BRADFORD (WILTS) CIRCUIT, 1782-3

      This circuit extended into three counties, Wilts, Somerset, and Dorset, and contained at that time the following places: Bradford, Trowbridge, Shaftsbury, Motcomb, Fontmill, Follard, Winsley, Shepton Mallet, Kingston Deverell, Longbridge Deverell, Bradley, Frome, Corsley, Buckland, Coalford, Holcomb, Oak-hill, Bruton, West Pennard, Alhampton, Ditcheat, Freshford, Seend, Melksham, Devizes, Pottern, Sandy Lane, Broomham, Wells, Walton, and Road; -- more than one place for every day in the month; and the Preachers rarely stopped two days in the same place, and were almost constantly on horseback. This circumstance was advantageous to a young preacher, who could not be supposed to have any great variety of texts or of matter, and consequently not able as yet to minister constantly to the same congregation. But, as Adam Clarke diligently read the scriptures, prayed much, and endeavored to improve his mind, he added by slow degrees to his stock, and was better qualified to minister each time of his coming round his circuit.

      His youth was often a grievous trial to him; and was the subject of many perplexing reasonings; he thought, "How can I expect that men and women, persons of forty, threescore, or more years, will come out to hear a boy preach the gospel! And is it likely, if through curiosity they do come, that they will believe what I say! As to the young they are too gay and giddy, to attend to divine things; and if so, among whom lies the probability of my usefulness?" -- In every place, however, the attendance was good, at least equal to that with which his fellow laborers were favored; and the people in every place treated him with the greatest kindness. He was enabled to act so that no man despised his youth; and the very circumstance which he thought most against him, was that precisely from which he gained his greatest advantages.

      When the little boy, as he was called, came to any place to preach, the congregations were always respectable, and in many places unusually large: and it soon appeared, that the Divine Spirit made the solemn truths he spoke, effectual to the salvation of many souls.

      One circumstance relative to this, should not be omitted. Road, a country village between Trowbridge and Frome, was one of the places which belonged to his circuit: but it was so circumstanced that only two out of the four preachers, could serve it during the quarter: and when the next quarter came, the other two took their places. As Mr. C. came late into the circuit, as has been already noticed, it did not come to his turn to visit that place before the spring of 1783. The congregations here were very small, and there were only two or three who had the name of Methodists in the place. Previously to his coming, the report was very general that, "a little boy was to preach in the Methodists' chapel at such a time:" and all the young men and women in the place were determined to hear him. He came, and the place long before the time, was crowded with young persons of both sexes, from fourteen to twenty-five; very few elderly persons could get in, the house being filled before they came. He preached, the attention was deep and solemn, and though crowded the place was as still as death.

      After he preached he gave out that very affecting hymn, now strangely left out of the general Hymn book, --

      Vain, delusive world, adieu,
      With all thy creature good!
      Only Jesus I pursue,
      Who bought me with his blood.

      All thy pleasures I forego,
      And trample on thy wealth and pride;
      Only Jesus will I know,
      And Jesus crucified.

      The fine voices of this young company produced great effect in the singing. -- As each verse ended with the two last lines above, when he sung the last, he stopped, and spoke to this effect, -- "My dear young friends, you have joined with me heartily, and I dare say, sincerely, in singing this fine hymn. You know in whose presence we have been conducting this solemn service; -- the eyes of God, of angels, and perhaps of devils, have been upon us. And what have we been doing? We have been promising in the sight of all these, and of each other, that we will renounce a vain delusive world -- its pleasures, pomp, and pride, and seek our happiness in God alone, and expect it through Him who shed his blood for us. And is not this the same to which we have been long previously bound by our baptismal vow. Have we not, when we were baptized, promised, either by ourselves, or sureties, (which promise if made in the latter way, we acknowledge we are bound to perform when we come of age) 'To renounce the devil and al l his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh: -- that we will keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our life! 'This baptismal promise which you have so often repeated from your catechism, is precisely the same with that contained in the fine and affecting hymn which you have been now singing. Now, shall we promise and not perform? Shall we vow, and not keep our vow? God has heard what we have sung and said, and it is registered in heaven. What then do you purpose to do? Will you continue to live to the world, and forget that you owe your being to God, and have immortal souls which must spend an eternity in heaven or hell, according to the state they are found in when they leave this world? We have no time to spare, scarcely any to deliberate in: the judge is at the door, and death is not far behind. I have tried both lives: and find that a religious life has an infinite preference beyond the other. Let us therefore heartily forsake sin, vanity, and folly, and seek God by earnest prayer, nor rest till we find He has blotted out all our sins, purified our hearts, and filled us with peace and happiness. If we seek earnestly and seek through Christ Jesus, we cannot be unsuccessful." He then prayed, and many were deeply affected. That night and the next morning, thirteen persons, young men and women, came to him earnestly inquiring what they should do to be saved. [1] A religious concern became general throughout the village and neighborhood; many young persons sought and found redemption in the blood of the Lamb. The old people seeing the earnestness, and consistent walk of the young began to reflect upon their ways: many were deeply awakened, and those who had got into a cold or lukewarm state, began to arise and shake themselves from the dust, and the revival of pure and undefiled religion became general.

      Thus God showed him that the very circumstance (his youth) which be thought most against him and his usefulness, became a principal means in his Divine hand of his greatest ministerial success. Methodism in Road continued to prosper during the whole time he was in that circuit; and when he visited them several years after, he found it still in a flourishing slate.

      In several other parts of this circuit, God blessed his work, and he and his brethren lived in peace and unity, and drew cordially in the same yoke; and the people were everywhere satisfied with their teachers. Many who had long rested on their lees, were stirred up afresh; and not a few were encouraged to seek and find full redemption in the blood of the cross. It was on the whole, a year of prosperity, and Mr. C.'s heart grew in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

      He endeavored to cultivate his mind also in useful knowledge; but a circumstance took place which, through his inexperience, had nearly proved ruinous to the little knowledge which be had already acquired, and would utterly have prevented all future accessions to his little stock. This circumstance requires distinct relation. He had not been long in this circuit before he received the Hebrew Grammar, which, as we have already seen, he subscribed for at Kingswood. He entered heartily on the study of this sacred language, from this work; which, though it promised much, yet really did perform a good deal. The copious lessons precluded for a time, the necessity of purchasing a Hebrew Bible: and the analysis accompanying each lesson, soon led him into the nature of the Hebrew language; these are carefully compiled, and are, by far, the best part of that grammar. The other parts being confused, meager, and difficult, though its pious author had thought, (for he inserted it in his term page) that the whole was digested in so easy a way, that a child of seven years of age might arrive, without any other kind of help, at a competent knowledge of the sacred language; a saying, which is in every part incorrect and exceptionable. The lessons and analytical parts are good, the rest of the work is nearly good for nothing.

      In his Latin, Greek, and French he could make little improvement, having to travel several miles every day; and preach, on an average, thirty days in every month, and to attend to many things that belonged to the work of a Methodist preacher. That he might not lose the whole time which he was obliged to employ in riding, he accustomed himself to read on horseback; and this he followed through the summer, and in the clear weather in general. In this way he read through the four volumes of Mr. Wesley's History of the Church, carefully abridged from Mosheim's larger work. In abridging from voluminous writers, Mr. Wesley was eminently skillful; and this is one of the best things he has done of this kind: but the original work by Mosheim, is the best Church History published before or since.

      The practice of reading on horseback is both dangerous, because of the accidents to which one is exposed on the road; and injurious to the sight, as the muscles of the eye are brought into an unnatural state of contraction, in order to counteract the too great brilliancy of the light. Yet what could he do, who had so much to learn, so often to preach, and was every day on horseback? When he came in the evening to his place of residence for the night, he found no means of improvement, and seldom any place in which he could either conveniently study or pray. But the circumstance that had nearly put an end to his studies, is yet untold. In the preachers' room at Motcomb, near Shaftsbury, observing a Latin sentence written on the wall in pencil, relative to the vicissitudes of life, he wrote under it the following lines from Virgil, corroborative of the sentiment; -- ---Quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur. -- Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum, Tendimus in Coelum. -- Eneid. lib. v. 709. Ib. lib. 1. 204, 5. -- The next preacher that followed him in this place, seeing the above lines, which he could not understand nor see the relation they bore to those previously written, wrote under them the following words: -- "Did you write the above to show us you could write Latin? For shame!

      Do send pride to hell, from whence it came. Oh, young man, improve your time, eternity's at hand."

      They who knew the writer, would at once recollect on reading these words, the story of Diogenes and Plato. The latter giving an entertainment to some friends of Dionysius, Diogenes being present, trampled with disdain on some rich carpeting, saying, "I trample under foot Plato's vain glory. To whom Plato replied, "How proud thou art, O Diogenes, when thou supposest that thou art condemning pride!" Mr. _____ was naturally a proud man though born in the humblest department of life: and it required all his grace to enable him to act with even the humble exterior which became a Christian minister; he could ill brook an equal: and could worse tolerate a superior. The words, contemptible as they may appear, the circumstance considered which gave them birth, had a very unfriendly effect on the inexperienced simple heart of Mr. C., he was thrown into confusion: he knew not how to appear before the family who had a whole week to con over this reproachful effusion of a professed brother: in a moment of strong temptation, he fell on his knees in the midst of the room, and solemnly promised to God that he would never more meddle with Greek or Latin as long as he lived. As to Hebrew he had not yet begun, properly speaking, to study it; and therefore it could not be included in the proscription: but the vow had a paralyzing effect upon this, as well as on all his other studies: and generally prevented the cultivation of his mind. He saw that learning might engender pride: and it was too plain that, instead of provoking emulation, it would only to him, excite envy. When he next saw Mr. _____ he expostulated with him, for exposing in this most unkind manner, what he deemed to be wrong, -- "Why," said he, "did you not tell me privately of it, or send the reproof in a note?" I thought what I did was the best method to cure you, replied Mr. _____. Mr. C. then told him what uncomfortable feelings it had produced in him; and how he had vowed to study literature no more! The other applauded his teachableness, and godly diligence, and assured him that he had never known any of the learned preachers who was not a conceited coxcomb, &c. &c.

      On what slight circumstances do the principal events of man's life depend!

      The mind of Mr. C. was at this time ductile in the extreme, in reference to every thing in Christian experience and practice. He trembled at the thought of sin. He ever carried about with him not only a tender, but a scrupulous and sore conscience. He walked continually as in the sight of God; and constantly felt that awful truth, Thou God seest me! To him, therefore, it was easy to make any sacrifice in his power: and this now made, had nearly ruined all his learned researches and scientific pursuits for ever; and added one more to the already too ample company of the slothful servants, and religious loungers, in the Lord's inheritance. What a blessing it is for young tender minds to be preserved from the management of ignorance and sloth; and to get under the direction of prudence and discretion!

      That such a vow as that now made by Mr. C. could not be acceptable in the sight of the Father of Lights, may be easily seen: but it was sincere, and made in such circumstances, as appeared to him to make it perfectly and lastingly binding. He now threw by, yet not without regret, his Greek Testament endeavored to forget all that he had learned; and labored to tear every thing of the kind for ever from him heart! This sacrifice was made, about the end of the year 1782 and was most religiously observed till about the year 1786, to his irreparable loss. That this vow was afterwards, on strong evidence of its impropriety, rescinded, the Reader will at once conjecture who knows any thing of the general history of Mr. Clarke, and it is time to inform him how this change took place. It has already been stated that Mr. C. when very young, had learned a little French; as this was not included in the proscription already mentioned, he found himself at liberty to read a portion of that language when it came in his wa y.

      About 1786, he met with a piece of no ordinary merit, entitled, Discours sur l'Eloquence de la Chaire, A Discourse on Pulpit Eloquence; by the Abbe Maury, then Preacher in Ordinary to Lewis XVI.; since, Cardinal Maury, and but lately deceased. Mr. C. was much struck with the account there given of the preaching and success of one of the French Missionaries, of the name of Bridaine, and particularly with an extract of a Sermon, which the Abbe heard him preach in the Church of St. Sulpice in Paris, in the year 1751. [2] This piece he translated, and sent to the Rev. J. Wesley, to be inserted, if he approved of it, in the Arminian Magazine. Mr. Wesley kindly received, and inserted the piece: and as he was ever as decided a friend to learning as he was to religion, both of which he illustrated by his Life and Writings, he wrote to Mr. C., -- "Charging him to cultivate his mind as far as his circumstances would allow, and not to forget any thing he had ever learned." This was a word in season, and, next to the divine oracles, of the highest authority with Mr. C. He began to reason with himself thus: "What would he have me to do? He certainly means that I should not forget the Latin and Greek which I have learned: but then he does not know, that by a solemn vow; I have abjured the study of these languages for ever. But was such a vow lawful: is the study of Hebrew and Greek, the languages in which God has given the Old and New Testaments, sinful? It must have been laudable in some, else we should have had no translations. Is it likely that what must have been laudable in those who have translated the Sacred Writings, can be sinful to any -- especially to ministers of God's holy Word? I have made the vow it is true; but who required this at my hand? What have I gained by it? I was told it was dangerous, and would fill me with pride, and pride would lead me to perdition: but who told me so? Could Mr. _____, at whose suggestions I abandoned all these studies, be considered a competent judge: a man who was himself totally illiterate as it regarded either language or science? And what have I gained by this great sacrifice, made most evidently without divine authority, and without the approbation of my own reason? Am I more humble, more spiritual; and above all, have I been more useful than I should have been, had I not abandoned those languages in which the words of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles were written? I fear I have been totally in an error: and that my vow may rank in the highest part of the catalogue of rash vows. Allowing even that my vow in such circumstances, can he considered in any respect binding; which is the greater evil, to keep or to break it? -- I should beg pardon from God for having made it; and if it were sinful to make it, it is most undoubtedly sinful to keep it." -- Thus he reasoned, and at last came to the firm purpose to be no longer bound by what he had neither the authority of God nor reason to make. He kneeled down and begged God to forgive the rash vow, and in mercy, to undo any obligation which might remain because of the solemn manner in which it had been made. He arose satisfied that be had done wrong in making it; and that God required him now, to cultivate his mind in every possible way, that he might be a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

      He felt a conviction that he had done right, and such a satisfaction of mind as he did not find when he made that vow; the making of which, because of its consequences, (nearly four years' loss of time) he had ever reason to deplore.

      The chain being thus broken, Mr. C. had all his work to begin de novo; and was astonished to find how much he had forgotten of his school-boy learning. In short he was obliged to begin his grammar again, and found it hard work to lay a second foundation, till practice and the association of ideas, leveled and smoothed the rugged path.

      It has been often said, that the Methodist, undervalue and cry down all human learning. This is not true: there is no religious people in the land that value it more, nor indeed is there any under greater obligation to it than they are: the learning of their Founder was as necessary, under God, to the revival and support of true religion in the land, as his zeal and piety were. The great body of the Methodists love learning; and when they find it in their preachers, associated with humility and piety, they praise God for the double benefit and profit by both.

      In the course of this same year, 1782, he read Mr. Wesley's Letter on Tea; when he had finished it, he said: "There are arguments here which I cannot answer; and till I can answer them to my own satisfaction, I will neither drink tea nor coffee." He broke off the habit from that hour, never afterwards sought for arguments to overturn those of Mr. Wesley, and from that day to the present, never once tasted tea or coffee! Here is a perseverance rarely equaled: and to this he was providentially led. He spent that time in reading and study which he must otherwise have spent at the tea table: and by this, in the course of thirty-seven years, he has saved several whole years of time; every hour of which was devoted to self-improvement, or some part of that great work which the Providence of God gave him to do. For a short time after he left off the use of those exotics, he took in the evenings, a cup of milk and water, or a cup of weak infusion of camomile; but as he found that he gained no time by this means, a nd the gaining of time was his great object, he gave that totally up; never tasting any thing from dinner to supper. In the morning he found it easy to supply the place of tea and coffee by taking milk in some form or other; or any other aliment which the junior parts of the families where he lodged, were accustomed to take for their breakfast. In his Letter to a Preacher, since published, he has adverted strongly to this circumstance.

      Mr. Wesley himself, after having left off the use of tea and coffee for twelve years, resumed it and continued the use of these beverages to his death: his pupil, A. C., followed his councils without attending to his practice, as zealously as ever the Rechabites did those of their founder Jehonadab. What A. C. has gained by this sacrifice, has amply compensated the cost.

      This year, the Conference was held in Bristol; Mr. C. had no thought of attending, till on the first of August, a letter came, requiring him to attend: the next day, Saturday he set off; and reached Bristol the same day. How he spent the next day, which was the Sabbath, may, be seen from the following entry in his Journal. "Sunday, Aug. 3, 1783. At five this morning I heard a very useful sermon from Mr. Mather, at the chapel Broad Mead, On Isaiah 35:3,4. I then went to Guinea Street chapel, where I heard Mr. Bradburn preach on Christian perfection, from 1 John 4:19. This was, without exception, the best sermon I had ever heard on the subject. When this was ended I posted to the Drawbridge and heard Mr. Joseph Taylor preach an excellent and affecting discourse on Romans 5:21. This ended, I returned to my lodging and breakfasted; and then, at ten o'clock, heard Mr. Wesley preach at Broad Mead, on Acts 1:5. After sermon he, assisted by Dr. Coke, the Rev. B. B. Collins, and the Rev. Cornelius Bayley, delivered the Holy Sacrament to a vast concourse of people; which I also received to my comfort. When dinner was ended, I heard the Rev. B. B. Collins preach at Temple church, on Mark 16:15,16.

      I next went and heard Mr. Wesley in Carolina Court on Hebrews 6:1; after which he met the society at the chapel Broad Mead, and read over a part of his Journal, relative to his late visit to Holland.

      To conclude the whole, I then posted to King's Down, where I heard Mr. T. Hanby preach an awakening sermon, on 1 Peter 4:18. Thus I have, in one day, by carefully redeeming time, and buying up every opportunity, heard SEVEN sermons, three of which were delivered out of doors. Surely this has been a day in which much has been given me; and much will the Lord require: O grant that I may be enabled to render Thee a good account. Though the whole of the day has been spent in religious exercises, yet such is my unprofitableness, that I could not stand in the judgment even for this day. But O, my glorious Saviour, Thou art still my Highpriest to offer my most holy things to God, which can be rendered acceptable to Him only through the sprinkling of Thy blood."

      On Wednesday, Aug. 6th, Mr. Clarke was admitted into Full Connection, after having traveled only about eleven months. Even at that time, before it was determined that each preacher should travel four years on trial, this was, perhaps, the earliest admission that had ever taken place. It was to him, as he expresses it in his Journal, the most solemn ordinance in which he had ever engaged. "This day," says he, "I have promised much before God and His people: may I ever be found true to my engagements. In particular, I have solemnly promised, to devote my whole strength to the work of God, and never to be triflingly employed one moment. Lord, I fear much that I shall not be found faithful. But Thou hast said, my grace shall be sufficient for thee! Even so, let it be, Lord Jesus!"

      When preachers on trial are admitted into Full Connection with the body of the Methodist preachers; -- among many important questions put to them is the following, Are you in debt? To this the most satisfactory answer must be given. Through rather a whimsical incident, this question was likely to have deeply puzzled and nonplused Mr. Clarke. Walking in the Street that morning with another preacher, a poor man asked a halfpenny. Mr. C. had none, but borrowed one from the preacher who was walking with him. That preacher happening to go out of town, he could not see him during the day to repay this small sum. When he stood up with the others he knew not what to say, when the question, Are you in debt? should be proposed: he thought "If I say I am in debt, they will ask me how much? when I say I owe one halfpenny, they will naturally suppose me to be a fool. If I say I am not in debt, this will be a lie; for I owe one half-penny, and am as truly under the obligation to pay, as if the sum were twenty pounds, an d while I owe that I cannot, consistently with eternal truth, say, I am not in debt." He was now most completely within the horns of a dilemma; and which to take he knew not, and the question being put to him before he could make up his mind -- "Mr. Clarke, are you in debt?" he dissolved the difficulty in a moment, by answering -- Not one PENNY. Thus both his credit and his conscience were saved. The Reader may smile at all this, but the situation to him was, for some hours, very embarrassing.

