--

he retired from his circuit. It was at this important crisis, that some of his brethren met with him and enquired, What doest thou here, brother?' He might have answered, with great propriety, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts. I fear a criminal love of the world is rivalling Jesus Christ in the heart of his Church; and, therefore, I thought my best course was to retire, and try what can be done by me in any other way.' But when his brethren softened down the distorted features of the detested object, which his trembling hand, at the instigation of his jealous heart had drawn,-when they took off the deep shades with which he had overcharged its countenance,—when they drew the picture of the monster DIVISION,-when they proved that, in the present state of the Methodist body, the evils of a schism and division would be much greater than the evils which he lamented and deplored,―he then saw, in some measure, as they did. Conviction, like a voice behind him, cried out, 'This is the way; walk ye in it.' He listened. He obeyed. He retraced his steps. He returned to his work; filled his station with credit to himself, and profit to the Church; and lived and died in union with his brethren."

CHAPTER IX.

Opening a chapel at Barwick.—Collecting Book.-"Benny Swift.” -The Rev. Thomas Taylor and John Grant.-Occasional Sermons.-Visit to Hull.-Rev. Joseph Bradford.—Character.— Characteristic distinctions.—Dr. Bates's Works.-S. Popplewell, Esq.-Afflictive dispensation of Providence.-Friendship. -Rev. Miles Atkinson, as a preacher.-Increasing popularity. -Biographer's first interview with Mr. Dawson.-Rev. Andrew Fuller.-First public Missionary Meeting among the Wesleyans at Leeds.-Extract from Mr. Dawson's Speech on the occasion. -Comparative view of the Wesleyan Missions.-The partial and indirect influence of Mr. Dawson's occasional play of fancy upon speakers and hearers.

WITH the exception of two or three brief notices, his religious Diary appears to have terminated with the year 1803. What chiefly followed from hence, were minutes of the places he visited, and the texts on which he preached. Had he indulged in the particularity of Ralph Thoresby of Leeds, in his "Diary," or Samuel Pepys in his "Memoirs," he might, with his observing eye and warm heart, have furnished many curious, instructive, and moving incidents, while travelling, as he afterwards did, from one end of the kingdom to the other.

The chapel which was "reared" at Barwick, October 27th, the year preceding, and in the erection of

which he exulted in being able to state, that "not an accident, as the world employs the term, had happened to any one," was opened by Mr. Thomas Taylor, April 29th, 1804. "This day," he observes, "Mr. Taylor opened the preaching-house, in the presence of a great company of people, and, what is better, under the gracious smile of God, which was sensibly felt by many of his children. We may turn our eyes upon it, and

What hath God wrought!' And with equal astonishment may we look, when we consider by whom he has wrought. We dare not impeach the wisdom of the Lord in the choice of such unworthy instruments, but adore it as an instance of his unsearchable proceedings, who, in this, as in many other cases, has 'chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty,-base things, and things which are despised,-yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are!' May the Lord answer prayer for it and in it, that generations yet unborn may find in it the Lord Jesus Christ!" He further observes,-"The first love-feast was held at Barwick by Mr. Grant, July the 8th. He preached excellently. May the Lord follow the means with a lasting blessing to souls!"

Nearly the whole of the trouble connected with the erection devolved upon himself, as to purchases, looking after the builders, joiners, glaziers, painters, &c.; collecting the monies, and meeting expenses. His "Collecting Book," which has been preserved, is a curiosity, comprising fine specimens of penmanship, exactness, and piety. It is preceded with notices of laying the foundation, rearing, opening the chapel, &c.

L

MEMOIRS OF

Then follows, as a kind of title-page,-"June 1803. 'Prosper thou the work of our hands upon us.' Psalm xc. 17.-They shall prosper that love Zion.' Psalm exxii. 6. June 1804. EBENEZER.' 1 Sam. vii. 12. The next page

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.’

is headed with, "An Account of Monies promised and given, by those who love the prosperity of Zion, towards the expense of a preaching-house at Barwick." Immediately after this, columns are ruled for double entry, in pounds, shillings, and pence,-the first three appropriated to monies "promised," the second to monies "given." The "heading" of each page encloses a text of Scripture, in the Roman character, as if set in type, with a view, apparently, immediately to catch the eye of the persons to whom he presented the book for donations. The texts selected are;—“ God loveth a cheerful giver," 2 Cor. ix. 7.-"Freely give," Matt. x. 8.—“ Honour the Lord with thy substance,” Prov. iii. 9.—“ Give, and it shall be given unto you," Luke vi. 38.—“ With such sacrifices God is well pleased," Heb. xiii. 16.-"He which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully," 2 Cor. ix. 6" He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly," 2 Cor. ix. 6—“I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith," Rev. ii. 19.—“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth,” Prov. xi. 24.—“ Give to every man that asketh of thee," Luke vi. 30; closing with, "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just,” Luke xiv. 14. In consequence of taking with him his

"THUS SAITH THE LORD," he had scarcely a dozen failures, in the various promises made to him— some of which might possibly arise from a change of circumstances; and in comparatively small sums, from

"Benny Swift's "* shilling, to the five pounds subscriptions of Mr. Warner, of Garforth,-Mr. Pawson, jun., of Thorner, Thomas Stoner, of Barwick,-and Mr. Whitehead, of Leeds, he collected, at intervals, from June 1803, to April 18, 1805, the sum of £150. 7s. 9d.

Mr. Taylor, who opened the chapel, had neither fine sense nor exalted sense, so called; but he had what is much more useful,-good, strong, common sense; that of which there is much less in the world than the

world is aware. He had no glitter; he despised it; knowing in the language of a wit, that "he who will carry nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a loss for want of readier change." His sermons profited the mass, being within the comprehension of all, and intended to improve the heart, rather than gratify the taste. Mr. Grant, who led the love-feast in the newly erected building, was of a different class. He was an engaging preacher, and was much admired by the subject of these Memoirs, for ease, perspicuity, occasional elegance, and general usefulness. He possessed springs of rhetoric which were rarely dry; and his eloquence, which never failed to plead in companionship with nature, was often irresistible.

This year-1804, the subject of these pages was invited to preach in the Birstal circuit; and being now occasionally selected for special work, he preached a

"Benny Swift," so called, was a poor man, well known in Leeds and its vicinity. He had ingress to the houses of rich and poor-was extensively useful in prayer-meetings-and diligent in visiting the sick. It was towards the approach of the evening of life, when the biographer became acquainted with him; but even then, he was a "day labourer" in "doing good." His abilities were slender, but there was great simplicity, cheerfulness, openness, integrity, and industry. He had, in the language of a popular writer, "the stability of the oak, and the flexibility of the osier." He possessed the religion that converts the private christian into a public blessing.