Methodism in the Isle of Wight [microform] : its origin and progress down to the present times

Preface

Few places are better known than the Isle of Wight. Visitors swarm to its shores, and crowd its thoroughfares during the summer; and invalids in great numbers avail themselves of its sheltered retreats and the amenity of its climate in winter. Lovers of science have explored its varied treasures, and given to the world the result of their labours in valuable works on Geology, Botany, History, &c. Vay, one might think that every nook and comer of this lovely spot had been photographed, illustrated, and described to repletion ; but still — if we may judge from the multitude of new comers, new books published, the growing accommodation of rail, pier, and steam-boat — the interest is undiminished.

What other possible field of research can this little Isle present, which has escaped the notice of its m an y explorers? It happens that there is yet one left, which, although many would pass it by as unworthy of notice, and others would look upon it with sheer contempt, is-

IV.

PREFACE.

nevertheless neither void of interest nor instruction : that field will be found in the Methodism of the Isle of "Wight.

If we are not mistaken, "Wesley ans — and, it may he, other Christians— will not he altogether indifferent to another slight tribute of historic facts, which may go towards the more perfect illustration of the important religious movement which will be for ever interwoven in the ecclesiastical history of the eighteenth century, and of which it will form so large an element.

We have endeavoured to discover and lay open the highway along which the great Revival advanced in these parts of the kingdom, that others may pursue it without the cost of time and labour which it required at our hands. At the same time the task was far from being uncongenial Or unprofitable.

The author’s thanks are due to the numerous friends who have most cheerfully rendered him valuable aid, two of whom it would be unpardonable not to name— the Rev. Dr. Etheridge and the Rev. William Moister.

Newport, Isle of Wight, March ±th, 1865.

CHAPTER I. Page Origin of the name Wight . . 1

First settlers 2

Druidism 3

Introduction of Christianity . 5

Saxon invasion .... 5

Wesley raised up . . . .7

CHAPTEE II.

The Wesleys detained at Cowes . 8

Benjamin Ingham ... 9

Charles Wesley preaches at Cowes 10 Sail for America . . . .11

The Moravians on board ship . 12 Lady Margaret Hastings . . 12

Wesley’s second visit to the Island 13 Spread of the revival . . .13

Beaches Portsmouth and Newport 16 The first Society in Newport . 16 Carisbrook Castle . . . .17

Origin of first Society . . .18

Wesley’s second visit to Newport . 19

CHAPTEE III.

Mr. Hall 21

John Furz 24

Begins to preach . . . .28

The Earl of Pembroke . . .30

An extraordinary sermon . . 32

Death of a persecutor . . .34

Charles Wesley in Dorset . . 35

CHAPTEE IV. page

The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain . 38 llis conversion . . . .39

Christian labours and death . . 41

Salisbury made the head of Circuit 43

J ohn Nelson 44

Wesley’s third visit to the Island . 44 Quarterly and Class Meetings . 46

CHAPTEE V.

Itinerants 51

Thomas Johnson . . . .53

John Murlin . . . .54

The Itinerant’s horse . . .56

Item from Steward’s book . . 57

Thomas Hanby . . . .57

Kobert Koberts . . . .58

James Morgan . . . .58

Departures from the work . . 59

Bichard Henderson . . .60

CHAPTEE VI.

The first Society in Portsmouth . 62

John Mason 63

Alexander Mather . . .65

William Minethorpe . . .69

Alexander Coates . . . .69

Preachers’ Fund, and letter of Dr.

Adam Clarke . . . .70

Winchester 71

John Catermole . . . .76

VI

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII. Page

Elizabeth Bushell ... 77

Wiltshire divided ... 80

Whitefield’s death ... 80

Francis Asbury .... 81

Bichard Bourke and Wm. Eels . 84

First Home Missionary to the

Isle of Wight ... 85

Kichard Eodda .... 87

Wesley’s views of itinerancy . 90

Bichard Whatcoat — Wm. Green . 90

CHAPTER VIII.

Extensive revival — Perfect love . 95

The revival spreads ... 98

Captain Webb . . . .103

Bobert C. Brackenbury . . 104

CHAPTER IX.

First preaching place in Newport 106 New chapel .... 108 Opened by John Wesley . . 110

Jonathan Cousens . . .112

William Hoskins . . . 115

George Story .... 116 Bevival still in progress . . 117

Wesley on the Island . . . 121

CHAPTER X.

