now exist, his toil made every meal a luxury, and brought sweet sleep to every resting place. After sev eral days of toilsome travel, he arrived at the Bar, on the eastern shore of the lake. He surveyed the Grand Isle, then directly before him, and but a mile or two distant. He was at length about to step upon his field of labor, but upon ground untrodden before by the itin erant: unattended by any colleague, with no one to introduce him, with no kind family that he had ever heard of to receive him, without a solitary acquaintance, or even a letter of introduction to open his way before him. In this state of things he was not without some misgivings. The Bar could not then be forded, on account of high water, and a float or raft was the only ferry. On this he embarked and proceeded for a distance, but a wind blew him back. He embarked the second time with a like result. He made the matter a subject of prayer and reflection, and concluded to try once more, and if he should not succeed in reaching the island, he should regard it as an indication that the Lord had not sent him. His third trial was successful. "He introduced himself to the first person he met upon the island, as a minister of the gospel, and inquired for a place to preach on the next day, it being the sabbath, but could learn of none. On his inquiry for a tavern, he received for answer, that there was one about two miles distant, but, added the informant, I believe they have no rum at present.' Rum in those days was essential to a tavern. He rode to the tavern, nothing troubled on account of the thing lacking, and put up for the night. Here he introduced himself as a minister, and asked for a place to preach on the following day. His host, a Captain Dixon, was a member of the Congregational Church; the landlady, and now his widow, has long been a member of our church, and from her He I have gathered many interesting particulars, but want of room will not allow my communicating but a few of them. Permission for preaching in the tavern was granted, and notice of the expected service was sent around. Arrangements being made for the sabbath, Mr. Anson retired to rest. At break of day the following morning, he was waked by the firing of cannon. looked through his window and saw some men in the street with a field-piece, who had commenced the celebration of the 4th of July, which occurred that year on the sabbath. Surely, thought he, there must be some cause for the information he had received, that the people of these islands are a savage race, if they are more careful to celebrate Independence, when it occurs on the sabbath, than they are to keep the Lord's day. "The fact that a Methodist preacher was on the island, and was going to preach, produced quite a sensation, and drew together a full congregation; and after Mr. Anson had delivered his message, the matter and manner of his preaching afforded the people abundant material for thought and conversation. "He proceeded to organize his circuit, in doing which he scattered his appointments over the islands, and extended them into Canada. In prosecuting his work, Mr. Anson met with no small amount of difficulty. Though his congregations were fair, and there were enough to extend to him their generous hospitalities, the generality of the people received him coldly. Those that were religious belonged to other denominations, had their prejudices against the Methodists, and looked upon him with distrust, and some even with despite. "If I am correctly informed, only three first gave their names as probationers; but the leaven continued to work, and others were soon added. Anson preached in barns, in private houses (mostly, then, log cabins), in school houses, and sometimes in the grove; and so did his successors for many years. Sometimes the permission to preach in a given place was allowed but a short time, when a new place must be sought. "Mr. Anson was faithful in his labors, and was favored of the Lord. A revival prevailed, classes were formed, and a permanent circuit was established. At the close of the year, he returned one hundred and two church members." In 1803, he labored on Vergennes circuit, Vt.; the next year he returned to Canada. In 1805, he traveled Pittsfield circuit, Mass., and, in 1806, South Britain. The next year, he took charge of the Ashgrove district, and superintended, during four years, the labors of Samuel Draper, Lewis Pease, Marvin Richardson, Phineas Rice, Tobias Spicer, Arnold Scholefield, John Finnegan, and other strong men. At the expiration of his term of service he was transferred to the Rhinebeck district, which at that time extended from Rhinebeck, on the Hudson, to New Haven, on Long Island Sound. During his surperintendency of this large field of labor, he commanded a powerful corps of preachers. His subsequent appointments were, in 1812-13, Dutchess; 1814-15, Rhinebeck; 1816-17, Saratoga; 1818-19, Pittstown; 1820-1, Chatham; all in New York; and, in 1822, Pittsfield, Mass. "In 1823, he retired from effective service, and was returned supernumerary. He sought repose on his farm, at Malta, Saratoga county, N. Y. In the spring of 1847, he was attacked by paralysis, and rapidly declined in body and mind, until he entered the heavenly rest, on the 17th of July, 1848, He joined the itinerant ministry when it was beset with privations, and imposed labors which tried the souls of the bravest He had his full share of Wardships,' say his men. colaborers, but he never flinched.' He was the pioneer of Methodism in many places, and carried the proclamation of free salvation into the wildernesses of Vermont, northern New York and Canada. His piety is pronounced undoubted, his integrity sterling, and his talents respectable. He was laborious and useful, and his preaching plain and powerful. The name of such a man should not be allowed to perish."-(Memorials of Methodism, 2d series, 193-4.) Mr. Anson was a genuine specimen of an old-fashioned Methodist preacher. With him the old method of war fare became stereotyped. He was influential and useful in his day; to subsequent changes he never adapted himself. As a presiding elder, he is said, by the older preachers who knew him, to have acquitted himself well. One of them remembers that he cured him of what has been termed the "holy grunt." His preaching, dress, and general deportment, were characteristic of the first race of Methodist preachers. In common with many of them he had a vein of humor, which he sometimes indulged, when in the society of his brethren, otherwise he was grave and dignified. He possessed a very strong constitution, and had ample opportunity of testing its power of endurance. He possessed the confi dence of his cotemporaries in the ministry, and greatly enjoyed their society. While presiding elder of the Ashgrove district, he married the daughter of Gen. Samuel Clark, of Malta, Saratoga county, N. Y., by whom he had two sons and four daughters, some of whom are now worthy members of the church of which their father was, for nearly half a century, a minister. REV. ELIAS VANDERLIP. "An old disciple." For many years a venerable" old disciple" might be seen from sabbath to sabbath occupying the same spot in the altar, just under the pulpit, of the old Division street church, in the city of Albany. The few hairs that, like him on whose head they appeared had outlived their companions, were of a silvery whiteness. An air of pleasant animated devotion always attended him, and he joined in the various acts of worship, with a hearty cheerfulness that exerted a most happy influence on all who beheld him. That disciple was the Rev. Elias Vanderlip. The wife of one of the former devoted pastors of that church, affected by his devout simplicity and venerable piety, penned the following lines. "I love beneath that sacred desk, I love to gaze on thy pale brow, It tells thou'st passed through many a scene Methinks there is a holier calm, Farewell, farewell, thou man of God, Would thou would'st pray for me, For God hath said such prayer as thine, Shall not unanswered be." J. S. |