      At this Conference he was appointed for Norwich, to which he set out on Monday, 11th, on horseback, and reached that city on the evening of Saturday, August 16th, 1783.

      It may be necessary to say here, a few words relative to the state of is own mind, in this first year of his itinerant labors. During the little more than ten months he was in this circuit, he preached 506 times, beside giving a great number of public exhortations, and paying innumerable visits to the different families of the societies where he resided even for a day and night, to pray with them and inquire into the state of their souls. He preached also at five o'clock every morning, winter and summer, in the different towns in the circuit, such as Bradford, Trowbridge, Frome, Devizes, Coalford, Shepton Mallet, Shaftsbury, &c. &c.

      His mind was variously and powerfully exercised: he kept the strictest watch over his heart; and scrutinized daily and hourly, the walk of every affection, passion, and appetite: and was so severe a censor of his own conduct, that he frequently condemned himself, in matters which were either innocent in themselves, or perfectly indifferent. His almost incessant cry was after holiness: -- to be cleansed from all sin, and filled with God, he saw to be the high calling of the Gospel, and the birthright of every son and daughter of God. He could not be satisfied while he felt one temper or disposition that was not in harmony with the will and word of God. His mind was full of light, and his conscience was tender; and he was ever either walking with God, or following hard after Him. His Journals mark scarcely anything but the state of his soul, his spiritual conflicts, resolutions, consolations, and depressions. He tithed even mint and cummin, and never left unregarded the weightier matters of the law. The people he was incessantly urging to holiness of heart and life. Repentance; -- justification by faith in the sacrificial death of Christ; -- the witness of the Spirit in the consciences of true believers; -- Christian perfection, or the purification of the soul from all sin in this life; -- and the necessity of universal outward holiness; were the doctrines which he constantly pressed on the attention and hearts of his hearers; and under this preaching many were turned to the Lord; and many built up on their most holy faith.

      His Journals, which he kept carefully for several years, bear ample proof of these things: but I have judged it better to give this general account, than to make extracts where there can be so little variety of matter, and where the same things, and things synonymous, are perpetually occurring.

      From the unfortunate day already mentioned, on which he sacrificed by vow all farther prosecution of learning, he never attempted to mingle observations on men or manners in his Diaries, -- the whole was merely spiritual, and necessarily monotonous. This became at last so heavy to himself, that he discontinued all regular entries of this kind, about the end of Aug. 1785: occasional remarks in his interleaved Ephemeris, relative to his progress in the knowledge of God and of his own heart, are all that remain of this species of writing. When he has been asked whether he would not publish his journal, or leave it to be published, he has answered: "I do not intend it: the experience of all religious people is nearly alike; in the main entirely so. When you have read the Journal of one pious man of common sense, you have read a thousand. After the first it is only the change of names, times, and places; all the rest as to piety, is alike." [3] The intelligent reader will scarcely dissent from this opinion, who has read many religious Journals.

      THE NORWICH CIRCUIT,

      On Saturday, Aug. 16, 1783, Mr. Clarke arrived in the city of Norwich, the head place of the circuit, and found one of the late preachers ill of a fever: and although he was obliged to sleep in the same room, the smell of which was pestiferous, yet through God's mercy he did not catch the disorder. The circuit extended into different parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, and included the following places; Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoffe, Loddon, Heckingham, North Cove, Teasborough, Stratton, Hardwick, Thurlton, Haddiscoe, Beccles, Wheatacre, Lopham, Diss, Whartham, Dickleborough, Winfarthing, Barford, Hempnel, Besthorp, and Thurne. In all, twenty-two places. Each preacher continued one week in the city, and then spent three weeks in the country; and to go round the places in the month was a journey of above 260 miles. The preachers who labored with him were, Richard Whatcoat, John Ingham, and William Adamson. The former was a very holy man of God, a good and sound preacher, but not of splendid abilities. He was diligent and orderly in his work; and a fine example of practical piety in all his conduct. The year after, at the earnest request of Dr. Coke, he went over to America, and there became one of the bishops of the Methodist-episcopal church; -- pursued among the transatlantic brethren, the same noiseless tenor of his way, seeking only the establishment of the kingdom of God both in himself and others: and died in the faith, universally esteemed.

      Mr. I. was a good-natured man, of no learning, and of but slender abilities; yet he had a sort of popular address that helped him to make his way in the circuit. He professed to cure many disorders: and his prescriptions were made up of a pennyworth of oil of leeks, a pennyworth of oil of swallows, &c. &c., all as equally efficacious as they were attainable. But although the apothecaries and druggists had no such medicaments, they gave the poor people something under those names, that would do as well, and thus but little harm was done. He was himself a most disgusting slave to tobacco; and never preached without a quid in his mouth! The Methodist connection have wisely proscribed both quackery and tobacco; as in all their forms, they are disgraceful to a Christian minister. They are also dangerous: the former leads to many snares; especially in reference to females: the latter is so closely associated with intemperance in drinking, that few of its votaries escape. Thus poor Ingham fell the following year; and was heard of in the church of God no more.

      W. Adamson was a young man, very sincere, had got the rudiments of a classical education; but was of such an unsteady, fickle mind, that he excelled in nothing. The next year he retired from preaching.

      In every respect the circuit was low. There was no place in it, in which religion flourished, either among the Methodists or others: lukewarmness and Antinomianism generally prevailed; and if any thing prospered, it was Calvinism as a system, many putting much of their trust for salvation in a belief of its doctrines. Among many in the city of Norwich, this was carried to the wildest extremes. There were even in the Methodists' society several local preachers; that were Calvinists and leaders of classes: and, in consequence, the people were unhinged and unsteady, and made no progress either in piety or practical godliness; for they were continually halting between two opinions. Yet there were many good and sensible people in the society, whose life and conversation adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour. And in the course of the year, religion revived a little, principally through the preaching of the doctrine of entire sanctification or complete redemption from all sin in this life. Several saw this to be their privilege, and sought it with their whole heart.

      In Norwich the society was very poor: a family lived in the preachers' house, and provided for the preachers at so much per meal, and the bill was brought in to the stewards' and leaders meeting at the end of the week, and discharged: and he was most certainly considered the best preacher who ate the fewest meals, because his bills were the smallest. In this respect Mr. Clarke excelled: he took only a little milk to his breakfast, drank no tea or coffee and took nothing in the evening. Hence his bills were very small. Sometimes, but not often the preachers were invited out, and this also contributed to lessen the expense.

      One ludicrous circumstance, relative to an invitation to breakfast, I may here mention. After Mr. Clarke had preached one morning at 5 o'clock, a young woman of the society came to him and said; "Sir, will you do me the favor to breakfast with me this morning? I breakfast always at eight o'clock. "Thank you," said he, "but I know not where you live." "O," said she, "I live in _____ Street, near Maudlin gate, No. [number] _____." "I do not know the place." "Well, but you cannot well miss it, after the directions I shall give you." "Very well." "You must cross Cherry Lane, and go on to the Quakers' preaching-house: -- do you know it?" "Yes." "Well then, leave the Quakers' preaching-house on the left hand, and go down that lane till you come to the bottom; and then on your right hand you will see a door that appears to lead into a garden, with an inscription over it: can you read?" "Yes, a little." "Well then, the board will direct you so and so, and you cannot then miss." "Thank you: I shall endeavor to be with you at the time appointed." "I went" said Mr. C., "and because I had the happiness of being able to read, I found out my way!"

      This little anecdote will serve to show, that in those times the Methodists could not expect much from their ministers; as it appears they thought it possible, they might have some that could not read their Bible! Howsoever illiterate they may have been deemed, it may be safely asserted, no instance is on record of an itinerant preacher among the Methodists being unable to read his Bible. Many, it is true, of the original preachers, could read but indifferently: and I have known several of the clergy who did not excel even in this: and I have known one who, in reading 2 Kings xix. made three unsuccessful trials to pronounce the word Sennacherib, -- Senacrib, Sennacherub, and terminated with Snatchcrab! But such swallows make no summers; and should never be produced as instances from which the general character of a class or body of men should be deduced. The time is long past since men in any department of life have been prized on account of their ignorance.

      I shall give another anecdote, which, with the intelligent Reader, will not place Mr. C. in a disadvantageous point of view.

      The coals in Norwich are remarkably bad, and it is a common custom to blow the fire almost continually, in order to keep it alive, or to perform the operations of cookery. Hence a pair of bellows, the general bane of fires, is a useful appendage to a Norwich kitchen and parlor also. When Mr. C. entered on his lodging in the preachers' house in this city, he found the bellows worn out, so that they would hold no wind; and the fire-riddle, or instrument by which they sifted the ashes and returned all the cinders to the grate, worn beyond use. The poker also was burnt to the stump. He said to Mrs. P., the housekeeper, "Why do you not get new instruments here, or else get these repaired?" -- "O dear, sir, we cannot do either, the society is so poor." -- "Is it so? well, something may be done. I cannot mend the poker, for that requires a forge; but I think I can mend the bellows and the riddle." -- "Can you?" "Yes, if you can furnish me with a little leather, no matter, old or new, and an old tin kettle or saucepan. Take these pence, and go and bring me a hundred of twopenny tacks." An old pair of leathern small clothes, furnished him with materials for mending the bellows; which he soon made air tight: and an old sauce-pan, which he unsoldered by holding over the fire, furnished tin to mend the riddle. He borrowed a stab awl and a hammer, from a shoemaker, and getting an old pair of scissors, he cut out the tin, punched in it the necessary holes, used the tacks as rivets, having a flat iron for an anvil, which he held between his knees; and thus soon restored this necessary instrument to effective usefulness. Thus, at the expense of twopence to himself, he made these two instruments serviceable: and the stewards, seeing this, mustered courage to get the poker new bitted!

      In this city he frequently cleaned and blacked his own shoes, and those of his brethren, as there was no person regularly employed to do this service.

      He found no difficulty in acting according to the advice given to preachers when admitted into the Methodist connection: "Do not affect the gentleman; and be not above cleaning your own shoes, or those of others, if need be."

      There was but one horse in the circuit for the four preachers, which, when the preacher who had it out in the circuit came into town, he who had been the resident preacher the week before, immediately mounted, and rode off to the country, in order to save expense. Thus it must frequently happen that while another was riding his horse, Mr. C. was obliged to walk the circuit, and carry his saddle-bags on his back, that contained his linen and a few books. It was curious to see him set off from the chapel in Cherry Lane, his bags tied upon his back, and thus walk through the city of Norwich, and return in the same way. several days after covered with dust or mud, and greatly fatigued. But this was far from being the worst: except at a very few places, the accommodations were exceedingly bad.

      Sometimes in the severest weeks of one of the most severe winters, he was obliged to lodge in a loft, where, through the floor he could see every thing below; and sometimes in an out-house, where perhaps, for seven years together, there had not been a spark of fire lighted. The winter of 1783 was exceedingly severe, and the cold intense; even warm water in his room, has been frozen in a few seconds! He has often been obliged to get into bed with a part of his clothes on; strip them off by degrees as the bed got warmed; and then he in the same position, without attempting to move his limbs, every unoccupied place in the bed, which his legs or other parts touched, producing the same sensation, as if the parts had been brought into contact with red hot iron. It was here that he learned that the extreme of cold produced on the living muscle, precisely the same sensation as the extreme of heat; and this rendered credible what a friend of his, who had traveled in Russia, told him, that if he laid hold on any iron exposed to the open air, he could not separate his hand from it but at the expense of that part of the skin and flesh which came in contact with the metal.

      In several places that year the snow lay from ten to fifteen feet deep. It began to fall Dec. 25, and was not all gone before the middle of the following April. The frost was so intense that succeeded, that he could seldom keep his saddle five minutes together, but must alight and walk and run, to prevent his feet from being frost-bitten. In the poor cabins where he lodged, and where there was no other kind of fire than what was produced by a sort of dried turf, almost entirely red earth, that never emitted any flame; and where the clothing on the bed was very light, he suffered much; going to bed cold, lying all night cold, and rising cold. He has sometimes carried with him a parcel of coarse brown paper, and with a hammer and chisel, payed up some of the larger crevices under the bed, to prevent him from total starvation! Add to all this, very homely food, and sometimes but little of it; which the poor people most readily shared with him who came to their houses and their hearts with the Gospel of their salvation; and who, except for such preaching, must have been almost totally destitute of that instruction, without which there was little hope of their salvation. It was by these means and often in such circumstances through many privations, much pain and suffering, the Methodist preachers spread scriptural Christianity throughout the land; and became the means of ameliorating the moral and civil condition of the great mass of its comparatively poor, and almost totally neglected inhabitants: i.e. of those who are emphatically said to constitute its lower orders. To such preaching the nation and the state are under endless obligation.

      Ye ministers, who have entered this vineyard in the halcyon days of the Church, think of what your predecessors have suffered, to make plain paths for your feet to walk in. And see that ye give all diligence to maintain that ground which they have gained by inches, and at the hazard and expense of their lives. Talk not of your hardships and privations; for of these ye can know comparatively nothing.

      This was a year of severe labor and suffering, yet of but little apparent fruit; though a good seed was sown, which in more auspicious times sprang up to the glory of God. The American war was just terminated; and shortly after, peace began to flourish, and confidence was restored. Mr. C. preached in several new places, and among the rest in Diss, then, very unpromising, but now the head of a circuit. He has gone frequently there, put up his horse at an Inn, preached, paid for his horse, and rode several miles to preach at some other place, without any soul offering him even a morsel of bread: and such was the state of his finances that both he and his horse could not eat, and the poor brute must not fast. What could three pounds per quarter do, besides providing clothes, a few books, and all necessaries of life, the mere articles of food excepted; which as we have seen, was furnished at the different places where he preached. These twelve pounds per ann. out of which each preacher paid a guinea for the support of superannuated preachers and preachers' widows, was the whole salary of a Methodist itinerant Preacher.

      In this circuit he labored much to improve his mind and also to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of himself and God. In Lowestoffe he met with some very kind friends: among the chief of these were the late Mr. Thos. Tripp, and Mr. Thos. Mallet. The former let him have the use of a small but valuable Library, whenever he came to the place; and the latter lent him some valuable papers on various passages of Scripture, which were of very great use to him. Indeed he was entertained at the houses of these men, as at the house of a parent: and of their kindness he ever spoke in the highest terms.

      I find the following entries in Mr. Clarke's Journal of this month. "Mond. Oct. 20. Mr. Wesley is just now paying his annual visit to Norwich; and I have had the high gratification of hearing him preach from <19A612> Psalm 106:12. 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.' "In treating this subject he 1st. took a view of the principal benefits which God has conferred upon mankind in general, and believers in particular, from their creation even to the smallest means of grace, of which they are made partakers. "2. He showed what we should render unto God for these benefits: viz. to take the cup of salvation. The term cup, he showed was a Hebraism signifying plenty, e. g. the cup of sorrow -- of joy -- of trembling; and means plenty or abundance of sorrow, joy, trembling, &c. So by the cup of salvation, we are to understand plenty or abundance of salvation: and this consists in justification, and entire sanctification. O Lord, how merciful and incomparably indulgent art thou to mankind! seeing all thou askest from them in return for former benefits, is that they would receive the abundance of those which thou hast further promised: -- The sole return thy love requires is, that we ask for more. "Tues. 21. Mr. W. preached again on Matthew 19:6. 'What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.' On these words he observed in general, that men were prone to separate what God had joined; and thus bring ruin on themselves. In particular, 1st. God bath joined piety and morality, but many separate these: for, leaving piety to God out of the question, they think an observance of external duties sufficient; and thus remain without genuine hope, and without God in the world. "2dly. He showed that the same authority had joined the love of God, and the love of man together: but in this also many were woefully deficient; pretending to love God, while hating their brother; and pretending true friendship to man, while enemies to God. "3dly He hath also joined faith and works together; so that in the sight and purpose of God, one cannot exist without the other. But many are contending for faith, while living in sin: and others contend for good works, while without faith in the real Redeemer of mankind. "4. God as joined the end and the means together: but many expect the accomplishment of the end, without using the means; they expect pardon, holiness, and heaven, without prayer, repentance, faith, and obedience. This he proved was sheer enthusiasm; -- to expect the accomplishment of any end without using the means which lead to that end. On this point, he dwelt particularly, and brought the charge of enthusiasm home against the major part of the different religious professions in the nation."

      Mr. Clarke had the privilege of hearing Mr. Wesley preach twice each day during the remaining part of this week; the following were the texts: -- They despised the pleasant land; they belieived not his word, <19A624> Psalm 106:24. But we preach Christ crucified, 1 Corinthians 1:23. Wherefore, he is able to save to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. For we look not at the things that are seen, 2 Corinthians 4:18. Put on the whole armour of God, Ephesians 6:11 &c. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness, &c. Matthew 5:20. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, &c. Acts 1:5. The kingdom of God is at hand, Mark 1:15.

      Of most of these Sermons he has preserved either the skeletons, or the leading thoughts.

      When he parted with Mr. W. on Sat. 25, he made the following entry in his Journal: "Here I took my farewell of this precious servant of God. O, Father, let thy angels attend him wheresoever he goes: -- let the energetic power of thy Spirit accompany the words he shall speak, and apply them to the hearts of all that shall hear them; and may they be the means of conviction, conversion, comfort, and strength, to all; as they may severally require. And let me also abundantly "profit by the things I have heard from him."

      At this time he had some private conversation with Mr. W. concerning the state of his soul, from which he derived much edification and strength.

      Before we proceed farther with this narrative, it may not be improper to relate the following anecdotes, which must be introduced by a few observations.

      Norfolk appeared to Mr. Clarke to be the most ungodly county he had ever yet visited. He found it generally irreligious. Except among a very few religious people the Sabbath-day was universally disregarded. Buying and selling were considered neither unseemly nor sinful; and on that day the sports of the field, particularly fowling, were general. -- Multitudes even of those called religious people, bought and sold without any remorse. To find a man saved from this sin was a very rare thing indeed. Against this horrible profanation, Mr. C. lifted up a strong and steady voice: visited the members of his own society in different places, from house to house, who were guilty of this sin; pointed out the evil of their conduct, and exacted the promise of immediate reformation.

      At a place called Teasborough be lodged and preached at the house of a miller, Mr. J. Nichols; from him he received the following account of his conversion from the sin of Sabbath-breaking. -- "After I heard the Methodists preach, and was convinced of sin, I continued to work my mills, and sell meal and flour on the Lord's-day as usual. But in this practice I soon became very uneasy, being continually followed by those words, 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day.' I at last determined, whatever might be the consequence, to give it up. I accordingly ordered my men to stop the mills on the Lord's-day, as I was determined to grind no more: and I informed my customers, that I should serve them no longer on the Sabbath, and hoped that they would make it convenient to come on the Saturday evening. Some affected to pity me; others said they would go to other shops: but scarcely any supposed that I would be steady to my resolutions. The next Sabbath they came as usual, and every one was refused. Their dis pleasure was general, and they went to other millers; of whom there were several in the neighborhood. The next Saturday, however, many of them came and were served; and in a short time all, or as many as I had before, returned; and now, far from being poorer, on account of this sacrifice, which many said would be my ruin, I am this day at least one thousand pounds richer than I was then."

