Life of Rev. John Wesley Childs: for twenty-three years an itinerant Methodist minister

Front matter

Life of Rev. John Wesley Childs

LIFE

REV. JOHI WESLEY CHILDS.

Preface

The following Biography lias been prepared at the suggestion of the friends of the deceased, and with an earnest desire to do good by its publication. If it shall meet with a favourable reception, and the publisher shall find the sale of it profitable, then the widow and children of the deceased will be allowed a suitable remuneration for the copyright. Since the sum which the widow will receive for the copyright depends upon the sale of the book, we hope that a generous public will give it a cordial reception.

The author has no interest whatever in the proceeds of the sale ; these are, in part at least, to accrue to Mr. Childs's family, for whose benefit, so far as a pecuniary consideration is concerned, it has been prepared. But the main object has been to do good, by laying before the public the life of one of the holiest men that has ever lived.

In the preparation of this work, the author has, in some instances, been at a loss for material to supply certain connecting links in the chain of

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PREFACE.

events making up the life of the subject of this Memoir ; but he has done the best he could with the materials in hand, and has chosen rather to present certain portions of his life in a disjointed manner, than to supply the connection from the imagination, or from unsatisfactory sources of information.

The author takes this occasion to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mrs. E. B. Early, of Lynchburg, Virginia, wife of the Rev. John Early, D. D., for her kindness in collecting material for the biography, and in arranging Mr. Childs's correspondence for publication.

The book has been prepared under the pressure of bodily afflictions, and amid frequent interruptions from various causes ; but, as the great object of the author has been to do good, and not to gain celebrity in authorship, it is now submitted to the public without any other concern than that which arises from the desire that it may prove successful in the mission on which it is sent.

The Author.

Norfolk, Virginia, April 1, 1852.

Chapter I. Introductory

Advantages of biography — Especially religious biography — An account of the general habits of Mr. Childs — A description of his person and manners — Extract of a letter from Mrs. Childs rage 13

Chapter II. His Early Boyhood

His birth — Parentage — Early education — Habits and temper— Goes to Georgetown to live— Letter from Rev. William McKenney, giving an account of him while an inmate of his family — His return home 24

Chapter III. His Residence In Richmond

Goes to Richmond — Lives with William Allison, Esq. — His habits — Associates — Awakening — Conversion — Joins the church — Extract of a letter from Mrs. Childs — Spiritual conflicts — Wellnigh becomes discouraged — Reconsecrates himself to God — Mrs. Allison's account of him — Painfully exercised on the subject of preaching — Leaves Richmond 32

Contents

/IAPTER IV.

RESIDENCE IN FAIRFAX FROM 1822 TO 1827.

Mr. Childs's attachment to Mr. Allison and family — His health — Returns to Fairfax county — Attempts merchandising— Farming— Teaching — Fails in all — Unhappy — Call to the ministry — Painful conflict with his convictions of duty — Obtains a license to exhort — Makes a round on the Calvert circuit with his father — Licensed to preach — Travels Carlisle circuit part of the year — Obtains a recommendation to the Baltimore Annual Conference — Is received and transferred to the Virginia Conference, and • placed on the Albemarle circuit Page 43

Chapter V. Brunswick And Caroline Circuits. 1828 And 1829

Entrance upon his work — His reception — Close preaching — Revival — Rev. J. G. Claiborne's account of his habits, labours, and usefulness — Attends Conference — Appointed to Caroline circuit — State of the circuit — Letter to Mr. Claiborne — Death of his father — Closes his labours on the circuit — Attends Conference — Appointed to the Mecklenburg circuit 61

Chapter VI. Mecklenburg And Greenville Circuits. 1830 And 1831

Early at his work — His labour — Revival — Letter to Mr. Claiborne — His habits and temper of mind — Influence — Successful year — Goes to Conference — Is appointed to the Greenville circuit — Rev. R. G. Bass his colleague — Walks round his circuit — His reasons for it — Difficulties on the circuit — Attends Conference — Is appointed to the Buckingham circuit 62

Chapter VII. Buckingham Circuit. 1832

His activity in his work — Fidelity as a preacher — Troubled again about walking and preaching — Letter to his presiding elder on the subject — Letter to Rev. R. G. Bass — His faithfulness as a pastor — Sanctification— End of the year — Attends Conference, and appointed presiding elder of the Yadkin district

CONTENTS.

