THE KING’S BUSINESS
1055
spent one Sabbath at Evans’ Mills, and intended to return for my wife, about the middle of that week. But a messenger from Perch River came up that Sabbath, and said there had been a revival working its way slowly among the people ever since I preached there; and he begged me to go down and preach there, at least once more. I finally sent an appointment to be there Tuesday night. But I found the interest so deep that I stayed and preached -Wednesday night, and Thursday night; and I finally gave up returning that week, for my wife, and continued to preach in that neighborhood. The revival soon spread in the direction of Brownville, a considerable village sev eral miles, I think, in a southwestern di rection from that place. Finally, under the pressing invitation of the minister and church at Brownville, I went there and spent the winter, having written _to my wife, that such were the circumstances that I must defer coming to her, until God seemed to open the way. At Brownville there was a very inter esting work. But still the church was in, such a state that it was very difficult to get them into the work. I could not find much that seemed to me to be sound- hearted piety; and the policy of the minis ter was such as to forbid anything like a general sweep of a revival. I labored there that winter with great pain, and had many serious obstacles to overcome. Some times I would find that the minister and his wife were away from our meetings, and would learn afterwards that they had stayed away to attend a party. ' Early in the spring, 1825, I left Brown ville, with my horse and cutter, to go after my wife. I had been absent - six • months since our marriage; and as mails then were rare between us, we had seldom been able to exchange letters. I drove on some fifteen miles, and the roads were very slippery. My horse was smooth-shod, and I found I must have his shoes re-set. I stopped at Le Rayville, a small village about three miles south of Evans’ Mills. While my horse was being shod, the peo
ple finding that I was there, ran to me, and wanted to know if I would preach, at 1 o’clock, in the school-house; for they had no meeting-house. At 1 o’clock the house -was packed; and while I preached, the Spirit of God came down with great power upon the people. So great and manifest was the out-pouring of the Spirit, that in compliance with their earnest entreaty I concluded to spend the night there, and preach again in the even ing. But the work increased more and more, and in the evening I appointed an other meeting in the morning, and in the morning I appointed another in the evening, and soon I saw that I should not be able to go any farther after my wife. I told a brother that if he would take my horse and cutter and go after my wife, I would remain. He did so, and I went on preaching, from day to day, and from night to night; and there was a powerful revival. UNIVERSALIST’S CONVERSION The village hotel (at Governeur) was at that time kept by a Dr. S., an avowed Universalist. The next morning I went out, as usual, to call on the people and con verse with them about their souls, and found the village excited. After making a few calls, I dropped into a tailor’s shop, where I found a number of people discuss ing the subject of the sermon the night before. Dr. S. at that time I had never heard of, but I found him among the number at this' tailor’s shop; defending his Univer salist sentiments. As I went in, the re marks that were made immediately opened the conversation; and Dr. S. stepped for ward, manifestly sustained by the whole influence of his comrades, to dispute the positions that I had advanced, and to main tain, as opposed to them, the doctrine of universal salvation. Somebody introduced him to m e; and I said to him : “Doctor, I should be very happy to con verse with you about your views; but if we are going to have a conversation, we must firsts agree upon the method upon which w e are going to discuss.”
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker