Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher : a tale of the war of 1812Withrow, W. H. (William Henry)
History
Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher : a tale of the war of 1812
Withrow, W. H. (William Henry)
Clergy -- Fiction; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction
The learned Doctor then goes on to illustrate historically the
separation of the sexes in places of public worship, from the time
of the Jews and the primitive church down to the modern Greek
Church, so that at least the early Methodists had good precedent
for their usage.
This old church was situated on the south side of King Street, on
the corner of Jordan Street, so named from Mr. Jordan Post, the
pioneer goldsmith of the capital, while the street in the rear
commemorates the name of Melinda, his wife. When the Adelaide
Street Church, which, for the time, was a very imposing brick
structure, was built on what was then the public square, the old
mother church was converted into a "Theatre Royal,"--to what base
uses must we come!
All this, however, at the time of which we write, was still in the
future; and Elder Ryan preached and prayed and exhorted to a
little company in the worthy Dr. Stoyles' great kitchen, which was
employed for that purpose as being the most commodious room in the
house. It was the day of small things for Methodism in the capital
of Upper Canada. But of the religious zeal of the little company
of believers, we may judge from the fact that several of the
members of the society came from two to eight miles, through the
proverbially wretched roads of "Muddy York," to the class meeting.
[Footnote: Carroll's "Case and his Cotemporaries," Vol. II., p.
167.]
CHAPTER XV.
A QUARTERLY MEETING IN THE OLDEN TIME.
Having enjoyed the counsels and encouragements of his Presiding
Elder, Neville gladly embraced the invitation to ride with him in
his substantial sleigh, well filled with wheat straw, on which
they sat, to the village of Ancaster, where a grand Quarterly
Meeting was to be held, to which the people came for many miles
around. Religious privileges at that time were few, and these
occasions were made the most of by the Methodists of the day.
There was preaching on the Saturday; then a business meeting, when
the contributions of the several classes were received. Of money
there was very little; but promises of contributions of flour,
pork, potatoes, hay and oats were gladly received instead.
On Saturday night a rousing prayer-meeting was held in the log
meeting-house. Fervent exhortations were given, for the preachers
looked for immediate results of their labours, and they were not
disappointed Several of the brethren and sisters "got happy," and
expressed their religions enjoyment in hymns and spiritual songs
often of rugged rhythm, but, sung with fervour as they were, they
seemed to bear up the soul as on wings to the very gate of heaven.
Most of these hymns had a refrain of simple yet striking melody,
in which every one in the house took part. A great favourite was
the following:
"O the house of the Lord shall be filled
With glory, hallelujah!
With glory, hallelujah!
With glory, hallelujah! Amen
"Let the preachers be filled with thy love.
Sing glory, hallelujah! etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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