MANNER OF CONDUCTING RELIGIOUS SERVICES DURING REVIVALS. 175 which throws a purer, brighter beam across the path of any traveller through the rugged land of life? Surely not: a large maximum of happiness is conferred by those who daily, hourly, dispense these infinitesimal favours to which we refer. Let us ask any one of our readers to look around his circle, and see if our portraiture be not true; for we trust there are few so unfortunate as to possess none among their own acquaintance to whom they can with justice apply the sketch. In the first place, such a person is a decided favourite with the elder children of her acquaintance, for whom she has ever some pleasant words, or some lively anecdote. Then, again, she is always beloved by the invalids of her circle; for the young and gentle one, whom the rigours of a winter season has kept prisoner many a weary hour, she secures the first flowers of spring: they tell their own tale-of hope renewing, of brighter hours coming. To the elderly pilgrim, suffering and sinking, she is gladdening and refreshing; as a thing of youth and beauty, glancing on his path once again, before he leaves the valley of weeping for the bright land on high. The popular lady is ever ready to do slight kindnesses for others; is the household sunbeam; the one ever ready to assist in small troubles and annoyances: it is her rule to take the sunny side on all occasions, ever to hope the best until the worst be proven. Having a good hope of the better world, she passes on her tranquil way, in smoothing the way of others, lightening her own toil; and having striven thus, "her children rise up and call her blessed." We know of others who, through mere want of considerate kindness, prove ever a kind of erratic cloud among their friends, very estimable good sort of people in many respects; but, unfortunately for themselves, and those associated with them, perpetually making others uncomfortable: very often much to the astonishment of the individual herself, who most sincerely wonders why her companion looks unusually grave; while she, unthinkingly, but nevertheless roughly and unnecessarily, remarks, that one (to her hearer) more dear than all on earth seems to be sinking, or is rapidly growing old. She is quite sure she would not have noticed it, if she had known it would have been painful. Then, again, the inconsiderate lady is perpetually inquiring of her acquaintance concerning those circumstances which of all others they desire to forget: in short, without owning it to themselves, her relatives, with common consent, endeavour to avoid mentioning any circumstances the reverse of pleasant; reserving for her ear but the brighter episodes of life. The saddened depths of mournful feeling are to be opened only to the more kindly nature of my first character; who takes the trembling hand in hers, and as she wipes the starting tears, and gives her ready sympathy with and for such light, yet for the time real, sorrows, (as the undeserved calumny, the intended slight, the fickle friend, whose friendship has failed,) leads the sorrowful spirit to look to Him for comfort, with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning: she does not choose the hour of sorrow, to say, even if it might with truth be so said, "It is deserved." Alas! no: she has known herself the sadness of a troubled heart, and thinks her duty is to cheer. MANNER OF CONDUCTING RELIGIOUS SERVICES DURING REVIVALS. [THE following description of the manner of conducting religious services during revivals of religion, is extracted from a letter written by the late Rev. William Radcliffe, printed in a Life of the Rev. John Braithwaite," by Mr. Robert Dickinson. (Brown.) This Life contains many remarkable, and not 66 176 MANNER OF CONDUCTING RELIGIOUS SERVICES DURING REVIVALS. a few eccentric passages, with pictures of rural and domestic life within the circle of Methodism, and a multitude of sketches relating to Mr. Braithwaite's career as an Itinerant Minister during the last ten years of the last century, and the first twenty-two years of the present.] As a Preacher of the Gospel, he delighted to dwell chiefly on those subjects which recommend the love of Christ to sinners; and cautioned me, whatever I did, to keep my own soul under the hallowing influences of the Holy Spirit; to preach from an experimental knowledge of the truth, and to preach a present salvation, and a full deliverance from all sin. You know, much better than I do, how to delineate his general character as to talent and pulpit abilities; but this we both know, that his ministerial gifts were both popular and useful. His excellent classical education gave him a decided superiority over many, who with some would have been thought greater Preachers; one reason for which was, that he would never sacrifice good sense and true sterling sentiment for that bombastic trash which is sometimes so highly applauded by a congregation of bad taste. If I am not mistaken, Mr. W. E. Miller, who travelled with him the year before I went to Carlisle, was very helpful to him in his directions relative to the experience of Christian perfection. He will be able to say something upon that affair, which I have no doubt will throw considerable light on that part of his Christian experience. During the year that I travelled with him in the Carlisle Circuit, we were like two Missionaries-generally on foot-had some very long journeys, (one seventeen miles from Carlisle to Longrigg,) and, through the blessing of God, we raised new Societies in several fresh places. There was a gracious revival in the city of Carlisle, which lasted through the whole year. Scarcely a sermon was preached for a long while, but some were set at liberty. The method we established in conducting the good work was, under God, one grand cause of its long continuance. 