e; it is not my fault; these
orders are given me." All our brethren and sisters went out, animated
with a holy zeal, determining not to abandon their assemblies. The next
day we were assembled. After an exhortation we sung a hymn which being
finished, we kneeled down to pray: a shower of stones came, as if they
would have demolished the house, and have stoned us like Stephen. With
one accord we commended ourselves to our faithful Creator, and continued
in prayer till they had ceased.
In a subsequent letter, dated July 31st, he writes:--
Since the Lord has granted us the favour of meeting again, we have
continued our assemblies without intermission, although forbidden to do
this under pain of prison and exile. The only interruption we meet with
is bad words, and a few stones now and then; and I am become so marked,
that I cannot go out without people crying after me, "Methodist!
Parson!"--with a contemptuous sneer, and a thousand other things not fit
to write, but which serve only to strengthen my faith in the promises of
Him who is faithful; till last Sunday some foolish young women came to
revile us; and on Tuesday evening, whilst reading, stones were thrown,
and whilst we were at prayer a great number rushed in, armed with
sabres, sticks, and, if I mistake not, with stones, crying out, "In the
name of the law," as if they had been authorized by the heads of the
people to arrest us. This band consisted of boys, led on to commit
disorders by a set of idle, good-for-nothing persons, of the worst
class, who had armed themselves with sabres, and were disguised with old
cocked hats; trying thus to show their bravery over those who would make
no resistance. But the hairs of our head are all numbered; nor have they
been permitted to hurt any of us to the present. It would be useless for
us to ask or hope for the protection of the law; and we are thus led to
place all our confidence in God, who can and will deliver us in his
time. And if the Lord is for me, of whom should I be afraid? He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for me, will he not with
him freely give me all things? I have already experienced that all my
sufferings for his name are great blessings to me. All my care is about
His church; and what wisdom does it require to conduct so many persons
of such different dispositions! I feel new wants daily.
The following brief view of the persecutions of the methodists, in
Hayti, is taken from "Missionar
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