was, "We do and will do all we can to prevent those consequences which are supposed to be likely to happen after our death; but we cannot, in good conscience, neglect the present opportunity of saving souls while we live, for fear of consequences which may possibly, or probably, happen after we are dead." To this principle Mr. Wesley was I faithful unto death," and it is the true key to his public conduct. His brother, after some years, less steadily adhered to it; and most of the Clergymen, who attached themselves to Mr. Wesley in the earlier periods of Methodism, found it too bold a position, and one which exposed them to too severe a fire, to be maintained by them. It required a firmer courage than theirs to hold out at such a post; but the founder of Methodism never betrayed the trust which circumstances had laid upon him.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE year 1745 was chiefly spent by Mr. Charles Wesley in London, Bristol, and Wales. In the early part of the next year, he paid a visit to a society raised up by Mr. Whitefield at Plymouth, and from thence proceeded into Cornwall, where he preached in various places with great success; but in some of them amidst much persecution. He reviewed this journey with great thankfulness, because of the effects which had been produced by his ministry; and at the close of it he wrote the hymn beginning with the stanza,

"All thanks be to God,

Who scatters abroad

Throughout every place,

By the least of his servants, his savour of grace:
Who the victory gave

The praise let Him have;

For the work he hath done;

All honour and glory to Jesus alone!"

On his return to London, through the introduction of Mr. E. Perronet, a pious young man, he visited the Rev. Vincent Perronet, the venerable Vicar of Shoreham in Kent, a very holy and excellent Clergyman, of whose wise and considerate counsels the Wesleys afterwards frequently availed themselves, in all matters which involved particular difficulty. The name of Wesley was however, it seems, everywhere become a signal for riot; for being invited to perform service in Shoreham church," as soon," says he, "as I began to preach, the wild beasts began roaring, stamping, blaspheming, ringing the bells, and turning, the church into a bear-garden. I spoke on for half an hour, though only the nearest could hear. The rioters followed us to Mr. Perronet's house, raging, threatening, and throwing stones. Charles Perronet hung over me to intercept the blows. They continued their uproar after we got into the house." * Mr. E. Perronet returned with him to London, and accompanied him on a tour to the north. On the way, they visited Staffordshire, which was still riotous and persecuting; and Mr. Charles Wesley's young friend had a second specimen of the violent and ignorant prejudice with which these modern Apostles were followed. The mob beset the house at Tippen Green, and, beating at the door, demanded entrance. " I sat still,” says he, "in the midst of them for half an hour, and was a little concerned for E. Perronet lest such rough treatment, at his first setting out, should daunt him. But he abounded in valour, and was for reasoning with the wild beasts before they had spent any of their violence. He got a deal of abuse thereby, and not a little dirt, both of which he took very patiently. I had no design to preach; but being called upon by so unexpected a congregation, I rose at last, and read, 'When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory.' While I reasoned with them

of judgment to come, they grew calmer by little and little. I then spake to them, one by one, till the Lord had disarmed them all. One who stood out the longest, I held by the hand, and urged the love of Christ crucified, till, in spite of both his natural and diabolical courage, he trembled like a leaf. I was constrained to break out into prayer for him. Our leopards were all become lambs; and very kind we were at parting. Near midnight the house was clear and quiet. We gave thanks to God for our salvation, and slept in peace."

Proceeding onward to Dewsbury, he met with an instance of clerical candour, which, as it was rare in those times, deserves to be recorded: "The Minister did not condemn the society unheard, but talked with them, examined into the doctrine, they had been taught, and its effects on their lives. When he found that as many as had been affected by the preaching were evidently reformed, and brought to church and sacrament, he testified his approbation of the work, and rejoiced that sinners were converted to God."+

After visiting Newcastle, he went, at the request of Mr. Wardrobe, a dissenting Minister, to Hexham, where the following incidents occurred: I walked directly to the market-place, and called sinners to repentance. A multitude of them stood staring at me, but all quiet. The Lord opened my mouth, and they drew nearer and nearer, stole off their hats, and listened; none offered to interrupt, but one unfortunate esquire who could get no one to second him. His servants and the constables hid themselves; one he found, and bid him go and take me down. The poor constable simply answered, Sir, I cannot have the face to do it, for what harm does he do?' Several Papists attended, and the church Minister who had refused me his pulpit with indignation. However he came to hear with his own ears. I wish all who hang first would, like him, try us afterwards.

* Journal.

+ Whitehead's Life.

"I walked back to Mr. Ord's through the people, who acknowledged, It is the truth, and none can speak against it.' A constable followed, and told me, Sir Edward Blacket orders you to disperse the town,' (depart, I suppose he meant,) and not raise a disturbance here.' I sent my respects to Sir Edward, and said, if he would give me leave, I would wait upon him and satisfy him. He soon returned with an answer, that Sir Edward would have nothing to say to me; but if I preached again, and raised a disturbance, he would put the law in execution against me. I answered that I was not conscious of breaking any law of God or man; but if I did, I was ready to suffer the penalty; that, as I had not given notice of preaching again at the Cross, I should not preach again at that place, nor cause a disturbance anywhere. I charged the constable, a trembling, submissive soul, to assure his worship that I reverenced him for his office' sake. The only place I could get to preach in was a cock-pit, and I expected Satan would come and fight me on his own ground. 'Squire Roberts, the Justice's son, laboured hard to raise a mob, for which I was to be answerable; but the very boys ran away from him, when the poor 'squire persuaded them to go down to the cock-pit and cry fire. I called, in words then first heard in that place, Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.' God struck the hard rock, and the waters gushed out. Never have I seen a people more desirous of knowing the truth at the first hearing. I passed the evening in conference with Mr. Wardrobe. O that all our Dissenting Ministers were like-minded, then would all dissensions cease for ever! November 28th, at six, we assembled again in our chapel, the cock-pit. I imagined myself in the Pantheon, or some heathen temple, and almost scrupled preaching there at first; but we found the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.' His presence consecrated the place. Never have I found a

greater sense of God than while we were repeating his own prayer. I set before their eyes Christ crucified. The rocks were melted, and gracious tears flowed. We knew not how to part. I distributed some books among them, which they received with the utmost eagerness, begging me to come again, and to send our Preachers to them." *

After preaching in various parts of Lincolnshire, and the midland counties, Mr. Charles Wesley returned to London: but soon, with unwearied spirit, in company with Mr. Minton, he set off for Bristol, taking Devizes by the way, where he had as narrow an escape for his life as his brother had experienced at Wednesbury. An account of these distinguished Ministers of Christ would be imperfect without a particular notice of a few of their greatest perils. They show the wretched state of that country which they were the appointed instruments of raising into a higher moral and civil condition, and they illustrate their own character. Each of the brothers might truly say with an Apostle, and his coadjutors, "We have not received the spirit of fear, but of power, (courage,) of love, and of a sound mind." They felt, too, that they had "received" it; for, with them, "boasting was excluded "by that "law of faith" which led them in all things to trust in and to glorify God. The account is taken from Mr. Charles Wesley's Journal. The Devizes mob had this peculiarity, that it was led on not only by the Curate, but by two Dissenters: thus Herod and Pilate were made friends :"

February 25th,—a day never to be forgotten. At seven o'clock I walked quietly to Mrs. Philips's, and began preaching a little before the time appointed. For three quarters of an hour, I invited a few listening sinners to Christ. Soon after, Satan's whole army assaulted the house. We sat in a little ground-room, and ordered all the doors to be thrown open. They brought a hand engine, and began to play into the house. We kept our

* Journal.