The Life of Adam Clarke, LL.D.; Author of a Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Etc (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 10 IV. HIS ITINERANCY. The love of God was no sooner shed abroad in his heart, ihan he felt a yearning pity, a burning charity, tor his friends and fellow-creatures. He not only induced his parents to have iamily worship on the morning and evening of every day in the week, as well as on the Sabbath, which they had been accustomed to have; but he also consented, though it was a deavy cross, regularly to officiate himself. He had his reward. All his relatives became hearers of the Methodists, and most of them members of Society. He then began to exhort his neighbours to turn to God. On the Sabbath he, went, in all weathers, a distance of more than six miles to meet a class, which assembled so early that in the winter he had to set, qut two hours before day. When he had met his class, he pro- ceeded to the nearest village, and, entering the first open door, said, " Peace be to this house!" If consent was given, he called in the neighbours, prayed, and gave a short exhortation. This done, he went to another village, and repeated the same plan, and so on through the day. But though he joined the Society in 1778, he did not venture to preach before June 19, 1782. This was at New Buildings, a village five miles from Derry, and the text was 1 John v. 19. The hearers were so well pleased that they entreated him to preach to them the next morning at five. This he did, from 1 John iv. 19. Mr. Bredin, one of the Preachers in the Circuit, believing that his young friend was called to the work of the ministry, wrote to Mr. Wesley concerning him, who immediately offered to take Adam into Kingswood School, near Bristol. When this proposal was communicated to his parents, they were quite indignant. His father would neither speak to him, nor see him. His mother told him, that, if he left them...