about twenty Preachers, or more, in one house, and by laying beds on the floors, there was room for all. We spent three days from Wednesday to Friday inclufive, in Conference, and a comfortable time we had together. In this Divifion we have had an increase of nine hundred and ninety one this year and have stretched our Borders into Georgia. Beverly Allen has all Georgia to range in. We alfo fent an Elder and a Preacher to South-Carolina. Mr. Afbury has met with great encouragement in his Vifit to Charles-Town; a Merchant, (Mr. Wells) opened his houfe to him, and was convinced and juftified before he went away. We have now one hundred and ten Mombers in that State by the affiduity of a Local Preacher, who lately fettled there. We have also drawn up a petition to the General Aflembly of North-Carolina figned by the Conference, intreating them to pass an A&t to authorize those who are fo difpofed, to emancipate their Slaves. Mr. Afbury has visited the Governor, and has gained him over. Mecklenburg County, Virginia, Saturday 23. We rode about forty-five miles to Brother Tignel Jones's, to a Quarterly Meeting which we held on the Sunday and Monday. Here I bore a public teftimony against Slavery, and have found out a method of delivering it without much offence, or at least without caufing a tumult: and that is, by firft addreffing the Negroes in a very pathetic manner on the Duty of Servants to Mafters; and then the Whites will receive quietly what I have to fay to them. Sifter Jones is a very precious woman. I had a fine congregation at five on Monday morning. The people in general in this part of the country, and alfo in the back parts of North-Carolina, eat only two meals a day; the firft about nine in the morning, and the lecond about four or five in the afternoon. They eat flesh at both meals. Our people in general drink coffee with the first meal, and water with the fecond. The people of the world drink either Coffee or Cyder with the first meal, and Grog or Cyder with the fecond. Their animal food is almost entirely Pig-meat, with sometimes Shad-fifh. I have hardly eat any thing these ten weeks of the flesh kind, except Swine's-flefh and Shad-fifh. Blessed be God, Ì have been enabled to fet apart Friday as a day of fasting or abstinence ever fince Christmas, except one day when I forgot, and one day when I travelled fifty-two miles. In the morning I eat a little bread, and drink fome milk, and in the afternoon eat fome greens, (the only garden-ftuff they have got in this part of the country) and fome fruit-pic. They have a great variety of Fruit-pies, Peach, Apple, Pear, and Cranbury, and Puddings very often. I efteem it one great bleffing, that I prefer the Indian corn to the wheat. Befides, they do not in general manage their wheat properly in the South, fo that the wheat-bread is but very indifferent. The people in general, and more especially our own friends, go to bed very early (about nine o'clock) and rife early, about five, or daybreak. Tuesday 26. I again vifited kind Brother Downing, and preached that day, and the next morning at five. On Wednesday I fet off for the Quarterly-Meeting at Brother Rogers's in Brunfwick-County, and had a very refreshing time in the way I preached an awakening difcourse, which, I have fome reason to think, did good. Saturday 30. I fet off with a company of Preachers, who by this time had met me, for the Virginia Conference. In the morning I preached and administered the Sacrament at Brother Merrit's. Sunday, May 1-4, About twenty Preachers met Mr. Afbury and me at Brother Mafon's. One night we all flept at the fame houfe but it was fo inconvenient to fome of the Preachers, that they they afterwards divided themfelves through the neighbouring plantations, by which we lost about an hour in the mornings. A great many princi pal friends met us here to infift on a Repeal of the Slave-Rules; but when they found that we had thoughts of withdrawing ourfelves entirely from the Circuit on account of the violent fpirit of fome leading men, they drew in their horns, and fent us a very humble letter, intreating that Preachers might be appointed for their Circuit. We have increafed about two hundred in this Divifion in the courfe of the laft year. After mature confideration we formed a petition, a copy of which was given to every Preacher, intreating the General Affembly of Virginia, to pafs a Law for the immediate or gradual emancipation of all the Slaves. It is to be figned by all the Freeholders we can procure, and those I believe will not be few. There have been many debates already on the fubject in