"The whole matter lies in this, that we should suffer ourselves to be relieved." Sixteen Disc. p. 17. "One must do nothing, but quietly attend the voice of the Lord." Ibid. p. 29.

"To tell men who have not experienced the power of grace, what they should do, and how they ought to behave, is as if you should send a lame man upon an errand." Ibid. p. 70.

"The beginning is not to be made with doing what our Saviour has commanded. For whosoever will begin with doing, when he is dead, he can do nothing at all: but whatever he doth in his own activity, is but a cobweb, i. e. good for nothing." Ibid. p. 72, 81. "As soon as we remain passive before him as the wood which a table is to be made from, then something comes of us."

Seven Disc. p. 22.

O my brethren, let me conjure you yet again, in the name of our common Lord, if there be any consolation of love, if any bowels and mercies, remove the fly out of the pot of ointment, separate the precious from the vile! Review, I beseech you, your whole work, and see if Satan hath gained no advantage over you. Very excellent things have been spoken of thee, O thou City of God. But may not He who hath the sharp sword with two edges, say, Yet I have a few things against thee. O that ye would repent of these, that ye might be a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing!

Three things above all permit me, even me, to press upon you, with all the earnestness of love. First, with regard to your doctrine, that ye purge out from among you, the leaven of Antinomianism, wherewith you are so deeply infected, and no longer make void the law through faith: Secondly, with regard to your discipline, that ye call no man, Rabbi, Master, Lord of your faith, upon earth. Subordination, I know, is needful, and I can shew you such a subordination, as in fact answers all Christian purposes: and is yet as widely distant from that among you, as the heavens are from the earth. Thirdly, with regard to your practice, that ye renounce all craft, cunning, subtlety, dissimulation; wisdom, falsely so called; that ye put away all disguise, all guile out of your mouth: that in all simplicity and godly sincerity, ye have your conversation in this world; That ye use great plainness of speech to all, whatever ye suffer thereby; seeking only, by manifestation of the truth, to commend yourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

June 24, 1741.

1

AN

EXTRACT

OF THE

REV. JOHN WESLEY'S

JOURNAL,

No. V.

FROM SEPTEMBER 6, 1741, TO OCTOBER 27, 1743:

SUN

UNDAY, Sept. 6, 1741, observing some, who were beginning to use their liberty as a cloak for licentiousness, I enforced in the morning those words of St. Paul, (worthy to be written in the heart of every believer) All things are lawful for me; but all things are not expedient. And in the evening that necessary advice of our Lord, That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

Monday 7, I visited a young man in St. Thomas's Hospital, who in strong pain, was praising God continually. At the desire of many of the patients, I spent a short time with them, in exhortation and prayer. O what a harvest might there be, if any lover of souls, who has time upon his hands, would constantly attend these places of distress, and with tenderness and meekness of wisdom, instruct and exhort those on whom God has laid his hands, to know and improve the day of their visitation!

Wednesday 9, I expounded in Greyhound-lane, Whitechapel, part of the 107th Psalm. And they did rejoice whom the Lord had redeemed and delivered from the hand of the enemy.

Saturday 12, I was greatly comforted by one, whom God had lifted up from the gates of death, and who was continually telling, with tears of joy, what God had done for his soul. Sunday 13, I met about two hundred persons, with whom severally I had talked the week before, at the French chapel, in Hermitage-street, Wapping, where they gladly joined in the service of the Church: and particularly, in the Lord's Supper.

Friday 18, I buried the only child of a tender parent, who having soon finished her course, after a short sickness went to Him her soul loved, in the fifteenth year of her age.

Sunday 20, I preached in Charles's-square, Hoxton, on these awful words, This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I trust, God blessed his word. The scoffers stood abashed, and opened not their mouths.

Monday 21, I set out, and the next evening met my brother at Bristol, with Mr. Jones, of Fonmon-Castle in Wales: now convinced of the truth as it is in Jesus, and labouring with his might, to redeem the time he had lost, to make his calling sure, and to lay hold on eternal life.

Thursday 24, In the evening we went to Kingswood. The house was filled from end to end. And we continued in ministering the word of God, and in prayer and praise until the morning.

Sunday 27, I expounded at Kingswood (morning and afternoon) at Bristol and at Baptist-Mills, the message of God to the Church of Ephesus particularly, that way of recovering our first love, which God hath prescribed and not man: Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works.

