for " these itinerant evangelists; and the moral "desert rejoiced and blossomed as the rose." "Thanksgiving and the voice of melody" were heard in the deep and lonely forest; and spiritual enjoyments, the effects of divine truth, and of that "great grace" which was upon them, everywhere cheered the people under all their privations and labour.

In no part of the world have the Wesleyan teaching and discipline been of more signal benefit than among the negroes in the West India islands, formerly a scene of the most cruel oppressions. Nathaniel Gilbert, Esq.,. the speaker in the house of assembly in Antigua, coming to England for the recovery of his impaired health, was led to attend the ministry of Mr. Wesley, which he found to be the power of God to the salvation of his soul. Happy in the enjoyment of the divine favour, and full of holy zeal, he returned to Antigua, in the year 1760. Regardless of popular opinion and prejudice, and feeling that the bond and the free are all one in Christ, he began to teach Christianity to the African slaves, many of whom, by the blessing of God upon his instrumentality, were made the Lord's free men. Nearly two hundred persons were united together in holy fellowship under his superintendence. These were his joy and crown, while profane men, enemies of religion, justice, and humanity, treated him with bitter hostility, for thus attempting to raise the negro character, and arrest the progress of ungodliness and crime. While thus usefully and honourably employed, he was myste. riously called away by death; and the children of his pious exertions were left as sheep without a shepherd.

Yet the little flock were not finally forsaken. The dockyard at Antigua being in want of shipwrights, application was made to the government at home for some suitable persons to be sent thither from England. Among the persons selected was John Baxter, of the royal dock at Chatham, who had been connected with the Methodist society about twelve years, and had also for some time been a class-leader and a local preacher. On his arrival he collected the remains of the society which had been formed by Mr. Gilbert; and writing to Mr. Wesley under the date of April 2d, 1778, he

says, "The work that God began by Mr. Gilbert is is still remaining. The black people have been kept together by two black women, who have continued praying and meeting with those who attended every night. I preached to about thirty on Saturday night; on Sunday morning, to about the same number; and in the afternoon of the same day, to about four or five hundred. The old members desire that I would inform you, that you have many children in Antigua, whom you never saw. I hope we shall have an interest in your prayers, and that our Christian brethren will

For about eight years this holy and indefatigable man continued his labours before the arrival of missionaries to assist him. During this period he worked in the dockyard during the day, and in the evening and on Sundays taught Christianity to the people; and with such success that about two thousand persons were united together in religious society. Such an example reminds us of St. Paul, who, when it was necessary, laboured with his own hands, that he might support himself, and those that were with him, while at the same time he was "making many rich" in spiritual knowledge and blessings.

The manner in which Mr. Baxter obtained help, and by means of which a permanent form was given to the West India mission was equally providential and unexpected. Dr. Coke had embarked in September, 1786, for Nova Scotia, attended by three missionaries, Messrs. Warrener, Hammet, and Clarke. Mr. Warrener was appointed to the West Indies by Mr. Wesley; and it was designed that he should sail thither from North America. It was intended that the doctor should fix the other two in the most necessitous and promising stations which might come under his notice. The voyage itself was most afflicting and calamitous; but its results were happy beyond expression. The vessel, during the greater part of its attempt to reach the destined port, was exposed to tempests which threatened nothing less than destruction; and at different times scarcely the slightest hope of preservation remained. The ship, * Drew's Life of Dr. Coke, p. 168, Am. edit.

