municate spiritual comforts. He governed as a father, and with the tenderness and affection of a brother. Plainness of speech and of manners, as well as of dress, was the characteristic of Bishop Asbury. Though he possessed gifts and attainments, yet they were laid at the foot of the cross. The faithful historian

will place him in time to come among the bright stars in the constellation of the church of Christ. His sufferings and trials he had familiarized himself to; they will only be fully known in a blessed eternity.

To meet the prejudices and conflicting views of the ministry, in many particulars, as he did, it appears now as if he was directed by a special providence. He was the principal agent in the organization of the church, and had the entire appointments, as Bishop, of the President Elders to their districts, and the stationing of preachers on their circuits, for more than thirty years. He was admirably calculated for the discharge of this duty. When the Conference of preachers would justify it, his discriminating judgment was peculiarly manifested in send ing to a circuit two of different talents, calculated to be useful to different temperaments and dispositions. A son of thunder and a son of consolation were not unfrequently yoked together. Pursuing this course, he gave a powerful and perhaps a lasting impulse to Methodism in these United States. When this venerable servant of God visited the west, every feeling heart was gladdened by his presence.

"The Bishop, as a preacher," says my friend, Mr. W. Beauchamp, in his Western Christian Monitor, "Occupied the first rank among ministers. He was deep, spiritual and animated. He defended, illustrated and enforced the doctrines of the gospel with great energy of thought, and strength of expression. His grasp of thought being great, and his mind naturally systematic, his discourses were well arranged and full of instruction. He had a singular art in comprising any leading doctrine in all its bearings and consequences, within the compass of a few words. Hence, though his sermons were generally short, yet they contained a vast deal of matter. His voice was strong and manly; yet it was sweet and pleasing. His oratory was bold and dignified; yet it was natural. It sometimes broke forth impetuously upon the immense multitudes who attended his ministry, and moved them as the trees of the forests are moved by a mighty wind."

"The labours of this extraordinary man," continues Mr. B. "were astonishingly great. For almost half a century he traversed this vast continent, encountering the heat of summer, and the cold of winter. He pressed through every difficulty, through storms of rain and snow, through dreary forests, and over vast mountains, in the execution of his arduous task. During the VOL. III.

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whole course of his ministry, he probably travelled more than two hundred thousand miles; preached from fifteen to eighteen thousand sermons; presided at more than two hundred confer ences, and perhaps ordained more ministers than any other man."

"But his toils and his sufferings are no more. He has entered upon everlasting enjoyments in the presence of his God, through the blood of Jesus Christ. For we wish to be understood, that he expected salvation through this BLOOD alone." He died in 1816. Beauchamp's Western Christian Monitor, for July, 1816, p. 310, &c.

Feb. 11, 1820.

THEOPHILUS ARMENIUS.

(To be Continued.)

AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF GOD IN CANAAN, N. Y.

(Concluded from page 394.)

ALTHOUGH nothing special has appeared till of late, yet in general an ardent spirit of prayer for the prosperity of the cause of Christ has inspired their hearts. In the winter of 1819 the prospect of a good work revived their spirits; the plants in Zion were watered, but their prospects were soon blasted.

I now come to a relation of the present work. The 5th and 6th of Febuary last the Quarterly-meeting was held in Pittsfield, Westpart. The presiding elder could not attend; we felt disappointed, but concluded to do as well as we could. The congregation was large on the sabbath; we had a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The brethren from Canaan felt their strength renewed. They returned home and had a powerful prayer-meeting in the evening. The Sunday following the glory of God was manifest to their souls; some appeared solemn on Thursday night, while the Lord fed his children on the hidden manna of the kingdom. About this time Mrs. M. had a singular dream: she dreamed the day of judg ment had come, and a multitude of people were arraigned before the Judge she saw a number pass before the Judge, and received their sentence. Some were condemned, and others acquitted. Her turn was soon to come. She felt fearful for the consequences. She finally dropped upon her knees, and began to pray to God to have mercy upon her, to pardon her sins, and save her soul. She awoke and found it a dream. The spirit of God impressed it upon her mind, that this was a loud call to be in readiness to meet her final doom. Her mind became so deeply affected, she soon after informed her husband of her exercises, and said to him, she thought it time for them to lead a new life. The Lord inclined his heart to set out with her, to strive to flee the wrath to come. On Friday Feb. 18,

they concluded to go and see Brother T. Norton, and tell him how they felt, and ask him to pray for them. They set off, but met Brother N. before they got to his house. Mr. M. told him he was going to his house on particular business. As he, Brother N. had started for Alford, he asked him if he could not do the business at his house as well. They agreed to return. They opened their minds freely; and brother N. stayed and talked with, and prayed for them about two hours, and left them deeply sensible of their wretched situation. Within four or five days from this time they found peace with God, through faith in Christ. Convictions began to multiply. The thunder from Mount Sinai poured forth its alarming voice into the ears of many. It was found necessary to have meeting every day and night. On Wednesday, March 1, they appointed meeting at nine o'clock in the morning: the congregation was large; some of the neighbours who had been at variance with each other confessed their faults with tears, and asked forgiveness of each other. The power of God reached the hearts of those who were unconcerned. Such a time was never witnessed in this place before. One evening they had prayer-meeting at E. Hill's; in this meeting it was proposed that all who felt resolved to lead a new life, and wished the prayers of the people of God, might manifest it; several expressed their desires for salvation. Meeting broke up: one aged woman, eighty-four years old, returned home with her grand children between ten and eleven o'clock. After they got home, the eldest son, who professed to have experienced religion about a year ago, saw his aged grandmother in deep distress of soul on account of sin, and also his brother and sisters crying aloud for mercy, said unto them, let us pray. They kneeled down and began to pray to God to have mercy on their souls. The father and mother were in bed; but hearing the voice of prayer-immediately rose, and came into the room. The father had never experienced religion. His children said, father, pray for us, that God may save our souls from hell. The old man felt awful; and began to think he must pray for himself. He united with his aged mother and children to implore the forgiveness of their sins. The eldest son, feeling the need of help, ran to the next house and called upon Brother J. Norton, who said, what is wanting? O, said the young man, I want you to come up to our house and pray for us. I have left all the family on their knees crying to God to have mercy on them. He went immediately and found them wrestling with God in prayer for salvation. They continued till three or four o'clock in the morning. Two or three found peace, and since this time the Lord has blessed the grandmother and her son. Her son had two children married, who, with their husbands, have experienced the favour of God.