      Here, then, is a plain confutation, founded on a very strong fact, of that wretched objection: "If I do not sell on the Sabbath I shall lose my customers, and so be reduced to poverty." No. -- Such persons do not make the trial, therefore, they cannot tell how it might be with them; and their objections are not to be regarded, as they are founded only on conjecture and uncertainty. At all events the thing should be abandoned, for it is a sin against God, and the order of society.

      Mr. N. farther said, that this practice became at last so oppressive to his mind, that he was obliged to leave his own house on the Lord's-day, and walk in the fields, that he might neither see nor hear his mills at work; nor witness the sinful traffic that was carried on in his house. To this general neglect of the Sabbath, Mr. C. attributed the small progress which religion made in this county. Suffolk so far as he knew it, was very little better.

      The irreligion of this county farther appeared in a general hatred to the Gospel of Christ. In former days, persecution had raged in an uncommon degree; and although that had in some measure subsided yet there was still a decided hostility to religion. The preachers scarcely ever preached in Norwich on the Sabbath evening without having less or more disturbance, or a mob at the chapel doors. Mr. Wesley himself was not better treated.

      Once when he visited Norwich, it was in company with Mr. John Hampson, senior. This man was well known in the Methodist connection being many years an itinerant preacher. He was a man of gigantic make, well proportioned, and of the strongest muscular powers: he was also a man of strong understanding, and much grandeur of mind. -- When Mr. W. had finished his discourse and was coming out of the chapel, they found the whole lane filled with a furious mob, who began to close in on Mr. W. Mr. Hampson immediately pushed forward, and from the attitude he assumed, Mr. W. supposed, he was about to enter into conflict with the mob; he therefore addressed him with great earnestness, and said, "Pray, Mr. Hampson, do not use any violence." To which Mr. H. replied, with a terrible voice like the bursting roll of distant thunder, "Let me alone, Sir; if God has not given you an arm to quell this mob, he has given use me: and the first man that molests you here, I will lay him for DEAD!" -- Death itself seemed to speak in the last word -- it was pronounced in a tone the most terrific. The mob heard, looked at the man, and were appalled -- there was a universal rush, who should get off soonest: and in a very short time the lane was emptied, and the mob was dissipated like the thin air. Mr. Hampson had no need to let any man feel even the weight of his arm. -- For such times as these, God has made such men.

      I shall mention one other anecdote of this most powerful man. -- In the year 1788, the Methodists' Conference was held in London, at the great Chapel, City Road. Mr. Clarke was coming down the road, and a little before him Mr. George Holder, one of the preachers, and his wife; it was near the blank wall of Bunhill Burying Ground; -- a hackney coachman drove so carelessly as nearly to crush Mr. and Mrs. H. to death, against the wall: they were however but little hurt. Mr. Hampson stood on the other side of the way and did not see the danger till it was past. -- On being informed of it, (the coachman was then driving down the road) in strong agitation he addressed Mr. Holder -- "What, he was near crushing you and your wife to death against the wall! Why, Sir, did you not take the rascal's coach by the wheel and turn it over!" He spake as he felt he could have done -- a thing which not one in a million of men could have performed except himself. Poor Holder could not have lifted the nave of one of the wheels, much less the whole coach!

      I find the following entry in his Journal, under the date of Sunday, January 4, 1784, which is too important to be passed by unnoticed.

      Mr. J. H., who had been master of Kingswood school, and several years a traveling preacher, had retired in the preceding year, and became resident in Norwich. He was a kind and affable man, but had unhappily drunk in the doctrines of Baron Swedenborgh. On a conversation that passed between them this day, on the subject of the Trinity, Mr. C. was a good deal perplexed, and writes as follows. "I was a good deal distressed in my mind today, by conversing with a preacher on the doctrine or the Trinity and some other points. Many, said he, are greatly puzzled with the mystery of the doctrine of the Trinity: but there is in truth, no mystery in it, if we leave out the unscripural word "person." There is a Trinity; but it is not a trinity of persons; but, what is called God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is only the Great God acting under three different characters. He added several things more to the same effect; and especially against what he called the unscriptural and absurd doctrine of three persons in the Godhead. Against this doctrine Mr. C. gave the following reasons. This appears to me absurd, as there are a multitude of characters under which God acts: if he is to be designated from such characters, as to his Godhead, this Godhead might be as well called a Denity, a Quadragintenity, yea, a Centenity, as well as a Trinity: as God acts under ten, forty, yea a hundred different characters i n reference to man. Besides, that there is a Trinity of persons in the most proper sense of the word, is proved by what happened at the Baptism of our Lord, ( Matthew 3:16, 17:) where we find that he, the Son, was baptized, the Holy Ghost in a bodily form like a dove, lighted upon him, and a voice from God the Father; was heard out of heaven, declaring that this was his beloved Son. Here, it is most evident, there were three distinct persons, occupying three distinct places, and not one God acting under three distinct characters: this argument is most undoubtedly unanswerable. Again, we find two distinct persons worshipped by the Angels in heaven: for there they worship God and the Lamb: not God under the character of a Lamb. Again, we are told to worship the Son, even as we worship the Father: now, if we believe that it is one person acting under different characters; and we are commanded to worship the Son, that is, one of these characters; then this is not worshipping God, but one of the characters under which he acts, and this would be flat idolatry, were it not nonsense; which, well for the sentiment, is neutralized by this absurdity. On this mode of explanation, this part of the doctrine of Baron Swedenborgh must for ever stand self-confuted. "On this same day, Sunday, a dreadful judgment of God fell on some Sabbath-breakers. Three young lads, one of them son to the man with whom I lodged, went out in the morning, on a shooting party, as is the general custom in this irreligious county. They came to a hedge and one got over; the other, who held the gun, reached it through the hedge with its butt end foremost, to him who had just got over; the third was behind him who carried the gun. Some of the branches caught the trigger as he was pushing the gun through the hedge, and the gun went off. The lad who held the gun received no damage, for the muzzle was through under his arm, while striving to push the gun through the hedge. When the gun went off he suddenly turned to the lad behind him, and said, Are you shot? The other replied, I believe I am. The shot had torn away a part of the abdomen, and the intestines were issuing at the wound! The lad who held the gun seeing this, dropped it and ran away to a pond that was at hand, and plunged in, with t he intention to drown himself: but another party coming up, who were out on the same unholy business, dragged him out. As soon as he came to himself, and got out of their hands, he desperately jumped in a second time -- and afterwards a third time: but he was rescued and taken to his master's house. When there, he made an attempt to cut his own throat with his knife. The lad who was shot, expired in about an hour: he was nineteen years of age.

      Behold here the goodness and severity of God! Towards him who fell, severity, but to the others goodness, would they lay it to heart, and call upon God for mercy, that they might be saved from their sins, and from future punishment. The lad who held the gun by which the other was shot, being in a house (about eighteen days before this accident took place) where was writing the names of the members of the society upon the quarterly tickets, took up one of them into his hand, looked on it and held it for a considerable time: the verse which was upon the ticket, was this; Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Here was a sufficient warning; and had he attended to it, he had not been the cause of this catastrophe.

      How evident will it appear at the day of judgment, that God is clear of the blood of all men! who by various methods apprises them of the danger they are in, and the ruin to which they are exposed by their sin. God speaketh once, yea, twice, but men regard it not."

      While on this circuit, Mr. Clarke began to read Mr. Wesley's Philosophy.

      To subjects of this kind his heart had ever a strong propensity. On this point I find the following reflections inserted, April the 14th, 1784, in his Journal. "How do the unerring wisdom and goodness of God, appear in all the arts of the creation! How admirably well has he adjusted all the parts to answer their respective ends! And is it not most evident that he has intended happiness for every being capable of it? and particularly for man, favored man, for whom all the rest appear to have been brought into existence. See how the faculties of his soul, and the regular adjustment of all the parts of his body, proclaim at once the wisdom and benevolence of his Creator! Hence ye unconditional reprobarian notions; ye imputation of folly and sin to the Most High, which teach that Infinite Wisdom and Love produced myriads of such beings as man, to be abandoned irrecoverably to eternal flames, merely to display the sovereignty of the Creator! From whence ye have originated return, ye Goddishonoring principles! Surely ye have derived your origin from him who is the implacable enemy of God and man! He who can advocate them, if he be in human form, must have the heart of a Hyrcanian tiger. "Every Christian should study philosophy; as from it he will more evidently discover: 1. That he who is so fearfully and wonderfully made, so marvelously preserved, and so bountifully fed, should give up unreservedly, his all to God, and devote the powers which he has received to the service of the Creator. 2. When atheistical notions would intrude, a few reflections on the manifold wisdom displayed in the creation, may be the means of breaking the subtle snare of a designing foe. And, 3. by the study of nature, under grace, the soul becomes more enlarged, and is capable of hearing a more extensive, deeper, and better defined image of the divine perfections."

      In this circuit Mr. C. heard of some celebrated female preachers, and he entered it with considerable prejudice against this kind of ministry. In one part of the circuit, Thurlton, one of the most famous of these dwelt, Miss Mary Sewell. On his first coming to the house, he questioned her concerning her call, &c. And she modestly answered, by referring him to the places where she had preached in the circuit; and wished him to inquire among the people whether any good had been done. -- He did so, on his next visit to those parts, and heard of numbers who had been awakened under her ministry, and with several of these he conversed, and found their experience in divine things, scriptural and solid. He thought then, this is God's word, and if he choose to convert men by employing such means, who am I that I should criticize the ways of God! On the 28th of April, 1784, he had the opportunity of hearing Miss Sewell preach; her text was, Ephesians 2:8. By grace ye are saved through faith. On which I find the following entry in his Journal. "I have this morning heard Miss Sewell preach; she has a good talent for exhortation, and her words spring from a heart that evidently feels deep concern for the souls of the people; and, consequently, her hearers are interested and affected. I have formerly been no friend to female preaching; but my sentiments are a little altered. If God give to a holy woman, a gift for exhortation and reproof, I see no reason why it should not he used. This woman's preaching has done much good; and fruits of it may be found copiously, in different places in the circuit. I can therefore adopt the saying of a shrewd man who having heard her preach, and being asked his opinion of the lawfulness of it, answered, An ass reproved Balsam, and a cock reproved Peter, and why may not a woman reprove sin!" "Such women should be patterns of all piety, of unblameable conversation, correct and useful in their families, and furnished to every good work. This certainly is the character of Miss Sewell; may she ever maintain it."

      And she did maintain it, but she died soon after, as she had lived, in the faith and consolations of the Gospel.

      Shortly after this, he had the opportunity of hearing another of these female preachers, Mrs. Proudfoot: she spoke from Exodus 3:3., And the bush was not burnt. Of her he remarks: -- "She spoke several pertinent things, which tended both to conviction and consolation; and seems to possess genuine piety. If the Lord choose to work in this way, shall my eye be evil because He is good? God forbid! Rather let me extol that God, who, by contemptible instruments, and the foolishness of preaching, saves those who believe in Jesus. Thou, Lord, choosest to confound the wisdom of the world by foolishness, and its strength by weakness, that no soul may glory in thy presence; and that the excellency of the power may be seen to belong to Thee, alone. Had not this been the case, surely I had never been raised up to call sinners to repentance."

      In this Circuit, he appears to have had very many conflicts and spiritual exercises. His labors were severe: -- he had much riding; and, in most places, as we have already seen, uncomfortable lodging and fare. Besides, he frequently preached four times on the Sabbath, and in the morning at five o'clock, winter and summer, whenever he could get a congregation of sixteen or twenty persons to hear. He read a little Hebrew, and improved himself a little in French; but Greek and Latin, as a study, we have already seen, were proscribed. He had every where the affections of the people; and, although his labor was severe, this served to hold up his hands: and his gift of preaching increased. Good was done; but there was no remarkable revival. He lived in harmony with his brethren, and especially with Mr. Whatcoat, who ever acted as a father to him.

      A little before he left the Circuit, he wrote a long letter to the Rev. William Lemon, Rector of Geytonthorpe, which was occasioned by a definition of the word Methodists, in his Etymological Dictionary, just then published; which, Mr. C. gave numerous reasons why he should change in his second edition: but the book never sold, and the second edition is yet to come.

      The author took up the absurd opinion that all, or nearly all, the words in the English language, were derived from the Greek! But, terms of arts and sciences excepted, he might as well have maintained that they came from the Tamul. This Letter contains a full expose of the doctrines of the Methodists; and, for the time, was not contemptibly written.

      Saturday, Aug. 7, he received a letter from the Leeds Conference, informing him that he was appointed for St. Austell Circuit, East Cornwall; a journey of nearly four hundred miles from Loddon, where he then was: and, with the appointment, a guinea was sent him to defray his expenses on the way! With this famous provision, he set off on horseback on Wednesday morning, Aug. 11; reached Bury St. Edmunds that night; the next day, Chelmsford; the third day London, where he stayed till the 16th: on the 18th he reached his old Circuit, Bradford; spent usefully several days in Trowbridge, Bradford, Shepton-Mallet, Alhampton, and West-Pennard; and at last reached St. Austell, on Saturday, 28th. This was a fatiguing journey: he generally rode between forty and fifty miles per diem; and as he had but a guinea and a half-crown when he set out, he seldom had more than one slight meal in the day, as the keep of his horse required nearly all his cash. A penny loaf served for breakfast and dinner: as to supper he was always obliged to take something at the places where he rested for the night; but that was, generally, a very light repast. These were times in which no man from secular motives, could take up the work of a traveling preacher; and times in which no man, who had not the life of God in his soul, and an ardent desire for the salvation of men, and a clear testimony of his own call to the work, could possibly continue in it.

      In this Circuit, (Norwich) during about eleven months, he preached sermons, besides exhortations innumerable.

      ST. AUSTELL CIRCUIT, 1784-5

      On Saturday, Aug. 28, he reached this town, and found that he was appointed to labor with Mr. Francis Wrigley, (this was the second time) and Mr. William Church. The Circuit took in the eastern part of the county of Cornwall from the north to the south sea, and included the following places: St. Austell, Mevagizzey, Tywardreath, Lostwithiel, Port-Isaac, Camelford, Trenarren, Trewint, Sticker, St. Stephens, St. Ewe, Polglaze, Tregony, Polperro, Liskeard Fursnuth, Penfurder, Pelynt, Meadows, Ruthernbridge, Trelill, Amble, Grampound, Tresmear, St.

      Tiddy, Bodmin, Gunwen, Bokiddick, Fowey, St. Teath, Trewalder, Delabole Quarry, Landreath, Broad-oak, Trenarrand, Bocaddon, Tintagel, Michaelstow, St. Minver, and Padstow: forty places; besides occasional visits to several others, where preaching was not as yet established. This Circuit was exceedingly severe; the riding constant; the roads in general bad; and the accommodations, in most places, very indifferent. But the prospect was widely different from that of hi s last Circuit. Here there was a general spirit of hearing; and an almost universal revival of the work of God. Thousands flocked to the preaching: the chapels would not contain the crowds that came; and almost every week in the year, he was obliged to preach in the open air, in times when the rain was descending from heaven, and when the snow lay deep upon the earth. But the prosperity of Methodism made every thing pleasant; for the toil in almost every place was compensated by a blessed ingathering of sinners to Christ, and a general renewing of the face of the country.

      In St. Austell, the heavenly flame broke out in an extraordinary manner; and great numbers were there gathered into the heavenly fold. Among those whom Mr. Clarke joined to the Methodists' Society, was Samuel Drew, then terminating his apprenticeship to a shoemaker; and since become one of the first metaphysicians in the empire, as his works on the immateriality and immortality of the Soul of man, the identity and Resurrection of the Human Body, and the Being and Attributes of God, sufficiently testify. A man of primitive simplicity of manners, amiableness of disposition, piety towards God, and benevolence to men, seldom to be equaled; and for reach of thought, keenness of discrimination, purity of language, and manly eloquence, not to be surpassed in any of the common walks of life. He shortly became a local preacher among the Methodists: and, in this office he continues to the present day. In short, his circumstances considered, with the mode of his education, he is one of those prodigies of nature and g race which God rarely exhibits: but which serve to keep up the connecting link between those who are confined to houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, and beings of a superior order in those regions where infirmity cannot enter, and where the sunshine of knowledge neither suffers diminution nor eclipse. -- George Michal, inventor of the patent window frame; Joseph Avard, now a magistrate in Prince Edward's Island; and several others, who have since become distinguished either in literature or mechanics; were joined by Mr. Clarke, to the Methodists' Society, in St. Austell, in the course of that year.

      On Saturday, Sept. 11, Mr. C. went to a place called Trego, to Farmer P_____'s, where there had been preaching for some time, and a small society formed, and where he was to preach that night and the next morning. he had gone through a tedious journey, and by unknown ways, in order to get to this place; and was much fatigued on his arrival. Only the good woman was within, the rest being at harvest. She asked him if he had dined: he said, no. She then brought him the remains of a cold apple pie, of the rudest confection; the apples were not peeled, even the snuffs and stalks were on them, and the crust was such, that, though the apples in baking shrunk much, yet the crust disdained to follow them, and stood over the dish like a well-built arch, almost impenetrable to knife or teeth.

      He sat down to this homely fare, thanked God, and took courage. After a little the good woman brought him some cream, saying, "I'll give you a little cream to the pie; but I cannot afford it to my own family." This appeared odd to him. He had nothing beside this pie, except a drink of water. He went and cleaned his horse, and waited till the farmer came in from the field; between whom, in substance, passed the following dialogue: -- "Who art thou? I am a Methodist preacher: my name is Adam Clarke." "And what is thee comin here for?" "To preach to yourself, your family, and your neighbors." "Who sent thee here?" "I received a plan from Mr. Wrigley, and your place stands for this night and tomorrow morning." "I expect other friends tomorrow, and thou shalt not stay here." "Why, -- will you not have the preaching?" "I will have none of thy preaching, nor any of thy brethren." "But will it not be wrong to deprive your family and neighbors of what may be profitable to them, though you may not desire it?" "Thee shalt not stay here: I will have no more Methodist preaching." "Well, I will inform Mr. Wrigley of it; and I dare say he will not send any more, if you desire it not: but as I am a stranger in the country, and know not my way, and it is now towards evening, I hope you will give me a night's lodging, and I will, please God, set off tomorrow morning." "I tell thee, thee shalt not stay here." "What, would you turn a stranger out into a strange country of which he knows nothing, and so late in the evening too?" "Where was thee last night?" "I was at Polperro." "Then go there." "It is out of my reach: besides, I have to preach at Bodmin tomorrow evening." "Then go to Bodmin." "I have never yet been there; am not expected there tonight; and know no person in the place: -- pray give me the shelter of your roof for the night." "I tell thee, thou shalt not stay here." "Are you really in earnest?" "I am." "Well then, if I must go, can you direct me the way to Ruthernbridge; I was there on Thursday, and am sure I shall be welcome again." "Thee must inquire the road to Bodmin." "How far is Ruthernbridge hence?" "About fifteen or sixteen miles; so thee hadst best be getting off." "I will set off immediately."

      Mr. C. then went and put on his boots, repacked his shoes &c. in his saddle-bags and went to the stable and saddled his horse; the farmer standing by and looking on, but lending no assistance. He then mounted his horse, and spoke to this effect: -- "Now, Sir, I am a stranger, and you refused me the common rites of hospitality: I am a messenger of the Lord Jesus, coming to you, your family, and your neighbors, with the glad tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ; and you have refused to receive me: for this you must account at the bar of God. In the mean time I must act as my Lord has commanded me; and wipe of against you even the dust of your floor that cleaves to the soles of my feet." So saying he took his right foot out of the stirrup, and with his hand wiped off the dust from his sole: he did the like to his left foot, and rode slowly off saying, "Remember, a messenger of peace came to your house with the gospel of Jesus; and you have rejected both him and his message!" He went on his way; and the farmer turned into his house. What was the consequence? A Methodist preacher was never afterwards within his house, or before his door. The little society that was there, went to other places; ruin came on him, and his family became corrupt, and were at last, finally scattered! and he died not long after.

