་་

hell; to give her no rest day nor night, until she found rest in the wounds of a blessed Redeemer! Three days after, as she was walking in the garden, God set all her sins in an alarming manner before her eyes; she went into the house, and told her mother that she had done enough to condemn her soul for ever; even for disobedience to her, she might be condemned; but, said she, "I have found a people that serves God, and I am determined to go amongst them." Her mother said, before she should go among them, she would break every bone in her skin; "Well, said she, I am determined to save my soul, but in every other thing to obey you as a child." Upon this, there came in an old friend, and he strove to persuade her to remain among the friends; but she told him that she was determined to give diligence to save her soul: accordingly, she went to a prayer-meeting, where the Lord broke in upon her soul with power: she joined class, and became very bold in the cause of God, bearing the cross of Christ, and praying in meetings appointed for that purpose; and she stands fair for the kingdom of God. Some time after, she came to see me, and told me how angry she was at me when I prayed for her as above related; but now, said she, I thank God that I ever saw thy face, notwithstanding my tri als from my friends are very great. I told her, that if she was faithful she might conquer or win them all, and exhorted her to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ had made her free.

[N. B. Here the account, which Mr. Abbott gave of himself, in his manuscripts, ends.]

T

A

NARRATIVE

OF THE

LIFE AND DEATH

OF THE

Rev. Benjamin Abbott.

By JOHN FFIRTH.

HIS eminent servant of Christ was born in

Tthe year of our Lord 1732: as he grew in

years, he in vice; and being a stout strong grew man, and of a good constitution, few men were able to contend with him in bodily strength. Being naturally fond of company and strong drink, it often led him into vice and bad company; where, if any affront or insult were offered him, he seldom failed to deal out blows in a very heavy and plentiful manner to the aggressor-Yet I never understood that he ever beat or abused a civil man. However, he took great delight in fighting, and frequently attended fairs, and other public places, in order to meet with those of his own disposition. At other times he worked hard, and got a comfortable living for his family, and supported the character of an honest man; and as far as I ever heard, made a good husband, and a kind parent. In his most wicked days, he considered it beneath the dignity of a man to use his wife or children ill.

He continued in this scene of life until the fortieth year of his age, when the Lord in his infirite mercy, met with him in the power and energy of his Spirit, and convinced him of his undone and fallen state. He sought God; and, after many painful conflicts of soul, he found peace and pardon on the 12th day of October, 1772. In commemoration of his conversion to God, he annually kept the 12th day of October unto the Lord, in fasting, prayer, and thanksgiving, until the day of his death.

Shortly after his conversion, he was called of God to labour in his vineyard, in which he conferred not with flesh and blood; but, like StPaul, he immediately preached Christ, and him crucified; shewing that the grace of God abounded to the chief of sinners: in delivering the everlasting truths of the Gospel, he was above the fear of men or devils. He was neither elevated by applause, nor yet dejected by persecution; and whether he was called a good man or a devil, it was of the least importance to him. His chief concern appeared to be the knowledge of his duty to God, and the faithful discharge of the same, independently of what men might think or say.

He was a man of great humility; he posses. sed an affable child-like simplicity; he was bold in the cause of God; fervent in his devo. tion and supplications; zealous in declaring the truth, and everlasting gospel of Christ; in which he neither sought nor courted the applause of man. On all occasions he laboured with great zeal and diligence, declaring the terrors of God's law against the ungodly, and administering consolation to the penitent, by the promises of the gospel.

He was a man of great faith, and often spoke in the power and demonstratisn of the Spirit, of

which he was favoured of God in a very extraordinary manner. The Lord often wrought wonders by and through his instrumentality, to the conviction, conversion and sanctification of ma ny. And although his language was neither learned nor eloquent; but, on the contrary, plain, simple and illiterate-yet it was frequently attended with such divine power and energy on the hearts of the hearers, that they fell before him, like men slain in battle by the mighty power of God. In him it was clearly manifested, that the excellency of the power was not of man, but of God. He spoke not in the wisdom of man, but with the power of God. He was upwards of sixteen years a local preacher in the methodist connection; but he laboured and travelled considerably during that period; and, perhaps, no local preacher was ever known to be more useful in the connection. He was abundant in labours, in zeal and in faith.

In April, 1789, he entered the itinerant connection, in which he laboured with his usual zeal and diligence; though often under great affliction of body. It appeared that wherever he went, the Lord was with him, and made him an instrument in the conversion of sinners.

In 1790, he was elected to the office of a deacon; and in 1793 he was ordained an elder; yet so great was his humility and modesty, that he never made any mention of either in his manuscripts. He travelled and laboured till his bodily strength failed him. In May, 1795, he returned home under bodily affliction, and was never afterwards able to attend a circuit.

He was a son of thunder in the ministry, and diligent in attending on the means of grace; He stood firm for the cause of God, reproving, warning, and exhorting all that came in his way, as a workman that needed not to be ashamed:

and often it was as bread cast on the water, to be gathered after many days.

It is not my design to amuse my readers in a biographical manner; yet, as a tribute due to the memory of a pious and useful servant of God, and for the information and satisfaction of God's people, permit me to say, from many years personal acquaintance with him-that, as a christian, he was a man who feared God, and kept his commandments; and as a minister in promulgating the gospel, he always appeared to have an eye single to the glory of God and salvation of souls-An example, worthy of imitation by all the watchmen of Zion.

Perhaps it may not be amiss to give an extract from the minutes of conference, for the year of our Lord 1796, where we have the testimony of his brethren in the ministry, shewing how he stood in the opinion and esteem of them:

"Question-Who have died this year?

"Answer-Benjamin Abbot, about twenty years in the society;* several years a local preacher. Eight or ten years of his life he travelled considerably through York, Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. He was a man of a child-like simplicity and sincerity; of great faith and unshaken confidence in God. Touching his ministry, he was not skilled in the refinements of language, or arts of elocution; yet has often been heard to speak with the demonstration of the spirit,and with great

T2

* In this there is a small mistake: he was in fociety upwards of twenty-three years. He was a local preacher, better than fixteen years, and a travelling preacher better than seven years. He joined fociety about February, 1773, and died Auguft, 1796- ❤making about twenty-three years fix months.

This includes part of his travels as a local preacher.