Thursday 18. I have a long journey to Charleston, (S. C.) and but fifteen days to perform it; having appointed to be there the 1st of January.

Friday 19. We rode twenty-five miles through a powerful fall of rain; but we wrought our way through the swamps, floating and sinking as we went.

Saturday 20. It snowed as powerfully as it rained yesterday; however, we set out for Salem about nine o'clock, and forded two creeks; but the third we swam. Brother Ward went in, and after a pause I followed; but being cloaked up, my horse nearly slipped from under me: one foot was properly soaked. I walked about one mile and rode another, and reached the town about twelve o'clock, just as they were ringing the bell. Feeling the want of a fire, I went to the tavern; but I found but one fire-place there; I sat down with the company, and dried my feet a little, until my companions came along. I have need of power, (and I am accused of having too much) to stand such days as this my soul is kept in peace and communion with God; and, through grace, I will not murmur at my sufferings whilst the salvation of souls is my end and aim. We found a home at father Hill's, from Maryland, about three o'clock, having rode nineteen miles to-day, and thirty yesterday. I was thankful for a house and friends, and an opportunity of putting into port. It is a comfort to remember there remaineth a rest for the people of God.

Sunday 21. I came to Cokesbury school; and after preaching on 1 Cor. xv. 58. I rode down to brother Charles Caton's. Here a few souls have been brought to God since I was in these parts in May last.

Monday 22. We were detained some time at Long's ferry by a wagon, and a number of horses. Mrs. entertained us very kindly, and her husband gave us a hearty welcome when he came home, and found out who we were. It was expected by some that I should preach at Salisbury, but I did not; so we rode on and reached the widow B.'s about eight o'clock at night, having rode thirty miles.

Tuesday 23. We set out at sunrise: the morning was cold and frosty. We rode ten miles and fed at A.'s; thence we hasted twenty-five miles to J. R.'s, took a late dinner, and rode to W. R.'s, making upwards of forty miles. Next day we had to swim Rocky-River; we then passed Newtown, and made it thirty miles to Jackson's.

Thursday 25. Christmas day. We changed our course, and took the grand Camden road to great Lynch's Creek, thirty miles. When I came to Mr. Evans's and told my name, I was invited to stay; and it was well for us that we did.

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Friday 26. I came off about sunrise; and made forty miles to Publius James Rembert's: I was hungry, sore, and very low spirited; here we found a warm house, comfortable table, (which was very acceptable) good bed and fire, with very kind friends. Lord, dispose us to humility before Thee, and bless our benefactors! James Rogers and Samuel Cowls were my faithful attendants. hear my friend John Hughes, of Charleston, is dead. From what I learn of him in his last illness, I trust the dear old man is gone safe. William Adams and Captain Darrell of the same place, have been cast away and drowned; strange changes take place in a very short time. O my God! help me to be each moment on my guard, ready for death and judgment. The land we came through yesterday is poor, and but thinly settled-a plantation once. in three or four miles. The long-leaved lofty pines have a grand appearance.

Sunday evening 28. Rode after preaching to brother Bradford's. Monday 29th to Bowman's. Tuesday 30th we had to wrestle with Santee Swamp for three hours, having to wade the flat ground then under water; but through mercy we got safe over at last. We hasted on, and came in the evening to the house of a very kind Frenchman, who entertained us gratis.

Wednesday 31. Myself with the main body of the preachers came into the city of Charleston. I felt faint and unwell after the fatigues I had passed through on my journey.

Thursday, January 1, 1795. Being New-Year's day, I was called upon to preach, unwell as I was, which I did on Psalm xc. 12. We entered on the business of our conference, and continued until Wednesday 7th. We had preaching every night during the sitting of conference. It was the request of the conference that I should preach them a sermon on Tuesday night; with which I complied, and made choice of Jer. xxiii. 29-32. In times past I have endeavoured to keep on travelling all the year, but I now judge it meet to stay in Charleston a little longer and then take the field :. yet it is with fear and trembling.

Sunday 11. Brothers I. C. and G. being about to leave the city, I gave place to them to perform the services of the Sabbath. I heard part of a discourse by Mr. Furman on partial and total back

sliding: I thought he spoke well, and that it was an excellent sermon. I doubt if he had more than seventy white hearers. A vast number in the city do not attend to the worship of God any where.

Monday 12. The remaining members of the conference left the city. Brother Bruce and myself must now lay our shoulders to the work. I have my feelings and fears about staying in Charleston; but grace is sufficient: I wish to give my all to God; and whether I read, write, preach, or visit, to do it all to his glory; and to employ my precious time profitably.

And am I yet alive, with death so near? How many of my friends in this city, and in other places, are gone into eternity! I hear very little from the preachers in the north.

