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public conduct was such that I wished to throw off all profession. But my father would not allow me to do so. I reasoned with him, and told him how unfit I was to meet in class, &c. &c. But he insisted upon it, and threatened to turn me out of the family if I did not comply. I now stole in after singing and prayer, and when asked the state of my mind, I faithfully stated that I had no wish to be religious; that I did not want to come there, and I could not tell why, when such was the state of my mind, I should be forced.' I now desired to be an infidel-got hold of what infidel works I could to furnish me with arguments; and as the preachers, both local and itinerant, always came to our house, I was sure, if the occasion served, to propose some puzzling question. And often have I teased, I am sorry for it, some of the weaker brethren in this way. But when I met with those who could meet my objections, I would back out by saying, 'I could say more, but I will not pursue the argument.' My conduct was now growing worse and worse every week, and my hostility to worship became such that I refused to kneel either in the house of God or at family prayer. I used to crouch down to deceive my father, and never would I allow my knees to touch the floor.

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In this way I went on, till a Mr. Alexander Strachan came to labour in the circuit; at which time a revival of religion broke out, and many were added to the church. When I saw persons struck down by the power of the Spirit, and others beginning to pray for mercy, I felt disposed to laugh and ridicule. Mr. S. saw my smiling contempt, and reproved me, but without effect. At length the Spirit of God began to move on my heart. Serious thoughts took possession of my breast. The tear started in my eye, one knee was bent to the floor, then the other. Then the prayer for mercy was presented. This was soon observed, and Mr. S. came to speak to me, and others to pray The following evening I went to a class meeting; after which, the members engaged in prayers with and for me, and one or two others, for some time. At length the weight of the burden was gone, but the evidence of pardon was not imparted. However, from this time, I went on steadily and zealously. The evidence of pardon was not long withheld; but the exact time, at this distant date, I cannot distinctly recollect. I now became zealous and active in the Church; took a part in prayer meetings, fellowship meetings, &c.; distributed tracts, gave exhortations at prayer meetings; became an active teacher and visitor in the Sunday school, &c. &c.

"About this period I professed to receive the blessing of entire sanctification; and I am now inclined to think that I did, though I afterwards reasoned it away and rejected the doctrine of instantaneous sanctification; and even preached against it, the reflection of which now is cause of deep regret

"I now began to have thoughts about preaching, and portions of Scripture were applied to my mind that seemed to intimate that it was the divine will I should be so engaged. Mr. Strachan once challenged me on the subject. I gave him an evasive answer, for which he reproved me, and afterwards proceeded to give me advice as to my piety, studies, and labours, and urged me to be faithful to God and his grace. I now felt disposed to make a trial; but, for what reason I know not, my father opposed me, and checked all such desires as far as he could. At length, when about seventeen years old, a

local preacher persuaded me to go with him, and take an afternoon appointment at a small village called Windlehurst. I went and spoke about twenty minutes from, "And he preached unto him Jesus," and have frequently since heard of one man who speaks of it to this day, and says he shall have to bless God through eternity that ever he heard the lad. My appearance was very juvenile, and I wore a seal fur cap at the time. Having thus begun, I went on preaching at different places until the next preacher's plan came out. A foolish thought, together with my father's opposition, led me to determine I would never preach again-a resolution which I kept for I think full three years.

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'But my mind was not at rest during this period on the subject. I frequently felt that I was grieving the Spirit. Often in reading the Bible the word of the Lord would be applied with great force, such as, "Go thou and preach the gospel.' Jeremiah i. 5, was often before my mind. Still I resisted. My soul became barren, and the means of grace lost their sweetness in some measure. Now, such was my determination not to preach, that I resolved not to read the Bible any more. I would not be disturbed by the frequent passages I was so often meeting with about preaching. I therefore laid the Bible aside. Still I kept up private prayer and attention on the public and social means of grace. But they were often as wells without water. This I did for, as far as I can recollect, near three months. But by this time my soul was so dead, and my religion so near extinct, that I was assured, unless some change shortly took place, I should be like the foolish virgins.

