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ever, many still attended, and some few seemed really to be called.

One man in particular appeared to be convinced, and soon after brought his wife with him, who seemed to receive the seed by the way side, or to begin where she should have left off; namely, with joy. But the world beginning to laugh at her, withered all her joy, and kept her from hearing any more; and she in consequence, being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, began to oppose her husband, who left my ministry also, to the great grief of my soul. Soon after this I saw that he had mounted the scorner's chair. Passing by him one day, I received the following taunt, Pray, are you born again, Mr. Inspiration?' My soul felt his cruel mockings, but I made no reply. However, soon after he had this awful dream; namely, that the end of the world was come, and that God rained fire and brimstone from heaven on the wicked, and that he saw the felicity of the righteous, and those whom he despised among them; but his portion was with the damned. Being dreadfully disturbed in his sleep, he endeavoured to get from under the awful storm, and, catching fast hold of the bedstead, immediately awoke, and soon found his conscience was as effectually awakened as himself. In great distress of mind, he went weeping to several of his companions, telling them the dream, and his present distress on that account; from whom he received no more

sympathy than Judas, who confessed to the high priest, in the anguish of despair, that he had sinned, and betrayed innocent blood; whose disconsolate "What is that to us? see thou to

answer was,

that," Matt. xxvii. 4.

However, this dream appeared to come from God. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men."

This dream proved sufficient to stop the lips of contempt, to wither the strength of his tabernacle, cast him into a deep decline, and to lay him on his death-bed. A friend of mine visited him: and, by his own desire, I went and prayed by him, spake to him, and had some little hope of his soul's welfare. But a person under the alarm of wrath, and in the agonies of death, pours forth such confessions and floods of tears, that it is difficult at times to distinguish between genuine repentance and that which is common to nature. However, he soon went into eternity; and by this time knows certainly whether inspiration is really requisite or not. His name was Munfield.

Soon after this a woman, who had a kitchen adjoining the room I preached in, and a chamber over it, invited a company of bargemen to come and drink with her. They opened the kitchen door, which stood next the door of my meeting, where they sat, and drank and sung together, in order to prevent me from being heard. This not having the desired effect, she went up stairs, and

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with the heels of her shoes stamped so loud, that I could scarcely hear one word which I uttered: but, finding I still proceeded, and the room being filled with hearers, they laid the following scheme. This ungodly, drunken wretch, was to enter the meeting, and strike any of the poor women who sat to hear the word; and, in case any of my friends should offer to hold her hands, or turn her out, she was to cry Murder,' as a signal to the rebel host to enter to her assistance. This was accordingly accomplished. The mob, entering, broke the doors to pieces, burnt asafoetida, and emptied soilage from a privy into the meeting. After their battling, and breaking the seats to pieces, this masculine heroine, and leader of the wretched crew, not satisfied with the mischief already done, broke an entire window all to shivers. The place of worship and myself being licensed, we procured a warrant, and took some of the offenders before a bench of magistrates; but to no purpose; for I soon perceived by their bitter appearance, that judgment was turned into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock, Amos vi. 12. So Truth and Innocence went back mourning in sackcloth; and well they might, when they saw their two sisters, Judgment and Equity, lie dead in the

court.

However, our adversaries meeting with more encouragement than us, we were attended home by them with their hats adorned with blue ribbands, &c. and on their arrival the whole parish

appeared in triumph; the bells were immediately rung, and my little cottage was beset on all sides; my effigy then was made and burnt, a blasphemous harangue delivered as a funeral sermon over this figure of straw and rags, and unutterable insolence was sung, in imitation of a solemn anthem. Upon this one and all cried out, they were for the High Church: and indeed none could properly doubt of that who saw the height of their wickedness; for, had they been Turks or Pagans, they would have been ashamed of such conduct.

I shut myself up for some hours, and cried to God, whose displeasure seemed to appear against them, by sending a violent storm of rain, which put an end to their funeral procession. At that instant this word came with power to my heart, They that strive with thee shall perish," Isaiah

66

xli. 11.

Some few days after this my female adversary being at a friend's house of mine, and in the same room where I preached, he spake to her of her dreadful wickedness. She replied, 'I know he preaches the truth; but I shall get worse and worse.' Upon this my friend told her that she had drank too much; but her reply was, that she should be drunker before night, or words to that effect.

This poor creature had an associate, who lived near my little cottage, where they generally held their consultations with a company of bargemen, who assisted them in executing their wicked de

signs. The same night she behaved so desperate, that even the publicans themselves turned her out of doors: she continued, however, to disturb the neighbourhood till midnight, and at five o'clock the next morning was found dead at the door of her abovementioned intimate acquaintance. The neighbourhood seemed much alarmed; but presently after a shouting was heard from several parts. I inquired into the cause of this uproar; and was informed that myself, or some of my hearers, had laid violent hands upon her, for they traced her by drops of blood. A coroner was sent for, and a jury called: afterwards a surgeon was brought, to see where the wound was given; but, on examination, it was found that her death proceeded from the effects of drinking, and not from any stroke of violence. Thus was she publicly exposed, to the shame and confusion of all her wicked sex. 66 Her name was Barret. Every morning doth he [the Almighty] bring his judgments to light; he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame," Zeph. iii. 5.

After this judgment had appeared in so conspicuous a manner, the joy and encouragement which several of my enemies had received from the bench appeared for a time visibly to wither; and indeed the triumph of the wicked is but short at most, Job xx. 5. Many, I believe, were able to see the flaming sword of God wielded in the defence of truth and innocency, though the temporal sword appeared a defence to vice.

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