every place, who wish well to the work of God; who long to see sinners converted to God, and the kingdom of Christ set up in all the earth.

All who are thus minded, and more especially our own friends who form our congregations, have an opportunity now of shewing their love to the gospel. Now pronote, as far as in you lies, one of the noblest charities in the world. Now forward, as you are able, one of the most excellent designs that ever was set on foot in this country. Do what you can to comfort the parents, who give up their all for you, and to give their children cause to bless you. You will be no poorer for what you do on such an occasion. God is a good pay-master. And you know, in doing this you lend unto the Lord in due time he shall repay you.

:

THOMAS COKE.

FRANCIS ASBURY.

Baltimore, January 3, 1785.

We have already been favoured with subscrip. tions, amounting to £1057 17s, sterling."

Dr. Coke then went to Abingdon, and made some engagements for the land as a scite for the college, and for materials for the building; and the work was begun without delay; and many of our friends gladly assisted, by giving liberally toward the support of the institution.

The college was built on an eminence in Abingdon, and was of the following dimensions, 108 feet in length from east to west, and 40 feet in breadtli, from north to south; and stood on the summit and centre of six acres of land.

The house was divided into rooms as follows, at the west end there were two rooms on the lower floor, each 25 by 20. The second and third

stories the same. The rooms in the east end were of the same size with those in the west.

In the middle of the lower floor was the col lege hall, 40 feet square, and over that on the second floor, two school rooms; and on the third floor two bed chambers. At the ends of the hall were places for four sets of stair cases, two at each end, with proper doors opening on the stair

cases.

The college was built of brick, and from the top of it there was an extensive prospect, both of the bay, and of the adjacent country. Ás soon as the house was in order for the school to begin, even before any of the rooms were finished, a few scholars were collected, and a master provided to teach them; but the college was to be opened in form at a future day.

On the 8th, 9th, and 10th days of December 1787, the college was opened, and Mr. Asbury preached each day; the dedication sermon on Sunday from 2 Kings, 4, 40. "O thou man of God, there is death in the pot."

The two superintendants called the college after their own names, Cokesbury College.

When the college was built, it was well understood, that the whole management of it was to be under the direction of the conference. But after some years Mr. Asbury consented for it to be incorporated, which was done, and done without the consent of all the conferences. trustees who were named in the act of incorporation had the management of the institution among themselves, and the conference was deprived of all the power of making rules or giving orders for the future welfare of the children.

And the

This step was disliked by many of our friends; who from that time concluded that the institution would not prosper. And the business was not

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well conducted afterwards. On the 4th day of December 1795, the college took fire by some means, but we cannot tell how, and was all burnt down; and the library was consumed with the house.

It was but little upwards of ten years from the time the house was begun, until it was burnt: and there has been no attempt made to rebuild it, from that time till now.

In 1785 we had three conferences. The fourteenth conference was held at Green Hill's, in North Carolina, on the 20th of April. The fif teenth conference was held at Mr. Mason's, in Brunswick county, in Virginia, on the 1st day of May. The sixteenth conference was held in Baltimore on the 1st day of June.

This was the first time that we had more than one regular conference in the same year. For a few years before this, we had two conferences in the same year, but they were considered only as one, first begun in one place, and adjourned to another. Now there were three, and no adjournment. I have therefore considered-the conferences as but one in the year, and have numbered them accordingly; but from this time I shall consider the number of the conferences as I find them in the minutes.

This year, and the two succeeding years, the minutes were called, "Minutes of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America."

The business of the three conferences was all arranged in the minutes as if it had all been done at one time and place. And for the first time we had the annual minutes printed; which practice we have followed ever since.

This year at the three conferences we took in seven new circuits; one was in the state of

Georgia, called Georgia; and three were in South-Carolina, by the names of Charleston, Georgetown, and Broad River. There was one in North Carolina, by the name of New River; one in Virginia, called Lancaster, and one in Maryland, called St. Mary's.

There were three more places taken on our minutes; two of them were in Nova Scotia, Shelburne, and Fort Rosway. And one called Antigua, in the West Indies. The three places last mentioned at that time belonging to the American conference, and for the first we now sent preachers to them.

We admitted twenty-eight young preachers on trial. We had fifty-two circuits in all, and one hundred and two preachers. We added to the society three thousand and twelve members. this year; including those in Nova Scotia and in Antigua. The whole number of members was mentioned this year in the minutes, without telling us how many there were in each circuit.

We had three old preachers located this year, namely Samuel Row, James G. Martin, and James Morris. And one was laid aside or ex

pelled, Le Roy Cole.

This year, for the first time we gave a short sketch in our annual minutes, of the characters of our preachers who died in the work: which was as follows:

Q. "Who have died this year?"

A. "1. Caleb B. Peddicord, a man of sorrows, and like his master, acquainted with grief; but a man dead to the world, and much devoted to God. "2. George Mair, a man of affliction, but of great patience and resignation, and of an excel. lent understanding."

The form of the minutes of conference was changed this year, and all the Elders, who were

directed to take the oversight of several circuits, were set to the right hand of a bracket, which inclosed all the circuits and preachers of which he was to take charge.

This may be considered as the beginning of the presiding elder's office; although it was not known by that name at that time; yet, in the absence of a Superintendant, this Elder had the directing of all the preachers that were inclosed in the bracket against which his name was set.

As soon as the conference in Baltimore was over, Dr. Coke sailed for Europe. The Dr. was much respected in the United States; but he met with some opposition in the south parts of Virginia, owing to his imprudent manner of preaching against slavery. No doubt but the Dr. thought at that time he was doing right: but afterwards, when he printed his journal in England, he acknowledged that he was wrong in preaching publicly against slavery in Virginia, where the practice was tolerated by law.

There was a great revival of religion this year in most parts of the connection, both in North and South. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland the work was great, and many souls were brought into the liberty of the children of God.

Some of the new circuits in the south were greatly blessed, and religion prospered among the people very much.

The Broad River circuit which we took in this year, was partly formed by James Foster, a local preacher, who had once been in the travelling connection. After he located and lost he wife, he moved into South Carolina, and there he preached and laboured among the people for a considerable time, before any travelling preacher went into that part of the country. Several Methodist families had removed from Virginia