delight, as we fhall frequently behold his wifdom, power, and goodness, wonderfully difplayed; and as this will fill our fouls with gratitude, fo it will conftrain us to give unto Him the honours due unto his holy Name. J. PAWSON.

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To THE EDITOR.

LTHOUGH fixteen years are gone fince the following extraordinary circumftance happened, yet being certain of fome of the facts related, from perfonal knowledge of them, and fo well informed as not to have the smallest doubt of the reft, I think the publishing the enfuing fhort extract, will manifeft the providential goodnefs of GOD, and may induce many to seek true happiness in the Lord who bought them with his blood. We fee that the Almighty has feveral ways of bringing finners to himself; but let him change his mode as oft as he pleases, the work is the fame; the finner is by fome means made fenfible that he is a finner, and as fuch feeks and finds a Saviour; in confe quence of which, a change takes place in the understanding, will, and affections; and this change is manifeft in all the tempers, words, and actions. Such a change is what we call Converfion. Such were once in darkness, but are now light in the Lord, and walk as children of the light. Such was, and is the cafe with feveral concerned in the following relation; feveral of whom are landed fafe in the haven of everlasting reft, and others are toiling to make the bleft fhore," whofe names are not mentioned, but having stood faft in their liberty for fixteen years, there is great reafon to hope they wild hold out to the end, and receive the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls,

Oldham, Feb. 6, 1796.

THOMAS TAYLOR,

In the years 1778, and 1779, it pleafed God to revive his bleffed work in Birstall Circuit in Yorkshire. In the former year the revival was chiefly in Birftall, but in the fecond year, to wit, 1779, it spread throughout the Circuit; fo that great numbers were brought to the knowledge of the Truth, infomuch that we admitted upward of feven hundred into the connection. Various and fimple were the means made ufe of in that Revival: The preaching of the word was attended with much energy and life; and especially one plain fimple man, who was with me that year. I do not remember labouring with any one whom God fo owned in awakening dead fouls.

But our Lord did not confine himself to preaching alone; he let us fee that he could carry on his own work without us: Prayermeetings were fingularly ufeful, for in them many of these finners were convinced and converted, giving ample proof of the reality of the change by their tempers and converfation. But in fhort,

dreams

will

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dreams and vifions, thunder and lightening; yea, the very chirp ing of a bird was made fuccefsful to the awakening finners: and the carrying on of the work of our glorious Immanuel. The laft circumftance is well worth attention, and was as follows.

A young man, of the name of John Webster, lived with Mr. John Waller, a capital Clothier. This young man was, as the generality of young people are, very wild, foolish, and giddy, not to fay, very prophane. This careless youth was one day walking in the garden by himself, and a bird lighted upon his hand, and gave three chirps, and flew away. I fuppofe the note of the bird might be chat, chat, chat, which induced the young man in his confufion to think that the bird called him by his familiar country appellation, Jack, Jack, Jack. Be that as it may, it had an awful, and in the end, a blessed effect upon him. He thought the bird was a fupernatural meffenger, or the harbinger of death; and, truly, he faw himself utterly unprepared to die. * He saw himself in a deplorable condition, and did not know what way to turn. He thought he would apply to one of those jugglers, whom, in Yorkshire, they call Wife-men, to explain this phenomenon to him. However, before he went to this agent, he very providentially met with a relation, a pious man, one that was joined to the Methodifts, and to whom he related what had happened, and the effect it had upon him, alfo of his intention of going to the cunning-man for his advice: his friend heard him relate his ftory, and understanding his cafe better than he did him. felf, of course diffuaded him from going to the tool of Satan for advice, affuring him that fuch a phyfician would be of no fervice to him. He tried to convince him, that the Spirit of God was making him fenfible of his loft and ruined state. He advised him to go with him to a Prayer-meeting, intimating, that perhaps he might find fome relief there. The young man did not relish this advice very much; for he had no great affection for the Methodifts; but feeling himself fo diftreffed, he was glad to go any where to find eafe to his troubled mind. It is true, that the spirit of a man may fuftain his infirmity, a kind of courage may bear him up, under many trials and difficulties; but a wounded fpirit who can bear? To the meeting he went, but the ftubborn carnal-mind rofe up in him, he would not, at first, kneel down to prayer. However, he ftayed till the meeting ended, and conviction fuck deeper in his foul, fo that he was made fenfible of his real difeafe. He attended another meeting, but ftill his bur den increased, infomuch that he thought there was no mercy for him, but that he must be eternally loft. He next heard preaching, but that feemed to add grief to his woe; he ftill found no reft. Our quarterly love-feaft at Birstall came on, and being informed what was the nature and defign of that prudential means, a thought ftruck him," If I could be admitted into that meeting, God may fet my foul at liberty." But his doubt was, that he could not be admitted, for he was ready to suppose every body saw him in the

light in which he viewed himself. However he came to the preaching, and the fermon almoft tore him to pieces, although of an encouraging nature. After preaching was over, they brought him to me, for a note of admittance into the love-feaft, where God moft graciously released him from all his fears; his burden fell off and he never felt it fince. He went home rejoicing in God his Saviour, and I hope he will take heed and hold faft whereunto he hath attained; fo that no man take his crown.

The change was now vifible to the whole family in which he refided, and had a good effect upon one of his fellow fervants, who had been as thoughtlefs and as wild as himfelf; but feeing. fuch a change in John, it ftruck forcibly, and fet him a thinking,. and feeking falvation very seriously, which he foon found, and rejoiced in God his Saviour. They both walked as the heirs of falvation, attending all the means of grace, at all feafonable opportunities. No fwearing, or vain talk, or idle fongs were heard from either of them; but the Bible was read, and they, fung pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs; giving proof to all, that a bleffed change was wrought in them.

There happened to be a poor woman fick, who lived in a cottage near Mr. Waller's houfe; with this poor woman they frequently went to prayer; and one time while they were at prayer, the mafter stood at the window to hearken. He was greatly aftonished to hear thefe young men pray with fuch fervour, who a little while before had been fo wild and thoughtless: He wondered where they had learned those prayers, for he had never heard the like before. When they concluded, he entered into very serious converfation with them, and they spoke very freely with him upon the fubject, infomuch, that he told them they fhould pray in the family in the evening if they pleased. They accepted the offer, and in the evening the whole family were fummoned to this ftrange business of prayer. The young men began to pray, and the gracious Lord foon anfwered, fo that there was not one adult perfon, but what was affected. As for Mr. Waller, the mafter of the house, he was fo affected, that he rofe from his knees and fled out of doors to prevent his crying out before all his family. But his conviction ftuck clofe to him, and in a little time iffued in a happy converfion. In fhort, both master and miftrefs were converted, and feveral of the fervants, I think all of them; likewise several neighbours and fome vifitors who happened to be there; and the first inftrument of that glorious work was the chirping of a little bird!

Mr. Waller immediately opened his door for the gofpel, and a fociety was formed in his houfe, and numbers flocked to hear the word. Several are gone to glory, and others, I truft, are on their way. Mrs. Waller lived about a year and a half, and died happy in the God of her falvation; and Mr. Waller furvived her but a few years, and then finished his coufe with joy. I was then VOL. XIX. August 1796:

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