In the evening, one of the students preached. At supper, a hymn was sung, and was followed by prayers, the signal for retiring to rest. On Sunday, the first public service was commenced, and this was repeated every day for a fortnight. On the 27th of October the missionaries embarked on board the vessel destined to convey them to America, and sailed from Blackwall to Gravesend. As the moment of their departure approached, the prayers of the thousands who felt themselves peculiarly interested in the arduous yet glorious undertaking, became more frequent and fervent than usual. Vast multitudes attended them to the river side; and, as soon as the boats conveyed them from the shore, a solemn and affecting scene presented itself. Every countenance was suffused with tears, hats and handkerchiefs were to be seen waving in every direction, bidding these servants of God farewell, and a multitude of prayers and wishes ascended as a cloud of incense to the great Head of the Church, recommending them to his merciful protection and care. Such a spirit of prayer and supplication was poured out upon the people of God at this interesting period as has seldom been remembered. Every heart was affected; and the impressions then made were attended with the most beneficial results. The missionaries embarked on board the vessel perfectly undismayed at the apparent dangers of the ocean, and deeply penetrated with a sense of the glorious cause in which they were engaged; and, to preserve on their minds a lively sense of the nature and importance of the missionary work, Lady Huntingdon planned several judicious regulations during the voyage. She recommended that there should be public service every day, in which all the students should engage by rotation; and that they should meet, at certain parts of every day, for the purpose of social prayer, and the strengthening each other's hands by mutually relating their Christian experiences, and reading such works as might be of important benefit to them in their arduous undertaking.* As the vessel was not to put to sea for some days, Mr. Piercy returned to London, and on the following Sunday preached to The following lines were written on this interesting occasion by Mr. Shirley, and though printed at the time, few, comparatively, had an opportunity of seeing them. When the missionary ship, the Duff, sailed from England for the South Seas, this poem was published in the " Evangelical Magazine 1796: "Go, destined vessel, heav'nly freighted, go For, lo! the Lord's ambassadors are thine; While thousands swell the sails with balmy pray❜r. " for an amazing congregation at Tottenham-court Chapel. His text was-" Peace I leave with you-my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you: let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." At six in the evening the worship was renewed at the Tabernacle, when he delivered a discourse to an immense multitude, which greatly overflowed that vast place of worship. This sensible and judicious sermon was founded on Matt. xiii. 9, "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." On the Wednesday following he preached again at Tottenhamcourt Chapel from these words-"Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your hearts." This discourse was delivered under circumstances which rendered it peculiarly affecting and impressive. In the evening he took his leave of the Tabernacle congregation, preaching from Acts xx. 32, " And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified." On Thursday evening he delivered his farewell-sermon at Woolwich, to the congregation which was of his own planting; and on the following morning preached on Tower Hill to an immense con"Jesus, thy Guardian, walks the briny wave, Or on the whirlwind rides, or rules the storm; "Black gath'ring tempests, aw'd by his command, "The Lord of elements is Lord of men ; He stills the menace of the hostile wind: "Lo! India's tawny sons incline the ear, And pause attentive to the sacred Word; "Proclaim the Cross, the banner lifted high, And bid a guilty world find refuge there; "Gleams the glad morn! arise, O King of kings, "Then, big with conquest, bring thy glories down, course of people collected on this interesting occasion. He spoke from Luke vii. 48, " And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven." He closed his ministerial labours in London at this time on Sunday morning, in the immense building of Tottenham-court, which was crowded from door to door. The passage selected for closing the solemn scenes of what was not inaptly termed the METHODIST JUBILEE was taken from the last chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians-"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." The vessel, however, being detained some time in the Downs by a contrary wind, the missionaries preached almost every day on shore. Mr. Cook being so near Dover, where he had supplied in his turn for some months, wished to see his friends once more. He went unexpectedly and preached a lecture, which was remarkably owned. Several of the students also went to Dover on the next sabbath, in order to preach. A fair and brisk gale springing up in the night, the ship sailed, and most of them were left behind. Two of them remained in England, the Rev. Henry Mead, who afterwards took orders in the Established Church, and died a few years since at Reading; and the Rev. William White, who took the small-pox, which obliged him to give up the idea of going to America. He continued a diligent, faithful, and affectionate preacher of the Gospel in the Countess's Connexion till his death, which happened in November, 1777. He was of a consumptive habit, and unequal to a long voyage. 66 Mr. Eccles, who had returned to Ireland to take leave of his family and friends, arrived about this time, and embarked for America. Mr. Cook, with the rest, was yet determined on the voyage, and prosecuted the plan. Nothing ever was so blessed," says Lady Huntingdon, "as the spirit in which they all went; and such a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit, that we trust is a pledge of their promised blessing to the heathen.” 