therein. 6. By not considering, that the most of those decrees were adapted to particular times and occasions; and consequently when those occasions ceased, must cease to bind even those provinces. Thus 6. "These considerations insensibly stole upon me, as I grew acquainted with the mystic writers: whose noble descriptions of union with God, and internal religion, made every thing else appear mean, flat and insipid. But in truth they made good works appear so too; yea, and faith itself, and what not? These gave me an entire new view of religion; nothing like any I had before. But alas! it was nothing like that religion which Christ and his apostles lived and taught. I had a plenary dispensation from all the com.mands of God: the form ran thus, Love is all; all the commands beside, are only means of love: you must choose those which you feel are means to you, and use them as long as they are so.' were all the bands burst at once. And though I could never fully come into this, nor contentedly omit what God enjoined; yet, 1 know not how, I fluctuated between obedience and disobedience. I had no heart, no vigor, no zeal in obeying; continually doubting whether I was right or wrong, and never out of perplexities and entanglements. Nor can I at this hour give a distinct account, how, or when, I came a little back toward the right way: only my present sense is this-all the other enemies of Christianity are triflers: the mystics are the most dangerous of its enemies. They stab it in the vitals; and its most serious professors are most likely to fall by them. May I praise Him who hath snatched me out of this fire likewise, by warning all others, that it is set on fire of hell." The censure Mr. Wesley has here passed on the Lutheran, the Calvinist, and mystic writers, is abundantly too severe. I apprehend, Mr. Wesley did not at this time, understand either the Lutheran, or Calvinist writers on the article of faith. He acknowledges after his return to England, that he did not at first understand the Moravian doctrine of faith, which, I believe, differed but little from that held in the Lutheran Church.-What the moderate mystics have said on the union of the soul with God, is in general excellent, and better said by them, than by most other writers. It must indeed be owned, that they do not sufficiently insist on the atonement and mediation of Christ, as the only foundation of a sinner's union with God: nor do they always explain and enforce the scriptural method of attaining it. January 29. They once more saw English land: and Feb. 1, Mr. Wesley landed at Deal; where he was informed Mr. Whitefield had sailed the day before, for Georgia. He read prayers, and explained a portion of Scripture to a large company at the inn; and on the third arrived safe in London. CHAPTER IV. GIVING SOME ACCOUNT OF MR. WESLEY, FROM FEBRUARY, 1738, TILL APRIL, 1739, WHEN HE BECAME AN ITINERANT AND FIELD PREACHER. On his arrival in England, he made some reflections on his own state of mind, and on the effects of his visit to America. "It is now," says he, "two years and almost four months, since I left my native country, in order to teach the Georgian Indians the nature of Christianity but what have I learned myself in the mean time? Why, what I the least of all suspected, that I who went to America to convert others, was never myself converted to God. I am not mad, though I thus speak; but I speak the words of truth and soberness; if haply some of those who still dream, may awake and see, that as I am, so are they, &c."-He observes however, "Many reasons I have to bless God-for my having been carried into that strange land, contrary to all my preceding resolutions. Hereby I trust he hath in some measure humbled me and proved me, and shown me what was in my heart. Hereby I have been taught to beware of men. Hereby God has given me to know many of his servants, particularly those of the church of Hernhuth. Hereby my passage is open to the writings of holy men, in the German, Spanish, and Italian tongues. All in Georgia have heard the word of God: some have believed and began to run well. A few steps have been taken towards publishing the glad-tidings both to the African and American heathens. Many children have learned how they ought to serve God, and to be useful to their neighbor. And those whom it most concerns, have an opportunity of knowing the state of their infant colony, and laying a firmer foundation of peace and happiness to many generations." Mr. Wesley here supposes, that he was not converted to God, because he had not that faith which delivered him from the fear of death, and gave him victory over all sin, inward or outward. He does not seem to have any immediate reference to that notion of faith which he afterwards espoused and taught; for as yet he did not understand it. When the first Journal, in which this is said, was printed in his Works, in 1774, he doubted whether the severe sentence he here pronounced upon himself, was just. This ought not to be charged on Mr. Wesley, as a contradiction, but as a change in his opinion. This is certainly commendable, when an increase of knowledge gives a man sufficient reason for so doing. In 1774, he believed, that when he went to America, he had the faith of a servant, though not of a son.