4. What unites my heart to you is, the excellency (in many respects) of the doctrine taught among you: your laying the true foundation, "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself;" your declaring the free grace of God the cause, and faith the condition, of justification; your bearing witness to those great fruits of faith, ❝righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ;" and that sure mark thereof, "He that is born of God doth not commit sin."

5. I magnify the grace of God which is in many among you, enabling you to love him who hath first loved us; teaching you, in whatsoever state you are, therewith to be content; causing you to trample under foot the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; and, above all, giving you to love one another in a manner the world knoweth not of.

6. I praise God that he hath delivered, and yet doth deliver, you from those outward sins that overspread the face of the earth. No cursing, no light or false swearing, no profaning the name of God, is heard among you. No robbery or theft, no gluttony or drunkenness, no whoredom or adultery, no quarrelling or brawling, (those scandals of the Christian name,) are found within your gates. No diversions but such as become saints, as may be used in the name of the Lord Jesus. You regard not outward adorning, but rather desire the ornament of a serious, meek, and quiet spirit. You are not slothful in business, but labour to eat your own bread; and wisely manage "the mammon of unrighteousness," that ye may have to give to others also, to feed the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment.

7. I love and esteem you for your excellent discipline, scarce inferior to that of the apostolic age; for your due subordination of officers, every one knowing and keeping his proper rank; for your exact division of the people under your charge, so that each may be fed with food convenient for them; for your care that all who are employed in the service of the Church should frequently and freely confer together; and, in consequence thereof, your exact and seasonable knowledge of the state of every member; and your ready distribution either of spiritual or temporal relief, as every man hath need.

8. Perhaps, then, some of you will say, "If you allow all this, what more can you desire?" The following extract will answer you at large, wherein I have first given a naked relation (among other things) of many facts and conversations that passed between us in the some order of time as they occurred; and then summed up what I cannot approve of yet, that it may be tried by the word of God.

9. This I have endeavoured to do with a tender hand; relating no more than I believed absolutely needful; carefully avoiding all tart and unkind expressions, all that I could foresee would be disobliging to you, or any further offensive than was implied in the very nature of the thing; labouring every where to speak consistently with that deep sense which is settled in my heart, that you are (though I cannot call you Rabbi, infallible) yet far, far better and wiser than me.

10. And if any of you will smite me friendly, and reprove me; if you will show me wherein I have erred, either in the matter or manner of the following relation, or any part thereof, I will, by the grace of God, confess it before angels and men, in whatsoever way you shall require.

Meanwhile do not cease to pray for

Your weak, but still affectionate brother,

LONDON, June 24, 1744.

JOHN WESLEY.

JOURNAL.-No. IV.

THURSDAY, November 1, 1739.-I left Bristol, and, on Saturday, came to London. The first person I met with there, was one whom I had left strong in faith, and zealous of good works; but she now told me, Mr. Molther had fully convinced her, she never had any faith at all; and had advised her, till she received faith, to be still, ceasing from outward works; which she had accordingly done, and did not doubt but in a short time she should find the advantage of it. In the evening Mr. Bray, also, was highly commending the being still before the Lord. He likewise spoke largely of the great danger that attended the doing of outward works, and of the folly of people that keep running about to church and sacrament, "as I," said he, "did till very lately."

Sun. 4.-Our society met at seven in the morning, and continued silent till eight. One then spoke of looking unto Jesus, and exhorted us all to lie still in his hand. In the evening I met the women of our society at Fetter-lane; where some of our brethren strongly intimated that none of them had any true faith; and then asserted, in plain terms, 1. That, till they had true faith, they ought to be still; that is, (as they explained themselves,) to abstain from the means of grace, as they are called; the Lord's Supper in particular. 2. That the ordinances are not means of grace, there being no other means than Christ.

Wed. 7.-Being greatly desirous to understand the ground of this matter, I had a long conference with Mr. Spangenberg. I agreed with all he said of the power of faith. I agreed, that "whosoever is" by faith"born of God doth not commit sin:" but I could not agree, either, that none has any faith, so long as he is liable to any doubt or fear; or, that till we have it, we ought to abstain from the Lord's Supper, or the other ordinances of God. At eight, our society met at Fetterlane. We sat an hour without speaking. The rest of the time was spent in dispute; one having proposed a question concerning the Lord's Supper, which many warmly affirmed none ought to receive, till he had "the full assurance of faith."

