES

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Aline Conference — Woman's Foreign Mission
ary Society and Rescue Home Work
and Meetings in Illinois.
Just before we moved to Illinois we attended
the twentieth annual session of the West
Kansas conference, which was held in Aline,
Oklahoma. General Superintendent B. R.
.Jones, on account of mis-connections on the
railroad, failed to reach us in time for the first
sitting, and I was appointed to fill the vacancy
and presided over the first sitting, adminis
tering the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to
the conference, appointing all the committees
and such other business as came before the
conference. I had the honor of filling the
bishop's chair for once. Brother Jones came
the next day. His preaching was forcible, far-
reaching, powerful and very inspiring, and
the good advice and instructions given to the
ministry will never be forgotten. May he live
long to be a blessing to the church of our
choice !
ReA'. W. B. Rose of the publishing house
was a most welcome visitor, and his preach
ing was very encouraging and helpful. Rev.
C. Mattenely, an old friend of ours, was pres-
¦ ent and we were glad to hear him preach once

OF RBV. ROBERT TRBVEE. 215
more. The Woman's Foreign Missionary So
ciety's report was very encouraging iadeed,
.having raised seven hundred dollars within
the bounds of the conference during the year.
God bless the sisters in their labor of love,
for if it were not for their labor, toil and self-
sacrificing push, energy and earnest zeal for
the uplifting and salvation of the poor, dark,
benighted heathens in foreign lands, raany
thousands of dollars would not be raised and
the poor heathen would be left in darkness
and superstition, at least to a certain extent.
May the good work go on, and the Lord pros
per the work of their hands; yea, the work of
their hands, prosper Thou it.
. Sister Lydia A. Newberry of the Rescue
Horae in Guthrie, Oklahoma, was present, and
after a good stirring address on the importance
of this work raised about one hundred and
fifty dollars for the support of that work.
I am very' glad fo see our sisters taking hold
of this .great and important Avork. There are
thousands of young girls in Christian America
that are actually kidnapped, stolen and sold
into those dens of infamy and ruined for life
and throughout all eternity who are sorne
mother's daughters, and these rescue homes
are doing a grand work in trying to rescue
these poor girls from the terrible hell-holes
of vice and misery. The Lord crown their
labors with abundant success, is my prayer,
amen ! This conference was truly a time of

216 life AND LABORS
victory and power. Many souls were saved,
and sometimes there were two meetings run
ning at the same time and the altars crowded
with seekers. One preacher of another denom
ination realized under the heart-searching
truths of the gospel that he was not right in
the sight of God, and was honest enough to
dig down, confess and repent, becoming saved
from sin through believing in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was made happy in a Savior's love
and afterAvards got sanctified wholly, and fitted
for his duties as a minister of the gospel. We
all left this meeting wonderfully helped and
encouraged. During this year we attended a meeting
held in Pana, where we reside, conducted by
Rev. J. N. Van Natten, assisted by Rev. S. K.
Wheatlake from Greenville, Illinois. The
preaching was grand and soul-inspiring, the
teachin.g was very profitable and encouraging
and the saints were fed and blessed by the
Lord. Many souls were under deep convic
tion and several were saved and some sanc
tified — the Lord was in the meeting in mighty
power. Wife and I attended and helped what
we could in prayer and testimony. One thing
was very discouraging. The people did not
come out and attend the meeting in such
crowds as we would liked to have seen. I
thought, O how much the people are missing
by not attending these blessed means of grace
and Hstening to those powerful appeals,

OF REV. ROBERT TEBVER. 217
We also attended the Holiness Convention
conducted by the preacher in charge, Brother
Van Natten, at another point in the same
circuit, Robert's Chapel, which was the best
and most powerful meeting I have attended in
Illinois. Brother Van Natten gave me all the courtesy
T could desire, iuA'iting me to assist in the
services, which I did to the best of my ability.
The saints really got blessed and shouted, and
some went leaping and bounding around the
house as in days of yore. The Free Methodist
church is a good frame building and is named
after our late venerable founder, B. T. Roberts.
They also have a fine class of real saved pil
grims, and it is one of the best and strongest
points on the circuit.
We were pleased to get acquainted with
these dear people, who so kindly entertained
us at their homes while attending the meeting.
This is a fine, rich farming country, with beay-
tiful groves of timber dotted all around, and
settled up with men that have considerable
tact and farming ability. I have preached in
this neighborhood a few times for the pastor
and at times at other points on the circuit, as
my health Avould permit. One other meeting
Avas held in our home town later by Brother
Van Natten, assisted by Sister Smith, wife of
Rev. .\. J. Smith, formerly of West Kansas
conference, but now member of Central Illinois.
We only had the privilege of attending part

218 ijfe aNd labors
of this meeting, as we were gone from town,
helping in a meeting at Bingham. What we
did hear was good, the preaching was clear,
plain and very powerful, and reached the hearts
of the unsaved. As the plain, searching truths
of the gospel were presented by Sister Smith
the people began to inquire their way to the
cross, repented of_ their sins and were saved;
some sanctified. Wife and I got a chance to pray
and testify occasionally in the meeting, and
were very much helped of the Lord. Since
then another meeting was held in Pana, which
continued fiA'e or six weeks, conducted by
Rev. W. W. Kelly and his wife. Wife and
I had the privilege of attending this meeting
all through, or as much as we could get out.
Brother and Sister Kelly labored very hard
and faithfully, discharging the whole truth, and
were intensely interested in the work of the
Lord and the salvation of souls.
The word preached was quick and powerful,
sharper than a two-edged sword. Much good
was done and several souls were saved and
some sanctified. I was invited to preach once
during the meeting, and then my head was
bad and I had to decline, but I thought I would
not get off quite so easy within the bounds of
my own conference in Western Kansas. But
it was perfectly right and in good order, any-
Avay, so the work of the Lord moves and souls
are saved. We had the privilege of praying
and telling what the blessed Christ had done

of rev. ROBERT TEBVER. 219
for our souls, and that was good enough for
Western pilgrims. We very much enjoyed the
preaching and were wonderfully helped of the
Lord. It was a very good meeting, and much good
was accomplished, and we all were encouraged
and glad that Brother and Sister Kelly had
been sent to labor here as our pastor. The
Lord bless and encourage them and give them
success, is my prayer.

220 MRS. jemima TRBVBR.

Mrs. Jemima Trever.
Mrs. Trever was born March 26, 1834, in
the town of Bourgh le Marsh, Lincolnshire,
England. Oldest daughter of Rev. Edward Whydale,
a well known evangelist in the Wesleyan Meth
odist church. Her mother, Mrs. M. Whydale,
died when she was about seven years of age.
Her parents were true christians of the old
type, and were really saved of God, and be
longed to the Wesleyan Methodist church
from very early life.
They were strict in observing the whole law,
and not offending in one point. Their motto
was to liA'e up to the golden rule, and they did
in practice in their CA'eryday life.
Her father was a strong advocate of temper
ance in all its different phases and was a
powerful preacher of righteousness and true
holiness, very radical, yet very plain and log
ical in his public speaking. She had a good re
ligious training, but her educational privileges
were quite limited. She was converted to God
in very early Hfe, and has been a consistent
member of the church ever since. She was a
very industrious girl before her marriage and

MRS. JEMIMA TREVER

MRS, JEMIMA TRBVBR, 221
after. She has made a very good AVife, and has
always been ready to hold up the hands of her
husband and has always stood up for him and
encouraged him in all the walks of life.
She preached occasionally, but without tak
ing any text of Scripture or having any license,
but her preaching was sharp and cutting, very
pointed and effective, but it was seasoned with
grace and she had it all mixed with the oil of
love, so it was beneficial and useful and always
did good, which has endeared her to a large
circle of friends and acquaintances in the far
West, who will welcome, we are persuaded,
this brief testimonial from one who knows her
best, and most reveres her Godly life and char
acter.

222 APPENDIX I.

APPENDIX I,
Drunkard's Bible, or True Story on Temper
ance.
The following is a true story of a saloon
keeper, whose name was Matthew Hounly, and
who lived in England a great many years ago.
His sister, Maj-tha Hounly, was keeping house
for hira as he was not married.
But Matthew was getting very tired of the'
business, and feeling quite uncomfortable, as
his conscience was accusing him terribly. He
really believed that what he was doing was
very wrong in the sight of God, and injurious
to his felloAv man, so he decided to quit the
business. But his sister Martha was very worldly, and
loved money so Avell, and wanted to get rich
and make a fine showing in the world, that she
did not care who else might suffer. She was
determined to get money even at the cost of
ruined men, heart-broken mothers, and desti
tute children.
She thought it was a very profitable business
and could not think of giving it up, so she used
all the power she had in trying to change her
brother's mind and purpose and thus get him
interested in the business again.

