to the course of this vain world. Indeed he attended occaftonally the miniftry of Mr. Ingham, Mr. Cennick, and other Moravian Preachers, but without any good effect.

One day, as he was purfuing his favourite diverfion of hunting, providentially he met with Mr. Nelfon. The fight of that good man ftruck him with thame and confufion, and he endeavoured, in vain, to fhun him. Mr. Nelfon addreffed him with great carneftnefs, and affection, and endeavoured to make him fenfible of the folly and finfulnefs of his conduct, asking him, "Whether he thought, it would in the end be better for him to follow thofe poor infignificant Dogs, than to follow Christ, and seek the falvation of his foul."-This converfation made a deep impreffion upon his mind, and he again refolved to fet out in the ways of God. At that time, Mrs. Holmes of Smith-house, difmiffed the Moravian preachers, and began to receive the Methodists. She invited my father to the house, and the first preacher that he heard was James Wheatley, who at that time was fincere and zealous. The Word reached his heart, and his confcience was truly awakened. He faw and felt his finful, loft, and ruined condition; and has often said, that he should have cause to thank God for that Sermon to all eternity.

From this time he renounced his finful ways, fhook off his old companions, and gladly joined the first Methodist Society in these parts. He conftantly attended the Preaching at Birftal, though near fix miles diftant; but the Word of the Lord was precious in thofe days. He and many others, made little account of walking a few miles, either by night or day, to hear a Gofpel Sermon. The cafe, indeed, is now greatly altered, the Gofpel is preached in a multitude of places in this country; but is there not fome reafon to fear that many do not fet the value upon it which they ought? My Father's convictions were very deep and painful; frequently as he went to the preaching, he was obliged to fall down upon his knees, and cry to the Lord to preferve him from the Powers of darkness, and to extend his mercy and love unto him thro' the Redeemer.

For fome time he laboured under fore temptations, and great exercife of mind. One evening he went to the preaching in company with a friend, who was in the fame fituation with himself. While they were opening their minds to each other, and lamenting the wretchednefs of their hearts, the Lord met with them by the way, and spoke peace to both of them at the fame time; they were tranflated from the kingdom of darkness into his marvellous light, and brought into the glorious liberty

of the children of God.

From this time he gladly received the fervants of the Lord, and had the Gospel preached in his own houfe for many years;

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being very defirous that all his neighbours fhould hear that precious word, which had been made the power of God to his own foul's falvation. He was exceeding zealous in the caufe of God, and as he fteadily adorned the Gofpel himself, was very careful in reproving fin in others. This upright and uniform conduct, unavoidably brought him under great reproach and contempt. Nevertheless, long before he died, that word was fulfilled in him, " When a man's ways please God, “he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him;" and he was made the happy inftrument, in the Lord's hand, of bring ing fome of the greatest enemies of Religion, into the path of life and peace; fo that they became his intimate friends and companions in the way to the Kingdom.

He was remarkably diligent and conftant in attending upon all the means of Grace, whether public or private. He kept up the worship of the Almighty in his family and closet, and daily advanced in the divine life, bringing forth fruit to the glory of that GOD, who had been fo abundantly gracious unto him. As foon as a Clafs was raifed, he was appointed the Leader; which office he difcharged, with great fidelity, for more than thirty years, till he was quite difabled by the Rheumatism. And even then he ftill attended the preaching, though with the utmoft difficulty. When he went to the nearest place of public worfhip, it was two or three days before he recovered from the fatigue. Nevertheless, his love for the Word was fo intenfely great, that he never repented of his labour, and the LORD rewarded him with the abundance of peace and divine confolation.

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Being with him about two months before his death, he said "To day, as I was coming down the chapel fteps, the * 75th and 76th verfes of the cxixth Pfalm, were fo powerfully applied to my mind, and have clofely followed me ever fince, and I am fo ftruck with them, that I think fomething more than common is coming upon me; but I am in "the LORD's hands, and all fhall be well with me." Doubtlefs the LORD was preparing him for that great and important change: He received the warning as from above; and from that time was in conftant expectation of Death. About a fortnight after, he again repeated to me the words of the Pfalmift above-mentioned, adding, "If the LORD is pleased to take me away at this time, I request that a Funeral Serpreached from thofe verfes on the occafion: Not "that I wish that any good should be faid of me; but I hope "it will be a bleffing to fome who will then be present." His

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I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness haft afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy fervant.

diforder

diforder continued to increase, and all human means were ineffectual to afford him any relief; but he gave himself entirely into the hands of his Creator, to do with him just as he pleased.

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About a week before he died, I asked him, if he found fupport under his heavy affliction? to which he anfwered, "The LORD does fupport me;" and added, "About twelve years ago, I had a bad fever, and was brought very low in my "mind. I cried unto the LORD, and he delivered me. Thefe "words were applied to my foul with great power, "I will "never leave thee nor forfake thee :" and I have found the accomplishment of the divine promise ever fince." He bore his affliction with unwearied patience, and calm refignation to the Will of GOD; who gave him ftrength equal to his day. He spoke but little, as his pain and affliction were great. To one who fat near him he faid, It is he that endureth to "the end that shall be faved." Three days before his departure, upon being asked if Jefus was precious to his foul, he replied, "He is ;" which were the last words he spoke, fo as to be understood. On Sunday evening, Nov. 4, 1792, in the 69th year of his age, his foul returned into the hands of his Creator and Redeemer.

The Authenticity of the Gospels demonftrated. From Dr. CAMPBELL'S Preface to the Gospel according to St. MATTHEW.

