the house. Thence I rode to Wincanton. The rain prevented my preaching abroad; so I willingly accepted the offer of a large meeting-house, where I preached to a crowded audience with much satisfaction, and again at seven in the morning.

Abundance of rain fell in the night, so that in the morning we were blocked up, the river which runs by the side of the town not being fordable. At length we made a shift to lead our horses over the foot-bridge. 1 preached at Coleford about noon, and at Bristol in the evening.

Thur. 28. One who had adorned the Gospel in life and in death having desired that I should preach her funeral sermon, I went with a few friends to the house, and sang before the body to the room. I did this the rather to show my approbation of that solemn custom, and to encourage others to follow it. As we walked, our company swiftly increased, so that we had a very numerous congregation at the room; and who can tell but some of these may bless God for it to all eternity?

Many years ago my brother frequently said, "Your day of Pentecost is not fully come; but I doubt not it will: and you will then hear of persons sanctified, as frequently as you do now of persons justified. Any unprejudiced reader may observe, that it was now fully come. And accordingly we did hear of persons sanctified, in London, and most other parts of England; and in Dublin, and many other parts of Ireland, as frequently as of persons justified; although instances of the latter were far more frequent than they had been for twenty years before. That many of these did not retain the gift of God, is no proof that it was not given them. That many do retain it at this day, is matter of praise and thanksgiving. And many of them are gone to Him whom they loved, praising Him with their latest breath; just in the spirit of Ann Steed, the first witness in Bristol of the great salvation; who, being worn out with sickness and racking pain, after she had commended to God all that were round her, lifted up her eyes, cried aloud, "Glory, Hallelujah," and died.

AN EXTRACT

OF THE

REV. MR. JOHN WESLEY'S JOURNAL,

FROM OCTOBER 29, 1762, TO MAY 25, 1765.

XIII.

FRIDAY, October 29, 1762. I left Bristol, and the next day came to London.

Monday, Noveinber 1. I went down to Canterbury. Here I seriously reflected on some late occurrences; and after weighing the matter thoroughly, wrote as follows :

Without any preface or ceremony, which is needless between you and me, I will simply and plainly tell what I dislike, in your doctrine, spirit, or outward behaviour. When I say yours, I include brother Bell and Owen, and those who are most closely connected with them.

1. I like your doctrine of perfection, or pure love; love excluding sin. Your insisting that it is merely by faith; that consequently it is instantaneous, (though preceded and followed by a gradual work,) and that it may be now, at this instant.

But I dislike your supposing man may be as perfect as an angel; that he can be absolutely perfect; that he can be infallible, or above being tempted; or, that the moment he is pure in heart he cannot fall from it.

I dislike the saying, This was not known or taught among us till within two or three years: I grant you did not know it. You have over and over denied instantaneous sanctification to me; but I have known and taught it (and so has my brother, as our writings show) above these twenty years.

I dislike your directly or indirectly depreciating justification; saying a justified person is not in Christ; is not born of God; is not a new creature; has not a new heart; is not sanctified; not a temple of the Holy Ghost; or, that he cannot please God, or cannot grow in grace.

I dislike your saying, That one saved from sin, needs nothing more than looking to Jesus; needs not to hear or think of any thing else; believe, believe is enough; that he needs no self-examination; no times of private prayer; needs not mind little, or outward things; and that he cannot be taught by any person who is not in the same state.

I dislike your affirming, That "justified persons in general persecute them that are saved from sin; that they have persecuted you on this account; and that, for two years past, you have been more persecuted by the two brothers, than ever you was by the world in all your life."

2. As to your spirit, I like your confidence in God, and your zeal for the salvation of souls.

But I dislike something which has the appearance of pride, of overvaluing yourselves, and undervaluing others; particularly the Preachers, thinking not only that they are blind, and that they are not sent of God, but even that they are dead; dead to God, and walking in the way to hell; that they are going one way, you another;" that they have no life in them! Your speaking of yourselves, as though you were the only men who knew and taught the Gospel; and as if, not only all the Clergy, but all the Methodists besides, were in utter darkness.

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I dislike something that has the appearance of enthusiasm; overvaluing feelings and inward impressions; mistaking the mere work of imagination for the voice of the Spirit; expecting the end without the means; and undervaluing reason, knowledge, and wisdom in general.