      After a tedious ride Mr. Clarke got to Mr. Varcoe's, at Ruthernbridge, where he was affectionately received; -- preached out of doors the next morning; -- and then rode to Bodmin, and preached to a vast congregation out of doors in the evening, in the butter-market. When he began, the bells struck out, and entirely drowned his voice, so that his giving out the hymn could not be heard. When he was about half through his first prayer, the bells were stopped, nor was there the least disturbance or noise till he had finished the whole of his work. He then rode back to Ruthernbridge, and spent a comfortable evening with that affectionate family. The Reader is left to his own reflections concerning the man who turned away the message of salvation from his door; particulars might be given of the evils that fell upon that family; but enough has been said.

      On Dec. 17, of this year, (1784,) Mr. C. met with an accident that had nearly proved fatal to him. When he came out first to preach he had no horse, -- a gentleman of Bradford knowing this, said, he would give the young preacher a horse, -- and among other good qualities for which he extolled him said he was an excellent chaise horse. Mr. Wesley was by, and said, "One of my horses troubles us very much for he often takes it into his head that he will not draw. Had I not better take your horse, Mr. R., and let brother Clarke have this one? He may be a good hack though a bad chaise-horse. The change was made, and he got Mr. W.'s horse, of which he was not a little proud, because it had been the property of Mr. W.; but this horse was the most dangerous creature he ever mounted. and he scarcely ever rode him a journey of ten miles, in which he did not fall at least once: and by this his life was often brought into danger.

      His friends often endeavored to persuade him to dispose of this dangerous beast, but his affection for its quondam owner, caused him to turn a deaf ear to every entreaty and remonstrance; as he was afraid if he parted with the beast he might fall into hands that would not use him well. This evening had nearly terminated the business: it was a hard frost, and coming over the down above Ruthernbridge, the horse fell, according to custom, and pitched Mr. C. directly on his head. He lay some time senseless, but how long he could not tell. At length having come to himself a little, he felt as if in the agonies of death; and earnestly recommended his soul to his Redeemer: however, he so far recovered, that with extreme difficulty he reached the house. As a congregation attended, the good people, not knowing how much injury he had sustained, entreated him to preach, -- he could not draw a full breath, and was scarcely able to stand: however, he endeavored to recommend to them the salvation of God. His pain was so great that he got no rest all night: the next day a person was sent with him to stay him up on his horse, that he might get to Port Isaac, where he could obtain some medical help. He suffered much on this journey, as every step the horse took seemed like a dart run through his body. He got at last to Port Isaac, Dr. Twentyman was sent for, and bled him. It appeared that some of the vertebrae of the spine had been materially injured. He was desired to remain in the house for some days, -- this he could not consent to do, as there were four places in which he was expected to preach the following day. This he did at the most obvious risk of his life; but from this hurt he did not wholly recover for more than three years! After this narrow escape he was persuaded to part with his horse, which he changed with a farmer, who had a high reverence for Mr. W. and promised to use the horse mercifully.

      On Saturday, Jan. 1, 1785, he thus writes, "A God of infinite love has brought me to the beginning of another year! Though I have often provoked Thee, and been unfaithful to Thy grace, yet I am a monument of Thy sparing and forbearing mercy. The blessings I have received from Thee in the year that is past, may well astonish me! Thou hast prospered my labor, and many souls have been awakened and blessed under my ministry. I have been exposed to the most imminent deaths, and yet rescued from the pit of corruption. I have sustained the most grievous temptations, to well circumstanced sins, and yet, by the grace of God, I stand! I have gone through labors almost above human strength, and yet am supported! What a miracle of power and mercy! -- O, what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me! May I live the ensuing year, more to Thy glory than ever, for Christ's sake, amen!"

      On the 6th of this month, he saw a wonderful phenomenon while riding between St. Austell and Meadows. A body of fire, something like a comet, with the head foremost, and the tail terminating in a point, rose out of the west and directing its course eastward, traversed nearly a quadrant of the heavens, leaving a fiery highway after it, through the whole of its course, till it had entirely expended itself. Its duration was nearly a minute; but after the fire had disappeared, the oblique, or wavy path which it had made, was visible for at least fifteen minutes. It seemed as if it had left a deeply indented path in the sky. His reflections on this phenomenon are pleasing, though they partake much of the state of his mind, which was considerably depressed at that time: on this account they need not be inserted.

      On a review of the events of this year, as they respect Mr. C. , we find them presenting to us one uninterrupted scene of prosperity. The spirit of hearing, as has already been remarked, was almost universal, -- the congregations very large, and numbers were awakened, converted, and joined to the Lord. The societies were not only much increased, but they were built up on their most holy faith; and the stream of pure religion deepened as it spread. The vicious and profligate became ashamed of their own conduct; and those who did not yield to the influences of the grace of God, were constrained to assume a decent exterior. The spiritual prosperity would have been unrivaled had it not been for some antinomian Calvinists, who envious at the prosperity of the Methodists, insinuated themselves into some of the societies, and spread their poison among the people. However, the bit and curb of God were put in their jaws, and although they disturbed and in a measure hindered the work, they were not permitted to prevail. -- They drew some of the less fixed of the society in St. Austell with them, and formed a party, but they converted no sinners to God.

      Mr. C.'s labors were here continual, and almost oppressive: besides the preaching out of doors in all weathers, through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, he often preached twice, even thrice, on week-days; and three Sabbaths out of four he preached regularly four times each day in different places; being obliged, to supply them, to ride many miles. This as well as the injury he received by the fall already mentioned greatly damaged his constitution. He lost his appetite, was prostrated in his strength, lost his flesh, and often bled so copiously at the nose, even in the pulpit, that his friends feared, and not without reason, for his life. Besides innumerable public exhortations, he preached in about eleven months, 568 sermons, and rode in his work many hundreds of miles. He indeed gave up his own life as lost, and felt himself continually on the verge of eternity. He endeavored to walk with God, kept up a severe watch on his heart and conduct, and gave no quarter to any thing in himself; that did not bear the stamp of holiness. His popularity was great, but he was not lifted up by it; he felt too much of weakness, ignorance, and imperfection in himself; to allow the foot of pride to come against him; therefore his popularity promoted his usefulness, and of it he made no other advantage.

      As his labors were great, and his time almost wholly employed, he could make little progress in mental cultivation: yet even this was not wholly neglected. He read some treatises on different parts of Chemistry, and having borrowed the use of a friend's laboratory, he went through the process of refining silver, that he might be the better able to comprehend the meaning of those texts of scripture where this operation is referred to.

      He read also several Alchemistic authors, the perusal of which was recommended to him by a friend who was much devoted to such studies; and he also went through several of the initiatory operations recommended by professed adepts in that science. This study was the means of greatly enlarging his views in the operations of nature, as he saw many wonders performed by chemical agency. It may surprise the Reader that he took the pains to read over Basil Valentine, Geo. Ripley, Philalethes, Nich.

      Flammel, Artephius, Geber, Paracelsus, the Hermetical Triumph, all the writers in Ashmole's Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, &c. &c.; not with the hope of finding the Philosopher's stone, but rerum cognoscere causas; and to see nature in her own laboratory. This study served to divert his mind from that intensity of thought on other matters, which before was preying upon itself.

      In this circuit he met with that almost rarest gift of heaven, a true friend; a friend that loveth at all times -- the Amicus certus, qui in re incerta cernitur: this was Mr. Richard Mabyn, of Camelford, a man who took him to his bosom, watched over him with the solicitude of the most affectionate father, bore with his weakness, instructed his ignorance, and helped him forward in his Christian course, by his prayers. His house was his only home on earth; and for him and his most affectionate wife he felt a filial respect and tenderness. This patriarchal man is still alive, and a pillar in the Church of God in that place: and the friendship between him and Mr. C has never known diminution or decay, though it has now lasted upwards of thirty-five years. He was one of those friends who was as dear as a brother; and on whose mind, the changes and chances of time made no impression in respect to the object of his friendship. May the sun of his spiritual prosperity never be clouded, but shine brighter and broader till its setting! Local distance has long separated them; though Mr. C. has contrived occasionally to pay him a visit in Camelford. However, they cannot be long separated Mr. M. in the course of nature must soon pass Jordan; and his friend Mr. C. cannot be long behind him, -- they will shortly be joined ----"In those Elysian seats Where Jonathan his David meets." [4] While in this county he felt a desire to examine its antiquities, but time would not permit him. Afterwards, on his visits to see Mr. Mabyn, he examined the logging-stones and rock basins on Raw-tor, of which he wrote a new theory; [5] and took down the inscription from what is called Arthur's tombstone, on the place where the famous and decisive battle was fought between Arthur and his son-in-law Mordred; in which, though the latter was slain, and his army totally routed, yet the former received his death's wound, and shortly after died at Glastonbury. On this stone Mr. C. wrote a Dissertation [6] stating it to be the tombstone of one of Arthur's sons.

      PLYMOUTH DOCK CIRCUIT,

      At the Conference, which was held in London this year, strong application was made to Mr. Wesley to appoint Mr. C. a second year to the St.

      Austell circuit, and with this application he at first complied: but the people of Plymouth Dock, who had suffered by a rent made in the society by the secession if Mr. W. Moore, who had carried with him more than fifty of the society, requested Mr. W., most earnestly, to appoint Mr. C. for them, as one that was most likely to counteract the influence of the disaffected party. To them Mr. W. yielded, and Mr. C. receiving this appointment, entered on this new circuit, Aug. 27, 1785.

      This circuit included the following places, partly in Devon, partly in Cornwall, Plymouth, Dock, Torpoint, Stonehouse, Plympton, Tavistock, Launceston, Trelabe, Tregar, Ex, Burrowcot, Dixbeer, Collory, Altarnun, Beeralston, Hull, Pitt, and Butternelle. Several of these were new places, taken in the course of that year. The preachers were John Mason, Adam Clarke, and John King: with Messrs. Mason and King he lived and labored in the utmost harmony, and Methodism prospered greatly; as in the course of that year they doubled the society. Of the fifty that went off with Mr. Moore in Dock, several returned, and in place of those who continued in the secession, more than one hundred were added to that society in the course of the year. The congregations became immense, and from the Dockyard, and the ships in the Hamoaze, multitudes flocked to the preaching, and many were brought to God. Cleland Kirkpatrick, (who had his arm shot off in an engagement with the famous Paul Jones, and was then cook of the Cambridge man-of-war) joined the society at that time, and became afterwards a traveling preacher: in which office he still continues.

      The days in which Mr. Clarke's labors were not required in Plymouth or Dock, he made excursions into different parts of Cornwall, preached in new places, and formed several new societies. He preached also in Dock at five o'clock in the morning throughout the year: and generally went about to the different houses in the dark winter mornings, with his lanthorn to awake those whom he thought should attend the preaching!

      It was, while he was on this circuit, as has been already anticipated, that the vow relative to the total abandonment of classical learning, was broken: and here, having more leisure than he had previously, he bent his mind to study. In this he was greatly assisted by James Hore, Esq. of the R N; afterwards purser of the Venerable, in which Admiral Duncan gained the victory over the Dutch fleet, under De Winter; and who died in the same service, in the Egyptian expedition. This gentleman lent him books, and among the rest, Chambers' Encyclopedia, 2 vols. fol. In this work, which was a library itself; he spent almost every spare hour: here his philosophical taste was gratified, and his knowledge greatly increased. It is almost impossible to conceive how much he profited by this work; he made nearly every subject there discussed, his own; and laid in a considerable stock of useful knowledge, which he laid under constant contribution to his ministerial labors. He has often said, "I owe more to Mr. Hore, than to most men, for the loan of this work. The gift of a thousand indiscriminate volumes, would not have equaled the utility of this loan." It is with pleasure that he has recorded, "The eldest daughter of this most worthy man, a young lady of great excellence, is now the wife of the Rev. Henshaw, one of the most respectable as well as useful, of the present body of itinerant Methodist preachers." Of the Encyclopedia of Mr. Chambers, he could never speak without the highest commendation, as being far before every other work of the kind: and in its original form, allowing for late discoveries and improvements, far surpassing the vastly voluminous French Encyclopedie, thirty-five vols. fol., professedly formed after its model, and all others in our own country, which indeed has been the land of Encyclopedias, Cyclopedias, Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences, &c. And, with the above allowances, beyond comparison preferable to those editions of the same work, which have been made since his time, by different hands, wi th all their professed improvements by the immense additions of encumbering, heterogeneous and discordant materials. When he was able to purchase a book of any magnitude, he bought this; and has ever preserved a copy of it in his library, in grateful remembrance of the great service which he formerly derived from it.

      This work, castigated to the present improved state of science, and enlarged about one third or one half; so that it might make three or four volumes folio, without changing Mr. Chambers' plan, would comprehend all that is essentially necessary for a work of this kind; and be highly acceptable to the public, instead of those vast voluminous works which are beyond the purchase of those persons who need them most, and would profit most by them; and in which, disjointed and shapeless lumber is of more frequent occurrence than valuable furniture, or useful implements.

      To help him in his Hebrew studies, he had purchased Leigh's Critica Sacra: a work of great study and research, and invaluable to a biblical student. It not only gives the literal sense of every Greek and Hebrew word in the Old and New Testaments, but enriches almost every definition with philological and theological notes drawn from the best grammarians and critics. To this work the best edition of which is that of Lond 1662, with a Supplement to both parts, most succeeding lexicographers have been greatly indebted. He was also laid under great obligations to a lady to whom he was personally unknown, Miss Kennicott, of Dock who hearing of his thirst for knowledge, lent him her brother's (Dr. Kennicott) edition of the Hebrew Bible, two vols. fol. with various readings collected from nearly 700 MSS., and early printed editions. This work which he carefully studied, gave him the first knowledge of Biblical Criticism. The work had been but lately published; and had he not seen it in this providential way, several years must have elapsed before it could have fallen under his notice.

      This year the society at Dock built a new chapel at Windmill Hill, much more commodious than that which they had opposite the Gun-Wharf Gate; but so much had the congregations increased that this new erection was soon found to be too small. When the seats of this chapel were in course of being let, he noticed for the first time, what he had occasion to notice with pain often after: -- How difficult it is to satisfy a choir of singers; of how little use they are in general, and how dangerous they are at all times to the peace of the Church of Christ. There was here a choir, and there were some among them who understood music as well as most in the nation; and some, who taken individually, were both sensible and pious.

      These, in their collective capacity, wished to have a particular seat, with which the trustees could not conveniently accommodate them, because of their engagements to other persons. When the singers found they could not have the places they wished, they came to a private resolution not to sin g in the chapel. Of this resolution, the preachers knew nothing. It was Mr. C.'s turn to preach in the chapel at the Gun-Wharf, the next Sabbath morning at seven; and there they intended to give the first exhibition of their dumb-show. He gave out, as usual, the page and measure of the hymn. All was silent. He looked to see if the singers were in their place; and behold, the choir was full; even unusually so. He, thinking that they could not find the passage, or did not know the measure, gave out both again; and then looked them all full in the face; which they returned with great steadiness of countenance! He then raised the tune himself; and the congregation continued the singing. Not knowing what the matter was, he gave out the next hymn as he had given out the former, again and again, -- still they were silent. He then raised the tune, and the congregation sang as before. Afterwards he learned, that as the trustees would not indulge them with the places they wished, they were determined to avenge their quarrel on Almighty God: for He should have no praise from them, since they could not have the seats they wished! The impiety of this conduct appeared to him in a most hideous point of view: for, if the singing be designed to set forth the praises of the Lord, the refusing to do this, because they could not have their own wills in sitting in a particular place, though they were offered, free of expense, one of the best situations in the chapel, was a broad insult on God Almighty. They continued this ungodly farce, hoping to reduce the trustees preachers, and society, to the necessity of capitulating at discretion; but the besieged, by appointing a man to be always present to raise the tunes, cut off the whole choir at a stroke. From this time, the liveliness and piety of the singing were considerably improved: for now, the congregation, instead of listening to the warbling of the choir, all joined in the singing; and God had hearty praise from every mouth. Mr. C. has often witnessed similar disaffection in other places, by means of the singers; and has frequently been heard to say: "Though I never had a personal quarrel with the singers, in any place, yet, I have never known one case where there was a choir of singers, that they did not make disturbance in the societies. And it would be much better, in every case, and in every respect, to employ a precentor, or a person to raise the tunes, and then the congregation would learn to sing -- the purpose of singing would be accomplished, -- every mouth would confess to God, -- and a horrible evil would be prevented, -- the bringing together into the house of God, and making them the almost only instruments of celebrating his praises, such a company of gay, airy, giddy, and ungodly men and women, as are generally grouped in such choirs -- for voice and skill must be had, let decency of behavior and morality be where they will. Every thing must be sacrificed to a good voice, in order to make the choir complete and respectable. Many scandals have been brought into the church of God by choirs and their accompaniments. Why do not the Methodist preachers lay this to heart?

      At the conduct of the singers in Plymouth Dock, Mr. C. was much grieved, because there were among them men of sound sense, amiable manners, and true piety: and so they continued in their individual capacity; but when once merged in the choir, they felt only for its honor, and became like to other men! Disturbances of this kind which he has witnessed in all the large societies, have led him often seriously to question, whether public singing made any essential part in the worship of God! -- most of those who are employed in it being the least spiritual part of the church of Christ; generally proud, self-willed, obstinate, and intractable: besides, they uniformly hinder congregational singing, the congregation leaving this work to them; and they desiring it so to be left.

      In the way of incident, there was nothing remarkable in the course of this year. Methodism prospered greatly, and he was happy in the friendship of several excellent people in different parts of the circuit, but especially in Dock. Mr. Mason, whom he considered as an apostolic father, was very useful to him: his upright, orderly, and regular conduct, furnished him with lessons of great importance: and from him he learned how to demean and behave himself in civil and religious society. Of him he spoke with high commendation in a small work, entitled, A Letter to a Preacher, which has gone through four editions to the present year 1819; and when this excellent man died, Mr. C. was desired, by the Conference held in London in 1810, to draw up his character, which he did in the following terms: -- "Mr. Mason made it the study of his life to maintain his character as a preacher, a Christian, and a MAN; the latter word taken in its noblest sense: and he did this by cultivating his mind in every branch of useful knowledge within his reach; and his profiting was great. In the history of the world, and the history of the church, he was very extensively read. With anatomy and medicine he was well acquainted; and his knowledge of natural history, particularly of botany, was very extensive. In the latter science he was inferior to few in the British empire. His botanical collections would do credit to the first museum in Europe; and especially his collections of English plants, all gathered, preserved, classified, and described by his own hand. But this was his least praise: he laid all his attainments in the natural sciences, under contribution to his theological studies: nor could it ever be said that he neglected his duty as a Christian minister, to cultivate his mind in philosophical pursuits. "He was a Christian man; and in his life and spirit, adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour. The decency, propriety, and dignity of his conduct were, through the whole of his life, truly exemplary.

      And his piety towards God, and his benevolence towards man, were as deep as they were sincere. -- I am constrained to add, -- 'He was a MAN; take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.'

      He died, Friday, April 27, 1810, aged seventy-eight years, and lies buried at West Meon, in Hampshire; his general residence some years before his death."

