been in bondage before-for such was the change-bounded off, and expatiated at full liberty. Here he had ample scope for the finest, the fullest, and the deepest philanthropic feelings of his heart; and for many miles round his own homestead, it was rare not to see his face turn up in the crowd, like the image on a favourite medal, which is the pride and boast of the antiquary, and fixes the eye of the spectator much sooner than most of the others which adorn his cabinet. germ of the whole. The Dissenters had a public meeting in Leeds, a few months previous to the first public one among the Wesleyans. This having been held in the course of the summer, Messrs. Scarth and Turkington visited the Conference, and expressed their views on the subject to the Rev. George Marsden, stating that something should be done in a more public way for the missionary interest belonging to their own body. With their views Mr. M. perfectly coincided. When the embarrassed state of the missionary society came before the Conference, there appeared to be no alternative between reducing the preachers at home or the missionaries abroad. There was too much zeal and liberality in the body to permit either. The subject was one of deep interest; and did not die at Conference. Mr. Morley, the Leeds superintendent, thought that if the Dissenters could raise a MISSIONARY MEETING, the Methodists might also; and accordingly suggested the subject to his colleagues, who promptly and zealously entered into his views. Not satisfied with commencing this "new thing" in Methodism on their own responsibility, they were desirous of knowing how far the proposal of a public meeting would meet with the countenance of others of their brethren. Bramley having been but recently divided from Leeds circuit—a close union still subsisting between them-and being contiguous to each other, these gentlemen proceeded thither with a view to deliberate with the Rev. W. Naylor and the biographer, who were then stationed on the Bramley circuit. No persuasion was requisite; the propriety, necessity, and practicability of the measure were manifest at* once. The Leeds and the Bramley preachers thus took the first decisive and active step in the work, which has since been carried on to such an extent. A corresponding chord was soon found to vibrate with pleasure in the breasts of the Rev. Messrs. R. Watson and J. Buckley, of the Wakefield circuit: and they were followed by Messrs. Reece and Atmore, of the Bradford and Halifax circuits, who both exulted in the prospect of so ample an harvest of good. One of Mr. Morley's colleagues, Mr. Bunting, organized the first plan-Mr. Watson wrote the first address-Mr. Buckley preached the first sermon on the occasion at Armley, a place belonging to the Bramley circuit-and the first public meeting was held in the old chapel at Leeds,-T. Thompson, Esq., M.P., in the chair. The meetings were at first beheld by some of the brethren as the dotage of enthusiasm, and as the forerunners of a marriage union with the world. But they became so productive, and were so instrumental in producing good to the contributors, that the most sturdy opponents were not unfrequently found afterwards in the chair delivering their recantation. : CHAPTER VII. His patriotic feeling-high price of provisions-differs with Mr. Pawson for prognosticating evil-letter to the Rev. Edward Irving on prophecy-threatened invasion of Buonaparte-an address to the King-Samuel's loyalty-M. A. Taylor, Esq.the suppression of a religious assembly-defence of a religious revival-his interview with Mr. Taylor-obtains à licence to preach-an allusion to him in a parliamentary debate. A MAN like Samuel Hick, whose mind was so thoroughly imbued with Divine grace, was not likely to be defective in what is termed nationality, and the still more scriptural principle of loyalty. Never did a Jew, by the rivers of Babylon, reflect with greater tenderness upon Judæa, "in a strange land," than he did upon his country. which he was in the habit of designating our island"—" our England," always considering himself as having a personal interest at stake in all its affairs; and never did a subject in any realm pour out with greater sincerity and fervour the prayer-" God save the King.". 66 During one of Mr. Pawson's appointments in the Leeds circuit, Samuel observes, "Corn was very dear. The poor people went round our town with a half-guinea in their hands, and could not get a stroke* of corn for it. Mr. Pawson came to Sturton Grange to preach, and while preaching, he told his congregation that there would be a famine in our land, and that he had seen it coming on for twenty years." Such a prophecy, from such a prophet—a man whom, like all other Wesleyan ministers, he considered an apostle of God—and in reference to his own land," of every land the pride," could not but awaken in him strange emotions. Without attempting to endue Mr. Pawson with the gift of prophecy, it is probable that he might intimate to his congregation, that he had sighed over the extreme wickedness of the wicked-having been touched by it-that, from the poignancy of his feelings, he foreboded some manifestation of the Divine displeasure--and by way of improving the subject, in order to lead the dissolute to repentance, prayer, and reformation, might lay hold of passing events in such a way as to lead Samuel-who, inapprehensive of his meaning, and not taking in the whole of the connecting links of thought,-to draw the inference stated. * Strike, a bushel. In the West of Yorkshire, a strike is two pecks or a half bushel; hence the high price of grain referred to, when poor people could not obtain a half bushel, for a half guinea. Samuel returned nome reflecting on what he conceived to be Mr. Pawson's view of the subject; and the following extract will show the acuteness of his feelings, his simplicity, and his piety. "I began," says he, "to be very miserable; and as my children were small, I thought it would be a sore thing for them, my wife, and myself to be pined to death. When I got home, I went into my closet to enquire of the Lord, whether there would be a famine or no; and while I was pleading, I got as fair an answer from the Lord, that there would be no famine, as when he pardoned my sins and cleansed my soul. I saw that there was plenty of corn to supply till harvest. But this did not satisfy me: I told my wife that I could not rest till I went to inform the preacher that there would be no famine in the land. I set off for Sturton; and when I got there, I told that dear woman of God, Mrs. Ward, my errand." Mrs. W. very properly interposed, not only on account of the lateness of the hour, which appears to have been on the same evening after preaching-but by delicately suggesting the impropriety there would be in "his pretending to dictate to one of the first preachers in the Connexion." But Samuel was not to be repulsed by either first or second, whether the claim instituted referred to the priority of time or superiority of talent. He had his one argument at hand-" Thus saith the Lord;" and proceeds, "I told her not to blame me, for it was the Lord that sent me. With a deal to do she let me into the room; and