The latter part of the year 1848 was spent laboring in South-western
Virginia. I visited several towns as a colporteur, taking with me some
applicant for this service, to give him a favorable introduction to his
labors.
I reached the beautiful town of A---- late in the evening, an entire
stranger, and stopped at a hotel, wet, cold, and hungry. About the same
time the stage arrived with a number of passengers, and we all asked
for rooms with fire in them. While this was preparing I stepped into
the bar-room, the only place where I could find a fire; but it had been
election day, and such a company of intoxicated men I had never seen
in one room. Several of them were lying on the floor, unable to rise;
and the swearing was awful. I immediately began the distribution of
tracts and little paper-covered books; and among them I laid down a
copy of “Universalism not of God.” As I passed round, laying them down
on chairs and tables, as well as handing them to the men, I observed
a very fine-looking man who had come in the stage, following me, and
looking at them.
As I laid down “Universalism not of God,” he took it up, and said to
me very abruptly that the book was a libel on the Universalists. “Oh,”
said I, “I understand the cause of your objection to the book. You are
one of those who believe that thieves, murderers, and liars all go to
heaven; that there is no such place as hell.” “Yes,” said he, “I have
too good an opinion of God’s mercy to believe there is any such place
as hell.” When he made that remark, one of the fellows who was lying
drunk on the floor raised his head and said, “You are a liar;” while
another said he “wished that was true, but there was no such good
news.” Said I, “Sir, I will hand you over to these men, and you and
they may settle the controversy.” He immediately disappeared from the
room.
During my stay of three weeks in this beautiful town, I visited every
family in it, and either sold or gave books.
One day I stepped into the office of a lawyer, who was one of the
first men in the state in his profession. I offered him a copy of
Nelson on Infidelity. Said he, “I could not take time to read a book
of that size, except on law, for less than five hundred dollars.” I
then offered him Baxter’s Call. Said he, “That is too big a dose for me
too.” I then presented him the tract, “The Great Alternative.” “Well,”
said he, “as you are so anxious for me to read some of your books, I
will read that right off.” He commenced, and I left him. An hour or two
after I was passing his door, and he was sitting in a thoughtful mood.
Said I, “Have you read the tract?” “Yes,” said he, “and if I would read
a few more like it I think I might become a Christian.” Said I, “Too
busy to be saved.” “Yes,” said he, “I fear that is my case; I have not
a moment to spare from my business.” Alas, how many will have to say, I
was too busy to be saved.
In the same town there was a man who had once been a minister of some
prominence in an evangelical church, but had left it, and embraced
the doctrines of Swedenborg, for which he was very zealous. I did not
wish to encounter him; but as I stepped into a store one night to
scatter tracts, he was present. He immediately made an attack on me,
and said that he could not imagine how any wise man could believe in
the doctrine of the Trinity; that it was so absurd that nothing in
heaven or earth could illustrate it. I saw the eyes of all present were
turned to me, and felt in a tight place. I lifted my heart to God for
help to vindicate his truth. A candle was burning between us. Said I,
pointing to the candle, “Sir, there is a trinity giving us light. There
is tallow, wick, and fire, three in one.” He acknowledged he was beat,
and took his leave, to the amusement of those present, and to my great
satisfaction.
After two months’ labor in South-western Virginia, I returned to my
home in L----, near two hundred miles distant from A----, and devoted
a month to correspondence and adjusting accounts with over fifty
colporteurs I had now employed.
Though L---- had been my home for over two years, I had never had
time to visit all the families with our books and tracts. I had often
determined to do it, but other labors had prevented. The number of warm
friends and liberal contributors in and around the town seemed to lay
special claims on me to do the work, and I resolved to spend the months
of January and February laboring in the town and vicinity.
At this time it was remarked by the ministers and praying people of
God, that they had not felt such a spiritual dearth there for many
years. The ball-room was better attended than the churches, and the
young seemed to be rushing into sin with greediness. My own soul too
was in darkness, and my strength nearly prostrated. My devotions,
public and private, were heartless. I was even tempted to leave my work
and engage in some secular business.
