Church. In 1789, he was admitted on trial for the itinerant work, and appointed to the Lake Champlain circuit, under a superintendent. The Presiding Elder of the District (containing 10 circuits) was Freeborn Garrettson, who was now zealously taking up new ground along the Hudson river as far as lake Champlain, and near the borders of Lower Canada. Wm. Losee's circuit was now put on the list of appointments. But, as no members were returned at the next Conference, as the name of the circuit was dropped, and the superintendent preacher placed on another circuit, we may infer that the experiment failed. Probably the failure of forming a circuit gave Losee liberty in the winter to come to Canada, where he had relations and friends.t He obained liberty to leave his circuit in January, 1790, and was authorized and recommended by the Presiding Elder to preach § on any opening, in the new northern country. As Garrettson was pushing on the Gospel north, he probably thought that this visit might

One of his relations, whether a brother or nephew I know not,- was called Joshua Losee. He was an early Methodist-one of the first converts in the Province, and was afterwards an exhorter. About twenty years ago he lived on the Rideau Circuit, and near a piece of woods called the Seven Mile woods, having a road leading to the village of Richmond. One very cold winter night, with the west ind blowing very hard, making a journey through those woods dangerous from limbs and trees breaking, the wiiter and a brother minister came to Joshua Losee's. He and his wife received us with great kindness, invited us to sit by the blazing fire, (no fire has seemed so acceptable since), almost frozen as we were, while the sons took care of our horses, and the daughters provided a comfortable meal. On that dreadful cold night, when the thermometer must have been 30 or 40 degrees below zero, we had a warm room and a comfortable bed. That night's hospitality has often recalled good old Mr. Losee to my mind.

It is the general belief that Losee came to Canada in 1790. A son of Robert Clark, (who was concerned in the building of the Ernestown meeting-house) in 1792,) called Matthew, who died in 1849, left a paper giving evidence of the truth of the date. The writing was found in his desk, after his decease, and thus reads: "In 1790, the Rev. Wm. Losce came to Canada and preached a few sermons along the Bay of Quinte, and returned to the State of New-York again the same winter. By his preaching some were convicted of the necessity of being born again. In February, 1791, Mr. Losee returned to Canada, and formed what was called the Bay of Quinte Circuit, and some lost sheep were gathered into societies, and among others this unworthy writer, he being then in the 20th year of his age."

On the same paper, there appears:

"It is fifty years this month (February, 1849) since I was united to the Methodist Church, under the ministry of the Rev. Wm. Losee."

It may be inferred, therefore, that a class was formed in part of Ernestown in February, 1791. Mr. Matthew Clark was a good man, for many years a class-leader, and used to have preaching in his house, which was one of the week day appointments on the Waterloo Circuit. He was a Colonel of a militia regiment and more remarked still, for having twelve sons (as Jacob of old), all grown men, steady, and the most of them pious, and members of the Methodist Society. In 1834, when the writer used to visit their father's house, nearly all the sons were married, and doing well in the world.

§ Jubilee Sermon of Rev. Wm Case.

lead to a more northerly work still. From the lake Champlain circuit to Canada, Losee likely made his way to the St. Lawrence, and crossed at St. Regis; for he appears to have preached as he passed through Matilda, Augusta, and Elizabethtown; then passed up to Kingston, and on to Adolphustown, where his friends and acquaintances lived. One of the first houses he preached in was John Carscallen's in Fredericksburgh, on the Bay shore, near the upper gap; another was at the tavern of Conrad Vandusen, in Adolphustown, near the old court-house; and another at Paul Huff's, on the Hay Bay. In journeying about as a pioneer in the Bay of Quinte townships, he found occasionally a person who had heard the Methodist preachers in England, Ireland, or in the U. States, by whom he was welcomed, and sometimes permitted to preach in their log houses, or shanties. For all that fine country, now so well furnished with large and handsome dwellings, had then houses of the humblest description.

A Methodist Preacher was a curiosity in those days, and all were anxious to see the phenomena. Some would even ask how he looked, or what he was like? A peculiarity in Losee, too, was, that he had but one arm to use. It is said by some that his other arm was off close to the shoulder; others that it was short or withered: and yet with one hand to use, he could readily mount and dismount his horse, and guide him over the roughest roads and most dangerous crossways. He was a bold horseman, and usually rode his journeys on the gallop. Yet he was a man of very solemn aspect, with straight hair, a long countenance, and grave voice. His talents were not so much for sermonizing as for exhortation. He, and the preachers, generally of that day, were of the revival class,-labouring, looking, praying for immediate results. His private rebukes were often of a very solemn character. In returning from a meeting at Paul Huff's, he asked a young man,* how he felt? "Oh," replied the youth, "what I heard was only as the tinkling of a bell; it went in at one ear, and went out at the other." Answered the preacher, But I know what is not like a bell and which will make you feel." "What is that?" said the youth "Death!" answered the preacher, in the most solemn tone. The gayety of the youth was stopped at once. It was the

*John, son of a widow Roblin.

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custom of the preachers then to use the word smite in their prayers and sermons. So Losee would often cry, "Lord smite them!" i. e., the sinners; and sinners would often be smitten by the Spirit of God, with conviction of sin and terror of the last judgment. The man, his manner, and his style of preaching, caught the attention of the settlers, and young and old filled the houses where he preached.