      Mr. Mason might have lived at least ten years longer, for his constitution was good, and his habits perfectly regular, had he not unfortunately, taken to a milk diet for several of his latter years. This did not afford sufficient nutriment to his body. He was strong boned and six feet high, and the nourishment derived from this most inadequate diet, was not sufficient to clothe his bones with healthy and vigorous muscles. The consequence was, he began to stoop, and his feet &c. became ricketty; and he sunk rather through want of due nourishment, than by weight of years, or unavoidable bodily infirmities. What became of his collections of fossils, minerals, and plants, I do not know: I believe, they were all scattered and lost, except a Hortus Siccus, in forty-three vols. 8vo., which he presented to his friend Mr. Clarke several years before his death.

      From him, while they traveled together at Plymouth, Mr. Clarke had the following anecdote; which, as the parties are now long dead, can on that account, do no harm to be related, and should be most extensively published.

      A. B. and his wife C. B., were members of the Methodists' Society, in Portsmouth Common: and in decent and respectable circumstances. C. B. was frequently troubled with indigestion, and consequent flatulencies. A female neighbor said to C. B.: "There is a very fine bottle which has done me much good, and I was just as you are; and I am sure it would do you much good also. Do try but one bottle of it." -- "What do you call it?" -- "Godfrey's Cordial." -- "Well, I will try it, in God's name, for I am sadly troubled, and would give any thing for a cure, or even for ease." A bottle of this fine spirituous saccharine opiate, was bought and taken secundum artem; and it acted as an elegant dram! "O, dear, this is a very fine thing; it has done me good already; I shall never be without this in the house." A little disorder in the stomach called the bottle again into request: it acted as before, and got additional praises. By and bye, the husband himself got poorly with a pain in his stomach and bowels; the wife sa id, "Do, A., take a little of my bottle, it will do you much good." He took it; but then, as he was a man, it must be a stronger dose. "Well, C., this is a very fine thing, it has eased me much." -- Though the wife was not cured, yet she was very much relieved! So bottle after bottle was purchased, and taken in pretty quick succession. The husband found it necessary also to have frequent recourse to the same; and now they could both bear a double dose; by and bye it was trebled and quadrupled; for, former doses did not give relief as usual: but the increased dose did. -- No customers to the quack medicine venders were equal to A. B. and his wife. -- They had it at last by the dozen, if not by the gross! Soon, scores of pounds were expended on this carminative opiate, till at last they had expended on it their whole substance. Even their furniture went by degrees, till at last they were reduced to absolute want, and were obliged to take refuge in the Poorhouse. Here they were visited by some pious people of th e Society -- saw their error, deplored it, and sought God for pardon. A good report was brought of this miserable couple to the Society: it was stated that, they saw their folly, and were truly penitent; and it was a pity to permit a couple, who in all human probability, had much of life before them, to linger it out uselessly in a wretched workhouse. A collection was proposed for their relief; among the principal friends; it was productive, for a considerable sum was raised. They were brought out, placed in a decent little dwelling, and a proper assortment of goods purchased with the subscription already mentioned, and they were set up in a respectable little shop. Many of the friends bound themselves to give A. B. and his wife their custom: -- they did so, and the capital was soon doubled, and they went on in religious and secular things very prosperously.

      Unfortunately, the wife thought her indigestion and flatulencies had returned, were returning, or would soon return; and she once more thought of Godfrey 's Cordial, with desire and terror. "I should have a bottle in the house: surely I have been so warned that I am not likely to make a bad use of it again." -- "C., I am afraid of it, said the husband. "My dear," said she, "we have now experience, and I hope we may both take what will do us good and that only." -- Not to be tedious another bottle was bought, and another, and a dozen, and a gross; -- and in this they once more drunk out all their property, and terminated their lives in Portsmouth Common Workhouse!

      The Reader may be astonished at this infatuation: but he may rest assured that the case is not uncommon: Daffy's Elixir, Godfrey's Cordial, and Solomon's Balm of Gilead, have in a similar manner impoverished, if not destroyed, thousands. On this very principle they are constructed. They are intended to meet the palate, and under the specious flame of medicines, they are actually used as drams; and in no few cases engender the use of each other. Thus, drops beget drams; and drams beget more drops; and they, drams in their turn, till health and property are both destroyed; and, I may add, the soul ruined by these truly infernal composts. It would, it is true, be easy to expose them; and it is difficult to refrain: -- "Difficile est Satiram non scribere, nam, quis iniquae Tam, patiens urbis, tam ferreus, ut teneat se?"

      But who dares do this? The iniquity is licensed by the State: and government makes a gain by taxation of that which is destroying the lives and morals of the subject!

      As the time of conference drew nigh, there was a strong and general desire in the Societies to have Mr. C. appointed a second year for the Plymouth Dock circuit: and there was every probability that this wish would have been met by Mr. Wesley, had it not been for the following circumstance: -- Robert Carr Brakenbury, Esq., who had been long a member of the Methodists' Society, and ranked among their preachers, had gone over to the Norman Islands and had preached successfully, especially in the Island of Jersey, where he had taken a house, and set up a family establishment.

      At this Conference he applied to Mr. Wesley for a preacher to assist him: and Mr. C. was fixed on, as having, some knowledge of the French language. To the regret of the circuit, and not entirely with his own approbation, he was appointed; and was ordered to hold himself in readiness to sail in company with Mr. Brakenbury, as soon as the latter could settle his affairs at his seat at Raithby, Lincolnshire, so as to admit of absence for three months.

      In the meantime Mr. C. went and paid a visit to his brother, Surgeon [Tracy] Clarke, who, as we have already seen, was now settled at a place called Maghull, near Liverpool. While Mr. C. was on this visit, he preached different times in that neighborhood, several were awakened, and a society was formed, which having gone through many vicissitudes, still exists, though not now in a state of great prosperity. On his return from Liverpool by Bristol, to go to Southampton, where he was to embark for the Islands; as Mr. Brakenbury was not yet come, he visited his old circuit (Bradford) and spent several days at Trowbridge, where he had always a parental reception at the house of Mr. Knapp, where the preachers generally lodged. There were in the society of this place, several young women, who were among the most sensible and pious in the Methodists' connection, particularly the Miss Cookes; Mary, Elizabeth, and Frances: the two later having been among the first members of the society in this town. With these you ng ladies he occasionally corresponded, especially with the second, ever since he had been in that circuit. This correspondence, as it had been chiefly on matters of religious experience, improved his mind much, and his style of writing. He found it of great advantage to have a well educated and sensible correspondent; and as neither had anything in view but their religious and intellectual improvement, they wrote without reserve or embarrassment, and discussed every subject that tended to expand the mind or ameliorate the heart. About two years before this, the eldest sister Mary had joined the society; and became one of Mr. C.'s occasional correspondents. On this visit a more intimate acquaintance took place, which terminated nearly two years after in a marriage, the most suitable and honorable to both parties, and prosperous in its results that ever occurred in the course of Divine Providence. Of her good sense, prudence, piety, and rare talents for domestic management and the education of a family, too mu ch cannot easily be said. -- "Her works praise her in the gates, and her reputation is in all the churches."

      Having tarried here a few days, he received a letter from Mr. B., appointing a day to meet him at Southampton. He set off and got there at the time appointed; but Mr. B. was detained nearly a fortnight longer.

      During this delay, Mr. C. was kindly entertained at the house of Mr. Fay, in whose son's school-room he had the opportunity of preaching several times during his stay.

      He also visited Winchester, on the invitation of Mr. Jasper Winscomb, and preached there frequently: and spent much of his time in the cathedral, examining the monuments, and making reflections on the subjects they presented. As these were entered under heads, in a species of Journal, I shall select a few. They were all written between the 11th and 19th of October, while waiting the arrival of Mr. Brackenbury. [Note: The variation in the spelling of the preceding name: "Brackenbury" and the earlier rendition, "Brakenbury," was in Clarke's original text. -- DVM]

      ON EARTHLY GLORY

      Winchester, October 12, "How little is worldly grandeur worth, together with all the most splendid distinctions, which great and pompous titles, or even important offices, confer upon men! They vanish as a dissipated vapor, and the proprietors of them a go their way; and where are they? or of what account? Death is the common lot of all men: and the honors of the great, and the abjectness of the mean, are equally unseen in the tomb. This I saw abundantly exemplified today, while viewing the remains of several kings, Saxon and English, whose very names, much less their persons and importance, are scarcely collectible from Rosy damps, moldy shrines, dust, and cobwebs." This exhibits a proper estimate of human glory: and verifies the saying of the wise man, -- A living dog is better than a dead lion. The meanest living slave is preferable to all these dead potentates. Is there any true greatness, but that of the soul? And has the soul any true nobility unless it is begotten from above, and has the spirit and love of Christ to actuate it? surely none. The term of Servant of the Lord Jesus, I prefer to the glory of these kings: this will stand me in stead, when the other, with all its importance, is eternally forgotten. "In the time of the civil wars, the tombs of several of our kings, who were buried in this cathedral, were broken up and rifled, and the bones thrown indiscriminately about. After the Restoration these were collected, and put in large chests, which are placed in different parts of the choir, and labeled as containing bones of our ancient kings; but which, could not be discriminated."

      CHURCH NEWS

      Winchester, October "The following remarkable inscription I took down from the wall in this cathedral. 'The union of two brothers from Avington. 'The Clerks' family, were, grandfather, father and son, successively clerks of the Privy Seal. 'William, the grandfather, had two sons, both Thomas's; their wives, both Amy's; their heirs, both Henry's; and the heirs of Henry's, both Thomas's; both their wives were inheritrix's; and both had two sons and one daughter; and both their daughters issueless. Both of Oxford; both of the Temple; both officers of queen Elizabeth and our noble king James. Both justices of the peace together. Both agree in arms, the one a knight and the other a captain. 'Si quaeras Avingtonium petus cancellum impensis. 'Thomas Clerk, of Hyde, 1623.'

      It is not an uncommon case that the things least worthy of commemoration are recorded, while those of the utmost importance, are forgotten: had those two brothers lived and died in the favor of God, and left a clear testimony of His pardoning and sanctifying grace behind them, I doubt, however important the matter, it would not have been thought worthy of being recorded. Yet the inscription above is curious, and deserves to be registered on account of its singular and striking coincidences."

      THE PROGRESS OF REVELATION

      Winchester, Oct. "Why is it that God has observed so slow a climax in bringing the necessary knowledge of His will, and their interest to mankind? e. g. giving a little under the Patriarchal, an increase under the Mosaic, and the fullness of the blessing under the Gospel Dispensation? It is true, He could have given the whole in the beginning to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, or any other of the ante or post diluvian Fathers: but that this would not have as effectually answered the Divine purpose, may be safely asserted. "God, like his instrument Nature, delights in progression; and although the works of both, in semine, were finished from the beginning, nevertheless they are not brought forward, to actual and complete existence, but by various accretions. And this appears to be done that the blessings resulting from both may be properly valued, as in their approach, men have time to discover their necessities; and when relieved after a thorough consciousness of their urgency, they see and feel the propriety of being grateful to their kind Benefactor. "Were God to bestow his blessings before the want of them were truly felt, men could not be properly grateful for the reception of blessings, the value of which they had not known by previously feeling the want of them. God gives His blessings that they may be duly esteemed, and He himself become the sole object of our dependence: and this end he secures by a gradual communication of his bounties as they are felt to be necessary. To give them all at once would defeat his own intention, and leave us unconscious of our dependence on, and debt to, His grace. He, therefore, brings forward His various dispensations of mercy and love, as He sees men prepared to receive and value them; and as the receipt of the grace of one dispensation makes way for another, and the soul is thereby rendered capable of more extended views and communications; so the Divine Being causes every succeeding dispensation to exceed that which preceded it: on this ground we find a climax of dispensations, and in each, a progressive gradua ted scale of light, life, power, and holiness. "We first teach our children the power of the letters -- then to combine consonants and vowels to make syllables -- then to unite syllables in order to make words; then to assort and connect the different kinds of words, in order to form language or regular discourse. To require them to attempt the latter, before they had studied the former, would be absurd. The first step leads to and qualifies for the second; the second for the third, and so on. Thus God deals with the universe; and thus he deals with every individual; -- every communication from God, is a kind of seed, which, if properly cultivated, brings forth much fruit. 'Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.'"

      ON CONSCIENCE

      "Conscience is defined by some, that judgment which the rational soul passes on her own actions: and is a faculty of the soul itself, and consequently natural to it. Others say, 'It is a ray of the Divine light.' Milton calls it 'God's umpire:' and Dr. Young seems to call it 'a God in man.' To me it appears to be no other than a faculty of the mind, capable of receiving light and information from the Spirit of God: and is the same to the soul in spiritual matters, as the eye is to the body in the things which concern vision. The eye is not light in itself, nor is it capable, of discerning any object, but by the instrumentality of natural or artificial light. But it has organs properly adapted to the reception of the rays of light, and the various images of the objects which they exhibit. When these are present to an eye, the structure of which is perfect, then there is discernment or perception of those objects which are within the sphere of vision: but when the light is absent, there is no perception of t he figure, dimensions, situation, or color of any object, howsoever entire or perfect the optic nerves may be. In the same manner, comparing spiritual things with natural, the Spirit of God enlightens that eye of the soul which we call conscience; it penetrates it with its effulgence, and speaking, as human language will permit on the subject, it has organs properly adapted for the reception of the Spirit's emanations, which when received into the conscience exhibit a real view of the situation, state, &c. of the soul as it stands in reference to God and eternity. Thus the Scripture says, The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirits: that is, it shines into the conscience, and reflects throughout the soul, a conviction, proportioned to the degree of light communicated, of condemnation, pardon, or acquittance, according to the end of its coming.

      Conscience is sometimes said to be good, -- bad, -- tender, -- seared, &c. Good, if it acquit or approve; bad, if it condemn or disapprove; tender, if alarmed at the least approach of evil, and is severe in scrutinizing the various operations of the mind and passions, as well as the actions of the body: and seared, if it no longer act thus, the Spirit of God being so grieved that its light is no longer dispensed, and conscience no longer passes judgment on the actions of the man. These epithets can scarcely belong to it, if the common definition be admitted; but on the general definition already given, these terms are easily understood, and are exceedingly proper: e. g. a good conscience, is that to which the Spirit of God has brought intelligence of the pardon of all the sins of the soul, and its reconciliation to God through the Blood of the Covenant; and this good conscience retained, implies God's continued approbation of such a person's conduct. A bad or evil conscience, is that which records a charge of guilt brought against the soul by the Holy Spirit, on account of the transgression of God's holy law; the light of that Spirit showing the soul the nature of sin, and its own guilty conduct. A tender conscience, is that which is fully irradiated by the light of the Holy Spirit, which enables the soul to view the good as good, the evil as evil, in every him important respect; and, consequently, leads it to abominate the latter and cleave to the former: and, if at any time it act in the smallest measure opposite to those views, it is severe in selfreprehension, and bitter in its regrets. A darkened, seared, or hardened conscience, is that which has little or non of this divine light; the soul having by repeated transgression grieved the Spirit of God, that it has withdrawn its lights, in consequence of which, the man feels no remorse, but goes on in repeated acts of transgression, unaffected either by threatenings or promises; and careless about the destruction which awaits it: this is what the Scripture means by the conscience being seared as with a hot iron; i.e. by repeated transgressions, and resisting of the Holy Ghost. "The word conscience itself vindicates the above explanation: -- it is compounded of con, "together or with," and "scio, I know;" because it knows or combines with, by or together with, the Spirit of God. -- The Greek word "suneideisis," [soon-aye-day-sis] which is the only word used for conscience through the whole of the New Testament, has precisely the same meaning, being compounded of "sun, together or with," and "eido, know:" and this definition will apply to it in all its operations. "From the above, I think we may safely make the following inferences: -- 1. All men have what is commonly termed conscience, and conscience plainly supposes the influence of the Divine Spirit in it, convincing of sin, righteousness, and judgment. 2. The Spirit of God is given to enlighten, convince, strengthen, and bring men back to God, and fit them for glory by purifying their hearts. 3. Therefore all men may be saved who attend to and coincide with the convictions and light communicated: for the God of the Christians does not give men his Spirit to enlighten, i. e. merely to leave them without excuse; but that it may direct, strengthen, lead them to himself, that they may be finally saved. 4.

      That this Spirit comes from the grace of God, is demonstrable from hence: 'It is a good and perfect gift,' and St. James says, 'all such come from the Father of lights.' Besides, it is such a grace as cannot be merited; for, as it is God's Spirit, it is of infinite value: yet it is given: -- that, then, which is no t merited, and yet is given, must be of grace, not condemning or ineffectual grace, for no such principle comes from or resides in the Godhead. "Thus it appears that all men are partakers of the grace of God; for all acknowledge that conscience is common to all: and this implies, as I hope has been proved, the spirit of grace given by Christ Jesus, not that the world might be thereby condemned, but that it might be saved. Nevertheless, multitudes who are partakers of this heavenly gift, sin against it, lose it, and perish everlastingly: not through any defect in the gift, but through the abuse of it. "Hence I again infer: -- l. That God wills all men to be saved; for he dispenses the true light to every man that comes into the world. "2. That he gives a sufficiency of grace to accomplish that end: for who can suppose that the influences of the Holy Spirit are insufficient for that purpose, if not obstinately resisted? God will not force the human will -- he cannot, because he has made it will, and consequently free -- freedom is essential to the notion of it, and to its existence. All force God will resist and overthrow that opposes the salvation of the soul: but the volitions of the soul he will not, cannot force, for this would imply the destruction of what himself wills should exist, and should exist in this mode: because the mode here is essential to the existence. "3. That this grace is amissable: -- this is sufficiently evident in all those who perish, none of which were destitute of conscience, in one or other period of their lives. "4. And lastly: grace received, does not necessarily imply grace retained; as immense numbers resist the Holy Ghost in their consciences, and so grieve this good spirit as to cause it to depart from them; and then they go on frowardly in the way of their own heart, being left to the hardness and darkness of their own minds. -- Therefore, let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall, not only foully but finally."

      ARE NATURAL EVILS THE EFFECT OF INEVITABLE NECESSITY?

      Winchester, October 19, "Most men complain of difficulties and disappointments in life; not only the irreligious and profane, but those also who have a measure of the fear of God. The former, repine and murmur, taxing the Divine Being with his ungracious carriage towards them: the latter, supposing these evils to be inevitable, from the present constitution of things, endeavor to bear them with resignation. It cannot be denied that there are many evils which are the necessary effects of physical causes, but we cannot allow that all the evils that exist are of this kind. "If men would act according to the Divine will, few of the evils which are now so miserably felt would be known. By acting contrary to the Divine counsel, we pierce ourselves through with many sorrows, and often provoke God by our rebellion, to use that scheme of providence in opposition to us, which would have wrought together with His grace for our good, had we submitted ourselves to his directions. "Most of the diseases with which men are afflicted, are the consequence of either their indolence or intemperance, or the indulgence of disorderly passions: and a principal part of the poverty that is in the world, comes in the same way. When then we see so many suffer in consequence of their frowardness and wickedness, we must acknowledge that there are fewer inevitable evils in the world than is generally imagined and that if men would simply walk according to the directions of God's Holy Word, they would necessarily avoid all that numerous train of evils which spring from indolence, intemperance, and disorderly passions: and their path would be like that of the rising light -- shining more and more unto the perfect day. "Add to this: there are some who will be continually contriving for themselves, and will not be contented unless every thing be their own way, and according to what they suppose to be right and proper: these suffer much. There are others who take God at his word, follow Jesus whithersoever he goeth, and leave themselves and their affairs entirely to His disposal, well knowing 'Thou canst not err;' and ever saying, 'We will not choose:' these suffer little.

