that he was waylaid in a certain road by some men, who wished to kill him. Having to go that way some time afterward, his dream occured to him; he thought that there might be something intended by it; he therefore determined to turn aside, and went another way. By adopting this resolution, he providentially escaped; for, as he afterward found, certain men of bad character had been waiting for him at that very time with a fixed resolution to murder him, if he had passed along the road by which he usually went.

He was once desired to pray with an unhappy female who was very ill, and who had been much addicted to drunkenness. Some time before, her husband had become pious, and had often invited Mr. Bramwell to his house. This woman had been raised several times in answer to his prayers. He was sent for once more in haste from his circuit to pray for her. When he arrived, he and her husband knelt down; and after being silent a few minutes he exclaimed, "I can pray no more! The Lord will not answer! She will now die!" and in the course of a few hours, the unhappy woman died.

This was the first year of his itinerant ministry, during which he did not spare himself, but was in labors more abundant." By the Spirit of God he was instructed in many things that concerned the great work in which he was engaged. He delighted in his sacred calling; and, from the success which attended his preaching, he was encouraged with increased

earnestness to "do the work of an evangelist and make full proof of his ministry."

CHAPTER V.

Mr. Bramwell's marriage-Some misunderstanding with Mr. Wesley-By an extraordinary chain of cir cumstances, he is directed to labor in the Blackburn circuit-His continued diligence-The mode of educating his children-His appointment to the Colne circuit.

It appears that Mr. Bramwell was to have been married on his return from Liverpool; but as Dr. Coke had repeatedly solicited him to go to Kent, he had the firmness to bid adieu to the object of his affections, and did not see her again until a year and a half had elapsed.

Previous, however, to his acquiescence with Dr. Coke's request, he informed him that he could only go on condition that he might be married as soon as he returned. What the Dr. said to him is not now known; but Mr. Bramwell always understood that he had obtained his promise and consent. He regularly corresponded with the young lady, Miss E. Byrom, who was of a very respectable family; and on his return to Preston, they were married accordingly, in July, 1787. At the conference for the same year he was appointed by Mr. Wesley to labor in the Lynn circuit; but, as Mrs. Bramwell could not leave Preston on account of the arrangement of some family concerns, he thought it was not his duty to go to Lynn, and wrote to Mr. Wesley to that effect.

Mr.

W. did not think proper to appoint him to any other circuit, although he was earnestly requested to do so by Mr. Shadford, and some other aged preachers, who regarded Mr. Bramwell as an eminently useful and holy young man. His name therefore remained on the stations for Lynn, but he continued in Preston. To a man more inflated with an idea of his own consequence than Mr. Bramwell was, or less fervent and sincere in his wishes for the salvation of sinners, this second deferring of his hopes would have been most grievous and distressing. But though he was naturally of a sanguine disposition, the grace of God had humbled his views and made him willing to behold the glorious remedy of saving truth administered by any other hands than his own. He did not rate his ministerial talents so highly as to imagine with some weaklings that when he was quiescent, the wheels of Christ's church would not move at all, or would only have a tardy motion. He very properly considered it a high honor to have " a dispensation of the Gospel committed to him" by Christ Jesus, and to bear some humble, yet active part in the grand operations of human redemption. In the bare anticipation of this he had rejoiced, when he was first called to Liverpool. And when he was so honorably remanded to Preston, to move in an humbler sphere, and preach the glad tidings of peace among his friends and relatives, he had felt the summons to be no small trial. Yet to that which he deemed a providential call,

he had yielded a cheerful obedience. He had now again dedicated himself wholly to the work of the ministry, and by an unexpected occurrence* was compelled to desist from his labors as an itinerant preacher. This was a season in which Satan assailed him with heavy temptations. But having committed nothing worthy of reproach, he maintained his wonted firmness of spirit. He did not, like many, sullenly refuse to lend his hearty co-operation to the cause of God; but with pleasure embraced

* When, in compliance with Dr. Coke's entreaties, he consented to give up his business and take a circuit, it was a stipulation between the doctor and him, that Mr. B. should not be required to wait the usual period of probation before his marriage. Dr. Coke also promised him the benefit of his good offices with Mr. Wesley, for his appointment to the Blackburn circuit. The doctor had either been unsuccessful in his application to Mr. W. or had omitted the mention of all the particulars; for Mr. B. was nominated for the Lynn circuit. He accounted this a breach of engagement; and in his subsequent correspondence with Mr. W., it is probable that he mentioned without hesitation his recent marriage with Miss Byrom, a circumstance which Mr. W. had not before known, and which for the moment might give him some umbrage.

The key to the whole of this proceeding is, that, in the latter part of Mr. Wesley's life, the care of many of the societies devolved on Dr. Coke; and Mr. Bramwell had stipulated with the proxy instead of the principal. Yet there was not even the shadow of bad faith on the part of Dr. C. He did not think it necessary on every occasion of this kind, to burden Mr. W.'s mind with matters of minor importance; and he rejoiced greatly, when Mr. W., a few weeks afterward, so promptly appointed Mr. B. to the circuit of his choice.

every opportunity of declaring the glad tidings of salvation.

It is not here meant to be insinuated, that Mr. Bramwell showed throughout this affair any disposition of mind allied to stoical apathy.On the contrary, this proved to him a period of considerable anxiety. It called for the exercise of all the faith and patience of which he was possessed. Not knowing how to act, he sometimes thought, that after all, the Lord might still intend him to be a man of business.

But he recollected the word of the Lord, "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy path." He gave himself to prayer, asked counsel of God, and was always ready to say, Speak, Lord! thy servant heareth." His way was soon made plain, and that in a manner which he could never have anticipated.

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In order more clearly to elucidate this circumstance, it may be necessary to produce the following account, related by Mr. James Gray, and inserted in the Methodist Magazine for March, 1818:

"The Bristol conference for 1786 appointed Messrs. Joshua Keighly and Edward Burbeck to labor in the Inverness circuit. They met at Aberdeen, and set off for that circuit together; when approaching within two miles of Keith, on the high hill which overlooks it, in the dusk of the evening about sunset, they beheld, about twenty yards from them, a dark shade like a screen drawn right across the road. They took courage and rode up to it, which divided and