County. And what shall we say of this good man? what motive was it that induced him to travel and labour, and suffer so much and so long: he had a small patrimony of his own, that improved, might have yielded him support: the promise of 64 dollars per annum, or two thirds, or the half of that sum, just as the quarterly collections might be made in the circuits, could not be an object with him. His person and manners were soft, affectionate and agreeable. His life was a life of devotion to God. He was greatly given to reading, meditation and prayer. He very early began to feel such exertions, and exposures and changes the first Methodist Missionaries had to go through in spreading the gospel in South Carolina and Georgia, preaching day and night: his feeble body began to fail and he appeared to be superanuated, a few years before he went to the Natchez Country. It is reported that when he found his difficulties, after travelling 600 miles to Cumberland, he took a canoe and put his saddle and equipage on board, and paddled himself out of Cumberland into the Ohio-river, and took his passage 6 or 800 miles in the meanders of the Great-River: what he met with on his passage is not known; whether he went in his own vessel, or was taken up by some other boats, but he arrived safe at his port. Afterwards it was reported to to the conference that he said he was taken up by a boat. Four times he passed through the wilderness, a journey of 600 miles, amidst Indian nations, and guides, in his land passages from the Cumberland settlement to the Natchez. He continued upon his station till he had relief sent him from the Western conference, where he came and solicited help in his own person and in the habit of a very sick man.

A correspondent wites, "he preached his last sermon upon New-years day 1804, that it was blessed to many that beard him; that he visited him in his sickness, that Tobias Gibson said he was not afraid to die, and appeared to wish for the hour. That he was a pattern of patience, humility and devotion through his life and death at the Natchez. That the fruits of his labours are visible to this day. That he was greatly esteemed by the people of God, and respected and revered in some degree by the people of the world, as a Christian and a minister. When Elijah was taken away there was an Elisha; we have two valuable men that will supply his place; but still Gibson opened the way; like a Brainard he laboured and fainted not, nor dared to leave his station till death gave him an honourable discharge. The writer of these memoirs has been larger than usual to shew the modern preachers how some of their elder brethren have laboured and suffered, and how extensively they have travelled, that they may see how ancient fields and vineyards, now delightful and fruitful spots,

were won by the sword of the Lord and Gideon, and think of their brethren lodged upon the cold ground, exposed to sav ages! the want of water, food, sleep and friends; to pass hills, vales, mountains, rivers and rocks, for a man to take down his bag of corn for his bed, and his saddle for his pillow; not knowing but he may feel the Indian death blow, or hear the dy ing groans of one of his fellow travellers, or be himself the victim. Thanks be to the Most High, that hath now stilled the heathen round about! Hark, as if we heard the voice of Tobias Gibson, crying in the wilderness between Cumberland and Natchez, a voice of prayer, preaching, exhortation and praise! but Oh! now in heavenly songs, he joins to praise the Eternal Trinity, in Eternal Unity, in the land of rest, the saint's delight, the heaven prepared for all faithful, holy preachers and people.

The author of these memoirs thought he had gone far in the character and praise of Tobias Gibson: but by appealing to the yearly conference in South-Carolina; some of the elders present thought it was far too low, that Tobias Gibson did for many years preach, profess, possess and practice christian perfection. And that those that were acquainted with him, must be impressed with his depth of piety; that infidelity itself would stagger before such an holy living and loving devoted man of God.

WILSON LEE, a native of Sussex County, Delaware; born November 1761. He came into the line of travelling preachers in the year 1784, and was stationed in the following cir cuits. Alleghany 1784. Redstone 1785. Talbot 1786. Kentucky 1787. Danville 1788. Lexington 1789. Cumberland, Tennessee, 1790. Salt-River 1791. Danville 1792. Salem, Jersey 1793. New-London 1794. New-York 1795. Philadel phia 1796, 1797, 1798. Montgomery 1799. Supernumerary Montgomery 1800. Baltimore district 1801, 1802, 1803. Sick and superanuated 1804. As we are not in the habit of printing funeral sermons for our preachers, it becomes necessary that we should lengthen the memoirs of the death of those that have served the church so long and so faithfully. In so doing we may see how extensively they laboured on the western extremities, and in great danger of their lives; also the difficulties of accommodations in the early settlement of the country. Wilson Lee was very correct in the economy and the discipline of himself and others, as an elder, and a presiding elder; he shewed himself a workman that needeth not to be ashamed; as those that laboured with him will witness, and those that were under his pastoral charge. The district prospered under his administration, and a gracious revival has had a beginning and blessed continuance. Wilson Lee professed the justifying and VOL. IV.

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sanctifying grace of God. He was neat in his dress, affable in his manners, fervent in his spirit, energetic in his ministry, and his discourses were fitted to the cases and characters of his hearers. From constitution he was very slender, but zeal, zeal for the Lord, would urge him on to surprising constancy and great labours. It was thought that the charge of such an important district, and the labour consequent upon it, hastened his death; but a judicious friend observed that he had a call to visit a dying brother on the west side of the Alleghany mountains, that the change of weather and some other circumstances of his exposing himself, gave him his finishing stroke. In April 1804 he was taken while in prayer with a sick person, with a heavy discharge of blood from his lungs. At his death a blood vessel of some magnitude was supposed to break, so that he was in a manner suffocated with his own blood in a few minutes. He died at Walter Worthington's, Ann-Arundel County, Maryland, October 11, 1804.

