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discovered a clear head, and extensive experience, were remarkably instructive. His conversation was generally cheerful, and, on some occasions, facetious and witty; but a person could scarcely ever converse with him without being both pleased and profitted. His short pithy sentences conveyed more information, in a few minutes, than the gabble of a talkative person could do in half a day.

In his highest state of worldly prosperity, he never sought the ornaments of fashion; but, from conscientious motives, was remarkably plain in his dress. One would have judged, from his outward appearance, that he was a plain, neat, little farmer. Nor would any have supposed, on meeting him, had he not krown him before, that he had met the benevolent Mr. Webb, who was giving away scores of pounds in a year to promote charitable institutions, and to relieve the poor. Thus it is, that true Christianity, when it takes deep root in the heart, elevates the soul above the vain appearances of a perishing world.

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Industry was always agreeable to Mr. Webb. In his old age, he used to work either in the gardens, or in other places, from morning to night; not for money, but to make himself useful. From the days of his youth he had been actively employed in laborious exercises; and he never wished, while health and strength continued, to depart from the early and excellent habits which he had formed. In this respect he was a fine example to all around him; and we may safely say to every one, especially to every youth, "Go thou and do likewise."

Our valuable friend was not partial to much company; and, yet, his house was always open to the ministers of religion; and he treated them on all occasions with the most generous hospitality. The reverend and venerable John Wesley, the reverend Dr. Coke, and other eminent men were frequent visitors at his house. Now and then he entertained other friends; but I never saw him in any visiting party, except at the houses of his beloved children. This conduct deserves commendation; for frequent visits, among religious people, are expensive, and injurious to their best interests.

Though Mr. Webb was not a great reader, yet, he was partial to useful books on the subject of religion. The first time I saw him, he was confined to his bed, by the bite of a dog; and, there, he was going through the works of the pious Fletcher. The writings of the Rev. John Wesley, were greatly admired by him; and, I believe, he had read them through again and again. He saw, what every sensible man must see, that it is best for people, engaged in the active duties of life, to confine themselves to the Bible, and to a few well-chosen books, on the essential doctrines and duties of Christianity.

His attachment to the doctrines and discipline of Methodism,

for more than half a century, was firm and unshaken. He rereived our doctrines under a conviction that they are founded on the Holy Scriptures; and he considered our discipline as a wise and prudent economy; and, from these views he never varied an hair's breadth, all the days of his life. Whoever came into the society, or, whoever went out of it, he still remained a member, and stood at the post of duty. Some who are proud and vain are soon hurt, as they express it, and others are naturally unstable; but Mr. Webb, being truly humble, was not easily hurt; and in good things was as firm as a rock.

The late Mr. John Mason, one of our venerable old preachers; was the friend and companion of Mr. Webb. They set out for the kingdom about the same time; formed a close intimacy; and their friendship continued till death. When Mr. Mason was at Portsmouth, the house of Mr. Webb was his home; and he spent much time there in his old age; and especially after he became a supernumerary preacher.

Mr. Webb had the pleasure of seeing all his children in the way to Zion before his death. For the salvation of one, whom he had by his first wife, and who had been a grief to him, he was particularly solicitous. During her last illness, he spent much time with her every day; engaged his friends, the preachers, to visit her; and, finally had good hope in her death. On that occasion, I never witnessed a scene more affecting. His whole heart was in the work of her conversion; and, though he well knew that the Lord only can pardon sin, and renew the heart; yet, he diligently used the means, and, then, left the event to him.

Our venerable departed friend may be considered, under God, as the father of the Methodist society in and about Portsmouth; but he is gone to his reward, in a better world! May we follow his bright example; may we enjoy his blessedness; and may God have all the glory! I cannot conclude this account, without a short address to my readers, in the appropriate language of the apostle Paul: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. xv. 58. Amen.

Birmingham, Sept. 12, 1819.

DIVINITY.

J. E.

A SERMON of the Rev. Mr. FLETCHER, on EPHESIANS v. 14,

"Awake thou that sleepest."

I described, in my last discourse, the state of an unconverted man, called in Scripture a natural man: or, in other words, the state of one who neither loves nor fears God; who hanging over

everlasting destruction only by the thread of life, lives unconcerned, being buried in worldly cares or pleasures, and bound down in his spiritual grave by stupidity, presumption, and sin; who fondly thinks that he shall go to heaven without becoming a new creature, and in that hope securely sleeps on, upon the very brink of eternal ruin; fancying, perhaps, that the false peace which he enjoys, is "the peace of God which passes all understanding." And I proved, that, if his false peace be not broken, if he be not awakened out of that deep spiritual sleep he is in; if he be not convinced that he is in a state of condemnation, and cannot escape the second death unless Christ causes him to pass from darkness to light; he has not the least ground to hope that the curse, which follows every natural man, shall not overtake and sink him into hell in the day of judgment. Now the next thing we must do is to consider how he may be awakened into a real desire to "work his salvation out with fear and trembling." It is not in his power, brethren, or in that of any man living, to do that work of himself: here must the omnipotence of God begin to interpose, the Spirit of Jesus must make the wound as well as bind it up, for he is alone the "author and finisher of our salvation." It is true he has various ways of calling a sinner, and of crying to him, while he hides himself behind the trees of his performances, and the pityful fig-leaves of his own righteousness, "Adam (natural man) where art thou?" But he alone can speak to the heart, and make the outward call effectual. Nothing but the convincing Spirit of God can force a stupid sinner to exclaim, in the anguish of his soul, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." Nevertheless, it is highly necessary for us to know by what means the Spirit of God usually thus awakes drowsy sinners, that if we have been such, we may humble ourselves for having hardened our hearts against those means to this day, and pay them a due regard for the future. I shall, there fore, first, consider what they are, and then conclude by exhorting you not to resist or abuse them any more.

