the itinerancy of Mr. Fisk.

mens:

Take the following speci

As Mr. and Mrs. Fisk (it was her first initiation) pursued their journey to Lyndon, while yet in the State of NewHampshire, they were on a certain occasion overtaken by night before they reached their intended stopping-place. There was a prospect of a very dark night. Mr. Fisk therefore stopped at a comfortable-looking farmhouse, and asked if they would entertain strangers. "Yes," replied the old lady who opened the door, "if you have any religion."

"If we have not," said Mr. Fisk, "perhaps you can help us to some."

"O then," was the reply, "come in, come in, with all my heart."

They accordingly passed the night at the cottage, where they were very hospitably entertained. They found their hostess a rare specimen of primitive Christianity; one whose walk seemed to be in the very precincts of a better world. In the morning our traveller was invited to lead the devotions of the family, which he did with such fervour and eloquence that the good old lady was completely melted down; and when he closed, she in her turn began, and poured out her heart in such strains of humble love and devout praise as showed a soul in close communion with the skies. When her guests left the house she followed them to the door, crying after them, "God bless thee, thou blessed of the Lord; continue faithful, and God will hold thee in his right hand!" There are some who will not be surprised to hear that this was Mrs. Fletcher, of Unity, N. H., long known as an "Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile." She and her strange guest are now the inhabitants of the blessed abodes, "Where all things that are lovely meet, And all things that are pure."

The following is a scene from nature: Going to one of his appointments with Mrs. Fisk, their route lay across a lofty range dignified with the classical name of Mount Olympus. When they commenced the ascent the snow was falling thick and fast, and there was every prospect of a stormy and uncomfortable ride; but when they got midway

to the top, the snow ceased, and dense clouds settling below, obscured the view on all sides. Above, the sun was veiled by a thin cloud, as if to screen its dazzling brightness, and make their way more pleasant. Descending, they found, when about half way down the mountain, that it was still snowing as fast as ever, and that much snow had fallen while they were enjoying their ride above the clouds. Such scenes are not uncommon in mountainous regions.

Mr. Fisk's benevolence has been several times mentioned. This was not confined to mankind; it included also the brute creation. He could not give needless pain to any living thing. He was very careful of his horse, and the horse, in turn, seemed greatly attached to his master, which he would make known unequivocally by neighing and pawing the ground at the sound of his voice, or of his peculiar and wellknown cough. Of his father's dog he was not less a favourite. An instance of canine sagacity is not unworthy of relation: Mr. Fisk was absent at a certain time, and was not expected home for some days. One evening, Diamond, the dog, came running and panting to Mrs. Fisk, put his feet upon her lap, wagged his tail, and showed by every speaking sign his anxiety to communicate something. Not seeming to be understood, he ran off, but soon returned again in the same manner, and again bounded away. Feeling now alarmed, Mrs. Fisk followed him to the door, and soon heard Mr. Fisk's cough. At the sound Diamond showed more glee than ever, leaping up, licking her hands, &c., and then away he ran to meet Mr. Fisk, who was still near half a mile distant. He followed him home, kept close to him, eagerly looking for his caresses until he was noticed.

In the course of this year he wrote a letter to Mrs. Goodwin, from which we present an extract:

"December 17.

"My spiritual health is gaining a little on this subject I could say much, but I forbear. You are too well acquainted with my unworthiness and deficiencies in the service of God. I would be glad to see my children rising to a higher standing in the divine life than I have attained unto, and

hold all they gain much faster than I have done. It is a great attainment to get blessings of a spiritual nature, but still greater to retain them.

"Happy the man who wisdom gains ;

Thrice happy who his guest retains.'

If, through the whole of my Christian life, I had practised the maxim of the miser, 'Keep what you have, and get what you can,' I should by this time have been very rich : but I have not; I have too often lost great blessings, and overlooked and squandered away small ones. I mention this, my dear sister, that you and yours may profit by my errors. Let me entreat you to be saving of your small gains; Christians generally lose more by not attending to this than they are aware of. Most earthly estates are accumulated by small gains; and a man in any business generally thrives in proportion as he is saving of his littles. How many in this way, though they began with but small capitals, have in a few years become wealthy: so might the Christian; and so some do. I have seen in a few cases a constant, though almost imperceptible, march towards holiness, until the weakest among God's people have become as David.' If we follow the light as it is made known to us; if we deny ourselves, as we see by our increasing light that our indulgences are improper; if, as we gain a little ground, we fix our stake, and determine we will not be driven back beyond it, how sure and regular our advances towards Heaven! on the contrary, if we improve not the grace given, our light becomes darkness. We can plead for what we once rejected, and neglect what we formerly could not. 'Despise not the day of small things.'