THE

HE time when this Gofpel was compofed, has not been precisely ascertained by the learned. "Some have thought that it was written no more than eight years after our Lord's afcenfion; others have reckoned it no fewer than fifteen. All antiquity feems agreed in the opinion, that it was of all the Gofpels the first published. Of the few Chriftian writers of the first century, whose works yet remain, there are in Barnabas, the companion of Paul, Clement of Rome, and Hermas, clear references to fome paffages of this hiftory. For though the Evangelift is not named, and his words are not formally quoted, the attentive reader must be fenfible that the author had read the Gospel which has uniformly been afcribed to Matthew, and that on fome occafions he plainly alludes to it. Very early in the fecond century, Ignatius, in thofe Epiftles which are generally acknowledged to be genuine, and Poly. carp, of whom we have no more but a fingle letter remaining, have manifeft allufions to different parts of this Gofpel. The writers above named are those who are denominated apoftolic fathers,

fathers, because they were contemporary to the Apoftles, and had been their difciples. Their teftimony, therefore, ferves to fhow not only their knowledge of this Book, but the great and general eftimation wherein it was held from the beginning.

The firft, indeed, upon record, who has named Matthew as the writer of this Golpel, is Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis in Cefarea, who is faid to have been a companion of Polycarp, and hearer of John. Though Ireneus feems to think it was the Apoftle John he meant, Eufebius, with greater probability, fuppofes it was a John who was commonly diftinguished from the Apoftle by the appellation of the elder, or the prefbyter. Papias, in his preface, does not fay that he had heard or feen any of the Apoftles, but only that he had received every thing concerning the faith, from thofe who were well acquainted with them. Befides, after naming the Apoftle John, he mentions Ariftion, and John the elder, not as apoftles, but as difciples, of the Lord. Concerning Matthew, this venerable ancient affirms, that he wrote his Gospel in the Hebrew tongue, which every one interpreted as he was able. Here we have his teftimony, firft, that Matthew who is alfo called Levi, (Mark ii. 14. Luke v. 27. 29.) was the writer of this Gofpel, for no other was ever afcribed to him, and this was never afcri, bed to another; and, fecondly, that it was written in Hebrew.

The firft of these teftimonies has never been controverted, On the contrary, it has been confirmed, and is ftill fupported by all fubfequent Chriftian authors who have touched upon the fubject. The fecond of thefe teftimonies, that this Evangelift wrote his Gofpel in Hebrew, had a concurrence equally uniform, of all fucceeding writers in the church, for about fourteen hundred years. In the last two centuries, however, this point has been difputed. Erafmus, who, though an emi❤ nent fcholar, knew little or nothing of Hebrew, was among the first who called in queftion a tradition which had fo long, and fo univerfally, obtained in the church. "The faults of Erafmus," fays Simon, "were blindly followed by cardinal · Cajetan, who, not knowing either Greek or Hebrew, was "incapable of correcting them." The cardinal has fince been almoft deferted by the Catholics; and the principal defenders of this new opinion have been Proteftants. It is very unlucky for the discovery of truth, when party-fpirit, in any degree, influences our enquiries. Yet, it is but too evident that there has been an infufion of this fpirit in the difcufion of the prefent question. "If we give up," fays the ftaunch polemic, "the originality of the Greek text, we have no Gospel by "Matthew which can be called authentic; for, to admit that "the translation of one book of Scripture may be fo denomi"nated,

nated, is equally abfurd as to admit it of them all; and, if "we admit this point, what becomes of our controverfy with "the Romanifts about the decree of the council of Trent, afferting the authenticity of the Vulgate ?" Whitby, who enters warmly into this difpute, urges, amongst other things, the improbability that Provideuce, which has preferved all the canonical books in their original languages, fhould have fuffered the original of this Gofpel to be fo foon loft, and nothing of it to remain in the church but a tranflation. That all the books are extant which have been written by divine inspiration, is not fo clear a cafe as that author feems to imagine. It will hardly be pretended that it is felf-evident, and I have yet feen no attempt to prove it. The book of the wars of the Lord, the book of Jafher, the book of Nathan the Prophet, the book of Gad the Seer, and feveral others, are referred to in the Old Teftament, manifeftly as of equal authority with the book which refers to them, and as fuller in point of information. Yet these are, to all appearance, irrecoverably loft. Other Epiftles, befides thofe we have, there is reafon to think the Apoitles wrote by the fame Spirit. Further, is not what is fpoken, equally valuable with what is written, by inspiration? Yet how fmall a portion of the words of Him who Spake as never man fpake, has it pleafed Providence to cause to be committed to writing? How little comparatively is recorded of the difcourfes of thofe poor fifhermen of Galilee whose eloquence, in fpite of all its difadvantages, baffled the wisdom of the learned, the power of the mighty, and the influence of the rich, converting infidels and idolaters, by thoufands, to a doctrine to which all their education, prejudices, and paffions, rendered them most reluctant, the doctrine of the crucified Meffiah? God bestows his favours, both spiritual and temporal, in various measure, to different individuals, nations, and ages, of the world, as he thinks fit. Thofe of former times enjoyed many advantages which we have not. And we enjoy fome which they had not. It is enough for us, that this only is required as our duty, that we make the proper ufe of the Scriptures, and of all the other advantages which, through the goodnefs of God, we enjoy; for every man is accepted according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not. (2 Cor. viii. 12.)

But indeed this mode of arguing with regard to Providence, appears to me quite unfatisfactory, as proceeding on the notion that we are Judges in matters which, in my opinion, are utterly beyond the reach of our faculties. Men imagining themselves to know perfectly what is proper for the Ruler of the universe, in any fuppofed circumftance, to do, conclude boldly that he has done this or that, after fuch a particular manner, or fuch another; a method which in a creature like

man,