I dislike something that has the appearance of Antinomianism; not magnifying the law and making it honourable; not enough valuing tenderness of conscience, and exact watchfulness in order thereto; using faith rather as contradistinguished from holiness, than as productive of it. 書

But what I most dislike is, your littleness of love to your brethren, to your own Society; your want of union of heart with them, and bowels of mercies toward them;

your want of meekness, gentleness, long-suffering; your impatience of contradiction; your counting every man your enemy that reproves or admonishes you in love; your bigotry and narrowness of spirit, loving in a manner only those that love you; your censoriousness, proneness to think hardly of all who do not exactly agree with you; in one word, your divisive spirit. Indeed, I do not believe that any of you either design or desire a separation. But you do not enough fear, abhor, and detest it, shuddering at the very thought. And all the preceding tempers tend to it and gradually prepare you for it. Observe, I tell you before! God grant you may immediately and affectionately take the warning!

3. As to your outward behaviour, I like the general tenor of your life, devoted to God, and spent in doing good. But I dislike your slighting any, the very least rules of the Bands or Society; and your doing any thing that tends to hinder others from exactly observing them. Therefore, I dislike your appointing such Meetings as hinder others from attending either the public preaching, or their Class or Band; or any other meeting, which the rules of the Society, or their office, require them to attend.

I dislike your spending so much time in several meetings, as many that attend can ill spare from the other duties of their calling, unless they omit either the preaching, or their Class, or Band. This naturally tends to dissolve our Society, by cutting the sinews of it.

As to your more public meetings, I like the praying fervently and largely, for all the blessings of God; and I know much good has been done hereby, and hope much more will be done. But I dislike several things therein : 1. The singing, or speaking, or praying, of several at once. 2. The praying to the Son of God only, or more than to the Father. 3. The using improper expressions in prayer; sometimes too bold, if not irreverent; sometimes too pompous and magnificent, extolling yourselves rather than God, and telling Him what you are, not what you want. 4. Using poor, flat, bald hymns. 5. The never kneeling at prayer. 6. Your using postures or gestures highly indecent. 7. Your screaming, even so as to make the words unintelligible. 8. Your affirming, people will be justified or sanctified just now. 9. The affirming they are when they are not. 10. The bidding them say, I

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E

believe.

11. The bitterly condemning any that oppose, calling them wolves, &c., and pronouncing them hypocrites, or not justified.

Read this calmly and impartially before the Lord in prayer: so shall the evil cease and the good remain ; and you will then be more than ever united to

Your affectionate Brother,

Canterbury, November 2, 1762.

J. WESLEY.

Sat. 6. Having had more satisfaction here than I had had for many years, I cheerfully commended the little flock to God. In the way to London, I read "The Death of Abel." That manner of writing, in prose run mad, I cordially dislike: yet, with all that disadvantage, it is excellent in its kind; as much above most modern poems, as it is below "Paradise Lost."

I had hopes of seeing a friend at Lewisham in my way, and so I did, but it was in her coffin. It is well, since she finished her course with joy. In due time I shall see her in glory.

Mon. 8. I began visiting the Classes, in many of which we had hot spirits to deal with. Some were vehement for, some against the meetings for prayer, which were in several parts of the town. I said little, being afraid of taking any step which I might afterwards repent of.

One

I heard of on Friday, and five on Saturday, who, if I did not act as they thought best, "would leave the Society." I cannot help it; I must still be guided by my own conscience.

Tues. 16. I preached at Deptford and Welling, and Wednesday, the 17th, rode on to Sevenoaks; but it was with much difficulty; for it was a sharp frost, and our horses could very hardly keep their feet. Here likewise I found several who believed that God had cleansed them from all sin; and all of them, except perhaps one, lived so, that one might believe them.

Fri. 19. I called upon Jane Cooper, praising God in the fires. The next day I saw her for the last time, in every thing giving thanks, and overcoming all by the blood of the Lamb; a day or two after she fell asleep.

From Monday, the 22d, to Friday, the 26th, I was employed in answering the Bishop of Gloucester's book. Wed. 24. Being determined to hear for myself, I stood where I could hear and see, without being seen. George