At two in the afternoon we came to Dresden, the chief city of Saxony. Here also we were carried, for above two hours, from one magistrate or officer to another, with the usual impertinent solemnity, before we were suffered to go to the inn. I greatly wonder that common sense and common humanity (for these doubtless subsist in Germany as well as England), do not put an end to this senseless inhuman usage of strangers, which we met with at almost every German city, though more particularly at Frankfort, Weymac, Halle, Leipsig, and Dresden. I know nothing that can reasonably be said in its defence, in a time of full peace, being a breach of all the common, even heathen laws of hospitality. If it be a custom, so much the worse; the more is the pity, and the more is the shame.

In the evening we saw the palace the late Elector was building, when God called him away. The stone-work he had very near finished, and some of the apartments within. It is a beautiful and magnificent design; but all is now swiftly running to ruin. The new church on the outside resembles a theatre: it is eight square, built of fine free-stone. We were desired also to take notice of the great bridge, which joins the new with the old town; of the large brass crucifix upon it, generally admired for the workmanship; and the late King Augustus's statue on horseback, which is at a small distance from it. Alas! where will all these things appear, when the earth and the works thereof shall be burnt up?

Between five and six the next evening, (having left Mr. Hauptman with his relations in Dresden), we came to Neustadt, but could not procure any lodging in the city. After walking half an hour, we came to another little town, and found a sort of an inn there; but they told us plainly, we should have no lodging with them; for they did not like our looks.

About eight we were received at a little house in another village, where God gave us sweet rest.

Tuesday, August 1, At three in the afternoon, I came to Hernhuth, about thirty English miles from Dresden. It lies in Upper Lusatia, on the border of Bohemia, and contains about an hundred houses, built on a rising ground, with ever-green woods on two sides, gardens and corn-fields on the others, and high hills at a small distance. It has one long street, through which the great road from Zittau to Lobau goes. Fronting the middle of this street is the or-phan-house; in the lower part of which is the apothecary's shop, in the upper, the chapel, capable of containing six or seven hundred people. Another row of houses runs at a small distance from either end of the orphan-house, which accordingly divides the rest of the town (beside the long street) into two squares. At the east end of it is the Count's house, a small plain building like the rest; having a large garden behind it well laid out, not for a show, but for the use of the community.

We had a convenient lodging assigned us, in the house appointed for strangers; and I had now abundant opportunity, of observing whether what I had heard was enlarged by the relators, or was neither more nor less than the naked truth.

I rejoiced to find Mr. Hermsdorf here, whom I had so often conversed with in Georgia; and there was nothing in his power which he did not do, to make our stay here useful and agreeable. About eight we went to the public service, at which they frequently use other instruments with their organ. They began, as usual, with singing: then followed the expounding, closed by a second hymn; prayer followed this; and then a few verses of a third hymn, which conIcluded the service.

Wednesday 2, At four in the afternoon was a love-feast of the married men, taking their food with gladness and singleness of heart, and with the voice of praise and thanksgiving.

Thursday 3, (and so every day at eleven), I was at the Bible Conference, wherein Mr. Miller, (late master of a great school in Zittau, till he left all to follow Christ), and several others, read together, as usual, a portion of Scripture in the original. At five was the conference for strangers, when several questions concerning justification were resolved. This evening Christian David came hither. O may God make him a messenger of glad tidings.

On Friday and Saturday (and so every day in the following week), I had much conversation with the most experienced of the brethren, concerning the great work which God had wrought in their souls, purifying them by faith and with Martin Dober, and the other teachers and elders of the church, concerning the discipline used therein.

Sunday 6, We went to church at Bertholdsdorf, a Lutheran village about an English mile from Hernhuth. Two large candles stood lighted upon the altar; the Last Supper was painted behind it; the pulpit was placed over it, and over that a brass image of Christ on

the cross.

