but will press on to the mark, to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: till you experimentally know all that love of God which passeth all (speculative) knowledge.

The lengthening of your life, and the restoring your health, are invaluable blessings; but do you ask how you shall improve them to the glory of the Giver? And are you willing to know? Then I will tell you how. Go and see the poor and sick in their own poor little hovels. Take up your cross, woman! Remember the faith! Jesus went before you, and will go with you. Put off the gentlewoman; you bear a higher character. You are an heir of God, and joint-heir through Christ! Are you not going to meet him in the air, with ten thousand of his saints? O be ready! J. W.

LETTER XXXIV.

Feb. 7, 1776.

I HAVE found some of the uneducated poor, who have exquisite taste and sentiment; and many, very many, of the rich, who have scarcely any at all. But I do not speak of this: I want you to converse more, abundantly more, with the poorest of the people, who, if they have not taste, have souls, which you may forward in their way to heaven. And they have (many of them) faith, and the love of God, in a larger measure than any persons I know. Creep in among these, in spite of dirt, and a hundred disgusting circumstances and thus put off the gentlewoman. Do not confine your conversation to genteel and elegant people; I should like this, as well as you do. But I cannot discover a precedent for it, in the life of our Lord, or any of his apostles. My dear friend, let you and I walk as he walked.

I now understand you with regard to the P-'s; but I fear, in this you are too delicate. It is certain their preaching is attended with the power of God to the hearts of many, and why not to yours? Is it not owing to a want of simplicity? "Are you going to hear Mr. Wesley?" said a friend to Mr. Blackwell. "No," he answered, "I am going to hear God: I listen to Him, whoever preaches, otherwise I lose all my labour."

"You will only be content to convert worlds? You shall hew wood, or carry brick and mortar and when you do this in obedience to the order of Providence, it shall be more profitable to your own soul than the other." You may remember Mr. De Renty's other remark: "I then saw that a well-instructed Christian is never hindered by any person or thing. For whatever prevents his doing good works, gives him a fresh opportunity of submitting his will to the will of God: which at that time is more pleasing to God, and more profitable to his soul, than any thing else which he could possibly do."

Never let your expenses exceed your income. To servants I would give full as much as others give for the same service: and not more. It is impossible to lay down any general rules, as to "saving all we can," and " 'giving all we can." In this, it seems, we must

needs be directed, from time to time, by the unction of the Holy One. Evil spirits have undoubtedly abundance of work to do in an evil world: frequently in concurrence with wicked men, and frequently without them.

LETTER XXXV.

Feb. 26, 1776.

WHAT I advise you to, is, not to contract a friendship, or even acquaintance, with poor, inelegant, uneducated persons; but frequently, nay, constantly, to visit the poor, the widow, the sick, the fatherless, in their affliction: and this, although they should have nothing to recommend them, but that they are bought with the blood of Christ. It is true, this is not pleasing to flesh and blood. There are a thousand circumstances usually attending it, which shock the delicacy of our nature, or rather of our education. But yet the blessing which follows this labour of love, will more than balance the cross.

"To be uneasy under obligations which we cannot repay," is certainly a fruit of diabolical generosity; and therefore Milton, with great propriety, ascribes it to the Devil, and makes him speak quite in character, when he says, concerning his obligations to God himself,

"So burdensome still paying, still to owe."

I am quite of another mind I entirely agree with you, that the more sensible we are of such obligations, the more happy we are. Surely this yoke is easy, and this burden is light!

Perhaps, if you give another reading to "Thoughts upon Dress," you will clearly see that both reason and religion are more deeply concerned than we are apt to imagine, even in the trifling article of dress: trifling if compared with the weightier matters of the law: yet in itself of no small importance: and that, whether you consider yourself as an individual, or as a member of a Christian society. Certainly, Dr. Young can only mean, "None is happy, unless he thinks himself so ;"-and truly this is no great discovery. Is it any more than "None is happy unless he is so ?" If he means more than this, he means wrong: For we know the best man is the happiest; but if I thought myself the best man in the world, I should be very proud, and consequently not happy at all. J. W.

LETTER XXXVI.

April 26, 1777.

TO begin at the end: I did not preach any sermon for you in particular, though by accident; I know what sermon you mean, and both you and I have need of it.

I have some fine remains of Charles Perronet's, where he describes his own experience. It exactly agrees with your's. He too was led at first to Jesus the Mediator, and seemed in a manner to have no concern with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Afterwards he had communion with the Father, next with the Spirit, and then VOL. 10.-C c

with the whole Trinity; you therefore are afraid where no fear is. Our Lord is not displeased at your following his Spirit.

I do not remember the making mention of covetousness; but it is likely I might; for I am exceedingly afraid of it, lest it should steal unawares, (as it always comes in disguise,) either upon myself or my friends. I know no way to escape it, but (having saved all we can) to give all we can. I think this is at present your rule as well as mine and I trust it always will be.

We cannot impute too much to divine Providence, unless we make it interfere with our free-agency. I suppose that young woman, by saying she did not believe God had any thing to do with it, only meant, that the passion itself was not at all from God, but altogether from evil nature: She could not mean, that' God does not, in a thousand instances, draw good out of evil, yea, that he may not sometimes permit us to be overtaken in a fault, to preserve us from a greater.

General rules are easily laid down. But it is not possible to apply them accurately in particular cases, without the anointing of the Holy One-This alone, abiding with us, can teach us of all things. Thus our general rule is, "Thou shalt do no murder:" which plainly forbids every thing that tends to impair health; and implies that we use every probable means of preserving, or restoring it. But when we come to apply this to particular instances, we are presently in a labyrinth, and want that anointing which alone can make plain the way before our face, and direct us to do in every minute circumstance, what is acceptable to God.

