easy character of the labour to an investigation of other instances of gross neglect, so it gave Mr. T. an opportunity of stating in the house the necessity there was for the ecclesiastical authorities to enquire, whether the different places belonging to the establishment were supplied with religious instructors, noticing the case of which he was informed by Samuel, arguing from thence that it was not to be wondered that a blacksmith " in Yorkshire should apply to him for a license to authorize him to preach as a dissenting minister. When one of the newspapers was handed to Samuel, in which the fact was stated, and the allusion made, he was not a little elated, and in his simplicity could even connect with the circumstance, in way which no one beside himself could do, the "government churches" which were soon afterwards erected; and would have as -for such was his knowledge of the politics and ecclesiastical history of the day-attributed every new edifice to that as to any other cause. Though some of these goodly structures were not very well attended, he was far from viewing them as useless: They will be ready," said he, "for the millennium when it comes, for we shall want them then :" not that he really wished any other religious body to enjoy them; but he was confident that they were not erected in vain. He generally spoke respectfully of the Church of England, and indulged a pleasing hope that she would rise to be more holy, active, and useful than she had ever been. soon His power in prayer-divine impression-an afflicting providence-remarkable answers to prayer-familiar expressions in prayer to be avoided-encounters a blacksmith -his usefulness-his meekness under persecution-singular method of selfdefence against the aspersions of a clergyman-musical festivals-Mr. Bradburn -love-feast-perfection-seasonable remarks—the doctrine of sanctification maintained in opposition to a clergyman-cheerful disposition-indiscretionate zeal in a meeting convened by the Society of Friends. THAT which imparted real elevation of character to Samuel was his strong faith, and his power with God in prayer; and here it is that he was seen rising out of the habiliments of the blacksmith,-surrounded by the visitants, stunned with the din, and enveloped in the smoke of the smithy,—like a being belonging to another world, gradually unfolding himself, or suddenly breaking upon the spectators in the true spirit of an angel of light. A few instances have been adduced of his power in prayer on his own behalf; but he has still to be viewed in the character of a successful intercessor. He had an impression upon his mind one day that he ought to go to the coal-pit, for what he termed "a load of sleck."* But having a tolerable stock in the smithy, he hesitated and attempted to suppress it. The impression was renewed, and—“ Go, go," was reiterated, as by a voice from within. "I'll pray about it," said he to himself. But "go," was still the language which he seemed to hear while engaged upon his knees. He rose and told his wife he was going for a load of "sleck." She, as was natural, opposed him, pointing to the heap in the smithy as a substantial reason why he should stop at home. But his argument was in his heart, and to this he attended, yoking the horse to the cart, and driving off to the pit, without anything to support his conduct except the naked impression specified. On reaching the spot, a person exclaimed, in a state of great trepidation, "Aye, Sammy, you are well come; such an one (mentioning the person's name) has been nearly killed, and we want you to pray with him!" The poor sufferer had just been brought up from the pit when he arrived; and the persons around him were about to extract a piece of wood, which had fallen upon him, penetrated his shoulder, and forced its way, like the spear of Abner, through the opposite * Tho refuse or smaller part of the coal used in furnaces, &c. 88 side of his body. On perceiving their intentions from their conduct, Samuel said, in a hurried tone, "Do not take it out; if you do, he will die in a moment."* The spirit of prayer was the element in which he breathed; and for such employment he was always ready. He knelt by the side of the poor man, wrestled with God for his salvation, and obtained satisfactory evidence of an answer to the petitions he presented at the throne of grace. "I now saw," says he, "for what it was that I had to go to the pit." And yet with this result there are persons professing the Christian name who would denounce the impression as enthusiastic, and who would, together with the calamity, insert his being at the pit at that precise period in the chapter of accidents, which occupies in their estimation so large a share of the business of human life. Only preserve religion in the background, or abstract it entirely from the subject, and these persons will talk, both seriously and poetically, of the mind being darkened, like the sunny landscape, by a sudden cloud, auguring a coming tempest; and of such impulses deserving attention, as being the hints of our guardian spirits that danger is impending. All this is allowable in verse, and the poet is admired for the sentiment, while the heathen philosopher is permitted to descant upon it in prose; but the moment the man of God asserts the fact—from whom the others have received it, either directly or remotely, and afterwards marred, by lowering it—he must be sent through the world with the brand of an enthusiast upon his forehead! This incident in his history would, in all probability, never have taken place had he not been a man given to prayer-prayer for all—giving utterance, on one occasion, to an expression, into which he threw his whole soul, "I will pray my knees red raw before any of my family shall perish." A circumstance not less remarkable occurred at Pontefract, a place where Samuel was highly respected, and where he deeply interested himself in the erection of a new chapel. It was agreed, in order to aid the collection at the opening, that each collector should deposit a sovereign in his box, and that the collectors should be changed each service. Samuel entered into the plan with his native ardour, and promoted, in various instances, its accomplishment. lecting the names of friends who were likely to afford aid, he On recolimmediately proceeded to their residences, and accosted them"Why, the friends are bown to open a new chapel in Pontefract: * How he became possessed of this opinion, or whether he had entertained it any length of time, is difficult to state; but it is not a little singular to find that it is in consonance with the notions and practice of some of our ancestors, who, in tournaments and ancient combats, frequently permitted the shaft of death, which had been propelled through the body, to remain there for a short time, with a view to staunch the blood to a certain extent-when the wound was deemed mortal-till the person should be enabled to express his last will in the settlement of his affairs. To this you intend to be there, don't you, and to be a collector?" exordium he appended the plan, closing in with a personal application: "You approve of it, don't you?" In cases of approval, accompanied with a doubt, whether