I told our brother Pawson, that the Lord had sent me to inform him that there would be no famine in the land." Mr. Pawson, whose forebodings were scarcely removed, replied, "Well, brother, I shall be very thankful to the Lord, to find it not so." Samuel taking a little credit for the correctness of his own judgment and impression in the case, and still firm in his belief in the actual impression of a famine, adds, “So we see how good men may miss their way, for there was no famine." To persons whose feelings are not immediately interested, it is sometimes amusing to hear well-meaning men, without a prophetic soul, guessing against each other for their Maker. In the present case, Samuel's conduct in going to "enquire of the Lord," manifested a spirit worthy the most simple, the purest, and best of patriarchal times: and as they were chiefly his own fears that had to be allayed, the impression that effected their removal, was so far-all prophecy on the occasion apart an act of mercy-mercy manifested in the exercise of prayer. He availed himself of this supposed prophetic failure of Mr. Pawson, February 28, 1826, when he addressed a letter to the Rev. E. Irving, who had then reached the acme of his oratorical attractions, though not of his theological reveries; and who, as Samuel had been informed, had been prognosticating national calamities because of national wickedness. The original, which is in the writer's posses sion, is a curiosity, and would, if printed as it flowed from his pen, exemplify the estimate given of his mind in the preceding pages. With the exception of a few transpositions, retrenchments in verbiage, and the occasional substitution of a word, the following may be considered as an allowable copy: "Dear Brother Irving, the Prophet in London,—— “I am informed that you have prophesied that this island is bown to come to desolation; but I think you should put a condition to your prophecy, viz., that if the people humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven, pardon their sins, and will heal the land. When the prophet Jonah went to preach at Nineveh, the whole of the people of the city humbled themselves and prayed to God; and God heard their prayer, and saved them from destruction. If there had been ten righteous souls in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, when they were destroyed, in which there were so many thousands of men, women, and children, they would not have suffered; and I fully believe, that if Abraham had pleaded on, the Lord would have saved the cities for his servant's sake; but he gave up pleading, and then they were consumed. "But I have to inform you, Sir, that there are more than ten righteous men in a city; for the little one has become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. We have our Moseses, and our Elijahs, and our Daniels, in our island, who are all pleading. We have thousands of children trained up to fear God and honour the king. We have Bible Societies, Missionary Meetings, and Tract Societies. These four institutions are the Lord's; and this island is the Lord's nursery, in which he raises up plants to plant the Gospel in all the world, in order to be a witness unto all nations. Then the wickedness of the wicked shall come to an end-all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest-nations shall learn war no more-and the whole earth shall be filled with the glory of God. "The Pope prophesied, in years past and gone,* that he should get back the inheritance of his forefathers, be set upon the British throne, and have all the churches restored: but that will never come to pass; God will never suffer the Pope to govern his nursery or plantation. We shall be governed by peaceable governors. We shall have peace and plenty. The year that has passed has been a plaintiful one for temporal food; and I trust, before we see the end of this, we shall find it to have been one of the best we ever had for spiritual food * Samuel met with a man in one of his journeys, who avowed his belief in the Roman Catholic creed, and his faith, also, in the restoration of the cathedrals and churches to the papal state. The public mind was considerably agitated at the same time with the Catholic question, and the impression produced by both, led him, probably, to introduce his Holiness to Mr. Irving. that many will be brought to the knowledge of God—and that we shall see the downfall of infidelity. "I have known good men miss their way in my day, by their prophecies. The prophets foretold that there should be wars and rumours of wars in the latter days, and that nation should rise up against nation. There has been such destruction as never was before. But these days were to be shortened for the elect's sake." Then follows his account of what he denominates Mr. Pawson's prophecy, appending to it the case of another person, who, he observes, "prophesied that our island would be covered with war and bloodshed," and, as a precautionary measure, "took his family to America, where he purchased a large estate." But, continued Samuel, "these were foolish prophecies and false prophets, and I firmly believe yours will prove to be like them. While we continue to honour God, by sending the Gospel to the poor perishing heathen, by keeping up our noble Bible and Tract Societies, and Sunday Schools, we shall neither have pestilence, famine, nor shall the sword be permitted to go through the land. And although there is at present a great stagnation of trade and commerce, yet there is a remedy for us, on certain conditions. It is not a prophet, nor an archangel, but God that made the world, and all that therein is, who says, If I shut up heaven, that there be no rain, or, if I send a pestilence, if my people that is called by my name will humble themselves, and turn from their wicked ways, I will pardon their sins and will heal their land. This is the case. Persons are turning from their sins every day. Judgment is mixed with mercy. England is one of the first islands in the world. We have liberty of conscience-we have peace and I hope trade and commerce will again revive, and that the suffering poor will have plenty of work, to enable them to earn bread for their families." 66 There is not the slightest intention in the writer to bring the Village Blacksmith" into the arena of controversy, with a view to place him in polemic array against Mr. Irving; nor need Mr. Irving be ashamed of the association, as a few of Samuel's positions are as tenable as some of those with which he has favoured the world in his more recent publications. Proceeding on the correctness of Samuel's information, which is only assumed for the occasion, his suggestion relative to the propriety of annexing conditions to threatenings, and the support which he professes to derive for this suggestion from the case of Nineveh, is worthy of respect. His application of the subject to Britain, which he illustrates by the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, showing the superiority of the one over the other-Britain with her multitude of intercessors actually engaged at the throne of grace, her Christian philanthropy, as exhibited in her institutions, and the |