AtPENDIX I. 223
Here I will give the conversation that actu
ally passed between them.
Martha Hounly said to her brother, "I don't
see why you should feel so uncomfortable. You
are a sober man and since I have kept house
for you I don't ever remember of seeing you
any worse for drinking beer. ,1 know that
weeks pass without you ever touching it, much
less wine or whiskey. If you did not sell them,
someone else would, and if you was to leave
the saloon tomorrow, someone else might take
it who would not be near so particular, or keep
as good and respectable a house as you do. All
the business people say yours is the best kept
house iri town."
"I wish I really deserved the compliment,"
interrupted Matthew, looking up from his day
book. "I ought not to content myself by simp
ly not drinking beer or whiskey, believing, as I
do, that they are injurious alike to the charac
ter and health of my fellowmen, but should by
all the means in my power, lead others to avoid
it and warn them o£ the terrible evils that re
sult from the use of it."
"But we must live," says Martha, "and your
education will not keep you. We must live."
"Yes, we must live, that's true," sard Mat
thew, "but not by ruining our fellow men and
bringing disgrace, poverty and misery to many
homes." Martha was silent for a while but afterwards
said, "I believe my brother is wise in most

224 APPENDIX I.
things, but in this case, he is very foolish,"
and she looked on him as if speculating on his
sanity., Could he think of giving up his busi
ness because of that which did not concern
him in the least. "Is it possible he could be so
foolish — but I think I can get him to change
his mind yet, at least I will try," she thought.
"Martha," he called out in quite a loud voice,
"I cannot afford to give longer credit to Peter
Croft." "I thought he was one of your best custom
ers; he is an excellent workman and his wif:
has good employment. I am sure he spends
every penny he earns here." Such was Mar
tha's answer.
"And more," replied Matthew, "why, last
week the score was eighteen shillings besides
what he paid for."
"He is an honorable man," persisted Martha,
"it is not long since he brought me six tea
spoons and a sugar spoon when I refused him
brandy ; he will haA'e it. I think they must
have belonged to his wife, for they had not
P. C. on them, but E. something, I forget
what." Matthew waxed wroth. "Have I not told
you," he said, "that we must be content with
the flesh and blood, without the bones and
marrow of these poor drunkards. I am not a
pawnbroker, to lend money on a man's ruin. I
sell, to be sure, what leads to it, but that is his
fault and not mine."

APPENDIX I. 225
"You said just now it was yours," said his
sister sulkily.
"Is it a devil or angel that prompts your
words Martha?" exclaimed Matthew, impa
tiently. Then leaning his pale, thoughtful brow
on his clasped hands he added, "but however
much I sometimes try to get rid of them, it
must be for my good to see facts as they are."
Martha would talk. She looked upon the last
word as victory.
"He must have sold them, whether or not,
as he has done all his little household com
forts, to pay for what he has honestly drunk,
and I might as well have them as any one else.
My money paid for them and in the course of
the evening went into your till. It's very
hard if, with all my labor, I cannot turn an
honest penny in a bargain sometimes without
being found fault with as if I were a baby."
"I a;m sorely beset," murmured Matthew,
closing the book with hasty violence. "I am
feeling terribly bad. I don't know what to
do, the gain on one side and the sin on the
other, and she is constantly worrying rae all the
time putting things in their worst light. I
must give up the business some way; I can
not stand it any longer." The exposure con
cerning the spoons made Matthew so angry
that Martha wished she had never had any
thing to do Avith them, but instead of avoiding
the fault she simply resolved in her own mind
ncA'er again to let Matthew know any of her Ht-

226 APPENDIX I.
tie transactions in the way of buying or barter,
that's all. Matthew all that day continued
more thoughtful and silent than usual, which
his sister considered a bad sign. He was re
served to his customers; nay worse, he told a
woraan that she could not give gin to her
baby at his bar, and positively refused the
folloAving Sunday to open his house at all.
Martha asked him if he was mad. He replied,
no he was regaining his senses. Then Martha
thought it best to let him alone. He had been
worse, that is, according to her reading of the
word worse, before, taking the dumps the same
way, but he recovered and went back to his
business like a man. Peter Croft, unable to
pay up his score, managed, nevertheless, to
pay for what he drank. For a whole week
Martha would not listen to his proposals for
payment in kind. Even his wife's last shawl
could not tempt her, though she confessed it
was a beauty, and what possible use could
Mrs. Peter have for it now — it was so out
of harmony with her destitute condition. She
heard no more of it^ so probably the wretched
husband disposed of it elsewhere. This dis
appointed her, as she might just as well have
had it as not. She would not be such a fool
again. Matthew was so seldom in the bar
that he could not know what she did. Time
passed on and Martha thought she saw some
.symptoms of what she considered amendment

appendix I, 227
in her brother. Of course, she argued, he
will come to himself in due time.
In the twilight which followed that day,
Peter Croft, pale, bent and dirty, the drunk
ard's redness in his eyes, the drunkard's fever
on his lips, tapped at the door of the bar. She
did not say come in at once, for she longed
to know what new temptation he had brought
her and she felt assured that he neither had
raoney nor credit left. Yet she feared. Mat
thew made such a worry out of every little
thing, and the next time he tapped at the
window of the door her eyes met his over
the curtain. Then she said come in with a
sharp, penetrating voice which was anything
but an invitation.
"I have brought you something now. Miss
Hounley, that I know you won't refuse to
lend me a trifle on," said the ruined tradesman.
"Bad as I want the money, I could not take
it to a paAvnbroker ; and if the woman asked
me for it, I could say I lent it to Miss Hounley.
You know I can say that."
Peter Croft laid a Bible on the table, and
folding back its pages with his trerabling
fingers, showed that it was abundantly illus
trated with fine engravings. After the poor
drunkard had partially exhibited its contents,
"very well," she said:
"How rauch do you want for it?" He re
peated the price.
She took just one-half the araount and laid

228 appendix i,
the shining temptation on the table before him,
"Have you the heart. Miss Hounley," while
fingering the money, "to offer such a price as
this?" She answered Avith a light laugh, "It's
only a drunkard's Bible." The poor man
dashed the money from him with a bitter
oath. "Oh, very well," she said, "take it or leave
it," and resumed her work.
The only purpose to which a drunkard is
firm is to his own ruin. Peter went to the
door, returned and took up the money.
"Another shilling. Miss. It will be in the
till again before morning." Martha gave him
the other shilling, he took his drink and went
off, and as soon as he Avas gone out she at once
began to look at the pictures in the Bible,
congratulating herself on her good bargain.
In due time the house was cleared and she
went to bed, placing the Bible on top of her
table. That night the saloon keeper covild not
sleep. More than once he imagined he smelt
fire, and after going all around looking for
fire, he finally entered the little bar parlor,
took his daybook from the shelf and^set. down,
turning over its leaves. In setting his lamp
on the table, he saw a large family Bible, and
pushing away the daybook, he opened the
sacred volume. It opened at the 23d chapter of
Proverbs and as if guided by sacred light, his
eyes fell upon the 29th verse: "Who hath
vvpe ; who hath sorrow ; who hath cpntentipns ;

appendix I. 229
who hath babblings; who hath wounds with
out cause; who hath redness of eyes? * * *
They that tarry long at the wine, they that go
to seek mixed wine. * * * Look not
thou upon the wine when it is red, when it
giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth
itself aright. At last it biteth like a serpent
and stingeth like an adder." He dashed over
the leaves in fierce displeasure, and as if by
themselves they folded back at the 5th chapter
of Galatians : "Envyings, murders, drunken
ness, revelings, and such like, of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in times
past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the Kingdom of God."
"New and old," murmured Matthew to him
self, "I am condemned alike by the old and
new Testament." He had regarded intoxica
tion and its consequences heretofore as a great
social evil, the fluttering rags and the fleshless
bones of the drunkard and his family, the
broils, the contentions, the ill feeling, the vio
lence, the murders wrought by the dread spirit
of alcohol stood in arrays before him as social
crimes, social dangers, but he did not call to
mind that the Avord of God exposed alike its
destruction and its sinfulness. He was one
of the many who, however good and moral in
themselves, shut their ears against the voice
of the charmer, charm he ever so wisely.
Though he often found wisdom and consola
tion in a line of Watt's hymns, he rarely went

230 APPENDIX I.
to the fountain of living waters for the
strengthening and refreshing of his soul. He
turned over the chapter and found on the
next page a collection of texts written upon
a strip of paper as follows:
Proverbs, twenty-third chapter, "For the
drunkard and the glutton shall come to pov
erty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with
rags," First Corinthians, sixth chapter, tenth verse,
"Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the
kingdom of God."
"Again that awful threat," murmured Mat
thew, "and have I been the means of bringing
so many of my fellow creatures under its ban."
First Samuel, the first chapter,' "And Eli
said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken?
Put away thy wine from thee."
Luke twenty-first, "And take heed to your
selves, lest at any time your hearts be over
charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares."
"Aye, that day," repeated the saloon-keeper,
"that day, the day that must come."
' Ephesians, fifth chapter, "And be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with
the Spirit."
Proverbs, twentieth chapter, "Wine is a
mocker, strong drink is raging and whosoever
js deceived therebv is not wise, * * * Woe

Ai-PENDIX I. 231
to thee who sellest wine to thy neighbor, and
minglest strong drink to his destruction."
He arose from the table and paced up and
down the little room. No eye but His who
seeth all things iooked upon the earnestness
and agitation of that man ; no ear but the All-
hearing heard his sighs, his half-muttered
prayers to be strengthened for good. He said
within himself, "Who will counsel me in this ;
to whom shall I fly for sympathy; who will
tell me what I ought to do ; how can I reraedy
the evils I have brought upon others while
in this busiriess, even when my heart was
alive to its wickedness?" He had no friend
to advise him, none who would do aught but
laugh and ridicule the idea of giving up a
good and profitable business for conscience
sake. It occurred to him, "You have an im
mortal Friend, take counsel of Him ; pray to
Him, learn of Him, trust Him, raake His book
your guide." Opening the Bible, he read one
other passage, "Keep innocency, and take heed
to the things that are right, for that shall
brin.g a man peace at last." Pondering on this
blessed rule of life, so simple and comprehen
sive, he turned back the pages, repeating it
over and OA'er again until he came to the first
fly leaf, wherein were written the births, mar
riages and deaths of the humble family to
whom the Bible had belonged. The second on
the list he saw in a half-printed hand the name,
Emma Hanby, only daughter of James and

232 APPENDIX I.
Mary Hanby, born (giving date), and married
to Peter Croft,
Emma Hanby, born in his native county,
the one whom he had so often played with in
his boyish days, whom he loved as he never
could or did love woman since, whom he would
have married if she could have loved him as
he loved her. Is it possible that this can be
the wife, the torn, soiled, tattered, -worn out,
insulted, broken-hearted wife of Peter Croft,
the drunkard, and I have helped to reduce her
to this terrible condition ?
"I have done this. This has been my do
ings." He might haA'e consoled himself that
if Peter Croft had not drunk at his bar he would
have got the drink soraewhere else, but his
scared conscience neither admitted nor sought
an excuse. After an hour more of earnest
prayer with sealed lips, a soul bowed down
at one moment by contempt for his infirmity of
purpose, and at another elevated by strong
resolves of great sacrifice, Matthew carried
with him the drunkard's Bible and went to
his bed. He slept the feverish, unrefreshing
sleep which so frequently succeeds strong
emotion. He saw troops of drunkards, blear-
eyed, tremblin.g, ghastly, miserable-looking
men, pointing at him with their fingers, while
with pestilential breath they demanded who
had sold them poison. Woraen, too, drunkard's
wives or drunkards, starved, wretched, miser
able creatures, with scores of ghastly children.

