,illustration3 ,,james1 ,,thomas1 ,,and 
,,george4      ,,the ,,village          
,,sunday-,,school3    ,with brief       
,sketches of  ,,three ,,of ,,its        
,,scholars4      ,,by ,,john ,c4        
,,symons4    ,,revised ,,by ,,daniel ,p4
 ,,kidder4      ,new ,york3             
,,published ,,by ,,lane  ,,scott1       
,,for ,,the ,,sunday-,,school ,,union   
,,of ,,the ,,methodist ,,episcopal      
,,church1 #bjj ,,mulberry-,,street4     
,,joseph ,,longking1 ,,printer4  #ahej4 
,,preface4      ,the writer of the      
following pages makes no pretension to  
authorship4 ,he  is deeply conscious    
that many defects characterize his      
production2 and he  hopes that they will
 be treated with the consideration which
 so candid an  avowal merits1 and which 
the fact demands4    ,the narratives are
 substantially true2 but1 for obvious   
reasons1 the  names of persons and      
places are changed4    ,the reason why  
this little book is sent into the world 
is1 the writer  considers the details   

which it contains of an exceedingly     
encouraging  character1 and calculated  
to support and strengthen the pious     
teacher in  the discharge of his        
important and sometimes discouraging    
duties4    ,the writer has felt the need
 of encouragement while laboring in the 
,sabbath-school2 and he has had that    
need supplied in no small measure  from 
the consideration of the facts now      
before his readers4 ,he hopes that  the 
effect which these facts have had upon  
his mind1 will be produced  upon the    
minds of all who may peruse these pages4
 ,if such be the case--if  but one      
devoted1 self-denying teacher derive    
encouragement--his end will  be more    
than answered4    ,with earnest prayer  
that the great ,head of the ,church will
 grant his  blessing upon this little   
work1 the writer submits it to his      
reader4          ,,contents             
,,chapter    ,i4 ,,the ,,village--,,the 
,,new ,,sunday-,,school--,,the          
,,superintendent--,a ,,revival4    ,,ii4

 ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,james4    ,,iii4
 ,,history ,,of ,,thomas4    ,,iv4      
,,history ,,of ,,george4    ,v4         
,,conclusion--,,benefits ,,of           
,,sunday-,,schools4            ,,chapter
 ,i4      ,,the ,,village--,,the ,,new  
,,sunday-,,school--,,the                
,,superintendent--,a ,,revival4         
,m---- is a small village in the west of
 ,england1 delightfully situated in  a  
wooded pleasant valley4 ,through it runs
 the parish road1 which--as it  leads to
 the seashore1 from whence the farmers  
of that and the  neighboring parishes   
bring great quantities of sand and      
seaweed as  manure--frequently presents1
 in the summer1 a bustling scene4 ,the  
village  is very scattered3 on the right
 of the beautiful streamlet which flows 
silently down the valley1 and runs      
across the road just in the centre of   
the village1 stands an old mill2 which  
for many a long year has been wont  to  
throw out its murmuring sound1 as the   
water falls over its broad and          

capacious wheel4 ,on the other side of  
the stream1 and just opposite the  old  
mill1 a few yards from the road1 stands 
a neat1 commodious1 and  well-built     
,methodist chapel1 which1 from the      
prominence of its situation1  and good  
proportions1 has often attracted the eye
 of the passing  stranger4    ,it was   
about the period when my narrative      
commences that the chapel was  built4   
,for many years the ,methodists had     
preached in the village1 and  there had 
been a small society under the care of  
an aged patriarch1 whose  gray hairs and
 tottering frame bespoke the near       
approach of the last  enemy3 soon he    
came1 and suddenly removed that good man
 to the palace of  angels and ,god4 ,in 
consequence of the preaching-place being
 far out of  the way1 and the place     
itself--an old barn--anything but       
inviting1 there  had been for many years
 but little success4    ,in #ah--1 two  
or three zealous brethren from another  
part of the circuit  settled in the     

vicinity of ,m----1 and steps were at   
once taken to get a  favorable site1 and
 to raise subscriptions towards building
 a chapel as  speedily as possible4 ,the
 neighboring squire was waited upon by  
two of  the new members1 with whom he   
was personally acquainted2 when1 without
  hesitation1 he gave them the spot of  
ground on which the chapel now  stands4 
,the chapel was soon built1 and opened  
for divine worship2 and  many of the old
 members1 who had witnessed the         
introduction of ,methodism  into the    
village1 were constrained to exclaim1   
,what hath ,god wrought6    ,the        
village1 though small1 was surrounded by
 a populous neighborhood1 and  many of  
the friends were anxious for the        
establishment of a  ,sabbath-school4 ,in
 this they had many difficulties to     
contend with2  arising principally from 
the awful carelessness of parents about 
their  children's spiritual welfare1 and
 the want of adequate help to carry on a
  school4 ,however1 they determined to  

make an attempt3 and1 accordingly1 at   
no great period after the new chapel was
 erected1 a school was  established4 ,as
 the society was small1 pious teachers  
could not be  secured1 and they were    
under the necessity of employing persons
 of good  moral character1 or of        
abandoning the school altogether4       
,few1 perhaps1 are more sensible of the 
advantage of pious teachers1 than       
myself3 and1 whenever it is possible1 ,i
 would have no others in a school4  ,how
 is it to be expected that a teacher1   
careless--at least comparatively        
so--about the salvation of his own soul1
 can faithfully and earnestly  enforce  
the duty of salvation upon his young    
charge3 and yet this is the  principal  
design of ,sabbath-schools4 ,it is not  
so much to teach the  children to       
read1--though this is a great           
object1--nor even to give them  a       
superficial acquaintance with the       
,bible2 but to lay before1 and as it    
were rivet upon1 their minds the        

practical duties of ,christianity4 ,how 
can one who loves not the ,lord ,jesus  
,christ1 successfully enforce the  duty 
of love to ,god with the whole heart1   
and soul1 and mind1 and  strength8 ,how 
can one who knows nothing of the saving 
faith of the  gospel1 successfully      
exhort his children to believe on the   
,lord ,jesus  ,christ8 ,for1 as he does 
not feel the necessity of these and     
kindred  truths himself1 he cannot      
enforce them so as to win the           
affections1 and  touch the hearts of the
 children4 ,but of the privilege of     
pious  teachers1 ,m---- ,sunday-school  
was deprived4    ,the superintendent was
 a man well known and much respected1   
and was  eminently qualified for his    
arduous task4 ,with the exception of the
  senior female teacher1 he was the only
 decided person in the school4 ,he  had 
much to contend with3 and ,i am sure1   
from my own observation1 had  many been 
situated as he was1 the school would    
have been speedily  abandoned4 ,he      

resided about a mile and a half from the
 chapel1 but  morning and afternoon1    
winter and summer1 wet or dry1 he was at
 his post6  ,the numbers which attended 
the school might have been about        
seventy4 ,the  teachers1 considering    
that they were not members of society1  
were pretty  attentive for a year or    
two2 but after that they began to fall  
off1 and  frequently was the            
superintendent obliged1 in addition to  
his regular  duties1 to place the senior
 boys of the first class over the lower 
ones1  and take the remainder1 with the 
second class1 under his own care4       
,laboring under so many disadvantages1  
it cannot be expected that ,m----       
,sunday-school should in any respect be 
very prosperous3 yet this ,i may  say1  
that though ,i have been connected with 
,sabbath-schools for some  years1 and   
have had an opportunity of examining    
several1 ,i have rarely  ever met with a
 more orderly set of children1 or a     
better conducted  school4    ,but who1  