"One Sabbath, having revolved my state in my mind, and seen and felt the awful end to which I was tending, I resolved to devote the evening to secret meditation and prayer, and send the servant to chapel. As I lived with my grandmother at that time, either I or the servant had always to stay with her in the evening. I generally left the servant and went myself in the evening, and sent the servant some other part of the day. On this occasion I reversed the order. When the girl was gone, I requested grandmother to allow me to occupy the kitchen or the parlour. To this she objected, but at length complied. Now I closed all doors. There was a room between me and grandmother. I got a small stand, a Bible, hymn-book, and I know not what else. First, I entered into an examination of myself; then kneeled to acknowledge my lukewarmness and backslidings; then prayed that God would heal, and point out to me what to do; that he would enable me to read his word, and direct me to that which was suitable and which would be profitable, &c. Then I rose and opened the Bible. I had not been accustomed to make it a lottery, and had great objections to doing so. But on this occasion I thought I would not choose a portion, but would open the New Testament and begin to read; for any where I should find that which was the word of God, and if accompanied by the Spirit's teaching, would be profitable. I opened therefore, shall I say accidentally? no,-on 1 Cor. ix., and began, 'Am I not an apostle?' Said I within myself, 'It is strange that at once I should begin to read about preaching. But I will not look at the beginning of the chapter, I will get away from it by going to the middle.' I therefore cast my eyes to the middle of the chapter, but my eyes feel on verse 16: For though I preach the gospel, I have

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nothing to glory, for necessity is laid upon me,' &c.; and such an application of the word did I feel to myself, that I shut the book, fell on my knees, saying, 'Can it be that such a simple, weak-minded, rebellious creature as I, can be called to preach the gospel? and is necessity laid upon me? Lord, canst thou not excuse me? May I not be deceived? Let me not take such an office without being assured of thy will, and without assurance that thou wilt qualify and give me grace for the service. I now rose, opened the New Testament again to 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2, and not as though I read, but as though a voice spoke through my whole frame, I charge, &c.' And O! that word charge.' Never can I forget the effect. I have seldom thought of it since without feeling a solemnity come over me that has almost chilled my blood. I fell on my knees again, and told the Lord I would no longer resist, I would do his will; but requested that he would now give me a promise of support, and that he would give me light to form something like a sermon, &c. I now opened to Phil. iv. 19, and a sweet sense of God's favour and assurance of his mercy rested upon me. At once I saw into the text, and wrote something like a sketch of a sermon. From this time I ceased to be disobedient to the heavenly call. I began to preach, and was soon admitted on the plan, and went through the course of others, laboured with acceptance and usefulness.

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"In the latter end of the year 1834, the agitation commenced in connexion with Dr. Warren. I bought his pamphlets, and was thought to favour his side. This I think caused a little shyness on the part of the preachers. They took no pains nor sought any opportunity to reason with me on the subject. My father had frequent conversations on the subject, and very warmly espoused the cause of Dr. Warren. The Grand Central Association was now formed in Manchester, and parties employed to go through the country lecturing on Methodist polity. In some of these I was led to take a part. But not till after the superintendent had declared to my father that there were certain traditional laws by which their district meetings were governed, which were perfectly known to Dr. Warren, and therefore it was highly wrong for him to disturb the societies,' &c. This state ment was a strange one in my ears. 'What!' thought I, 'traditional laws-laws only in memory and capable of any alteration which the art and device of man may put upon them. Traditional laws. Why kept traditional? Is it that the people may not know them? and these traditional laws opposed to their written laws? Why, they may make traditional laws to subvert every law in Methodism. I will never remain united to a people that are governed by tra ditional laws.'*

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"I now began to consider what I must do. The agitation amongst the association I did not altogether approve, and feared that it would be productive of much harm. I had heard uncle S. speak about the New Connexion, and thought I would make further inquiry. At one of the places where I went to preach I met with an old man, who had met with them at a place where he resided when a soldier. He described them as a very kind, loving people, the very reverse of what he had heard.

* These so-called traditional “laws" were merely the usages of the Connexion.

"I now determined to go to Stockport and inquire them out. I did so. I met with many Wesleyans, who all looked at me with somewhat of surprise, and wondered I was not going to one of their chapels. I did not tell them where I was going. After some difficulty I found Mount Tabor Chapel. I was surprised to see so many persons I knew there. I determined to see the minister, Mr. Cooke. A Mrs. Ollerenshaw, whom I recollected, and who knew me when a boy, introduced me to him, and invited me to her house to dinner. Mr. Cooke was very open, and made me promise to preach for him in the afternoon at Portwood. I did so. I was struck, when the service was over, to observe the great familiarity and christian union and love that seemed to exist between minister and people. I had not been accustomed to such a manifestation of primitive simplicity and christian union, and this had a powerful influence in leading me to cast in my lot amongst them. Then I went with Mr. Cooke to tea, and he explained the principles of the Connexion, gave me a copy of the large rules, intimated if I wished he would propose my name to their next leaders' meeting. I consented, and the following Tuesday morning received a note, by Mr. Ollerenshaw, jun., from Mr. C., stating that I was accepted, and requested to preach on the following Lord's day morning at Mount Tabor. I now judged it time to send in my resignation to the superintendent, as I could not be a member of two christian Churches at the same time.