66 After a passage of only six weeks, these servants of God reached the place of their destination, without having experienced one day of real bad weather from the time they launched upon the bosom of the mighty deep. A letter from Georgia," says Lady Huntingdon, assures me of Cosson, Cook, and Billy the housekeeper being safe arrived. The finest passage that ever was known they had all the way, and under six weeks going. May the Lord bless and prosper them, and cause them to appear among the poor heathen with glad tidings, and owned and honoured of the Lord, whose servants they most surely are! We wait with impatience to hear of the rest; but those words the morning before they sailed from Gravesend came with infinite power and sweetness-Not a hair of their heads shall perish."" It was not long, however, before Lady Huntingdon had the satisfaction of learning the safe arrival of the remainder of the missionaries in America, and the cordial reception which they received from the friends of the late Mr. Whitefield. Immediately on their arrival, they proceeded to the Orphan House, from whence they soon issued forth to spread the knowledge of the doctrine of their crucified Lord. As they had all preached in England, and considered themselves authorised to do so on their general plan, they travelled about the country and preached with much acceptance among serious Christians of different denominations. Their labours were crowned with singular success-many, by their ministry, received the light of the Gospel; and vast numbers of our sable-coloured brethren* were called, by their preaching and conversation, to the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. The regions where they itinerated furnished happy evidences of the powerful word of a crucified Jesus among the wild wanderers in the forests and the boundless plains of that vast continent. The spirit of activity manifested by the missionaries to make known the glory and to erect the kingdom of our Immanuel in the hearts of men, roused the dormant zeal of many to send the Gospel to their heathen neighbours, and endeavour to evangelise the Indian tribes. A door of hope for the entrance of the everlasting Gospel being thus opened, and the cordial approbation expressed and the affectionate regard testified towards those whom Lady Huntingdon had sent over, induced many to make earnest application to her Ladyship for further assistance, to keep alive the spirit of zeal and activity which had been excited to spread the glorious Gospel around them. "America (says Lady Huntingdon) is honoured by the mission sent over. The province of Georgia have made proposals to build a church at their own expense, and present me with it, that the College of Georgia may have their ministry in that part honoured. The invitations I have for our ministry in various parts of America are so kind and affectionate, that it looks as if we were to have our way free through the whole continent............. ....... My last letters from America inform me, our way appears to be made to the Cherokee Indians; and in all the back settlements we are assured the people will joyfully build us churches at their own expense, and present * Two Africans, members of a church in the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion in Sierra Leone, under the pastoral care of Mr. John Ellis (also a man of colour, now ninety years of age, and probably one of these brethren) have lately visited London. Meetings were held to receive them at Sion Chapel, Northampton Tabernacle, &c. They returned to Sierra Leone on Wednesday, June 19th, 1839. Some great, very great, them to us, to settle perpetually for our use. work is intended by the Lord among the heathen. I should be rejoiced to go myself to establish a College for the Indian nations. I can't help thinking but before I die the Lord will have me there, if only to make coats and garments for the poor Indians. I am looking when some from among us shall be called to the JEWS-but the Gentiles by us will surely hear the voice of the Lord." CHAPTER XLI. Destruction of the Orphan House by fire-Observations of Mr. Berridge Slave Trade Remarks on Mr. Whitefield and Lady Huntingdon-Slave Trade at the Orphan House-Lady Huntingdon purchases Slaves-Anthony Benezet -Writes to Lady Huntingdon on the Slave Trade-Death and Funeral of Anthony Benezet-American War-Mr. Piercy-Mr. Keene and Lady Hun-· tingdon Colonel Tattersal-Lord George Germaine-Sir James Wright— Hon. Henry Laurens committed to the Tower-Mr. Channing-Mr. Laurens returns to America-Rev. John Johnson-Orphan House seized by the Georgians General Washington-Sir James Jay-Dr. Franklin. NoT many months after the arrival of the missionaries at Georgia, the Orphan House was accidentally destroyed by fire. On the first news of her great temporal loss in America, the Countess hastened to London. "No lives being lost in the fire (observes her Ladyship), has made my heart so thankful, that, for the many thousands I have temporarily lost by it, I could never wish it for ONE moment to be otherwise; believing the Lord removed it only out of our way, and that it was not somehow on that right foundation of simplicity and faith our work must stand upon. Though we may be disappointed, God, the Judge of all, is not defeated-all things are ordered according to the counsel of his own will." To the frustration of Lady Huntingdon's fond hopes and the defeat of Mr. Whitefield's design, the venerable Mr. Berridge, the friend of both, refers in a letter to the late Rev. Cornelius Winter, which, from the singularity of the style and sentiment, and as partly agreeing with her Ladyship's idea, is here presented to the reader : "It excites in me no surprise that the Orphan House is burnt down. It was originally intended for orphans, and, as such, was a laudable design, but has ceased to be an orphan house, in order to become a lumber-house for human learning, and God has cast a brand of his displeasure upon it; but how gracious has the Lord been to Mr. Whitefield, in preserving it during his lifetime! We all live to lay plans, |