1. In the first place, we met the Prayer-Leaders every Saturday night, that any irregularity or want of decorum might be noticed, and that we might all act in concert and harmony. 2. We checked whatever appeared to us to be light and unseemly, and exhorted the people to seriousness, and a due recollection of the Divine presence with them. 3. We never encouraged noise and tumult for their own sake, but took care to distinguish between confusion, arising from sudden awakenings, and extraordinary deliverances, and manifestations of the Divine power, and that sort of nonsensical clang which is systematically introduced into revivals by people of shallow brains and superficial religion, and which tends, more than anything in the world, to bring the work into disgrace, and to drive the more sober part of the congregation from the place of worship altogether. 4. We never (unless the case was very clear indeed) allowed of thanks being sung for a person professing to be set at liberty, till we had an opportunity of examining the genuineness of the work. 5. We never urged the half-awakened to believe, as is the case in some revivals; nor, even when we knew that they were brought to the birth, did we belabour anybody to believe right or wrong, being persuaded that believing, like praying, is a work of the understanding, as well as of the Spirit. 6. We got all who were in distress to come together in one part of the chapel, that one might pray at a time; which prevented much confusion. 7. We kept a strict eye over the young people, and cautioned them against being out at late hours; and told those who were servants, &c., to be attentive to their domestic duties, and not bring a reproach upon religion, by keeping irregular hours. 8. We took care to place the young converts under proper Leaders, and met them ourselves at stated periods, and gave them such advice as we thought most suitable to existing circumstances. Satan was busily at work, and some things fell out which would have greatly hindered the good work, had not great care been taken to keep to our plans, and to enforce proper and seasonable discipline. I never saw so much of the old serpent under the garb of an angel of light as I did then; and I am fully convinced, that one half of the revivals throughout the kingdom prove abortive, and come to very little in the end, for want of zeal combined with discretion, and proper management in the conductors of them. OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. WHO IS THE COWARD? I WAS sitting in the second story of the house, with the window open, when I heard shouts of children from beneath me. "O, yes, that's capital! so we will! come on now! there is William Hale! come on, William: we are going to have a ride on the road; come with us!" "Yes, if mother is willing. I will run and ask her," replied William. "O, O! so you must run and ask your ma! Great baby, run along and ask your ma! Are you not ashamed? I didn't ask my mother,' nor I," "nor I," added half a dozen voices. 99 66 "Be a man, William," cried the first voice: "come along with us, if you don't want to be called a coward as long as you live. Don't you see we're all waiting ?" I leaned forward to catch a view of the children, and saw William standing with one foot advanced, and his hand firmly clenched, in the midst of the group: he was a fine subject for a painter at that moment. His flushed brow, flashing eye, compressed lip, and changing cheek, all told how the word coward was rankling in his breast. "Will he prove himself indeed one, by yielding to them?" thought I. It was with breathless interest I listened for his answer; for I feared that the evil principle in his heart was stronger than the good. But no: "I will not go without I ask my mother," said the noble boy, his voice trembling with emotion; "and I am no coward either. I promised her I would not go from the house without permission; and I should be a base coward if I were to tell her a wicked lie." There was something commanding in his resolute tone. It was the power of a strong soul over the weak; and his companions all at once quietly yielded him the just tribute of respect.-Band of Hope. THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL. A SUNDAY-SCHOLAR ON HIS ON the doctor coming in to see him, George asked if he was going to get better; to which the doctor replied, "I doubt it." "Well," said George, I don't care: you have done your best. There is a higher Power. I am not afraid to die. I am going to Jesus-sweet Jesus." At these words, a tear stole from the eye of the much-affected doctor, who said he had never seen such a youth. Afterwards he asked for a little money which he had in a box, and ordered a shilling to be taken out and given to one of his brothers, telling him to buy something as a memorial of him when he was dead. He said to some one in the room, "Call Billy here." When he came in, he said, "Now, Billy, I am going to die." At these words the little fellow was whelmed with grief: his little heart was like to break. He ran out of the room, he was so much affected. over George then asked how much it would take to buy his little sister a black frock. His aunt told him what she considered would do. He requested his father to