A school was

good of these poor creatures. erected, and Mr. and Mrs. Joyce were sent from London to teach it. Mr. and Mrs. Baxter were induced to go and reside on the Charib boundary, for the purpose of introducing the gospel among them.

Preaching had already been established in different parts of the island, and societies formed. In several of these places the Doctor preached while on this journey, and much good-will was manifested by the inhabitants in general. And besides Mr. Baxter, two missionaries were appointed. The two succeeding years, the mission went on well: multitudes attended the preaching, and many manifested decisive evidences of being born of God.

The congregation in Kingston greatly increased: and the work gradually enlarged on the different plantations in the country. In different parts of the island, some hundreds were added to the society, who walked becoming the gospel.

Mr. Baxter, however, was totally unsuccessful among the Charaibees: and their rejection of the gospel was almost instantly followed by that awful war, before-mentioned, in which so many of them were hurried into eternity.

After having taken a tour through a great part of the United States of America, as well as England and Ireland, since his last visit to the West Indies, on the 24th of January, 1793, Dr. Coke landed in St. Christopher's, and was instantly informed by Mr. Warrener, the missionary there, that a dreadful persecution had broken out in St. Vincent's; and that Mr. Lumb, the missionary, was then in the common prison for no other crime than preaching the gospel. Afflicted with Mr. Lumb's afflictions, the Doctor on that same day hastened to St. Vincent's to see the prisoner;

whom he found in the common gaol with a malefactor, to whom shortly another was added.

Because Mr. Lumb exhorted the poor negroes through the gratings, he was closely confined, and a guard appointed to prevent his rescue, or any person of colour from speaking to him, or he to them. But the white people, and they alone, were allowed to visit him, and provisions sufficient both for him and his fellow prisoners were regularly furnished. But, why was Mr. Lumb imprisoned? Why, because he preached, and would continue to preach, the gospel of the grace of God to the poor negroes, in the Methodist Chapel built with their own mo ney, and to which no other person pretended to lay any claim. The carnal mind, which is enmity against God and the things of God, and his Gospel especially, raised this persecution. To prevent the negroes from being instructed, and to hinder the progress of those conversions which had taken place, a law was enacted, that no person in the island should preach, without first obtaining a licence: and that no person should be eligible to a licence, who had not resided a year on the island. This was a blow directly aimed at the plan of Itinerancy, or the annual changes of preachers, which takes place in those islands, the same as among the Methodists in Great Britain and Ireland.

The people in general, and many of the most respectable of the inhabitants, strongly reprobated the measure. The law was passed when the Assembly was about to close the Session; in haste; and when many of the members were gone; and then not without opposition. The penalties were, for the first offence, a fine of ten johannes, that is 187. or imprisonment for not more than ninety days, nor less than thirty.

For the second offence such corporal punishment as the court should think proper to inflict, and banishment. And lastly, on return from banishment, death.

Mr. Lumb transgressed this law, and it was all the accusation they could bring against him.

Prior to this, the progress of the mission had been very great, and the prospect was still enlarging. Many of the negroes already feared God and wrought righteousness; and the rest throughout the island seemed ripe for the gospel. But now a famine of the word prevailed; many turned back to folly, while others grew weary and faint in their minds; but a considerable number held fast whereunto they had attained.

When the Doctor returned to England, he laid a memorial before the king in council; and also made application to some of the members of the executive government. Orders were given, that the colonial minister should send letters to all the governors of the West India islands, to make enquiries concerning the Methodist missionaries in general. The reports returned were (as Dr. Coke was informed) exceedingly favourable. So that in August, 1793, when the Doctor, with five or six of the preachers in London, waited upon Mr. Secretary Dundas, he informed them, "That his majesty in council had been graciously pleased to disannul the act of the assembly of St. Vincent's," which banished the missionaries from the island. So that after the mission had been in a depressed and afflicted state for some months, the places of worship were re-opened,

In 1794, when the two missionaries appointed for the island arrived, they found the societies in a shaken and forlorn condition. They were scattered like sheep without a shepherd. The number was considerably reduced, though some had not

forsaken the assembling of themselves together. The missionaries endeavoured to collect the scattered sheep, and to repair the waste places, and their labours were not in vain. Many of the lost sheep returned, and the congregations were soon large and respectable, But almost. immediately came on the Charib war, which threatened universal destruction. Sword and fire united to destroy tranquillity; and the means of present safety tended to engross the public mind, so as to leave but little room for the consideration of the joys and pains which lie beyond the grave,

It was a general observation, that the greater part of those who promoted the late persecution, perished by the sword. So, they who had exerted themselves to prevent the instruction of the inhabitants, fell by the hands of ignorant savages.

At the end of the war between the Charibs and the British government, the mission was in many places to begin again. But from this time, there was a gradually increasing prosperity. Obstructions and hindrances dwindled away; the preaching was much attended; and there was a general revival of religion throughout the island.

The utility of the missionaries became visible to the planters, and some of them, from interest alone, promoted the undertaking,

In 1802, one of the missionaries in St. Vincent's informed Dr. Coke, that they had between two and three thousand blacks in society, many of whom experienced a work of grace, and were going on to full salvation; that the congregation in Kingstown, on a Sunday morning, consisted of about 600 persons; that when they preached on the week-day evenings among the plantations, they had generally 50 or 60 hearers in each; but

that when they preached there on Sundays they had seve ral hundreds. He further specified, that they had two love-feasts in Kingstown every quarter, because the chapel would not hold more than one half of the society at once; and that the lovefeasts were very refreshing seasons. He added, that on the first Sunday in every month, they administered the Lord's Supper to between one and two hundred communicants: and finally, that they had peace among themselves, and favour with those among whom they lived.

J

After this, however, there was a weeding and pruning time. Some apostatized, and others were expelled for unchristian conduct. But in 1805, one of the missionaries informed Dr. Coke as follows:-" I think the grace of God is making its way into many hearts in this island. Our hearers increase every day; and I trust and believe, that the religion of Jesus Christ increases in the society. Formerly few white people came to hear the word; but now, so many come, that they can hardly find room either to sit or stand. It is now no rare thing to see fifty or sixty of the most respectable white people at the chapel; and they seem to hear with much attention.-On Easter Sunday, there were about seven hundred at the chapel by four o'clock in the morning; and at ten we had the largest congregation I ever saw. It is thought there were fifteen hundred or two thousand people of different colours, who appeared to f hear with attention.

Such a vast concourse of people could by no means find room in the chapel; and to remedy the defect, we were obliged to borrow sails from a vessel, and spread them before the door for an awning; yet even this expedient would not afford covering for one-half. In the windward parts of the island the places were equally as much