that time he exclaimed, "God deliver me and all that seek him in sincerity, from what the world calls Christian prudence!" He was in the high fever of enthusiasm, and they among whom he conversed were continually administering cordials which kept the passion at its height. One of them thus describes the manner in which he was born of God: it was an instantaneous act: my whole heart was filled with a divine power, drawing all the faculties of my soul after Christ, which continued three or four nights and days. It was as a mighty rushing wind coming into the soul, enabling me from that moment to be more than conqueror over those corruptions which before I was always a slave to. Since that time the whole bent of my will hath been towards him day and night, even in my dreams. I know that I dwell in Christ and Christ in me; I am bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh." This looks like Moravian language: but the most extraordinary effusion of enthusiastic raptures which has, perhaps, ever been produced in a Protestant country, was addressed to Wesley at this time by one of his disciples, a young woman, in her twentieth year, who calls him her most dear and honoured father in Christ. Her eyes, she said, had been opened, and though her life had been what the world calls irreproachable, she had found that her sins were great, and that God kept an account of them. Her very tears were sin; she doubted, feared, and sometimes despaired; her heart became hard as a stone, even the joy which she received at the sacrament went out like a lamp for want of oil, and she fell into her old state, a state of damnation. A violent pain in the head seized her whenever she began to pray earnestly, or cry out aloud to Christ. When she was in this state, her sister, who had just received the atonement, came to see her, and related her own happy regeneration. "That night," she continues, "I went into the garden, and considering what she had told me, I saw Him by faith, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, Him who justifieth the ungodly. I told Him I was ungod

ly, and it was for me that He died: His blood did I plead with great faith, to blot out the hand-writing that was against me. I told my Saviour that He had promised to give rest to all that were heavy laden; this promise I claimed, and I saw Him by faith stand condemned before God in my stead. I saw the fountain opened in His side. As I hungered He fed me; as I thirsted He gave me out of that fountain to drink. And so strong was my faith, that if I had all the sins of the whole world laid upon me, I knew and was sure one drop of His blood was suf ficient to atone for all. Well, I clave unto him, and He did wash me in His blood; He hath clothed me with His righteousness, and has presented me to His Father, to His God and my God, a pure spotless virgin, as if I had never committed any sin.-Think what a transport of joy I was then in, when I that was lost and undone, dropping into hell, felt a Redeemer come who is mighty to save, to save to the uttermost! Yet I did not receive the witness of the Spirit at that time; but in about half an hour the devil came with great power to tempt me; however, I minded him not, but went in and lay down pretty much composed in my mind. My sins were forgiven, but I knew I was not yet born of God. In the morning I found the work of the Spirit was very powerful upon me; as my mother bore me with great pain, so did I feel great pain in my soul in being born of God. Indeed I thought the pains of death were upon me, and that my soul was then taking leave of the body; I thought I was going to Him whom I saw with strong faith, standing ready to receive me. In this violent agony I continued about four hours, and then I began to feel the Spirit of God bearing witness with my spirit that I was born of God.-Oh, mighty, powerful, happy change!-The love of God was shed abroad in my heart, and a flame kindled there with pains so violent, yet so very ravishing, that my body was almost torn asunder. I loved; the Spirit cried strong in my heart; 1 sweated; I trembled; I fainted; sung; I joined my voice with those that excel in

strength; my soul was got up into the holy Mount; I had no thoughts of coming down again into the body; I who not long before had called to the rocks to fall on me, and the mountains to cover me, could now call for nothing else, but Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!-Oh, I thought my head was a fountain of water! I was dissolved in love: My beloved is mine, and I am his; He has all charms; He has ravished my heart; He is my comforter, my friend, my all. He is now in his garden, feeding among the lilies! Oh, I am sick of love; He is altogether lovely, the chiefest among ten thousand! Oh, how Jesus fills, Jesus extends, Jesus overwhelms the soul in which he dwells!" That a Franciscan or Dominican confessor should encourage ravings and raptures like these in an enthusiastic girl, with a view to some gainful imposture, or to fouler purposes, would be nothing extraordinary; for such things have sometimes passed current, and sometimes been detected. In Wesley's case it is perfectly certain that no ill motive existed, and that when he sanctioned the rhapsody by making it public, he was himself in as high a state of excitement as his spiritual daughter: but it is remarkable that when the fermentation of his zeal was over, when time and experience had matured his mind, and Methodism had assumed a sober character as well as a consistent form, he should have continued to send it abroad without one qualifying sentence, or one word of caution to those numerous readers, who, without such caution, would undoubtedly suppose that it was intended for edification and example.

