atmosphere of Conference, and the atmosphere of
those sweet hills! What an infinite relief to be placed beyond the sound
of angry strife, and jealous, persecuting rage; to walk at large over
the lofty hills, to breathe the fresh air of heaven, to converse with
God, to look upon His wondrous works, to hear the sweet music of the
birds, to trace the silent path of the shadowy woods, or to stand on the
exposed, uncovered peaks of the mountain tops, and cast one's eyes on
fruitful vales, and quiet homes, and all that earth can show of grand
and beautiful, and most of all, to see in every sight the hand of
God--to hear in every sound His voice,--to feel that the Great,
Almighty, Unseen Spirit of the Universe, that lived and worked through
all, was our Father and our love,--to feel that we were one with Him,
and that He was one with us. 'This is heaven,' I cried; and, pointing to
the scene of strife and hate that lurked below, I added, 'That is hell.'
Never before did we understand why Jesus, after having spent the day in
crowds, and being harassed with the captious, cruel, persecuting Scribes
and Pharisees, retired at night into the desert, or withdrew to the
mountains. Never before did the Gospel seem so true a story. Never
before were we brought into such living sympathy with the Saviour of
mankind. I can recollect nothing I ever met with so trying as to sit in
Conference; but in our walks upon the high places, God made up for all."
"Well," I added, "I thank God I am now free. My Conference trials are
ended. O never more may I be found shut up with men who set at nought
the authority of Christ, and who, by all the cruel acts of unrelenting
persecution, strive to bend the immortal godlike mind into unnatural
subjection to their ambitious will."

CHAPTER XI.

EXPLANATIONS.

A few explanations are required before we go further.

_Explanation First. The Different Methodist Bodies._

The Methodist Body to which my parents belonged, and to which I myself
belonged till I was twenty-one years of age, was the Old Connexion or
Wesleyan Body. I was a local preacher in that Body, and was expected and
requested to go out as a travelling preacher. But insurmountable
difficulties lay in the way. In the first place, none could be received
as travelling preachers, unless they were willing to go to whatever part
of the world the conference or the missionary committee might think fit
to send them, and unless they could _express_