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of the matter than so many oxen." He was at least understood in Scotland, and if his hearers showed little emotion this was merely manifesting in religious matters a characteristic of their common life. Perhaps a more intimate acquaintance with the Scottish people and with types of Scottish piety might have led Wesley to modify his views about the place and importance of feeling in the pursuit of holiness, and even to recast some of his theological opinions.

Thus, he

Sometimes his services north of the Tweed were in the open air, as when he preached on the Calton Hill, in Edinburgh, to the largest congregation he had ever seen; but almost everywhere the use of churches was offered him, and this may have brought the better educated and well-to-do, rather than the class that so commonly flocked to him in England. writes that in Haddington he preached to a "very elegant congregation," but he adds, "I expect little good will be done here, for we begin at the wrong end. Religion must go not from the greatest to the least, or the power would appear to be of men;" and elsewhere he says, "Everywhere we find the labouring part of mankind the readiest to receive the Gospel." While disappointed at the seeming indifference of his hearers in Scotland, he was quite as much grieved at the lifelessness of some of the ministers whom he heard. Thus, in Glasgow, he writes: "My spirit was moved within me at the sermons I heard both morning and afternoon. They contained much truth, but were no more likely to awaken one soul than an Italian opera. If the preacher is but half alive hat will the people be?"

DISM IN AMERICA.

John Wesley's work ield but little fruit in

Scotland, as compared with England and Ireland, yet his influence was felt far beyond the United Kingdom. Not only did the colonies respond to it, Newfoundland being one of the first to do so, but in the United States Methodism went forward by leaps and bounds. This was in large measure due to English and Irish immigrants, who brought with them across the seas the religious life and fervour that had been awakened at home, some of their number having been local preachers who had personally felt the magnetic enthusiasm of Wesley. The Methodist societies in the States soon became so numerous that it was necessary to organize them in some form of self-government.

Wesley was still a minister of the Church of England, and he preferred Episcopacy to any other system, although he did not now regard it as enjoined in Scripture and could no longer admit the claims of the Anglican clergy. He believed that the Episcopal system would best meet the wants of the American societies. He asked the Bishop of London to ordain one of his preachers, that he might visit the societies in America in order to administer the sacraments, but the request was refused. He, therefore, decided to assert his own authority; he regarded himself as a truly scriptural "bishop," possessing, as general superintendent of the work, authority to set apart some suitable person to organize the societies in America. For this purpose Dr. Coke was ordained as superintendent in September, 1784, and two preachers, Messrs. Whatcoat and Vasey, were set apart to accompany him. Wesley had avoided the word "bishop." and the great body of Methodists in the United States have retained the Episcopal form of Church government. Of course, from the Angli

can point of view, such ordination was not valid; but, when Wesley found the approbation of God resting upon a preacher in the spiritual results of his work, he regarded this as the true seal of his ministry; and he held that the Church, in the absence of clear Scriptural commands, "might modify its organization as time and circumstances required."

ORGANIZATION OF METHODISM.

In England it had been his custom to hold conference with his preachers; and when, to his mind, the Conference was ready for it, he cast upon it the responsibility that so long had rested upon himself of directing and controlling the formation and work of the societies. It is vain to speculate what might have been the course of this great movement if the Church of England had met it with wisdom and charity. Even in spite of her hostility her own life was greatly

quickened by the work of Wesley, for the revival called forth the Evangelical party that has done so much to influence English life and action since the beginning of the 19th century. As it was, there seemed to be no course open but to organize into one body these religious societies throughout the land, outside the lines of the Established Church. To do this amidst conflicting opinions and tendencies, to see what fundamentals must be insisted upon and what non-essentials might admit of compromise, to arrange for the ministry of the Word and sacraments and to maintain throughout the ideal of a quickened religious life, required much Christian tact and wisdom on the part of Wesley and his fellow-workers. Much was, no doubt, left unfinished, for no pro

vision was made by him to have the laymen directly represented in General Conference; but, when we think of the conditions with which he had to deal and of the extent to which he realized and met both present and prospective needs, we recognize in him the power of constructive Church statesmanship almost as great as his loving solicitude as a pastor, or his burning enthusiasm as an evangelist.