from such a school as this1 would have  
expected anything like  success8 and yet
 the sequel will show1 that1 even under 
such unfavorable  circumstances as      
these1 ,god did not fail to work for his
 honor and glory6    ,the senior class  
of boys consisted of about a dozen      
promising lads1 whose  ages varied from 
nine to fourteen4 ,they were placed     
under the care of two  respectable moral
 young men1 but who1 with very many     
excellent qualities1  were devoid of    
religion4 ,the boys were encouraged to  
commit to memory  portions of           
,scripture1 for which they received     
small rewards2 and thus a  spirit of    
emulation was created as to who should  
possess the greatest  number of these4  
,among those who distinguished          
themselves were three  brothers1 named  
,james1 ,thomas1 and ,george4 ,james1   
the eldest1 remained  but a short time  
in the school3 but ,thomas and ,george  
continued much  longer1 and learned the 
whole of the three first ,gospels1 and  

part of ,st4  ,john4 ,they were very    
regular in their attendance1 and when in
 school  behaved just as others did1    
only that for their generally correct   
answers  in the catechetical exercises1 
which usually followed the reading of   
,scripture1 they were almost constantly 
at the head of the class4 ,they had     
comparatively little time during the    
week2 but often on a ,sabbath morning   
have they repeated one or two hundred   
verses of ,scripture4 ,and here let  me 
remark1 that ,thomas has since assured  
me1 it was not a love for the           
,scriptures1 nor a desire to become     
acquainted with them1 which induced  him
 to commit such large portions1 week    
after week1 to memory6 it was a         
desire1--a kind of emulation1--to be at 
the head of the class1 and to be        
thought highly of by his teachers and   
the superintendent4 ,in this he  gained 
his reward2 for he was looked upon by   
them as the most promising  lad in the  
school4    ,there was one thing         

connected with ,m---- ,sunday-school1   
which is worthy  of notice and of       
imitation4 ,the superintendent never    
dismissed the  children without giving  
them a short address of from five to ten
 minutes4  ,it was usually his custom on
 these occasions to impress upon the    
mind of  his young hearers some         
important truth1 through the medium of  
an  interesting anecdote1 or some       
well-conceived figure2 so that1 though  
the  remarks he made might be soon      
forgotten1 yet the anecdote and subject 
illustrated by it remained1 and will1 ,i
 doubt not1 be remembered to the  latest
 period of their lives by many of those 
who were privileged to  listen to him4  
,i am thoroughly satisfied that an      
effectual method of  reaching the ear   
and the understanding of children1 is   
through some such  medium as that used  
by the superintendent of ,m----         
,sunday-school4 ,i hope  the period is  
not far distant1 when it will be more   
generally adopted4    ,a few years ago1 

the village of ,m---- was visited with a
 very gracious  revival1 during which a 
great number were soundly converted1    
most of whom  have continued steadfast  
in the faith4 ,many of the teachers and 
scholars  were among the number of those
 who gave their hearts to ,god4    ,the 
following extracts show the extent and  
reality of the revival3--    ,there has 
been1 writes the superintendent1 an     
extensive revival in  this circuit4 ,on 
,friday1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,v---- preached 
at this place4 ,a  prayer-meeting was   
held after the sermon1 when several     
began to cry aloud  for mercy--one      
professed to have obtained pardon4 ,we  
have held  prayer-meetings nearly every 
night1 and a very gracious influence has
  rested upon us4 ,we had1 on one       
occasion1 no less than twelve penitents 
crying to ,god for the pardon of their  
sins1 amongst whom are some of the  most
 thoughtless in the neighborhood4 ,so   
many of our teachers and  scholars were 
under conviction1 that we did not think 

it proper to have  school in the        
morning1 but held a prayer-meeting1 at  
which the presence  of ,god was         
eminently felt1 and several cried aloud4
 ,nearly every female  teacher or       
scholar1 in our ,sunday-school1 is      
convinced or converted1 and  some of the
 males also4 ,glory to ,god6    ,on     
another occasion he writes1--,our       
revival still continues1 though we  have
 not had any crying aloud for mercy     
lately1 but every time we meet in  class
 we have some new members4 ,the numbers1
 small and great1 who had  begun to meet
 in class1 amounted to nearly one-third 
of our general  congregation--their ages
 vary from eight years old to above     
sixty4 ,mrs4  ,r4's1 our sweet singer1  
was a delightful conversion4 ,she had   
long been  seeking the ,lord sorrowing4 
,one morning she went into a neighbor's 
house1  to inform them that a young     
woman had found peace3 while in the     
house she  was herself constrained to   
cry for mercy4 ,one of the leaders was  

called  in to pray with her1 and1 after 
a severe struggle1 she found peace4 ,the
  next ,sunday ,i asked her 7for she was
 singing delightfully7 whether it was   
not sweeter to sing as she did1 than    
before8 ,she laid her hand on her       
breast1 and with uplifted eyes1 said1   
',yes1 it is indeed1 for ,i have  often 
been condemned while singing words in   
which my heart did not join1  but now ,i
 can sing with all my heart4'    ,one of
 the teachers1 writing to a friend1     
says1 ,you will rejoice to  hear that   
the work of ,god is steadily progressing
 in this part of his  vineyard4 ,many   
are found crying1 in bitterness of soul1
 ',what must ,i  do to be saved2' while 
others are enabled to adopt the language
 of  inspiration1 and exclaim1 ',o      
,lord1 ,i ,,will praise thee2 for though
 thou  wert angry with me1 thine auger  
is turned away1 and thou comfortest me4'
  ,you will have heard that many members
 of ,mr4 ,t4's family have been truly   
converted4 ,sunday-school teaching is   

now a delightful employment2 most of    
our children are feeling the power of   
religion2 and many of them1 perhaps     
one-third1 meet in class4 ,four out of  
seven1 whom ,i teach1 are1 ,i trust1    
adopted into the family of ,god1 and two
 others evince a desire to 'flee  from  
the wrath to come4' ,i think ,i may     
venture to say there is not a  family in
 the vicinity of our chapel1 but has    
some one or more praying  persons       
belonging to it4    ,it is exceedingly  
gratifying to know that the great       
majority of those  who were converted   
belong to the school1 continue          
steadfast1 and are now  pious and useful
 members of the ,methodist ,church4     
,,chapter ,,ii4      ,,the ,,history    
,,of ,,james4    ,there is a something  
connected with early associations which 
is almost  indescribable4 ,every one has
 felt it1 but few1 very few1 have been  
able  to excel in a description of it6  
,who has not felt1 as he gazes upon the 
cottage1--the home of his               

childhood1--his youthful days flash with
 all  the vividness of reality before   
his mind2 and as he stands and muses on 
the bygone years1 numbered with those   
before the flood1 he is almost          
spell-bound to the spot6 ,all his       
childish pastimes and youthful pleasures
  pass in review before his mental      
vision2 while the little trials with    
which his cup was mixed1 are not without
 their influence in mingling a          
melancholy with the pleasing            
reminiscences of the past4 ,much has    
been  said on this principle of         
association1 and truly much remains     
unsaid on  the subject4 ,scarcely is    
there a green sod1 or a purling brook1 a
 shady  forest-tree1 or a smiling       
flower1 an enchanting and fairy         
landscape1 or  a barren and desolate    
heath2 scarcely an object in nature1 or 
a work of  art1 which does not awaken   
some gratefully pleasing1 yet painful   
recollections of the past6    ,it is to 
this principle ,i attribute much of the 