APPENDIX I. 233
hooting him as he passed through caverns
reeking with whiskey and hot with the steam
of all poisonous drinks. He awoke just as the
sun was rising and sending a positive flood of
light pouring in through the window, shining
on the coA'er of the drunkard's Bible.
Matthew bent his knees to the floor, his heart
full of emotions, the emotions of his early and
better nature, ,and he bowed his head and
prayed in honest resoh'e and fervent zeal that
God would have mercy upon him and keep him
in the right path and make him, unworthy as
he was, the means of grace to others, to be
God's instrument for good to his fellow crea
tures, to minister to the prosperity of human
ity. Oh, if God would but mend the broken
vessel, if He could but heal the bruised reed,
if He would but receiA'e him into His flock.
Oh, how often he repeated, "God, give me
strength. Lord, strengthen me."
He arose as all arise after steadfast prayer,
strengthened and prepared to set about his
work: I noAV quote his own account of what
followed :
"I had fixed in my mind the duty I was
called upon to perform. I saw it bright before
me — it was now clear to me, whichcA'er way
I turned. I went down stairs, I unlocked the
street door arid brought a ladder from the
back of the house to the front, and with my
OAvn hands tore down the sign of my disloy
alty to God's cause, the sign of the saloon.

234 APPENDIX I.
and threw it in the gutter. Thus my first
triumph was achieved. I then descended into
my cellar, locked myself in, turned all the taps,
broke all the bottles, standing in the streams
of beer, whiskey and brandy which foamed
around me, and never once did my determina
tion even waver. I vowed to devote the re
mainder of my Hfe to the destruction of alcohol
and to give my power and my means to re
claim and succor those that had wasted their
substance and debased their characters beneath
my roof.
"I felt as a man whose fetters had suddenly
been cut off; a sense of raanly independence
thrilled through my frame, through the black
and reeking arch of the beer vault. I looked
up to HeaA'cn and asked God again and again
for the strength of purpose and perseverance
which I had always lacked through my past
life, and while I Avas called an honest and
respectable raan, I knew I was acting a false
hood and dealing in the moral, perhaps the
eternal, deaths of many of those careless drink
ers who had sorrow and torments and quarrels
and wounds without cause, knowing they did
bite like serpents and sting like adders. What
a knave I have been, erecting a teraple to my
own respectability on the ruins of my fellow
creatures, talking of honesty when I was in
ducing sinners to augment their sin by every
temptation that the fragrant rum, the gin, and
brandy could offer. All adulterated, all untrue

APPENDIX I, 235
as myself, all made even worse than their
original nature by downright and positive
fraud. Talking of honesty as if I had been
honest going to church, as if I were a practical
Christian and passing by those whom I had
helped to ruin _with contempt upon my lip,
even at the same time I was inducing men
to become accessories to their own shame and
sin and the ruin of their families.
"Bitter but happy tears of penitence gushed
from my eyes as the ocean of intoxicating
drinks swelled and rolled and seethed around
me. I opened the drain and they rushed forth
to add to the impurity of the river. Away
they go. Their power is past ; they never more
will turn the staggering workman into the
streets and nerve his arm to strike down his
poor wife or child he is bound by the laws of
God to protect. Never more to send the self-
"'nflicted fever of delirium tremens through the
swelling veins, never to drag the last shilling
from the drunkard's hand, never more to quench
the fire on the cottage hearth, or send the pale,
over-worked artisan's children to a supperless
bed, never more to blister the lips of women
or poison the blood of childhood, never again
to inflict the Saturday headache which induced
the prayerless Sunday. AAvay, away! Iwould
to God I had the power to destroy the whole of
this body and soul -destroying stuff through
the entire world, that is sending its thousands
down to a drunkard's grave and drunkard's

236 APPENDIX t.
hell every year. As my excitement subsided I
felt still more resolved, and the more I calmed
down the firmer I got, I was as a paralytic
recovering the use of .his Hmbs; as a. blind
man restored to sight — I felt the dignity of a
mission. I would be a temperance missionary
to the end of my days, and I Avould seek out
the worst of those who had spent their all
at the bar of my saloon.
"I was a free man no longer filling my purse
with the purchased money of sorrow, sin and
death, I owed the sinner, confirmed to. lead the
old life of sin in my house, I owed them atone
ment, but what did I not long to do for the
poor Emma, when I thought of her once cheer
fulness, her once innocence and beauty, I could
have cursed myself,
"Suddenly ray sister shook the door and
entreated me to come at once, for some one
had torn down my sign and had thrown it
into the gutter. When I showed her the drip
ping taps and broken bottles, she called me mad
and really believed I had gone crazy. I had,
of course, more than one scene with her, and
when I told her that instead of beer I would
sell coffee, and tea in place of brandy, she, like
many others, attaching an idea of feebleness
and duplicity and want or respectability to
temperance, we passed a stormy time together.
She resolved to find another home, and among
other things claimed the drunkard's Bible, but
that I would not part with.

APPENDIX I, 237
"I lost no time in finding the dwelling of
Peter Croft, Poor Emma, if I had met her in
the broad sunshine, I should not have known
her; if I had heard her speak I should have
recognized her voice among a thousand. Mis
ery for her had done its worst. She upbraided
me as I deserved. 'You,' .she said, 'and such
as you content with your own safety, never
think of the safety of others ; you take care to
avoid the tarnish and wretchedness of drunk
enness yourselves, while you entice others to
sin. Moderation is your safeguard, but when
did you CA'er think it a A'irtue in your custom
ers?' ''I told her Avhat I had done, and that in the
future mine would be strictly a temperance
house, and that I would by every means in my
power undo the evil that I had done.
" 'Will that,' she ansAvered in low, deep tones
of anguish, 'will that restore what I have lost?
Will it restore my husband's character? Will
it save him, even if converted, from self-re
proach? Will it open the grave and give me
back my child, my first-born, delicate from its
cradle, could not endure the want of heat and
food which the others have still to bear? Will
it give us back the means squandered in your
house? Will it efface the drunkard's song
and the impurity of the drunkard's acts? Oh,
MattheAv, that you should thrive and live and
grow rich and respectable by what debased
and debauched your fellow men. Look,' she

238 APPENDIX I.
added, and her words pierced my heart, 'Look !
Had I my young days over again, I would
rather appear with my poor, degraded husband,
bad as he has been and is, at the bar of God
than kneel as your wife. You're cool-headed
and moderate by nature, knowing right from
wrong, well educated, yet tempting others to
the destruction which gaA'e you food and re
plenished your comfortable rooms by your in
toxicating drinks, the pleasant company, and
all the attractions and inducements that you
could throw in their way, for the purpose of
alluring men from their homes, their wives,
their children and sending them back crazed
with drink when the stars are fading in the
daylight, without money, without feeling, only
to abuse their poor wives and children in their
miserable homes. I think as you stand there,
Matthew Hounley, well dressed and well fed,
that you this day are more guilty in the sight
of God than my poor husband, who is lying
on a bed of straw with madness in his brain,
trembling in every limb, without even a Bible
to tell him of the mercy which Christ pro
cured for the penitent sinner at the eleventh
hour.' "I laid her own Bible before her and did not
ask her to spare me — every word was true. I
deserved it all. I went away and sent coal and
food and clothing into that wretched room.
I sent a physician ; I prayed beside the poor,
miserable man as if he had been a dear friend

APPENDIX I. 239
and tried to point him to Jesus, Avho taketh
away the sin of the world. I found him truly
penitent, but he mourned over his lost time,
lost means, lost character — all lost. All that
God had given, health, strength, happiness, all
were gone ; all but thc love of his poor, abused,
ill-used and neglected wife — that love had
never died. Remember there are hundreds and
thousands of cases as sad as this poor wretched
family in the Christian land in which we live.
Strong drink fills our jails and hospitals and
insane asylums ; it causes crime, disease, death.
Its m.ission is sin and sorrow to man, woman
and child. Under the cloak of good-fellowship
it draws men together, and the good fellow
ship poisons heart and raind. Men becorae
mad under its influence. Would any man in
his right senses squander his money, his char
acter, and bring himself and all he is bound to
cherish to the pauper's .grave? There are thou
sands of wretches who never go to^ their ragged
beds sober, and yet there are hundreds of so-
called good and great men, and raany who even
profess religion and belong to sorae church,
that will actually go against the teraperance
movement, and really vote and use their in
fluence in favor of whiskey with all its baneful
influences. "My God, is it possible? Oh, is it possible I
.Surely they have never watched for the return
of the drunkard or experienced his neglect and
abuse, never had the last penny for their chil-