Wilson Lee's last resource was to have tried the southern climate, but he rests not only from his labours, but his sufferings, and is gone a little before his brethren: may we follow him as he followed Christ, that we may sit together in glory. As to human honour, ease or interest, he cheerfully gave up all these for Christ, his cause and his cross, to meet the kingdom and the

crown.

As he died so suddenly and in such a manner, we had not his last words as some have given who have had a deliberate departure from time to eternity. Yet we may add, although our faithful, laborious and successful brother has left us, we are happy to say, after full trial, he has immortalized his ministerial, christian and itinerant character;-many have done gloriously, in making generous and great sacrifices for the church of God and the prosperity of Zion; and among these we must and will place our suffering, pious and dedicated Brother, who did actually cast his all into the treasury.

His labours and his life at once laid down together; he has fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith; and we may with all kind of confidence, say to his brethren in the ministry, and in the church, follow him as he followed Christ; until we meet on Mount Zion, and help in swelling the triumph of free grace.

It may be truly said that Wilson Lee hazarded his life upon all the frontier stations he filled, from the Monongahela to the banks of the Ohio, Kentucky, Salt-River, Green-River, Greatbarrens, and Cumberland-River: in which stations there were great savage cruelty and frequent deaths. He had to ride from station to station, and from fort to fort; sometimes with, and at

other times without a guard, as the inhabitants at those places and periods can witness.

The Rev. FRANCIS POYTHRESS, died about this time.

Feb. 16, 1920.

THEOPHILUS ARMENIUS.

ACCOUNT OF THE WORK OF GOD

IN EDISTO DISTRICT, SOUTH

CAROLINA.

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BROTHer,

WHILE you receive from various quarters, pleasing accounts of the work of God, I send you some fragments from this district for insertion in your Miscellany.

We have some pleasing prospects in various parts. I will give you a sketch of several Camp Meetings held among us the summer past. One commenced on the 29th of June, at Green Pond, Orangeburgh Circuit, about 50 miles from Charleston. Though the weather was cloudy, and the business of the farmers urgent, yet we had an encouraging company for that part of the country. On Friday afternoon, we received sensible dis. plays of the influence of divine grace, which continued, with little intermission, until Monday morning following, when, from the best information we could obtain, about thirty professed to have received a saving change. Here were about one hundred and twenty-five carriages of all kinds, fifty tents containing about eight hundred persons, one thousand and five hundred hearers, on the sabbath, and fourteen preachers. The good behaviour of the people was remarkable: there appeared no occasion for one reproof.

The next commenced on Friday the fourteenth of July, in Cooper River circuit, near Scuffle town, about fifty miles north from Charleston. They never had one there before, and appeared unacquainted with its nature, in all its parts. The Lord was graciously pleased to own our labours among them. And though there were not many converted, yet there is reason to believe, that opposition to vital religion was in a great degree removed. The behaviour of the people, measurably accorded with the solemnity of the occasion. I learn that some of the citizens of a neighbouring Village, and who are members of another church, generously offered to build us a meeting house upon the spot.

The next came on the twenty-seventh of July, at Sadler Swamp, Orangeburgh circuit, about ninety miles above Charleston, and nine or ten from Orangeburgh, and continued to the thirty-first. There were about one hundred and ninety-five carriages of all kinds, ninety-five tents, containing about one

thousand three hundred people. On the sabbath, three thous and hearers, and fourteen preachers; one of whom is of the Lutheran church, and who joined with us in our ministerial labours. This was rather a time of strengthening of the things which remained among professors, than of conversion of sinners to God. On comparing the conduct of this large concourse of people, with that at former Camp Meetings here, we are authorised to say, that they have improved in their manners, though there is still room for amendment. About twenty appeared to be hopefully converted to God.

Our fourth began on the third of August, at Elkins, in Congaree circuit, about twenty miles from Columbia, the seat of government in South Carolina, and closed on the seventh. It rained from beginning to end, with little intermission. There were about eighteen tents, two hundred and fifty tenters, eight hundred hearers on the sabbath, ten preachers, and perhaps fifteen converts; of these, three were converted before a sermon was preached. In Camden, about sixteen miles distance from this, a gracious revival had taken place, chiefly among young people; many of them came in the spirit of prayer, and did not wait, either for the rain to cease or for preaching to begin, but immediately commenced praying, and seemed to pass the time as pleasant as if the weather had been fair, and every thing commodious. They verified the language of the poet.

I would here remark, that whatever degree of misconduct was noticed at either of these two last meetings, it was connected with their having made use too freely of ardent spirits.

I think I may safely say, that in several parts of this district, religion is gaining ground; but in consequence of the sickness of five or six of the preachers, and two or three dangerously ill, we have hard toiling to supply the appointments. At the quarterly and sacramental meetings, I find the Lord peculiarly present. While the Lord is on our side, we shall prosper. Close by his side still may we keep.

Your brother in gospel bonds.
LEWIS MYERS.

Edisto District, South-Carolina, September 1, 1820.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM R. L. EDWARDS TO THe editors, DATED OCT. 15, 1820.

DEAR BRETHREN,

IF you think proper, please to insert the following in the Methodist Magazine.