Bookley — Thomas Whitewood . 123 Bevival — Bobert Bull . . . 127

William Ashman . . . 130

Sketch of Preachers . . . 132

CHAPTER XII. Page

Winchester new chapel . . 148

Mr. John Etheridge . . . 151

Wesley and Coke at Yarmouth . 153 The Mother of John A. James

and the Methodists . . 154

Death of Charles Wesley — The

Wesleyan Hymn-book . . 156

A Home Missionary resident in

the Isle of Wight . . .157

Lette-s respecting him . . 158

The first chapel at Portsmouth . 160

CHAPTER XIII.

Wesley’s last visit to the Island . 164

His death 166

Joseph Sutcliffe, M.A. . . 169

Jasper Winscom & Jos. Bradford 170 Wootton Bridge — Wm. Legg . 171

CHAPTER XIV.

The Bev. James Crabb . . 177

Appointed to Portsmouth Circuit 178 Wearisomejourneysandhardfare 179 His health fails .... 183 His character .... 184 Effects of war .... 185 Intolerance at Southampton . 186

CHAPTER XV.

Birthplace and early life . . 190

Awakened under Mr. Crabb at

Southampton . . . 193

Her conversion of the New Testa-

CHAPTER XI.

ment type

Merston — Mary Prangnell .

. 134

Her letters .

•

Bobert Wallbridge — Letters

. 138

Eetums home

•

Mary Ward ....

. 146

Letters to her sister .

•

John Damp ....

. 147

Her self-denial, benevolence, &c.

CONTENTS,

Vll,

CHAPTER XVI.

Page

CHAPTER XIX.

Page

Dairyman’s Daughter becomes

A Sabbath School opened in known to Legh Richmond .

His error respecting her

Home Mission work .

Legh Richmond’s letters to her .

Haven Street New Chapel

Unfinished narrative .

Her Will

A noble Convert .

Rev. S. Marsden ....

The Island made a Circuit

The Dairyman ....

Wesleyan Literature .

Narrowmindedness

Circuit Income .

Mr. R. Bull

CHAPTER XVII.

Mr. R. Yelf .

Rev. Legh Richmond’s relation to

Revds. J. Rigg and E. B. Lloyd .

Methodism ....

Shalfleet

His clerk and housekeeper were

Methodists ....

CHAPTER XX.

Bembridge

Cause confined to Newport

John Wheeler ....

State of the roads

Legh Richmond visits the Island

Yarmouth .

His silence respecting Methodism

Mary Coward

Robert Smith and John Burdsall

George Arnold

CHAPTER XVIII.

Revival

Civil and religious state of the

Freshwater .

Island

Mrs. Mitchell

Smuggling .....

Methodism introduced

Wreckers

East Cowes— Osborne .

Chale ....

West Cowes — first chapel .

Blackgang .

New chapel at Newport

Landslips

Ryde of recent growth

Mr. Russell opens his house for

Methodism feeble in its origin .

preaching

New chapel ....

An interesting incident

Discouragement ....

The Bryanites f •

Revival

Visit of a band of Missionaries .

CHAPTER XXI.

Chapel relieved of debt .

Ministerial Staff in 1825

• •

Sea View

A fishing adventure .

• •

John Matthews ....

Dissent in Hampshire in 1827

Rev. David M’Nicol . . .

New chapel at West Cowes

.

Page

First Wesleyan Missionary Society in the Isle of Wight

.

Bishop of Winchester .

. .

Noke Common .

Rook ley

• .

Melancholy end of a persecutor .

Rev. B. Carvosso

Captain John Matthews

•

CHAPTER XXII.

Yentnor

Beauty of its scenery .

Rapid growth

Methodism introduced

Future prospects .

Rev. Zephaniah Job .

Dr. Cole

New chapel, Godshill .

Earl of Yarborough .

•

New chapel, Wootton-bridge

Miss E. Roach, a seal of Mr.

Dawson’s ministry

•

Mr. and Mrs. Groves .

• • .

Blackwater

New chapel, Mereton .

Page

Red Hill

New chapel, Niton

Shorwell

A sun-set scene .

Carisbrook

Rev. Calvert Spensley

Rev. Joseph T. Milner

Newport chapel debt .

Juvenile Home and Foreign Missionary Society

Missionary Jubilee

Progress in the Ryde Circuit

Renovation of Newport Chapel .