240 APPENDIX I.
dren's bread turned into whiskey, never had
the experience of their children going bare
foot and poorly clad through the winter months
without food or fire to keep them comfortable.
"When I .spoke to this woraan of the future,
she would not listen. 'No,' she said, 'my hope
for him and myself is beyond the grave. He
cannot rally or get better. Those fierce drinks
have branded his vitals and almost have burned
them up. Life is not for either of us. I wish
his fate, and mine, could warn those around us.'
The drunkard, day after day, sees the drunkard
laid in his grave and before the last earth is
thrown on the coffin they are drawn as a sheep
to the slau.ghter of the miserable hell-holes of
vice for another glass and still another, until
they, too, are laid in the grave. Other young
men and women are filling their places. Oh,
may the Lord hasten the day when this body
and soul-destroying poison will be entirely
swept out of this country by the vote of the
people. I hope to live to see this nation en
tirely rid of its CA'il influences."
Judge Leroy B. Crane, City Magistrate, New
York City, says at least 80 per cent of the
miserv and suffering among the working class
comes from the use of liquor, and that should
be impressed on every man, woman and child
on God's earth, high or Ioav, rich or poor. He
further says there should be an eleventh com
mandraent, namely, "Thou shalt not touch,
taste or handle thyself, nor give to thy fellow-
man spirituous liquors of any kind,"

APPENDIX I. 241
Tobacco,
One billion dollars are spent every year for
tobacco. This is more than is spent altogether
in the United States for bread. Christian mis
sions, public education, boots, shoes, and all
cotton goods. This amount in silver dollars,
if laid touching one another, would make a line
23,694 miles long, and would reach almost
aroimd the world. It would weigh 46,872 tons,
and would make a wagon train 300 miles long,
each Avagon loaded with one ton of silver
dollars. All this wealth is spent each year for the
filthy, abominable, soul and body polluting
thing — tobacco.
In the name of God, purity, reason, religion
and humanity, let us .stop the use of this wicked
thing and use all our influence to cause others
to- abhor it, especially the children, Charles
Lamb wrote the following in his farewell to
tobacco :
St.inkingest of the stinking kind.
Filth of the mouth and fog of the mind.
Drinking and tobacco nearly always go to
gether — tAVO of the greatest evils of today.
May the Lord help the so-called Christians
of America to stand out against these terrible
evils, and wipe them all out at the ballot box.
I have long been praying for this, and still be
lieve it will be blotted out of existence some
time. The Lord grant it may come soon, is my
prayer.

242 APPENDIX II,

APPENDIX II,
Submission to God in Times of Trial,
In His infinite wisdom, perhaps God has
allotted me a weak and unhealthy frame of
body, which has been my lot all through life,
I never haA'e known what it was to have a
.strong, healthy body. I have sometimes felt
discouraged that T could not do more in the
Master's vineyard, but since I have been laid
aside from the public ministry and settled down
in mv home, not able to do much, I have been
tempted to even murmur and repine, and
thought how strange is this. If I were able I
might by divine grace be the means of helping
and encoura.ging my fellow creatures. I might
give comfort and help to their bodies and ad
rainister spiritual food to their souls. But
now I am laid aside, for what am I fit, or what
use am I to the church or my fellow men? I
am a burden to the kindness of others and a
weariness to myself. I think how happy are
those who on each returning day go forth
as the sun to run their course, spreading bles
sings around them, and by their good works
glorifying their Father who is in heaven.
Why should T feel thus? Why those per
verse reasonings? Is it not as useful to suffer
the will of God as to do it? May not Go(J

APPENDIX II. 243
be as much glorified by patience as by activity?
Can I not, while laid aside and not able for
public ministry, do some work for God? Sure
ly I can pray and hold on to God for the suc
cess of others, and in this way I may possibly
do some good. This was the object of writing
this book, that through my writing during
the long winter months I might be the means
of encouraging and benefiting someone, even
when my body lies mouldering in the grave.
I have learned to submit myself to God's
gracious will, and pray that even my sjck hours
may be heavenly ones, and although my means
of doing good are abridged, and a thousand
schemes which I had planned, of which others
were to reap the advantage, are .at once dis
solved. It is difficult under such circumstances
to bow our wills. The change is more uneasy
to us than Ave anticipated. If it affected our
selves only, it might be more easily borne, but
it extends through so many ramifications, and
has so important an effect on the mefnbers of
our family, on our neighbors, on our kind of
fices to them, and our influence among them.
This great change from public life and labor
to a quiet settled life has been hard to bear,
yes the hardest thing we have experienced all
through our life-work. Although God has re
moved from us the power of doing what we
once did, yet I kindly submit to God's blessed
will in all things, rejoicing in the fact that I
can still watch and pray, submit and wait

244 Appendix ii.
patiently, until the Master says, "It's enough;
come up higher." Thy will, not mine, be done.
And let this feeble body fail.
And let it droop and die ; ' '
My soul shall quit the mournful vale.
And soar to worlds on high ;
Shall join the disembodied saints.
And find its long sought rest.
That only bliss for which it pants ;
In my Redeemer's breast.

APPENDIX III. 245

APPENDIX III.
Supporting the Ministry.
As I have been a minister of the gospel a long
time and generally have been on the frontier
work, I think I know something of the needs
of the ministry.
Before I enter on this great subject I will
give a little of Paul's advice which we find in
Second Corinthians, 5th, 6th and 7th verses:
"Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort
the brethren that they should go before, unto
you and make up beforehand your bounty,
whereof ye had notice before that the same
might be ready as matter of bounty and not
as of coveteousness,
"But this I say, he which soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully,
"Everyman according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of ne
cessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver,"
There are no class of people who get so Httle
remuneration for their labors as the ministers
of the gospel — especially Free Methodist
preachers — taking talent, ability and education
into consideration.
Some preachers are expected to spend their
whole time and talent in the work, and sup-

246 APPENDIX III.
port themselves and families, keep a team and
buggy, and pay all other expenses that must
be met, to say nothing about sickness, doctor
"bills and rent, on the small amount of from
one hundred to three hundred dollars per year.
Many of our preachers are compelled to resort
to other lines of industry to keep up daily ex
penses, and to enable them to live up to the
teachings of God's word where it says, "Owe no
man anything, but Love," And the result is
the cause of God suffers and His work is neg
lected and run down. The pilgrims don't get
blessed very much, the meetings seem dry and
eA'erything begins to look discouraging. Some
begin to wonder why the work of the Lord
don't move, and why souls are not saved, why
there is not more accomplished.
Very often the poor preacher that is strug
gling to keep his family respectable and give
them an education, so they will be a credit to
society and an honor to the church, gets all the
blame and is often censured by the circuit over
which he presides. The Lord help us!
Now let me ask you, is it reasonable, is the
great God pleased with this state of things?
He has made ample provisions to carry on his
work by requiring one-tenth of your income,
just the same as he has made provisions for the
welfare of our bodies by requiring one-seventh
part of the time to rest. Now if God can get
his share, Avhich is one-tenth. His work will not
run behind or be hindered financially, His

APPENDIX III. 247
ministers wil! be supported. His church will
be built up and His work will move forward
and things would be far more prosperous, and
many more souls would be saved, more church
buildings would be erected, raore christian
schools would be established and supported
and our church paper and good religious books
Avould be more generally distributed. The
chnrch would put on her beautiful garments of
praise and shine forth as a bride,, adorned for
her husband; thi» is the way God has planned
it and the way He has arranged, and the way
He Avants it to work.
But man stands right in the way of God's
plan and will and work, by withholding God's
.share (one-tenth) of their income. How many
farmers that raise four thousand bushels of
corn in one year who are willing to let God
haA'e his share which would be four hundred
bushels, and likewise of his wheat, hogs, cattle,
profits in merchandise, or salaries?
How many really give God his due? Alas,
alas, not man}'. Thank God there are a few
who are honest and do give God his share.
Those few always succeed and get blessed of
God rather more often than the other. •
No wonder the prophet asked the question,
"Will a man rob God?" O, is it possible that
man 'will keep back that which really belongs
to God? What is the answer?
Listen, the answer comes in clear, ringing,
thundering tones from the great God of the

248 APPENDIX III.
universe, "Yes, ye have robbed me, even this
whole nation, in tithes and offerings." My
God, what a reckoning day is coming, the Lord
help us to pay that which we owe, lest the great
Judge will say, "Take him and bind him, and
cast him into outer darkness, where there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
We are spared yet and God makes us an offer
giving us another chance to redeem ourselves.
He says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the store
house, that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord
of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows
*of Heaven and pour you out a blessing. There
shall not be room enough to receive it, and I
will rebuke the devourer for your sakes. He
shall not destroy the fruit . of your ground,
neither .shall your vine cast her fruit before
the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts."
(Malachi, 3rd chapter, loth and nth verses.)
But before I close this article, allow me to
give a word of advice to the stewards of our
church, as it may be my last opportunity.
First, read very carefully the duty of stewards
as set forth in our Book of Discipline, and
when the preacher comes on the circuit, as sent
by the annual conference, see that a suitable
house is provided for him, or if there is a regu
lar parsonage on the circuit, see that it is in
good repair, properly cleaned and papered, if
necessar}', and make it look inviting and com
fortable. If possible, provide fuel and some

APPENDIX III, 249
provisions, also feed for horses. Thus make
the preacher feel that he is welcome, and you
will find it will be a wonderful help to him and
tend to encourage him in his work all through
the year. He will feel better and preach better
with such a reception. I write from experience
and have gone this way before.
Again, if he should not be the man you were
looking for or expecting, or if he does not
measure up to your ideas, don't begin to find
fault with him, but pray for him and let all the
members pray earnestly for him that he may
be made a blessing to the circuit and that good
may be accomplished and souls saved. You
will find that in nearly every case he is just the
man God wants on your circuit. Where noth
ing of this kind is done, no provisions raade for
hira whatever, and he has to go hunting up a
house and feed for his horses, and get every
thing- ready before he can get his family on the
circuit and Avhen they arrive none of the pil
grims go near them, or if they do it is to dis
courage them by finding fault with the last
preacher or finding fault with other members,
and so on, how do you think the poor preacher
feels? '
He is forced to the conclusion that either he
is not the man they wanted, or the church is
in a back-sliding condition, and has lost faith
in God and his promises. In either case, it is
most discouraging and cannot help but hinder
the work.