The minister had on a sort of pudding-sleeve gown, which covered him all round. At nine began a long voluntary on the organ, closed with a hymn, which was sung by all the people sitting, in which posture, as is the German custom, they sung all that followed. Then the minister walked up to the altar, bowed, sung these Latin words, Gloria in excelcis Deo; bowed again, and went away. This was followed by another hymn, sung as before, to the organ by all the people. Then the minister went to the altar again, bowed, sung a prayer, read the Epistle, and went away. After a third hymn was sung, he went a third time to the altar, sung a versicle, (to which all the people sung a response), read the third chapter to the Romans, and went away. The people having then sung the Creed in rhyme, he came and read the Gospel, all standing. Another hymn followed, which being ended, the minister in the pulpit used a long extemporary prayer, and afterwards preached an hour and a quarter on a verse of the Gospel. Then he read a long intercession and general thanksgiving, which before twelve concluded the service.

After the evening service at Hernhuth was ended, all the unmarried men (as is their custom) walked quite round the town, singing praise with instruments of music; and then on a small hill, at a little distance from it, casting themselves into a ring, joined in prayer.

Thence they returned into the great square, and a little after eleven, commended each other to God.

Tuesday 8, A child was buried. The burying-ground (called by them Gottes Acker, i. e. God's ground) lies a few hundred yards out of the town, under the side of a little wood. There are distinct Squares in it for married men and unmarried; for married and unmarried women; for male and female children, and for widows. The corpse was carried from the chapel, the children walking first: next the orphan-father (so they call him who has the chief care of the orphan-house) with the minister of Bertholsdorf: then four children bearing the corpse, and after them, Martin Dober and the father of the child. Then followed the men, and last of all the women and girls. They all sung as they went. Being come into the Square 'where the male-children are buried, the men stood on two sides of it. The boys on the third, and the women and girls on the fourth. There they sung again: After which the Minister used (I think, read) a short prayer, and concluded with that blessing, "Unto God's gracious mercy and protection I commit you."

Seeing the father (a plain man, a Taylor by trade) looking at the grave, I asked, "How do you find yourself?" He said, "Praised be the Lord, never better. He has taken the soul of my child to himself. I have seen, according to my desire, his body committed to holy ground. And I know that when it is raised again, both he and I shall be ever with the Lord."

Several evenings this week I was with one or other of the private Bands. On Wednesday and Thursday I had an opportunity of talking with Michael Linner, the eldest of the church, and largely with Christian David, who, under God, was the first Planter of it.

Four times also I enjoyed the blessing of hearing him preach, during the few days I spent here: And every time he chose the very subject which I should have desired, had I spoken to him before. Thrice he described the state of those who are Weak in Faith, who are justified, but have not yet a new, clean heart; who have received forgiveness through the blood of Christ, but have not received the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. This state he explained once, from. Blessed are the poor in Spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: when he shewed at large from various scriptures, that many are children of God and heirs of the promises, long before their hearts are softened by holy mourning, before they are comforted by the abiding witness of the Spirit, melting their souls into all gentleness and meekness; and much more, before they are renewed in all that righteousness, which they hungered and thirsted after, before they are pure in heart from all self-will and sin, and merciful as their Father which is in heaven is merciful.

A second time he pointed out this state from those words, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death! I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Hence also he at large both proved the existence, and shewed the nature of that intermediate state, which most experience between that bondage which is described in the 7th

chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and the full glorious liberty of -the children of God, described in the eighth, and in many other parts of Scripture.

This he yet again explained from the scriptures which describe the state the Apostles were in, from our Lord's death (and indeed for some time before) till the descent of the Holy Ghost at the day of Pentecost. They were then clean, as Christ himself had borne them witness, by the word which he had spoken unto them. They then had faith, otherwise he could not have prayed for them, that their faith might not fail. Yet they had not new hearts; neither had they received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The fourth Sermon which he preached, concerning the ground of our Faith, made such an impression upon me, that when I went home, I could not but write down the substance of it, which was as follows:

"The word of Reconciliation which the Apostles preached, as the foundation of all they taught, was that 'we are reconciled to God, →not by our own works, nor by our own righteousness, but wholly and solely by the blood of Christ.'