At last I told a few of the most pious whom I knew about the desire
I had to visit the families, and that the state of my own heart was
such that I was prevented from doing it. They urged me forward, and
promised to pray for me. I set day after day to begin; but when the day
and hour came for me to start, my heart would fail, and Satan seemed
to have some excuse always ready. At last I entered into covenant with
God to begin the next day; but when the morning came my hard, cowardly
heart failed me. I tried to pray again and again. I put it off till
the afternoon, with a hope of getting strength. A carpet-bag had been
standing full of books and tracts for some days waiting, and they
seemed to rebuke my cowardice.
At last I thought that if Moses had not stepped into the Red sea, the
waters would never have receded. The next morning still found me at
home. As soon as my breakfast was over I took the carpet-bag and books
to a room and earnestly prayed over them, and then started.
The next neighbor to me was a Mr. H----. His wife and mother-in-law
were devoted Christians, but he was careless about religion, and so was
his brother, a young man that had his home there. I dealt faithfully
with them, and prayed with them. Each of them bought a book, and I
left them in tears. Soon after the young man professed religion, and
the other remained serious as long as I knew him. All my fears were
now gone. A few minutes before I was ashamed to own Christ before
a kitchen-maid; now I could face the world, and the promise was
realized, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
I next went to Mr. P----’s and had a long talk with his daughter, a
very intelligent girl of twelve summers. In a short time she professed
religion.
I next entered the house of Mr. R----. He and his wife were two of the
friends to whom I had told my difficulties, and who had engaged to pray
for me. They had two very interesting daughters that moved in the most
fashionable circles of society. As soon as I entered the house they
knew my errand. I was directed to the parlor, and told by the father,
“I will send the girls in, and wife and I will go into our own room and
pray while you talk.” I felt God was there while I talked and prayed.
One received Pike’s Persuasives to Early Piety, the reading of which
led her to the Saviour soon after; the other got Baxter’s Call, and was
an inquirer during all the time I remained there.
I cannot find words to express the joy I felt in my own soul at the
close of this day’s work. All nature seemed to rejoice with me, and I
fully realized the promise, “He that watereth shall be watered.”
The next day I visited eleven families, talked and prayed and sold
and gave books and tracts in every house. In almost every house some
feeling was manifested, and soon after several professed religion.
Among them was a Mrs. M----, who told me it was the Anxious Inquirer
that led her to Christ. I visited half the town in a week, and sold and
gave away many books and tracts. Quite a number of those visited showed
much feeling while I talked with them.
At this time special religious services were held in one of the
churches that had but little sympathy at that time with the Tract
Society, or any thing else that was not under their own exclusive
control; and I was advised to stop my work till their meeting closed,
for fear they might say I was proselyting. I attended all their
meetings, and prayed and exhorted when called on. Their meetings
continued two weeks, during which time twenty professed religion, most
of whom I had previously visited.
At the close of these meetings, I told the Rev. Dr. McE---- that now
was the time for him to have meetings in his church. He said he was
not able to do any extra work, and did not know where he could get any
preacher. I proposed to get the Rev. R. N. D----, who was then laboring
as a colporteur of the Tract Society some fifty miles distant, to which
he agreed, and I wrote to Mr. D---- to come on a certain day. During
the intervening time of ten days I visited all the balance of the town
and held prayer-meetings every night. The meetings became more and more
interesting, and religion became the theme of conversation in every
circle.
When Mr. D---- came public preaching was held every night, and the
word was attended with the power of God. Every morning we had a
prayer-meeting, and through the day visited the inquirers from house
to house, and scattered tracts. By the end of four days thirty-five
were attending the meeting for inquiry, and at the close of the first
week thirty-three had professed hope in Christ, most of them the most
influential people in the town.
