342 History of Methodism 



high rank among the more useful laborers of his day. 

 He was not a highly popular preacher ; his discourses 

 were not constructed according to set rules, but were 

 rather a collection of wise, pithy, practical, and pious 

 remarks, flowing naturally, but without much respect 

 to order, from his text. His gestures were not abun- 

 dant, but they were forcible, striking, and highly ap- 

 propriate, and whoever failed to pay due regard to 

 these motions of head and hand was sure to lose the 

 full force of his energetic and earnest words. He was 

 not what is called a revival preacher, but he was wise 

 to build up and confirm the Church in the doctrines 

 of the gospel, and in the practice of Christian godli- 

 ness. There was sometimes a degree of quaintness in 

 his style of address that could hardly fail to provoke 

 a smile. 



On one occasion, at camp-meeting, it devolved on 

 him to make the usual collection for the support of 

 the gospel on the circuit, and a portion of his address 

 was on this wise: "You ought, every one of you, to 

 give to this collection. These traveling preachers go 

 all over the country trying to reform the people and 

 make them good citizens; therefore, every patriot, 

 every lover of the peace and good order of society, 

 ought to give. The Baptists and Presbyterians ought 

 to give because they are largely indebted to the labors 

 of these same preachers for the building up of their 

 churches. And, finally, you all ought to give, unless 

 it is the man who prays, ' God bless me and my wife, 

 my son and his wife — us four and no more.' " 



At the Conference held in Camden, January 21, 

 1811, a question arose on the election to deacon's 

 orders and admission into full connection of a young 

 preacher who had traveled for two years as helper to 