Chapter VIII. Yadkin District. 1833

The office of presiding elder — The Yadkin district — Author's first acquaintance with Mr. Childs — His attention to his work — Impression he made on the district — Troubled in mind about walking and preaching — Letter to Miss Rives — Letter to Mr. Bass — Great revival — Camp-meetings — A thrilling anecdote — Extracts from his Diary — Letter to Mr. Bass — Diary — Anecdote — Increased earnestness upon the subject of sanctification — Close of the year — Trip to Lynchburg, Va. — Thence to Richmond — Thence to Raleigh — Conference — Returned to the district — Goes to Lynchburg— Extract from his Diary on the day of his marriage Page. 80

CHAPTER LX.

Correspondence with Miss Martha S. Rives — His margin ion

Chapter X. Salisbury District. 1834

Returns to his district — Diary — Narrow escape of himself and wife — Letter to Mrs. E. — His labours — Revivals — Letter to his wife — Diary — Attack of illness — End of the year — Leaves his wife and child for Conference — Appointed to the Amherst circuit — Review of his labours as a presiding elder 140

Chapter XI. Amherst Asd Amelia Circuits. 1835 And 1836

Returns to North Carolina for his family — Goes to his circuit — Letter to his wife — Diary — Circuit labour — Visit to Albemarle circuit — Old friends — Extracts from his diary — Close of the year — Attends Conference — Anecdote — Appointed to Amelia circuit — Repairs to his appointment — Letter to Mr. Bass — His own experience — State of the circuit — A subject that gave him trouble — Letter — Thinks of a transfer to another Conference — Attends Conference — Sent to Prince Edward circuit

CONTENTS.

Chapter XII. Prince Edward Circuit. 1837 And 1838

Failure to get a transfer — Reception on his circuit — Fall from his horse — Injury — How he bears it — Confined several weeks — Diary — Letters — Great revival commences — Anecdote — Always about his Master's work — Attends Conference — Returned to Prince Edward circuit — Letter to Mr. Bass — Religious experience unsatisfactory to himself— Year closes — Mr. Bass's death — Detained from Conference—Mr. Redd's recollections of Mr. Childs — Appointed to the Bedford circuit Page 1G6

Chapter XIII. Bedford Circuit. 1839

Goes to the circuit — Letter to his wife — Troubled again upon the " old subject" — Letter explanatory of his course — Afilictions — His ministry not crowned with great success— Closes the year — Goes to Conference — Assigned to the Chesterfield circuit 181

Chapter XIV. Chesterfield Circuit. 1840 And 1841

Reception— The circuit — State of his mind— Work of revival commences — Death of his brother — 300 Souls converted — Attends Conference — Returned — Letter to Mrs. E. — Labours through the year — Rev. Staunton Fields's recollections of Mr. Childs — Attends Conference — Sent to Cumberland circuit 186

Chapter XV. Cumberland Circuit. 1842 And 1843

Goes to his circuit — Parsonage— Letter— State of the work — His own Soul — Another letter — Year expires — Conference— Return — Letter — His labours — Recollections of Mr. Childs by Rev. John M. Saunders — Conference — Appointed to Nottoway circuit 193

CONTENTS.