Scheme for extinction of Chapel

Debts in Newport Circuit .

Projected Day School at West

Cowes .....

Conclusion

Schedule of Chapels, Local Preachers, Leaders, and Stewards, in Newport Circuit

Schedule of Chapels, &c., in the

Ryde Circuit ....

List of Ministers who have travelled in the Isle of Wight . 342 s i

METHODISM IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.

CHAPTER I.

“ I love thee, O my native isle !

■ When I trace thy tale

To the dim point where records fail,

Thy deeds of old renown inspire My bosom with our fathers’ fire :

A proud inheritance I claim

In all their sufferings, in all their fame.”

Various are the conjectures of Historians and Etymologists as to the origin of the name “ Wight,” by which this Island i 3 now known. The most probable is, that it is derived from “ Guith” (British), or, anglicised from the Homan “Yectis” (divorced). The Island forms the southern extremity of the county of Hampshire, and is divided from it by the Solent sea. Its length is 22 miles 5 furlongs, its breadth is 13f miles, and possesses a superficial area of 98,320 acres, having a population of about 60,000. Its principal river is the Medina, which, as its name imports, runs through the Island, and divides it into two nearly equal parts. The soil yields a varied and luxuriant produce, its climate is highly salubrious, its scenery beautiful — often unique — and its inhabitants

B

METHODISM IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.

are remarkable “ for health high circling mantled in their cheek,” and for longevity.

To see the Isle of "Wight to advantage, it should he traversed leisurely on foot, having time to peer into its caves, nooks, and comers — to climb its gangs and cliffs — to examine its cromlechs and numerous tumuli, with the subterraneous abodes of its aboriginal inhabitants ; and to walk on its high downs, on a mossy sward soft as velvet, stretching as they do for miles, like vast ramparts along the sea shore, or sweeping inland to the very heart of the Island. The highest points command extensive views, which stretch across the Solent far into the counties of Hants and Dorset on the north, Portland Pill to the west, and it is said that the coast of Prance has been seen from St. Catherines, which is the loftiest hill in the Island.

The frequent occurrence of tumuli, crowning the summits of the downs, and scattered along their sides, carries the mind irresistibly back to the dim and remote past. Imagination calls up the wandering tribes who first peopled these lands. You picture to yourself the Island, when it was a vast impenetrable forest, where the wild beast crouched in his lair, and the venomous reptile gorged his prey, undisturbed by the presence of man.

Yo date can be given, or hardly conjectured, but time was when the white cliffs of Albion were descried for the first time from the opposite shores of ancient Gaul, and some bold spirits, prompted by curiosity, or the love of adventure, crossed the channel : or, it might be stress of weather, or pursuing foe, caused the first settlers to approach in their frail coracles, and seek shelter on these

FUSION OF BACES.

shores. The beauty and fertility of the newly-discovered country would soon be known in the old, and quickly the restless Celt swarms over and plants new colonies on the southern shores of Britain.

Meanwhile, kindred tribes may have sent adventurers, as tradition tells, across the “ hazy sea,” from the shores of what is now modern Germany and Denmark. New comers continually arrive, the interior is penetrated, and as in America and our colonies of this day, a process was going on by which the whole country was more or less peopled. And to what a marvellous extent has this process been conducted in these islands, as, age after age, migratory or conquering wave upon wave of human beings, differing in race, language, and religion, have swept over them Cymri, Belgae, Homan, Saxon, Jute, Dane, and Normaneach contributing its part to form the Anglo-Saxon race : thus resembling the far-famed Corinthian metal, which was neither iron, nor copper, nor silver, nor gold, but was a fusion of all metals into one mass, in which the excellencies of each were combined.

The religion of the early inhabitants of these isles was Druidical. This form of religion — no doubt, originally pure and patriarchal — was brought by the wandering tribes who filed off from the plains of Shinar at the dispersion. It prevailed over the continent of Gaul, but it is admitted by ancient writers to have existed in its purest form in this country. This is certain, that the ancient Druids possessed a considerable amount of both religious and scientific knowledge, including music, and that they were not only priests to offer sacrifices for the people and conduct their worship,

METHODISM 1ST THE ISLE OE WIGHT.

— but also their instructors ; while there is but the slenderest evidence to prove that their followers were the untutored, naked savages which they have been represented.

