The first journal contains a curious story, which Wesley relates not upon hearsay, but from his own knowledge. "A servant of Mr. Bradley's sent to desire to speak with me. Going to him I found a young man ill, but perfectly sensible. He desired the rest to go out, and then said, On Thursday night, about eleven o'clock, being in bed, but broad awake, I heard one calling aloud, "Peter! Peter Wright!" and looking up, the room was as light as day, and I saw a man in very bright clothes stand by the bed, who said, "Prepare yourself; for your end is nigh;" and then immediately all was dark as before.' I told him, the advice was good, whencesoever it came.' In a few days he was recovered from his illness: his whole temper was changed as well as his life; and so continued to be, till after three or four weeks he relapsed and died in peace." NOTE XVI. Page 166. The Light of Christ shining in different Degrees under different Dispensations. UPON this point there is a curious coincidence of opinion between Wesley, and one who if they had been contemporaries would have been a far more formidable antagonist than any that ever grappled with him in controversy. "I have often," says South, "been induced to think that if we should but strip things of mere words and terms, and reduce notions to realities, there would be found but little difference (so far as it respects man's understanding) between the intellectus agens asserted by some philosophers, and the universal grace, or common assistances of the Spirit, asserted by some divines (and particularly by John Goodwin, calling it the Pagan's debt and dowry); and that the assertors of both of them seem to found their several assertions upon much the same ground; namely, upon their apprehension of the natural impotence of the soul of man, immersed in matter, to raise itself to such spiritual and sublime operations, as we find it does, without the 15sistance of some higher and divine principle.—Vol. IV. p. 362. NOTE XVII. Page 168. Wesley dates his Conversion. PHILIP HENRY "would blame those who laid so much stress on people's knowing the exact time of their conver sion, which he thought was with many not possible to do. Who can so soon be aware of the day-break, or of the springing up of the seed sown? The work of is grace better known in its effects than in its causes. He would sometimes illustrate this by that saying of the blind man to the Pharisees, who were so critical in examining the recovery of his sight: this and the other I know not concerning it, but "this one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." NOTE XVIII. Page 178. "THAT brave old man Johannes Amos Comenius, the fame of whose worth hath been trumpetted as far as more than three languages (whereas every one is indebted to his Janua) could carry it, was agreed withal by our Mr. Winthrop in his travels through the Low Countries, to come over into New England and illuminate this college (Harward) and country in the quality of a President: but the solicitations of the Swedish ambassador diverting him another way, that incomparable Moravian became not an American."-Cotton Mather's Magnalia, B. IV. p. 128. NOTE XIX. Page 200. Moravian Marriages. MARRIAGE is enumerated in one of the Moravian Hymns among the services of danger for which the brethren are to hold themselves prepared. "You as yet single and but little tied, That like the former warriors each may stand NOTE XX. Page 203. Fanatical Language of the Moravians. THE circumstance which gave occasion to much of their objectionable language is thus stated by Crantz, as having been" evidently directed by Providence. The Count having thrown some papers, which were of no further use, into the fire, they were all consumed, excepting one small billet, on which was written the daily word for the 14th of February; He chuses us to be his inheritance, the excellency of Jacob whom he loveth.' according to Luther's version.) Under Lutheran verse stood: O let us in thy nail-prints see Our pardon and election free.' (Psal. xlvii. 4. which the old "All the brethren and sisters who saw this billet, the only one which remained unconsumed among the cinders, were filled with a child-like joy; and it gave them an occasion to an heart-felt conversation with each other upon the wounds of Jesus, which was attended with such a blessed effect, as to make an happy alteration in their way of thinking and type of doctrine. The Count composed upon this verse the incomparable hymn, Jesu, our glorious Head and Chief, Our pardon and election free,'" &c. History of the Brethren, p. 180. I can produce but one sample of their strains upon this favourite subject, which would not be utterly offensive to every sane mind: "How bright appeareth the Wounds-Star And round the happy places Of the true Wounds-Church here below, Directly on our faces. Dear race of grace, Sing thou hymns on Four Holes crimson And side pierced, Bundle this of all the Blessed." Many of the translations in the volume of their hymns have evidently been made by Germans: - this I believe to have been one, and suppose that the German by help of his dictionary found out bundle and burden to mean the same thing, and therefore happily talks of the bundle of a song. The most characteristic parts of the Moravian hymns are too shocking to be inserted here: even in the humours and extravagances of the Spanish religious poets, there is nothing which approaches to the monstrous perversion of religious feeling in these astonishing productions. The Editor says, "Our Brethren and Sisters who have made esc Hymns are mostly simple and unlearned people, who have wrote them down at the time when the matters therein expressed were lively to their hearts; and therefore they are without art, or the niceties usually expected in poetry: yet notwithstanding to every heart that knows, or desires to know Christ, we doubt not but they will afford some The satisfaction and comfort of a much better kind." book indeed is not a little curious as a literary, or illiterary composition. The copy which I possess is of the third edition, printed for James Hutton, 1746. Of their silliness I subjoin only such a specimen as may be read without offence. "What is now to children the dearest thing here?— To be the Lamb's lambkins and chickens most dear. "And when Satan at an hour Let the children's angels say, These are Christ's chicks, go thy way.'" The following pye-bald composition is probably unique in its kind. It is intended for the Jews. "Isróel! to thy Husband turn again; The letter of divorcement. VOL. I. 2 Hosea, i. 6. I I 3 The Mediator. |