good which results from                 
,sabbath-schools4 ,often has the pious  
teacher to return from his onerous      
duties in the school1 and retiring to   
his closet1 to mourn on account of  the 
fruitlessness of his efforts2 and ,satan
 never fails1 at such seasons1  to fill 
his mind with discouraging thoughts1    
which weigh down his  spirits1 and lead 
him almost to decide on retiring from   
the work4 ,to  such1 let the precept and
 promise of ,god's word1--,cast thy     
bread upon  the waters2 for thou shalt  
find it after many days1--be a source of
  never-failing encouragement4 ,how     
frequently1 in after life1 has it been  
found1 that the instruction of the      
,sabbath-school1 though it may have     
lain dormant for a time1 has not been   
annihilated2 but1 through some          
circumstance1 or by some object1 it has 
been resuscitated in the memory1  and it
 germinates1 blossoms1 fructifies1 and  
brings forth glorious fruit1  which has 
cheered the hearts and upheld the hands 

of many thousands of  the most          
self-denying and arduous laborers in    
,god's vineyard4    ,james1 the eldest  
of the three lads mentioned1 was a youth
 of  considerable promise4 ,he had one  
of the most retentive memories ,i have  
ever met with4 ,having reached the age  
of seventeen1 his parents placed  him   
with a ,methodist in a neighboring town1
 as an apprentice4 ,for twelve  months  
after his removal1 he stood aloof from  
all connection with the  ,church and    
people of ,god2 after which period1 as  
he remarks in a letter  to his brother1 
at the request of the superintendent of 
,c---- school1 ,i  became a teacher in  
that school1 and for four years remained
 as such4  ,james continued as a teacher
 in the school for about twelve-months  
previous to his becoming a member of    
society2 at the expiration of which     
time1 he was induced1 by the persuasions
 and invitations of his                 
fellow-teachers1 to meet in class4 ,from
 this period he became a steady  and    

devoted follower of the ,lamb1 and was  
at all times anxious to do what  lay in 
his power to further the cause of the   
,redeemer4 ,from his first  connection  
with ,sabbath-schools1 when about five  
years old1 he had  conceived a love for 
them2 and as he grew up his love and    
attachment to  them increased1 and his  
delight now was to devote all his       
energies to  their promotion4 ,as he    
more than once remarked to me1 he       
conceived he was  greatly indebted to   
,sunday-schools for the benefits he had 
received from  them1 and he determined1 
so far as in him lay1 to discharge the  
debt of  gratitude he owed4    ,his     
qualifications as a teacher were of no  
mean order4 ,to an earnest  desire for  
the salvation of his young charge1 he   
added a large store of  ,scriptural and 
general knowledge1 all of which was     
brought to bear upon  the edification of
 his class4 ,he was firm and resolute   
with his children1  and at the same time
 kind and affectionate2 so that ,i may  

safely assert  that there were few1 if  
any1 more efficient teachers in the     
school than  ,james4 ,and the secret of 
the matter was this2--his heart was in  
the work2  he delighted in it1 and many 
of his happiest hours were those spent  
on  the form with his class4 ,the       
responsibility which he justly conceived
  attached itself to the ,sabbath-school
 teacher1 was shown by his attention  to
 any of his own class who were sick2 and
 not a few interesting records  has he  
given of ,sunday-school children1 who1  
dying in the ,lord1 have left  a bright 
evidence behind them that they are gone 
to glory4    ,who can count the number  
of those who1 through the               
instrumentality of  ,sunday-schools1 are
 now before the throne of ,god1 joining 
with angels1  and archangels1 and the   
spirits of the just made perfect1 in    
singing1  ,blessing1 and honor1 and     
glory1 and power1 be unto ,him that     
sitteth upon  the throne1 and unto the  
,lamb forever and ever4 ,truly1 there is

 no  individual who verifies the truth  
of the ,psalmist's declaration1--,he    
that goeth forth and weepeth1 bearing   
precious seed1 shall doubtless come     
again with rejoicing1 bringing his      
sheaves with him1--more frequently  than
 does the pious ,sunday-school teacher4 
,methinks ,i see him enter the  paradise
 of ,god1 met and surrounded by those   
who sat in his class1 who  listened to  
his teaching1 and who were directed by  
him to the ,lamb of  ,god who taketh    
away the sins of the world4 ,joyful     
indeed will such  meetings be4 ,o may   
such bliss be ours6    ,after serving   
five years as an apprentice1 ,james     
removed to ,london4 ,there  are many    
persons who imagine1 that to settle in  
,london is the very acme  of happiness2 
how little do such persons know of the  
reality6 ,it is true1  that in the      
religious sphere there are many         
advantages possessed by the  resident of
 the metropolis4 ,he has the teaching   
and counsel of ministers  eminent for   

their piety1 usefulness1 and talent2 he 
is brought into  connection with some of
 the holiest and best men of the day2   
and1 if  his time be not altogether     
absorbed in the world1 he has constantly
  numerous means of grace within his    
reach1 so that he can frequently and    
delightfully join the great             
congregation1 mingling his voice with   
theirs1  swelling the anthems of praise 
and the solemn accents of prayer1 as    
they  rise like incense to the skies4   
,but there is1 on the other hand1 much  
more allurement and temptation2 there is
 everything around to draw away  the    
attention from heavenly objects4 ,those 
with whom you have to  associate1 and   
who constantly surround you1 are men of 
the world2 men  whose whole delight is  
in forgetfulness of ,god6--men1 in many 
instances1 whose whole energies are     
directed to ridicule1 blaspheme1  and   
overthrow the pious and devoted         
,christian2 so that1 being thus         
surrounded1 the temptations of our great

 enemy are powerful1 and often  more    
fatal4    ,many a promising young man   
within the range of my own limited      
acquaintance1 has1 through coming to    
,london1 made shipwreck of faith1  and  
of a good conscience2 and to any into   
whose hands this little work  may find  
its way1 let me earnestly and faithfully
 say1 ,flee the very  appearance of     
evil2 parley not one moment with        
temptation2 but when  tempted1 fly at   
once to the cross1 lay hold there1 nor  
let that hold be  loosened1 till the    
enemy is vanquished1 and your soul      
filled with  perfect peace4 ,be         
particular what companions you have2 a  
man is known  by the company he keeps4  
,and let me warn you to be careful how  
you  comply with the invitations of     
ungodly associates1 in attending places 
of  amusement and scenes of gayety4 ,the
 wise man says1 ,my son1 if sinners     
entice thee1 consent thou not4 ,many and
 specious are the arguments which  will 
be adduced to gain your consent2 but    

take the precaution to ask  yourself1   
honestly1 and as in the sight of ,god1  
,can ,i get any good there8  ,may ,i not
 get harm8 ,can ,i ask ,god's blessings 
upon it8 ,should ,i like to  die while  
there8 ,if these questions can be       
answered satisfactorily1 then  give your
 consent2 but beware1 even under those  
circumstances1 how you  choose for your 
companions those who know not ,god6     
,it was at the end of ,march1 #ah--1    
that ,james left his native country4 ,on
  his arrival in ,london1 he was at once
 provided with employment at a large    
establishment4 ,here he had much to     
contend with1 being surrounded by1 and  
brought into immediate contact with1 a  
great number of men1 many of whom  were 
not only devoid of religion themselves1 
but ridiculed and sneered at  those who 
made the least profession of respect for
 the commandments of  ,god4 ,being known
 as a ,methodist1 and refusing to work  
on the ,sabbath1  when ordered to do so1
 or leave his situation1 he came in for 

