3. As to the time. I believe this inftant generally is the inftant of death, the moment before the foul leaves the body. But I believe it may be ten, twenty, or forty years before.

I believe it is ufually many years after Juftification: but that it may be within five years or five months after it, I know no conclufive argument to the contrary.

If it must be many years after Juftification, I would be glad to know, how many? Pretium quotus arrogat Annus? And how many days or months, or even years, can any one allow to be between Perfection and Death? How far from Juftification must it be? And how near to Death? London, Jan. 27, 1767.

LETTER S.

[At the defire of Mr. Pd, who is now hanging between life and death, over the verge of the grave, we infert this Letter, fo much before its regular turn.]

LETTER

CCLXXXVIII.

I

[From Mr. S. Bn, to Mr. Pd.]

My dear Brother,

Bradforth, Feb. 9, 1782.

Felt a part of your afflictions, on reading your letter. Though it is but little confolation which an afflicted perfon receives from fympathy; yet it is fome:" Wha divide, they weaken too, the torrent of our grief."-Indeed were it not fo, we had not been exhorted to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with thofe who weep.

You

You have obferved, that in every place and station, we muft expect trials; and that our heavenly Father knows both that kind and measure of them, which will beft answer his end in fending, or permitting them. Holinefs is the end for which we were fent into the world, and, whatever has a tendency to promote this, is of God; and whatever tends. to hinder it, is of the devil; and is a real evil to us in the end. If this be true, then afflictions are good for us; inasmuch as they tend to ftir up our minds in the purfuit of Holiness. This made David fay, "It is good for me, that I have been afflicted;" because, "Before I was afflicted I went aftray." For, notwithstanding our judgments may be very clear, refpecting the emptiness and vanity of the world, yet is there fomething fo bewitching in fenfible objects, that very few can bear a conftant fucceffion of temporal enjoyments, without fuffering lofs in their fouls. This made St. Paul advise us not to despise the chaftenings of the Lord; because, Whom the Lord loveth he chafteneth-that they may thereby be partakers of his Holiness. Hence Chriftians are as truly happy in the midst of afflictions, as when in perfect health. true, extreme pain may, for the time it lafts, damp our joy; but as it neither brings guilt on our Confciences, nor impurity into our Wills, it cannot deftroy our happiness. The fame may be faid of every creature with whom we have to do. Friends, health, riches, fame and fuccefs, viewed in themselves, are at best, broken cifterns; and if we place our affections on them, we become idolators; and then, instead of finding the happinefs we wifhed for, they will yield us only waters of bitterness; but if we ufe thefe, as the Angels in Jacob's dream, did the vifionary ladder, our fouls may make every creature a ble:fed means to help us to a closer communion with God. If therefore he fees good to fuffer us to be friendless, fick, poor, reproached, or croffed in our defigns, he is fill the delight of our fouls; he enables us to fay, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and

It is

bleffed

bleffed be the Name of the Lord." We ftill are happy in him, who is now the ftrength of our heart, and who will be our portion for ever.

I bless God, I ftill find my foul, in fome measure, happy in the way I have mentioned. I am full of work; and find pleasure in doing it; though never more tempted than of late concerning it.

As you have many advantages in London, you can have no where elfe, I hope you will improve them all. It is a fine place for getting books. If you can fcrape a few pence together, buy nothing but books. Mr. Whitefield's advice to a Clergyman I am acquainted with was, "Read! read! read!" I may add, not without thinking and praying: Ido not mean as a Chriftian only (that I know you do,) but as a Preacher.

I am, dear Friend,

Your ever truly affectionate Brother,

LETTER

S. BN.

CCLXXXIX.

[From Mr. J. V. to the Rev. Mr. Wesley.]

Dear Sir,

I Was

ago;

whither I went, as I

Was at Painfwick about a month believed, in obedience to a call from God. During my abode there, I vifited daily from house to house; and met, at different times, all the Claffes. I took every opportunity to prefs an inftant, entire San&tification upon the Believers, and ftirred them up to purfue Holinefs; declaring to them that," Now is the accepted time, now is the day of this falvation." Bleffed be God, it was then given me to fay, "We speak that we do know, and teftify that we have seen." I spoke

out

out of the abundance of my heart. You cannot easily conceive how kindly they received me. I could have no time fcarce for retirement, except about two hours in the morning. I was obliged to vifit, or to receive vifits, continually : but bleffed be the Lord, my foul was well watered. I found that he was my fhepherd, therefore I lacked nothing. I had not been there many days, before one, then another, then a third, experienced a deliverance from fin, and many others were earneftly feeking. One of them was brother N. I had no doubt of the reality of his experience: the two others, I had not fuch a proof of. But however I perfuaded them to hold faft that faith, and to pray unto the Lord for the witness of the Spirit. There are two or three more who believe that the Lord has cleanfed them from all unrighteoufnefs.

Suffer me, dear Sir, to fpeak as a fool. I mean to recommend a duty; not myself. I believe that during my short flay, by vifiting from houfe to houfe, and preffing and praying for Holiness, I was made a greater inftrument for good to the people, than four years preaching alone could do. I fpoke of nothing but what pertained to the kingdom, and with much cheerfulness preffed them to walk humbly and clofely with God: and always concluded with finging and prayer. You can fcarcely think how the Lord bleffed my own foul in thefe duties. You have fet this duty on foot in London. I pray God give you fuccefs, and make every Preacher willing to be fpent in the fervice of the Church. Then they will find this fervice a prefent reward, and a thoufand bleflings would redound to their own fouls.

Dear Sir, preach Perfection always and every where, even as you do; it is the hope of this attainment, that will alone animate a foul combatting the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. You have all the earnest fouls on your fide. This preaching, is the word that God has appointed to fuftain them. The old Serpent will twift and twine, and hiss; but the Lord with this fore, and great, and ftrong fword, fhall punish him.

The

1

The Lord Jefus blefs, and profper you yet more abundantly, and at laft receive you up into glory. So prays, dear Sir, your most affectionate, though unworthy Son in the Lord,

LETTER

CCXC.

T. V.

[From Mr. Penington, to the Rev. Mr. Wesley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

SINCE

Cork, June 17, 1764.

INCE my laft, the face of things here is in a great meafare changed. The people of the Society in general, and the Leaders in particular, are much flirred up in their own fouls. Our Congregations are much larger than ufual, many ftrangers and backfliders attending the preaching constantly. I believe one reafon of this revival is, the meetings for finging, prayer, reading, and exhortation, that have within this month, been established in five or fix different parts the city; and among those who seemed to know nothing that there were fuch a people as the Methodists in being. Many of these attend both at the meetings, and at the Room, who are in general very ferious, and feem to be in a measure awakened.

of

Another reafon for this, is Street-preaching. I found a defire to ftand up in the ftreet, and to attack the Devil in his own quarters. I first preached near the Barracks, but fince Mr. B. came home, I have left that place to him; and have been enabled to ftand up in the open ftreet, in the very heart of Black-Pool, four or five times, and preached with great freedom, to a very large and attentive congregation. Mr. B. has alfo preached twice there with very great fatisfaction, while I was out at Bandon last week; fo that I think there is VOL. VI.

W

an