give him some more of his money, and then, addressing himself to his aunt, said, "Now, years. George B. Nelles, Newcastle, aged seventeen aunt, don't be offended, but take this, and buy a ring to enclose some of my hair in, that you may always have it before you to look upon;" and then, turning to his father again, said, "Father, you must not take any more drink." This affected his parent very much, who promised, with tears in his eyes, that he never would; and, weeping, he fell upon his knees, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner; for I never saw myself such a one before." His aunt remarked that his father had been very kind to him, and had given him plenty. To which he answered, "Yes; but when he got a sup drink, it made a 'queer house."" He then said, "There must not be any more newspaper-reading on the Sundays. Read good books: read your Bibles." And to his uncle he said, "No more novel-reading." And then to the other children he said, "You must go to the Sunday-school, and be good scholars, and go to Jesus-sweet Jesus." He looked at his aunt, who had attended on him most diligently, and said, 66 Aunt, be a good woman." She replied, "Well, my dear, I have, and instructed you." "Yes," said he; "but there is a great deal to do before you see Jesussweet Jesus." When he had got all these instructions given, he said, "I knew the Lord had some work for me to do; and now it is done: what a relief! Now I am happy." MEMORIALS. Afterwards he went into a sort of slumber, and awoke, saying, "Jesus has been here." Slumbered again, and awakening, he said, "I have been at the foot of the Cross all night. Jesus is come again, and is covering me with His wings. He has taken my spirit, and left my body for you to look upon. Don't cry for me. I am going to glory-glory-glory!" He said to his aunt, "Aunt, I can speak: that must have been a dream; my spirit cannot have gone." He slept again, and awoke, saying, "I have got 179 my crown;" and, pointing upward with his To rise to worlds above; H. H. MEMORIALS. MRS. ANN PENN died in the full triumph of faith, at Oxhill, in the Kineton Circuit, October 30th, 1851, aged fifty-two years. In youth she was highly favoured. Her father was a godly man. The village in which he lived felt his gracious influence, his memory is cherished with affection, and his example referred to with admiring reverence. His daughter's youth and riper years were anxiously watched over. Although somewhat thoughtful, she was not in earnest for salvation until after marriage, when a gracious revival of religion took place in the village to which she removed, and her mind was deeply convinced of sin. She saw herself lost, and undone, without the Saviour. Her penitence was genuine. She had not long to seek the Lord, but was enabled by faith in Christ to rejoice in Divine forgiveness. Her experience subsequently was greatly chequered with temptation and trial, and the cares of an increasing family also caused anxiety. Once, when in great straits, she encouraged her husband by expressing unshaken confidence in the providence of God. This is the more remarkable, as in ordinary circumstances she was fearful and doubting, and needed encouragement from him. About the same time a dream she had, indicating that relief was near, was almost literally fulfilled. Humility and self-distrust in her were manifest. For many years before death she was frequently and severely afflicted. Her sufferings were so acute, that it is marvellous the tottering tenement could endure so long; yet her patience and submission were eminent. Her anxiety for the spiritual welfare of her children was creditable to her Christian principles, and her mother's heart. Long will her last illness be remembered on this account: then, especially, she counselled and commended them to God. In the snmmer and autumn of 1851 she was completely laid aside. Her affliction was more than usually painful. From the beginning she calmly gave herself into the hands of God. During the fortnight preceding death WILLIAM MUSKETT was born near Runcorn, in the year 1772. His parents were poor, and the advantages of education and religious training were denied to him in early life. In his youth he was greatly prejudiced against the Methodists; he heard them represented as false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing, and everything that was mean and vile; and all this time he knew nothing about them. However, under the guidance of Divine Providence, he went to live as a servant with a Mr. Cawly, a devoted, zealous Wesleyan. This good man provided his servants with religious books, chiefly such as Mr. Wesley published for the use of his Societies. God was acknowledged in the family; and the servants were expected to attend family-prayer, morning and evening. For some time, however, Muskett was so bitterly opposed to everything Methodistical that he refused to read any of their books, or listen to anything they said. He read his Bible, because he thought it a Protestant book, by reading which he would be preserved from the poisonous influences of Methodism. When at length he ventured to go and hear a Methodist Preacher, he was greatly surprised to find that he actually took his text from the Bible, and that the very words were found in his own Bible. This, together with the consistent godly walk of his master, and the increasing light which he received by reading the Scriptures, and hearing the Gospel preached, greatly softened his prejudices, and prepared him to receive with meekness the engrafted |