I observed every day more and more, the advantage Satan had gained over us. Many of those who once knew in whom they had believed, were thrown into idle reasonings, and thereby filled with doubts and fears, from which they now found no way to escape. Many were induced to deny the gift of God, and affirm they never had any faith at all; especially those who had fallen again into sin, and, of consequence, into darkness; and almost all these had left off the means of grace, saying they must now cease from their own works; they must now trust in Christ alone; they were poor sinners, and had nothing to do but to lie at his feet.

Till Saturday, the 10th, I think I did not meet with one woman of the society who had not been upon the point of casting away her confidence in God. I then indeed found one, who, when many (according

to their custom) laboured to persuade her she had no faith, replied, with a spirit they were not able to resist," I know that the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me and he has never left me one moment, since the hour he was made known to me in the breaking of bread." What is to be inferred from this undeniable matter of fact,-one that had not faith received it in the Lord's Supper? Why, 1. That there are means of grace, that is, outward ordinances, whereby the inward grace of God is ordinarily conveyed to man; whereby the faith that brings salvation is conveyed to them who before had it not. 2. That one of these means is the Lord's Supper. And, 3. That he who has not this faith ought to wait for it, in the use both of this, and of the other means which God hath ordained.

Fri. 9.-I showed how we are to examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith; and afterward recommended to all, though especially to them that believed, true stillness, that is, a patient waiting upon God, by lowliness, meekness, and resignation, in all the ways of his holy Law, and the works of his commandments. All this week I endea voured also by private conversation to "comfort the feeble-minded," and to bring back "the lame" which had been "turned out of the way,” if haply it might be healed.

Mon. 12.-I left London, and in the evening expounded, at Wycombe, the story of the Pharisee and the Publican. The next morning, a young gentleman overtook me on the road, and, after awhile, asked me if I had seen Whitefield's Journals. I told him I had. “And what

do you think of them?" said he. "Don't you think they are d-n'd cant, enthusiasm from end to end? I think so." I asked him, "Why do you think so?" He replied, "Why, he talks so much about joy and stuff, and inward feelings. As I hope to be saved, I cannot tell what to make of it?" I asked, "Did you ever feel the love of God in your heart? If not, how should you tell what to make of it? Whatever is spoke of the religion of the heart, and of the inward workings of the Spirit of God, must appear enthusiasm to those who have not felt them; that is, if they take upon them to judge of the things which they own they know not." At four in the afternoon I came to Oxford, and to a small company in the evening explained the nature and extent of that salvation wherewith, "by grace, we are saved through faith." The next evening I showed, what it is to believe; as well as, more largely, what are the fruits of true believing; from those words of the Apostle, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

Thur. 15.-My brother and I set out for Tiverton. About eleven I preached at Burford. On Saturday evening I explained, at Bristol, the nature and extent of Christian perfection: and at nine in the morning preached at Bath, on, "I know that in me dwelleth no good thing.' In the afternoon I exhorted four or five thousand people at Bristol, neither to neglect nor rest in the means of grace. In the evening I endeavoured to lift up the hands that hung down, by declaring, “He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax."

Mon. 19.-I earnestly exhorted those who had believed, to beware of two opposite extremes,--the one, the thinking while they were in light and joy, that the work was ended, when it was but just begun;

the other, the thinking when they were in heaviness, that it was not begun, because they found it was not ended. At eight I exhorted the society to wait upon God in all his ordinances; and in so doing to be still, and suffer God to carry on his whole work in their souls. In that hour he was pleased to restore his light to many that sat in darkness; two of whom, till then, thought he had quite "cast out their prayer, and turned his mercy from them."

Tues. 20.-We set out, and on Wednesday, 21, in the afternoon, came to Tiverton. My poor sister was sorrowing almost as one without hope. Yet we could not but rejoice at hearing, from one who had attended my brother in all his weakness, that, several days before he went hence, God had given him a calm and full assurance of his interest in Christ. O may every one who opposes it be thus convinced that this doctrine is of God! Sat. 24.-We accepted an invitation to Exeter, from one who came thence to comfort my sister in her affliction. And on Sunday, 25, (Mr. D. having desired the pulpit, which was readily granted both for the morning and afternoon,) I preached at St. Mary's, on, "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Dr. Wtold me after sermon, "Sir, you must not preach in the afternoon." “Not," said he, "that you preach any false doctrine. I allow, all that you have said is true. And it is the doctrine of the Church of England. But it is not guarded. It is dangerous. It may lead people into enthusiasm or despair."