a  considerable portion of their obloquy
 and contempt4    ,there are few persons
 more social in their character than the
 subject of  our narrative4 ,to such1   
how beneficial and salutary is the      
influence  arising from that friendship 
and communion so well provided for among
  the ,wesleyans1 and of which he soon  
availed himself4 ,for want of this1     
many suffer2 and1 surrounded by the     
temptations and seductive influences  of
 the giddy and polluted votaries of     
pleasure1 they look back to the  empty  
enjoyments of the world--they eat1      
drink1 and are merry1 while  to-morrow  
they die4 ,providentially for ,james1   
there was one person in the             
establishment in which he labored who   
feared ,god1 and to whom the gospel  had
 come with life and power2 he was a     
class-leader at a neighboring  ,wesleyan
 chapel4 ,he took him to his class1     
where he constantly met1  until his     
leader was translated from the ,church  
militant below to the  ,church          

triumphant above4 ,it was the privilege 
of ,james to witness1 in his  dying     
hours1 his firm and unshaken confidence 
in the ,redeemer4 ,he was  ready to     
depart1 and to be with ,christ4    ,in  
,july1 #ah--1 ,james became connected   
with a ,sunday-school in ,t----  street4
 ,at this period the number of scholars 
was fifty1 and teachers  six2 while the 
school required every assistance that he
 could render4  ,with the assistance of 
a devoted young man1 who soon became his
  colleague1 the school was put into    
order and efficiency4 ,here1 in         
consequence of the want of teachers1 and
 the close1 unhealthy1  cellar-like     
appearance of the place1 the school was 
not very prosperous2  but the society   
and cause were still less so4 ,in fact1 
but for the vigor  and vitality evinced 
in the ,sunday-school1 the chapel would 
have been  soon given up4 ,in           
,september1 #ah--1 he writes1 ,i have   
been fifteen months  in connection with 
this school4 ,the future may show to me 

great good  resulting from this school1 
but at present we have only enough to   
encourage us4 ,for five years he had    
much to contend with from the apathy  of
 friends1 or from the neglect of those  
who ought to have been the  friends and 
patrons of the school2 as well as from  
the indifference of  parents to the     
religious welfare of their children4    
,there have been a few  pleasing        
indications of good2 and1 considering   
the difficulties they have  to contend  
with1 the conduct of the children was   
generally favorable4 ,the  few          
exceptions were forgotten in the sweet  
smiles and affectionate  remembrances of
 others4    ,i will conclude this sketch
 of ,james with a remark or two of his  
own3--,i  am1 says he1 one of those who 
owe much to ,sabbath-schools2 to deny   
it1  would be foolish and sinful4 ,many 
a happy hour have ,i spent in the       
,sabbath-school2 many more ,i hope to   
spend4 ,my firm belief is1 that the     
,sabbath-school should have every       

,wesleyan child1 whether he be rich or  
poor2 and ,i cannot but deplore that    
false pride1 evinced by many            
respectable religious people in the     
present day1 which prevents their       
children being sent to the              
,sabbath-school1 'because they have     
learning  enough through the week2'     
while they will let them ramble out1 or 
play  within the house instead3 thus    
training them for ,satan rather than for
  ,god6    ,sunday-schools are the      
militia of the ,church3 it is from them 
the most  efficient youth are drafted   
into the service of ,jehovah1 to fight  
manfully under the ,captain of their    
salvation1 numbers of whom win the      
well-fought day1 and receive the prize  
of victory4    ,sunday-schools are the  
nurseries of the ,church2 they compose  
the youth  who are to live when we go   
down to the dust4 ,when the teachers are
 aged1  or dead1 their children will    
rise up to fill the ranks of ,immanuel4 
,where  are the additions to our church 

to come from1 but from ,sunday-schools8 
,do  not most of those who join the     
,church in the prime of their days1 and 
present whole sacrifices to ,god1 come  
from our ,sabbath-schools8 ,the         
churches of ,christ should see to it    
that good nurses are provided for  them1
 and not1 as is too often the case1     
leave them in the hands of the          
inexperienced and the youthful4         
,,chapter ,,iii4      ,,history ,,of    
,,thomas4    ,thomas1 the second        
brother1 remained much longer in the    
school4  ,possessing a retentive memory1
 he learned the whole of the three      
,gospels  of ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and
 part of ,john4 ,after remaining as a   
scholar  for about three years1 during  
which time he was often employed in     
teaching the junior classes1 he was     
formally admitted as a teacher1 in  the 
presence of the whole school1 the       
secretary delivering an interesting  and
 affecting address to him1 on the duties
 and responsibilities of his  position  

as the guide of youth2 at the conclusion
 of which he presented  him with a book1
 entitled ,the ,guilty ,tongue1 as a    
reward for his good  conduct and        
proficiency4 ,thomas had not long been a
 teacher1 before a  vacancy occurred in 
the first class1 to which he had        
formerly belonged as  a scholar1 and he 
was at once nominated to it4    ,after  
continuing as a scholar for three1 and a
 teacher for about two  years1 he       
removed to a neighboring town1 as an    
apprentice4 ,absent from  the parental  
roof1--placed in the midst of           
temptation1 and surrounded by  many     
allurements1--,thomas soon became       
forgetful of his former  instructions1  
and his ,sabbath-school engagements3    
instead of connecting  himself with the 
school1 and being found on the form by  
the side of his  class1 he might be seen
 ranging over the fields1 and wandering 
through  lanes1 in company with those   
whom he had chosen as his associates4   
,one  thing is worthy of remark1 and it 

shows the force of habit1 and the power 
of early associations3 he was regular in
 his attendance at the ,wesleyan        
,chapel twice a day4 ,this happened1    
perhaps1 not more from choice than  from
 a partial restraint which he felt1 from
 the knowledge1 that if he  neglected   
this duty1 it would come to the ears of 
his parents1 and not  only grieve them1 
but bring down on him their displeasure4
    ,though thus1 for a brief space1 led
 away into the sins of youth1 ,thomas   
was far from falling into what would be 
called gross sins4    ,the              
superintendent of the ,h---- circuit at 
this time was the ,rev4 ,j4,r41  a man  
who1 in the work of the ,lord1 was      
instant in season1 and out  of season2  
and who was made very useful1 not only  
by his public  ministrations1 but in his
 numerous and constant private visits   
among his  flock1 and the members of his
 congregation4    ,under a sermon by    
,mr4 ,r41 addressed specially to the    
young1 the subject  of our sketch was   

powerfully wrought upon by the ,holy    
,spirit1 and  awakened to a right sense 
of his danger as a sinner4 ,but he      
strove to  banish these convictions1 and
 soon again became careless and         
indifferent  to the great concerns of   
his soul's salvation4    ,about this    
period ,thomas's father1 anxious that he
 should become decided  for ,god1 told  
him he would send ,mr4 ,r4 to visit him4
 ,but so averse was  ,thomas from seeing
 him1 that he declared should ,mr4 ,r4  
walk in at one  door1 he would walk out 
at the other4 ,however1 ,mr4 ,r4 called2
 and ,thomas  did not1 and could not1   
put his threat into execution4 ,mr4 ,r4 
urged upon  him the danger of a course  
of sin1--the necessity and advantages of
  seeking ,god in youth1--and begged him
 to join his class1 which met at  seven 
o'clock on ,sabbath mornings4 ,thomas   
promised to go2 but when the  morning   
came he broke his promise1 and remained 
at home4 ,in the  succeeding week ,mr4  
,r4 again called4 ,thomas again         

