Ministerial records; or, Brief accounts of the great progress of religion under the ministry of D. Rowlands, W. Williams, D. Jones

as they get any thing worthy to be communicated, they will transmit it to you."-I return to these friends my most sincere thanks for their kindness to me in this respect. I owe moreover a debt of gratitude to the Rev. John Elias, and the two Bassetts in Glamorganshire. The Rev. Christmas Evans was also very kind, and favoured me with a letter on the subject, which appears in the work. Some excellent things related by my spiritual father and patron, Griffiths of Nevern, respecting Rowlands, have also been introduced.

My plan, in respect of my intended publication, changed a little. As I was making enquiries respecting materials for Rowlands' ministerial life, I met with letters and other papers containing very interesting accounts of his friends, W. Williams of Pant-y-Celin, and D. Jones of Llangan. I determined consequently upon publishing a history of their ministerial career also. An account of these eminent ministers, in connexion with Rowlands, will no doubt prove gratifying to many. I therefore thought it better to postpone my new edition of Rowlands' sermons for the present. I intend now publishing them in a separate volume, with a preface giving some account of them.

I also make another observation. A friend of mine, the Rev. John Owen, has lately published a memoir of Rowlands, with a brief account of some eminent Welch ministers. The two publications will be no hinderance to each other, but advance the same great cause, under the divine blessing. The aspect of my account is different. It dwells more particularly on the progress of religion under Rowlands' ministry. The whole of the present publication, except the few first pages, bear reference to what took place under that extraordinary ministry. Those pages come in naturally, in order to introduce the great subject. It is Mr. Owen's Welch memoir I have consulted and have acknowledged what I borrowed.

What an extraordinary man Rowlands must have been from the commencement. How boldly and intrepidly he

commenced the great work! He even then appeared as a wonderful messenger from another world, commissioned for some uncommon performance. The law was made to thunder in his ministry, and the gospel to communicate its healing, saving blessings. What wise and excellent addresses. were delivered by him to christians! And how interesting are his letters! All his productions are remarkable for energy, love, and humility.—It will be seen that the progress of religion was great in his day, notwithstanding the great opposition it met with. One might think that religion would be greatly retarded, in consequence of the great schism that followed Harris's separation, and Rowlands' ejectment out of the church. However nothing could prevent this progress, for it was the work of God. The heresies that took place afterwards in the connexion, were of a very discouraging nature, enough to harass Rowlands, and to prevent him in his arduous and benevolent undertaking. But he was influenced by the love and glory of God, and compassion for a perishing world; and was enabled to proceed. He met with other very disagreeable circumstances, especially persecutions, which were enough to daunt most men, but none of these things moved him. The cause of religion prospered, notwithstanding all hinderances.-The life and vigour of religion were exceedingly accelerated in and by the revivals, those wonderful works of God, that repeatedly occurred in Rowlands' time. It was owing to one of the revivals, that such an alteration took place in the vale of Eyron, over which Rowlands prayed and wept so much. Hundreds of the inhabitants of that part of the country were, according to Christmas Evans's statement, converted, and brought into church communion at Llangeitho.

How illustrious do those monuments of church discipline shine, which Rowlands and his friends erected. They were very remarkable, considering the circumstances under which they arose. They are however most excellent for an itinerant body, such as the Welch Methodists. No doubt such

a plan would be of great benefit to the Missionaries in the heathen world.

In a word, Rowlands' ministry altogether was perhaps unparalleled; and the Lord was blessing him in an uncommon manner every where. He went to North Wales like a flame of fire, overcoming almost all before him, in the name of the Lord. We see also that all the powers of his soul and body were wonderfully designed and consecrated for the service of God. His private life also, as well as his death, were very conducive to the glory of God and the good of souls.

Few have in any age been equal to Rowlands and his friends for zeal, self-denial, perseverance, and steadfastness; pursuing the grand object they had in view, the salvation of immortal souls and the glory of God, notwithstanding great opposition and many difficulties. It may be affirmed, that few, if any, have, since the days of the apostles, been more successful. They were blessed with the Spirit of the Lord in a peculiar manner, and great was the alteration that took place in the principality in consequence of their ministry.They and their followers are called Methodists in Wales; and Mr. Wesley's people are called Wesleyans.

It is to be hoped that these accounts of the Lord's operations in former days, will be abundantly blessed to ministers and laymen. And may all be disposed to pray unto the Lord to visit his church again with similar manifestations of his kindness, enduing his ministers with those gifts and powers from on high, and enabling them to pull down the kingdom of Satan, and to build up the church of God in its most holy faith.

The object of this work is to set forth the progress of religion; therefore the infirmities of characters have been but briefly alluded to.

MINISTERIAL RECORD;

BRIEF ACCOUNT

OF THE

GREAT PROGRESS OF RELIGION

UNDER THE MINISTRY OF

THE REV. D. ROWLANDS

OF LLANGEITHO.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I. Rowlands' birth, parentage, early traits of character,

ordination, conversion, and itinerant labours

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