that I knew him to be my friend; and that his testimony, if required, would be no disadvantage to me. I cannot refrain at this moment from expressing my sorrow, that a few good brethren in the Wesleyan Conference, cannot see it to be their duty to be quiet,— to rest contented, and let the matter drop, now that I am quite out of their country. I find it hard to persuade myself that such a communication as this was called for, all things considered. Why, oh! why endeavour to prejudice the minds of our Bishops, and, through them, our ministry in this country? My movements are now closely scanned; and one good minister, in one of our cities, refused to allow me to enter his pulpit without explanations. This can do my English brethren no good, while it is likely to do me evil. Besides, if I choose to re-visit England to preach the gospel of Christ, there is no man, nor set of men, under heaven, that can prevent me. Such proscriptions, at this age of the church, possess a very limited power. It is hard, indeed, for one man to bear up under the combined weight of such a body as the British Conference, but if God be for us, who can be against us? After some farther conversation with the Bishop, I desired to be alone with God, excused myself for an hour, and walked out. I had not gone far before God met me, and filled my heart with love. My soul rejoiced with exceeding joy,-all within me shouted his praise. Ah! I thought, this will do, God is mine, and I am his; he is on my side,-no evil can happen. All is well! I felt nothing in my heart but pure love to God and man. Hallelujah! That night I preached in the church contiguous to the Bishop's residence, and a number of persons came forward to be prayed for; but, as I had to leave before the close of the service, I did not learn the results. Yesterday we commenced "special services," in one of our churches in this city. The congregation was rather small,—when compared with those I had seen in England; but there was some feeling; and we are praying, hoping, and believing, for a general outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the population of this great city; the results may form the material for another communication. My health, thank God, is very good. As to my future movements in this country, I can say nothing certain. I purpose to walk closely with God;-to watch intently the providential cloud, and follow it. My soul has been weak since my arrival, and I have not had my usual liberty in preaching, nor success-have been much buffeted by the enemy, and weakened by various causes, not necessary now to mention. But I would encourage myself in the Lord, that these circumstances are a prelude to a succession of victories. I have felt a loss in my soul in returning into the hands of the Lord my European commission. While I held that, all the energies of soul and body were consecrated to it, and engaged in carrying out its purport. My American has not been so clearly defined, nor so satisfactorily renewed. I feel somewhat like an officer of the army on furlough, and longing once more to lead the hosts of God to battle, and to victory. "To act, to suffer, may be nobly great, But nature's mightiest effort is to WAIT." To the providence of God, and to your kind superintendence, dear brethren, allow me to commend this "Orphan Volume." I would also say to the many thousands of my old friends, show it favour for his sake who is far away. That the God of all grace and consolation may bless you and them, and render this Volume a blessing to many, is the prayer of your most affectionate brother in Jesus Christ our Lord, JAMES CAUGHEY. P.S. I have presented my papers, and have been received by the proper authorities, as a minister in a located relation,-so far then I am regular,—and in accordance with discipline; but I have already leaped over Conference boundaries, and have made an attack on Satan's kingdom in the city of New York. The church is all for order; but God wants sinners converted. But woe to the man who will dare to break over the walls, gates, bars, and trenches of church order!-he will need to be as an iron pillar, and a wall of brass. Sinners must be saved; and when the church's order crosses God's order, he will assuredly cross hers, and humble her in the dust;—so it has been, so it should be, and so it will be. I would rather preach the gospel in the highways and hedges, living on a crust of bread and good cold water, and have abundance of sinners converted, than be cushioned up in the largest and most splendid of our American churches, with a large salary, and small success in soul-saving. So long as a man has an open sky, open streets and squares, open fields, shores and mountains, and enough of food and clothing to keep soul and body together, he has no reason to complain about a closed door. Hallelujah! J. C. CONTENTS. LETTER I. To a minister on an effective style of preaching. Illustrat ing truth, propriety of. A redundancy of metaphor LETTER II. To the same. An effective style of preaching, laborious and exhausting. Indifference, a perilous feeling in a preacher. The church and the world demand an energetic and piercing ministry. Church, cry of, heard in heaven... PAGE. 1 7 To the same. LETTER III. Farther thoughts on the necessity of an effective ministry. The Author's experience. LETTER IV. To the same. Revival, an account of one, in a very 121 Glorious 14 LETTER V. Farther thoughts on an effective style. Pulpit action... 26 |