We follow him with growing interest on through his hopeful, radiant and peaceful old age. His working powers continued almost to the very end, and God graciously answered his prayer that he might not outlive his usefulness. It was with an assurance of victory and with no sadness of farewell that, near the close of his eighty-eighth year, he spoke those last words which had expressed the confidence of his life," Best of all, God is with us." The progress of his work can be partly traced in his Journal; its result is seen in the Methodist Church, that now embraces between seven and eight millions within its membership. Yet not there only, for his influence has been felt throughout the Protestant churches of the English-speaking world. We pay our willing tribute of admiration to statesmen and to empirebuilders, but we reserve our more fervent praise for those who quicken and strengthen the nation's moral and religious life. In that class Wesley holds high rank; and when the various branches of the Church of Christ with increasing accord admit the worth and service of a man, as is already the case with him, their forecast of the Master's own decision, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control,

verdict is like a

These three alone lead life to sovereign power.-Tennyson.

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

A SUMMER ISLAND.

"A summer isle of Eden, lying in dark purple spheres of sea." "A land in which it seemèd always afternoon."

[merged small][graphic]

GEORGE STREET, NASSAU, FROM GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

[graphic]

T was on a cold, rainy morning in February that we left Savannah on the steamer for Nassau. We kept on down the Florida coast until we turned eastward into the Gulf Stream. It seemed as if we had sud

denly sailed into early June. The sea was smooth, the air was mild, the sky was lovely. Everybody was on deck. Off came our overcoats. It was no longer winter.

These ever-summer seas were lovely. Out of the waves rose the flying-fish, skimming in flocks through the air and dropping down again just as we were beginning to believe they were birds; the porpoises leaped and darted by the vessel's side, and every now and

then we passed a nautilus, cruising along in his six-inch shell, with his transparent sail spread and sparkling in the sun.

We were journeying to find a pleasant winter climate, one that could be depended upon. We knew of very commendable semi-tropical resorts-Florida for instance; but among the northern visitors to Florida that year had been frost and ice. In our search for the happy land we longed for, we resolved to do as Columbus did, and begin at the beginning. First to the Bahamas came he, and thither we would go too. Early in the morning, from my open port, I heard voices coming from the water, and the thumping of oars. I hastily looked out, and there was Nassau. We were almost at the wharf. A long boat, full of negroes, was car

rying a line to the shore. I hurried on deck, and looking over the rail saw, to my astonishment, that we were floating in water not more than a foot deep! This great ship, with her engines, her cargo, her crew and passengers, was slowly moving along in water not up to your knees. The bottom was clearly visible-every stone on it could be seen as you see stones at the bottom of a little brook. I

could not

understand

it.

"How

deep is this

water?" I

asked of a

sailor.

About three fathom," he answered.

The town a very white town-stretched before us for a mile or two along its waterfront, and seemed to be a busy place, for there were many vessels, large and small (principally the latter), moored at the various

mingo nearly to Florida. The collection comprises, according to official count, twenty-nine islands, six hundred and sixty-one cays, and two thousand three hundred and eighty-seven rocks-assorted sizes.

New Providence is the most important member of this collection, but, like many other most important things, is by no means the biggest, being only twenty-one miles long and seven broad, while the Great Bahama and others are very many times larger, some of them being a hundred miles long. But New Providence has the brains, the other islands have merely size.

[graphic]

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, NASSAU.

piers; there were storehouses on the street by the water; there was a crowd of people on the wharf; there were one-horse barouches driven by negroes wearing red vests and dreadfully battered high silk hats, and altogether the scene was lively and promising. The town was larger than I had expected to see it, but it ought to be a good-sized place, for nearly all of the people of the island of New Providence live there, and they number some eleven or twelve thousand.

There is no lack of islands in what might be called the Bahamian Archipelago, which stretches some six hundred miles from San Do

We found that, like ourselves,

nearly all our fellowpassengers were going to the Royal Victoria Hotel. We speedly secured one of the onehorse barouches;

the pictu

resque redvested driver pulled his silk hat a little tighter on his head, cracked his whip, and away we went. The hotel made quite an impression upon us, even before we entered it. It stands high, spreads wide, and looks large, and cool, and solid. In front of the main doorway, which is level with the ground, is an enclosed and covered court. This court, as we soon found, is the favourite resort of the guests. The sun can get no entrance here, while through the numerous doorways the breezes come from nearly every direction. The interior of the house is also arranged with a view to coolness and shade. There is not a

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