Believing it to be unlawful to build roofed temples, they worshipped in the open air, always choosing the shade of a majestic oak, situated, if possible, in a grove. This was inclosed by one or two circular rows of stone pillars, which were covered with horizontal stones ; these were, in some instances — as maybe still seen at Stonehenge, in the adjoining county — of enormous weight. Near to these temples they reared their cromlechs, or stone altars, for their sacrifices. It has been supposed that these sacred enclosures had some reference to Paradise, from which our first parents were driven in consequence of their sin. Be that as it may, it is remarkable that there is such a striking similarity between the practices of our British forefathers and those of the Hebrew Patriarchs. Of the 11 friend of God” it is said, “ Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Loed, the everlasting God.” — Gen. xxi., 33 ; see also Gen. xxxv., 8, Josh, xxiv., 26.

“ The groves were God’s first temples, ere man learned To hew the shaft and lay the architrave,

And spread the roof above them, — ere he framed

The lofty vault to gather and roll back

The sound of anthems. In the darkling wood,

Amidst the cool and silence, he knelt down And offered to Thee solemn thanks And supplication.”

i v - HI

Like the religion of other ancient nations, however pure

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY.

in its origin, Druidism became corrupt and perished. It is well known that it was an object of the bitterest hate of the Romans, who, shortly after their conquest of this country, pursued it to its last refuge in the Isle of Anglesea, and there inflicted so severe a blow that the Druid could never again raise his head.

During the Roman occupation, Christianity was introduced into England, and, in a comparatively short time, became the prevailing religion of the country. During the period that elapsed between the first and second invasion of Britain, an event took place which, for importance, finds no parallel in the history of our world — the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose atoning death is the only foundation of the sinner’s hope, and whose coming was announced by angels as “ glad tidings of great joy to all people.” That Gospel was early proclaimed in these remote islands, but by whom it would be hard to say. Some contend that the embassy of God’s mercy was brought to our fatherland by St. Peter, others say by St. James, or Joseph of Arimathea; while many claim the honor for St. Paul, who, it is said, preached the Gospel in the “ Western parts” — that he brought salvation to “ the islands that lie in the ocean,” and that, in preaching the Gospel, he went to “the utmost bounds of the West.”

Soon, however, there came a night of sorrows. In the fifth century, the roving Saxon cast a covetous eye upon .the lovely valleys of Britain, and resolved upon its conquest. Pierce and bloody was the conflict, but the Celt, and with him the Christian religion, was compelled to retire and seek a retreat amid the mountains of Wales and the obscure isles

I

J

METHODISM IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.

of the sea ; and the fair fields of Christianity, fall of the promise of a rich fruitage, were overrun with the desolations of pagan superstition, and the grim Odin and Thor became the ruling deities.

In the year 495, Cerdic, with his son Henric, established the kingdom of West Saxon. They conquered the Isle of Wight, slew the inhabitants, and replaced them with Jutes and Saxons.* This night of weeping was turned into the morning of joy when, on the 10th of August, 597, Augustine and his band of evangelists landed on the shores of England. The darkness and immoralities of Saxon superstition gave place to the Gospel, and the light of Divine truth once more shone upon the nation. The Isle of Wight was the last place in the kingdom to receive the Christian faith. This happy event took place in 687, ninety years after the mission of Augustine.

The early ecclesiastical history of the Island furnishes no incidents worthy of note. Its isolated position, probably, preserved it from the sword of persecution, which fell so keenly on the church during the dark day of papal rule. The blood of the martyrs was not the seed of the church in Yectis, nor do its annals supply an illustrious name to grace their pages. Ireland has its St. Patrick, Iona its Columbia, Scotland its Knox, and England its Wickliffe and Wesley — names which will live when those of the proudest warriors have perished with the rust of time.

* The Jutes were a Teutonic or Scandinavian tribe who inhabited Jutland, or North Denmark ; Saxon (from “ scax,” a knife, sword, or dagger), a people who came from the North of Germany,

RECOVERED LIFE.

