flesh," at once to give efficiency to instruments in themselves feeble, however gifted, and so " to order the unruly wills and passions of men," that they may be subdued and sanctified by the truth. If such effusions of divine influence be looked for, and on such principles, as the means of spreading the power of Christianity generally, we may surely believe it quite accordant both with the spirit and letter of Scripture, that the same influence should often be exerted to preserve and to revive religion; and that if nations, already Christian, are to be the instruments of extending Christianity, not in name only, but in its spirit and sanctity into all the earth, they should be prepared for this high designation by the special exercise of the same agency turning them from what is merely formal in religion to its realities, and making them examples to others of the purifying grace of the Gospel of God our Saviour. Let it then be supposed, (no great presumption, indeed,) that Christians have quite as good a foundation for these opinions as others can boast for that paltry philosophy by which they would explain the effects produced by the preaching of holy and zealous Ministers in different ages; and we may conclude that such effects, as far as they are genuine, are the result of divine influence; and, when numerous and rapid, of a divine influence specially and eminently exerted, giving more than ordinary assistance to the minds of men in their religious concerns, and rendering the obstinate more inexcusable by louder and more explicit calls. Of the extraordinary circumstances which have usually accompanied such visitations, it may be said, that if some should be resolved into purely natural causes, some into real enthusiasm, and (under favour of our philosophers) others into satanic imitation, a sufficient number will remain, which can only be explained by considering them as results of a strong impression made upon the consciences and affections of men by an influence ascertained to be divine, though

usually exerted through human instrumentality, by its unquestionable effects upon the heart and life. Nor is it either irrational or unscriptural to suppose, that times of great national darkness and depravity, the case certainly of this country at the outset of Mr. Wesley and his colleagues in their glorious career, should require a strong remedy; and that the attention of a sleeping people should be roused by circumstances which could not fail to be noticed by the most unthinking, We do not attach primary importance to secondary circumstances; but they are not to be wholly disregarded. The Lord was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the "still small voice;" yet that "still small voice might not have been heard, except by minds roused from their inattention by the shaking of the earth, and the sounding of the storm.

If, however, no special and peculiar effusion of divine. influence on the minds of many of Mr. Wesley's hearers be supposed; if we only assume the exertion of that ordinary influence which, as we have seen, must accompany the labours of every Minister of Christ to render them successful in saving men, the strong emotions often produced by the preaching of the founder of Methodism might be accounted for on principles very different from those adopted by many objectors. The multitudes to whom he preached were generally grossly ignorant of the Gospel; and he poured upon their minds a flood of light; his discourses were plain, pointed, earnest, and affectionate; the feeling produced was deep, piercing, and in numberless cases such as we have no right, if we believe the Bible, to attribute to any other cause than that inward operation of God with his truth which alone can render human means effectual. Many of those on whom such impressions were made retired in silence, and nurtured them by reflection. The "stricken deer " hastened into solitude, there to bleed, unobserved by all but God. This was the case with the

majority; for visible and strong emotions were the occasional, and not the constant, results. At some seasons indeed effects were produced which, on Christian principles, we may hesitate not to say, can only be accounted for on the assumption that the influence was both divine and special; at others, the impression was great, but yet we need assume nothing more than the ordinary blessing of God which accompanies "the word of his grace," when delivered in the fulness of faith and love, in order to account for it. But beside those who were silently pierced, and whose minds were sufficiently strong to command their emotions, there were often many of a class not accustomed to put such restraints upon themselves. To a powerful feeling they offered but a slight resistance, and it became visible. To many people, then, as now, this would appear extravagant; but on what principle can the genuineness of the impression be questioned? Only if no subsequent fruit appeared. For if a true conversion followed, then, if there be truth in religion itself, the "finger of God" must be acknowledged.

We have hitherto seen Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield labouring together in harmony, and uniting in a common design to promote the revival of scriptural Christianity through the land. But Mr. Wesley about this time, being impressed with the strong tendency of the Calvinistic doctrines to produce Antinomianism, published a Sermon against absolute Predestination, at which Mr. Whitefield, who sometime previously had embraced that notion, took offence. A controversy between them, embracing some other points, ensued, which issued in a temporary estrangement; and they laboured from this time independently of each other; their societies in London, Kingswood, and other places, being kept quite separate.

A reconciliation however took place between Mr.Wesley and Mr. Whitefield in January 1750, so that they preached in each other's chapels. The following entry on this subject

appears in his Journal :-"s Friday 19th. In the evening I read prayers at the chapel in West-street, and Mr. Whitefield preached a plain, affectionate discourse. Sunday 21. He read prayers, and I preached. Sunday 28.

I read prayers, and Mr. Whitefield preached. How wise is God, in giving different talents to different Preachers! So, by the blessing of God, one more stumbling block is removed." "*

The following extract from Mr. Whitefield's Will is a pleasing instance of generous, truly Christian feeling :— "I leave a mourning ring to my honoured and dear friends, and disinterested fellow-labourers, the Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, in token of my indissoluble union with them in heart and Christian affection, notwithstanding our difference in judgment about some particular points of doctrine.” *

Mr. Wesley, at Mr.Whitefield's own desire, preached his funeral sermon at the Tabernacle, Moorfields.

Several Preachers were now employed by Mr. Wesley to assist in the growing work, which already had swelled beyond even his and his brother's active powers suitably to supply with the ministration of the word of God. Mr. Charles Wesley had discouraged this from the beginning, and even he himself hesitated; but, with John, the promotion of religion was the first concern, and church order the second, although inferior in consideration to that only. With Charles these views were often reversed. Mr. Wesley, in the year 1741, had to caution his brother against joining the Moravians, after the example of Mr. Gambold, to which he was at that time inclined; and adds, "I am not clear, that brother Maxfield should not expound at Grey-hound Lane; nor can I as yet do without him. Our Clergymen have increased full as much as the Preachers." Mr. Maxfield's preaching had the strong sanction of the Countess of Huntingdon; but so little of design, with * Journal.

bling; others sunk down and uttered loud and piercing cries; others fell into a kind of agony. In some instances whilst prayer was offered for them, they rose up with a sudden change of feeling, testifying that they had "redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Mr. Samuel Wesley, who denied the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins, treated these things, in a correspondence with his brother, alternately with sarcasm and serious severity, and particularly attacked the doctrine of assurance. In this controversy, Mr. John Wesley attaches no weight whatever to these outward agitations; but contends that he is bound to believe the profession made by many, who had been so affected, of an inward change, because that had been confirmed by their subsequent conduct and spirit. On the subject of assurance, the disputants put forth their logical acuteness; but the result appears to have been upon the whole instructive to the elder brother; whose letters soften considerably towards the close of the dispute. Mr. Samuel Wesley died in the following November. The circumstances to which he objected, although he knew them only by report, and was too far removed from the scene to be an accurate judge, have since that time furnished ample subject for serious or satirical animadversion to many writers, and to none more than to Dr. Southey.* A few general remarks upon this point may not therefore be here out of place. By this writer it is affirmed, that great importance was attached by Mr. Wesley to those emotions, and bodily affections, which occasionally occurred; and that the most visionary persons, and those who pretended ecstasies, dreams, &c., were, at least in the early part of his ministry, the objects of his special respect, as eminently holy and favoured. This is so far from the fact, that it is difficult to meet with a Divine whose views of religion are more practical and definite. He did * Life of Wesley.