Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-30
dNortester Daily Spg.
M.thodist CIer,caIA uec,Iote..

Wherever the rifle and the ak of the hardy
pioneer were seen, there were also sure to ap-
pear not long afterwards the saddlebags of the
Methodist minister. An anecdote which we
find i'll the sketch OF Richmond Motley well it,
Illustrates this. Mr. Motley was one of a small
band Of missionaries sent out from the South
Carolina conference, about 1872 to labor in
the wilds OF Mississippi and Louisiana, which
were then sparsely settled, and occupied to
some extent by tribes of n0t-always friendly
Indians Mr. Motley was man of great en-
ergy, zeal, and courage. He was exposed to
many dangers in the prosecution OF his work,
both from the hostile saYages and the opposi.
ton of white men. But he was rigidly faith.
full, and omitted no opportunity of doing good
TO persons of any condition, in whatever OBJ
scure corner he could find them. On one &C.
casion, while travelling, he came upon fresh
wagon"track, and, following it, he discovered
emigrant family, who had just reached the
spot where they intended to make their home
The man, who was puttngsout his team, saw
at once, by the costume and bearing OF the
stranger, what his calling was, and exclaimed,
"What! another Methodist preacher | quit
Virginia to get out of the way of them end
went to new settlement in Georgia, where l
thought should be quite beyond their reach
but they got my vile and daughter into the
church. Then, in this late purchase, Choctaw
Corner, l found piece of good land, and was
sure should have some peace of the preach
ers /; but here is one before my wagon is I'M
loaded" "My friend" said Motley, IF you
go to heaven, you'll find Methodist preachers
there; and if you go to hell, I'm afraid you'll
find some there; and you see how it is in this
world. So you had better make terms with
us, and be at peace"
Hope Hull was one of the pioneers of the
denomination in Georgia, and his fame was
very extensive i'll that section. He was not
at all aeetious man, but his wonderful pene-
tration into character, together with his hon
est directness in dealing with souls, sometimes
gave to his language all the appositeness of
genuine wit On one occasion, while a circuit
missionary, alter preaching he met the class,
or members of the society, and spoke with
them, as is customary, respecting their relig
ious experience. After going through with
the members, he turned to an elderly man sit
ting apart, and inquired after his spiritual
state. The old gentleman, after some hesia-
ton, replied 81 am like old Paul-when L
would do good, evil is present with me-" To
which Mr.. Hull answered Pm afraid you are
like old Noah toO-get drunk sometimes"
He was perfect stranger 10 him, but it was
a centre shot, for the poor old man was
dTunkard
Billy Hlbbard was one of the most eccen.
trio OF characters, but wthal a most agreea
BILE person, and a man of unbounded and uni
versal good will. or large general iutorma-
tiOn, with an ease Of manner which made him
equally at home in the highest and in the low
est circles, his remarkable powers of CONVEX
satOn and eXubeTant yet sensible pleasantly,
together with his enterprisng religious zeal,
made him wonderfully popular and successful
in his calling No mau was ever heartier
Arminian than he and the Five Points" OF
Calvlnlsm were almost always sure TO receive
blow somewhere in his sermon, no matter
what the theme or the text Yet he was al
ways on the most intimate terms with the
preachers Of the antagonistc theology. Broth
er Hibbard," said good Presbyterian friend,
you hurt my feelings yesterday why, how,
brother, did | do that? He referred him to
some doctrinal remark in the discourse. Oh
said Hubbard, I'm sorry you took that
meant that for the devi and you have stepped
in and taken the blow. Don't get between ME
and the devil, brother, and then you won't get
hurt
On one occasion he had Il newspaper con-
troversy on some theological topic with DIR.
Lyman Beecher, the disputaDts being person.
ally strangers Not long AFTER while journey
ing on horseback in Connecticut, the two met
Mr. Beecher suspected his companion to be
preacher, but could not draw out the tact by
any indirect convers ltion, till he asked him
plumply, Are you not a minister of the
gospel 2" ri am" said Hubbard. "Do you
belong to the standing order 2" "No l be-
long to the kneeling order" So characteristic
reply Enthusiastically indicated Billy Ilibbard
to the shrewd mind OF his interocutor, and lie
at once introduced himself. The acquaintance
thus begun was an amicable one.
His ready wit seldom failed him. Once,
when the roll-call of the conference gave his
name as William he arose and objected to
answering to that name, insisting that his
name was Billy. "Why, Brother Hubbard"
said Bishop Asbury, Chilly is a little boys
name" Yes, Bishop" he replied "and 1
was little by when my father gave it to
me-"
This quality III these pioneer preachers was
by no means rare one and it sometimes be
came a most effective weapon whether i'm
silencng an antagonist repulsing a caver,
or giving zest to social intercourse. OF Jesse
Lee, the early apostle of Methodsm in New
England, it is related that one day, while
travelling on horseback, he fell in with two
lawyers, who, taking place on each side of
him, began to quiz him. They asked if he
was man of liberal education. Sufficient"
he said, "to get about tie country" They
inquired if he wrote his sermons. He replied
in the negative. But do you not sometimes
make mistakes, for instance, in quoting scrip
ture 2" "Perhaps so, sometimes, but not
often" "When you find you have made a
mistake, do you correct it 2" "Not always
it it involves nothing essential, l let it pass.
The other day tried to repeat the passage
where it says the devil is liar and the
father of them; got it, the devil is law
yer and the father of them;' but ! har fly
thought it necessary to rectiiy so unimportant
an error" By this time one of the Young
sprigs was prompted to remark to the other.
that he hardly knew whether the fellow was
knave or fool. Lee glanced meaningIy on
either hand and replied, perhaps between
the two" The young gentlemen by this time
concluded to leave the itnerant 10 his own
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