and as long as we ftayed there. It was on February the 18th, 1743, that we began our march from Ghent to Germany. When I came to my quarters, my heart was ready to break, thinking I was upon the very brink of hell. We halted fix days, and then marched again. The day following, as foon as I had mounted my horse, the love of God was shed abroad in my heart. I knew, God, for Christ's fake, had forgiven all my fins, and felt, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. This I enjoyed about three weeks, but then loft it, by grieving the holy spirit of God. I then walked about, much cast down, and knew not what to do. But April, 22, the Lord fhewed me, that I did not live as became the Gospel of Chrift. I was greatly afhamed before God. In the evening as I was walking in the fields with an heavy heart, I prayed earnestly to God, that he would fmite the rock, and cause the waters to flow. He answered my prayer. My head was as waters, and my eyes as a fountain of tears. I wept: I fung. I had fuch a fenfe of the love of God, as furpaffes all description. Well might Solomon fay, Love is frong as death. Now I faw, I had aright to thee tree of life: and knew, if I then put off the body, I fhould enter into life eternal. 21. Feeling I wanted help both from God and man, I wrote to Mr. Wesley: who fent me a speedy answer, as follows: "It is a great bleffing whereof God as already made you a partaker: but if you continue waiting upon him, you shall fee greater things than these. This is only the beginning of the kingdom of heaven which he will fet up in your heart. There is yet behind, the fulness of the mind that was in Chrift, righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. It is but a little thing that men fhould be against you, while you know God is on your fide. If he gives you any companion in the narrow way it is well; and it is well if he does not. So much the more will he teach, and ftrengthen you by himself; he will inftruct you in the fecret of your heart. And by and by, he he will raise up, as it were, out of the duft, those who fhall fay, "Come and let us magnify his name together." But by all means miss no opportunity. Speak and fpare not; declare what God has done for your foul: regard not worldly prudence. Be not afhamed of Chrift, or of his word, or of his work, or of his fervants. Speak the truth in love, even in the midst of a crooked generation; and all things fhall work together for good, until the work of God is perfect in your foul." 22. We now marched on through a pleasant country: and my foul was full of peace. I did speak, and not spare, with little interruption. Only at one time, when I was speaking of the goodness of God, one of our Officers, (and one that was accounted a very religious man!) told me, I “deserved to be cut in pieces, and to be given to the Devil." But I was enabled (bleffed be God!) to love, pity, and pray for him. 23. After a long and tiresome march, we arrived at Dettingen. Here we lay in camp for fome time, very near the French: only the river Mayne ran between us. June 16, I was ordered out on the Grand Guard with all expedition. 'When we came to the place appointed, I saw many of the French army marching on the other fide the river. It was not long, before I heard the report of a French cannon. I faid, "We shall have a battle to day;" but my comrades did not believe me. Presently I heard another, and then a third; the ball came along by us. Many of the French had croffed the river, and many more were in full march toward it. We had orders to return with all speed. The firing increased very faft and feveral were killed or wounded, fome by the cannon balls, fome by the limbs of the trees which the balls cut of Meantime we marched on one fide of the river; part of the French army on the other. The battle was foon joined with fmall arms, as well as cannon, on both fides. It was very bloody: thousands on each fide were fent to their long home. I had no fooner joined the regiment, than my left-hand man was was fhot dead. I cried to God and faid, In thee have I trufted! Let me never be confounded! My heart was filled with love, peace, and joy, more than tongue can exprefs. I was in a new world! I could truly fay, Unto you that believe he is precious. I ftood the fire of the enemy feven hours. And when the battle was over, I was sent out with a party of men to find the baggage waggons, but returned without fuccefs. In the mean while the army was gone and I knew not which way. I went to the field where the battle was fought; but such a scene of human misery, did I never behold! It was enough to melt the moft obdurate heart. I knew not now, which way to take, being afraid of falling into the hands of the enemy. But as it began to rain hard, I fet out, though not knowing where to go; 'till hearing the beat of a drum, I went toward it, and foon rejoined the army. But I could not find the tent which I belonged to, nor perfuade them to take me in, at any other. So being very wet and much fatigued, I wrapt me up in my cloak, and lay down and fell asleep. And though it ftill rained hard upon me, and the water ran under me, I had as sweet a night's reft as ever in my life. [To be concluded in our next.] LET T TE ER S. LETTER CIX. [From the Rev. Mr. Welley, to the Monthly Reviewers.] Sept. 9, 1756. Gentlemen, FOR OR a confiderable time I have had a defire to trouble you with a few Lines; but have been prevented, partly by a variety of other business, partly by the small probability VOL. III. Dd of of your impartially confidering what was faid. I will however make the trial: if you can read candidly, well; if not, 'tis but a little labour lost. The Question I would propofe is this: Is it prudent, is it juft, is it humane, to jumble whole bodies of people together, and condemn them by the lump? Is it not a maxim now almost univerfally received, that there are good and bad in every Society? Why then do you continually jumble together and condemn by the lump, the whole body of people, called Methodists? Is it prudent (juft to touch even on fo low a confideration) to be conftantly infulting and provoking, those who do you no wrong, and had far rather be your friends than your enemies? Is it confiftent with humanity, to ftrike again, one who gives no provocation and makes no refiftance? Is it common juftice, to treat with fuch contempt as you have done in the last month's Review, those who are by no means contemptible Writers? Be perfuaded, Gentlemen, to give yourselves the pains of reading either Mr. Herbert's Providence, or the verses which Norris intitles The Meditation, and you will find them fcarce inferior either in fenfe or language to moft Compofitions of the prefent Age. To fpeak more freely fill: where is the juftice of coupling the hymns of Methodifis and Moravians together? Lay prejudice afide; and read with candour but the very first hymn in our firft hymn book; and then fay, whether your profe is not as nearly allied to John Bunyan's, as our verfe to Count Z-'s. As probably you have never feen the books which you condemn, I will tranfcribe a few lines. Thee when morning greets the fkies With rofy cheeks and humid eyes; Thee, when fweet declining day Sinks in purple waves away; Thee will I fing, O Parent Jove! Yonder Yonder azure vault on high, Thou shakest all nature with thy nod, Sea, earth, and air, confefs thee God: Both earth and heaven, both firm and main. The feathered fouls that fwim the air, O ye nurses of foft dreams, Reedy brooks, and winding streams, Sound his praise, by whom you rofe, Oye immortal woods and groves, Dd 2 Beneath |