250 APPENDIX III,
Now the stewards should circulate a sub
scription list over the town or territory where
the minister labors, and find out what each
one will give to the support of the preacher
per week, month or quarter, and inform them
just when you will be around to collect the
same. When a revival of religion is in progress,
don't fail to go around the community and es
pecially visit the homes of the members of the
congregation. You will be surprised how they
will respond to your call by giving butter, eggs,
provisions, corn, chickens, and money.
I have had stewards collect on my circuit a
two-horse wagon load of such things for the
preacher in one day, and when the steward
drives up to the parsonage with such a load,
both steward and preacher (and his family)
are glad and all rejoice together and get
blessed. Follow or practice this advice and the Lord
let his blessing on you is my prayer. Amen !
Your Friend,
R. TREVER.

APPENDIX IV. 251

APPENDIX IV.
The Unwelcome Preacher,
In the fall of 1823, the Methodists in a cer
tain town in Kentucky concluded that they
were able (though but twenty-two in number)
to support a preacher by themselves, Accoi^d-
ingly they wrote to the conference, requesting
the bishop to make a station of their village,
but considering, their want of numerical and
financial strength, it was deemed all important
that the minister sent them should be a man of
popular talents, because unless he could com
mand the admiration and conciliate the favor
of the people, there was danger of failing to
support him.
They therefore asked for Brother Johnson, at
that time one of the most popular and effective
ministers in the state, and made the securing of
that particular man the conditions upon which
they wished to become a station. To them it
Avas clear that the destinies of Methodists, if
not of Christianity itself in that particular re
gion, depended upon their having the man they
wanted that very year. It was thought ad
visable, however, to station Brother Johnson
elsewhere. There was in the conference at
that time a young man who had just been re
ceived into full connection, without experience

252 APPENDIX IV.
or reputation as a preacher and by nature sin
gularly disqualified for any position where his
sensibilities were likely to be tried.
Tender-hearted, and addicted to gloom, ex
posure to rude treatment, or what would be
worse, a cold reception from those to whom
he might be sent, would dishearten him at once.
Some such treatment most probably awaited
any man save Brother Johnson, who might be
sent to the town of which we speak. Yet this
young man was selected to go. Fortunately,
however, the bishop was to accompany him.
It is known to as many as were acquainted
with Bishop George, that his most noticeable
characteristic was prayerfulness. The fre
quency, fervor, and singular power with
which he addressed the throne of Grace are
mentioned as often as a reminiscence of him is
made. During their journey of some two hun
dred miles on horseback, the young preacher
had abundant opportunity to observe and im
bibe the spirit of this excellent man. When
ever they stopped for meals, rest, lodging or to
see and encourage some pious family whose
residence by the way was known to them, they.
had a season of prayer.
When about twelve miles from the place of
the young man's destination, at the home of a
brother, the Bishop was attacked with asthma,
a disease to which he Avas very liable. The
remedies which usually relieved him were tried
•without effect. The man of God became no

APPENDIX IV, 253
better, and at length he sent for the young
preacher and directed his attention to the sub
lime description of the new Jerusalem con
tained in the Book of Revelations, He desired
him to take his Bible into the grove, meditate
upon that passage for a season, and then come
in and preach to him about it. For said he, "I
want to get happy and if my soul was power
fully blessed I think it would cure my body."
The young man, ever distrustful of his own
powers was alarmed at the idea. He begged to
be excused, and prompted as much, perhaps, by
fear as by faith, recommended to the bishop
his never failing expedient for getting happy,
prayer. "Well," said the sick man, "go out, my son,
and shut the door; let me be left alone."
His wish was complied with. In another
moment he was composing his mind to its fa
vorite employment; Elijah, wrapped in the
mantle of prayer was alone with God. For a
moment all was silent; but at length loud and
repeated praises issued from the sick roora.
The family gathered around to rejoice with the
man of prayer, and the imraediate effect of the
excitement was a cure of the malady — so ef
fectual that the travelers proceeded on their
journey in the morning.
Before they started, the good brother with
whom they were sojourning, broke to the un-
.suspecting young preacher the shocking intel
ligence already in the reader's possession, that

254 APPENDIX IV.
he would be an unwelcome arrival at the place
of his appointment. Of course, he sank at once
in the deepest dejection. Possessed of keen
perceptions of the painful, nervously sensitive
to any unkindness, he was the very man to be
overwhelmed in such a situation. Personal
danger, trial, toil would not have daunted him,
but to be coldly pushed off as not welcome, to
feel that he was imposed upon people that did
not want him, was what he could not bear.
Instantly resolving, therefore, not to submit to
such a mortification, he hastened to communi
cate his discovery and his purpose to the su
perintendent. The bishop, aware of the feel
ing of revolt with which his protege was liable
to be met, exhorted him nevertheless to deter
mine upon nothing rashly. To wait until he
saw the place and the people, and in the mean
while give himself to prayer, adding that. he
had felt persuaded all the while that the ap
pointment was right and in the end would
prove providential.
This advice was reluctantly taken. When
they arrived at the new station they were
guests of a prominent member of the church,
known for many years afterwards as the usual
host and fast friend of the preachers. The next
morning as the bishop was preparing to pur
sue his journey, he and the good brother of the
house were conversing together in the parior
while unknown to them and without design
the young preacher was sitting on the porch^

APPENDIX IV. 255
near the window, with nothing but a thin cur
tain betAveen him and them, so what was said
within was distinctly audible to him.
"Well, brother," said the bishop, "how will
the young raan do?"
"Not at all; he will not do at all, sir. We
might as well be left without a preacher alto
gether," was the eiriphatic reply.
"I hope you will like him better after a
while," rejoined the old man. "Treat him
kindly, and I am persuaded he will do you
good." "I have no objection," returned the host, "to
his staying at my house for a few weeks, if you
desire it. But it will be useless ; he is not the
one we wanted."
The poor young man could hear no more;
He crept from the porch almost blind with
mortification. The thought that he was to
remain with a people Avho considered him a
tolerated burden; that every mouthful he ate
was to be a charity ; that he was to be a young
and healthy mendicant, sickened him. He was
lying in wait as the bishop sallied forth, and
drawing him to a spot where they were shel
tered from obserA'ation he burst into tears ex
claiming, "O Bishop! I cannot stay here. I
heard what passed between you in the room
and indeed you must release me."
"Can you get your horse and ride a little way
with me?"

256 APPENDIX IV.
This he did Avith alacrity, glad of even an
hour's respite from his painful position.
After riding a few miles they turned off into
the woods and dismounting by a fallen tree,
engaged in soleran and importunate prayer for
light and help in that dark and trying hour.
Then taking the hand of his companion, tbe
bishop turned upon him a look of love which
none but a strong, stern heart can feel. So
deep and genuine was it, so full of serious con
cern and earnest sympathy.
There is a smile too bright to be deep ; it is
born and it dies on the surface. Not such was
the expression of this good man's face. It
shined clear up from a heart constrained by the
love of Christ. It did not glitter, but its glow
seemed to prevade and warm its object. A
truly pious, stern man is always gentlfe, and he
only can impart that look which, like the re
membered smile of a mother, will sometimes
sooth us into delicious tears, twenty years after
the face that wore it has perished.
He concluded an address frought with paren
tal feeling and sound wisdom, with, "Now, my
son, I will make you a proposition. See if you
can fulfill the conditions of it. Go back to
tOAvn ; if you find a cross there, bear it diligent
ly, lovingly perform every part of your duty,
and do the work of an evangelist. .Fast once
a week, and spend one hour of each day in
special prayer, that God may open your way
in that community. Do this for one month.