Losee was a loyalist, and knew some of the settlers in Adolphustown, before they left the United States. He desired to see them, and preach to them the glad tidings of salvation. Had he been on the revolutionary side, the warm loyalists would not have received him,-rather would have driven him from the country. Having preached a few times, he spoke of leaving. The people were now anxious for a Missionary to reside among them. The petition already mentioned was circulated and extensively signed, in the Midland district, praying the New-York Conference for a missionary to labour in these new townships. Losee received the petition, and returned to the United States the same winter. He carried it to the Conference, which assembled in New-York, on the 4th October, and of course spoke of his visit and of the favourable prospects for the Gospel in Canada; and offered to be first preacher in these northern climes. Bishop Asbury and the preachers were willing that an entrance should be made at this new door. William Losee, therefore, was allowed to return, with instructions to form a circuit. As the Conference sat so late in the year, he had not time to prepare and return to Canada before the winter.

1791. However, as soon as the winter was well set in, and the ice on the St. Lawrence strong enough to allow crossing with a horse, Wm. Losee was on his journey. He went through the wilderness of the western part of New-York State, in the track of the emigrants coming into Canada, suffered hardships and many privations in journeying for some weeks through a country almost without roads and nearly without inhabitants, crossed the frontier at Kingston, and appears to have been safely in Adolphustown again, in the month of February. He was a man about 27 years of age, active, with no family cares, being unmarried, and proceeded at once to form a circuit, by making appointments for meetings at every suitable opening. During the summer his circuit embraced

settlements in the townships of Kingston, Ernestown, Fredericksburgh, and Adolphustown; and then he crossed the Bay of Quinte, and extended his circuit into Marysburgh, if not into Sophiasburgh. The good impression made by Losee on his first coming, was strengthened by his second. The people, received the word with a ready mind, and a number were soon enjoying the salvation of the Gospel. One of his appointments was in the 3rd concession of Adolphustown, in the house of Paul Huff, on the Hay Bay shore, and on the farm on which the chapel now stands. Here Losee formed a class, the first regularly organized, in Canada, on Sunday, February 20th; and about the month of May or June, a great revival of religion commenced. Two miles west of Paul Huff's, where the meetings on the Hay Bay were held, lived a widow with her four sons and four daughters. Philip Roblin, her husband, died in 1788. The house was larger than ordinary, having two log houses joined together. With the best accommodation, and well inclined to the new preacher, the Roblins lodged him and took care of his clothes.] The reproof given to John Roblin, accompanied by solemn reflections, led to his seeking the salvation of his soul. On the next Sabbath he attended the meeting, burdened with sin and repenting; but he went home a converted person, and rejoicing in the Lord. He went to his room, and returned with his frilled shirt, saying to his mother, and in the presence of the family, "Mother, as soon as you can, take off these frills from my shirts. I shall wear such no more. O mother, the Lord has converted my soul this morning. O let us all kneel down and pray," He then for the first time prayed with his mother and brothers and sisters. Then he went to Wm. Moore's, a mile distant, and exhorted and prayed with the family, leaving a deep impression, which soon resulted in a great change of life. Wm. Moore afterwards became the class-leader, and bore the standing character of a very good man. Young Roblin visited other families, warning and praying with them; and this he spent the first Sabbath of his new life. Dancing was the fashionable frivolity of those times, and the youth met weekly in each other's houses for the dance. John Roblin was the leader in this amusement; and his turning from it, induced others to pause, to reflect on their ways, to attend the meetings of the pious, and to seek the salvation of their souls. He held

prayer-meetings among the people, and the preacher encouraged him in the new work. A great awakening took place, and numbers sought and found the Lord as their Saviour. He afterwards became a local preacher, and was a useful man in his day. The people elected him to one or two of the early Parliaments of Upper Canada, but political life was not his desire, and he rather served by constraint than willingly.

The second class was organized on the next Sabbath, Feb27th, in the first concession of Ernestown, and four miles below the village of Bath.

The third class was formed in Fredericksburgh, on Wednesday, March 2nd, in the house of Samuel Detlor,-about three miles from the village of Napanec. Thus the three first societies were formed in ten days, but of the number in each, there is no record; nor of other classes which he may have formed before the Conference.

WESLEY'S DEATH.

It is worthy of remark, and was often remarked by the first Methodists, that the day in which the third class was formed was the day in which the founder of Methodism died. He fell asleep while several of the preachers, with the family, were on their knees, commending him to God. He had preached on the preceding Thursday, for the last time, on Isaiah, lv. 6, 7, and was but five days confined. He had often prayed that he might not live to be useless, and his prayer was answered. His last words were, "The best of all is God is with us!"

It

The great work of God (for who could produce such a moral reformation but the blessed God?) called Methodism, during the life of the eminent founder, or instrument of God, had taken firm root, grown great, and widey branched out, in Great Britain and Ireland. had also begun its mighty progress in the United States of America; and was just planted in the West Indies and in the British North American Provinces. The following table shows the state of the Methodist body, at the time

B