"We have had a good reformation on Lyndon Circuit, especially in the town of Burke; about thirty there have lately joined society, and a number more have professed conversion. Some of our circuits are low. I sometimes grow sick of professing Christians (many of them, I mean), because there is so much uncharitableness among them; so many evil surmisings, little envyings, and bitter jealousies:* O, when will

* How often has the devout mind to say with the pious Cecil, "I have seen such sin in the Church, that I have often been brought by it to a sickly state of

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that charity that hopeth all things,' at least of our brethren, generally prevail? not until unholy self is crucified; not until self-seeking and earthly-interested views are laid aside, and the glory of God and the good of the Church be the ruling motive of the soul. This can be done only by our doctrine of Christian holiness: I love this doctrine; yet, I confess to my shame, I enjoy less of it than I once did, notwithstanding some have abused and dishonoured it, and others despise it; still, I know it to be the doctrine of the Bible, the truth of God, and the only doctrine that can save the Church. O that I were inspired with holy zeal to preach it!"

At the preceding session of the New-England Conference, Mr. Fisk was elected a delegate to the General Conference, held this year (1824) in May, in the City of Baltimore. He left home on this business the latter part of April, spending a few days in New-York, where, by previous invitation, he addressed the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at their anniversary held April 23d, in Johnstreet. Many will remember this meeting with interest, from the fact that the eloquent Summerfield, and the Rev. John (now Dr.) Hannah, the associate of the Rev. R. Reece, representative from the British Wesleyan Conference to the General Conference in the United States, and whose ministry was so highly acceptable to our churches, were among the speakers on this occasion. Mr. Fisk, in a letter to Mrs. Fisk, dated New-York, April 26th, speaks of this meeting thus:

"I performed my part probably without much honour to myself; but that is of little consequence. It is more to be regretted that some abler hand (tongue ?) had not pleaded the cause of missions; however, a number followed me in interesting and edifying addresses. The other speakers were Messrs. Brown, Reed, Case, (Hannah), and Summer

mind. But when I have turned to the world, I have seen sin working there in such measures and forms, that I have turned back again to the Church with more wisdom of mind and affection for it-tainted as it is."-Cecil's Remains,

field. (He arrived in the city the day before me.) A collection was taken* of about $160 or $170. The work of the Lord is going on gloriously among the Indians, as you will see by the Magazine. It makes me think of apostolic times, when the Gospel was first preached to the heathens."

This was Mr. Fisk's first initiation into the missionary work. He caught the impulse of the occasion, and, as his sympathies enkindled and his views enlarged, he became an efficient labourer in the field. This we shall see hereafter. The address delivered by him at this meeting was published in Zion's Herald.

The General Conference of 1824 is memorable for the warm discussions called forth by what is known as the Radical Controversy. From divided sentiments on doctrinal points we have very fortunately been preserved, but on church government we have had various controversies; and the very few, and mostly unimportant schisms that have occurred among us, have all been on this account, or from personal grievances, real or supposed. The points under discussion at this time related to a representation of the laity and of the local preachers in our ecclesiastical bodies, and the mode of appointing the presiding elders. This discussion had not attracted very much attention in New-England; but in the Southern, Middle, and Western States it had been carried on with great spirit and some acrimony. On these subjects the General Conference received numerous petitions and memorials, some demanding, others deprecating alterations in the Discipline. Mr. Fisk, though in favour of making the presiding elders elective, was decidedly opposed to a lay delegation. As he was always remarkable for his republican views, some reason for what some may consider an inconsistency will not be out of place.

Those who think the government of the Methodist Episcopal Church anti-republican, cannot be aware how limited is the power of her clergy. It is not known to all that they

It is difficult to say how this expression came into such general use. We cannot but wish, for the sake of good English, that the word made would supersede it.