Appendix iv. 267
and if at the end of that time you do not feel
willing to stay, consider yourself released from
the appointment. Can you do this?"
He thought he could, upon which they took
an affectionate leave of each other, and vvhen
the bishop turned tOAvard the southwest and
re.sumed his pilgrimage of hardships, the young
man sat upon his horse watching the receeding
form until it sank out of sight below the hori
zon. Not until that moment had he fairly tasted
the exquisite bitterness of his cup. The man-
angel upon whom he had leaned, was gone,
and he was left to grapple with his trial alone.
He could have sobbed like a boy.
Faithfully did he comply with the conditions
of his promise through all the tedious month,
without discerning any material change in his
own feelings or in the bearing of his people
towards him. Albeit one wicked man and his
Avife had from the beginning endeavored to en
courage him. Finally the last Sabbath arrived
of the month during which he had promised to
stay. The glad village bells were pealing their
summons to the house of God, as our hero
(for was he not a hero) arose from the struggle
of the last covenanted hour of prayer. He
walked toward the Httle attic window which
commanded a view of most of the streets wip
ing his eyes and thinking of the few reluctant
hearers who awaited him, when lo, what a sight
met his gaze. Group after group of citizens

258 APPElfDlX IV.
Avere flocking toward the Methodist church.
At first a sense of awe came over him and then
a class of mingled feelings as if confidence and
strength and joy were storming the heart,
while fear and weakness and mortification still
disputed the right of possession.
He hastened to his pulpit and as he arose
from the first silent prayer the thought of vic
tory thrilled through him like the voice of a
clairon. His text Avas Isaiah 6th, 4th verse:
"And the posts of the door moved at the voice
of him that cried."
The attention of the audience was arrested
by the announcement, for the voice that had
been wont to tremble with embarrassment, now
rang clear with a tone of authority. His eye
hitherto confused and unsteady, now kindled
with a light that never shined on sea or shore.
Fresh from the chamber where he had just
accomplished his thirtieth hour of special
prayer, the Hve coal had touched his lips. He
was Avith a witness, a man sent from God and
gloriously baptized with the Holy Ghost, He
referred his text back to the point at which
Christ first interposed for man's salvation — the
voice that cried, "Lo I come to do thy will,"
He applied it to the sacrificial offering of Jesus
— the voice that cried, "It is finished." He
carried forth the application to the right hand
of the Majesty on high where the intercessor
makes his dying words immortal, crying with
infinite iteration, "Father, forgive them to the

APPENDIX IV. 259
day when sound shall make its next irapression
upon the dull, cold ear of death, when at the
voice of the Son of God, the dead, small and
great, shall rise." The power of the Highest
was manifestly upon the audience and the pres
ence of an ambassador of Christ was attested
by sobs and groans from every part of the
house. The preacher descended from the pulpit
Avithout pausing in his discourse and invited
to the place of prayer those who desired to flee
from the wrath to come. With loud cries for
mercy, sinners came streaming down the aisle,
and before the congregation was dismissed,
seven souls professed to find peace Ln believing.
When the meeting broke up the pastor has
tened back to his closet. Many times had he
entered it disheartened and sad, but never be
fore in triumph. He. thought of good Bishop
George and his steady persuasion that the ap
pointment was right, of the fastings and
prayers all the way down to the last hour's
experience, and his faith in God and in the
efficacy of prayer then and there settled down
into a substance upon which time has made no
impression. Thirty-one years of toil and
change Have passed over him since that sweet
Sabbath, the vicissitudes of an itinerant's life
have led him through heat and cold by night
and dav, from one end of Kentucky to the other
till He is known to every star
And every wind that blows,

260 APPENDIX IV.
Forms then unknown afterwards became
dear as life and then perished from his sight.
Sickness and sorrow have left their scars upon
his form and heart, but nothing has ever shaken
his confidence in the God that answered prayer.
The memory of that bright morning is as
fresh beneath his grey hairs as it was beneath
his locks of jet. Like trampled Chamomile,
the A'irtues of his spirit took deeper root for
being bruised and shed a perfume that has
sweetened life's atmosphere ever since. For
four weeks very little else was attended to but
the revival. Stores and shops were closed dur
ing hours of worship, which occurred twice and
sometimes three times per day.
At one of the meetings held in a private
house where the venerable John Littlejohn
was present, a call was. made for those who
wished to unite with the church, and one hun
dred and eleven persons presented themselves
for admission. Thus the permanent establish
ment of Methodism in Russelville, Kentucky,
was effected under God through the instrumen
tality of the unwelcome preacher, who proved
to be the Rev. E. Stevenson, D. D., in the book
concern.

APPENDIX V. 261

APPENDIX V.
A Revival of Religion in the Church.
A revival of religion. Where shall we look
for it. It must be human or divine.
~ Man can do much, yes, many are the inven
tions of man, but he cannot make a revival of
religion. It must, therefore, be divine, hence
the old Hebrew prophet, who saw the Holy
One come from Paran, on hearing his voice,
trembled and cried, "O, Lord, revive Thy
work." Yes, it is the work of the Lord. Do you
call it a mystery if you walk amidst the works
and wonders of creation and everywhere see
the finger of God on everything? Do you turn
to Providence, are you constrained to sing
with Cowper: God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
Think of redemption, and as its sublime and
glorious truths pass before you, we must con
fess, Avithout controversy, great is the mystery
of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, re
ceived up into Glory. This distinguishing mark
of a work of God is stamped upon the revival
pf religion in a neighborhood, in the agents

262 APPENDIX v..
employed, in the persons benefited, in the
course it takes, in the means it favors. There
may be some things in it irreconcilable with
your sense of order, but will you deny its di-
-vinity on this account?
Blind unbelief is sure to err.
And scan his work in vain ;
God is his own interpreter.
And he will make it plain.
'Tis true in a revival there is endless diver
sity ; there is Lydia sitting by the riverside. It
is the Sabbath day and the hour of prayer. The
dew descends gently upon her heart, as upon
the brow of Herman. There is no storm nor
tempest, but the dew of Heaven is effectual.
Lydia is converted. There is the jailer; he has
examined the bolts and bars of his castle, gone
his last round and secured the prisoners. He
is startled at midnight; the gates tremble, the
chains rattle, the A'ery foundations of the pris
on groan. Alarm is depicted on all faces, and
fear fills all hearts save two. The jailer is won
to Christ. There is the Eunich. He is return
ing from Jerusalem in his chariot; he is reading
Isaiah. Philip joins himself to the chariot,, is
courteously invited into it, preaches Jesus, and
the Eunich becomes a belicA'cr in Him, Then
there is Saul of Tarsus, pouring forth floods of
malice as Aetna or Vesuvius belches liquid
flames, A Hght above meridian splendor blinds
the eye of his body, and opens the eye of his
soul, and with the light, a voice, "Saul, Saul,

APPENDIX Y, 263
why persecutest thou me," and lo, Saul is a
penitent believer.
So the great Savior of the world coraes to the
human heart under varied circumstances. Lis
ten to Mr. EdAvards' account of a revival, A
great and earnest concern about the things of
God ran through all parts of the town and the
noise among the dry bones waxed louder and
louder. All talk but of eternal things was laid
aside; the minds pf the people were strangely
taken off the Avorld ; the town seemed to be full
of the presence of. God, It never was so full
of peace and joy, and yet never of distress and
agony of soul as it was then. Surely this is
the work of God,
A reviA'al of religion. Can we promote it?
Can such worms promote the work of Omnipo
tence ?
We answer that they can. It was to the Son
of Man that God said, "I have set thee a watch
man to the house of Israel." The great com
mission Avas intrusted to men, and to men it
was said, "Ye are the light of the world. Ye
are the salt of the earth." There is a sense in
which the salvation of men is put in our hands.
There' is nothing miraculous in a revival of re
ligion, that is strictly speaking, because it is
in the order of divine government. Within our
reach stte all the light, all the means, and all
the power necessary to promote, and we have
only by faith and prayer to bring this light into
the proper focus and claim the power, which

264 APPENDIX V.
will act on the means employed, and move the
world. Once again, we ask, have we really the true
revival spirit, which breathes in Habakkuk's
prayer, when he says, "O, Lord, revive Thy
work," or have we that spirit which moved
Nehemiah's trowel and caused Jeremiah to
weep, and which was manifest in John the
Baptist's preaching. Or have we the revival
spirit of a Luther, a Wesley, a Bromwell and
a Smith, or a Roberts. The Lord help us !
Without it we are dwarfish, not gigantic;
cowardly, not courageous ; powerless, not
mighty. The chariot wheels have been im
peded by envy, strife, debate, coveteousness,
sloth, worldly associations, cold formality and
worldly conformity. The spirit of the world
has triumphed over the spirit of religion.
While men debated they thought less about
the salvation of souls than about trade, com
merce, politics and war. But is the arm of the
Lord shortened that it cannot save? Is his
ear heavy, that it cannot hear? Hath God for
gotten to be gracious ? Ah, no ! God can save.
and waits to save. He can hear, and he does
hear. He can be gracious, and waits to be
gracious. Then rejoice ye dispirited ministers,
shout for joy, ye downcast lovers of Zion. Jacob
shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad. A voice
has called us to revival work, thousands of
sermons have been preached and tens of thous
ands of prayers have been offered and ascended

APPENDIX V. 265
to Heaven. The breath fr6m the four winds
is passing over the dry bones, there is the
sound of abundance of rain, and showers of
blessings are coming. Praise the Lord !
Let us look for it and hold on to God for
victory. The flame is jUst enkindling. Come
and fan it. Christian men and women of Amer
ica, buckle on the whole armor of God, get the
shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, and
keep oil in our vessels, so when the call is made
or the si.gnal given, we may be ready to fight
manfully the battles of the Lord and help to
fan the flame.
To win a soul is a nobler exploit than to win
a victory on the battle field, or to make a for
tune in this Hfe, or gain a name in the scientific
or literary world. He that winneth souls is
wise, so let us get in earnest. Love for souls
demands it, for they are perishing by the tens
of thousands; love for Zion demands it, for
she is languishing and humbled ; love to Christ
demands that he may see the travail of his soul
and be satisfied, and christian patriotism is call
ing for it. Think of this highly favored chris
tian land in which we live. Surely sin and
wickedness in all its hideous forms abound
eA'ery where. Sham religions, sham revivals,
false doctrines, false theories are presented, and
thousands are being led to believe that signing
a card, stating that they believe in Jesus, and
what church they wish to join is salvation, and
that it will get them through to Glory, and the