In the latter end of the year Whitefield returned from Georgia: during a residence of three months there, he had experienced none of those vexations which had embittered Wesley's life among the colonists; for though he discharged his* duty with equal

My ordinary way," he says, "of dividing my ministerial labours has been as follows: On Sunday morning, at five o'clock, I publicly expound the lesson for the morning or evening service, as I see most suited to the people's edification; at ten I preach

fervour and equal plainness, he never attempted to revive obsolete forms, nor insisted upon unnecessary scruples. It is to the credit of the people of Savannah, that though they knew his intimacy with Wesley, they received him at first without any appearance of ill-will, and soon became so attached to him, that, as he says, he was really happy in his little foreign cure, and could have cheerfully remained among them. Two objects, however, rendered it necessary for him to return to England; first, that he might receive priest's orders; and secondly, that he might raise contributions for founding and supporting an orphan-house in the colony. To this design his attention had previously been called by Charles Wesley and General Oglethorpe; and he was encouraged by the signal success of Professor Franck, in establishing a similar institution at Halle. Accordingly he sailed for Europe, and after a miserable voyage of nine weeks and three days, when they had been long upon short allowance, had exhausted their last cask of water, and knew not where they were, they came safe into Limerick harbour.

As soon as he arrived in London, he waited on the Bishop and on the Primate: they received him favourably, and no doubt were in hopes that the great object which he now had in view would fix him in Georgia, where there was no danger that his enthusiasm should take a mischievous direction. The trustees highly approved his conduct; at the

request

and read prayers; at three in the afternoon I do the same, and at seven expound part of the Church Catechism, at which great numbers are usually present. I visit from house to house, read public prayers, and catechize (unless something extraordinary happens) and visit the sick every day; and read to as many of the parishioners as will come to the parsonage-house thrice a week.” (Journals, p. 90.) And in one of his letters he says, "I visit from house to house, catechize, read prayers twice, and expound the two second lessons every day; read to a house-full of people three times a week; expound the two lessons at five in the morning, read prayers and preach twice, and expound the catechism to servants, &c. at seven in the evening every Sunday." (Letter 40.)

of the magistrates and settlers they presented him with the living of Savannah, and he was ordained priest by his venerable friend the Bishop of Gloucester. "God be praised," says he; "I was praying night and day whilst on shipboard, if it might be the divine will, that good Bishop Benson, who laid hands on me as a deacon, might now make me a priest; and now my prayer is answered." There remained the business of raising money for the orphan-house, and this detained him in England long enough to take those decisive measures which, in their inevitable consequences, led step by step to the separation of the Methodists from the Church, and their organization as a sect.

Many societies had by this time been formed in London, but the central place of meeting was a large room in Fetter-lane. Here they had their lovefeasts, at which they ate bread and water in the intervals of singing aud praying, and where they encouraged each other in excesses, of devotion, which, if they found the mind sane, were not likely long to leave it so. "On the first night of the new year, says Wesley, "Mr. Hall, Kinchin, Ingham, Whitefield, Hutchins, and my brother Charles, were present at our love-feast, with about sixty of our brethren. About three in the morning, 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." "It was a Pentecost season indeed," says Whitefield: "sometimes whole nights were spent in prayer. Often have we been filled as with new wine; and often have I seen them overwhelmed with the Divine Presence, and cry out, • Will God indeed dwell with men upon earth? How dreadful is this place! This is no other than the house of God and the gate of Heaven!" "

Meetings of this kind prolonged far into the mid