The Annual Report of the State of the Missions, Which Are Carried on Both at Home and Abroad by the Society Late in Connexion with the Rev. John Wesle, Church Wesleyan Methodist

His firfi efforts to propagate the Gofpel were confined to his own houfe; where, every Lords-day, he collected a few who were ferioufly difpofed, to whom he delivered warm exhorta tions, from the fulnefs of his heart, and in behalf of whom he earnefily addrcfled the throne of grace for thofe blefiings which had made him wife unto falvation. Mr. Gilbert was at this time Speaker of the Houfeof Aflembly; fo that the authority which was connected with his office protected him from the infults of thofe whofe minds were enmity againfi: God. He had not long continued in thefe practices, before he felt a powerful conviction that it was his duty to bear a more public tefiimony for Chrifi. He accordingly began publicly to preach the Gofpel to the flaves and his labours were blefled in a peculiar manner. Under circumftances fo fingular, his Ration could no longer afford him prote tion from infult, or keep the tongue of flander within the bounds of decorum. He neverthelefs continued to perfevere amidft the various indignities to which he was expofed and, without deriving the leafl aflifiance from any other human being, had the happinefs to perceive about two hundred fouls given as feals to his miniltry, and as proofs of the Divine appro bation. Thefe he formed into a fociety, and continued to watch over with paternal folicitude, endeavouring to augment their numbers, and to encourage them to perfevere in the way to the kingdom of God. But who can comprehend the myfierious difpenfations of Providence? In the midfi of his career of ufefulnefs he was called from his labours to his reward, and his difconfolate flock, like {heep without a fliepherd, were left to wander in the defert, without any one to fet them an example, to reprove their wanderings, to confole them in their conflicts, to cherifh the infant work of grace in their hearts, or to become their guide.

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