[[120/121]] speaker, not to mind the baptisms, at that time, but invite them forward to Join the church, and prayer in the altar. The preacher soon closed by inviting any who might wish to join the church to come forward and take seats in the altar. There was in the congregation, at that time, two gentlemen most violently and openly hostile the one to the other, a difficulty had occured + between them, growing out of some political differences, near twelve months before, which led to an open rupture on a public day, since which time they had not spoken to each other good or bad, but were known to be deadly hostile, The one a Practicing Physician, living in town whom we will call Doctor B— The other a wealthy farmer of the neighbourhood whom we will call Col. J-- When the invitation was given, as above, to join the Church a few had [the del] started, The Doctor & Lady arose and steeping across the crowded [[121/122]] aisle, extended her hand toward her husband, seated in the crowd <neither were previously members.> He immediately arose & pressing into the aisle gave her his arm, and with trembling steps <they> made their way into <the> altar where they were seated near the entrance. A few minutes after, or nearly at the same time, the Col. Who was standing near the wall on the left, (and so situated that he could < not>see who had come forward, but where the Spirit had reached & melted his heart,) started also, and made his way around the wall, till he came to the aisle in front, and then made his way to the altar, accompanied by several others. As he entered the first man he saw was his former enemy. The Doctor arose, extended his hand, and with a voice trembling with emotion said aloud “Col,, can you forgive me”? + The other, with equal emotion, responded, “O yes Doctor I have forgiven you already”, Instantly their arms were thrown around each other, and for some moments they stood firmly locked [[122/123]] in the firm embrace, while the big tears rolled down their manly cheeks, a scene over which Angels would, & and doubtless did rejoice, The scene that followed we cannot describe, The effect was electrical, tears gushed unbidden from eyes unused to weep <,> sighs and groans, and prayers, & shouts of praise, rose in mingled harmony from that temple of justice, The altar was soon filled, and many were that day added unto the Lord, such we trust as shall be saved. The meeting was continued thro,, the week and nearly one hundred were brought into the fold of Christ.
The P. E. left this District with mingled feelings of joy & regret.
Oct 23 rd 1839 Conference met in Lawrenceburg Ia Bishop <Morris (65)> presiding assisted, part of the time, by the venerable Bishop Roberts. On the 29 th of Oct,, Dr Simpson, Prest of Ia A. University, (66) delivered, in presence of the Conference & a crowded audience, an [[123/124]] appropriate, & most thrilling, centenary discourse.
The past had been a year of general prosperity in the Conference, showing a nett + increase of between eight and nine thousand members, O what a change in the last twenty years. Then there was found membership of only between three & four thousand in the entire State of Ia,, with about ten or twelve Preachers, now a membership of between forty and fifty thousand, with over one hundred and sixty travelling Preachers, with propriety might we exclaim “What hath God wrought.” (67) Surely the little one had become a thousand, & the small one a strong nation”. Thus had + ‘the Lord hastened it in his time”. + (68) The work was now comprised in fourteen Districts. <all this change since Bro,, Ruter came to Indiana>
At this Conference Bro,, Ruter was elected as one of the delegates to attend the Gen l Conference to meet in Baltimore May 11 th 1840, and was appointed to the charge of the Madison District, composed of the Madison & Lawrenceburg Stations <(F. C. Holliday Madison & H. W. Hibben Lawrenceburg)> Vernon [[124/125]] Vevay, Rising Sun, Wilmington, Versailles, and Paris Circuits and the Ia German mission, On which <(i e) the Dist,,)> was reported a membership of five thousand three hundred & thirty two. He removed his family to Rising Sun, and immediately commenced his work. This was a year of some prosperity, and a gradual increase in most of the charges, One of the most pleasing powerful revivals was on the Rising Sun Ct,, under the labours of Brothers Gillett & Guthrie. The second quarterly meeting held at Weest’s Meeting House commenced on the last day of February 1840. The weather was unusually dry & pleasant, so that on Sabbath the 1 st day of March, the house being entirely too small, the P. E. Preached to an immensely large congregation, in the open air, He spoke with much liberty, the word reached the hearts of many, and a glorious work commenced, The meeting was continued during the week and between one and two hundred were brought into the fold of Christ as the fruit thereof. <There was also a gracious revival in Vernon under the labours of Brothers A. Bussey & J. Horton> [[125/126]]