Though the ways in which God awakens sinners are very numerous, yet they can be distinguished in general into extraordinary and ordinary ones.

A man may be awakened in an extraordinary way by an unexpected and terrifying sight, as was St. Paul on his journey to Damascus; by a gracious thought darted into his heart on a sudden, thus was St. Peter stopped in the full career of his sin by a look from Christ, which confounded him, and caused him to retire and weep bitterly; by some extraordinary Providence, as the jailor at Philippi, who feeling the prison tremble, came himself, trembling, and, falling down before Paul and Silas, cried out, VOL. XLII. DECEMBER, 1819. * 5 K *

"What must I do to be saved?" Or, as some, who, hearing of the dreadful earthquake which destroyed Lisbon,* and buried alive in a heap of ruins, so many thousands, who, ten minutes before, thought themselves as safe as we do now, were immediately brought to consider, and say, "Were God to lay his hand upon me in the same manner now, should I be ready for death and judgment?" And the Spirit of God, improving their fear, impressed on their hearts a lively sense of the necessity of their preparing to meet their God, and giving all diligence to make their calling and election sure. Some have been awakened in an uncommon manner, by receiving an unexpected token of God's goodness and patience, by restoring them from a desperate fit of illness, or by wonderfully preserving them in some imminent danger. For though such mercies are generally overlooked and forgotten, yet one, perhaps, in a thousand, remembers them for good, and spends to the glory of God the life which his longsuffering remarkably preserved. A few more have been awakened by feeling, when retired from the noise of the world, I know not what uneasiness and trouble of mind, whereby, perceiving that nothing had yet filled the boundless capacity of their minds, or satisfied their desires, and that the world could never make them happy, they were brought to conclude that they wanted Christ; and that nothing but the enjoyment of the favour and love of God could give them that peace and comfort which the world neither knows nor enjoys. Some again have been struck with a deep sense of their danger, and a true desire to "flee from the wrath to come," by reading something striking concerning the state of their souls in a book of devotion, or by opening the Bible on some threatening of the law, as, "Cursed is he that doth not persevere in all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them;" or some condition of the gospel, as "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God;" which being applied to their hearts by the power of God, did not suffer them to rest till they rested in Christ.

These, and many more, are the extraordinary ways in which sinners may be, and sometimes are, awakened out of their spiritual sleep, and made to consider their latter end; but we' may very well look on them as miracles of grace, which we have little room to expect God will work on our behalf; especially as his ordinary method is to work in a more common way; by affliction, by Christian conversation, and by the preaching of his word.

Blessed be the mercy of God, many are those who can say with David, "It was good for me to be afflicted." The loss of a husband, wife, parent, child, has engaged some to make their peace

* November 1, 1755..

with God, that they might live and die in his favour, and meet their departed friends at his right hand. Some unexpected and grievous calamity has opened the eyes of others to see their sinfulness and guilt, and give glory to God by confessing it. Thus Manasses, that monster of wickedness, who had filled Jerusalem with blood, when he was stripped of his royal robe, and carried away into captivity, cried out under a load of chains and sin, "Spare me, spare me, O Lord," till God answered in mercy, and made him as great a monument of repentance as he had been before of sin and iniquity.-In the like manner proud Nebuchadnezzar, when he was reduced to the condition of a beast, and wandered in the fields forsaken of all, was brought at last to true. contrition and humiliation before the God of heaven and earth, and began to worship him in spirit and in truth, issuing a decree that every knee should bow before him in all his dominions. Such is the power of afflictions to bring a fallen man to the knowledge of himself, and make him perceive his want of the favour and love of God.

The New Testament also affords us several instances of the truth of this observation: there the prodigal son, when reduced to so wretched a state as to have no clothing but rags, and no food but the husks intended for the swine, bethinks himself of returning to his father, with a penitent confession of his sin and folly, and an humble request for pardon and acceptance, not indeed to be treated as a son, but as a hired servant. Poor Lazarus, when the dogs licked his sores, and when he sees that no relief is to be expected at the hands of man, secures a place in Abraham's bosom, and thinks of feeding on God by faith, since he cannot feed on the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. The man, thus also, sick of the palsy, gets himself carried to Jesus, and hears those words, "Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee," which he would not have heard had he not been afflicted with sickness. And the woman, who had spent all her substance upon physicians, presses at last after our Saviour, touches him, and is healed both in soul and body, rejoicing that her faith had made her whole. Thus some of you, I hope, finding that you had nothing but troubles, sorrows, disappointments, sickness, hard labour, and poverty for your portion here, may at last have thought of securing the better part with Mary, that better part never to be taken from you. For why should an afflicted soul choose to have tribulation here, and the everlasting miseries of hell hereafter? Why should the poor refuse to be rich in grace? Why should he, who gets by the sweat of his brow the clothes he has upon his back, reject the robe of Christ's righteousness? Why should he, that eats the bread of labour and affliction, refuse to eat the food of angels, the bread that comes down from heaven? And yet, O amazing reflection! O killing thought!

* 5 K 2 #

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