s have upon the people; ten, or even twenty miles, have not been
considered too great a distance to be travelled in order to be present
at some of them, even though the entire journey has had to be performed
on foot. Men and women, some of them stricken in years and bowed down
with the toils and cares of a long and hard life, have joyfully walked
many a weary mile for the pleasure of attending a lovefeast; old
people, leading their grand-children by the hand, and telling them of
the stirring times of early Methodism; younger people in groups,
singing revival hymns as they plod steadily along the dusty or miry
roads under melting sun or pelting rains, making their way to these
attractive and soul-stirring meetings, contending against every
obstacle and overcoming every hindrance, determined to be there and do
honour to the Divine Master, who said, "Ye are my witnesses."

There have been some of the grandest manifestations of Divine power at
these gatherings, as seen and felt in the sweet, gentle, and
unconscious melting of feelings, until the whole congregation has been
broken down to tears and songs of joy and praise; or coming suddenly
upon them as a "rushing mighty wind," without sound or sign, save in
the bending of heads, the breaking of hearts, the streaming tears, and
the adoring responses of the people. Then, believers have caught the
spark of sanctifying fire from God Himself, and declared it; then, men
have been endued with the gift of tongues, and spoken with apostolic
power; then, sinners, drawn into the place by the peculiar attractions
of the occasion, have felt their souls shaken by Divine energy, like
forest trees in a tempest, and trembling, bending, rending, breaking,
have fallen in the storm of Heaven's mercy, and cried for help and
found it. Oh, how many there are now in glory or on the way, of whom
it may be said, "Convicted in a lovefeast! converted in a lovefeast!
sanctified in a lovefeast!" Their name is "legion, for they are many."
Hallelujah!

Some things among the usages of the churches we may perhaps afford to
dispense with and suffer no loss, but not this glorious means of grace.
If in any place they have lost their power, the fault is not in the
institution, but in the Church; religious declension is the greatest
enemy to this good old custom. If the Lord's people return to their
first love, the lovefeast will resume its former glory and power. Oh,
Lord, "wilt Thou not revive us again,