g set matters in order in the city he
visited Horton, Granville, Annapolis and Digby on his way to St.
John, New Brunswick, where Abraham John Bishop was stationed, who
arrived there in September 1791, and a week later organized the first
class meeting in the city. Previous to that time several Methodist
ministers had visited the then growing town, through the earnest
solicitations of Stephen Humbert, a United Empire Loyalist, who landed
there on May 18th, 1783. He was a New Jersey Methodist and desirous of
having a society formed there. William Black arrived in November,
1791, and at once began to preach, but having seen some shipbuilders
at work on the Sabbath, he denounced their action in a sermon on the
same evening. A provincial statute existed forbidding anyone from
exercising the functions of the ministry without a license from the
Governor, and this was used to silence the courageous preacher.
Undeterred by this opposition, and hindered from preaching, he spent
his time visiting from house to house with blessed results. Three
months later he visited St. John with permission to preach, and found
a gracious revival in progress, then going to Fredericton he met a
class of twenty-two, most of whom were soldiers, and during the few
days spent there several conversions took place. On his return journey
he visited St. Stephens, where Duncan McColl was the missionary, and
he rejoiced in the evidences of growth, under the faithful labours of
that devoted man of God, and this notable tour, closed with a farewell
service in May to Abraham John Bishop. It was a touching scene, the
people being much distressed at losing the young missionary, and well
might they grieve, for after one year spent in Sheffield, he went to
the West Indies to labor among the colored people and died at Grenada
the following year. And thus passed away one who was esteemed as an
eminently holy man, and William Black was bathed in tears.

V.

BLACK AND WESLEY.

A memorable year for Methodism and William Black was 1791, as on the
second day of March of that year John Wesley passed away at City Road,
London, surrounded by preachers and friends. Eight years before the
young minister in Nova Scotia wrote to the aged man of God entreating
him to send out Missionaries, and also expressing his desire to spend
a year or two at Kingswood School, and the correspondence then begun
was continued until death. With the familiarity of an old man toward a