taken fire, we should, in all probability, have lost our lives. The cries of the negroes were dreadful beyond description; and it would have pierced the hardest heart to have seen many of them, to all appearance, dead with fear, and others who had been deprived of the use of their limbs. One of them was so severely burnt, that she afterwards died. The day after this melancholy occurrence, I buried the two men who were instantaneously killed, and then preached on the following impressive text of Scripture: At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After it a voice roareth; he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. GOD thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend!' (Job xxxvii. 1—5.”)

Three months after this remarkable preservation, MR. BROWNELL writes:

"I am just recovered from a severe attack of fever. The pain in my head was almost insupportable. I felt resignation to the divine will, and was kept in peace. Many of these attacks are occasioned by riding on wet or damp evenings; by sleeping in the houses of the negroes, sometimes without a bed; and by want of proper nourishment.”

While MR. BROWNELL was ready to faint under the burthen of sickness and hard labour, he had not unfrequently to contend with riotous mobs, strongly resembling those by which MR. WESLEY and his courageous co-adjutors were assailed in this country in the earlier periods of Methodism. On the 20th of November, he says,

"The rioters, headed by -> are become very troublesome. They interrupted me in preaching on the 17th of September; and threatened and swore in so shocking a manner, that we were obliged to discontinue the meeting. Not content with this outrage, they were resolved to proceed to other acts of violence. Accordingly, on the 12th instant, four of theın came to the chapel in the evening, with a large quantity of squibs, to fire among the congregation. One of these was thrown into the chapel, and caused such confusion among the people assembled, and such horrible swearing among the rioters, as I had never witnessed before. On the next morning, while I was going to a Magistrate to apply for protection, I was way-laid, grossly insulted, and severely beaten. The Magistrate cared for none of these things;' and though I had sworn the peace against MR. --, he would not so much as require him to enter into any recognizances, till he was forced to it by the Président. We afterwards addressed the Honourable Council, who heard us with patience, and redressed our grievances. Thus we obtained peace, and the designs of our enemies were frustrated. They threatened us with extermination; but this has been overruled to the further establishment of the mission."

The opposition which MR. BROWNELL met with from "unreasonable and wicked men," neither led him to relax in his zeal and diligence, nor diverted his attention from the all-important subject of personal godliness. The pious and truly christian feelings with

which he contemplated the work in which he was engaged, and the success with which it pleased God to crown his zealous and faithful labours, are strikingly depicted in the following extract from his private Journal:

"Jan. 27th, 1797.-I have just passed my twenty-sixth year. Here I stand as on an eminence, and review my past life. What a scene presents itself to my mind! What mercies and blessings from GOD; what mistakes and defects in my own conduct; what temptations to evil from my own heart, from other people, and from the Devil! What joys have I experienced, arising from the hope of future things; what mortification and despair, arising from disappointment! I have had many hair's-breadth escapes from the jaws of death; and many happy moments of delightful fellowship with my SAVIOUR. Here, then, I will raise my Ebenezer for hitherto the LORD hath helped me. O my GoD, still be my Guardian: preserve me from temptation: raise my drooping spirit: banish sorrow and dejection from my mind, and cheer me by the light of thy countenance!

May, 1797.-We have enlarged our chapel, by adding to it another wing. From this time the Society began to flourish.

July 23d, 1798.-I was married to MISS JANE COOPER, of the Island of St. Kitt's. We afterwards went to Nevis, where the little Society did every thing in their power to render us happy.

"1799. This year we had a blessed revival of religion. The seed which had been sown in the name of the LORD, and watered with many prayers and tears, sprang up, and yielded a glorious harvest. Many joined our Society, and, I trust, were added to the LORD.

"1800.-The work of God continues to prosper. We have now a large and flourishing Society, capable of supporting a Missionary and his wife. All glory be to GoD! Many blessings and trials have I experienced in this island; but now I must leave this loving and affectionate people.

"On the 1st of May, 1800, I entered upon my labours in the Island of St. Kitt's, with somewhat gloomy prospects. The chapel at Basseterre is in a very ruinous condition. The people are discontented; the Society is in debt to the amount of £175; and there is no one to assist me in this extensive field of missionary exertion. My hands hang down, and my heart is ready to faint. But Gon hath promised to be my almighty helper.