* Though he was far from being singular in making this distinction, yet the propriety of it has been doubted, or rather denied. It is of some importance in christian experience that the subject should be understood, and therefore it deserves to be examined. The distinction is founded on what the Apostle has said, Rom. *See the Errata to the 26th volume of his Works. viii. 15, and further illustrated and coufirmed, Gal. iv. 1-7. Mr. Wesley observes in a note on Rom. viii. 15, that, "The Spirit of bondage, here seems directly to mean, those operations of the Holy Spirit, by which the soul on its first conviction, feels itself in bondage to sin, to the world, to satan, and obnoxious to the wrath of God." He has printed a sermon on the same text, in which he explains it in the same way. He was not singular in this interpretation, as might easily be shown from respectable authority. But, though it be most true, that a person under conviction for sin, is in a state of bondage and fear, it does not follow that this is the direct meaning of the Apostle, or that the distinction between a servant and a son of God, ought to be immediately fixed on this foundation. Many among the most learned and pious persons in the christian church, have understood the spirit of bondage to fear, as referring to that servile spirit, or spirit of servitude, which the whole Mosaic economy tended to produce." And this seems most agreeable to the tenor of the Apostle's discourse, and most comformable to his grand design of establishing and illustrating the truth and excellency of the gospel, as a more perfect dispensation of mercy and favor from God. We must not however suppose, that, because the faithful under the Old Testament, had a spirit of bondage to fear, they were not therefore children of God; or that they had not the spirit of God. In every age of the world, since the first promise of a Redeemer, those who have placed their confidence in the mercy of God, manifested through a promised Saviour, have become children of God, heirs of the heavenly inheritance, and experienced some degree of divine grace. But under the Mosaic dispensation, the faithful themselves, were children held in a state of servitude, which produced fear, rather than filial confidence, or the spirit of adoption, crying Abba, Father. The reason of this was, the nature of that economy under which they lived, which was wonderfully adapted to the state of the Israelites in that age of the world, and only preparatory to the introduction of a more perfect dispensation of the Divine favor. The Mosaic economy, taking it in a loose and general sense, may be considered in three points of view, corresponding to the ends it was intended to answer. The first view of it, regards those laws it contained, which related only to external things, and were merely literal or carnal, as the Apostle calls them.* The intention of these was, to separate the whole body of the people from idolatry, and all mixture with other nations: to preserve the worship of the true God in the world: to make the Israelites the depositaries of the promises, prophecies, and the whole word of God: and to keep their own tribes and families distinct: that as the Messiah was to descend, according to the flesh, from the seed of Abraham, the tribe of Judah, and the family of David, his introduction into the world might be more strongly marked, the prophecies concerning him be distinctly fulfilled, and his character be clearly ascertained. These laws required no more than a mere external obedience, the * See Doddridge; and Pole's Synopsis. + Heb. vii. 16; ix. 10. reward of which was, the land of Canaan, with protection, prosperity, and long life. The second view of it, is typical. The promise made to Abraham, being continued through this economy, the laws and institutions established for the purposes above mentioned, were so ordered as to become typical representations of Christ and the benefits of his kingdom. They gave a new modification to the promulgation of the promise of a Redeemer, the object of faith and hope in true believers, by which they obtained a foretaste of the grace and blessings of the gospel. All these laws and institutions were peculiar to Moses, purely external and temporary; being preparatory to the coming of Christ, when they were to be abolished. The third view of this economy, regards those moral precepts introduced into it, to regulate the moral principles, as well as conduct of the people towards each other, for the well-being of the state: and also such other commands as tended to give them a higher and more spiritual notion of their duty to God, and of the nature of sin, than the Mosaic code suggested. These were intended to raise the minds of the people to something higher than the mere external economy of Moses: to awaken in them a sense of their depravity; to show them the spiritual nature of sin; its power, dominion, and guilt; that conscious of their wants, they might more ardently desire their great Deliverer, and be better prepared to receive him. These precepts and commands, being of a general and permanent nature, were not peculiar to Moses, nor to be done away with his institution; but additions to his economy, they were highly necessary and useful. That the promise before made, was continued through this dispensation, is manifest. For as circumcision was not of Moses, but of the fathers, so the promise of grace and life by Christ, was not given by him, but found by him already existing. It is not said, That the promise was added to the law; but, That the law was added to the promise.