266 APPENDIX V.
result is, they . try to live religion without a
change of heart, which is utterly impossible to
do. They plead for sin, indulge in sin, and are
crooked in their dealings, their ways and do
ings in every day life, and the world looks on
with disgust and says if that is religion they
don't want it.
Surely then among all this formality and hy
pocrisy a genuine revival of salvatiori is needed
in our land.
So then, we say to eA'ery lover of souls, of
Zion, of Christ, corne and fan the flame by
helping in this great work, for in that flame
liA'es the salvation of the church and the sal-
A'ation of the world, forasmuch as ye know that
your labor is not in A'ain in the Lord.
No, no, it cannot be in vain, we shall suc
ceed. The world is Christ's, he shall have do
minion from sea to sea. The kings of Tarsus
and of the i.sles shall bring presents. The kings
of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all
kings shall fall down before him. What a
glorious promise and what a scene shall be un
folded in its fulfilment.
The Lord help us so to labor that we may
Avin souls, and then when our work is done
here, the Master will say "well done,"

APPENDIX VI. 267

APPENDIX VL
Private Prayer.
An apology for prayer is neither needed nor
attempted in this article, for Ave write to those
who admit its adaptation to man's utter de
pendency, and perhaps who pray themselves.
We ask no other reason for calling upon the
name of the Lord than the single command of
our great prophet, "But thou when thou pray
est, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in
secret, and thy Father, which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly."
This is our authority, our argument, for pri
vate prayer, setting as it does, like a jewel on
the bosom of that all perfect body of divinity,
the Sermon on the Mount,
Prayer is to be made in the house of God, at
the family altar and in the closet, each of these
lay claims to advantages peculiarly its own,
and perhaps it would be difficult to determine
which would bear away the palm or which is
the most practiced. All are very important
and necessary. The closet, however, possesses
its own high and separate claims which for a
moment we consider. There is its hallowed
privacy. No eye but one can penetrate the
walls of that Bethel, no ear but one can listen

268 Appendix vt.
to those groans unutterable. The world, the
outer world of noise and show, of pleasure, of
fashion, of trade, of politics, is all excluded.
There the soul, like Moses, with unshod foot,
draws near to God, and there prostrate, pays
her profoundest adoration, confesses her most
secret sins and pours forth the deepest feelings
of a grateful heart in holy incense of thanks
giving, and having taken the name which can
alone prevail adds petition to petition, and in
tercession to intercession, until the Heaven's
are opened and an answer of peace descends
with a flood of glory to bless the worshiper.
Men do not become giants all at once. Go to
the senate, listen to that peerless amongst the
peers, how his eloquence fixes all eyes, fastens
all ears, and Hke an overwhelming torrent, car
ries conviction with him. Whence hath this
man this power? Doubtless he -is highly gifted
by nature, but if you would find the secret of
his success, you must follow him to his study,
where he trains and disciplines his power and
thence issues forth to take his lofty flights and
carry his important measures.
So it is in the closet that the christian gath
ers strength for the duties of the christian life.
Here the orators of the church prepare to de
clare the whole counsel of God ; here the mar
tyrs, of the church prepare to bleed or die, and
here the humble child of God is prepared to
shine in all the walks of life, to fight all the
battles of life, and to surmount all the difficul-

appendix VI. 269
ties and trials and afflictions which he may be
called to pass through in life; here he gathers
strength that enables him to live above the
trying things of this world and gives him vic
tory in fighting against the world, the flesh and
the devil. Coming out from his closet, he is
Hke the sun when he goeth forth in his strength
for Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest .saint upon his knees.
"Whence came thy mysterious name, O, Is
rael, Prince of God?"
"At Peniel, where I wrestled all night in
secret." "Whence came thy heroism, O Daniel, by
which thou didst brave the ferocity of lions?"
"In my chamber whose lattice opened toward
Jerusalem." "Ye confessors and martyrs, whence came
your great power?"
With united breath they cry, "We entered
our closet and prayed to our Father, which
seeth in secret and we are rewarded openly."
A professed piety without these secret de
votions is a feeble piety. Like the Chinese foot,
it is cramped and unnatural; like the painted
flower, although pretty and pleases the vain,
yet it is destitute of the freshness and fragrance
of God's OAvn handiwork, it is not the flower of
God. A closetless piety is a very slender thing.
It cannot see far, for its eye is dim ; it cannot

270 APPENDIX vt.
grasp tightly, for its hand is weak; it cannot
speak much, for its voice is feeble; it cannot
labor much, for its strength is small. This
dwarfish thing does little for the church, or for
the world, or for Christ, arid when a church is
made up of such dwarfs, what must be the
influence, the efforts, the prospects of that
church? We do not presume to determine the num
ber of times a christian ought to retire within
the sanctuary of the closet. We have read of
a royal monarch, amidst the many duties and
anxious engagements of a troubled kingdom,
who resolved thus : "EA'ening and morning,
and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud. And He
shall hear my voice." And as though this was
not sufficient on another occasion he forms
the holy resolve: "Seven times a day will I
praise thee, because of thy righteous judg
ments." We have also read. of a prince presi
dent at the court of Babylon, who, notwith
standing he was the object of envy and malice,
went into his house and his window opened
toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees
three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks
to God. Washington Avas accustomed to re
tire to the woods in all cases of emergency to
seek direction from God.
While therefore we cannot determine the
number of times this solemn duty should be
observed, we venture to point to the above ex
amples as worthy of imitation, and also to sug-

APPENDIX Yl, 271
gest the importance of fixed times for prayer.
Any time is no time. Want of system and want
of punctuality, not only produces confusion,
but not unfrequently lead on to total neglect of
the very rock upon which we are anxious to
throw a torch or flame.
But, how do we know the closet is neglected,
or the people fail to pray in private ? Of course
we do not Avish to sit in judgment upon our
brother or sister, but if a feeble piety is a true
index, of a neglected Sabbath, Bible, prayer
meeting, class meeting, be any evidence of a
neglected closet, then we have an abundance of
evidence all around us everywhere we go, and
the one eye that has a right to penetrate the
walls of all closets in the universe witnesses
an awful neglect of this appointed duty. The
Lord help us !
The first converts to the truth in Africa were
very punctual and zealous in private prayer.
They had no chambers to go to, but each had
his separate jungle, where he was wont to
commune with God. The several paths to
these little Bethels became distinctly marked,
and when any one of them began to decline in
t.he ways of God, it soon became manifest to
the others that they would loudly remind hira
of his diity by saying, "Broder, de grass grow
on your path yonder."
We close this article by affectionately ask
ing the question : Brother, sister, does the grass
grow on thy path ? I beljeve if we would spend

272 APPENDIX VI.
more time in secret prayer we would be better
ministers, more sucfcessful workers and have
more power, more victory and more success,
and many more souls might be saved. God
help us !

APPENDIX VII. 273

APPENDIX VII.
Prayer Answered and Vow Paid.
Prayer is the Christian's vital breath.
The Christian's native air;
His watchword at the gates of death.
He enters Heaven with prayer.
It is a great blessing to the human family
that the great God of the universe is so in
tensely interested in our welfare. He knows all
about our condition in life, knows just what
we have to pass through and what is best for
each one of us ; and it is a source of great
consolation that we can bring all our trials
and afflictions in life to Him, knowing that His
ear is open to our cry and that He will not
turn us empty away, for He has said in His
word that if we a-sk we shall receive; if we
seek we shall find; if we knock at the door
of mercy it shall be opened unto us.
We have an abundance of evidence that
God not only hears prayer, but He does an
swer prayer. Praise His name !
The following facts afford a striking instance
of signal answer to prayer,
A sprightly, blooming child of nine years,
whose animated, interesting Httle face caused
many a thrill of gladness in the heart of her
parents — and often did they bless God that

274 APPENDIX VII.
He had given them such a bud of promise —
suddenly sickened and drooped. The unmis
takable .symptoms of fever. soon manifested
themselves, and the disease increased rapidly.
Physicians adopted the most active measures;
nurses Avere indefatigable; the grief stricken
parents watched beside the afflicted little one
Avith intense anxiety. Everything human skill
could suggest was tried to arrest its progress;
but the combination of efforts appeared una
vailing. The fever assumed a most alarming
form ; although a light was held close to its
face, yet the' eyelid fell not.
For more than one week she continued in
a state of death-like insensibility. All who
entered the room (save one) felt as if it was the
chamber of death. The physicians, having
exhausted all their resources to no purpose,
at length pronounced the heart-sickening
words, "There is not a ray of hope." What!
Was there not one remedy yet untried? Could
there be no faint glimmering of hope? Must
this tender bud be nipped by the chilling blast
before it had expanded into beauty? Must
this darling girl be yielded up to the cold
embrace of death? Bitter thought! Groans
of deep anguish burst forth from the troubled
fountain of parental loA'e.
Prayers, Avith strong crying and tears, were
poured out to God on high for the child's life.
Tbe parents made a solemn vow unto the Lord
that if He would spare her she should be

