Bishop Asbury being sick, and not able to fill his appointment, Ezekiel Cooper held forth, and then Brother Colbert gave a narrative of the work of God on Albany District, over which he had presided during the year, and of the hundreds who were flocking to Jesus in the north, and while he was so doing the holy fire began to kindle on the altar of many hearts. Joseph Jewell from Canada gave an account of the work of God on his district, which was like good news from a far country, and the people were much refreshed. We had no periodicals then, and this is the way religious intelligence was communicated. What a different age we live in now, when we have so many “Advocates” and other religious journals. The reader will get an idea of the extent of the work when he learns that in what was then the Albany District there are now several annual conferences. This district and Canada then belonged to the Philadelphia Conference. Bishop Whatcoat arrived and preached at four o’clock one of his rich sermons, on all things working for good to them that love God. Richard Sneath exhorted. In the evening James Moore preached from Rom. viii, 18: “I reckon the sufferings of the present time,” etc. There was a general move in the congregation, and some professed to be converted. On Sunday, May 1, Bishop Whatcoat preached from 1 Peter iii, 5, on being “clothed with humility.” It was a melting time. Few men could move and melt an audience like Bishop Whatcoat. His own heart was made of tenderness, and no wonder those felt who listened to him. I never saw a more general move in a congregation under the word than on that day. Many were awakened, and we spent hours with those in distress. Several were converted, and the shouts of joy and songs of triumph were heard afar off. The meeting continued from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon without intermission. The recollection of such days of power and glory is enough to make an old man renew his youth. CHAPTER IX. PHILADELPHIA CONFERENCE, 1803—BRISTOL CIRCUIT. The Philadelphia Conference met at Duck Creek Cross Roads, now Smyrna, in May, 1803, in the meeting-house of the Friends, so that we could have our own to preach in. This we did several times a day.