country; and his brother and mother in the West of England. He preached occasionally at the places which he visited: and was every where zealous for God, and remarkably useful to a great number of persons by his religious conversation.

In August he was requested to carry up the Address from the University of Oxford, to his MAJESTY. Accordingly, on the 26th, he waited on the KING with the Address, at Hampton-Court, accompanied with a few friends. They were graciously received; and the Archbishop told him he was glad to see him there. They kissed their Majesties' hands, and were invited to dinner. Mr. Wesley left the dinner and the company, and hasted back to town. The next day he waited on his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and dined at St. James's.

Mr. Wesley did not experience that peace and happiness in religion, nor that renewal of his heart in holiness, which he earnestly laboured to attain. He was not therefore satisfied with his present state. On the 31st of August he consulted Mr. Law; the sum of whose advice was, "Renounce yourself, and be not "impatient."In the beginning of September he consulted him again, and asked several questions, to which Mr. Law gave the following answers. " With "what Comment shall I read the Scriptures?" None. "What do you think of one who dies unrenewed "while endeavouring after it?". It neither concerns you to ask,* nor me to answer. "Shall I write once 66 more to such a person ?" No. "But I am per"suaded it will do him good." Sir, I have told you

my

• Mr. Wesley found that he was not renewed, and thought he might die while endeavouring after it. The question therefore was to him of serious importance.

my opinion. "Shall I write to you?" Nothing I ca either speak or write will do you any good.

To oblige Mr. Oglethorpe, Mr. Wesley still held his office of Secretary, and had formed a resolution to return to Georgia. About the middle of October, he was informed at the office, that he must sail in three weeks. This appointment however did not take place; and his mother vehemently protested against his going back to America; but this did not alter his resolution.

In the beginning of February 1738, Peter Bohler arrived in England, about the time Mr. John Wesley returned from Georgia, Bohler soon became acquaintedwith the two brothers, and on the 20th of this month prevailed with Mr. Charles Wesley to assist him in learning English. Mr. Charles was now at Oxford, and Bohler soon entered into some close conversation with him, and with some Scholars who were serious. He pressed upon them the necessity of conversion; he shewed them that many who had been awakened, had fallen asleep again for want of attaining to it. He spoke much of the necessity of prayer and faith, but none of them seemed to understand him.

Mr. Charles Wesley was. immediately after this, taken ill of a pleurisy. On the 24th, the pain became so violent as to threaten sudden death. While in this state, Peter Bohler came to his bed-side, "I asked

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him, (adds Mr. Wesley) to pray for me. He seemed unwilling at first; but beginning faintly, he raised "his voice by degrees, and prayed for my recovery with strange confidence. Then he took me by the hand and calmly said, You will not die now. I thought within myself, I cannot hold out in this pain till "morning-He said, "Do you hope to be saved?"

66

I answered, yes. "For what reason do you hope

66 to

“to be saved?" Because I have used my best endea66 vours to serve God. He shook his head and said no more. I thought him very uncharitable, saying in my heart, "What! are not my endeavours a sufficient "ground of hope? Would he rob me of my en"deavours? I have nothing else to trust to."

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Mr. Wesley was now bled three times in about the space of twenty-four hours; after which the disease abated, and he soon began gradually to recover his strength. As he still retained his office, and his intention of returning to Georgia with Mr. Oglethorpe, he was called upon to embark before he was perfectly recovered. The Physicians absolutely forbid him to attempt the voyage, if he regarded his life. They likewise advised him, as friends, to stay at Oxford; where, being Senior Master in his College, he might accept of office and preferment. His brother urged. the same advice; and in compliance with it, he wrote to Mr. Oglethorpe on the 3d of April, resigning his office of Secretary. Mr. Oglethorpe was unwilling to, lose him, having now had ample proof of his integrity and ability'; and wrote for answer, that if he would keep his place, it should be supplied by a Deputy. until he could follow. But Mr. Wesley now finally relinquished his intention of going back to America.

April 24th, he was able to take a ride to Blendon, where he met with his brother and Mr. Broughton. The next day, April 25th, Mrs. Delamotte, his brother, Mr. Broughton and himself being met in their little Chapel, they fell into a dispute whether conversion was gradualor instantaneous. Mr. John Wesley very positively contended for the latter, and his assertions appeared

*

to

• I continually follow, (says Dr. Whitehead) in the life of Mr. Charles Wesley, his own private journal, which was never published, nor intended. for publication. It is pleasing to observe the agreement between this and Mr. John Wesley's printed journal, where the same circumstances are mentioned by both. See his works, Vol. 26. page 261, at the bottom.

to Mr. Charles shocking; especially when he mentioned some late instances of gross sinners being converted in a moment. Mrs. Delamotte left the room abruptly ; "I staid, (adds Charles) and insisted that a man need not "know when he first had faith." His brother's obstinacy, as he calls it, in maintaining the contrary opinion, at length drove him out of the room. Mr. Broughton kept his ground, not being quite so much offended as Mr. Charles Wesley,

This warm debate happened early in the morning. After dinner Mr. Broughton and Mr. John Wesley returned to London, and Mr. Charles began reading Haliburton's life to the family; one instance, and but one, he observes, of instantaneous conversion.

The next day he finished reading Haliburton's life, It produced in him great humiliation, self-abasement, and a sense of his want of that faith which brings righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. But these effects soon passed away as a morning cloud, A degree of conviction, however, that possibly he might be wrong, had taken hold of his mind, and continued to make him uneasy. This uneasiness was increased by a return of his disorder on the 28th, when' he arived in London. Here Peter Bohler visited him again, and prayed with him. Mr. Charles Wesley now thought it was his duty to consider Bohler's doctrine, and to examine himself whether he was in the faith, and if not, never to rest till he had attained it. Still, however, there was a secret wish within his heart that this new doctrine, as he then thought it, might not be true; and hence arose a joy when he imagined he had found an argument against it. He soon was furnished with an argument from his own experience, which he deemed unanswerable. Having received benefit by bleeding, he was at the sacrament on the first of May, and felt a degree

degree of peace in receiving it. "Now, (said he to "himself,) I have demonstration against the Moravian "doctrine, that a man cannot have peace without << assurance of his pardon, I now have peace, yet cannot say of a surety that my sins are forgiven,” His triumph was very short: his peace immediately left him, and he sunk into greater doubts and distress than before, He now began to be convinced that he had not that faith which puts the true believer in possession of the benefits and privileges of the gospel. For some days following he had a faint desire to attain it, and prayed for it. He then began to speak of the necessity of this faith to his friends; his earnestness to attain it encreased, and he determined not to rest till he had the happy experience of it in himself,

Soon afterwards Mr. Broughton called upon him at the house of Mr. Bray. The subject was presently introduced. Mr. Broughton said, "As for you, Mr. Bray, "I hope you are still in your senses, and not << run mad after a faith that must be felt." He continued contradicting this doctrine of faith, till he roused Mr. Wesley to defend it, and to confess his want of faith, "God help you, poor man, (said Broughton,) if I could think that you have not faith I am sure it would drive me to despair." Mr. Wesley then assured him, he was as certain that he had not the faith of the gospel, as he was that he hoped for it, and for salvation.

It is commonly said, that passion and prejudice blind the mind. We should rather say, they give the understanding a false view of objects, by changing the media through which it sees them. Mr. Broughton was a man of learning, had been a member of their little society at Oxford, and was well disposed to religion. He viewed the notion of faith which the two brothers had now embraced, through the medium of prejudice,

and