ment, absolutely refused to read even the king's declaration; and though surrounded with courtiers, soldiers, and informers, he preached a bold and pointed discourse against it from these words: "If

it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

THE METHODISTS.

Although John Wesley is generally considered as the founder of the Methodists, yet the basis was laid by Mr. Whitefield, who was preaching to large assemblies in London, Bristol, Gloucester, and other places; while Mr. Wesley was unsuccessfully attempting to convert the heathen in Georgia. It is, therefore, apparent, that though the Wesleys had never existed, Whitefield would have given birth to Methodism. When Whitefield, however, having excited this powerful sensation in England, had departed for Georgia, to the joy of those who dreaded the excesses of his zeal, no sooner had he left the metropolis, than Wesley arrived there, to deepen and widen the impression which Whitefield had made. Had their measures been concerted, they could not more entirely have accorded.

The first sermon which Wesley preached in Lond on was upon these strong words : If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ;" and though he himself had not yet reached the same stage in hi progress as his more ardent coadjutor, the discourse

was so high strained, that he was informed he was not to preach again in that pulpit from which it was delivered.

On the next Sunday he preached at St. Andrew's, Holborn; but in a style to which the pulpit of that church was so unused, and so contrary to the passive and compatible views which then so generally regu-lated the practice of the clergymen of the establishment, that he was in like manner informed, that he must preach there no more.

Wesley thus driven from the pulpits of the church, was led to form that separate, yet kindred, establishment, which has since been productive of such great results.

Even at this period, however, Wesley appears to have had doubts as to his call to preach the gospel. We learn this from the account he gives us of his conversations with Peter Boehler, a Moravian, who accompanied him on a visit of some days to Oxford. During these days he conversed much with the Moravian, but says that he understood him not; and least of all when he said, Mi frater, mi frater, execoquenda est ista tua Philosophia. Boehler possessed one kind of philosophy in a higher degree than his friend; the singularity of their appearance and manner excited some mockery from the under-graduates; and the German, who perceived that Wesley was annoyed by it chiefly on his account, said with a smile, Mi frater, non adhæret vestibus,” "it does not even stick to our clothes." This man, a person of no extraordinary powers of mind, became Wesley's teacher; it is no slight proof of his commanding intellect, that he was listened to as such, and by him. "In the hands of the great God," says Wesley, "I was clearly convinced of unbelief, of the

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want of that faith whereby alone we are saved." A scruple immediately occurred to him, whether he should leave off preaching, and Boehler answered, By no means.' "But what can I preach ?" said Wesley. The Moravian replied, "Preach faith till you have it; and then because you have it, you will preach faith." Accordingly he began to preach this doctrine, though, he says, his soul started back from the work.

John Wesley had a great aversion to lay-preaching at first, and his brother Charles called it a pestilent error; but the adopting it was forced upon him by circumstances, and in the selection zeal was the principal qualification which he required. If the preacher possessed no other requisite for the work, and failed to produce an effect upon his hearers, his ardour was soon cooled, and he withdrew quietly from the field; but such cases were not frequent. The gift of speaking is an ordinary one, and when the audience are in sympathy with the speaker, they are easily pleased or affected; the understanding makes no demand, provided the passions find their food. But on the other hand, when enthusiasm was united with strength of talents, and of character, Wesley was a skilful preceptor, who knew how to discipline the untutored mind, and to imbue it thoroughly with the system. No founder of a monastic order ever more entirely possessed the respect, as well as the love and admiration, of his disciples; nor better understood their individual characters, and how to deal with each according to the measure of his capacity. Where strength of mind and steadiness were united with

warmth of heart, he made the preacher his counsellor, as well as his friend. When only simple zeal was to be found, he used it for his instrument as long as it lasted. An itinerant, who was troubled with doubts respecting his call, wrote to him in a fit of low spirits, requesting that he would send a preacher to supersede him in his circuit, because he believed he was out of his place. Mr. Wesley replied, in one short sentence, "Dear brother, you are indeed out of your place; for you are reasoning, when you ought to be praying.”

The compensation to the preachers among the Wesleyan Methodists, has always been very inconsiderable. On the first establishment of circuits, the wives of itinerant preachers were allowed four shillings per week during the absence of their husbands, and one pound per quarter for each child. When the husband was at home, eighteen pence a day was allowed for his board, at the rate of sixpence for dinner, and fourpence for breakfast, tea, and supper but when invited out, the allowance was deducted.

There is a letter of advice from Mr. Wesley to one of his Irish preachers, written in the year 1769, which gives a curious picture of the people for whom such advice could be useful.

"Dear brother," he says, "I shall now tell you the things which have been, more or less, upon my mind, ever since I was in the north of Ireland. If you forget them, you will be a sufferer, and so will the people; if you observe them, it will be good for both. Be steadily serious. There is no country upon earth where this is more necessary than in Ireland, as you are generally encompassed with those who, with a little encouragement, would laugh or trifle from

morning till night. In every town visit all you can, from house to house; but on this, and every other occasion, avoid all familiarity with women; this is deadly poison, both to them and to you. You cannot be too wary in this respect. Be active, be diligent; avoid all laziness, sloth, and indolence; fly from every degree, every appearance of it, else you will never be more than half a christian. Be cleanly; in this let the methodists take pattern by the quakers.

Let thy mind's sweetness have its operation
Upon thy person, clothes, and habitation.'

Whatever clothes you have, let them be whole; no rents, no tatters, no rags; these are a scandal to either man or woman, being another fruit of wild laziness. Mend your clothes, or I shall never expect to see you mend your lives. Let none ever see a ragged methodist. Do not cut off your hair; but clean it, and keep it clean.

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I

Use no snuff unless prescribed by a physician. suppose no other nation in Europe is in such vile bondage to this silly, nasty, dirty custom, as the Irish are. Touch no dram; it is liquid fire; it is a sure, though slow, poison; it saps the very springs of life. In Ireland, above all countries in the world, I would sacredly abstain from this, because the evil is so general; and to this, and snuff, and smoky cabins, I impute the blindness which is so exceeding common throughout the nation."

K