The Rev. Mr. V---- then came and aided another week, at the close of
which forty-two were added to the church. Thus did God carry on his
work with the humble instruments he had chosen.
One young lady who had been an inquirer for two weeks, told us at last
she did not care about being converted then, and left the meetings. In
three weeks she died. Her last words were, “I could have been saved,
but I rejected God’s Spirit, and now I am lost.”
Another came sometimes to the inquiry meetings, but owing to the fact
that she was soon to marry an irreligious man, put off her day of
grace. In a few weeks the day of her intended marriage came. She rose
in the morning in usual health to prepare for the ceremony, but before
night her costly bridal dress was her winding-sheet.
Four miles from town Mr. W----, a colporteur, was at work during the
time of this meeting in the town, and ten were there added to a little
church.
I have been thus particular in stating the facts in relation to this
work, as it was the starting point of one of the most powerful
revivals that I have ever witnessed. It extended over one hundred miles
square of a sparsely populated country, in which near one thousand
souls were converted to God within about four months. The fidelity and
perseverance in the service of Christ of those thus brought in, is the
best evidence that this was truly the work of God’s Spirit.
At the close of these cheering labors in L----, I went to the town
of U---- to be with Mr. H---- at a sacramental meeting, and take a
collection for the Tract Society. He is one of God’s ministers that
does his work faithfully. The meeting began on Friday night. Mr. H----
requested me to occupy the time in giving an account of the great work
at L----, which I did. Although but few were present, and they mostly
pupils in the academy he taught, the bare relation of the facts of the
revival at L---- made a deep impression, and resulted in the conversion
of his son, who is now a minister.
The next morning at nine, we had a meeting for prayer and exhortation,
at which there was still more interest. At eleven Mr. H---- preached.
At night I conducted the service by exhortation and prayer. The
solemnity was still increased. At each meeting we gave each one present
a suitable tract, with a word of earnest counsel.
At nine, Sabbath morning, I conducted another prayer-meeting. At
eleven, Mr. H---- preached and administered the communion. God was
truly there in great power. At three we had a meeting for prayer again.
At night the church was full. I based my remarks on the words, “I will
arise and go to my father.” I saw that every heart was moved, and but
few cheeks were dry. At the close of my remarks, I turned to Mr. H----,
and said to him, “If you will ask them, some anxious souls will remain
for instruction and prayer.” The result was, seven inquirers took a
stand on the Lord’s side that night. This seemed to rouse the great
soul of Mr. H---- to an extraordinary pitch of fervor, and led to the
appointment of a meeting the next morning.
On Monday morning we both exhorted, and the interest was deep. At three
we held an inquiry-meeting, and nine attended. At night I spoke again;
the meeting was deeply interesting.
Tuesday morning the prayer-meeting was crowded, and in the afternoon
there were seventeen inquirers. We had three services each day, the
one at three only for inquirers; and each day there was an increase of
interest. On Saturday morning Mr. H---- had to go some miles to another
preaching-place, and I was left alone on Saturday and the Sabbath.
Sabbath, at three, there were twenty-seven inquirers, and ten were
indulging a hope in Christ. During the next week forty-two professed
faith in Christ.
In the whole course of these meetings we kept the very choicest
of our books and tracts in the hands of the people. One observing
Christian said to me, “There has been more reading here on the subject
of religion in the past eighteen days, than there had been in three
years before.” Quite a number of the inquirers told me they were first
awakened by reading a book or tract, and others that they were greatly
aided by them in coming to Christ. Their interest in these publications
was shown by their contributing one hundred dollars on one of the
Sabbaths to aid the tract and colporteur work.
This town was one of the wickedest in Western Virginia, and had for
years been a centre of infidelity. A worthy farmer who lived near told
me, at the close of our meetings, that for years he had never passed
through that town without hearing oaths and vulgar songs; “but now,”
said he, “that is all stopped, and I hear them singing hymns of praise
to God.” This town will now compare favorably with any other within my
knowledge for piety and sobriety.