promised2 and on the  following ,sabbath
 met in class for the first time4 ,in   
about a month after  joining the        
society1 he was enabled to exercise     
faith in ,christ1 and  obtained a clear 
evidence of his acceptance with ,god3   
this took place on  a ,sabbath evening1 
in company with one of his religious    
friends2 while  they were pouring out   
their souls at the throne of grace1     
light from  heaven beamed upon his      
soul1--he was enabled to believe4       
,connected with ,thomas's joining the   
people of ,god1 there is an incident    
not unworthy of mention here4 ,a short  
time previously he had1 with his  elder 
brother ,james1 paid a visit to their   
father's house4 ,during that  visit1 the
 subject of union with ,god's people was
 strongly urged upon  both of them by   
their parents4 ,they had each been the  
subjects of the  ,holy ,spirit's        
striving for some time1 and were fully  
awakened to their  danger and duty4     
,while walking through one of the shady 

lanes situated  between their home and  
the chapel1 and conversing on the       
subject of  religion1 and the necessity 
of devoting themselves to ,god1 ,thomas 
said1  if ,james would join the society 
he would4 ,no immediate result followed2
  but about a fortnight before ,thomas's
 connection with the ,church1 ,james    
had joined the ,wesleyans1 and had      
written to his father informing him of  
,thomas's promise4 ,it was in           
consequence of this1 that ,mr4 ,r4 was  
requested to call on him2 the result of 
which1 through the blessing of  ,god1   
was1 as the reader has seen1 his        
becoming connected with the ,church4    
,thomas had joined himself to ,god's    
people but a short time1 when he        
determined1 by the advice and invitation
 of his friends1 to become a            
,sabbath-school teacher4 ,his experience
 and success in this sphere of  labor   
will be best described in his own words3
 ,soon after my union with  the         
,wesleyans1 ,i became a teacher in the  

,sunday-school1 which1 at that  time1   
was not very prosperous4 ,here1 as      
teacher of one of the junior  classes1  
,i strove to do my duty to ,god and the 
children placed under my  care4 ,a few  
of our teachers determined to establish 
a school at ,i----1 a  small village    
about two miles distance from ,h----1 in
 which the ,wesleyans  had preaching at 
a private house1 and a class of five    
members1 to whom ,i  willingly gave my  
assistance4 ,but where should we get a  
room8 was the  next question to be      
solved4 ,after some difficulty on this  
point1 we got  the use of an old barn2  
but which1 by the way1 had no window in 
it1 and  was consequently so dark1 that 
we were obliged to keep the door        
constantly open1 and1 it being winter   
season1 we found it very cold4 ,yet     
even this was too good to last long1 for
 we were soon told that we could  not   
have the barn any longer1 and we were1  
therefore1 obliged to look out  for     
another place4 ,our next remove was to a

 different part of the  village1 to a   
room over some stables1 the floor of    
which1 besides having  sundry large     
holes in it1 was so rotten that we were 
obliged to range the  children around by
 the walls1 fearing lest the floor      
should give way from  their weight1 if  
placed in the centre4 ,even in such a   
place as this1 our  school increased    
from twenty to forty4    ,after         
remaining in this room for some months1 
,i may say truly1 in  continual fear of 
our lives1 we removed to a much more    
commodious place1  offered us by a ,mr4 
,h----1 the only person in the village  
who was in  circumstances of ease4 ,but 
his love after a time grew cold1 and we 
were  surprised on our arrival one      
,sunday1 to find that1 without giving us
 the  slightest intimation of his       
intention to do so1 he had turned out   
forms1  boxes of books1 and all our     
paraphernalia1 and locked the door2     
alleging  as a reason1 to the persons   
who lived at the next house--members of 

our  society--that he wanted the place  
for potatoes2 but to do him justice1 ,i 
must add1 that the room did not see a   
potato for many months after4 ,i  have  
before stated that we had preaching at  
the village1 in a private  house2 the   
persons in whose house the service was  
held1 were1 ,i should  say1 both past   
sixty4 ,they were poor1 but excellent   
people4 ,at the same  hour with our     
school1 the class used to meet at their 
house2 and as they  had only two rooms1 
it met in the one in which preaching was
 held4 ,but no  sooner did these good   
old people hear of our being turned out 
of our  place1 than they at once--before
 our arrival--got the forms and books   
into their house1 and seated and        
arranged the children2 so that you may  
judge of our surprise1 when1 on finding 
ourselves shut out from the one  place1 
we were so unexpectedly put into the    
other4 ,these noble-minded  ,christians 
consented that the class should meet in 
their sleeping-room1  and that we should

 have the use of the other for our      
school4 ,we could not  allow such       
generous and self-denying devotion for  
the cause of ,god to go  unrewarded1 and
 we therefore determined to pay them a  
small sum per annum  for the use of the 
room4    ,i have not done with our      
difficulties yet4 ,the road leading to  
the  village was anything but a good    
one2 indeed1 in the winter it was very  
bad3 so that1 though in summer we could 
get plenty of teachers1 yet when  winter
 came we could get none1 and the whole  
concern of the school then  fell upon   
three or four4 ,in the midst of our     
discouragements1 one of our             
superintendents left us4 ,the other was 
taken ill1 and was prevented from  being
 with us for six months4 ,i was         
nominated to the office of our friend   
who had left1 and excepting when a      
substitute could be found--which was    
not very often--,i had to take the place
 of our sick one also3 add to this  the 
fact that we had only two other teachers

 who regularly attended1 and  you will  
see that our difficulties were of no    
light character4 ,often have  ,i been at
 our little school with only one teacher
 and myself2 and1  indeed1 at length    
things were come to such a crisis1 that 
,i said on my  return home one          
afternoon1 ',i will go no more2 ,i'll   
give it all up1' ,but  my friends       
reasoned with1 and showed me the        
impropriety of such a  decision2 they   
told me that as the school was now      
entirely dependent  upon myself for     
support1 ,i should be much to blame if  
,i gave it up4 ,i  listened to their    
advice1 and continued to discharge my   
duties as well as  ,i was able4         
,beware of desperate steps2 the darkest 
day1     ,live till to-morrow1 't will  
have pass'd away4    ,so sang ,cowper1  
and so it proved in the case of ,i----  
school6    ,i determined1 writes the    
subject of our narrative1 not to abandon
 the  school4 ,i made its position a    
matter of earnest prayer2 canvassed our 

people for teachers2 and ,god raised us 
up friends1 so that soon we had a       
supply of teachers1 and things went on  
smoothly4 ,and here ,i would remark1    
that during the lack of teachers the    
attendance of the children was most     
gratifying1 considering that most of    
them had to come a distance of from  one
 to two miles1 through roads which a    
',londoner' would consider almost1  if  
not quite1 impassable4    ,our little   
school1 from this time1 began to attract
 some notice1 and we  had an examination
 or two1 had sermons preached1 and gave 
the children an  annual treat4 ,this    
mode of procedure we found absolutely   
necessary2 so  that1 by coming out      
prominently1 we might draw the attention
 of our  friends1 and so reach their    
pockets4    ,our school continuing to   
prosper1 we began to talk about a       
chapel1 and  several subscriptions were 
promised toward it2 but in consequence  
of the  landowner's antipathy to        
,methodism1 we could not obtain a spot  

of ground  to build upon4 ,the death of 
the landowner1 some time after1 obviated
 the  difficulty2 a suitable site was   
obtained1 and a chapel built1 in which1 
a  few years after1 ,i had the pleasure 
of addressing the children on one of    
their festive occasions4 ,the scene had 
changed1 the new chapel which had  been 
erected was well attended1 the school   
prosperous1 and the blessing  of ,god   
evidently rested upon the place4    ,in 
my former narrative ,i made a remark or 
two on the evils and dangers  to which a
 young man is exposed in coming to the  
metropolis1 and the  dreadful           
consequences to which a yielding to them
 leads4 ,those remarks  will1 ,i think1 
be fully borne out in the case of       
,thomas2 for1 although1  by the         
preserving grace of ,god1 he was kept   
from all gross and outward  sins1 yet it
 will be seen that he lost the sweets   
and comforts of  religion1 which before 
he had possessed4 ,but ,i will give his 
own account  of his residence in        

