His brother gently covered him again. But while he was doing this, R. looked smiling upon him, and said, "J., I want to get up." His brother replied, "R., you cannot get up." He then raised both his hands, and exclaimed, "Yes, J., I can get up! Glory to God, he has healed me soul and body!" His brother supposed that this unexpected exhibition of strength was the result of delirium, and strove to quiet him. But he continued to exclaim, "Glory to God, he has healed me, soul and body;" and insisted on having his wearing apparel brought, and that they should help him to arise and dress himself. His friends finally yielded, and he arose, and for several hours praised God with an audible voice.

A glorious revival of religion followed, which will be more particularly described hereafter.

NUMBER II.

Ar the time to which reference is made, in the first number of these sketches, Methodists in that section of country were few and far between; and it was a very rare thing to find a young person professing religion. The youth were generally devoted to vain amusements.

The ball-room was the place of general resort. But there was a family by the name of M., who resided but a short distance from my father's house. This man was the leader of the little class of Methodists in the vicinity. He was a man of few words, but of unimpeachable moral and Christian character. This circumstance exerted, as it ever does, a powerful influence in favor of the infant society in that place. Even those who were most loud and vehement in the cry against the Methodists, when pointed to J. M., were compelled to acknowledge that he was an honest man, and that his life comported with his profession. His wife was a woman of sound common sense, and of ardent piety. When yet but a lad, I used frequently to call on this family, and this mother in Israel used to talk to me so sweetly about Jesus, that my young heart many times melted, and I wished I was a Christian. She used, generally, to close the interview by laying her hands upon my head, and offering up a fervent prayer that God would make me a Christian. On one occasion, she not only prayed that God would make me a Christian, but a m... ... . . r also. I seem to feel at this very moment something of that unearthly influence which sometimes rested upon me on these occasions.

O, if all class-leaders and

private members were in the spirit and practice of this devoted couple, what glory would beam forth upon and be reflected by the church of God!

save

In this pious family there were a son and daughter, nearly of my own age. This son and daughter, as might be expected, under the instruction and prayers of such parents, became pious while they were yet young; and previously to the time of the change wrought upon R. C., heretofore related, this son, D. M., and his sister M. M., were both members of the church. They were the first yonng persons, one, that I had ever seen or heard making profession of religion. But they were like speckled birds, gazed upon, especially by the youthful part of community, many of whom thought, or affected to think, these were poor, gloomy, melancholy beings, ignorant of the pleasures their fellow youth enjoyed in vain recreations. While mentioning these young persons, it may be proper to say that D. M. fell an early victim to the fatal consumption; but not until he had lived to see the great and glorious revival of religion which I have proposed to describe, and in promoting which he was a principal agent. I now seem to see him as distinctly as at that moment, when he arose in a

large assembly, and with a countenance that beamed with supernatural light, exclaimed, "My friends, last Thursday night God sanctified my soul." In this spirit he lingered and suffered long, but patiently, until the Master said, "It is enough," and triumphantly he entered the port of rest. His sister M. lived to become the mother of a family, which she trained up for heaven, and perhaps still lingers on the shores of time.

There was also in the same neighborhood a young man by the name of W. S., who had not entered the "pock-house," who about the same time that others did so, attended a quarterly meeting; and there, or about that time, made up his mind to renounce the pleasures of the world, and seek the Lord. About the same time, another young man, T. B., a cousin of W. S., formed a similar resolution. So that when R. C. was able to go out, he found the four young persons above mentioned prepared to unite with him in the service of God. These five proposed to the leader, I. M., to call a special meeting for the young people. To this the leader consented, and a general invitation was given to the youth to attend and hear from R. C. what the Lord had done for him. To this meeting, which was held on the evening of the

first day of April, 1801, in a private farm house, were gathered almost all the youth living within a convenient distance of the place. As to myself, such had been my state of mind ever since I had heard R. C. declare what the Lord had done for him, that I knew I should not be able to govern my feelings to any great extent; and therefore, on going into the house, took a position in the corner of a room, where a door, which opened into an adjoining room, when swung back, nearly concealed me from the view of all in the house. These young professors soon commenced singing, for which R. C. had a good voice, which he had frequently employed in former times in singing vain songs. But now, when those who had listened to him while vain and foolish, heard him employing that voice in praising God, they were deeply affected.

The meeting was subsequently opened by prayer; after which several spoke and prayed. The Spirit of God was there, and deep solemnity rested upon almost every mind. At length, D. M., R. C., and T. B., commenced passing in different directions through the house, and speaking to the young people individually. I was glad that I was so far concealed as to escape this personal address. Many were deeply affected, and some from that evening set out in