"Now I was at rest. Did I want reform? I had found it—a liberal government? I had found it, and I had no more need to distress myself in seeking change. I never regretted the step that I then took. I have loved the Connexion, and given it my labours cheerfully and heartily-rejoiced in its prosperity, sympathized with it in adversity, and stood by it in every trial.

"A short time after I had left the Wesleyans and joined the New Connexion, Dr. Warren wrote to father to use his influence with me to join them, and to take the Nantwich circuit, a place where 1,200 members had seceded. Father did so. But I told him I could not be so inconsistent. What would the world say, when they saw me in three societies in the short space of a few months? Besides, they were not yet a body. They had avowed no principles-no one knew what they were or what they would be. Father wrote accordingly. Again Dr. W. wrote to father urging the necessity of the case, and father seemed displeased that I would not comply. But in conscience I did not feel free. I was content to be where I was. God was blessing me and making me useful. My union with the Methodist New Connexion commenced the latter end of January, or beginning of February, 1835."

(To be concluded in our next.)

PRAYER is the language of dependence. He who prays not, is endeavouring to live independently of God. This was the first curse, and continues to be the great curse of mankind.

THE BIBLE AND THE FATHERS.-When God's word is expounded by the fathers, then it is even like one that straineth milk through a coal-sack, which needs must spoil and make the milk black.

9

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE:

THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR POSITION, AND THEIR CLAIMS TO SPECIAL ATTENTION.

WHO can view the young without deep concern? Whether we contemplate their number, or the station they are to occupy, or the duties they are to perform in future life, they form by far the most interesting portion of the human family. The aged, indeed, are venerable, and have special claims on our attention and esteem. They instruct and edify by their wisdom, their experience, their example, —at least, those of them who are truly pious. "When the hoary head is found in the way of righteousness it is a crown of glory." But the period of their usefulness is short. Bright, and lovely, and engaging as is the setting sun, we know it will soon cease to enlighten the world. The aged are descending the hill of life, and are within a few steps of the house appointed for all living. The place which now knows them, will in a little time know them no more. The sun, which has for scores of years lighted them to their labours and varied pursuits, will soon, very soon, shine upon their graves.

Not so with the young. Their prospect extends before them into many years of future life. They are to occupy the stations of their ancestors. They are to become the sources of families and Churches— to sustain offices in civil society, and to perform the various and momentous duties which an unerring and gracious Providence will assign them in the world. Is it not, then, of the greatest importance to intelligent beings at large, to their family connexions and friends in particular, that they should be well fitted to discharge these dutiesfitted so to discharge them as to please God, and promote the happiness of their fellow-creatures?

To awaken the attention of our friends generally to the young, and to call forth pious efforts in their behalf, is the object of the present article. Its writer has long seen and felt the importance of this subject. The young, with him, have for years been objects of labour and intense solicitude. With many in the Connexion he is personally acquainted, who thus feel and act in relation to the juvenile portion of our people. Still, something more is necessary. The young are in danger of being seduced by the efforts of infidels, and semi-infidels, by High Church prejudice, and the popery of Oxford and of Rome. Nay, all that ingenuity can invent, or worldly taste and fashion can dictate, we now see employed to arrest their attention. Means are being used either to destroy all pre-possessions in the hearts of the young in favour of religion, or else to divert them from all serious consideration of its nature, claims, and value. Instances of this might be specified. Tell us, ye musical concerts, and ye halls dedicated nominally to literary and scientific pursuits, but desecrated by pantheistic lecturers -mere worshippers of nature; tell us how many of our young have had their moral senses blunted, and in some instances their spirituality entirely destroyed within your walls! We could a "tale unfold" of one who, with hundreds of our Sabbath scholars, was early taught to sing

"Jesus, I love thy charming name."

What is he now? A pantheist; nay, a scoffer at revelation. Other

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