there would be an opportunity to attend, he generally relieved them, by observing, "I will tell you what you must do; you must give me a sovereign, and I will get some one to collect for you." Such was his success, by this mode of procedure, that on the day of the opening he handed over to the treasurer nearly twenty pounds. On the morning he took his seat, previously to the commencement of the service, in a pew near the pulpit. He had promised himself much enjoyment, and was just sipping of its streams, while glancing upon the collecting worshippers, when he suddenly became unaccountably discomposed. He vacated his seat, and, taking up his hat, directed his steps to the gallery, where he placed himself by the side of a young lady in one of the front pews. It was instantly suggested, "Thou hast done it now,-perched in the front for everybody to look at thee,— they will think it is nothing but pride that has led thee here." The chapel was exceedingly crowded; and no sooner was his soliloquy ended than the congregation was thrown into a state of the utmost confusion, by an unfounded alarm respecting the safety of the building. The young lady who sat next him leaped on the top of the pew, and was in the act of precipitating herself into the body of the chapel, when Samuel with promptitude, equalled only by his composure, prevented her, by taking her in his arms, exhorting her at the same time to "be still," saying, "I would rather die in a Methodist Chapel than any where else." He now saw, as in the * This and the preceding anccdote grace the review of this work in the Wesleyan Magazine for 1834, p. 526, and both are ushered in with the following remarks:"We are not sure whether Mr. Everett intends to represent the village blacksmith as a merely ordinary, or as an extraordinary character. In either case he has said too much. On the first supposition, some of the statements are unnecessary; on the last, injurious. For instance:" then follow the two statements in question, viz., Samuel's visit to the coal pit, and his conduct in Pontefract chapel; both of which are filed off to the left as "injurious statements." Two other cases are quoted by the same reviewer; one referring to a false impression, and noticed as such by the biographer-(See note, p. 303, in the early editions)—an impression entertained by Samuel respecting his call to the missionary work; and another to his having been "led by inclination to a public meeting of the Society of Friends" (ibid. p. 166), in which he spoke, and for which he also stands rebuked by the biographer. As it respects the last of these, and with a view to strip the second of its providential aspect, this Wesleyan Reviewer, in the Wesleyan Magazine, flippantly remarks: "It appears he [that is, Samuel Hick] exhibited symptoms of uneasiness in other places besides the Pontefract chapel;" and then adds, in reference to each, "All this, indeed, may 'amuse,' for it is likely to excite the wonder of the credulous and the smiles of the sceptical; but that it will either 'instruct' or 'edify' is more than can reasonably be expected." So, the salvation of a human being-a poor collier, cannot "edify" or "instruct!" To save a female from a premature grave is calculated to excite a "smile!" Would the reviewer have been equally callous and indifferent if case of the poor collier, a reason for the feeling which induced him to leave his first seat, and occupy another of such prominence. An immortal spirit was in all probability saved, in the first instance, from perdition; human life, in the second, from a premature grave. The female is still living, and a member of the Wesleyan Society. In the course of a summer of excessive drought, a few years back, when grain suffered greatly, and many of the cattle, especially in Lincolnshire, died, Samuel was much affected. He visited Knaresborough, at which place he preached on the Lord's day. Remaining in the town and neighbourhood over the Sabbath, he appeared extremely restless in the house in which he resided, during the whole of Monday. He spoke but little-was full of thought-now prayingnow walking about the room-next sitting in a crouching posturethen suddenly starting up, and going to the door, turning his eyes the one had been his brother, and the other his sister? However unreasonable it may be in his estimation to expect edification from such statements, not a few professing Christians, both Wesleyans and others, will have sagacity sufficient to perceive the finger of Divine Providence in both instances-be instructed in a display of Divine goodness -and will have gratitude, piety, and humility enough to acknowledge it; and thiswhatever reason may look for-and look for with all the hopelessness of despair, the Sacred Writings will expect. But is nothing to be penned that will "excite the wonder of the credulous?" What, then, becomes of the apparition and witch stories of John Wesley, in the early volumes of the Wesleyan Magazine-the work for which the Reviewer is encouraged by its Editor to write, and the still more wonderful statements in the Journals of Wesley ? Is nothing to be placed upon record calculated to "excite the smiles of the sceptical?" What becomes, in such case, of the miracles of CHRIST and his APOSTLES? They have been laughed at by Voltaire, Hume, Gibbon, and others. Still, it is reiterated, that the facts stated are not calculated to "edify or "instruct." But the fault may be as much owing to the indisposition, the temper, the prejudice, or dulness of the critic, as to the character of the statements. A female, noticed by one of the ancient philosophers, is represented as complaining of the darkness of the room, when it was found, on inspection, that she herself was blind. It may be demanded of this Wesleyan sage, who has assumed the office of censor, and the admission of whose article argues excessive dearth in the critical department, whether the mariner is not instructed to avoid the rock on which others split ? whether it is impossible for a person to reap instruction from anything but what he is called upon to imitate or reduce to practice? If so, what is to become of the miracles of the Old and New Testament ? We are no more bound to imitate them than to follow Samuel Hick in his various movements; and yet we may be instructed by both, though not to an equal extent. " Whatever the present Editor may have done, his predecessors, Messrs. T. Olivers, G. Storey, and J. Benson, would have hesitated to give currency to such remarks; and the biographer is authorised to state that John Wesley would not have given them insertion, because such an act would have been to oppose what he himself, in scores of other cases, had been at the trouble to insert and at the expense to publish, for the edification and instruction of the public, in his works-works, as stated in a previous note, edited by the Rev. Thomas Jackson himself, the Editor of the Magazine. In those works there are various instances of individual restlessness-frequent shiftings, till the purposes of Providence should be accomplished-and unaccountable impressions, many of them similar, and not a few, still more strange than those exhibited by the Village Blacksmith.* * See Appendix. |