Chapter XVI. Nottoway And Campbell Circuits. 1844 And 1845

Rather dissatisfied — Old difficulties — Determines to go to another Conference — Letter — Division of the Methodist Episcopal Church — Leaves the circuit — Singular providence— Detained in Lynchburg — Sickness of his family — Letter — Abandons the idea of removal — Conference — Appointed to the Campbell circuit — Year's labours — Conference—Sent to the Bedford circuit Page 203

Chapter XVII. Bedford Circuit. 1846 And 1847

His Field of Labour — Extracts from his Correspondence — No extensive revival — Conference — Return — His peculiar views — End of the year — Recollections by Rev. J. D. Blackwell — Conference — Appointed to Brunswick

Chapter XVIII. Brunswick Circuit. 1848 And 1849

Removes his family to the parsonage at Lawrenceville — Is pleased with his appointment — Old friends — Sickness in his family — Unabating zeal — Conference — Returned — Letter to Mrs. E. — The work of the Lord revives — Carries his daughter to college — Letter to her — The work of the Lord progresses — Other letters to his daughter — Year draws to a close — He regrets to leave the circuit — Strong attachments — Conference — Appointed to Gloucester circuit— Further recollections by Rev. J. G. Claiborne 221

Chapter XIX. Gloucester Circuit. 1850

Leaves Lawrenceville — Starts to Gloucester — Leaves his family on the way — Letter to his daughter — Letter to Mrs. E. — Visits the circuit to prepare for the reception of his family — Letter to his wife — Difficulty in procuring a suitable parsonage — Removes to the circuit — Rapid development of consumption — Unable to preach — Confined

CONTENTS.

at home — Reflections — Winter passes away — Preparations to go to Norfolk — Rev. James E. Joyner's letter — Arrives in Norfolk. — Carried to his brother's — Medical attention — Conversations — Resignation— Closing scene — Remains carried to Lynchburg — Funeral discourse by Rev. G. W. Langhorne— Burial Page 232

Conclusion

General reflections on his life and character — Suggestions as to the use that should be made of his life — Further recollections by Mrs. Early — Conclusion 253

LIFE

OF

REY. JOM WESLEY CHILDS.

Chapter I. Introductory

Advantages of biography — Especially religious biography — An account of the general habits of Mr. Childs — A description of his person and manners — Extract of a letter from Mrs. Childs.

Biography is attracting a very large share of attention in the present day. Some of the best writers of the age have devoted their pens to this department of literature. The illustrious dead of past generations have been summoned again u the stage of life, to teach the living by their example, to instruct V their wisdom, and to warn by their errors. This is well. It is meet that the principles, the sayings, and the recorded sentiments of the departed should be rescued from the wave of time that bears them to oblivion, and preserved in such a form as shall render them sources of useful instruction to future generations. It admits of a doubt whether any department of literature is exerting so great an amount of influence upon the formation of character, as biography. The young are fond of the lives of those who have distinguished themselves in the cabinet, the field, the forum, the studio, and the pulpit. There is no class of books sought after with greater avidity, or read with greater eagerness, than memoirs, remains, biographical sketches, and extended lives of those not unknown to fame. Thousands of the youths of our own and of other lands have been stimulated to vigorous effort, in their exertions to obtain an education, by the example of a Franklin. Men of letters and science have been nerved for study by the recorded habits of thought and investigation of a Newton and a Leibnitz. Ambitious young men have been urged forward in the pursuit of military fame by the lives of such men as Washington, Alexander, Bonaparte, and Taylor. While thousands upon thousands, in the church, have felt the influence of the published biographies of such men as the sainted Fletcher, the learned Whitby, the pious Henry, and the critical Dr. Adam Clarke, in leading them to a moro patient study of the Holy Scriptures, and to more laborious and self-sacrificing efforts to make known to the world the rich and inexhaustible treasures of knowledge contained in the sacred word. There is yet another class of persons whose lives have exerted a still more widely extended influence upon the great masses of the miuistry and laity of the church, and upon the world, than any yet mentioned. We allude to such men as Henry Martyn, Brainerd, Legh Richmond, Carvosso, David Stoner, Harlan Page, Samuel Hick, and John Howard ; and such women as Mrs. Fletcher, Mrs. Elizabeth Fry, Sarah Martin, and others of a similar typ-1 of character, whose lives have led„Vrnuieds of thousands of men and women to habits of closer communion with God, to plans of more extended usefulness, and to more indomitable energy and untiring zeal in their labours for the universal diffusion of gospel light and truth in all the world.