      The former, if they get to glory, are saved as by fire, and just escape everlasting burnings. The latter mount up with wings as the eagle they walk and are not weary: they run and are not faint. They live comfortably, die triumphantly, and have an abundant entrance administered to them, into eternal glory. In the former, the whole face of the Gospel is beclouded and disfigured: in the latter it is magnified, made honorable, and recommended to all. My soul, choose thou the latter, for it is the better part."

      In the above manner Mr. C. noted down the thoughts that passed through his mind on subjects which he deemed of importance, and this mode he pursued occasionally for some years: but his religious correspondence increasing, he was accustomed to insert in his letters what otherwise would have been entered in his common-place book: and of these letters except in a very few instances, he kept no copies. Indeed he had no opinion of their excellence, and they were in general written without any kind of study, and must have been very imperfect: on which account he has often been heard to say, "I hope none of my friends will ever publish any of the letters I have written to them, after my decease. I never wrote one, in my various and long correspondence, for the public eye; and I am sure that not one of those letters would be fit for that eye unless it passed through my own revisal. "Many eminent men have had their literary reputation tarnished by this injudicious procedure of their friends. They generally gather every scrap of written paper that bears evidence of the hand of the deceased, and without reflection or discernment give to the public what was of no profit to any except to the bookseller. How much have Pope and Swift suffered from this! and perhaps no man more than the late truly apostolic man, the Rev. J. Fletcher, of Madeley. If ever his tree bore leaves, instead of fruit, it was in his religious correspondence; and these leafy productions, to the great discredit of his good sense, have been published, with a sinful cupidity, over the religious world. From this circumstance, a stranger to his person has said: 'Were I to judge of Mr. Fletcher by his letters, and some other little matters, published by his friends since his death; I must pronounce him a well-meaning, weak enthusiast. Were I to judge of him by the works published by himself, I must pronounce him the first polemical writer this or any other age has produced: a man, mighty in the Scriptures, and full of the unction of God.'" But to return; Mr. Brackenbury shortly arriving at Southampton, they took a Jersey packet, and landed in St. Aubins' Bay, Oct. 26, 1786: whence they walked to Mr. B.'s house in St. Hellier's the same evening.

      THE NORMAN ISLES

      These islands lie chiefly in St. Malos' Bay, and are named Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, Jethou, and Herme: -- they are the sole remains of the Gallic possessions appertaining to the British crown. They formerly belonged to Normandy, and came with that dutchy to England, at the time of the conquest of this country by William I. The inhabitants use the French language, and though under the British crown, are governed principally by their own ancient laws. But any geographical or political description of islands so well known and so near home, would be superfluous.

      As most of the inhabitants of St. Helliers understand English, Mr. C. was at no loss to begin his work; and, after having preached a few times in St.

      Helliers, it was agreed that be should go to Guernsey, and that Mr. B. should remain for the present in Jersey. This was accordingly done, and having obtained a large warehouse at a place called Les Terres, a little out of the town, he began to preach there in English: for the inhabitants of St.

      Peter's in Guernsey understand English as well as those of St. Helliers in Jersey. He afterwards got some private houses in different parts of the town, where he preached both night and morning, through the principal part of the year.

      Being now cut off from all his religious and literary acquaintances; and having little or no traveling, except occasionally going from island to island, he began seriously to enter on the cultivation of his mind. His Greek and Latin had been long comparatively neglected, and his first care was to take up his grammars, and commence his studies de novo. When he had recommitted to memory the necessary paradigms of the Greek verbs, he then took up the first volume of Grabe's edition of the Septuagint, which was taken from the Codex Alexandrinus, deposited in the British Museum; a MS. in uncial characters, probably of the fourth century, and which formerly belonged to the patriarchal church of Alexandria, and was sent a present from Cyril Lucaris, patriarch of Constantinople, to Charles II., by Sir Thomas Roe, then the British Ambassador at the Porte. When he began this study, he found he had nearly every thing to learn; having almost entirely, through long disuse, forgotten his Greek, though at school he had read a part of the Greek Testament, and most of those works of Lucian, which are usually read in schools.

      The reason why he took up the Septuagint, was chiefly to see how it differed from the Hebrew Text, of which he had gained considerable knowledge, by the Hebrew studies already mentioned. After a little severe fagging, he conquered the principal difficulties, and found this study not only pleasing but profitable. In many respects he observed, that the Septuagint cast much light on the Hebrew text; and plainly saw, that without the help of this ancient Version, it would have been nearly impossible to have gained any proper knowledge of the Hebrew Bible; the Hebrew language being all lost, except what remains in the Pentateuch, prophetical writings, and some of the historical books of the Bible. For, the whole of the Old Testament is not in Hebrew, several parts both of Ezra and Daniel being in the Chaldee language, besides one verse in the prophet Jeremiah 10:11. The Septuagint version being made in a time in which the Hebrew was vernacular, about 285 years before Christ, and in which the Greek language was well known to the learned among the Jews: -- the translators of this Version, had advantages which we do not now possess; and which can never again be possessed by man; we must have recourse to them for the meaning of a multitude of Hebrew words which we can have in no other way. And as to the outcry against this Version, it appears to be made by those who do not understand the question, and are but slenderly acquainted with the circumstances of the case, The many Readings in this Version which are not now found in the Hebrew text, we should be cautious how we charge as forgeries: the translators most probably followed copies much more correct than those now extant, and which contained those Readings which we now charge on the Septuagint, as arbitrary variations from the Hebrew verity. Indeed several of these very Readings have been confirmed by the collations of Hebrew MSS., made by Dr. Kennicott at home, and De Rossi, abroad.

      He continued these studies till he had read the Septuagint through to the end of the Psalms; generally noting down the most important differences between this Version and the Hebrew text, and entered them in the margin of a 4to. Bible in three vols., which was afterwards unfortunately lost. At this time his stock of books was very small, and having no living teacher, he labored under many disadvantages. But when, in the course of his changing for the alternate supply of the societies in the Islands, he visited the Island of Jersey, he had much assistance from the public library in St.

      Helliers. This contained a large collection of excellent books, which was bequeathed for the use of the public by the Rev. Philip Falle, one of the ministers of the Island, and its most correct historian. Here, for the first time, he had the use of a Polyglott Bible, that of Bishop Walton. The Prolegomena to the first vol. he carefully studied, and from the account contained there of the ancient Versions, particularly the Oriental, he soon discovered that some acquaintance with these, especially the Syriac and Chaldee, would be of great use to him in his Biblical researches.

      With the history and importance of the Septuagint version he was pretty well acquainted; and also, with those of the Vulgate. Dean Prideaux's Connections had given him an accurate view of the Chaldee version, or Targums of Onkelos on the Law, and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Prophets. To read the Samaritan Pentateuch, he had only to learn the Samaritan alphabet: the Hebrew text and the Samaritan being exactly the same as to language, though the latter preserves a much fuller account of the different transactions recorded by Moses; writes the words more fully, giving the essential vowels, which in multitudes of places, are supplied in the Hebrew text, only by the Mosoretic points; and besides, this Text contains many important variations in the chronology. The Samaritan version, which was made from this, is in the same character, contains the same matter, but is in a different dialect, not to say language. It is Chaldee in its basis, with the admixture of many words, supposed to be of Cuthic origin.

      Having met with a copy of Walton's Introductio ad Lingitas Orientales, he applied himself closely to the study of the Syriac, as far as it is treated of in that little manual; and translated and wrote out the whole into English, which he afterwards enlarged much from the Schola Syriaca of Professor Leusden. By the time he had finished this work, he found himself capable of consulting any text in the Syriac version; and thus the use of the Polyglott became much more extensive to him; and all the time that he could spare from the more immediate duties of his office he spent in the public library, reading and collating the original Texts in the Polyglott, particularly the Hebrew, Samaritan, Chaldee, Syriac, Vulgate, and Septuagint. The Arabic, Persian, and Ethiopic, he did not attempt -- despairing to make any improvement in those languages, without a preceptor. A circumstance here, deserves to be noticed, which to him, appeared a particular interference of Divine Providence: of it the Reader will form his ow n estimate. Knowing that he could not always enjoy the benefit of the Polyglott in the public library he began earnestly to wish to have a copy of his own: but three pounds per quarter, and his food, which was the whole of his income as a preacher, could ill supply any sum for the purchase of books. Believing that it was the will of God, that he should cultivate his mind in Biblical knowledge, both on his own account, and on that of the people to whom he ministered; and believing that to him, the original texts were necessary for this purpose; and finding that he could not hope to possess money sufficient to make such a purchase, he thought that in the course of God's Providence, He would furnish him with this precious gift. He acquired a strong confidence that by some means or other, he should get a Polyglott. One morning, a preacher's wife who lodged in the same family, said, "Mr. C., I had a strange dream last night." "What was it, Mrs. D.," said he? "Why, I dreamed that some person, I know not who, had ma de you a present of a Polyglott Bible."

      He answered, "That I shall get a Polyglott soon, I have no doubt, but how, or by whom, I know not." -- In the course of a day or two, he received a letter containing a bank-note of 10L. from a person from whom he never expected any thing of the kind: he immediately exclaimed, here is the Polyglott! -- He laid by the cash, wrote to a friend in London, who procured him a tolerably good copy of Walton's Polyglott, the price exactly 10L.

      The Reader will not have forgotten the most remarkable circumstance of his obtaining the money by which he purchased a Hebrew Grammar.

      These two providential circumstances, were the only foundation of all the knowledge he afterwards acquired either in Oriental learning, or Biblical Literature. In obtaining both these works, he saw the hand of God, and this became a powerful inducement to him to give all diligence to acquire, and fidelity to use that knowledge which came to him through means utterly out of his own reach, and so distinctly marked to his apprehension by the especial Providence of God. He continued in the Norman Islands three years, laboring incessantly for the good of the people who heard him, though by the abundance of his labors, and intense study, he greatly impaired his health. In the year 1787, the Rev. J. Wesley, accompanied by Thomas Coke, LL.D., and Mr. Joseph Bradford, visited the Norman Islands; where he was well received, and preached to many large congregations both in Jersey and Guernsey. While in Jersey, he lodged at the house of Robert Carr Brackenbury, Esq., who has been already mentioned: and when in Guernsey, at Mon Plaisir, the house of Henry De Jersey, Esq., under whose hospitable roof Mr. C. had lodged for more than a year, and was treated by all the family as if he had been their own child.

      There was no love lost, as he felt for them that affection which subsists between members of the same family.

      Mr. Wesley's time allotted for his visit to these Islands being expired, he purposed sailing for Southampton by the first fair wind, as he had appointed to be at Bristol on a particular day: but the wind continuing adverse, and an English brig touching at Guernsey on her way from France to Penzance, they agreed for their passage, Mr. C. having obtained Mr. Wesley's permission to accompany them to England. They sailed out of Guernsey Road on Thursday, September 6 with a fine fair breeze; but in a short time, the wind which had continued slackening, died away, and afterwards rose up in that quarter which would have favored the passage to Southampton or Weymouth, had they been so bound. The contrary wind blew into a tight breeze, and they were obliged to make frequent tacks, in order to clear the Island. Mr. W. was sitting reading in the cabin, and hearing the noise and bustle which were occasioned by putting about the vessel, to stand on her different tacks, he put his head above deck and inquired what was t he matter? Being told the wind was become contrary, and the ship was obliged to tack, he said, Then let us go to prayer. His own company, who were upon deck, walked down and at his request Dr. Coke, Mr. Bradford, and Mr. Clarke, went to prayer. After the latter had ended, Mr. W. broke out into fervent supplication, which seemed to be more the offspring of strong faith than of mere desire, his words were remarkable, as well as the spirit, evident feeling, and manner, in which they were uttered: some of them were to the following effect: "Almighty and everlasting God, thou hast [Thy] way every where, and all things serve the purposes of thy will: thou holdest the winds in thy fist, and sittest upon the water floods, and reignest a King for ever: -- command these winds and these waves that they obey THEE; and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would be, &c.!" The power of his petition was felt by all: -- he rose from his knees, made no kind of remark, but took up his book and continued his reading. Mr. C. went upon deck, and what was his surprise when he found the vessel standing her right course, with a steady breeze, which slacked not, till, carrying them at the rate of nine or ten knots an hour, they anchored safely near St. Michael's Mount, in Penzance Bay. On the sudden and favorable change of the wind, Mr. W. made no remark: so fully did he expect to be heard, that he took for granted he was heard. Such answers to prayer he was in the habit of receiving; and therefore to him, the occurrence was not strange. -- Of such a circumstance how many of those who did not enter into his views, would have descanted at large, had it happened in favor of themselves; yet all the notice he takes of this singular circumstance is contained in the following entry in his Journal: -- "In the morning, Thursday, (Sept. 6th, 1787,) we went on on board with a fair moderate wind. But we had but just entered the ship when the wind died away. We cried to God for help: and it presently sprung up, exactly fair, and did not cease till it brought us into Penzance Bay."

      Mr. Wesley was no ordinary man: every hour, every minute of his time was devoted to the great work which God had given him to do; and it is not to be wondered at that he was favored, and indeed accredited, with many signal interpositions of Divine Providence. Mr. Clarke himself has confessed that high as his opinion was of Mr. W.'s piety and faith, he had no hope that the wind which had long sat in the opposite quarter, and which had just now changed in a very natural way, would immediately veer about, except by providential interference, to blow in a contrary direction. There were too many marked extraordinary circumstances in this case, to permit any attentive observer to suppose that the change had been effected by any natural or casual occurrence.

      As Mr. W.'s appearance in that part of England was totally unexpected, (having formed his route to Bristol,) it was necessary to announce it. Mr. Clarke, therefore, a few hours after his landing, took horse and rode to Redruth, Truro, St. Austell, and Plymouth Dock, preaching in each place, and announcing Mr. W. for the following evening, all the company meeting at Plymouth Dock, on Tuesday 10, they proceeded to Exeter the next day; and on Friday 13th, they took the mail-coach, and in the evening arrived safely at Bath; where having tarried till the following Monday, Mr. W. proceeded to Bristol, and Mr. Clarke to Trowbridge, in Wilts, where the lady resided, to whom, in the course of the next year, he was married.

      Miss Mary Cooke, the lady in question, was the eldest daughter of Mr. John Cooke, clothier, of Trowbridge, well educated, of a fine natural disposition, deep piety and sound judgment. They had been acquainted for several years, and their attachment to each other was formed on the purest principles of reason and religion, and was consolidated with that affection which, where the natural dispositions are properly suited, will never permit the married life to be a burden; but on the contrary, the most powerful help to mental cultivation and the growth of genuine piety. In such cases, love and affection will be infallibly ripened and mellowed into genuine friendship, esteem, respect, and reverence. The yoke of the conjugal life becomes, as its name imports, an equal yoke -- the husband and wife are both in the harness, and each party bears its proportional share of the burden of domestic life: and in such a case, it may be most truly said, The yoke is easy, and the burden is light.

      The connection between Mr. C. and Miss Cooke was too good and holy not to be opposed. Some of her friends supposed they should be degraded by her alliance with a Methodist preacher, but pretended to cover their unprincipled opposition with the veil, that one so delicately bred up would not he able to bear the troubles and privations of a Methodist preacher's life. These persons so prejudiced Mr. Wesley himself, that he threatened to put Mr. C. out of the Connection if he married Miss C. without her mother's approbation!

      Finding that Mr. W. was deceived by false representations, both Mr. C. and Miss Cooke laid before him a plain and full state of the case: he heard also the opposite party, who were at last reduced to acknowledge, that in this connection, everything was proper and Christian; and all would be well, should the mother consent; but if a marriage should take place without this, it would be a breach of the third commandment, and be a great cause of offense among the people who feared God. As to Mrs. C. herself, she grounded her opposition solely on the principle that her daughter would be exposed to destructive hardships in the itinerant life of a Methodist preacher; acknowledging that she had no objection to Mr. C., whom for his good sense and learning, she highly esteemed.

      Mr. Wesley, like a tender parent, interposed his good offices to bring these matters to an accommodation -- made those who were called Methodists ashamed of the part they had taken in this business, and wrote a friendly letter to Mrs. C. The opposition, which had arisen to a species of persecution, now began to relax; and as the hostile party chose at least to sleep on their arms, after waiting about a year longer, Mr. Clarke and Miss Cooke were married in Trowbridge church, April 17, 1788; and in about a week afterwards sailed to the Norman Islands. Few connections of this kind, were ever more opposed; and few, if any, were ever more happy.

      The steadiness of the parties, during this opposition, endeared them to each other: they believed that God had joined them together, and no storm or difficulty in life was able to put them asunder. If their principal opponents have acted a more consistent part, it is the better for themselves; however they have lived long enough to know that they meddled with what did not concern them; and Mrs. Cooke, many years before her death saw that she had been imposed on and deceived; and that this marriage was one of the most happy in her family, in which there were some of the most respectable connections; -- one daughter having married that most excellent man, Joseph Butterworth, Esq. M. P., a pattern of practical Christianity, a true friend to the genuine church of God, and a pillar in the State: and another was married to the Rev. Mr. Thomas, Rector of Begally, in South Wales, an amiable and truly pious man. Mr. Clarke's marriage was crowned with a numerous progeny, six sons, and six daughters; of whom three sons and three daughters died young, and three sons and three daughters have arrived at mature age, and are most respectably and comfortably settled in life. I have judged it necessary to introduce these particulars here, though out of their chronological order, lest they should afterwards disturb the thread of the narrative.

      During his stay in the Norman Isles he met with much persecution from that part of the people for whose salvation he labored most. One Sabbath morning, accompanied by captain and lieutenant W. and Mr. Wm. S., having gone to preach at La Valle, a low part of the island of Guernsey, always surrounded by the sea at high water, to which at such times there is no access but by means of a sort of causeway, called the bridge; a multitude of unruly people with drums, horns, and various offensive weapons, assembled at the bridge to prevent his entering this islet. The tide being a little out, he ventured to ride across about a mile below the bridge, without their perceiving him, got to the house and had nearly finished his discourse before the mob could assemble. At last they came in full power, and with fell purpose. The captain of a man of war, and the naval lieutenant, and the other gentleman, who had accompanied him, mounted their horses and rode off at full gallop, leaving him in the hands of the mob! That he might not be able so to escape, they cut his bridle in pieces. Nothing intimidated, he went among them, got upon an eminence and began to speak to them. The drums and horns ceased, the majority of the mob became quiet and peaceable, only a few from the outskirts, throwing stones and dirt, which he dexterously evaded by various inclinations of his head and body, so that he escaped all hurt, and after about an hour, they permitted him to mend his bridle, and depart in peace.

      On his return to St. Peters, he found his naval heroes in great safety, who seem to have acted on the old proverb, "He that fights and runs away, May live to fight another day." He had a more narrow escape for his life, one evening, at St. Aubin's in the island of Jersey. A desperate mob of some hundreds, with almost all common instruments of destruction, assembled round the house in which he was preaching, which was a wooden building, with five windows. At their first approach, a principal part of the congregation issued forth, and provided for their own safety. The Society alone, about thirteen persons, remained with their preacher. The mob finding that all with whom they might claim brotherhood had escaped, formed the dreadful resolution to pull down the house, and bury the preacher and his friends in the ruins!

      Mr. C. continued to address the people, exhorting them to trust in that God who was able to save; one of the mob presented a pistol at him through the window opposite to the pulpit, which twice flashed in the pan. Others had got crows, and were busily employed in sapping the foundation of the house: Mr. C. perceiving this, said to the people, "If we stay here, we shall all be destroyed: I will go out among them, they seek not you but me: after they have got me, they will permit you to pass unmolested." They besought him with tears not to leave the house, as he would be infallibly murdered. He, seeing that there was no time to be lost, as they continued to sap the foundations of the house, said, "I will instantly go out among them, in the name of God." Je vous occompagnerai, "I will accompany you," said a stout young man. As the house was assailed with showers of stones, he met a volley of these as he opened and passed through the door; it was a clear full-moon night, the clouds having dispersed after a previously heavy storm of hail and rain. He walked forward, -- the mob divided to the right and left, and made an ample passage for him and the young man who followed him, to pass through.