Tuesday 29, I was pressed to visit Nicholas Palmer, one who had separated from us, and behaved with great bitterness, until God laid his hand upon him. He had sent for me several times, saying, "He could not die in peace until he had seen me." I found him in great weakness of body and heaviness of spirit. We wrestled with God on his behalf. And our labour was not in vain. His soul was comforted; and a few hours after, he quietly fell asleep.

Thursday, October 1, We set out for Wales. But missing our passage over the Severn in the morning, it was sun-set before we could get to Newport, We inquired there, if we could hire a guide to Cardiff. But there was none to be had. A lad coming in quickly after, who was going, he said to Lanissan, a little village two miles to the right of Cardiff, we resolved to go thither. At seven we set out. It rained pretty fast, and there being neither moon nor stars, we could neither see any road nor one another, nor our own horses heads. But the promise of God did not fail. He gave his angels charge over us. And soon after ten we came safe to Mr. William's house at Lanissan. Friday 2, We rode to Fonmon-Castle. We found Mr. Jones's daughter ill of the small pox. But he could cheerfully leave her and all the rest, in the hands of Him in whom he now believed. In the evening I preached at Cardiff, in the Shire-hall, a large and convenient place, on God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. There having been a feast in the town that day, I believed it needful to add a few words upon Intemperance. And while I was saying," As for you drunkards, you have no part in this life: you abide in death; you choose death and hell:" A man cried out vehemently, "I am one: and thither I am going.' But I trust God, at that hour, began to shew him and others, a more excellent way.

Saturday 3, About noon we came to Ponty-pool. A clergyman stopped me in the first street; and a few more found me out soon after, whose love I did not find to be cooled at all, by the bitter adversaries who had been among them. True pains had been taken to set them against my brother and me, by men who know not t what man

ner of spirit they are of. But instead of disputing, we betook ourselves to prayer. And all our hearts were knit together as at the first.

Those who are bitter

In the afternoon we came to Abergavenny. of spirit had been here also. Yet Mrs. James (now Mrs. Whitefield) received us gladly as she had done aforetime. But we could not procure even two or three to join with us in the evening beside those of her own household. Sunday 4, I had an unexpected oppor-. tunity of receiving the Holy Communion. In the afternoon we had a plain, useful sermon, on the Pharisee and the Publican praying in the temple: which I explained at large in the evening, to the best dressed congregation I have ever yet seen in Wales. Two persons came to me afterwards, who were (it seemed) convinced of sin and groaning for deliverance.

Monday 5, I preached in the morning at Ponty-pool, to a small, but deeply attentive congregation. Mr. Price conducted us from hence to his house at Waterford. After resting here an hour, we hastened or and came to Fonmon, where I explained and enforced those words, What must I do to be saved? Many seemed quite amazed, while I shewed them the nature of salvation, and the gospelway of attaining it.

Tuesday 6, I read prayers and preached at Porth-kerry church. My next text was, By grace ye are saved, through faith. In the evening at Cardiff I expounded Zechariah iv. 7. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. The next morning we set out, and in the evening praised God, with our brethren, in Bristol.

Thursday 8, I dined with CT, greatly praising God for having done his own wise and holy will, in taking away the desire of his eyes in the evening I preached on Looking unto Jesus.. And many were filled with consolation.

Friday 9, The same spirit helped our infirmities at the hour of Intercession and again at Kingswood in the evening. I was just laid down, when one came and told me, Howel Harris desired to speak with me at Bristol, being just come from London, and having appointed to set out for Wales at three in the morning. I went, and found him with Mr. Humphreys and Mr. S. They immediately fell upon their favourite subject: on which when we had disputed two hours, and were just where we were at first, I begged we might exchange controversy for prayer. We did so, and then parted in much love, about two in the morning.

Saturday 10, His journey being deferred till Monday, H. Harris came to me at the New Room. He said, "As to the decree of reprobation, he renounced and utterly abhorred it. And as to the not falling from grace, 1, He believed, That it ought not to be mentioned to the unjustified, or to any that were slack and careless, much less that lived in sin, but only to the earnest and disconsolate mourners. 2, He did himself believe, it was possible for one to fall away, who had been enlightened with some knowledge of God, who had tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost: