hood upon me, which, though it was not criminal, yet it was a falsehood, and, as they said, had occurred (though it never in fact occurred) thirty-four years before." Several ministers from Denbighshire and Anglesea were called in, with a view to affect a reconciliation between him and the other party; they met at Bodedern, but all was of no avail; they could not succeed to adjust the dispute, so as to bring the parties to a right understanding of each other. Whatever misunderstanding might have occurred between some brethren and Mr. Evans, he, as one of the oldest and most respectable ministers, not only in Anglesea, but in all the principality in his day, ought to have been heard, and his admonitions should have been received kindly, at least with greater deference to his age and experience; and he should have been vindicated as instrumentally the father of the Baptist cause in Anglesea. "I wonder greatly," said he in his Diary, “that I did not sink into the grave in this trouble that came upon me in my old age, together with an accumulation of trials of all kinds; but the Lord sustained me. There was in the midst of all, a strong persuasion in my mind, that there was yet much work for me to do for God in the world, as well as much to suffer, ere I died. If I only entered the pulpit, I felt raised as it were to Paradise-above my afflictions-until I forgot my adversity; yea, I felt my mountain strong, my mind was in such a heavenly frame, and as anxious as ever for the con - version of sinners. The truth appeared to me in its power like a hammer in its strength. The doctrine dropped as sweet as the honey, yea, sweeter than the honey-comb, and as comfortable as the best wine. I was now particularly wishful that all the ministers in Anglesea, should join with me according to the promise, 'If two of you agree to ask the same thing, it shall be given unto you of my Father which is in heaven;' for I had such confidence that then I should see prosperity attending the ministry, and that I should not die until I had finished my work. I said to a brother Brother, the doctrine, the confidence, and strength which I feel, will make some persons dance with joy yet in some parts of Wales.' 'Yea, brother,' said he, with tears flowing in streams from his eyes. Every thing now contributed to remove me from Anglesea. The unbending disposition of those who were offended at me, and the ardor of my own spirit, believing that there was work for me to do in some other field of the harvest of the Son of man, and my having prayed earnestly for twelve months for the direction of divine Providence, together with the visions of my head in the night seasons, appeared to unite together to lead in one direction. At length, the determination to leave Anglesea, afflicted as I was, preponderated. I was much like Jacob, leaving his father and his mother, going with his staff only over Jordan: so was I, leaving the church: I had prayed, yea, I had strove with God for its prosperity, and had labored nearly forty years with it-now leaving it-possessing nothing of this world's goods, save the horse upon which I rode, and a small amount of silver in my pocket; and scarcely could I say that these were mine." Such is the account he gives of his feelings and circumstances upon leaving Anglesea, which had been the field of his labors for so many years. The scene was heart-rending in the extreme, to see an aged minister, who had been so usefully employed in that part of his Lord's vineyard, now obliged to leave the scene of his exertions under circumstances so painful and distressing. Mr. Evans undoubtedly spent his best time and best talents to serve the Baptist cause in North Wales, and especially in Anglesea; and now, after many years of toil and hard labor in collecting, preaching, and travelling, those who ought to have rallied around him to sustain him in his feebler years, withheld the amount of their promises towards his support in order to revenge themselves on their aged father in the gospel; and many others who pretended to be more favorably disposed towards him did but little, except in empty words; and he was like David, leaving the country where he had fought the enemies of the cause, and as it were, leaving his city without knowing that he should ever see the "Ark of God and his tabernacle " in Anglesea any more. This was a dark and cloudy day upon the Baptists of Anglesea. But God is ever faithful. He continued merciful to Mr. Evans, and preserved him in all his trials; and there is room to hope that he will not pour his vengeance in judgment upon those who were mistaken, nor upon others whose arrows were bitter against his aged servant. We shall next be led to behold Mr. Evans quitting Anglesea altogether, and commencing his journey towards Caerphilly, in Glamorganshire, South Wales; a journey of about two hundred miles. CHAPTER V. His removal to Caerphilly.-The state of his mind at the commencement of his journey.-His striving and covenanting with God on the road. His second marriage.— His exertions for the cause of religion.-A remarkable dream. His success at Caerphilly. SOME mysterious dispensation had wisely ordered, before Mr. Evans left Anglesea, that he should be invited to take the charge of the Baptist Church at Caerphilly, in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales. With this invitation he thought it his duty to comply; hence we see him commencing his journey thither, in about the sixtieth year of his age. In going from Llangevni, his former habitation, to Brynsienkyn, and reflecting upon his afflictive departure from his brethren in Anglesea, he felt his mind excited to great tenderness; and the presence of the Saviour was realized by him to so great a degree, that he gave a loud vent to his feelings, in tears and supplications; and the struggle continued for some hours. obtained strength to commit himself and the ministry to the care of Jesus Christ; and in doing this he felt such confidence that it raised him above his afflic He |