"Feb. 5th, 1801.-I am more than ever convinced, that a Minister ought to be fully devoted to Gon, and dead to human praise and censure, in order to his usefulness, and to his personal comfort. To-day he is applauded, and elevated to the very skies; and to-morrow he is censured, insulted, and reckoned the worst of men. Help me, LORD, to cease from man, and faithfully to declare the whole truth as it is in JESUS."

The following extract from MR. BROWNELL'S Journal contains a caution of the utmost importance to Christians in general, and especially to Christian Ministers. Even the best of men, in the confidence of private friendship, and of social intercourse, are in danger of animadverting upon the conduct of absent individuals, in a manner which they would find it difficult to reconcile either with the spirit of Christianity, or with those passages, in the New Testament Scriptures which describe and inculcate our duty towards our neighbour.

Happy are those who, like MR. BROWNELL, seriously survey the conversations in which they have participated, and learn to be more watchful and circumspect, from the conscientious upbraidings of their own minds, before a habit of evil speaking be formed. But happier still are they who, from the commencement to the termination of their christian course, by the grace of GoD, keep themselves so as to "offend not in tongue."

"Feb. 6.-I rode to Old Road, and met with Brother JOHN TAYLOR, from Nevis. We had a happy meeting at the chapel. After spending much time in conversation, I felt my mind somewhat uneasy. We ought to be cautious of speaking even the truth concerning the conduct of wicked men. It is best to leave them to Gon. No one was ever improved in his temper and conduct by railing against his neighbour. It is right to bear a public and decided testimony against sin, in all its forms; but not to name the offenders."

MR. BROWNELL's prudence and discretion, as well as his christian firmness, appear to great advantage in the following adventure, which is thus described by himself:

"March 10th.-In the forenoon of this day, I received a letter from the late Commander-in-Chief, requesting me to attend him immediately at the Council-Room. On my appearance before him, an Address was presented to me, purporting to be written by the General Conference in America, to the body of people called Methodists, requesting them to petition the Legislature for the abolition of the Slave-Trade. This address was signed by DR. COKE, MR. ASBURY, and several others, inserted in the newspapers, and published in the form of hand-bills. The Council imagined that it had originated with the English Conference, and by them had been transmitted to the Conference in America; and desired to know whether I had received any orders to carry it into effect? I informed the Council, that the English Conference had no authority over the Methodist Societies in the United States of America; and distinctly asserted, that I had received no instructions respecting the matter, and that the English Conference had no desire or intention that their Missionaries should interfere with the political affairs of the islands, our only design being to bring the people to the knowledge of Gon. On the following day there appeared in one of the public papers, a vile letter, accusing the Missionaries of scditious designs.

"Tuesday the 14th, I waited upon the late Commander-in-Chief, in company with MR. SHEFLEY. We laid before him a considerable number of facts and arguments, to prove that we had not the slightest intention to interfere with the civil condition of the slaves. We were ready to attest upon oath, that we had never inculcated any doctrine tending to sedition; but uniformly exhorted "as many servants as are under the yoke to count their masters worthy of all honour, that the name of Gon and his doctrine be not blasphemed." That no principles contrary to these had been taught by us in any of the Society-Meetings, we stated to be manifest from this consideration;-that great numbers of whites, or free people of colour, who held slaves, were in religious connexion with us, and attended those meetings, as well as the slaves; and yet such people, who would of course be tenacious of their own interests, so far from making any complaint against us, were anxious to prevail upon us to admit their slaves into society. We also

pledged ourselves, that we would rather quit the colonies than disturb the public peace; and farther urged, that if these reasons were not satisfactory to the Local Government, the affair might be referred to the DUKE of PORTLAND, and an explanation required of the English Conference. This proposal was acceded to, and here the business ended. I afterwards drew up a reply to the infamous letter which had been published against us. But the man who had given publicity to the unprincipled defamations of an adversary, had not the honour to print the vindication of the accused."

The following is an affecting record of human depravity, and of the power of divine grace. It is calculated to encourage the prayers and efforts of religious parents on behalf of their unconverted children for the individual to whom it relates was the son of a pious mother.