      This they did to the very uttermost skirts of the hundreds who were there assembled, with drums, horns, fifes, spades, forks, bludgeons, &c. to take the life of a man whose only crime was, proclaiming to lost sinners redemption through the blood of the cross. During the whole time of his passing through the mob, there was a deathlike silence, nor was there any motion, but that which was necessary to give him a free passage! Either their eyes were holden that they could not know him; or they were so overawed by the power of God, that they could not lift a hand, or utter a word against him. The poor people finding all was quiet, came out a little after, and passed away, not one of them being either hurt or molested! In a few minutes the mob seemed to awake as from a dream, and finding that their prey had been plucked out of their teeth, they knew not how; attacked the house afresh, broke every square of glass in all the windows, and scarcely left a whole tile upon the roof.

      He afterwards learnt that the design of the mob was to put him in the sluice of an overshot water-mill; by which he must necessarily have been crushed to pieces. [7] The next Lord's-day he went to the same place: the mob rose again, and when they began to make a tumult, he called on them to hear him for a few moments; those who appeared to have most influence grew silent and stilled the rest. He spoke to them to this effect. -- "I have never done any of you harm; my heartiest wish was, and is, to do you good. I could tell you many things by which you might grow wise unto salvation, would you but listen to them. Why do you persecute a man who can never be your enemy, and wishes to show that he is your friend. You cannot be Christians, who seek to destroy a man because he tells you the truth. But are you even men? Do you, deserve that name? I am but an individual and unarmed, and scores and hundreds of you join together to attack and destroy this single, unarmed man! Is not this to act like cowards and assassins? I am a man and a Christian. I fear you not as a man, -- I would not turn my back upon the best of you, and could probably put your chief under my feet. St. Paul , the Apostle, was assailed in like manner by the heathens; they also were dastards and cowards. The Scripture does not call them men, but, according to the English translation, certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, or according to your own, which you better understand, Les batteurs de pave -- La canaille. O shame on you, to come in multitudes to attack an inoffensive stranger in your island, who comes only to call you from wickedness to serve the living God, and to show you the way which will at last lead you to everlasting blessedness!" He paused, there was a shout, He is a clever fellow, he shall preach, and we will hear him! They were as good as their word; he proceeded without any farther hindrance from them, and they never after gave him any molestation!

      The little preaching-house being nearly destroyed, he, some Sabbaths afterwards, attempted to preach out of doors. The mob having given up persecution, one of the magistrates of St. Aubin, whose name should be handed down to everlasting shame, took up the business, came to the place, with a mob of his own, and the drummer of the regiment, belonging to that place, pulled him down while he was at prayer, and delivered him into the hands of that canaille of which he was the head; the drummer attended him out of the town beating the Rogues' March on his drum; and beating him frequently with the drum sticks; from whose strokes and other misusage he did not recover for some weeks. But he wearied out all his persecutors, -- there were several who heard the word gladly; and for their sakes he freely ventured himself till at last all opposition totally ceased.

      Another escape, though of a different kind, should not be unnoticed. The winter of 1788, was unusually severe in the Norman Islands, as well as in most other places. There were large falls of snow which had drifted into great wreathes, which made traveling in the country very dangerous.

      Having appointed to preach one evening, in the beginning of January, at St.

      Aubin, the place mentioned above; he went to the town in company with the same young man who followed him out of the preaching-house, when he had so miraculous an escape from the mob; but because of the snow they were obliged to follow the sea-mark all the way along the bay of St.

      Aubin. When they arrived at the town he was nearly benumbed with the cold, and with fatigue; as it had blown hard with snow and sleet, and they were very wet, being obliged often to walk in the sea-water, to keep out of the drifts that lay on the sands. He preached, but was almost totally exhausted. He was obliged to return to St. Helliers, which by the water mark along th e bay, must have been between four and five miles: -- much snow had fallen during the preaching, and the night became worse and worse. He set out, having had no kind of refreshment, and began to plod his way with faint and unsteady steps: at last a drowsiness, often the effect of intense cold when the principle of heat is almost entirely abstracted, fell upon him. He said to the young man, "Frank, I can go no farther, till I get a little sleep -- let me lie down a few minutes on one of these snow drifts, and then I shall get strength to go on." -- Frank expostulated, -- "O Sir, you must not: -- were you to lie down but a minute, you would never rise more. Do not fear, hold by me, and I will drag you on and we shall soon get to St. Helliers." He answered, "Frank, I cannot proceed, -- I am only sleepy, and even two minutes will refresh me;" -- and he attempted to throw himself upon a snow drift, which appeared to him with higher charms than the finest bed of down. Francis was then obliged to interpose the authority of his strength -- pulled him up, and continued dragging and encouraging him, till with great labor and difficulty he brought him to St. Helliers.

      It is well known that by intense cold, when long continued the powers of the whole nervous system become weakened; a torpor of the animal functions ensues; the action of the muscles is feeble, and scarcely obedient to the will; an unconquerable languor and indisposition to motion succeeds; and a gradual exhaustion of the nervous power shows itself in drowsiness, which terminates in sleep, from which the person unless speedily aroused, awakes no more. -- This was precisely Mr. C.'s state at the time above mentioned; and had not his friend been resolute, as well as strong, but suffered him to lie down in his then exhausted state, less than five minutes would have terminated his mortal existence.

      The reader will perhaps recollect the account given in Capt. Cook's Voyages, of eleven persons, among whom were Sir Joseph Banks, and Dr. Solander, who went among the hills of Terra del Fuego, on a botanizing excursion, in January 1769; who, being overtaken with darkness, were obliged to spend the night on the hills, during extreme cold. Dr. Solander who had more than once crossed the mountains which divide Sweden from Norway, well knew that extreme cold especially when joined to fatigue, produces a torpor and sleepiness which are almost irresistible; he therefore conjured the company to keep moving, whatever pains it might cost them, and whatever relief they night be promised by an inclination to rest; for, said he, whoever sits down will sleep; and whoever sleeps will wake no more. -- While they were on the naked rocks, before they could get among the bushes, the cold became so intense as to produce the effects that had been most dreaded. Dr. Solander was the first who felt the irresistible inclination t o sleep, against which he had warned the others; and insisted on being permitted to lie down; Mr. Banks (Sir Joseph) entreated and remonstrated in vain -- down he lay on the ground, then covered with snow, and it was with the greatest difficulty he was prevented from sleeping. After a little they got him on his legs, and partly by entreaty and partly by force, brought him on, till at last he declared he neither could nor would go any farther, till he had had some sleep; -- when they attempted to hinder him, he drew his sword, and threatened the life of his friends; -- they were unable to carry him, and were obliged to suffer him to lie down, and he fell instantly into a profound sleep. Some men who had been sent forward to kindle a fire, just then returned with the joyful news that they had succeeded: Dr. Solander with the greatest difficulty was awaked, and though he had not slept five minutes, yet he had then nearly lost the use of his limbs and the muscles were so shrunk, that the shoes fell off his feet.

      Two blacks, who were in the same circumstances, could not be re-awaked, they slept their last; but all the rest on being brought to the fire recovered.

      The bay of St. Aubin, was very near furnishing another instance, to several already published, of the soporific effects of intense cold on the human body: -- the life of the subject of this narrative, being barely saved from a similar death.

      The fable of the Lion taken its a net, and delivered by a Mouse, has been, in its moral, frequently realized. Several years after this, Francis, the young man above mentioned, who was a joiner, having come to London in order to better his situation, was by sickness, the death of his wife, and other circumstances, involved in debt, and ultimately thrown into prison by a ruthless creditor: -- Mr. C., who happened to be in London at the time, (1796) heard the case, paid the debt, and delivered his friend, whom he had not heard of for nine or ten years, from his wretched circumstances; and restored him to liberty, and to his motherless children. -- No kind or benevolent act, be it done to whom it may, ever loses its reward. -- It is laid up before God, and has its return generally in this, and often also in the coming world.

      Mr. Clarke was the first Methodist preacher that visited the Island of Alderney, the nearest to France of all the Norman Islands; as it is separated from Cape la Hogue, in Normandy, only by a narrow channel three leagues broad, called the Race of Alderney. There was something singular in his visit to this Island, which he details in a Letter to the Rev. J.

      Wesley; the substance of which I shall here insert.

      Guernsey, March 16, "Rev. and very dear Sir, As in my last I intimated my intention to visit the Isle of Alderney; I think it my duty to give you some particulars relative to the success of that voyage. -- My design being made public, many hindrances were thrown in my way. It was reported that the Governor had threatened to prohibit my landing, and that in case he found me on the Island, he would transport me to the Caskets, (a rock in the sea about three leagues W. of Alderney; on which there is a light-house;) these threatenings being published here rendered it very difficult for me to procure a passage, as several of my friends were against my going, fearing bad consequences; and none of the captains who traded to the Island, were willing to take me, fearing to incur thereby the displeasure of the Governor, notwithstanding I offered them any thing they could reasonably demand for my passage. I thought at last I should be obliged to hire one of the English packets, as I was determined to go, by God's grace, at all events. "Having waited a long time, watching sometimes day and night, I at last got a vessel bound for the Island in which I embarked, and after a few hours of pleasant sailing though not without some fatigue and sickness, we came to the SW. side of the Island, where we were obliged to cast anchor, as the tide was too far spent to carry us round to the harbor. The captain put me and some others on shore with the boat. I then climbed up the steep rocks, and got to the top of the Island, heartily thanking the Lord for my safe passage. Being arrived, I found I had some new difficulties to encounter. I knew not where to go: I had no acquaintance in the place, nor had any invited me thither. For some time my mind was perplexed in reasoning on these things, till that word of the God of Missionaries came powerfully to me, 'Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, peace be to this house, and in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give you.' Luke x. 5, 7. From this I took courage, and proceeded to the town, which is about a mile distant from the harbor. After having walked some way into it, I took particular notice of a very poor cottage, into which I felt a strong inclination to enter. I did so, with a 'Peace be unto this house;' and found in it an old man and woman, who, having understood my business, bade me 'welcome to the best food they had, to a little chamber where I might sleep, and (what was still more acceptable) to their house to preach in.' On hearing this, I saw plainly that the hand of the Lord was upon me for good, and I thanked him and took courage. "Being unwilling to lose any time, I told them I would preach that evening, if they could procure me a congregation. This strange news spread rapidly through the town: and long before the appointed hour a multitude of people flocked together, to whom I spoke of the kingdom of God, nearly as long as the little strength held out, which remained from the fatigues of my voyage. It was with much difficulty I could persuade them to go away, after promising to preach to them the next evening. "I then retired to my little apartment, where I had scarcely rested twenty minutes, when the good woman of the house came and entreated me to come down and preach again, as several of the gentry, (among whom was one of the justices) were come to hear what I had to say. I stepped down immediately, and found the house once more quite full. Deep attention sat on every face, while I showed the great need they stood in of a Saviour, and exhorted them to turn immediately from all their iniquities to the living God.

      I continued in this good work about an hour, having received peculiar assistance from on high, and concluded with informing them what my design was in visiting their island, and the motives that induced me thereto. Having ended, the justice stepped forward, exchanged a few very civil words with me, and desired to see the book out of which I had been speaking. I gave it into his hand: he looked over it with attention, and asked me several questions; all which I answered apparently to his satisfaction.

      Having bestowed a few more hearty advices on him and the congregation, they all quickly departed; and the concern evident on many of their countenances fully proved that God had added his testimony to that of his feeble servant. The next evening I preached again to a large attentive company, to whom, I trust, the word of the Lord came not in vain. "But a singular circumstance took place the next day. While I sat at dinner a constable from a person in authority, came to solicit my immediate appearance at a place called the Bray (where several respectable families dwelt, and where the Governor's stores are kept) to preach to a company of gentlemen and ladies, who were waiting, and at whose desire one of the large store-rooms was prepared for that purpose. I went without delay, and was brought by the lictor to his master's apartment, who behaved with much civility, told me the reason of his sending for me, and begged I would preach without delay. I willingly consented, and in a quarter of an hour a large company was assembled. The gentry were not so partial to themselves, as to exclude several sailors, smugglers, and laborers, from hearing with them. The Lord was with me, and enabled me to explain from Proverbs 12:26., the character and conduct of the righteous; and to prove by many sound arguments, that such a one was, beyond all comparison more excellent than his ungodly neighbor, however great, rich, wise, or important he might appear in the eyes of men. All heard with deep attention, save an English gentleman so called, who walked out about the middle of the discourse, perhaps to show the islanders that he despised sacred things. "The next Sabbath morning, being invited to preach in the English church, I gladly accepted it, and in the evening I preached in the large warehouse at the Bray, to a much larger congregation, composed of the principal gentry of the Island, together with justices, jurats, constables, &c. The Lord was again with me, and enabled me to declare His counsel without fear, and several were affected. Surely there will be fruit found of this, to the honor and praise of God. Even so, Lord Jesus! Amen. "The next day being the time appointed for my return, many were unwilling I should go, saying, 'We have much need of such preaching, and such a preacher: we wish you would abide in the Island and go back no more. The tide serving at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, I attended at the beach in order to embark; but an unexpected Providence rendered this impracticable. The utmost of the flood did not set the vessel afloat; and, though many attempts were made to get her off, by hauling astern, &c., all were in vain. I then returned to the town; the people were glad of my detention, and earnestly hoped, that the vessel might sit fast, at least till the next spring tides. Many came together in the evening, to whom I again preached with uncommon liberty; and God appeared more eminently present than before, giving several to see at least, men as trees walking. This, with several other observable circumstances, induced me to believe that my detention was of the Lord, and that I had not before fully delivered Hi s counsel. The vessel being got off the same night about twelve o'clock, I recommended them to God, promised them a preacher shortly, and setting sail I arrived in Guernsey in about twenty-one hours. Glory be to God for ever! Amen. "Several very remarkable circumstances attended this little voyage, the detailing of which I omit; from the whole of which I conclude, that an effectual door is opened in that Island for the reception of the everlasting Gospel, and am convinced I did not mistake the call of the Lord. One thing I believe greatly contributed to the good that may have been done: -- viz. a day of fasting and prayer, which I got our Societies both in town and country to observe. Were this method more frequently adopted we should not attempt the introduction of the Gospel so much in vain. There is not the smallest opposition nor even the appearance of any. As to the clergyman, he is absolutely a Gallio; for, on being informed that a Methodist preacher had got into the Island, he said, A Quaker came a-preaching here some years ago and he did not convert one; and it is probable it will be the case with this Methodist also.' And so he rests perfectly contented. Indeed he preaches not at all: he reads the Liturgy and Ostervald's Reflections upon the First and Second Lessons; nor do the people expect him to do any thing farther.

      I am, Rev. and Dear Sir, Your affectionate and Obedient Son in the Gospel, Adam Clarke." Since the time above mentioned, a great increase of religion has been seen in the island of Alderney. A chapel has been built, and many have been brought from the power of Satan unto God, by means of the Methodist preachers, both English and French.

      Alderney, called by the inhabitants Auregny, lies about three leagues southwest of Cape la Hogue, in Normandy.

      This Island derives much of its supplies from France. Such as, fresh meat, butter, eggs, &c., which supply, to the great inconvenience of the inhabitants, is cut off in the time of war: and is often suspended in the time of peace, by foul weather and contrary winds. This latter was the case when Mr. C. visited this Island, no fresh meat could be found; and the people with whom he lodged had nothing to present him, but swine's flesh, an aliment of which he never partook. Indeed there was nothing to be had besides, except salt butter and ship-biscuit. Having inquired whether any fresh eggs could he procured, he had the satisfaction to find as many as he needed during his stay. An old frying-pan was found, deeply rusted, having been long out of use: from this he scraped off the thickest crusts of the rust, got a piece of butter, melted it in the pan over the fire, and with a handful of oakum (old tarred rope, unraveled to its component parts) he wiped out the pan as clean as he could, and then fried his eggs with a piece of the salt butter, which looked of a fine deep brown, each cooking serving to detach some portions of the remaining rust. Such fricassees with coarse hard ship-biscuit served him in general for breakfast, dinner, and supper, while he remained on the Island: and for this he felt thankful both to God and man. It is true, he had some invitations to go to better houses, and get better fare; but he remembered the Words of our Lord, which occurred to his mind on entering into the town, "And into whatsoever house you enter, there abide, eating and drinking such things as they give you." This house he believed the Lord had opened; and on this account he could have preferred it to the palace of the forest of Lebanon.

      While he remained in these Islands he had the satisfaction to be able to erect a convenient and excellent chapel, in the town of St. Peter's in Guernsey, and saw a large and respectable congregation established in it.

      Among these Islanders Mr. C. met with much kindness: several were converted to God, who became ornaments of their profession, and patterns of piety. In Guernsey he seldom met with an improper usage.

      Many decent, respectable families, attended his preaching, and treated him with great respect. This was the case also at Alderney. Jersey differed from all the rest, as we have already seen; yet there he had among his friends, some of the first families in the island.

      The fertility of these islands has been noticed by historians in general, -- as a proof of this, take the following examples: -- In a garden in the parish of St. Saviour's in Jersey, he saw a lot of cabbages, which, on an average, measured seven feet in height, with large and solid heads. In Mr. De Jersey's garden, at Mon Plaisir, in Guernsey, where he lodged, there was a cabbage that grew beside, and surpassed in height, a full-grown apple tree: when cut down, the stem was sixteen feet in length!

      The strawberry garden in the same place was very remarkable, both for the abundance, size, and flavor of the fruit. It will surprise the Reader to hear that from this one garden, which though large, was not enormously so, there were gathered daily, Sundays excepted, for nearly six weeks, from fifty to one hundred pounds weight of strawberries! All other fruits were in proportion, both in quantity and flavor. In Mr. Brackenbury's garden, in St. Helliers, Jersey, he cut down a bunch of grapes, which weighed about twenty pounds! When he and Mrs. Clarke returned to England, they could not relish any of the fruits, as the finest peaches and nectarines were only like good turnips, when compared with fruits of the same species produced in those fertile islands.

      BRISTOL CIRCUIT

      In July, 1789, he removed finally from the Norman islands, and, leaving Mrs. C. and his son John, then about six months old, at Trowbridge, he proceeded to Leeds, where the Conference was that year held, and where he received his appointment for the Bristol Circuit.

      By this time his studies and confinement in the islands, had preyed a good deal on his health; and the cough, which he had got several years before by sleeping in a wet bed at Beeralston, became so severe and oppressive, that it threatened his death. Mr. Wesley himself saw this, and in a visit after Conference to Bristol, told the Society that "he believed they would soon lose their assistant." He was, however, enabled to go through the work of the Circuit, which was very severe; and though there was but little prosperity in the Circuit, yet he left it both in its spiritual and temporal concerns, in a much better state than he found it. What contributed much to his ill health in Bristol was, all the lodging rooms were over the chapel, and the noxious effluvia from the breath of so many hundreds of people who assembled there throughout the week, made the place extremely unhealthy. The plan, of building all the lodging rooms over the chapel, and on which several of the original Methodist preaching houses were built, was greatly prejudicial to the health of the preachers and their families.

      In 1790 the Conference was held in Bristol, the last in which that most eminent man of God, John Wesley, presided: who seemed to have his mind particularly impressed with the necessity of making some permanent rule that might tend to lessen the excessive labor of the preachers, which he saw was shortening the lives of many useful men.

