NUMBER XII.

IN the town of Broome, Schoharie county, lived a certain Judge Reynolds, who, in the year 1808, had been brought to the knowledge of the truth in a manner somewhat remarkable. And though the judge may still be living, and the persons whose names I shall introduce as having been connected with, or actors in, the circumstances of his conversion, are still living; yet as several of my friends have expressed a desire that I would give names, where it can be done with propriety; and as those whom I shall name are mostly like myself, old and superannuated, I shall probably not excite their vanity by stating what may be considered as praiseworthy.

The judge was the son of a Presbyterian or Congregational minister: yet from some cause, he in early life embraced deistical sentiments, which he continued to hold and advocate until he was more than fifty years of age. Still he was a man of unblemished character, and stood high in the estimation of community: and was the supervisor of the town in which he lived, for many years from its organization-held the office of colonel in the regiment—and was at the time of which I am writing a judge of the court in Schoharie county.

In the former part of the year 1808 he became greatly disquieted in mind—his deistical sentiments were no longer satisfactory; and still he was unable entirely to cast them off, and receive the Bible as a revelation from God. But his trouble of mind so increased, that his nights were frequently nearly sleepless; and he lost his relish even for necessary food. At length, in his broken slumbers, he dreamed that if he would go to the village of New-Durham, which was a few miles distant, he would meet with a man who would assist him in finding his way out of his present troubles of mind: and the person of the individual was so distinctly presented to his mind, that he was sure he should at once recognize him, if he should meet him, although it was a person he had never seen. He awoke, and related to his wife what he had dreamed; and this dream was repeated to the third time before morning. When the morning came, his wife advised him by all means to go to the village, and see if his dream would be realized. After hesitating for some time, he finally got his horse and started. But as he rode along, he began to think that it was very foolish in him to go in search of a person whom he had never seen; and only because of a representation made to his mind in a dream. Besides, he

thought that every one who saw him knew the errand on which he was going. This last thought so affected his mind, that he turned his horse to go back. But upon further reflection, he concluded that as he was so frequently riding about upon public business, he might safely proceed to the village, and if he saw nothing of the person who was presented to his mind in his dream, he could return home, and his object might still remain a secret to others.

He, therefore, rode on; and on entering the village, which was mainly built on one long street, he saw the person who had been presented to his mind in his dream advancing toward him from the other end of the village He rode on until the person was nearly opposite to him on the sidewalk, and was about turning in at a gate. It was a trying moment with the judge, for how to introduce himself and his errand he could hardly determine. But as so much of his dream had been realized, he thought he would try to muster sufficient self-command to speak to the man; which he accordingly. did, and informed the stranger that he wished to have a little private conversation with him. The stranger invited him to alight and walk in, for he had met him just opposite his own house.

On going in, the judge frankly told the state

of his mind, and the story of his dream, and requested advice. A long conversation ensued, in which the mind of the judge was much relieved on some points, and he was advised to go and hear the Methodist preachers, who preached in his neighborhood. The person who gave this advice was Henry Stead, now a superannuated preacher of the Troy Conference: and the preachers who were then traveling Albany circuit, which extended into the vicinity of the judge's residence, were Datus Ensign and Samuel Howe; both of whom are still living, and also superannuated members of the Troy Conference.

The judge, in compliance with the advice he had received, attended the preaching, and was soon enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. As is common in such cases, the judge became strongly attached to the preachers then upon the circuit; and the idea of their leaving gave him great uneasiness. However, the day of their departure at length came the preachers made their last visit to his house, and took their leave. It was a painful hour to the judge; and he, as a last act before they left, purchased a hymn-book of them, as a sort of memento, and then followed them with eyes until they were out of sight. He then

his

said to his wife, who had also been made a partaker of the heavenly gift, "Though the preachers are gone, and we can never expect to become attached to any others who may succeed them, yet we must try to serve God, though it be alone." In their grief and tears at parting with their spiritual guides, they sat down to see what they could find that was interesting in the hymn-book which they had just purchased. On opening it and reading the first hymn, the judge was greatly surprised and delighted, and said to his wife: "I presume they have got all the excellences of the book into this first hymn." But as they read on, they were more and more delighted with the evangelical strains of that incomparable book.

At the close of that year, the appointment in the judge's neighborhood was taken from Albany circuit, and attached to Delaware; to which, at the next conference, Hugh Armstrong and Cyprian H. Gridley were appointed. Of brother Armstrong I shall say more hereafter. Brother Gridley, who of the two first visited the judge on their coming to the circuit, was a man of small stature, and very youthful in his appearance and on his introducing himself as a Methodist preacher, who had come to labor on the circuit, the judge privately said to his wife,