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Book Two - Pages 131-140
[[130-131]]ened limbs, no serious con<se>quences ensued, Though it was believed, by the friends, who knew the circumstances, that before another hour he would have fallen from his horse insensible, and been unable to rise more. But God’s providence protected him from death and he ever felt grateful for that deliverance. For altho, he had often suffered much from cold, and had some of his limbs frostbitten, yet he had never before been so chilled as to be insensible of cold, and to fancy that he was sufficiently warm, when on the verge of perishing, It was thought he would have been sensible of no more suffering, had he remained out. Whether this conjecture be true, or otherwise, I know not. (37)
This year S. T. Gillett & Thos Goodwin were appointed to Rising Sun Ct. But Bro. Gillett was soon called to take charge of the Bethel in Louisville, and his place was supplied by the employment of Rev. H. J. Durbon + <a Local Preacher> at the time a member of the State [[131/132]] Legislature from Switzerland County where he resided. He came to the work immediately on the adjournment of the Legislature, and laboured faithfully the remainder of the year.
One of the most pleasing revivals in the District this year, was on the Vevay Circuit under the labours of Rev. Jas. Jones & D. McIntyre
James Jones
The second quarterly meeting for the year was held in Vevay, near the last of March <1841>. In this town we had a comfortable brick church but a small an + feeble Society, <The Preachers of the Ct,, visited once in two weeks on Sabbath> most of the Citizens being members of no Church, but careless lovers of worldly pleasure. The meeting commenced on Friday night, Bro,, Jones preached to a small congregation. On Saturday at eleven the P. E. Preached to a larger congregation, as a number had come in from other parts of the Circuit. In the afternoon, the usual business <of> quarterly conference was transacted, and at night., Bro McIntyre Preached, Up to this time, the meeting had been pleasant, but no indications [[132/133]] of unusual success. Sabbath morning -- Love feast. It was a time of considerable interest among the members. At 11 o clock the congregation was unusually large, an unusual turn out of the Citizens, It appeared that, as if by general consent, all had concluded for once to attend Church. The P. E. preached, the discourse was founded on a portion of the ninth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, It was thought by some that he preached better then usual for him, whether so or not it was evident toward the close, that, the word of the Lord was as a hammer & as a fire, (69) the stoney + heart was broken & melted,. All however retired in good order at the close of the Sermon. The sacrament administered at three P. M. was a pleasant season, It was attended by many of the Citizens, who came to look on, and witness this solemn service. At the close <the> P. E. by request of the Preacher in charge, invited any who might desire it, to join the church, & one young <Lady> came forward, and all retired. [[133/134]] About sundown that evening, a gentleman <one who had joined the church a week previous at a Q. M. on another Ct.> came to the house where the P. E. took Tea, and asked him privately if he was going to Preach again that night. He was answered, that Bro Jones was appointed to preach that night,
said the other, I suppose you are wearied with the labours of the day, But there are several who have almost determined to join the Church to night, + if you should invite them”, said he, “Bro Jones is a good Preacher enough. But in this case there is something a little peculiar, however if you Exhort when he has done and give the invitation I suppose it will answer the purpose..
Very well, said Bro. Ruter, I will do so, should it be thought expedient.
When the Preachers went to the church they found it crowded to overflowing. Just as they were going into the pulpit, the Gentleman who had called on Bro Ruter in the evening Stopt + him and softly whispered, It is <all> fixed be sure that you exhort, & give the invitation”. + To which he nodded assent, not knowing what these [[134/135]] things meant, and wondering within himself what it was that was “ fixed”, + and how it was done. Bro Jones preached a plain, practical sermon, well fitted for the occasion, It was listened to with attention & deep interest. At the close Bro,, Ruter stepped upon a little platform in front of the Pulpit, gave a short Exhortation, and gave an invitation to Join the Church, briefly explained our rule relative to probation, stated what was required of those who joined, and urged the importance of choosing now.