,london4    ,i have said1 he writes in  
continuation1 that in the beginning of  
#ah--  ,i removed to ,london3 but ,i    
should have remarked1 that1 for some    
time  previous to my leaving ,h----1 ,i 
was impressed with the conviction that  
it  was my duty to be engaged in a more 
prominent sphere of labor in the        
,church4 ,this impression received      
countenance and strength from the fact1 
that several persons connected with the 
society urged such a step upon  me4 ,i  
had for some months been accustomed to  
accompany a very excellent  friend of   
mine1 a local preacher1 to his          
appointments in the country1 and  now   
and then to take part of the service3   
but by natural temperament1 my  youth1  
my inexperience1 together with the      
overwhelming feelings of  responsibility
 which ,i attached to the office1       
prevented my acceding to  the request of
 my friends that ,i would preach2 until 
just a month before  my leaving for     
,london1 when ,i made an essay at the   

house in which our  school was held1 at 
,i----4 ,had ,i remained in the country1
 it is likely  that ,i should have      
continued in the work of calling sinners
 to  repentance2 but on coming to town1 
,i had not moral courage to obey the    
dictates of my conscience1 and to offer 
myself for this work4 ,i shall  repent  
this step as long as ,i live6    ,i had 
not been in ,london a week1 before ,i   
succeeded in procuring a  situation in a
 very respectable house on the ,surrey  
side of the ,thames2  and being nearer  
to ,southwark than any other ,wesleyan  
,chapel1 ,i decided  on making that my  
place of worship4 ,here again ,i fell   
into error4 ,i did  not1 as ,i had been 
warned and entreated to do--and as ,i   
knew ,i ought to  do--join myself to a  
class at once2 but1 at the end of a     
month or six  weeks1 ,i connected myself
 with one which met in the vestry1 at   
seven  o'clock on ,sunday mornings1 and 
for about eight or ten months ,i went on
  pretty well2 but when winter came1 ,i 

was not regular in my attendance1  and  
as every one acquainted with the        
benefits of class-meetings will  judge1 
was not so prosperous in my soul's      
health4    ,nor was this the only error 
into which ,i fell during my stay in    
town4 ,i  fell into others which have   
often proved fatal to the piety of      
youth1  and1 but for the amazing        
goodness of ,god1 would have proved so  
to me4 ,one  of these was the evil of   
itching ears4 ,i could not be contented 
with my  own place of worship1 and our  
own ministers3 but must be running here 
and  there1 to hear ,dr4 ,so-and-so1 or 
,mr4 ,somebody2 or1 when indisposed to  
ramble after popular men1 must go to    
this or that church or chapel1 to  see  
some beauty or peculiarity which it was 
said to possess3 thus a kind  of        
spiritual dissipation was kept up1 which
 was far from being beneficial  to      
growth in grace4 ,instead of going to   
the house of ,god that the soul  might  
be fed with the bread of heaven1 it was 

too frequently the case  that ,i went to
 gratify a taste for curiosity1 or to   
get an intellectual  feast4 ,another    
error into which ,i fell1 and that1 too1
 a serious one1 was  indolence4 ,i was  
in no way employed for ,god4 ,instead of
 taking my seat in  the ,sabbath-school1
 or going from house to house as a      
distributer of  tracts1 or being in some
 way or another employed for ,god1 ,i   
stood aloof  from all1 and preferred    
idleness to employment4 ,and in thus    
acting ,i  sinned against my conscience4
 ,i have before stated what were my     
convictions respecting preaching2 but   
fear kept me from that path of  duty4 ,i
 ought to have been engaged in the      
,sabbath-school2 but constant  and      
excessive confinement--our hours of     
business being from seven to nine  in   
the winter1 and from seven to half-past 
ten in summer--and the alleged  want of 
fresh air1 were pleaded as an excuse for
 not engaging in this  duty4    ,i      
cannot reflect on this period of my life

 without painful emotion4 ,when  ,i     
think of the precious time murdered1    
time which might1 and which ought  to   
have been employed for the glory of     
,god1--,i am filled with sorrow4 ,o1    
had ,i been faithful2 had ,i but        
improved the grace imparted2 had ,i     
yielded  to the strivings of the        
,spirit1 and the convictions of my      
conscience1 ,i  should1 ,i am confident 
of it1 now have been occupying a        
different  position in the ,church1 and 
should at this moment have been in the  
possession of more vital godliness4     
,these are painful reflections3 yet ,i  
trust they are not without their        
benefits1 for they lead me to humility  
before ,god1 and ,i hope will ever have 
the effect of keeping me  distrustful of
 self1 and dependent upon ,god alone4   
,but to go on with my narrative4 ,after 
about fifteen months' residence in      
,london1 my health began to fail1 from  
the labor and confinement of my         
situation2 and at the expiration of     

nineteen months1 ,i was under the       
necessity of quitting the metropolis1   
and returning to my native county4      
,here ,i again took up my residence with
 my late employer1 at ,y----1 with  whom
 ,i remained about five months4    ,i   
had never1 during the whole of my stay  
in ,london1 been free from the          
conviction that it was my duty to call  
'sinners to repentance2' and ,i  made a 
solemn vow1 that should ,god again lead 
me to my native place1 ,i  would at once
 offer myself to the ,church4 ,now came 
the trial4 ',remember  your vow1' said  
my conscience4 ',you are not well enough
 yet2 wait till  you have got better1'  
answered inclination3 and as there was  
much truth  in the answer--my friends1  
together with myself1 for some time     
thinking  me in a                       
consumption--inclination was listened   
to4 ,but as ,i grew better1  conscience 
was not so easily silenced1 and a mental
 conflict was for some  time kept up1   
which is more easily felt than          

described2 and such was its  effect upon
 me1 that ,i began again to sink1 and to
 get very ill4    ,well do ,i remember  
the day on which ,i became decided4 ,it 
was on a  ,sabbath evening3 ,i had been 
hearing a very faithful and powerful    
sermon  from the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,g----1 on  
the responsibility of individual        
,christians1  and the duty of all to be 
employed for ,god4 ,i saw my duty1 and  
felt that  ,i was grieving the ,spirit  
by the course ,i was pursuing4 ,i       
determined that  ,i would open my mind  
to a friend with whom ,i was spending   
the evening4 ,i  did so2 and the counsel
 ,i received was1 ',parley with         
temptation no  longer2 but to-morrow go 
to ,mr4 ,g41 and open your mind to him1'
 ',i cannot  do that1' said ,i4 ',then  
write to your leader1' answered my      
friend4 ,this  was just the advice ,i   
wanted2 and ,i determined1 by the help  
of ,god1 to  act upon it4    ,monday    
evening1 at the close of business1 ,i   
retired to my room2 and  after earnest  

prayer1 commenced a letter to my leader4
 ,it was nearly  finished3 but on       
reading it over ,i was not pleased with 
its composition1  and tearing it in     
pieces1 commenced another4 ,the agony of
 my mind was now  at its height3 my head
 seemed ready to burst2 my brain was    
bewildered1  and ,i was in a state      
bordering on distraction6 ,while ,i     
write ,i seem  almost to pass through   
this agony again4 ,i finished a second  
letter6 ,what  ,i said in it ,i no more 
know than a child3 ,i feared to read it 
over1 lest  ,i should be displeased with
 and destroy it1 as ,i did the former4  
,i at  once sealed it up1 and thrust it 
out of sight4 ,i then threw myself on   
the  bed1 where ,i lay for a            
considerable time1 till the exquisite   
excitement  of the struggle being over1 
,i retired to rest1 thankful to ,god for
 the  victory ,i had gained4 ,in the    
morning my first work was to send the   
letter  to my leader3 after which ,i had
 another struggle with the powers of    