The benefits, therefore, resulting from biography can be neither few nor small. The State derives advantages from the lives of wise and far-seeing statesmen, whose views of state policy are enlarged and sound, and from the biographies of able and profound jurists, who have devoted the study of many years to the intricacies of the law. The

REV. JOHN WESLEY CHILDS.

higher departments of literature derive henefit from the life-pictures of men eminent for learning, drawn by skilful hands. In a word, all the departments of society embraced in the learned professions, the mechanical arts, the commercial and agricultural pursuits of life, receive immense benefit from biography. Lessons of patience under painful reverses of fortune; lessons of courage in the midst of appalling difficulties and discouragements ; lessons of resignation under bereavement, and lessons of fortitude under the trials and dangers incident to our probation in this world, may all be learned from the histories of those who have trod the path of life before us.

While it is profitable and proper, therefore, that the lives of men should be preserved for the benefit of the State, and for the advancement of learning, and for the improvement of the arts, it is especially proper that they should be imbodied in a permanent form for the benefit of the church. The lives of great reformers have their use, such as Luther, Knox, and Wesley; the lives of learned theologians, such as Arminius, Calvin, Stackhouse, Watson, Hall, and Dwight; the lives of able and eloquent preachers and expounders of the word in the pulpit, such as Bascom, Chalmers, MeCheyne, Summerfield, and others of the same class. But still there is that other class of persons referred to above, whose lives are no less valuable to the church than those to whom we have just alluded. We mean that class of men and women who may rather be denominated good and useful than learned, brilliant, and profound. They are found in the laity as well as in the ministry of all the churches. They are such as have been eminent for piety, for faith and good works ; such as have displayed more than ordinary zeal for the promotion of God's cause on earth ; such as have thought but little of themselves, humble, laborious, experimental Christians, who have made the world better for having had a residence in it. While the lives of others may have a tendency to make great men, these have a tendency to make good and useful men. These latter send out an influence for God and his cause, all along the quiet, sequestered walks of life. There is a more suitable adaptation in the modes of thinking, habits of life, and style of expression in this class of persons to the great masses of society, than in any other. There is a sympathy and a fellowship of feeling and sentiment peculiarly favourable to usefulness. Eternity alone can reveal the extent of the good accomplished by the lives, actual and written, of such men of God.

We maintain that not only the lives of ministers of the class to which we now refer, but the lives also of many of the lay members of our churches, sbould be written and preserved for the benefit of the church. The Bible sanctions it. It contains a record, brief, to be sure, of the extraordinary piety of those who occupied the humble walks of life. These are preserved as models for our imitation. They, being dead, yet speak. No more valuable contribution can be made to our Sabbath-school and religious circulating libraries than the religious biographies of active, useful, and deeply pious members of the church. No one can even conjecture what amount of good would result from the written every-day walk and conversation of too many who are permitted to pass away without any lasting memorial of their exalted worth. The life of a single faithful class-leader might, at this time, produce the happiest results among the membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is hoped that the thoughts to which we have given utterance may draw the attention of the cburch more fully to this subject.

We have taken in hand to lay before the reader the life of one of the holiest and purest men that it has ever been our good fortune to know. We will not say that he was without an infirmity or imperfection. What mortal ever was ? But his whole life was, perhaps, as free from those blemishes which ordinarily mar the symmetry and beauty of the characters of the best of men, as any man's who has lived in modern times — nay, perhaps, in any age of the world. This is saying a great deal. It may, indeed, startle the reader who has heard but little or nothing of the man whose life we are about to write. But hold,

REV. JOHN WESLEY CHILDS.

till his life and the end of his life are before you, and then say whether we have made an exaggerated or unwarranted statement. In the examination of his life and character, we shall be especially struck with the singular consistency of his conduct with his acknowledged principles of action ; and icith the extreme and scrupulous conscientiousness of the man, in every act of his life, both great and small. We shall see that the Bible was his rule of conduct in every thing ; and that he was always willing sooner to give up the dearest objects of his affections, or to suffer any privation of life, than to consent, for a moment, to any thing, however trivial it might appear to others, which his own conscience disapproved or he believed the word of God condemned. ■

It was a privilege of no ordinary value to enjoy his acquaintance and society ; for no one could long be in his company without feeling the influence of his piety. His manner, conversation, and spirit were eminently adapted to impress the mind of every one with the conviction that he had been with Jesus.