Tuesday 13. I had a comfortable season in the church, on the words of St. Paul to the Galatians, "Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth." In this discourse I observed, how great was the affection between the Christian societies in ancient Galatia, and St. Paul, until the Judaizing teachers came in among them. The province of Galatia was in Lesser Asia; and when the ancient Gauls, or Galatæ, wanted to extend their province, they penetrated through Italy and Greece, and went into Asia, and pillaged the country as far south as Babylon: but one hundred and twenty thousand being defeated by a handful of Jews; and Attalus, king of Pergamus, having forced them from his territory, they settled here. Among these the Gospel was planted by St. Paul, Acts xvi. 6. ; who had but just left the country when the schism began by means of the teachers of the ceremonial law. In this church there have been a great number of bishops, and some councils, and Synods; but for near eight hundred years the tyranny of the Mahometans, Saracens, and Turks, hath almost exterminated the very name of Christianity. I observed, 1. That there is a proper portion of truth which is applicable to every one's case; 2. That it is a bad sign when a man is esteemed an enemy for telling the truth, as if falsehood alone were pleasing.

Wednesday 14. I preached at brother Wells's on "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes:" this cannot be the language of any but gracious souls. Sinners think all these things are against them, and wonder what they have done more than others, that they are thus afflicted. I treated of afflictions of body and mind; personal and family; in the church and in the state. Ah! my Lord, by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is very small.

Sunday 18. I preached in the morning on Exod. xx. the first and second commandment. In the afternoon, on the affliction and conversion of Manasseh, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13. One young man behaved amiss, for which I reproved him: perhaps he might be among those in the evening who made a riot, broke the windows, and beat open the doors.

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Tuesday 20. I read Mr. Flavel on keeping the heart; where I found some weighty sayings. I preached in the evening, and brother Bruce exhorted. Mr. came home with me, pleading and crying to God, and acknowledging his sin who knoweth but he will turn, repent, and find mercy! The desperate wickedness of this people grieves and distresses my soul, so that I am almost in continual heaviness; yet, through grace, I trust I am kept from sin. I spent part of this week in writing and reviewing some explanatory notes on our form of discipline.

Sunday 25. I preached morning and afternoon. My soul, at seasons, wadeth through deep waters for this city and society; it cannot, in my opinion, continue long in its present situation-perhaps a dispensation of mercy or judgment is near.

Wednesday 28. I finished reading the history of the French Revolution, containing about eight hundred pages, and a surprising history it is. They have had heavy struggles with monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy; and have had martyrs of each and every form.

Thursday 29. I am sensible of not being enough in prayer; this gives me pain. There came on a violent, awful storm of rain, and what should I do upon the road in such weather? Charleston is, to me, one of the most serious places I ever was in.

Saturday 31. I was in a most distressed, gloomy state of body and mind. I employed myself in reading, writing, and prayerbut very uncomfortably.

Sunday, February 1.

"Still heavy is my heart,

Still sink my spirits down."

I went to the church, and lectured on the second table of the law; attending particularly to our Lord's comment on each precept. In the afternoon I enlarged on Jer. xxxi. 33.; and I do hope there was some stir in the hearts of the people; I had an afflictive night, by the labours of the day. I began reading "Berridge's Christian World Unmasked." How like the man and his conversation, which I have heard by the hour thirty years ago! I think there is some

tartness in his Christian remarks on the Checks, and dear Mr. Fletcher, of whom I have heard Mr. Berridge speak in terms of very great respect. I was insulted on the pavement with some as horrible sayings as could come out of a creature's mouth on this side of hell-When I pray in my room with a few poor old women, those who walk the streets will shout at me. The unparalleled wickedness of the people of this place, and the spirit of contention among the professors of religion, most severely agitate my mind. I now spend my time in running hastily through the first volume of the Hebrew Bible.

Thursday 5. I was deeply dejected. I have been lately more subject to melancholy than for many years past, and how can I help it the white and worldly people are intolerably ignorant of God; playing, dancing, swearing, racing; these are their common practices and pursuits. Our few male members do not attend preaching; and I fear there is hardly one who walks with God: the women and Africans attend our meetings, and some few strangers also. Perhaps it may be necessary for me to know how wicked the world is, in order that I may do more as a president minister. There is some similarity between my stay here, and at Bath in Virginia. O how I should prize a quiet retreat into the woods!

In reading Mr. Wesley's Journal, Vol. I. page 154. he observes, "I set myself carefully to read N. Machiavel's celebrated Book. I began," says Mr. W, "with a prejudice in his favour, having been often informed he had been misunderstood and greatly misrepresented; I weighed the sentiments it contained; compared one passage with another, and endeavoured to form a cool, impartial judgment; and my most deliberate judgment is, that if all the other doctrines of devils which have been committed to writing since letters were in the world were collected together in one volume, it would fall short of this; and should a prince form himself by this book, so openly recommending hypocrisy, treachery, lying, robbery, oppression, adultery, and murder of all kinds, Domitian or Nero would be angels of light compared to that man." No wonder that Doctor should say that the Methodist preachers were men of true Machiavilean principles: judge, reader: this is the justice, this is the mercy we are to expect from some priests : and why? because we spoil their reading trade.

Sunday 8. I preached on Psalms viii. 4. Brother Bruce entertained us on "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I met the society, read the Rules