While this Island fell, with the rest of the nation under the iron yoke imposed by Popery during the dark ages, it also shared in the emancipation secured by the glorious Reformation. Still, while it is gratefully acknowledged that the struggles of the sixteenth century brought to our churches freedom from the doctrinal errors and superstitions of Rome, it cannot he denied that there was a great lack of experimental life. During the latter part of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth centuries, religion languished for want of spiritual strength to a degree that rendered it powerless for good. That want was supplied when God, in his abundant mercy, raised up the Wesleys, Whitefield, and others, who with a tongue of fire proclaimed the Gospel from Land’s End to John O’Groats, with a power which neither the keen sarcasm of the sceptic, the popular fury of murderous mobs, the polished shafts of the learned, shot from the strong bow of bigotry, nor the cold formality of a dead religious profession, could withstand.

And in this there lies a marked difference between the two greatest of Reformers: Luther struggled to recover lost truth, and he restored to the world the Word of God, — Wesley laboured to recover lost life, and, with the blessing of God, he restored experimental religion to the Church.

The results of the labours of these men are matters of history, and are to be found this day in the hundreds of thousands of Methodists who are scattered over the face of the whole earth. To trace the rise and progress of this work of God in this Island, and adjacent places, will be the object of the following pages.

MMMMi

Chapter II. (1735—1753.)

" Bear me on, thou restless ocean,

Let the winds my canvass swell —

Heaves my breast with warm emotion,

While I go far hence to dwell :

Glad I bid thee

Native land — farewell, farewell I”

The length of time — now more than one hundred and ten years— since Wesleyan Methodism secured a foundation in the Isle of Wight, makes it probable that we shall never know the exact circumstances under which the first stone was laid of the spiritual edifice which by the grace of God has been reared. Nearly twenty years before that even, John and Charles Wesley had been on the Island, and Charles had preached several times at Cowes. They were detained by stormy weather as they were on their way to America. Under date “ Nov. 1 , 1735,” John Wesley says : “ We came to St. Helen’s harbour, and the next day into Cowes road. The wind was fair, but we waited for the man-of-war which was to sail with us. This was a happy opportunity of instructing our fellow-travellers. May He, whose seed we sow, give it the increase !”

“ Thur. 20.— We feH down into Yarmouth road, but the next day we were forced back into Cowes. During our stay here there were several storms, in one of which two ships in Yarmouth road were lost.

THE WESLEYS DETAINED AT COWES.

« Sun. 23. — At night I was awoke by the tossing of the ship and roaring of the wind, and plainly showed I was unfit, for I was unwilling, to die.

“ Tues., Dec. 2. — I had much satisfaction in conversing with one that was very ill and very serious. But in a few days she recovered from her sickness and her seriousness together.

“Wed. 10. — We sailed from Cowes, and in the afternoon passed the Heedles. Here the ragged rocks, with the waves dashing and foaming at the feet of them, and the white side of the Island rising to such a height perpendicular from the beach, gave a strong idea of c Him that spanneth the heavens, and holdeth the waters in the hollow of his hand !”

From the Journal of Mr. Benjamin Ingham, who was one of the Oxford Methodists, and a fellow- voyager of the Wesleys, we are able to cull some additional facts. He sa y S ; — “ Having now no further doubt but that I was intended by Providence to accompany Mr. Wesley, on Tuesday, 14th Oct., 1735, he, his brother Charles, myself, and Mr. Delamotte (son of a merchant in London, who had a mind to leave the world and give himself up entirely to God), being accompanied by Mr. Morgan, Mr. Burton (one of the trustees), and Mrs. James Hutton, took boat at Westminster for Gravesend, and went on board the * Symmonds.’ We had two cabins on the forecastle, I and Mr. Delamotte having the first, and Messrs. Wesley the other. Theirs was made pretty large, so that we could all meet and pray in it.

“ 17. — Mr. Wesley began to learn the German language,

METHODISM IN’ THE ISLE OF WIGHT.

in order to converse with the Moravians, — a good, devout, peaceable, and heavenly-minded people, who were persecuted by the Papists, and driven from their native country, upon account of their religion. They were received by Count Zinzindorf, of Hernhut, who sent them into Georgia.

“ 19. — Mr. John Wesley began to preach without notes, expounding a portion of Scripture extempore, according to the ancient usage.

“ Sun., Nov. 2. — We passed the fleet at Spithead, and came into Cowes road, off the Isle of Wight, where we lay till the 10th December. During our stay here, we had an excellent opportunity of promoting the work of God among our fellow-passengers. Mr. Charles Wesley being known to the minister at Cowes, preached several times in the Island, and read at a poor woman’s house to a good number of people, and I believe they were not a little edified by his admonitions and exhortations.