the Affembly. Many of our friends and fome of the great men of the States, have been inciting us to apply for Acts of Incorporation, but I have difcouraged it, and have prevailed. We have a better ftaff to lean upon, than any this world can afford. We can truly fay, "The harvest is great, but the la bourers are few." Thursday 6. I took an affectionate farewel of my Brethren: and on the 7th paffed by the houfe of Mr. Farrat, that violent affertor of the propriety and juftice of Negro-Slavery. At noon preached at White Oak Chapel, and lodged that night at the house of Brother Rees, one of our Local Preachers, a friend of God and man. He lives juft by Mr. Jarrat, and is the great bar in the hands of God to that fallen man's ruining our whole work in that neighbourhood. For his influence among those who are both within and without, is I believe three times as great as that of On the 8th I preached at ten in the morning at Brother Spain's, and at fix in the evening at Brother Mann's. On Sunday the 9th I preached at Brother Grange's and Brother Finney's. Brother Finney is one of our Committee, whom we have appointed to conduct our business relative to our petition to the General Affembly. He is a good Local Preacher, and a man of fortune and family, an honour to our Connection. On Monday the 9th I preached at Brother Brifcoe's and Johnfon's and on Tuesday the 10th at Brother Ogee's and Bransford's. On Wednesday 11, I rode through the heavy rains to a Church in a foreft, where I was engaged to preach. Every body told me that no one would come that no one would imagine I would attend on fuch a day. And I found it true: fo after being wetted to the skin, and the very linen in my faddle bags drenched with rain, we rode (Brother Bowen, the Preacher who travelled with methrough this Circuit, and myself) to the houfe of a kind . Phyfician, who gave us a very hofpitable reception. On Thurfday the 12th I preached in a Church about fifteen miles from the place where I had lodged, to a confiderable and attentive congregation. Friday 13. I preached at Bent-Chapel, belong. ing to the Church of England. At night I lodged at the houfe of Captain Dillard, a moft hofpitable man, and as kind to his Negroes as if they were White fervants. It was quite pleafing to fee them fo decently and comfortably clothed. And yet I could not beat into the head of that poor man the evil of keeping them in Slavery, although he has read Mr. Wefley's Thoughts on Slavery, (I think he faid) three times over: but his good wife is strongly on our fide. Saturday and Sunday 14, and 15. I preached in a handfome Church. On the Sunday I had a very large congregation. During the fermon, after I had spoken very pointedly concerning the impropriety impropriety of going in and out during divine fervice, two dreffy girls walked out with fuch an impudent air, that I rebuked them keenly. After the public fervice, whilft I was adminiftering the facrament, baptizing, and meeting the Society, their father who is a Colonel, raged at the outside of the Church, declaring that as foon as I came out, he would horse-whip me for the indignity fhewn to his family. But his two brothers (all unawakened) took my part, and infifted that I had done my duty, and the young ladies deserved it. However, finding that our preaching in that Church, which we do regularly, chiefly depends upon him, I wrote a letter of apology to him as far as the truth would permit, when I came to my lodging. We had a good time during the fermon and the Sacrament. But when I enlarged to the Society on NegroSlavery, the principal leader raged like a lion, and defired to withdraw from the Society. I took him at his word, and appointed that excellent man (Brother Skelton) Leader in his stead. When the Society came out of the Church, they furrounded Brother Skelton, "And will you,' faid they, "Set your Slaves at liberty ?" (He has many Slaves) "Yes," fays he, "I believe I fhall." I lodged that night with dear Brother Skelton. Monday 16. I preached to a moft polite congregation at New-Glasgow, and lodged at Colonel M's. They gave me great attention. Colonel Mis a very fenfible, and polite man. He acknowledged the force of my arguments concerning the Negroes, but (I evidently faw) did not chufe to take any active part for fear of lofing his popularity. His fon is a Member of the house of Delegates, and he wants himself to get into the Senate. His lady wishes to be religious. On Tuesday the 17th I preached in a Court-house at noon, but in a very wicked neighbourhood. However the congregation gave me their ear, while I endeavoured D 3 |