      In a private meeting with some of the principal and senior preachers, which was held in Mr. W.'s study, to prepare matters for the Conference, he proposed that a rule should be made that no preacher should preach thrice on the same day: Messrs. Mather, Pawson, Thompson, and others, said this would be impracticable; as it was absolutely necessary, in most cases, that the preachers should preach thrice every Lord's day without which the places could not be supplied. Mr. W. replied, "It must be given up; we shall lose our preachers by such excessive labor." They answered, "We have all done so: and you even at a very advanced age have continued to do so." "What I have done" said he, "is out of the question, my life and strength have been under an especial Providence; besides, I know better than they how to preach without injuring myself; and no man can preach thrice a day without killing himself sooner or later; and the custom shall not continued." They pressed the point no farther, finding that he was determined; but they deceived him after all by altering the minute thus, when it went to the press: -- "No preacher shall any more preach three times in the same day (to the same congregation.)" By which clause the minute was entirely neutralized. He who preaches the Gospel as he ought, must do it with his whole strength of body and soul, and he who undertakes a labor of this kind thrice every Lord's day, will infallibly shorten his life by it. He, who, instead of preaching, talks to the people, merely speaks about good things, or tells a religious story, will never injure himself by such an employment; such a person does not labor in the word and doctrine, he tells his tale, and as he preaches so his congregation believes, and sinners are left as he found them.

      At this Conference it was found very difficult to get a preacher for Dublin; for during Mr. Wesley's life, an English preacher was generally appointed to that station, and he was considered the general assistant, that is, Mr. W.'s representative, over all the Irish Circuits and preachers. Mr. C. was proposed by several of the preachers, but Mr. W. refused because of the indifferent state of his health: however, they at last persuaded Mr. W. to consent, provided, when the proposal should be made to Mr. C., he should not object. It was accordingly laid before him; and, as it was his maxim never to choose a Circuit, nor object to his appointment, he agreed, and was sent over to Dublin, Aug. 1790.

      DUBLIN

      At the time of Mr. Clarke's arrival in Dublin, he found himself exposed to many inconveniences. They had been building a new house for the preacher, with which they connected a large room for a charity-school.

      The preacher and his family were to occupy the lower part and first floor, and the charity-school was to extend over the whole of the building, on the second floor. Owing to the unprincipled builder, the house was not made either according to the time or plan specified. The builder was a knave, to whom the stewards of the society had trusted the agreement signed by each, which agreement he absolutely refused ever to produce. Bad brick, bad mortar, inferior timber, and execrable workmanship, were every where apparent; and the knave was safe, as he professed to have lost the agreement, but maintained that all was done according to the specification.

      The house not being ready, Mr. C. and his family were obliged to go into lodgings, which were far from being either comfortable or convenient, but it was n ear the chapel, and the new house was expected to be soon ready.

      The inconvenience of the lodging induced Mr. Clarke to enter the new house long before it was dry, which nearly cost him and his family their lives. He was shortly seized with a dreadful rheumatic affection in his head, which was supposed to be occasioned by a congestion of the bloodvessels of the brain; and in consequence of this supposition, his physicians were led to adopt a wrong treatment, which assisted the disease, and by both he was brought nearly to the gates of death. His recovery was slow and imperfect, and he was obliged, at the ensuing Conference to return to England.

      Dublin was not at that time a comfortable situation for a preacher. There had been disputes in the Society which had greatly injured it. Dr. Coke, with the approbation of Mr. Wesley, had introduced the use of the Liturgy into the chapel at Whitefriar Street, -- this measure was opposed by some of the leading members of the Society, as tending to what they called a separation from the church; when, in truth, it was the most effectual way to keep the Society attached to the spirit and doctrines of the church; who, because they were without Divine service in church hours, were scattered throughout the city, some at church, and many more at different places of Dissenting worship, where they heard doctrines that tended greatly to unsettle their religious opinions; and in the end, many were lost to the Society. In consequence of the introduction of the Liturgy a very good congregation assembled at Whitefriar Street; and much good might have been done if the rich members of the Society had not continued hostile t o the measure, by withdrawing their countenance and support, which they generally did. At last, both sides agreed to desire the British Conference, for the sake of peace, to restore matters to their original state, and abolish the forenoon's service; Mr. C., who at that time labored under the same kind of prejudice, gave his voice against the continuance of the Prayers, and, at his recommendation, the Conference annulled the service.

      This was the greatest ecclesiastical error he ever committed; and one which he deeply deplored for many years; and was thankful to God when in the course of Divine Providence, he was enabled many years after to restore that service in the newly erected chapel in Abbey Street, which he had formerly been the instrument of putting down in Whitefriar Street; -- that very same party, to please whom it was done, having separated from the Methodists' body, and set up a spurious and factious connection of their own, under the name of Primitive Methodism; a principal object of which was t o deprive the original connection of its chapels, divide its societies, and in every way injure its finances, and traduce both its spiritual and loyal character.

      It may be asked, "Why did Mr. C. in the year 1790, espouse the side of this party?" -- It is but justice to say that, to that class of men he was under no kind of obligation: he had never asked nor received favors from any of them. They had neglected him, though he was on their side of the question, as much as they did those who were opposed to them: he and his family had nothing but affliction and distress while they remained in Dublin, and that party neither ministered to his necessities, nor sympathized with him in his afflictions. What he did was from an illgrounded fear that the introduction of the church service might lead to a separation from the Church, (which the prejudice of education could alone suggest) and he thought the different societies might be induced to attend at their parish churches, and so all kinds of dissent be prevented. But multitudes of those, whatever name they had been called by, never belonged to any church, and felt no religious attachment to any but those who were the mean s of their salvation. When, therefore, they did not find among the Methodists, religious service on the proper times of the Lord'sday, they often wandered heedlessly about, and became unhinged and distracted with the strange doctrines they heard: of this Mr. Clarke was afterwards fully convinced; and saw the folly of endeavoring to force the people to attend a ministry from which they had never received any kind of spiritual advantage, and the danger of not endeavoring carefully to cultivate the soil which they had with great pain and difficulty enclosed, broken up, and sown with the good seed, -- the word of the kingdom.

      And to prove that no favor to that party, nor expectation from them, led him to advocate their cause, he did it when he had left their city and never intended more to return.

      While in Dublin, the most solemn event that ever occurred in the Methodists' Connection, took place: -- the death of the Rev. John Wesley. When Mr. C. heard of it he was overwhelmed with grief; all he could do, such were his feelings, was to read the little printed Account of his last moments. [8] Of the agitations occasioned by his death in the Methodists' Connection, it is unnecessary to encumber this narrative, as they have already been sufficiently detailed. Mr. Wesley's respect for Mr. C. was evidenced by the codicil to his last will, in which he made him with six others, trustees for all his literary property: and this codicil was at last found to supersede the will, and these seven administered to Mr. Wesley's effects, and afterwards conveyed all their rights and authority to the Conference.

      Shortly after Mr. Clarke came to Dublin, be entered himself a medical student in Trinity College, and attended several courses of Lectures; one on the Institutes of Medicine, by Dr. Dickison, Regius Physician; one on Anatomy, by Dr. Cleghorn; and one on Chemistry, by Dr. R. Perceval.

      From these studies, aided by his own sedulous application he obtained a sufficiency of medical knowledge to serve his own large family in all common cases, and to keep what he ever considered the bane of families, all apothecaries from his door. When he thought that skill superior to his own was wanted, he employed some respectable physician: and always kept and prepared the medicines necessary for domestic use. His attendance on Dr. Perceval's Lectures brought on an intimacy between him and that excellent man and eminent Physician, which has been unbroken for many years, and still flourishes with high respect on both sides.

      While in this city he formed a charitable institution, called "The Strangers' Friend Society;" and on the same principles, he founded one the following year, at Manchester; and one afterwards in London: the Rules and Plan of which were adopted and societies of a similar kind formed in almost all the chief towns in England, which still subsist in all their vigor, and have done more public good than any charitable institutions ever formed in the kingdom.

      He buried one child, his eldest daughter, in Dublin; and returned to England, in the August of 1791.

      MANCHESTER, 1791-2

      This year the Methodist conference was held in Manchester, and Mr. C. being at this time in a bad state of health, was appointed to this circuit; being advised to use the Buxton Waters, as the likeliest means of his recovery. He tried the waters both by drinking and bathing, and was greatly benefited. The following year he visited Buxton again, and had his health completely restored. Of the great utility of these waters in rheumatic affections, he has ever spoken in the strongest terms; believing that this efficacy could not be too highly appreciated.

      About this time the French revolution seemed to interest the whole of Europe. On the question of its expediency and legality, men were strangely divided. The high Tories considered it as a most atrocious rebellion; the Whigs, and those who leaned to a republican creed, considered it a most justifiable exertion of an enslaved nation to break its chains, and free itself from the most unprincipled despotism, and abject slavery. The history of this mighty contest is well known. The nation succeeded, though opposed by all the powers of Europe; and many of its officers acquired such eminent degrees of military glory, as surpassed every thing of the kind since the days of the Grecian Republics, and the times of the ancient Romans. But having defeated all its enemies, it became ambitious, and went through several forms of government: the mass of the people produced a National Assembly, -- this a Directory, -- this a consular Triumvirate -- this a Dictator, -- this a King of the French, -- this an Emperor, who ruled for a considerable time with unlimited power, and unexampled success; -- confounding the politics of the European states and annihilating their armies.

      At last Napoleon, the most accomplished general and potentate which modern times have produced, by an ill-judged winter campaign against Russia, had an immense army destroyed by the frost, himself barely escaping from the enemy; after which his good fortune seemed generally to forsake him; till at last, when on the eve of victory, at the famous battle of Waterloo, by one of those chances of war, to which many little men owe their consequent greatness and great men their downfall, he was defeated, and having thrown himself on the generosity of the British, he was sent a prisoner to the Rock of St. Helena, where, by confinement and ungenerous treatment, he became a prey to disease and death.

      On the merits of this Revolution, in all the states through which it passed, the British Nation was itself greatly divided. Even religious people caught the general mania, greatly accelerated by the publications of Thomas Paine, particularly his Rights of Man, insomuch that the pulpits of all parties, resounded with the pro and con politics of the day, to the utter neglect of the pastoral duty; so that "the hungry sheep looked up and were not fed."

      It was the lot of Mr. Clarke to be associated at this time with two eminent men, who unfortunately took opposite sides of this great political question; one pleading for the lowest republicanism, while the other exhausted himself in maintaining the divine right of kings and regular governments to do what might seem right in their own eyes, the people at large having nothing to do with the laws but to obey them. His soul was grieved at this state of things; but he went calmly on his way, preaching Christ crucified for the redemption of a lost world; and though his abilities were greatly inferior to those of his colleagues, his congregations were equal to theirs, and his word more abundantly useful. Political preachers neither convert souls, nor build up believers on their most holy faith: one may pique himself on his loyalty, the other on his liberality and popular notions of government; but in the sight of the Great Head of the Church, the first is a sounding brass, the second a tinkling cymbal. -- -- Arcades ambo Et cantare pares, et respondere parati.

      Both stubborn statesmen, both with skill inspired, To scold or bluster as their cause required.

      When preachers of the gospel become parties in party politics, religion mourns, the church is unedified, and political disputes agitate even the faithful of the land. Such preachers, no matter which side they take, are no longer the messengers of glad tidings, but the seedsmen of confusion, and wasters of the heritage of Christ. Though Mr. Clarke had fully made up his mind on the politics of the day, and never swerved from his Whig principles, yet in the pulpit, there was nothing heard from him but Christ crucified, and the salvation procured by His blood.

      While in this town, he formed that now well known Institution called the Strangers' Friend Society, which has spread over most of the populous towns and cities of England; and has been the means of turning many to righteousness, as well as of saving many thousands from an untimely death.

      In the town and vicinity of Manchester he labored for two years. Here he found many valuable friends, and had the satisfaction to know that he had neither run in vain, nor spent his strength for naught. ----------------------------------------------------

      ENDNOTES 1

      Fifty years after this event, one of these (then) young persons came and called upon Dr. Clarke, when he preached at Frome for the last time. See Appendix at the end of the Work. By the Rev. J. B. B. Clarke. 2 When Bridaine came to Paris, and it was known that he was to preach in the Church of St. Sulpice, great numbers of the highest ranks were attracted by his fame to hear him; and when he ascended the pulpit, seeing bishops, and ecclesiastics, and nobles, and many of the most exalted and wealthy personages in the realm, all thronging to hear him; -- he thus began: -- "A la vue d'un auditoire si nouveau pour moi, il semble, mes freres, que je ne devrois ouvrir la bouche que pour vous demander grace, en faveur d'un pauvre missionnaire depourvu de tous les talans que vous exiges quand on vient vous parler de votre salut. Jeprouve cependant aujourd hui un sentiment bien diffirent; et si je suis humilie, gardezvous de croire que je ma'baisse aux miserables inquietudes de la vanite, comme si jetois accoutume a me precher moi-meme. A Dieu ne plaise qu'un ministre du ciel pense jamais avoir besoin d'excuse aupres de vous; car qui que vous soyez, vous n'etes tous comme moi que des pecheurs; c'est davant votre Dieu et le mien que je me sens presse dans ce moment de frapper ma poitrine: jusqu'a present j'ai publie les justices du Tres-Haut dans des temples couverts de chaume; j'ai preche les rigueurs de la penitence a des infortunes qui manquoient de pain; j'ai annonce aux bons habitans des campagnes les verites les plus effrayantes de ma religion. Qu'ai-je fait, malheureux! j'ai contriste les pauvres, les meilleurs amie de mon Dieu; j'ai porte l'epouvante et la douleur dana ces ames simples et fideles, que j'aurois du plaindre et consoler. C'est ici ou mes regards ne tombent que sur des grands, sur des riches, sur des oppresseurs de l'humanite souffrante, ou sur des pecheurs audacieux et endurcis; ah! c'est ici sentiment qu'il falloit faire retentir la parole sainte dans cette chaire, d'un cote, la mort qui vous menace, de l'autre, mon grand Dieu qui vient vous juger. Je tiens aujourd'hui votre sentence a la main; tremblez donc devant moi, hommes superbes et dedaigneux qui m'ecoutez! La necessite du salut, la certitude de la mort, l'incertitude de cette heure si effroyable pour vous, l'impenitence finale, le jugement dernier, le petit nombre des elus l'enfer, et pardessus tout, l'eternite ... l'eternite! Voila les sujets dont je vicus vous entretnir et que j'aurois du sans doute reserver pour vous seuls. Eh! qu'aije besoin de vos suffrages qui me damneroient peut-etre sans vous sau ver?

      Dieu va vous emouvoir, tandis que son indigne ministre vous parlera; car j'ai acquis une longue experience de ses misericordes, alors, penetres d'horreur pour vos iniquites passees vous voudrez vous jeter entre mes bras en versant des larmes de componction et de repentir, et a force de remords vous me trouverez asses eloquent." 3 [A statement by the editor of this autobiography, Clarke's son Joseph B. B. Clarke:] I knew my father's mind concerning his Journals; and therefore, since his decease, every word of all of them has been committed to the flames. 4 Mr. Mabyn died in the year 1820, retaining and manifesting his friendship for Dr. Clarke to the last moment of his life. 5 and 6 These Treatises will hereafter be published among Dr. Clarke's Miscellaneous Works. 7 In the following note in Dr. Clarke's Commentary, on Luke iv. 30., he gives a very admirable account of this same transaction: what is here related of "A missionary who had been sent to a strange land," &c., is a fact of Dr. Clarke himself. "The following relation of a fact presents a scene something similar to what I suppose passed on this occasion: -- A missionary, who had been sent to a strange land to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God, and who had passed through many hardships, and was often in danger of losing his life, through the persecutions excited a against him, came to a place where he had often before, at no small risk, preached Christ crucified. About fifty people, who had received good impressions from the word of God, assembled. He began him discourse; and after he had preached about thirty minutes, an outrageous mob surrounded the house, armed with different instruments of death, and breathing the most sanguinary purposes. Some that were within, shut to the door; and the missionary and his flock betook themselves to prayer. The mob assailed the house, and began to hurl stones against the walls, windows, and roof; and in a short time almost every tile was destroyed, and the roof nearly uncovered, and before they quitted the premises, scarcely left one square inch of glass in the five windows by which the house was enlightened.

      While this was going forward, a person came with a pistol to the window opposite to the place where the preacher stood, (who was then exhorting his flock to be steady, to resign themselves to God, and trust in Him,) presented it at him, and snapped it, but it only flashed in the pan! As the house was a wooden building, they began with crows and spades to undermine it, and take away its principal supports. The preacher then addressed his little flock to this effect: -- "These outrageous people seek not you, but me: if I continue in the house they will soon pull it down, and we shall all be buried in the ruins; I will therefore, in the name of God, go out to them, and you will be safe." He then went towards the door: the poor people got round him, and entreated him not to venture out, as he might expect to be instantly massacred. He went calmly forward, opened the door, at which a whole volley of stones and dirt was that instant discharged; but he received no damage. The people were in crowds in all the space before the door, and filled the road for a considerable way, so that there was no room to pass or repass. As soon as the preacher made his appearance, the savages became instantly as silent and as still as night: he walked forward, and they divided to the right and, to the left, leaving a passage of about four feet wide, for himself, and a young man who followed him, to walk in. He passed on through the whole crowd, not a soul of whom either lifted a hand, or spoke one word, till he and his companion had gained the uttermost skirts of the mob! The narrator, who was present on the occasion, goes on to say: -- "This was one of the most affecting spectacles I ever witnessed; an infuriated mob, without any visible cause, (for the preacher spoke not one word) became in a moment as calm as lambs! They seemed struck with amazement bordering on stupefaction; they stared and stood speechless; and after they had fallen back to right and left to leave him a free passage, they were as motionless as statues! They assembled with the full purpose to destroy the man who came to show them the way of salvation; 'but he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.' Was not the God of missionaries in this work? The next Lord's-day, the missionary went to the same place, and again proclaimed the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! 8 On this occasion Funeral Sermons were preached for him in almost every place, and among the rest at City Road, London, by Dr. Whitehead, which being highly esteemed, it was shortly afterwards published: a copy of this Sermon Mr. Clarke sent to the learned Dr. Barnard, then Bishop of Killaloe, accompanied by a letter from himself; to which his lordship replied in the following letter. "April 27th, Sir, "I received the favor of your letter, and the excellent Sermon that accompanied it, on the Death of Mr. Wesley, which I have perused with serious attention and uncommon satisfaction. "It contains a true and not exaggerated encomium on that faithful and indefatigable servant of God who is now at rest from his labors, and (what is of more consequence to those who read it) an intelligible and judicious apologia for the doctrine that he taught, which he has set forth in the clearest terms, and with a simplicity of style, even beyond that of Mr. Wesley himself; without the smallest tincture of (reprehensible) enthusiasm, erroneous judgment, or heterodox opinion. He has plainly expounded the truth as it is in Christ Jesus; and I hope an believe that the dispersion of this little tract may do much good: as the sublimest truths of Christianity, are there reduced ad captum vulgi, and at the same time proved to the learned to be none other than such as have been always held and professed in the Christian Church from the time of the Apostles till now, however individuals may have lost sight of them. "I am particularly obliged to you for communicating to me this tract, and wish that I had the pleasure of knowing the author. I return you my thanks for the personal respect you are so good as to express for me, and should be happy to deserve it.

      I am, Sir, Your very obedient humble servant, Thos. Killaloe. "If I have omitted to direct this properly I hope you will excuse me, as you do not mention whether you are in orders or not."

See Also:
   Introduction
   Preface
   Book 1
   Book 2
   Book 3
   Book 4