Rev. John Wesley Childs was an extraordinary man; — not in mental endowments; not in the highest gifts of eloquence and oratory; not in varied and erudite scholarship ; nor was he what is commonly called a genius; — and yet he was a most remarkable man. Remarkable for his deep and influential piety ; for his habitual communion with God; for his profound humility; for his self-denial and devotion to his Master's work ; and especially for his consistency and conscientiousness. We repeat, that he was the most scrupulously conscientious man we have ever known ; and we very much doubt whether any one ever obeyed the behests of the inward monitor with more uniformity than did this singularly good man. In all things he laboured " to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and man." And in the development of his history, we shall find a number of incidents and facts illustrative of this trait of his character.

Some, we doubt not, will be disposed to think that he carried his conscientious scruples too far — that he was

IS tender and careful in relation to some things which should not have been dignified with the importance which he attached to them. But it will be seen that he could not have been happy had he not obeyed the dictates of his own conscience.

There were some things in relation to which he differed from his brethren in the ministry ; and yet he always entertained the kindest feelings towards those with whom he differed. He was firm in the maintenance of his opinions, but never lost sight of the respect that was due to an adversary.

He was, for the most part, a silent member of the conference ; and yet he was always in his place, and never inattentive to the business, even in the detail of the proceedings. There he sat, solemn and serious, with his memorandum in his hand, carefully noting down every thing of interest ; but scarcely ever spoke a word on any question of debate.

Mr. Childs left a good impression wherever he went. In every family which he visited he left behind him an influence that told happily upon the lives of the inmates. There was something in his meek and affectionate manner, and even in the tone of his voice, that never failed to impress every one who was thrown in contact with him. His presence often excited a kind of awe and reverence in the minds of all who knew any thing of his manner of life.

There have been but few men, in any age of the church, who have regularly spent as much time in private devotion as did Mr. Childs. We have no means of ascertaining certainly how many hours of each day he ordinarily spent in secret prayer, accompanied with the reading of the Scriptures; but we have often been with him when we have noticed something like the following order in his devotions for several days in succession, and we have been informed by those who knew him best, that it was the uniform course and habit of his life. We have known him to rise at four o'clock in the morning, partially make his toilet, and then take his Bible and kneel at a chair near a table or stand on which his light was placed, and there

REV. JOHN WESLEY CHILD8.

continue in earnest secret prayer for a considerable length of time, becoming occasionally very much engaged and excited. Then he would open his Bible and read, taking the Scriptures in regular order, every few moments audibly asking God for light upon the Divine word. Sometimes he would take Mr. Wesley's notes, a copy of which ho always had at hand, and consult them upon the portions of Scripture before him. And thus he would continue until he had gone through his allotment of chapters for the morning. Then he would again engage in silent, secret prayer, spending altogether from one to two hours in this exercise. He would then arise from his knees, finish his toilet ; after which he usually made his entry in his private diary, generally writing from six to ten or a dozen lines. He would then return to his private devotions for a short time ; after which he arose from his knees and commenced his regular course of study or reading for the day, which he pursued till he was called to family prayers. He ordinarily remained with the family then till breakfast, conversing on some profitable subject : after breakfast he immediately retired to his room, where he spent a while in private prayer, rarely ever less than fifteen or twenty minutes, and very often at least half an hour. Then again he went to his books, or to his writing, which he pursued, with occasional intermissions for prayer, till time to go to his appointment ; not, however, without first praying with the family in which he was staying.

