256 EARLY METHODIST PREACHERS
I first saw Captain Webb at the Leeds Conference. When he warmly exhorted preachers to go to America, I felt my spirit stirred within me. I understood that many hundreds of precious souls were perishing through lack of knowledge. ,vhen I considered that we had in England many men of grace and gifts, far superior to mine, but few seemed to offer themselves willingly, I then saw my call more clearly. Mr Rankin and I offered ourselves to go the spring following. We took leave of our native land on Good Friday. After a comfortable passage of eight weeks we arrived safe at Philadelphia. In a few days I crossed the river Delaware, and went to Trenton. My next remove was to New York, where I spent four months with great satisfaction. I added fifty members in those four months. I went afterwards to Virginia. I was amazed when I first began to preach, for T seldom preached a sermon but some were convinced and converted. When I was going to preach one morning, a friend said to me, "Mr Shadford, you spoiled a fine dancing master last week. He was so cut under your preaching, and feels such a load of sin upon his conscience, that he moves very heavily; nay. he cannot shake his heels at all. He had a large profitable school; but hath given it up, and is determined to dance no more. He intends now to teach reading,