darkness4 ',you cannot retract now1'    
whispered the enemy4 ',you have done    
it2 and now where are your sermons to   
come from8 ,you know you have only  two 
in the world3 suppose you should make a 
failure in your first  attempt1 what a  
fool you would look like6 how you would 
get laughed at6'  ,but the step was     
taken1 and ,i rejoiced to feel that ,i  
had done my duty3 a  load which had long
 been too heavy for me was removed1 and 
,i felt  altogether a new man4    ,i    
fear ,i have been tiresome2 but ,i will 
now soon conclude4 ,i was  proposed at  
the local preachers' meeting1 accepted1 
preached several  times before the      
brethren1 with some degree of           
acceptance2 and after  remaining about  
four months in ,y----1 from the period  
referred to1 my  health being           
re-established1 ,i again removed to the 
metropolis1 where my  name was regularly
 inserted on the plan4 ,having passed my
 examination in  the usual way1 ,i was  
received into full connection as a local

 preacher4 ,i  need not tell you that ,i
 am now fully occupied in this blessed  
work2 that  my happiest hours are those 
spent in it2 that1 were it the will of  
,god1  ,i am willing to live and die in 
the work4    ,thomas is now a local     
preacher in one of the ,london circuits2
 and  although by his occupation he is  
necessarily prevented from much study1  
being in business1 as unfortunately most
 young men are1 from early in the       
morning till late at night1 he is1      
nevertheless1 an acceptable1 and1 it  is
 hoped1 a useful preacher4              
,,chapter ,,iv4      ,,history ,,of     
,,george4    ,the third brother1        
,george1 remained in ,m---- school for  
some years after  the elder brothers had
 left4 ,as a scholar he was well-behaved
 and  attentive2 and after conducting   
himself with propriety for a            
considerable  period1 he was appointed a
 teacher4 ,he had not long been thus    
engaged  before1 during a gracious      
revival of religion in the circuit1 he  

became  deeply impressed with the       
necessity of salvation1 and determined  
to seek  the forgiveness of his sins4   
,he joined the ,wesleyan society1 and   
after a  short period1 professed to have
 obtained peace with ,god through       
,christ1  and the remission of sins     
through faith in his blood4    ,shortly 
after he had joined the ,wesleyan       
society1 he was sent for some  months to
 a boarding-school in a neighboring     
town4 ,at that period the  ,rev4 ,j4,b4 
was one of the resident ,wesleyan       
ministers4 ,mr4 ,b4 had1 a  little time 
previous1 preached a sermon to the      
young2 and at the close of  the service 
had invited those young people who were 
not connected with  any church1 and who 
were determined to begin to serve ,god1 
to meet him on  the ensuing ,thursday   
evening4 ,thirty came1 whom he formed   
into a class1  and continued to meet    
while he remained in the circuit4 ,to   
this class  ,george united himself2 and 
the instructions and kindness of this   

devoted  minister1 exercised a          
beneficial influence on his character   
and conduct4  ,by the grace of ,god he  
was enabled to persevere amidst the     
enticements of  his youthful associates1
 and to keep a conscience void of       
offense  towards ,god and man4    ,soon 
after this1 he was removed from the     
parental roof1 and placed with a  local 
preacher at ,b41 as an apprentice4 ,here
 his religious experience  deepened1 and
 he enjoyed more of the favor and love  
of ,god2 continuing  instant in prayer1 
and adorning the doctrine of ,god his   
,saviour4 ,his  ,sabbaths were indeed   
days of rest2 but not the rest of the   
idle1 for he  engaged heartily in the   
duties of the ,sabbath-school1 and was a
 regular  and punctual teacher4 ,some of
 his friends1 who knew the state of his 
health1 were rather opposed to his      
leisure moments being thus occupied1    
and considered that he ought to take    
exercise and recreation in the open     
air4 ,such were not his views4 ,he      

shortly had to remove from business for 
a time1 and to take one or two sea      
voyages1 which happily restored him to  
his former health1 and enabled him to   
return to his duties4    ,after         
exercising as a prayer-leader as well as
 a teacher for some time1  he became    
impressed with the conviction that it   
was his duty and  privilege to preach   
the gospel4 ,he was encouraged to       
proceed1 and his  name placed on the    
local preachers' plan4 ,he then ceased  
to attend the  ,sunday-school4    ,in a 
letter to a brother1 ,george observes3  
,i can scarcely remember  anything of   
serious impressions while at school2    
though1 ,i doubt not1 the  instructions 
,i there received had a salutary        
influence upon my mind4 ,if ,i  remember
 rightly1 several of the elder children 
were converted during the  revival at   
,m42 and most of those who continued    
steadfast were1 or had  been1 connected 
with the school1 either as teachers or  
scholars4    ,george was not satisfied  

with his attainments in the divine life1
 but  sought to possess higher          
enjoyments and more extensive           
usefulness1--to  deeper sink1 and higher
 rise1 and to perfection grow4 ,he was  
soon  enabled to testify that the blood 
of ,jesus ,christ cleanseth from all    
sin2 and had much delightful evidence   
that to be more holy was to become  more
 happy and useful4 ,he labors devotedly 
and successfully as a local  preacher1  
and is determined to live to the glory  
of ,god4          ,,chapter ,v4         
,,conclusion--,,benefits ,,of           
,,sunday-,,schools4    ,having now      
brought my sketches to a conclusion1 ,i 
would here make a few  remarks1 before  
,i take leave of my reader4 ,first3 the 
benefits resulting  from                
,sabbath-schools are not confined to    
those which are present and  palpable4  
,how often do we hear of children       
leaving the school1 and going  out into 
the world1 without any apparent effect  
being produced in their  minds2 but yet1

 in the course of time1 through the     
blessing of ,god1 the  most beneficial  
results have appeared from these        
instructions4    ,not a few instances of
 boys who have been excluded on account 
of bad  conduct1 but who have been      
brought to the knowledge of the truth1  
through  the blessing of ,god upon the  
instructions received in the            
,sabbath-school1  have been laid before 
the public4 ,and who will say1 that in  
many cases  where there seems no        
connection whatever between the         
instruction and the  conversion of the  
individual1 no such connection exists8  
,it is my firm  conviction that a person
 who has received instruction in a      
,sabbath-school  is much more likely to 
receive the truth in the love of it1    
than is the  individual who has been    
brought up in complete ignorance of the 
truths of  the gospel4 ,the heart and   
understanding of the former may be      
compared to  the ground broken up1 and  
prepared for the seed2 while those of   

the  latter are like the field through  
which the plow has never passed1 and    
the face of which has never been        
prepared2 to sow seed on which is1 in   
general1 to cast it upon stony ground1  
where it is either picked up by  the    
birds of the air1 or1 should it chance  
to take root1 soon withers  away1       
because it has no deepness of earth4    
,secondly3 if no positive good resulted 
from ,sabbath-schools1 the amount  of   
negative good produced would be         
sufficient to compensate for all the    
labor and toil of the teachers1 and to  
warrant their continuance and  support4 
,how much ,sabbath-breaking is prevented
 by these instructions6 ,a  very great  
proportion of those children who attend 
,sabbath-schools would1  but for them1  
be spending their time in running about 
the streets1 and  in profaning the      
,lord's day2 and1 by the unholy         
companionships which they  must form1   
into how much of profligacy and vice    
would they be led6 ,is it  true on the  

