of our Lord Jesus Christ? May he multiply your little flock a thousand fold, how many soever you be! May he fill you with all peace and joy in believing! May he preserve you in all lowliness of spirit! And may he enable you to use great plainness of speech, both toward each other, and toward all men; and by manifestation of the truth, to commend yourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God!

"Even to this hour, I have not had one day's leisure, to transcribe for you the papers I brought from Hernhuth: the harvest here also, is so plenteous, and the labourers so few; and it increases upon us daily. Verily the spirit of the Lord hath lift up his standard against the iniquity which hath overspread our land as a flood! O pray ye for us, that he would send more labourers into his harvest! And that he would enable us whom he hath already sent, to approve ourselves faithful ministers of the New Covenant, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report,! In particular let all the brethren and sisters who are with you, pray that God would warm with his love, the cold heart of, Dear Sir, your much obliged and very affectionate brother in Christ, J. Wesley."

"To Mr. Vincy at Ysselstein.

seems now to be a great The spirit of the Lord bones, and some of But I am still dead and

"After a long sleep, there awakening in this place also. hath already shaken the dry them stand up and live.

cold; having peace indeed, but no love or joy in the Holy Ghost. O pray for me, that I may see and feel myself a sinner, and have a full interest in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world!" &c.

"To Isaac Le-long, at Amsterdam.

"Do not think my dear brother that I have forgot ten you. I cannot forget you, because I love you:

though

though I cannot love any one yet, as I ought, because I cannot love our blessed Lord as I ought.. My heart is cold and senseless: it is indeed a heart of stone. Pray for me, and let all your household pray for me; yea and all the brethren also, that our God would give me a broken heart, a loving heart; a heart wherein his spirit may delight to dwell.

66

May our good Lord repay you all a thousand fold for the love you shewed to us. How does his gospel prosper at Amsterdam? Are believers multiplied? and is his grace mighty among you? Is their name yet cast out as evil (for that must be the next;) and do all men despitefully use you, and persecute you? I want you to say a great deal to me of it. But above all, I want you to pray a great deal, for your poor, weak brother, John Wesley."

We see by these letters, that Mr. Wesley was not carried up on high as on eagle's wings, by any ex tatic joy which obliterated the common feelings of human nature: he walked in the valley, humble and low, bemoaning his condition, and struggling against the dulness and sluggishness of his own heart. Had he been actuated in his labours, only by a religious fervour of mind, his diligence would not have been so uniform as it was, nor his perseverance so lasting. Our passions and inward feelings are necessarily variable; and if we are impelled only by these, in a religious course of life, or in any other laudable pursuit, our diligence will remit, and our perseverance be short, especially when temptation and interest draw another way. Mr. Wesley acted on a different principle. He had a strong conviction, founded on cool reflection, that he was every day doing what God required him to do: he considered his success in turning sinners from

darkness

darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, as a testimony of the divine approbation of his conduct; and therefore believed, that he was labouring for the best interests of his fellow mortals. This conviction was so strong that no persecution or opposite interest could ever divert him from his pur

suits.

December 11. Hearing Mr. Whitefield was returned from Georgia, he went to London to meet him, and they again took sweet counsel together. January 1, 1739. He was present at a love-feast in Fetter-lane, together with Mr. Hall, Kinchin, Ingham, Whitefield, Hutchins, and his brother Charles; and about sixty of the brethren. "About three in the morning, (says he) as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of his Majesty, we broke out with one voice, We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord." -How little does the world know; how little do merely speculative and formal Christians know, of these refreshing, invigorating seasons which come from the presence of the Lord, and give to the true worshippers a demonstrative evidence of the truth of Christianity!

In the spring Mr. Whitefield went to Bristol, and there first began to preach in the open air, to incredible numbers of people. Mr. Wesley continued his labours in London and Oxford alternately, and occasionally in the neighbouring places without any intention of altering his usual manner of proceeding. But in the latter end of March, he received a letter from Mr. Whitefield, who entreated him in the most pressing

VOL. II,

H

pressing manner to come to Bristol, evidently with intention that he might step into this new path which now lay open before him. At first he was not at all forward to comply with the request; and his brother Charles, and some others, warmly opposed his going; from an unaccountable apprehension that it would prove fatal to him. At length Mr. Wesley freely gave himself up, to whatever the Lord should appoint. It was a rule of the society, "That any person who desired, or designed to take a journey, should first, if it were possible, have the approbation of the Bands :" so entirely were the ministers, at this time, under the direction of the people! Accordingly on the 28th, the matter was laid before them, and after some debate they determined that he should comply with Mr. Whitefield's request. He left London the next day,

and on the 31st came to Bristol.

THE

THE

LIFE

OF THE

Reverend John Wesley.

BOOK THE THIRD.

CHAPTER I.

Containing a View of Mr. Wesley's Labours as an Itinerant Preacher, and of the formation of

Societies, &c. till the first

Methodist Conference, in 1744.

THE steps of Mr. Wesley, already traced, from his

infancy to the present period, forms an important era of his life. He now commenced a Field Preacher, and Itinerancy naturally followed, which, under God, laid the foundation of the present system of Methodism. It has often been suggested by his opponents, that the plan of Methodism was the result of a long premeditated design: but on a careful examination into the very minutie of his life till this time, no such design appears. He positively asserts the contrary; and every circumstance collected from his private papers, confirms the truth of his assertion. It is indeed true, that