On his way to church, when his time would allow it, he would frequently stop at houses upon the road, step in, speak to the family on the subject of religion, and propose " a word of prayer." Kneeling down, he would sometimes pray with great fervour and power, and often leave the grateful and astonished family bathed in tears, pronouncing blessings upon the kind stranger, who seemed to have so much of the spirit of that Divine Being who "went about doing good." On his arrival at the church, if in a forest, he usually retired to some secluded and quiet spot, beneath the overarching trees, where he spent a short time in prayer before going into the place of public worship. He then conducted the services, scarcely ever failing to give an invitation to seekers of religion to designate themselves as such ; and if any were present, he always spent some time with them in singing and prayer, and often rejoiced over their conversion before he left. At the close of the services he would *go home with the person who seemed to need him most; and when dinner was over, he usually proposed to unite with the family in prayer around the table ; and there he poured out his soul in thanksgivings for the mercies received, and in earnest supplications for the favour of God to the family ; and very often, on such occasions, he would pray for each member of the family by name, asking for them such blessings as their various ages, circumstances, and relations in life seemed to indicate they needed most. He would then retire to his room and spend from fifteen minutes to half an hour in private prayer, accompanied with the reading of a few passages of the Scriptures. And then again, about the time of the evening twilight, in the holy calm and hush of that serene and silent hour, he always spent some time in secret calling upon God. This seemed to be the period in which he most enjoyed his devotions. Sometimes his full soul would overrun with holy joy, which he could not suppress; and heaven itself, at such times, "seemed let down with a strange, bewildering splendour" around him, in these sweet and hallowed moments of communion with God. Directly after supper and family worship, he usually retired to his room, where he spent his time till nine o'clock — which was his hour for sleep — upon his knees, in prayer and reading the Scriptures. This was his uniform course of life. When he spent a whole day in the same family, he generally, in addition to the morning and evening family worship, called together the members of the family about the house, and conducted prayer about the middle of the day. It is fairly to be presumed that he spent at least from three to four hours of each day upon his knees in private devotion, in additiou to the public prayers which he held in the church and in families. He fasted every Tuesday and Friday of each week ; and very often abstained from animal food for

REV. JOHN WESLEY CHILDS.

■J I several months together. He rarely ever indulged in dessert; always wore cheap and plain clothing, and was scrupulously careful that his family should not indulge in the fashions or amusements of the world. He was crucified to the world. He was dead to the world. Nothing that he conceived to be wrong was ever suffered to pass in his presence without a suitable reproof. This he always took care to administer in the mildest and kindest manner; but still with such a spirit as fastened it upon the conscience. Gayety of apparel, and especially decorations of the person, he never spared. He talked many a ring from the fingers of worldly-minded professors of religion, and stripped many a bonnet of its artificial flowers. He has even been known to refuse to distribute the elements to communicants at the Lord's table until they would remove the rings from their fingers. And yet the subjects of his reproofs were but seldom, if ever, offended with him. His own life was so consistent, while his manner of reproof was so affectionate, and so full of the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, that no one could easily resist his appeals under reproof. He often made persons fall out with themselves — rarely ever with him.

In person, Mr. Childs was a good-looking man. He was full six feet in height, large frame, and well proportioned ; rather light complexion ; black eyes, and dark hair. His abstemious habits and delicate health gave him, for the most part, a pale and rather cadaverous face. There was, indeed, a singular and remarkable expression of countenance. It was that expression with which pure thoughts, deep spiritual meditation, and holy communion with God invest " the human face divine." It was something rather unearthly. Every one was struck with the sanctity and heavenly-mindedness of that face. He stood erect; and in the pulpit he was always solemn — deeply solemn. His appearance in that sacred place never failed to impress a congregation. His voice was slender, and yet strong. In pathetic appeal the tones were peculiarly touching. His gait was serious, and yet not slow or sluggish. Whatever he did, he performed with his might. He was always employed; never triflingly employed. He observed method in every thing. He possessed pleasant social qualities ; but scarcely ever spent more than an hour at a time in company. He indulged sparingly in anecdote; and, although he frequently smiled, he rarely ever laughed. His apparel was always very plain, but exceedingly neat. With him, "cleanliness was next to godliness." He was even in his temper, and was never excited on any subject except the subject of religion.