stening drew from the preacher a personal supplication on
his behalf, in the middle of the discourse. Rowland was deeply moved,
and became an ardent apostle of the new movement. Naturally a fine
orator, his new-born zeal gave an edge to his eloquence, and his fame
spread abroad. Rowland and Harris had been at work fully eighteen months
before they met, at a service in Devynock church, in the upper part of
Breconshire. The acquaintance then formed lasted to the end of Harris's
life--an interval of ten years excepted. Harris had been sent to Oxford
in the autumn of 1735 to "cure him of his fanaticism," but he left in
the following February. Rowland had never been to a university, but,
like Harris, he had been well grounded in general knowledge. About 1739
another prominent figure appeared. This was Howell Davies of
Pembrokeshire, whose ministry was modelled on that of his master,
Griffith Jones, but with rather more clatter in his thunder.

In 1736, on returning home, Harris opened a school, Griffith Jones
supplying him with books from his charity. He also set up societies, in
accordance with the recommendations in Josiah Wedgwood's little book on
the subject; and these exercised a great influence on the religious life
of the people. By far the most notable of Harris's converts was William
Williams (1717-1791), Pant y Celyn, the great hymn-writer of Wales, who
while listening to the revivalist preaching on a tombstone in the
graveyard of Talgarth, heard the "voice of heaven," and was "apprehended
as by a warrant from on high." He was ordained deacon in the Church of
England, 1740, but Whitefield recommended him to leave his curacies and
go into the highways and hedges. On Wednesday and Thursday, January 5th
and 6th, 1743, the friends of aggressive Christianity in Wales met at
Wadford, near Caerphilly, Glam., in order to organize their societies.
George Whitefield was in the chair. Rowland, Williams and John
Powell--afterwards of Llanmartin--(clergymen), Harris, John Humphreys
and John Cennick (laymen) were present. Seven lay exhorters were also at
the meetings; they were questioned as to their spiritual experience and
allotted their several spheres; other matters pertaining to the new
conditions created by the revival were arranged. This is known as the
first Methodist Association--held eighteen months before Johm Wesley's
first conference (June 25th, 1744). Monthly meetings covering smaller
districts, were organized to co