This year, the church suffered some loss of Spiritual enjoyment, and loss of Brotherly love, occasioned by the great political excitement, in which many of the members shared to their injury, Most of the Preachers (of this District . at least,) refused to engage in the strife, and the P, E, by precept & example, used his influence to induce all to act with great prudence, for altho,, Bro,, Ruter was decided in his political opinions, and always discharged his duty as a Citizen, by casting his vote for the man, or men, he deemed best qualified for the offices to which they aspired, yet, since he engaged in the work of the Ministry, he had ever stood aloof from all political strife, and no man, could charge him with trying to proselyte + to any political creed, hence the most violent political partisans would hear him preach without prejudice and the more readily receive the truth from his lips. This course, with regard to politics, he thought his duty and obligations [[126/127]] to the Church required of him as a Minister, & to this course he ever strictly & unwaveringly adhered, And he was ever grieved, when any of his brethren in the Ministry, by taking part, or engaging in, political contests, cut off their access to a part of their hearers, which is ever, the case where the Preacher turns politician, and engages in the party strifes of the day. O that every preacher were a man of one work, and that, the great work of saving Souls. These principles he ever tried to impress upon the minds of his Junior Brethren, and not, it is believed, altogether without success. In May he attended the Genl Conference in Baltimore, Here the agitation on the subject of Slavery, which had been increasing for several years, appeared at times, to threaten a rupture in the Church, but by the prudent management of conservative men, it was kept down so far that we had, on the whole, a pleasant session. At this Conf,, we were favoured with a <visit> [[127/128]] by the Rev. Robert Newton, delegate from the British Conference, a man of superior talents, and great moral worth, & truly an evangelical Preacher. His visit tended much to strengthen the bonds of union between <the> British and American branches of the great Methodist family. (37)
On the 21 st of October 1840 Conference met in Indianapolis, Bishop Soule presiding, The Bishop however not having arrived at the time for opening the conference Bro,, Ruter was elected by the conference to preside over its deliberations, this placed <him,> unexpectedly, in a situation a little embarrassing, from which however, in the course of the day, he was relieved, by the arrival of the Bishop. At this Conference he was returned to the Madison Dist,, having the same territory as last year, but the Wilmington Circuit having been divided & Manchester circuit created out of the upper part, it gave one charge to the District. [[128/129]] (37)
The winter of 1840-41 was, at times extremely cold. At one time a heavy rain had fallen & then a light snow & turned suddenly cold, he had some twenty five or thirty miles to ride in order to reach home, The roads were very bad, but having a strong & faithful horse, he started about nine o clock A.M. There was a house about half of the way where he had some acquaintance, and he intended there to rest a little, and get some refreshment, but when he reached there, he found no one at home and fire even to warm his chilled frame, and finding that it was already some time, in the afternoon, he thought it best to hasten on, He walked a little way, but finding his limbs stiff, and the walking very rough, he again got on, and his faithful horse pressed ahead, but breaking thro the frost sometimes almost to his knees he could travel but slow, mostly thro,, unsettled woods, till he reached the River bank some four or [[129/130]] five miles from home. The day was cloudy, and cold intense, Before he reached a house on the river, where he might have warmed, he thought the weather was moderating, as he did not suffer from cold as he had a few hours before, he concluded not to stop but press on for home, which he reached in the dusk of the evening. His family expecting him, were on the watch, a child ran out & opened the gate, and the horse, as he was wont, stopped beside the door step. He was not aware of being unusually chilled till on attempting to respond to the salutations of his wife he found himself unable to speak. He attempted to alight, and was near falling prostrate, but by the timely aid of his family he entered the house, and then he first became sensible that he was near perishing from cold. For more than one hour, he shook as with the most severe ague, and the night was half spent before he could get any quiet rest, but, by proper applications to his stiff[[130-131]]