and prayerfulness, that he might be enabled to live in the spirit of those lines:

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"Careless through outward cares I go,

From all distraction free."

'My mind," he says, in relation to this subject, “is unusually impressed with the necessity of living in constant communion with God, especially in reference to the approaching business of the Stationing Committee, Conference, and other things of a public nature with which I must have much to do. O may my own mind be kept in perfect peace. Providence appears to assign me a post and work in the management of the affairs of the Connexion. Gladly would I retire and serve the Lord and my generation by preaching, &c. in my circuit, and leave business to others; but I do not yet see my way clear to quit the post of business. O may my mind be preserved in a serious, recollected, and spiritual frame. May I not speak or think so as to grieve the Holy Spirit. Lo! I come to do thy will, O my God. Employ me any where-in doing any thing: only be thou with me, and help and bless me.

A few brief extracts from his diary and correspondence during the sittings of the Liverpool Conference, may interest the reader.

"Sun. July 16.-I preached to my old friends at Mount Pleasant this morning with much freedom. It is eight years since I laboured in this circuit, and seven since I was in Liverpool. What changes have taken

place in old and young! Many wrinkles and grey hairs have been added to the old. Children are grown up and married; and others have several children who were minors when I left them. Some have grown opulent; ---others have become bankrupt;-others have gone into eternity.

"Mon. 17-The Stationing Committee met. Wed. evening. Stations finished. Frid. 21.-Misssionary Committee; most interesting: the whole business of this day has delighted my soul. Surely the Lord is doing

a great work in the earth.

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Sun. 23.—Mr. Watson preached an admirable sermon on Providence, at Brunswick Chapel, on Matt. x. 30. My soul was much blessed; I resolved to cast all my

care upon Him that careth for me. Oh! how I long to walk more closely with my God. I can do it. Through grace, I will do it. 'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'

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Wed. 36.-Conference commenced its sittings at six o'clock.—Mr. Bunting was elected President. Mr. G. Marsden, Secretary.

"Thurs. 27. This afternoon, the American Representative spoke (Rev. J. Emory;) a thin, spare man, about thirty-five years of age; modest, grave, and pious, in his appearance and spirit: very intelligent, and interesting as a speaker, without the least parade or display. He began by speaking of the love of the American Methodists to us. We, the parents. They, the children. Fifty-one years ago it was inquired in the British Conference, Who will go to America, which is crying, Come over, and help us?' Now there are in the United States 900 Travelling Preachers, 3000 Local Preachers, a vast number of Exhorters and Leaders, and 250,000 members. He gave interesting details of the piety, zeal, and labours of Asbury, M'Kendrie, and others. Spoke of the vast Missionary field opening among the Indian nations; and closed his speech in a delightful style, by representing the British Methodists as carrying on their operations with success through Europe, Africa, Asia, the West Indies, touching on the Southern continent of America; and their children, the American Methodists, stretching out their line to meet them, through the Indian nations and the States of America, in such a direction that ere long, having encircled the globe, he hoped they would meet and shake hands in the other hemisphere. It is impossible to describe the interest excited. Finally, the Conference agreed to the proposition of the Americans, viz.-not only an annual exchange of friendly addresses, but also once in four years, an interchange of personal representatives

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Friday Morning, July 28.-Southey's Life of Wesley came on the carpet, when the report of the Book Committee was read. Mr. Watson was requested to write remarks, &c. on Southey. Then it was proposed that a life of Mr. Wesley, suited to the present state of things, should be published; and a motion was made and unanimously carried that Dr. Clarke and Henry Moore should

be united in the work. Dr. Clarke said in his strong way, that the fittest man in the world to write such a life was Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore said, Dr. Clarke's speech (in which he gave an account of a plan which had occurred to him,) had convinced him that he (Dr. C.) was the man. The Dr. spoke in high terms of commendation of Mr. Moore's Life of Wesley, written under great disadvantages, amongst a host of foes, under the most provoking circumstances, in great haste, while the press was sweating to get the start of Dr. Whitehead's. I felt unspeakable pleasure on that and many other occasions, in the perfect harmony and love between Dr. Clarke, and Messrs. Moore, Bunting, Watson, Marsden, myself, and others, who from a sense of duty have written and spoken against the Doctor's views of the Eternal Sonship. The love that prevails is delightful.

Friday afternoon.—I record with gratitude that the Conference unanimously and in a manner which gave me great satisfaction, admitted my William on trial as a travelling preacher. They have done the same with regard to my dear friend's son, John Lomas; and appointed them for this year teachers at Kingswood School. They are intimate friends, both good scholars, and both pious. The brethren in general seem to think this an arrangement in providence, that will be made a great blessing to the scholars. O Lord, give thy blessing.

Thursday morning, before breakfast, Aug. 3.—This sitting is devoted to subjects purely spiritual. Our members this year are less by five thousand than last year! We are inquiring into the causes of this declension, and what can be done to revive religion amongst us generally. This conversation, I trust, will be productive of great good. I hope the preachers, one and all, will 'strive together for the faith of the Gospel.'"

The result of this conversation was the passing of that admirable series of Resolutions generally known as the "Liverpool Minutes," the reading of which, followed by a free and spiritual conversation on the all-important topics it embraces, forms one of the most interesting and edifying employments of every annual District Meeting throughout the kingdom. Eternity alone can fully disclose the mighty influence for good exerted upon the Connexion and the world by those admirable Resolntions.

Painful as was the decrease of numbers which gave rise to them, in its results the evil has been over-ruled for incalculable good.

After the preceding memorandum had been written by my father, it was discovered that there had been an error in the accounts of 700, making the real decrease in Great Britain, 4,688, instead of 5,388. While at the same time, it was a relieving consideration that in Ireland, there was an increase of 1,220, in the Foreign Stations, of 2,292, and in the United States, in ten out of twelve Conferences, of 16,000; so that upon the whole, notwithstanding the decrease in Great Britain, there had been a most delightful advance of the work of God.

CHAPTER XV.

HIS LABOURS IN THE BRADFORD CIRCUIT. 1820-1823.

Ar this Conference Mr. Entwisle was appointed to the Bradford Circuit, with the eminently pious and useful David Stoner for his colleague. A considerable accession of secular business arose out of his appointment to the office of General Treasurer for the Kingswood and Woodhouse Grove Schools. It was necessary that some one should do the work; and though it was by no means congenial to his taste, he cheerfully bore it as his cross.

He was also appointed with the Rev. Robert Newton, to accompany the President to the next Irish Conference, and requested to visit some of the principal societies in Ireland for three weeks previously to its annual meeting.

Upon his entrance into the Bradford Circuit, he was much encouraged, and confirmed in his purpose of renewed vigour in the prosecution of his work, by meeting with many persons to whom his ministry had been made useful thirty years before, but of which he had received no intimation until this time. He refers to this subject in a letter to his son William.

I have now visited every place in my circuit; and in every place have met with one or more who had been in the habit of hearing me thirty years ago, and some of them the fruits of my labours. This is very encouraging to my mind. It teaches me this lesson,-to go on cheerfully and zealously in my work, believing I shall not labour in vain, whether I see it now or not. Often have I been hindered in my work through discouragement, and a fear that I was of no use. But after so many years, (during which time I had been ignorant of it,) I see the seed sown producing abundant fruit. This brings to my mind the saying of our Lord respecting the man who sowed seed in his field, and it grew up, he knew not how, first the blade, then the ear,' &c."