I did not readily see where the stress of this objection (so frequently started) lay. But upon a little reflection, I saw it plain. The real state of the case is this:-Religion is commonly thought to consist of three things, harmlessness, using the means of grace, and doing good, as it is called; that is, helping our neighbours, chiefly by giving alms. Accordingly, by a religious man is commonly meant, one that is honest, just and fair in his dealings; that is constantly at church and sacrament; and that gives much alms, or (as it is usually termed) does much good. Now, in explaining those words of the Apostle, "The kingdom of God" (or true religion, the consequence of God's dwelling and reigning in the soul) "is not meat and drink," I was necessarily led to show, that religion does not properly consist in any or all of these three things; but that a man might both be harmless, use the means of grace, and do much good, and yet have no true religion at all. And sure it is, had God then impressed this great truth on any who before was ignorant of it, that impression would have occasioned such heaviness in his soul as the world always terms despair.

Again, in explaining those words, "The kingdom of God" (or true religion) "is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," I insisted, that every follower of Christ ought to expect and pray for that "peace of God which passeth all understanding," that "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God," which is even now" unspeakable and full of glory;" and above all, (as being the very life and soul of religion, without which it is all dead show,) "the love of God, shed abroad in" his "heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him." But all this is "enthusiasm from end to end," to those who have the form of godliness, but not the power. I know indeed there is a way of explaining these

texts, so that they shall mean just nothing; so that they shall express far less of inward religion than the writings of Plato or Hierocles. And whoever "guards" them thus (but God forbid I should do it) will undoubtedly avoid all danger of either driving people into this despair, or leading them into this enthusiasm.

Tues. 27.—I writ Mr. D. (according to his request) a short account of what had been done in Kingswood, and of our present undertaking there. The account was as follows:

:

"Few persons have lived long in the west of England, who have not heard of the colliers of Kingswood; a people famous, from the beginning hitherto, for neither fearing God nor regarding man: so ignorant of the things of God, that they seemed but one remove from the beasts that perish; and therefore utterly without desire of instruction, as well as without the means of it.

"Many last winter used tauntingly to say of Mr. Whitefield, 'If he will convert Heathens, why does not he go to the colliers of Kingswood? In spring he did so. And as there were thousands who resorted to no place of public worship, he went after them into their own wilderness, 'to seek and save that which was lost.' When he was called away, others went into the highways and hedges to compel them to come in.' And, by the grace of God, their labour was not in vain. The scene is already changed. Kingswood does not now, as a year ago, resound with cursing and blasphemy. It is no more filled with drunkenness and uncleanness, and the idle diversions that naturally lead thereto. It is no longer full of wars and fightings, of clamour and bitterness, of wrath and envyings. Peace and love are there. Great numbers of the people are mild, gentle, and easy to be intreated. They do not cry, neither strive,' and hardly is their voice heard in the streets;' or indeed in their own wood; unless when they are at their usual evening diversion, singing praise unto God their Saviour.

“That their children too might know the things which make for their peace, it was some time since proposed to build a house in Kingswood; and after many foreseen and unforeseen difficulties, in June last the foundation was laid. The ground made choice of was in the middle of the wood, between the London and Bath roads, not far from that called Two Mile-Hill, about three measured miles from Bristol.

"Here a large room was begun for the school, having four small rooms at either end for the schoolmasters (and, perhaps, if it should please God, some poor children) to lodge in. Two persons are ready to teach, so soon as the house is fit to receive them, the shell of which is nearly finished; so that it is hoped the whole will be completed in spring, or early in the summer.

"It is true, although the masters require no pay, yet this undertaking is attended with great expense. But let Him that 'feedeth the young ravens' see to that. He hath the hearts of all men in his hand. If he put it into your heart, or into that of any of your friends, to assist in bringing this his work to perfection, in this world look for no recompense; but it shall be remembered in that day, when our Lord shall say, Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.'

Wed. 28. We left Tiverton, and the next day reached Bristol. On Friday many of us joined in prayer, for one that was grievously tormented. She raged more and more for about two hours, and then our Lord gave her rest. Five were in the same agony in the evening. I ordered them to be removed to the door, that their cries might neither