In

this family ten have become the hopeful subjects of renewing grace. The work now became so general and labourers so few, the brethren sent a line to me; I received it on the 5th of March, in Goshen, Connecticut, while attending a Quarterly-meeting. I left the town Sunday evening, and Tuesday I arrived in Canaan. I called at my oldest brother's, but as he was not in I went on, concluding to visit the people; but I felt so impressed for my brother, I thought I must return and see him; I returned and found him at home. The moment he saw me, tears started in his eyes; I said to him, "You have new times here." He replied, "Yes." I said, "Do you think this work is the work of God?" He said, "Yes, I do." I said, "Do you desire to share in the blessings of this work?" He replied, Yes." I said to him, "Have you made up your mind to seek salvation till you find it, if it be for you? With tears in his eyes, he said, "I have." I then said, "Are you willing to join in prayer?" he said, "Yes." I said, "Let us pray." For the first time I now saw my oldest brother fall on his knees, and cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner." On Friday following about eight o'clock in the morning, my brother had retired to the barn for prayer, and while wrestling in prayer, the Lord whispered, "Son, thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee, go in peace." The peace of God flowed like a river into his soul. This morning soon after sunrise, brother Buel called and said he wanted some help, for there were seven or eight persons at his house who were in an agony of soul crying for mercy. After breakfast we went up to his house for prayers. About nine o'clock the meeting began, and it continued till two o'clock, P. M. In this meeting the Lord made bare his arm, and six or seven found redemption in the blood of Christ. They were all young people belonging to Richmond. They returned home rejoicing in Christ Jesus. The Lord is now carrying on a good work in that town. In the evening we met in the meeting-house.Listening hundreds were addressed from John ix. 27. Wherefore will ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Many seemed to say, "We will."

Saturday evening, we met in the meeting-house for prayermeeting, hundreds assembled; all were solemn, and many were refreshed from the presence of the Lord. Sunday the congregation was very large. In the afternoon the Lord was present, and every heart appeared touched with the softening influences of the Holy Spirit; every ear was opened, and hundreds were weeping on account of their sins. Deep solemnity pervaded every countenance, while they were addressed from 2 Cor. iv. 7. We truly found the gospel to be a treasure that enriched our souls. Its power took hold of an aged sinner, and brought him to see all was not well. In the evening he requested the pray

ers of the people of God, at which time ten or twelve rose to manifest their desires for salvation, and also requested the prayers of the people. Monday morning at sunrise we met for prayer. It was truly an affecting scene to see a father bathed in tears, inviting his son in the most affectionate manner, to break off from sin and to go with him to a better world. The Lord was truly in our midst. One man who had lived upwards. of seventy years a careless life, saw himself to be a wretch undone without an interest in Christ, fell on his knees and sought for mercy.

A remarkable instance took place in the awakening and conversion of a very profane man in middle life. He had attended the meetings since the work began but seldom; one of his companions in folly, who had become a subject of the work, felt impressed to go and visit him. He proposed the thing to one of his neighbours, who had been long a professor. They accordingly agreed to go in the morning; the neighbour got to the house first, and told him his errand, that he had come to talk with him on the subject of religion. The man replied that he did not wish to hear any conversation on that subject, for he was as good as any of them; and said moreover, "I am going to work." As he went out to the barn, he met his old companion, who immediately introduced the same subject, saying, "I have come to invite you to lead a new life, and to pray with you :" The man replied, that he did not want any of his counsel; and as to praying, he could pray where he was, and therefore, needed not his prayers. He went into the house, and the man went to work at his mill. The men united in prayer for their hardened neighbour, and his family; but God, who can work with or without means, soon found way to his heart while at work. His mind became deeply affected under a piercing sense of his sinful condition. In the evening the burden of unpardoned sin became so great, that he went to meeting and requested the people of God to pray for him; for about sixteen hours the horror he felt in his mind was inexpressible; but the Lord appeared to his deliverance. He now bids fair to be useful.

I would notice one instance more in which the grace of God has been manifested in an extraordinary manner. A man who for some years had been established in the deistical system, in the first of the revival, attended the meetings but seldom. At length he consented to go a few times: he soon began to feel measurably serious, and to meditate upon the work now going on, and its happy effects. One evening he stayed in class-meeting, the children of God spoke freely of his goodness to them. Others expressed their determinations to strive to flee from the wrath to come. In this meeting this deist became sensibly convinced of the reality of religion, and made up his mind