PREFACE.

Ar the commencement of this, the last Month of the Year, A. D. 1842, we send forth the last Number of our Second Volume.

We feel grateful to a kind Providence for the success which has attended our efforts in the management of this Publication.

Our friends in the Provinces, who have a talent for writing, are, as is evident from our late Numbers, becoming more alive to the importance of using it to edify the Church and benefit the World.

We confidently look for increased assistance from them in our future labours; we have already received several very excellent communications for the next Volume, which will commence with the New Year.

We hope to render the Magazine increasingly interesting and profitable to the multiplying readers of its pages.

Saint John, New-Brunswick,

December, 1842.

BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN

WESLEYAN

METHODIST MAGAZINE,

FOR JANUARY, 1842.

BIOGRAPHY.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. JESSE WHEELOCK,
Of Bridgetown, Nova Scotia.

BY THE REV. JAMES G. HENNIGAR.

THE subject of the following memoir, vas born on the 11th day of September, 1811, in the County of Annapolis, Province of Nova Scotia. In his eighth year it pleased the Lord to remove his father by the hand of death. This event he observes, "left me to the care of a kind mother, who watched over my outward conduct with much solicitude. My education was a part of my dear mother's solicitude, but supposing my attention likely to be directed to agricultural pursuits, considered a moderate share sufficient. However as I grew up and began to think for myself, I gave a decided preference to a mercantile life." Agreeably to the views of our young friend, arrangements had been made for placing him under the care of his brother, Mr. Joseph Wheelock, who resided in Bridgetown. In accordance with this arrangement he remarks, "In the autumn of 1828, I left my mother's house, and entered upon my new employment." In his twenty-first year, Mr. Wheelock united with his brother Joseph in conducting a joint business in Aylesford. In reviewing his past life, he observes, up to this time, I was a stranger to the saving grace of God. The days of my early years were characterized by love of pleasure, impatience of restraint, and an utter carelessness about religion. Thus the morning of my days were passed away in vanity; unhallowed by religion's kindly influence, and without any fixed purpose to serve God. Indeed my life appears a blank, my mind almost destitute of any use. VOL. II. First Series. JAN. 1842.

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ful knowledge. I had indeed acquired a taste for reading, but my choice of books was ill directed." He further observes, " my removal to Bridgetown, seemed providential, for though new temptations presented themselves, yet new sources for religious information were presented. In this village we had an Episcopal Church, a Baptist Meeting-house, and a Wesleyan Chapel. I gave them all a share of my attention, just as fancy dictated. About this time, I became acquainted with the Wesleyan Methodists, and had frequent interviews with the preachers."

In the summer of 1829, he became a teacher in a Wesleyan Sunday School, and from this event dates his first serious impressions. He remarks, "while in the school, the Lord began to operate upon my mind; the addresses of our worthy superintendent, Mr. Henderson, deeply affected me, especially his earnestly enforcing the duty of prayer. My intercourse with religious people, religious books, and my necessary punctuality as teacher, were all rendered a blessing to me. In conversation one day with a valuable class-leader, Mr. A. Eaton, I stated my opinion, that in order to render Sunday Schools efficient, experienced christians should be selected as teachers. I knew not that I had given him the least reason to think that I was more than usually concerned about the matter, but he immediately replied, that I had better become a christian myself. The remark surprised me, it also affected me, but how I was to become a christian, was to me a mystery. I now enjoyed the society of pious people, whose upright deportment, evcnness of mind, and sober conversation, told of a better state of mind than I was the subject of. I now also regarded religion as a blessed reality, but the difficulty with me was, how is this invaluable blessing to be acquired? My mind was in a distracted state, and my great concern was, to flee from the wrath to come."

At this important crisis, Mr. Wheelock was providentially directed to one of those frequently misrepresented, but invaluable means of grace a methodist class-meeting; on this subject he remarks, “I accepted an invitation to attend a class-meeting, a mean of grace which I believe was ultimately instrumental in bringing about my conversion. Here I found many friends who gave me a hearty welcome; they prayed with me, and for me, and gave me every necessary instruction in order to set before me the plan of salvation. But with all these advantages I was slow and dull to learn; I could not comprehend the way of faith; I suspected that there must be some defect in my sincerity, or that my friends had mistaken my case. I anxiously sought for a parallel for my own, in the experience of others; I read

the scriptures, but the denunciations seemed more applicable than the promises; I went to the house of God, but returned a mourner; I prayed in secret places, but my prayers were only the moanings of an unpardoned but seeking soul; month after month found me in this desponding and miserable state." In the autumn of 1832, he removed to Aylesford, and although this step promised to advance his temporal interests, yet he much lamented the loss of his respected and pious connexions. In Aylesford he united himself with a small methodist society, and for some time continued under the influence of many painful exercises respecting the salvation of his soul, but this state of mind was but the presage, of better things. He perseveringly "called upon the name of the Lord, and He heard his voice," and regarded his "supplications." In reference to this manifestation of the Divine goodness, he remarks, "At length while pleading with God it · occurred to me quite suddenly that Jesus was my Saviour, that I must look beyond all the means to Him. In a moment it appeared clear that the blessed Redeemer was mine, and my soul was happy. I arose from my knees, I rejoiced, and was thankful for what I felt, but by no means could regard this as the conversion I had been so long seeking: it appeared so simple, so unlike what. I had supposed conversion to be. However I was not permitted to be thus assailed long, the Lord soon visited me with clear and more abiding evidences of my acceptance."

Having thus been made a partaker of the pardoning love of God, he was enabled to go on his way rejoicing; he remarks "I now loved God, I loved his people, and his book, I also anxiously desired the salvation of my fellow creatures."

Under the influence of holy solicitude for the spiritual welfare of others, he soon succeeded, in connexion with other pious friends, in establishing a Sunday School; and eventually, with much fear and trembling he took part in public prayer meetings. From his own statement, it is clearly evident that he was abont this time the subject of many painful exercises respecting his future providential path; he remarks, "I felt imprest that it was my duty to devote myself to the christian ministry, and it troubled me much; I felt destitute of every qualification, I suspected my motives, and was much perplexed." Under these exercises of mind he happily fled to the sure refuge; he earnestly pleaded with God for direction, and ere long a fixed conviction of duty, wonderfully corroborated by the providence of God, fully convinced him that the Head of the Church had summoned him from secular engagements, to the work of the christian ministry.