You have abundant reason to praise God, both for spiritual and temporal blessings. Beware of indulging gloomy thoughts; they are the bane of thankfulness. You are encompassed with ten thousand mercies; let these sink you into humble thankfulness.

LETTER XXXVII.

J. W.

Dec. 10, 1777.

YOU do not at all understand my manner of life. Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry; because I never undertake any more work than I can go through with perfect calmness of spirit. It is true, I travel four or five thousand miles in a year. But I generally travel alone in my carriage: and consequently, am as retired ten hours in the day, as if I were in a wilderness. On other days, I never spend less than three hours (frequently ten or twelve) in the day alone. So there are few persons in the kingdom who spend so many hours secluded from all company. Yet I find time to visit the sick and the poor; and I must do it, if I believe the Bible, if I believe these are the marks whereby the Shepherd of Israel will know and judge his sheep at the great day, therefore when there is time and opportunity for it, who can doubt, but this is matter of absolute duty? When I was at Oxford, and lived almost like a hermit, I saw not how any busy man could be saved. I scarcely thought it possible for a man to retain the Christian spirit, amidst the noise and

bustle of the world. God taught me better by my own experience. I had ten times more business in America (that is at intervals) than ever I had in my life. But it was no hinderance to silence of

spirit.

Mr. Boehm was Chaplain to Prince George of Denmark, Secretary to him and Queen Anne; principal Manager of almost all the public charities in the kingdom, and employed in numberless private charities. An intimate friend, knowing this, said to him when they were alone, "Sir, are you not hurt by that amazing hurry of business? I have seen you in your office, surrounded with people, listening to one, dictating to another, and at the same time writing to a third: Could you then retain a sense of the presence of God?" He answered, "All that company, and all that business, no more hindered or lessened my communion with God, than if I had been all alone in a church kneeling before the communion-table." Was it not the same case with him, to whom Gregory Lopez said, "Go and be a hermit in Mexico?" I am concerned for you: I am sorry you should be content with lower degrees of usefulness and holiness than you are called to! But I cannot help it; so I submit ;-and am still, my dear Miss Myours in sincere affection. JOHN WESLEY.

TO THE REV. MR. L

Oct. 15, 1786.

LAST night I had a long conversation with a few sensible men, concerning going to church. I asked them what objection they had to the hearing of Mr. L. They answered, "They could not hear him he generally spoke so low, that they lost a good part of what he said: and that what they could hear, was spoken in a dead, cold, languid manner, as if he did not feel any thing which he spoke." This would naturally disgust them the more, because Dr. Cleaned to the other extreme. I doubt there is some ground for their objection. But I should think, you might easily remove it. I asked again, "Have you any objection to any thing in his behaviour?" They answered, "One thing we cannot approve of; his being ashamed of the Methodists. His never recommending or defending them at all, we think, is a full proof of this: for every one knows his near relation and his many obligations to you. They know how you have loved and cherished him from a child." They might have added, "You owe your whole education to him and therefore, in effect, your ordination,-your curacy, your school,-yea, and your wife none of which you would in all likelihood, have had, had it not been for him."

I would add a word upon this head myself. I do not think you act wisely. Not one of your genteel friends can be depended on : they are mere summer-flies. Whereas had you condescended to

make the Methodists your friends, they would have adhered to you one and all: and they are already no inconsiderable body of people: beside that, they are increasing more and more.

Suffer me now to speak a word between you and me. Is not the reason of your preaching so languidly and coldly, that you do not feel what you say? And why not? Because your soul is not alive to God! Do you know that your sins are forgiven? I fear not. Can you say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth?" I doubt, if you did know it once, whether you know it now! Have you fellowship with the Father and the Son? Alas! it is well if you know what it means! And are you content to have your portion in this world? Do you savour only earthly things? Then I do not wonder, that you are shy to the Methodists; for they are not to your taste! O think and pray to-day! For I do not promise you, that you shall live another year! I now give you a full proof that I am,

Your truly affectionate,

TO MR. C

JOHN WESLEY.

Dundee, May 2, 1786. I DOUBT not but both and you are in trouble, because **** has changed his religion." Nay, he has changed his opinions, and mode of worship: but that is not religion: it is quite another thing. "Has he then," you may ask, "sustained no loss by the change?" Yes, unspeakable loss: because his new opinion, and mode of worship, are so unfavourable to religion, that they make it, if not impossible to one that once knew better, yet extremely difficult."

"What then is religion?" It is happiness in God, or in the knowledge and love of God. It is "faith working by love." Producing "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." In other words, it is a heart and life devoted to God: or, communion with God the Father and the Son: or, the mind which was in Christ Jesus, enabling us to walk as he walked. Now, either he has this religion, or he has not: if he has, he will not finally perish, notwithstanding the absurd, unscriptural opinions he has embraced, and the superstitious and idolatrous modes of worship. But these are so many shackles, which will greatly retard him in running the race that is set before him. If he has not this religion, if he has not given God his heart, the case is unspeakably worse: I doubt if he ever will; for his new friends will continually endeavour to hinder him, by putting something else in its place, by encouraging him to rest in the form, notions, or externals, without being born again, without having Christ in him, the hope of glory, without being renewed in the image of him that created him. This is the deadly evil. I have often lamented, that he had not this holiness, without which no man can sce the Lord. But though he had it not, yet in his hours of cool