one hand1 train up a child in the way he
 should go2 and when  he is old1 he will
 not depart from it8 ,then it is equally
 true1 that if  a child be trained up in
 the way in which he should not go1 when
 he is  old1 he is not likely to depart 
from it6 ,so that by the prevention of  
,sabbath-breaking1 and its consequent   
train of evils1 you actually lessen  the
 amount of crime in riper years4        
,children will be educated2 and if  the 
people of ,god do not educate them for  
their ,master1 and train  them for      
heaven1 the servants of the devil will  
not be slow in  educating them for      
theirs1 and in training them for hell6  
,i conceive  that none1 save the        
,tractarians of ,oxford1 and their      
party1 will deny  the beneficial moral  
influence which such ,sabbath           
instruction has exerted  upon our       
teeming population4 ,go to the gloomy   
prisons1 and search in the  lonely cells
 for those wretched beings who through  
crime have become  their inhabitants1   

and make the inquiry as to who are the  
tenants of  those places2 and the result
 of that inquiry will be1 an            
overwhelming  majority stands on the    
side of the ignorant--of those who never
 had the  benefits of ,sabbath-school   
instruction4 ,search into the history of
 those  poor wretches who people our    
,union ,houses1 and you will find that  
but  few of them enjoyed the benefits of
 ,sabbath-school instruction4 ,and it   
may be relied on as a fact1 that in the 
black catalogue of the annals of  crime 
comparatively few are to be found who   
were instructed in  ,sabbath-schools4   
,let ,sabbath-schools become universal1 
let proper  teachers be provided for the
 children1 and let religious instruction
 of  an orthodox character be instilled 
into their minds1 and next to the       
preaching of the gospel1 it will do more
 towards the establishment of the  reign
 of grace--towards the universal reign  
of ,christ--than any one thing  besides4
    ,thirdly3 let it be known that the  

immediate1 positive results of          
,sabbath-school instruction1 are        
incalculable6 ,scores1 yea hundreds1    
have1 during their connection with them1
 been soundly converted to ,god4        
,hundreds and thousands date their      
conversion from the instructions and    
admonitions received at those noble     
institutions2 and not a few of the  most
 devoted missionaries1 illustrious      
divines1 laborious commentators1  and   
translators of the ,bible1 and most     
popular preachers of the age1 have  been
 among those very persons who owed--and 
have rejoiced to own that  they         
owed--their conversion to               
,sabbath-school instrumentality4    ,i  
cannot take leave of the reader1 without
 adverting for a moment to an  objection
 which may be raised with reference to  
the subjects of the  preceding          
narrative4    ,some persons1 perhaps1   
may be ready to say1 that in all        
probability these  brothers would have  
become what they are1 had they never    

seen a  ,sabbath-school4 ,to this       
objection ,i answer3 ,that such a       
position would  prove fatal to all      
instrumental means of salvation4 ,god   
could1  undoubtedly1 save man without   
any instrumentality whatever4 ,he could1
  we say1 do this2 but such is not      
,god's method of procedure2 and we are  
therefore justified in believing1 that  
to the various instrumentalities  in    
operation is the salvation of man       
attributable3 and if so1 why should  we 
deny that ,god can and does bless the   
labors of ,sabbath-school  teachers1    
and1 through their instrumentality1     
render ,sabbath-schools  channels of    
salvation to many8    ,i will only      
add1--and ,i rejoice that ,i am able to 
do so1--that each of  the brothers is   
now actively engaged in the work of     
,god4 ,james is the  superintendent and 
manager of a ,wesleyan ,sunday-school2  
and in point of  perseverance1 and      
constancy in the prosecution of duty1 he
 is quite a  pattern4 ,thomas and       

,george are very acceptable local       
preachers in the  ,wesleyan connection4 
,may they ever be zealous in every good 
work1 and  have grace to continue       
faithful unto the end4    ,he that goeth
 forth and weepeth1 bearing precious    
seed1 shall doubtless  come again with  
rejoicing1 bringing his sheaves with    
him4 ,psalm cxxvi1  #f4    ,cast thy    
bread upon the waters2 for thou shalt   
find it after many days4  ,eccles4 xi1  
#a4          ,,appendix4      ,the      
following letter has been put into the  
writer's hands since the  preceding     
pages were in the press1 and will be    
read with deep interest1  as containing 
an account of the death of one of the   
teachers of  ,t---- street school1 from 
the pen of her brother1 ,james's        
colleague3--    ,my beloved sister      
entered into the joy of her ,lord about 
half-past  twelve this morning4 ,i sat  
up in company with ,mrs4 ,b4 and another
  friend--it was a delightful night1    
there was a calm and cloudless sky1  and

 the full moon shone in at the window in
 spite of the blind and  rush-light4 ,i 
rose at last1 and extinguished it1 and  
drew up the blind2  it was a beautiful  
and a solemn sight6 ,i shall never      
forget it4 ,jessy  found it hard work to
 breathe1 and at times1 ,i almost       
indulged a wish  that she might be      
speedily released4 ,but ,i did not dare 
to pray for life  or death2 ',thy will  
be done1' was my motto1 and all was     
well4 ,seeing her  eyes often turned    
upward1 ,i spoke1 and pointed upward1   
',yonder's your house and portion fair2'
    she hesitated a moment1 and then    
added1--',m--y tr--easure--and--my      
,,heart  are there4'    ,at another     
time1 observing her in great pain for   
the want of breath1 and  at the same    
time moving her lips in silent prayer or
 praise1 ,i said1--',as  thy day1 so    
shall thy strength be1' ,she replied    
with feeling1 ',yes4' ,at  another time 
we understood her to say ',jesus1' with 
something like energy  in her voice2 but

 whether in prayer or praise we could   
not decide1 as the  voice was thick1 and
 rather indistinct1 although loud1 and  
many words  could not be understood     
because of this4    ,the last word ,i   
caught was ',glory1' and a very         
appropriate one it was to  bid adieu to 
this lower world1 and enter that which  
is above4 ,i attempted  to move her head
 a little1 in order to let her see the  
beautiful moon  once more1 as it shone  
on every part of her1 except just the   
forehead and  eye2 when she said1       
',don't bring me back from heaven1' and 
when we could  not understand her words1
 we were convinced by the tone of her   
voice that  pleasure and joy reigned    
within4 ,her hands had been for some    
time down by  her sides2 but a few      
minutes before death she raised them    
gently up1 and  clasping them together1 
seemed by her motions to commend her    
soul to  ,jesus4 ,o6 ,i shall never     
forget that scene3 there lay the dying  
saint  before my face1--it was the      

solemn1 still hour of midnight--the calm
  serene without beautifully harmonized 
with the scene within4 ,the virgin  was 
ready1 with her lamp trimmed1 and the   
cry came1 ',behold the  bridegroom      
cometh2 go ye forth to meet him1' ,the  
summons was obeyed1 and  the faithful   
servant entered into the joy of her     
,lord4    ,as regards my own feelings1  
,i was without agitation2 and that      
sweet1  sweet peace1 which is the       
peculiar property of the people of ,god1
 kept my  heart and mind3 but when the  
spirit had fled ,i felt a little        
excitement1  and could have disturbed   
the house by shouting her dying word1   
,glory6    ,she selected a verse for the
 funeral sermon2 it is the last in the  
seventh of ,revelation3 ',for the ,lamb 
which is in the midst of the throne     
shall feed them1 and shall lead them    
unto living fountains of waters2 and    
,god shall wipe away all tears from     
their eyes4'      ,,the ,,end4