* The law of Moses, therefore, did not disannul, or do away the promise of salvation by a Redeemer, or any way alter the method of a sinner's justification before God, and acceptance to eternal life, as exemplified in the case of Abraham: nor yet change, or lessen the obligation to those duties men owe to God, and to one another, founded on the permanent relations of things. It follows, that these, and the law of Moses, though different in their nature, and designed for very different purposes, were associated together in this economy, until, "In the fulness of time," God should send forth his Son. But though the promise still existed under the law, which was intended to bring men ultimately to Christ; yet the Mosaic economy exhibited the Messiah, and the nature and benefits of his kingdom, through a kind of veil. These appeared in it, like objects placed in the back-ground of a picture, distant, obscure, and diminished from their natural size. This representation best suited that age of the world, the state and circumstances of the Israelites, and the future designs of Providence. The prophets, indeed, as the *Gal. iii. 19. fulness of time when Christ should appear, drew nearer and nearer, often brought forward these important objects into a stronger light, and gave them a more bold and full appearance, directing the minds of the people to look through their external and temporary economy, to blessings more general, perinanent and satisfactory. Under this economy, God assumed the character, and had the title of King of Israel, jealous of his prerogatives and glory. The people were prone to idolatry, which was rebellion against their King; and all the laws tended to produce a spirit of bondage to fear," for their subjugation, that the external purposes of this dispensation might be obtained. So terrible was the appearance of the Divine majesty at the giving of the law, that the people said, "Let not God speak to us, lest we die."* And Moses himself said, "I exceedingly fear and quake." The punishments under this government were exceedingly severe; so that an error through inadvertency was sometimes punished with immediate death, which made the most pious among them afraid. The body of the ceremonial law, was minute, expensive, and laborious, and required the most servile obedience. Peter calls it a yoke, which neither they nor their fathers could bear:§ and Paul, a yoke of bondage. The yearly sacrifices brought their sins to their remembrance, the repetition showing they were not expiated. The people were kept at a distance from God in their worship; even from the symbol of his presence in the holiest of all, to which the high priest alone was admitted, and that but once a year.** And even at the burning of incense morning and evening, the people stood praying without.†† In their approaches to God in prayer, they addressed him as a Sovereign; under the title of God, or Lord; Jesus Christ being the first who taught us to say, "Our Father who art in heaven;" himself procuring for us this nagonoia, or freedom and openness of access to the presence of God. It was given in charge of Moses, that he should not let the priests, and the people, Blacɛodwoav,↓ break through the described limits in their approaches to God, nor invade a place deemed too holy for them to enter. This was never allowed under the ceremonial law. How different is our liberty! "From the days of John the Baptist," says our Lord,§§ the " kingdom of heaven, Biaṭstai, suffereth violence," or rather, is invaded by violence; that is, in violation of the commands and prohibitions of the ceremonial law: and the fences being broken down, which had shut out the Gentiles from it; and the formalities done away, which kept the Jews at a certain distance in bondage and fear, the Biasa, invaders, regardless of the solemnities and restrictions prescribed by the law, úoračsoi avτηv, seize upon it with eagerness and confidence, having boldness to enter into the holiest by a new and living way. The very word which the Seventy had used with a negative particle expressing prohibition, our Lord uses in the affirmative, thereby showing the prohibition was taken off. *Exod. xx. 19. + Heb. xii. 21. § Acts xv. 10. **Levit. xvi. 2. Heb. ix. 7. tt Luke i. 10. #2 Sam. vi. 7, 9. ** Septuagint, Exod. xix. 24. |