"Nov. 1st.-About a fortnight ago I called at a house in Old Road, to settle some business, and was informed that Mr. - the son of a member of our Society, lay there very sick. He was brought up an overseer, lived in gross sin, and was extremely wicked. He was so much under the influence of passion, as sometimes to abstain from food for several days together. On such occasions he spent his time in smoking segars, in drinking rum, in tormenting all around him, and in being tormented himself. GoD at length laid his hand upon him, and it was evident that he was hastening to the house appointed for all living. This, however, did not appear to give him any concern and as his flesh and strength wasted away, he retained all his wonted aversion to religion. Thus we found him; while his pious mother lamented that she had brought forth such an enemy to GoD and goodness. After some conversation, in which he expressed his hope of recovery, we told him, that if he had no objection we would unite in prayer to God for him. He replied, apparently with deep contempt, that he had no objection to the prayers of any persons, whether they were whites, blacks, or yellows. We sung a hymn, and then prayed that Gon would not suffer him to die in his sins, but convince him of his sinful and dangerous condition, and incline him to come to JESUS CHRIST, who was ready to receive and pardon him. In a few days I received a note, informing me, that a great change had taken place in him, and that he earnestly requested me to visit him again. Accordingly the next morning I set off from Basseterre, and met a gentleman on the road, who hastened me forward, saying, that MR. was dying, and calling for me. I found him indeed extremely weak, conversed with him a long time, set forth JESUS CHRIST as the only refuge from the wrath to come, and prayed earnestly to GOD for his salvation. He appeared to be deeply sensible of his sinful state, and that death was at hand; and therefore earnestly desired us to pray that GoD would pardon all his sins, and prepare him for his removal to another world. In the afternoon I again commended his soul to the mercy of God, through the mediation of JESUS CHRIST, beseeching the Divine SPIRIT to complete the work which he had begun.”

When MR. BROWNELL laboured in the West Indies, the Missionaries of different denominations used to meet together at stated times, that they might strengthen one another's hands in their arduous toil, by united councils and prayer. Of one of these social meetings he has given the following account. It is an encouraging circumstance, that the same spirit of unity and love, which actuated the

minds of those excellent Missionaries, upwards of twenty years ago, is exemplified by their successors of the present age, in every part of the world.

"On the 20th of November, the monthly Meeting of the Missionaries on this island, for increasing brotherly love, and forwarding the object of their mission, was held at Palmetto-Point. There were present MR. JOHN TAYLOR, MR. ROBERT SHEPLEY, MR. NANKIVAL, the BISHOP of LONDON'S Missionary to the Negrocs of this island, and myself. Our first inquiry was, What is the real state of our own souls, with regard to vital religion? In answer to this question, every one spoke with freedom and simplicity. Notwithstanding the severe temptations by which we had all been exercised, yet each declared that he had faith in JESUS CHRIST, had been preserved in the way of holiness by the grace of GoD, and was determined to spend and be spent in his service. The next inquiry was, What are the principal doctrines upon which we have expatiated in the regular course of our ministry, since our last meeting? The answers were, The Fall of Man, Repentance towards GOD, Faith in our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and Holiness both of heart and life. The third question was, What can be further done to increase genuine religion in our Societies? In reference to this we all resolved, To be more fully devoted to GoD ourselves; To preach the great truths of the Gospel in the plainest manner; To meet as many of the Classes as we can ourselves; and to continue our present plan of itinerancy.”

Describing the labours of his Mission, MR. BROWNELL proceeds :"May 10th, 1802.-I went on board a schooner for Nevis, and arrived safe after a short and pleasant passage. I afterwards agreed with a carpenter to build a new Chapel; and in the evening attended a Prayer-Meeting, at which were present about forty whites, and many coloured people. Their singing was very delightful. I also delivered an exhortation. It was a season of great spiritual profit.

"May 16th.-I rode to Hog-Valley, and conducted the public worship at ten o'clock. I met the little Society, and endeavoured to form them into regular Classes. The tears ran plentifully down their cheeks; and the heart of one poor aged negro was so full, that she could scarcely speak. She seized hold of my hand, and continued for a long time to kiss it, till it was with difficulty that I could get it away. Her cry was, "Glad for see massa again.' Great good will certainly be done in this part of the country. I returned home about three o'clock, almost melted by the heat, and preached to a large congregation. The chapel being low, and scarcely any air in motion, I had like to have fainted during the service. After the preaching I met the Society, and read to them part of a letter I had just received from DR. COKE. It animated them exceedingly; and many a prayer did they offer up to GOD, for the prosperity of his work."

The following account of the conversion, the holy life, and the peaceful death of a negro, will be read with lively interest by the friends of Christian Missions. The elevation of this poor African from the guilt and misery of heathenism to the purity and comfort of true religion, and his triumphant entrance into the paradise of God, are worth all the money and toil which have been expended upon the West India Mission, from its commencement to the present day.