him to explain what reason he had for thinking he should not live long. And showing at the same time his love for John, and his admiration of the great qualities which he possessed, he adds, " I should be very angry with you, if you cared for it, should you have broken your iron constitution already; as I was with the glorious Pascal for losing his health, and living almost twenty years in pain." ❝ in your

"I argue against assurance," he says, or any sense, as part of the gospel covenant, because many are saved without it. You own you cannot deny exempt cases, which is giving up the dispute. Your assurance, being a clear impression of God upon the soul, I say, must be perpetual, must be irreversible, else it is not assurance from God, infallible and omnipotent. Your seeing persons reformed is nothing to this. Dear brother, do you dream I deny the grace of God? but to suppose the means whereby they are so in this sense, is, in my opinion, as very a petitio principii as ever was. You quarrel not at the word miracle, nor is there any reason you should, since you are so well acquainted with the thing. You say the cross is strongly represented to the eye of the mind. Do these words signify in plain English the fancy? Inward eyes, ears, and feelings, are nothing to other people. I am heartily sorry such alloy should be found among so much piety. My mother tells me she fears a formal schism is already begun among you, though you and Charles are ignorant of it. For God's sake take care of that,

S

and banish extemporary expositions and extemporary prayers. I have got your abridgement of Haliburton; if it please God to allow me life and strength, I shall demonstrate that the Scot as little deserves preference to all Christians but our Saviour, as the book to all writings* but those you mention. There are two flagrant falsehoods in the very first chapter. But your eyes are so fixed upon one point, that you overlook every thing else you overshoot, but Whitefield raves."

In his reply to this letter, John recurred to his own notion of assurance. "The Gospel," he says, and me,

"promises to you me, and our children, and all that are afar off, even as many of those whom the Lord our God shall call, as are not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, the witness of God's Spirit with their spirit, that they are the children of God; that they are now, at this hour, all accepted in the beloved: but it witnesses not that they always shall be. It is an assurance of present salvation only: therefore not necessarily perpetual, neither irreversible." The doctrine is unexceptionable, the error lay in the indiscreet use of a term, which in strict logic, and in common acceptation, means more than this, and certainly would be understood in its largest import. He reverted also to the same facts concerning the manner in which this assurance was conveyed. "I am one of many wit

*Wesley had said, in his Preface to the "Extract of the Life and Death of Mr. Thomas Haliburton,”- "I cannot but value it, next to the Holy Scriptures, above any other human composition, excepting only the Christian Pattern, and the small remains of Clemens Romanus Polycarp, and Ignatius."

nesses of this matter of fact, that God does now make good this his promise daily, very frequently during a representation (how made I know not, but not to the outward eye) of Christ, either hanging on the cross, or standing on the right hand of God. And this I know to be of God, because from that hour the person so affected is a new creature, both as to his inward tempers and outward life. Old things are past away, and all things become new." His brother's argument respecting such representations is here left unanswered, because it was unanswerable. But the state of his own judgement at this time is ascertained, (if such proof were necessary,) by his continuing in a belief that the Scriptures had communicated to him a knowledge of his early death. In reply to his brother's affectionate enquiry upon this subject, he says, "I am now in as good health (thanks be to God) as I ever was since I remember, and I believe shall be so as long as I live, for I do not expect to have a lingering death. The reasons that induce me to think I shall not live long, are such as you would not apprehend to be of any weight. I am under no concern on this head; let my Master see to it."

The case of John Haydon was triumphantly stated in this letter. Wesley was firmly convinced that such cases were signs and wonders; and he was soon enabled to answer, as he believed, victoriously, those persons who maintained that they were purely natural effects, and that people fainted away only because of the heat and closeness of the

rooms; or who affirmed that it was all imposture; that the patients might avoid such agitations if they would; else why were these things done only in their private societies? why were they not done in the face of the sun?" To-day," says Wesley in his journal, "our Lord answered for himself. For while I was enforcing these words, Be still, and know that I am God, he began to make bare his arm; not in a close room, neither in private, but in the open air, and before more than two thousand witnesses. One, and another, and another, were struck to the earth, trembling exceedingly at the presence of his power. Others cried, with a loud and bitter cry, What must we do to be saved?' and in less than an hour seven persons, wholly unknown to me till that time, were rejoicing and singing, and with all their might giving thanks to the God of their salvation." In the evening of that same day, at their meeting in Nicholas-Street, he was interrupted almost as soon as he had begun to speak, (so strongly were his auditors now predisposed for the influence,) by the cries of one "who was pricked to the heart," and groaned vehemently for pardon and peace. Presently another dropped down; and it was not long before a poor little boy caught the affection, and fell also in one of these frightful fits. The next was a young man, by name Thomas Maxfield, a stranger in Bristol, who had come to this meeting from a mere motive of curiosity, and there received an impression which decided the course of his future life. He fixed his eyes on the boy, and sunk down him

self as one dead, but presently began to roar and beat himself against the ground, so that six men could scarcely hold him. “ Except John Haydon," says Wesley, "I never saw one so torn of the Evil One. Meanwhile many others began to cry out to the Saviour of all, that he would come and help them; insomuch, that all the house, and indeed all the street, for some space, was in an uproar. But we continued in prayer; and before ten, the greater part found rest to their souls." The day's work, however, was not yet concluded. "I was called from supper," he says, "to one who, feeling in herself such a conviction as she had never known before, had run out of the society in all haste, that she might not expose herself. But the hand of God followed her still, so that after going a few steps, she was forced to be carried home, and when she was there, grew worse and worse. She was in violent agony when we came. We called upon God, and her soul found rest. About twelve, I was greatly importuned to go and visit one person more. She had only one struggle after I came, and was then filled with peace and joy. I think twentynine in all had their heaviness turned into joy this day." A room, in which they assembled at this time, was propped from beneath for security; but, with the weight of the people, the floor gave way, and the prop fell with a great noise. The floor sunk no farther; but, alarming as this was, after a little surprize at first, they quietly attended to the preacher as if nothing had happened, so entirely were they possessed by him. When he held forth

a