No sooner was the opportunity given than such a scene was witnessed as seldom occurs. Gentlemen were seen simultaneously to start from various parts of the assembly, and pressing out into the aisle, crowd their way toward the pulpit, sometimes three or four with hands united, would thus aid each other in pressing through the crowded aisle. The whole congregation appeared filled with amazement. Some of the members & some of the Preachers began to shout, but the P. E. entreated them, if they [[135/136]] could, to restrain their feelings a little, untill + all who[m del] should desire it, might come forward.- The scene was overwhelming, One said <afterward> that. it appeared to him for a while that the house must burst open, such was the intense feeling. On they came till thirty had given hand to the P. E. and taken seats around the altar, vacated for their accommodation. and of this thirty, three only were females. The others, twenty seven, were all men, mostly in the prime of life, and mostly heads of families, a few were young men. Then all knelt, and fervent prayers were offered up in their behalf, and the divine glory appeared to fill the house. Meeting was appointed for next day at ten A. M. and at night. and the congregation retired wondering at the strange things seen to-day.
On Monday the interest still increasing, and the membership being small, and but few to assist in the work, the Preachers having much labour to perform, were growing weary, a messen[[136/137]]ger, on Monday evening was dispatched to Cincinnati to procure Ministerial aid, and Rev. L. L. Hamline, then Editor of the Ladies + Repository, (70) came down on Tuesday, and remained two or three days, He laboured with great usefulness day & night, and when he returned, Rev. E, W. Sehon & J. W. White came down and remained with us
L. L. Hamline (portrait courtesy of the General
Commission on Archives and History, United
Methodist Church)
over the following Sabbath, They laboured faithfully and with much effect, and the P. E., having no quarterly meeting for that Sabbath, remained there labouring both day & night, untill + the middle of the ensuing week, so that the meeting continued for nearly or quite two weeks, during which about one hundred and thirty joined on probation, many of whom were happily converted. and the church was greatly strengthened.
There were some circumstances connected with the revival somewhat out of the common order. For instance we learned on the Monday after the first Sabbath, that on the afternoon [[137/138]] of that Sabbath, a number of Gentlemen were together, when the conversation turned on the sermon to which they had listened in the forenoon, and the solemnly impressive Sacramental services Just witnessed. At first, most appeared serious, and all a little uneasy. At length one remarked, “Well its + no laughing matter, the fact is we have all lived in a very loose way, and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves, Here these ministers come and labour to do us good, and we go off and are as bad as ever, and its + time we were trying to do better,”
Well said another, you had better join the church,
He replied I don’t know but I will, to + night, if he’ll give me a chance,
one and another quickly responded, If you will Join I will,
The conversation became still more serious, and finally <they> agreed that if one would go [for del] forward they would all go. But it was remarked, some of you will back out,
No we [we will] will stand up to this bargain, and added [[138/139]] let us put it in writing, to which all agreed, and <a> paper in about the following words was drawn up,
“We whose names are hereunto <subscribed> [illeg, del.] do agree, and pledge to each other our most sacred honor, that if Mr Ruter shall invite persons to join the Church to night, and any one of this company shall go forward, we will all go, and should any one refuse to Join when others have gone forward, he shall be considered by his associates, and branded in the community as an infamous scoundrel.”
And to this paper, properly dated, drawn up in this strong language, ( perhaps we might say rough language as it relates to the penalty attached to a failure) Was signed by nineteen Gentlemen, most of [the del] whom were considered as among the leading men of the town. All were not present when the paper was drawn up, but it was passed around till this number of names were appended, and then placed in the hands of a friend to be produced against them should any of them refuse to comply with their [[139/140]] engagement, but none of them failed, they all came forward, followed at the time by eight other men who had not signed the paper, & three females making, as above stated, thirty on that Sabbath night. We saw and read this paper the next day, with the names attached, (tho., as we did not take a copy at the time, there may be a very slight difference in the wording, but nothing material, and the language of the penalty is strictly their own) and it was to this strange proceeding that the Gentleman refered, + when he said to the P. E. as he was going into the pulpit “The thing is fixed, be sure that you give the invitation.” _ . Perhaps some may doubt <the> propriety of their proceedings, and it was certainly a strange course, and we simply state the facts, without recommending the course to others, yet we doubt not the honest sincerity of those men, It was followed by a genuine work of gracious revival among the people, and some of these men lived and died in the faith of the gospel. And altho, as is often the case [[140/141]]