APPENDIX YII. 275
dedicated to His. service. They would offer
their lamb upon the altar of their hearts and she
should bc His forever.
Again they prayed, but it seemed as if the
heavens Avere brass and God had forgotten to
be merciful. But hope still Hngered in the
father's bosom, and it was resolved that a min
ister, a holy and devoted man, should be sent
for. Perhaps the Lord would yet regard the
affliction of His servant and handmaid and
avert the dread blow. The man of God arrived
at the house of mourning. The father said:
"Let us again see whether there will be any
efficacy in prayer," and urged that intercession
be made for the child's life. The minister knelt
beside the child's couch, and those who bowed
with him. at the throne of grace will long re
member that season. He prayed as those only
pray who live near to God. He grew fervent
and yet more fervent still. It became agoniz
ing prayer. Borne on the wings of faith he
appeared to have access into the Holy of
Holies. As a prince, he had power with God
and preA'ailed.
O Avondrous poAver of faithful prayer!
The covenant God fulfilled the promise, "The
prayer of faith shall save the sick."
From that day the little sufferer manifested
signs of Hfe. Speech was restored. She grad
ually reA'ived, and after some time regained
perfect health.
We pass over her youth, merely remarking

276 APPENDIX vn.
that great gentleness and sweetness charac
terized her childhood, and that after a few
years she was savingly converted to God and
led a true Christian life. But the time came
when the parent's gratitude and the sincerity
of their vows was put to the test. Their
daughter's hand was sought by a Wesleyan
missionary. "Vow, and pay unto the Lord thy
vows," says the Psalmist, 'Tis true, there
Avas a conflict, but it was of momentary dura
tion, for remembering the day when they cried
unto the Lord in distress, the father and mother
withheld not their daughter from the servant
of Christ, who was about to repair to distant
climes, there to labor or to die, but gave her
up for the sake of Him who bought her with
a price.It was beautiful to see the youthful mis
sionary and his bride as they bade adieu to
friends with whom they were never to meet
again on earth. Emotion too deep for utter
ance was betrayed only by the quivering lips.
Many hearts were made sorrowful that morn
ing, but all who beheld that devoted pair
blessed them and bade them farewell.
If we make solemn vows unto Almighty God,
we should remember the time will come when
we will be called upon to pay them. Oh, how
many promise God they will serve him if he
will only spare their lives, and when the blessed
Christ does His part by restoring them to
health they forget their promises and fail to

APPENDIX VIL 277
pay their vows. But remember that for all
these God will bring us to judgment, and it
will be terrible to meet those vows there un
paid. The Lord help us.

278 APPENDIX VIII.

APPENDIX VIII.
Experience of-'a Superannuated Preacher.
If it had not been that my body was weak
and old age creeping on, I would now be in
the public ministry and laboring for the salva
tion of souls, but God knows what is best.
I have loved His habitation and have rejoiced
to enter there. Happy were the months
and years that I have walked in company with
the saints of God, and many times have I been
blessed with them.
But now, even when alone, my mediations
have been sweet. I haA'e been glad in the
Lord. Oh, how I have felt it good to draw
near unto God. In the sanctuary my God has
been my exceeding joy. How my soul has
exulted when I have thrown myself under
the wings of the Cherubim. I have been
lifted to heavenly places while the great con
gregation sang the praises of God.
The language of our seraphic hymns has
given wings to faith and hope, and fanned
the sacred fire of love on the main altar of my
heart, I have heard the heavenly message
from the lips of God's faithful servants, and
my soul has exclaimed, "How beautiful upon
tjie mountains are the feet of them that pub
lish the gospel of peace," The blessings of the

APPENDIX VIII, 279
living ministry have dropped as manna from
above, Christ has been preached. His name.
His wondrous name, has been unfolded, and
His precious blood applied ; the precept opened,
and the promise brought home to many hearts.
The sinner has been faithfully warned, the
believer wisely built up in his most holy faith,
the cold and lukewarm have been faithfully
admonished and stimulated.
The word that has been preached has been
quick and poAverful, sharper than a two-edged
sword ; it has entered the bosom of the hearers,
shown the thought and intents of the heart;
laid low the proud and exalted the lowly.
Rightly dividing the word has furnished to all
a portion of meat in due season. I have more
and more admired the gospel plan, and now, in
my declining days, I see with increasing joy
more than ever its perfect adaptation to human
wants, and I thank God, not only that it is
in the highest degree a help in time of need,
but also because eA'eryone that asks is supplied
so liberally that he is constrained gratefully
to exclaim, "My cup runneth over."
Oh, it is the joyful sound of the Hving min
istry that is as eyes to the blind, feet to the
lame, life to the dead. I thank God I have
heard the joyful .sound. It has come, not in
word only, but in poAver and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance. Since that happy
day I remember all the way in which the

280 APPENDIX VIII.
Lord has led me. My way has been in the
sanctuary, in the courts of the Lord's house.
Oh, my God, I thank Thee for the means
of grace and for the grace of the means. In
Thy holy habitation I have found a little
heaven below. Praise the Lord !
But in these days of affliction I am deprived
to a certain extent of enjoying the privileges
that I once enjoyed. My God, I look toward
thy habitation, and my longing heart says,
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of
Hosts! If I could I Avould gladly be paying
homage in thy courts and laboring in the
vineyard of my Master, as in the days of old,
but I leave it all with the blessed Christ and
submit, feeling that all things work together
for my good; and I do learn a lesson from
this experience, I feel the consequences of
transgression. This sickness tells me I am
mortal. It warns me of my approaching end.
And must I die? Must this well-wrought
frame deca}'? Yes, I have found that I am
dust, and unto dust must I return. The sen
tence has gone forth from the lips of the
Judge, "Thou shalt surely, die."
'Tis just it should take place. The glory of
Him who is glorious in holiness demands it.
Though I decrease, descend into the shades,
go down into the pit, yet the Lord's will is
good. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in
Him.

APPENDIX vtii. 281
*Tis fit we should to dust return.
Since such the will of the Most High ;
In sin conceived, to trouble born.
Born only to lament and die.
Submissive to Thy just decree.
We all shall soon from earth remove ;
But when Thou sendest. Lord, for me,
O, let the messenger be love.
Let my detention at home these days also
yield me profit, by impressing on me more
deeply the necessity of looking out of myself
for happiness. How frail, very frail, is that
bliss which finds refuge only in the earthly
house. Myself, what a broken cistern. Myself,
what a cheerless friend! Myself, what a mis
erable heritage! Oh, wretched man, wouldst
thou center everything in thyself? I see the
folly and the woe of this, arid in my sickness
I hear the voice of wisdom beckoning me to
the skies. Oh, my soul, lay up for thyself
treasure in heaven. My God, this shall be
more than ever my pursuit; that having my
treasure and my heart above, I may have my
all beyond the fear of loss.
How happy the people that dwell
Secure in the city above.
No pain the inhabitants feel.
No sickness or sorrow shall prove.

282 APPENDIX vm.
I want to use this affliction so that if I am
spared to again labor in God's vineyard and
preach the word, I may more carefully and ac
curately estimate the sum of God's mercies.
Oh, my God, when shall I have a due sense
of all thy mercies and blessings bestowed upon
me. From this hour I am stimulated afresh to
study and acknowledge the dues of my Divine
Benefactor. I would more earnestly and fre
quently ask myself why am I not continually
lost in wonder, love and praise. I would stir
up my ungrateful soul to heavenly duties by
a constant cry of "Forget not all His benefits
and blessings and mercies which He has con
tinually bestowed upon me."
Long as I Hve beneath.
To Thee O let me live;
To Thee m}' every breath.
In thanks and praises give.
Whate'er I haA'e, whate'er f am.
Shall magnify my Saviour's name.
One thing more would I try to learn from
the weakness of body which detains me at
this time. It is a lesson of Christian diligence.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with
thy might. Opportunity will soon be over,
whether for getting good or doing good. Now
I may gain a blest eternity; now I may gain
a full reward ; uoav I am filled with the Spirit ;
now I may do good unto all men. Every good
word" and work, every holy purpose," every-

APPENDIX VIII. 283
thing in time done with a single eye in obedi
ence to the will of God, shall be recompensed
with a heavenly and eternal reward. Every
prayer and effort for the blessings of the
Holy Spirit, every gift and endeavor to benefit
man, shall be rewarded when I come to the
eternal weight of glory.
By this affliction I am reminded that the
time for laying up treasure in heaven is quickly
to terminate. Therefore, as I see the day
approaching, so much the more diligent would
I be. My ears will soon be deaf to all below.
Let me then seize every opportunity of doing
good, and of hearing the word of God, and
may my diligence in all acts of public worship
be known and read of all men. When two
or three are gathered together in my Saviour's
name, as oft as possible I want to be one of
them. My eyes will soon be closed on my
Bible — my well-worn Bible. Power to look
on promise or precept they will not possess, so
I want to lose no time in searching the Scrip
tures, that the word of Christ may dwell in
me richly, that I may know more and more
of God and his truth before I go hence. Soon
my hands will be no more stretched out to do
good. The cup of cold water that has promise of
endless reward ray hand will soon be incapable
of holding to the lips of the thirsty. For doing
good and com.municating I shall soon have no
more power. Whether I relieve the poor and
distressed by alms or advocacy ; whether I hold

284 APPENDIX vrn.
iorth the religious tract at the door of the
Cottage; whether I sit with children to feed
the lambs of the flock in the Sabbath School;
whether I breathe forth my supplications to
God in behalf of the church and the world, or
whether in any other way I may do good to
my fellow-creatures, it must be done quickly.
My time is at hand. My work is momentous.
Oh, may I be so diligent as to be found of
God in peace, without spot and blameless, at
the coming of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, The Lord grant that it may be so is my
prayer. Amen !

3 9002

^A

tm;

mM'

»
SS);:
^