“ 3. — Took a walk into the Isle, where we agreed upon the following resolutions : — ‘ In the name of God, Amen ! We, whose names are under- written, being fully convinced that it is impossible either to promote the work of God among the heathen, without an entire union among ourselves, or that such a union should subsist unless each one will give up his single judgment to that of the majority, do agree by the help of God : first, that none of us will undertake anything of importance without first proposing it to the other three ; secondly, that whenever our judgments differ, any one shall give up his single judgment or inclination to the others; thirdly, that in case of an equality,

SAIL FOE AMERICA. II

after begging God’s direction, the matter shall be decided by lot.— J. W., C. W., B. I., C. D.’ ”

Mr. Ingham enumerates several things which he re- V garded as providential reasons for their detention at Cowes. Those reasons were — the departure of a gentleman from the ship who scoffed at religion and was a snare to him ; the removal of the second mate, who “was a very insolent and ill-natured fellow, who had abused many of the passengers, and also Mr. 'Wesley, and at last affronted Mr. Oglethorpe to his face;” and the reception of a young man on board who gave the following account of himself: “he had left his parents, he said, who were rich, though he was their only son, because they would not let him serve God as he had a mind. He used to spend a good part of the night in prayer, not having opportunity to do it by day. When he left home he did not know where he should go, having no clothes with him ; hut he did not seek for money or worldly enjoyment, he desired only to save his soul. hen he was travelling, he had prayed that he might go to some place where he could have the advantage of public prayers and the holy sacraments. Several times he had thoughts of turning hermit ; but Providence had brought him to us, and he was glad to meet with ministers with whom he could freely converse about spiritual things. This, I think,” says Mr. Ingham, “was another reason for our delay. All love, all glory, be to thee, 0 Lord !”

“ 10. — How, at length, it pleased our Heavenly Pather to send us a fair wind. We left Cowes about nine in the morning. We made the best of our way, running between seven and eight miles an hour. Most of the passengers

METHODISM IN' THE ISLE OF WIGHT.

were now sick ; I was so for about half-an-hour, Mr. John "Wesley scarce at nil .”*

That ship bends her sails to the winds which are to waft her over the ocean. Amid the thousands which are continually leaving the shores of Britain, she is almost unobserved, and soon forgotten. But elements are at work in that little bark which, ere long, are to assume a form and concentrate a power which is destined, in the providence of God, to be felt not only in the mother country, but throughout the world, and to the end of time. Follow that ship, and look on board. There is the band of missionaries, consisting as we have seen, of John and Charles Wesley, and their two companions. Influenced by missionary zeal, John Wesley had refused to settle down in his father’s quiet living at Ep worth, and, with the approval of his noblehearted mother, was on his way to convert the wild Indians of America, but was soon to learn the humiliating fact,

* After Mr. Ingham’s return from America, he married Lady Margaret Hastings, to whom his ministry, it is supposed, had been made useful. This event created no little surprise in the circles of fashion in which she had heretofore moved. “ The Methodists,” says the Countess of Hereford, « have had the honour to convert my Lord and Lady Huntingdon both to their doctrine and practice ; and the town says that Lady Margaret Hastings is certainly to

marry one of their preachers, whose name is Ingham.” “ The news

I hear from London,” writes a witty lady from Rome, “ is that the Lady Margaret Hastings has disposed of herself to a poor wandering Methodist preacher .” This union, notwithstanding the scornful pity of the world, proved a happy one. Mr. Ingham was the means of raising many societies in Yorkshire, which were united with the Moravians. He died in 1772, four years after his wife, who departed this life in the ecstacy and triumph of faith.

wesley’s interview with the Moravians.

that he himself was unconverted. Beside about one hundred other passengers, there are about twenty-six Moravians, the influence of whose conduct upon John "Wesley, especially during a storm, was of so marked a character as to he justly regarded as the turning-point in his future history. Again, while in America, he seeks advice from one of these devoted men, and, like Nicodemus, was met with a startling reply: “My brother,” said the Moravian, “ I must first ask you one or two questions — • have you the witness within yourself ? does the Spirit of God bear witness with your spirit that you are a child of God?” Wesley, like the Jewish ruler, was surprised and confounded ; but the impression made, and the work thus begun, by the searching questions of Spangenburg, was completed after his return by the further instruction which he received from Peter Bohler in London, when the day of Gospel light broke upon him, and — is it too much to say — upon the nation.