The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-29

MRS. HARRIET =. = iNiNO NbiA9.
Oldest Member Of Trinity NJ. Z. Church.
HYMN was finished he knelt down and
prayed. then he opened his Bible, took
a text. and preached a sermon. lie told
the people plainly 1.-THE soul that sinneth
II shall die" "The wicked shall be cast
into hell" He that believeth not shall
be damned" They thought the man was
crazy: they declared. Sometimes he
would preach, then he would pray. then
he would swear. and at times he would
sing" Nobody stopped TO speak 20 him.
lie was an heroic soul. He had been a
Methodist local preacher in Ireland telt
called to preach in America, had gotten
permission from Mr.. Wesley 20 come
10 this country, sold his horse TO pay his
debts left his native land with nothing
but pair Of saddle-bags, containing "a
few clothes. a loaf OF bread and bottle
of milk a Mr. Weston paid his passage
over Robert Williams went without his
dinner that day He preached again IN
the afternoon. some people became i'm
terested, asked the preacher nome with
them. and gave him food and lodging.
Williams was the founder Of Methodism
In Virginia.
Some time before the year 17SS a Meth
dist missionary came 10 Richmond. No
one KNOWS the name OF lfls litdHAilf 4i'i
the time Of hts coming nor the place
where he preached But the visit Of that
humble man was greater event than
the coming of Lafayette or Washington
ln the long ago, or than the visit Of the
Prince Of Wales would be now. He start
ed influences for good that Will flow on
forever.
AN UNKIKNDLY SOIL
1.-The capital Of Virginia was an un-
kindly soil for Methodsm i'm the early
days Of tho Church" In 1895 Dr. Coke
made an effort TO build a church here,
collected a small sum, was compelled 20
leave the city. put the enterprise in other
hands. and failure was the result Dr.
Coke was "a mighty man. Wesley or
dained him Bishop Of America. lie was
in charge OF the Methodist missions
throughout the world lie founded the
negro missions of the West Indies. They
included 1900 members at the time Of
his death When nearly seventy years
old he started with a small hand Of min
is1ers to establish a mission in the East
Indies. T. died on this voyage, and was
buried I'm the sea
In 1893 Richmond was made a station,
and Thomas Lyell. from the Baltimore
Conference, was put In charge. Lyell
was a Young man of great energy and OF
brilliant intellect There We're but two
church edfces I'm the city at that time
ST. Johns. in which Patrick Henry made
his famous speech, and Baptist chapel
near the penitentiary. The rector Of the
parish preached once month at the
Capitol and three times a year at ST.
John sat Christmas, Easter and Whit
sontide. Lyel preached every Sunday af-
ternOon al the Capitol Religion was not
fashionable in Richmond then. but the
bright. earnest preaching Of the young
Methodist attracted the people. and
crowds came 10 hear him. Plans were
soon laid for the erection OF a house OF
worship. and some time during tho year
II was completed. II stood on Nineteenth
and Franklin streets. From this plant
sprang all the Methodist churches IN the
city. Some years afterwards a few men,
bers OF this congregation, who lived on
Shockoe Hill, collected a small sum and