consisting of fifty-six persons, all of whom seek for salvation only in the blood of Christ. As yet we have only two small bands of women, the one of three, the other of five persons. But here are many others who only wait till we have leisure to instruct them, how they may most effectually build up one another in the faith and love of Him who gave himself for them.

Though my brother and I, are not permitted to preach in most of the churches in London, yet thanks be to God, there are others left, wherein we have liberty to speak the truth as it is in Jesus. Likewise every evening, and on set evenings in the week at two several places, we publish the word of reconciliation, sometimes to twenty or thirty, sometimes to fifty or sixty, sometimes to three or four hundred persons, met together to hear it. We begin and end all our meetings with singing and prayer: and we know that our Lord heareth our prayer, having more than once or twice, and this was not done in a corner, received our petitions in that very hour. "Nor hath he left himself without other witnesses of his grace and truth. Ten ministers I know now in England, who lay the right foundation, The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' Over and above whom, I have found one Anabaptist, and one, if not two of the teachers among the Presbyterians here, who, I hope, love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and teach the way of God in truth.

"O cease not, ye that are highly favored, to beseech our Lord that he would be with us even to the end, to remove that which is displeasing in his sight, to support that which is weak among us, to give us the whole mind that was in him, and teach us to walk even as he walked! And may the very God of peace fill up what is wanting in your faith, and build you up more and more in all lowliness of mind, in all plainness of speech, in all zeal and watchfulness; that he may present you to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that ye may be holy and unblameable in the day of his appearing."

We should not do justice to Mr. Wesley, were we to suppose, that he meant in this letter to insinuate, that there were only ten clergymen in England who preached the gospel. He particularly refers to those he personally knew, who had been lately awakened out of sleep, and now saw the way of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And his principles and connexions, as a high churchman, had separated him from all denominations of Dissenters, so that he could have had very little acquaintance with them. haps the three to whom he refers, were all he could speak of from his own personal knowledge; though no doubt many others taught the way of God in truth.

Per

Mr. Wesley pursued his labors with unremitting diligence, spending his time from an early hour in the morning, till night, in preaching, exhorting, praying, or conversing with the people, on subjects that related to christian experience. November 22. He again wrote to three or four of his religious friends, and spake more freely than before, of the state of his own mind.

66 TO DR. KOKER, AT ROTTERDAM.

"My desire and prayer to God is, that the glorious gospel of his Son, may run and be glorified, among you, as it doth among us;

and much more abundantly! I should rejoice to hear, what our Lord hath done for you also. Is the number of believers multiplied? Do they love one another? Are they all of one heart and one soul? Do they build up one another, in the knowledge and love 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 laborers so few; and it increases upon us daily. Verily the spirit of the Lord hath lift up his standard against the iniquity which had overspread our land as a flood! O pray ye for us, that he would send more laborers into his harvest! And that he would enable us whom he hath already sent, to approve ourselves faithful ministers of the New Covenant, by honor and dishonor, 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. VINEY, AT YSSELSTEIN.

"After a long sleep, there seems now to be a great awakening in this place also. The spirit of the Lord hath already shaken the dry bones, and some of them stand up and live. But I am still dead and 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 forgotten you. I cannot forget you, because I love you: 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.

"May our good Lord repay you all a thousand fold for the love you showed 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 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 eagles' wings, by any extatic 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 labors, only by a religious fervor 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 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 laboring 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 pursuits.

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, 66 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 down to Bristol, and there first began to preach in the open air, to incredible numbers of people. Mr. Wesley continued his labors in London and Oxford alternately, and occasionally in the neighboring 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 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 warinly 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 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.

*See vol. i. page 118.

BOOK THIRD.

CHAPTER I.

CONTAINING A VIEW OF MR. WESLEY'S LABORS AS AN ITINERANT PREACHER, AND OF THE FORMATION OF SOCIETIES, &C. TILL THE FIRST METHODIST-CONFERENCE, IN 1744.

I HAVE now traced the steps of Mr. Wesley, from his infancy to the present period, which forms an important era in his life. He now commenced a Field-preacher, as he was called, and itinerancy naturally followed, which 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 minutia 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 by a strange chain of providences, he was admirably fitted, without any design of his own, to prosecute the plan he now entered upon through all its consequences. After many years of painful labor and exercise of mind, he had obtained clear and distinct views of the gospel; and what was especially necessary to his success, he well understood the order observable in the gradations of christian experience, from the first commencement of a work of grace on the mind, to its consummation. He had long been inured to fatigue and hardship; a qualification highly necessary for the success of his present plan of proceedings. He had experienced great opposition, contempt, reproach, and even persecution, both in England and America; which made them appear in the prospect of his new undertaking less formidable to him, than they would have done to others. Most of the churches in London had been shut against him, so that his opportunities of preaching became very limited, and as he durst not be silent, he was reduced to a sort of necessity to preach in the open air, in opposition to his former notions and habits. But he observes, "I have since seen abundant reason to adore the wise providence of God herein, making a way for myriads of people, who never troubled any church, or were likely so to do, to hear that word which they soon found to be the power of God unto salvation."

April 1. Mr. Whitefield having left Bristol, Mr. Wesley began to expound to a little society, accustomed to meet in NicholasStreet, our Lord's sermon on the mount; "One pretty remarkable precedent," says he, "of field-preaching, though I suppose there

were churches at that time also. Monday the second, I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad-tidings of salvation, speaking from a little eminence in a ground adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people."-His preaching was attended with surprising success, so that in a very short time, a few, and afterwards a greater number, agreed to meet together, to edify and strengthen one another, as the people already did in

London.

Mr. Wesley continued in Bristol and the neighboring places till June. He thus describes his public labors through the week. "My ordinary employment in public, was now as follows: every morning I read prayers and preached at Newgate. Every evening I expounded a portion of Scripture, at one or more of the societies. On Monday in the afternoon I preached abroad near Bristol; on Tuesday at Bath and Two-mile Hill, alternately. On Wednesday, at Baptist-Mills. Every other Thursday, near Pensford. Every other Friday, in another part of Kingswood. On Saturday, in the afternoon, and Sunday morning, in the Bowling-green. On Sunday at eleven, near Hannam-Mount; at two, at Clifton; at five, at Rose-Green. And hitherto, as my day is, so is my strength.”—He tells us, he could scarcely reconcile himself at first, to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which Mr. Whitefield had set him the example; "Having been," says he, "till very lately so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a church."

During this summer, his preaching at Bristol was attended with some extraordinary circumstances, which made much noise, and gave great offence. Under the sermon, some persons trembled from head to foot: others, fell down and cried with a loud and bitter cry: whilst others became speechless, and seemed convulsed as if in the agonies of death. After prayer for them, many rose up rejoicing in God, and testifying, they had redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Some afterwards said, they had so strong a representation of Christ to their mind at that time, that it seemed like a vision of him, evidently set forth crucified among them; and in that moment they were enabled to believe on him. Others pretended they had a similar representation of him in a dream, and through faith received the remission of sins. No regard ought to be had to these declarations as evidences of conversion; because the judgment of these persons must be greatly confused, while their passions were so much agitated. Mr. Wesley himself, at first knew not how he ought to judge of these extraordinary things; but when he found that most of the persons so affected, held fast their confidence, and walked worthy of their christian calling, adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, he could not deny that there was a real, genuine work of grace upon their minds. He did not however consider agitations, visions, or dreams, as any evidence of a true conversion to God; but as adventitious or accidental circumstances, which from various causes might, or might not, attend it: and this view of them, he thought perfectly consistent with Scrip