"But you will say, must I not grieve and mourn for my sins? Must I not humble myself before my God? Is not this just and right? And must I not first do this before I can expect God to be reconciled to me? I answer, it is just and right. You must be humbled before God. You must have a broken and contrite heart. But then observe, this is not your own work. Do you grieve that you are a sinner? This is the work of the Holy Ghost. Are you contrite? Are you humble before God? Do you indeed mourn, and is your heart broken within you? All this worketh the self-same Spirit.

*

"Observe again, this is not the foundation. It is not this by which you are justified. This is not the righteousness, this is no part of the righteousness by which you are reconciled unto God. You grieve for your sins. You are deeply humble. Your heart is broken. Well. But all this is nothing to your justification. The remission of your sins is not owing to this cause, either in whole or in part. Nay, observe farther, that it may hinder your justification; that is, if you build any thing upon it; if you think, I must be so or so contrite. I must grieve more, before I can be justified. Understand this well. To think you must be more contrite, more humble, more grieved, more sensible of the weight of sin, before you can be justified; is, to lay your contrition, your grief, your humiliation for the foundation of your being justified: at least for a part of the foundation. Therefore it hinders your justification; and a hindrance it is which must be removed, before you can lay the right foundation. The right foundation is, not your contrition, (though that is not your own) not your righteousness, nothing of your own: Nothing that is wrought in you by the Holy Ghost; but it is something without you, viz. the righteousness and the blood of Christ.

*This is not guarded. These things do not merit our justification, but they are absolutely necessary in order to it. God never pardons the impenitent.

"For this is the word, 'To him that believeth on God that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' See ye not, that the foundation is nothing in us? There is no connexion between God and the ungodly. There is no tie to unite them. They are altogether separate from each other. They have nothing in common. There is nothing less or more in the ungodly, to join them to God. Works, righteousness, contrition? No. Ungodliness only. This then do, if you will lay a right foundation. Go straight to Christ with all your ungodliness. Tell him, Thou whose eyes are as a flame of fire searching my heart, seest that I am ungodly. I plead nothing else. I do not say, I am humble or contrite; but I am ungodly. Therefore bring me to him that justifieth the ungodly. Let thy-blood be the propitiation for me; for there is nothing in me but ungodliness.

"Here is a mystery. Here the wise men of the world are lost,

are taken in their own craftiness. This the learned of the world cannot comprehend. It is foolishness unto them. Sin is the only thing which divides men from God. Sin (let him that heareth understand) is the only thing which unites them to God; i. e. the only thing which moves the Lamb of God to have compassion upon, and by his 4blood, to give them access to the Father.

"This is the word of reconciliation which we preach. This is the foundation which never can be moved. By faith we are built upon this foundation: and this faith also is the gift of God. It is his free gift, which he now and ever giveth to every one that is willing to receive it. And when they have received this gift of God, then ← their hearts will melt for sorrow that they have offended him. But this gift of God lives in the heart not in the head. The faith of the head, learned from men or books, is nothing worth. It brings neither remission of sins, nor peace with God. Labour then to believe with your whole heart. So shall you have redemption through the blood of Christ. So shall you be cleansed from all sin. So shall ye go on from strength to strength, being renewed day by day in righteousness and all true holiness."

Saturday 12, Was the Intercession-day, when many strangers were present, some of whom came twenty or thirty miles. I would gladly have spent my life here; but my Master calling me to labour in another part of the vineyard, on Monday 14, I was constrained to take my leave of this happy place; Martin Dober, and a few others of the brethren, walking with us about an hour. O when shall this Christianity cover the earth, as the waters cover the seas!

To hear in what manner God out of darkness commanded this light to shine, must be agreeable to all those in every nation, who can testify from their own experience, The gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous acts, that they ought to be had in remembrance. I shall, therefore, here subjoin the substance of several conversations which I had at Hernhuth, chiefly on this subject. And may many be incited hereby to give praise unto him that sitteth the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever!

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