having arrived on the banks of Newfoundland, was already more than half a wreck; the company on board were placed on a reduced allowance of water; and as there was no probability of landing where they had intended, they resolved to alter their course, and endeavour to reach the West Indies. Scarcely had they given a new direction to their movements, than, to use the doctor's own expression, it seemed as if angels blew the gale, and they were carried directly to Antigua, where Mr. Baxter was labouring alone, and the Lord Jesus had merciful designs toward the neglected people. Here they safely landed on the morning of Christmas-day; and on walking up the town of St. John, the doctor met Mr. Baxter on his way to the chapel, for the purpose of conducting the worship of God, and of inviting the attention of the people to the advent of the Messiah. They were unknown to each other, except by reputation; but when their names were announced, they embraced each other with a strength of affection, and a feeling of joyous surprise, which can be more readily conceived than expressed. On that memorable day the doctor twice occupied Mr. Baxter's pulpit, and also administered the Lord's supper to the people. During his stay in the West Indies, which continued about six weeks, the doctor was received with the utmost cordiality. He was once invited to a public dinner, at which the duke of Clarence, afterward William IV., was present; and had the offer of a salary of five hundred pounds per annum, if he would remain in Antigua. But, like his revered father in the gospel, he was too intent upon the spread of Christ's religion in the world to confine his labours to any one place. He visited several of the islands, that he might know from actual inspection the openings which they presented for missionary labour; and having fixed Mr. Warrener at Antigua, Mr. Clarke at St. Vincent's, and Mr. Hammet at St. Christopher's, he sailed for the American continent. From this time the Wesleyan mission in the West Indies was carried on with increasing success. It had obtained too deep a hold upon the heart of Dr. Coke, to be ever either forgotten or neg lected. The mission, begun under these circumstances,

has been a means of salvation to many thousands of redeemed men; and with the faithful co-operation of other bodies of Christians, it has given freedom in those beautiful colonies to nearly a million of human beings, once the most oppressed and degraded of their race. For it is not conceivable that West India slavery would at this day have been extinct, had it not been for the Christian training which many of the negroes received, and for the publicity which the Christian missions gave to their oppressions and wrongs. A skeptic may perhaps doubt whether there was any thing peculiar in the successive storms which drove Dr. Coke and his fellow-missionaries so widely out of their course; but the man who seriously believes his Bible can scarcely forbear to say, "This was the finger of God!” Little did Dr. Coke, and the three devoted men who sailed with him, imagine, during their perilous voyage, that they were destined to lay the foundation of a work in the West Indies, which, in the comparatively short pe riod of fifty years, should accomplish the extinction of slavery. To teach the slaves contentment, and conduct them to a world where the voice of the oppressor is never heard, were the only objects for which they even dared to hope.

The anticipated mission to the British provinces of North America was not forgotten, though it was not begun by the men whom Mr. Wesley and Dr. Coke had intended for that service. In Nova-Scotia, Mr. Black, an emigrant from England, having obtained the blessing of a personal acceptance with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, began to recommend to others what he himself had found. He was soon after assisted and encouraged in his work by a visit from Freeborn Garrettson. A mission was also commenced about the same time in Newfoundland, by Mr. John M'Geary; so that before Mr. Wesley went to his reward, besides the Methodist Church in the United States, nineteen missionaries were employed under his direction in the West Indies, and in British North America.

As he advanced in life, he contemplated the success of this great work, both at home and abroad, with in

creasing delight and gratitude. In the year 1777 he laid the foundation of a new chapel in the City-road, London, to be used instead of the Foundery, which he and his fellow-labourers had occupied from the beginning. On this occasion he preached and published a sermon, in which he makes the following remarks :— "Methodism, so called, is the old religion, the religion of the Bible, the religion of the primitive church, the religion of the Church of England. This old religion is no other than love, the love of God, and of all mankind; the loving God with all our heart, and soul, and strength, as having first loved us, as the fountain of all the good we have received, and of all we ever hope to enjoy; and the loving every soul which God hath made, every man on earth, as our own soul. This love is the great medicine of life; the never-failing remedy for all the evils of a disordered world; for all the miseries and vices of men. Wherever this is, there are virtue and happiness going hand in hand; there is humbleness of mind, gentleness, long-suffering, the whole image of God; and at the same time, a peace that passeth all understanding, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. This religion of love, and joy, and peace, has its seat in the inmost soul; but is ever showing itself by its fruits, continually springing up, not only in all innocence, (for love worketh no ill to his neighbour,) but likewise in every kind of beneficence, spreading virtue and happiness all around it.

"Just at the time when we wanted little of filling up the measure of our iniquities, two or three clergymen of the Church of England began vehemently to call sinners to repentance. Many thousands gathered together to hear them; and in every place where they came, many began to show such a concern for religion as they never had done before. Many were in a short time deeply convinced of the number and heinousness of their sins, of their evil tempers, of their inability to help themselves, and of the insignificancy of their outside religion. And from this repentance sprung fruits meet for repentance. The whole form of their life was changed. They ceased to do evil, and learned to do well. Neither was this all; but over and above this