None
None
Sars,. 7 SS AE? yp SSN < ( bw on Nee Cé RG, * Pe, « i —_ — a x am ee ~— (Goer ee ope eees Pas eeeer bee cea) Drew Theological Seminary. —PRESENTED BY— SELL EADS SES SAE CHIE, POPC rete y hr. o Geir , Sees Ope Pre tRNA LE LILY OY LA ERC A AD ea Sa Sad Henry Manlys Book. | may O€ Henry Manly,s Book 179 Wy SG ea eS ae rovr T s SE pe Arminian Miszine, Foxe Sait, Byazt C O'N'S.IS BR INIGZOUs EX ToR Aves Sa A N D ORIGINAL TREATISES _ ON Univerlal Redemption. VOLUM E VI. | LO NOD OLN yy Printed by J. Paramore, at the Foundry, Moorfields; And fold at the New Chapel, City-Road, and by all the Bookfellers in Town and Country. a. 1. J Could not very eafily have believed, had one told it me long ago, that this Work would have grown under my hands, fo as to extend to the beginning of a feventh Year! When I was jirft prevailed on to enter upon tt, (after much emportunity) I did not expect, fuppofe my Life fhould continue, to continue if above two or three Years. I imagined, that if I had patience to write, few would have patience to read much longer: feeing the name of the Arminian Magazine would in that time be trite and threadbare; and moft people would expect little therein, bué the fame things repeated over and over again. 2. But I have been very agrecably difappointed. Inftead of the number of Subfcribers decreafing, as I concluded it would do in a little time, it has increafed continually: and laft Year fo much, as made it neceffary to print fix hundred Copies more than the Year before. Nor is thés enough; for I am obliged to add fix hundred more, even at the beginning of the prefent Year. And I expel a greater Number flill will be called for, before the end thereof. - : g. Yet SSeS Saas 4 TO GHEE KR PAUE RK. 3. Yet abundance of Odjettions have been made to this Magazine from the very beginning of the publication of it. Many of thefe have been anfwered in the Prefaces to the fecond, Sour umes. ~I ¥ ry not be improper ee mithofe that have been fince urged. (4. And firft, it has been earneftly afked, “ Is it not now high time to drop the Controverfial part ?” Do not you fee, that this is in effeét to fay, “ Is uk not timeto drop the Arminian Magazine, and in the room thereof io fubftiiute another Work? a Magazine of another hind 2?” Nay, others may have time to begin New Works : but my: day is too far fpent.. I may poffibly continue this a hitle longer. But it is too late for me to begin a new Work, ny Be There is room for a contrary Objetlion, arifing from the very Title-page. “ The Armiman Magazine, con~ Sifting of Extraés and Treatifes on Univerfal Redemption.” At prefent this is not flritily true: for 1t does not confift of Extratts and Treatifes on Univerfal Redemption. j Thefe are but a very inconfiderable part of tts. feldom above nine or ten pages ina Number. And fewer than thefe there cannot be with any propriety. Nay, there cannot be fo few, without an alieration in the Title-page. Therefore I will order it to run thus for the time to come: “The Arminan Magazine, confifling chiefly of Extraéts and Treatifes on Univerfal Redemption.” 6. Another Objection which has been. frequently urged is, “* That the Tratts whereof it confifts ave not new.” I anfuer, _ —_ s Es TO THE REA DER I anfwer, Firft, I never promifed they Should 3» I never intended it. The Preface to the very firft Volume dif- claims any fuch intention. The words are, “ My defign zs, to publifh fome of the moft remarkable Trails which have been wrole in this and, thie laft Century 2 Indeed ut follows, “ To thefe will be added"Original Pieces.” I anfwer, Secondly, So there are. Many Original Pieces, both profe and vere, are added in every Number. —E——————————— Oe q« It ts particularly objeéted, Lhat “ The Wifdom of Gad in the Creation,” from which jeveral EXtratts are auth is already wn the hands of mai people, ' fo that bes buying this they buy the fame things twice over... In ihe hands of how many 2 Out of forty or fifty thoufand, quigarly called Methodifls, are there one thoufand caho-have i thofe five little Volumes 2? I believe not-above one hundred ! I therefore purpofely publifh thefe fhort Extratts, to give « fpecemen of the whole :. which hereby many may be induced - to procure 3 and the reading of which will well reward their labour. 9, Perhaps vt may be faid, ‘* But part of thefe, as well as _fome other Articles, particularly ‘the Extraéts from Mr. Bryant, and the Extrats from and Remarks upon Mr. Locke, are not intelligible to common Readers.” I Anow tt well: but did I ever fay this was intended for common Readers only 2 By no means. I pmblifh it for > the fake of the learned as well as the unlearned Readers. But as the latier are the greater number, nine paris in | ten of the Work are generally fuited to thetr capacity: 0 / What TxO+ 2H READER, What they do not underfland, let them leave to others, ang endeavour to profit by what they do under ftand. g. One Objettion remains. * Why is So little of each Treatife given in cach Magazine? Would it not be better, to fay more upon each head 2 Vould it not be more Jatisfactory to the Readers 2” Truly, I thought it would be far beiter, and more fatisfattory to moft Readers. Bug matter of fatt proves that I was miftaken. For from the time the Tratts have been thus divided, and confequently the number of Articles in each Magazine encreafed, the aumber of Subfcribers has ncreafed. in every part of England. ci 10. J pray the Giver of every good and perfee bift, to give both to me and my Readers, © that by has holy anfpiration we may think the things that are rightful, and by his merciful guidance, perform the fame !” London, January 1, 1784, ——————— f 3] ; RP 0 obs ROORKEE “s ( Hl 0-0-0-0.0 0 0-0-0e =0 ha DE Arminian Magazine, For JANUARY 1784. _ ROOT SCS CSOSOST OC COE The CALVINIST-CABINET UNLOCKED : in an Apology jor TILENUS, againft a Vindication of the Synod of Dorts [Continued from vol. vi. page 628.] R. Baxter, in vindicating the Synod, fays, They add that, “ The reafon why. many that are called by the gof{pel do not repent or believe, but perifh in infidelity, is not through any defeét of the facrifice of Chrift offered on the crofs; but by their own fault.” By their own fault? Alas! how coulaihache? It was a punifhment. ‘inflied.on them, when as yet they had but a mere poflibility of being. But admit it. were upon the fall of Adam; yet he could: not by that, forfeit an intereft in _ Chrift, which he never had before that fall (for that being a means of his rifing again after falling, he could not have loft it by falling) whether for himfelf or his pofterity. Mr. Baxter tells us, That the Britifh and appari Divi ines gave their fuffrages for Unzverfal Redemption. | Sol gan Vor. VIL A2 But aig i 4 THE CALVIN IST.cAningT UNLOCKED. But what is this univert,] Redemption? Man’s mifery confifts but of two Parts, fin and punifhment. Doth your univerfal Redemption make fuffcient provifion to free the Non-eleé from! both, or from either of thefe? Indeed in your Affize Sermon you preached up Chrift to be a Lord Chief-Juflice, to judge the Reprobate ; but 1 cannot find that ever you declare him to be their Lord-Treafurer, to commu- nicate his faving grace foy their converfion. Thefe laft offices you fuppofe him to bear in favour of the Ele& only. So that your univerfal redemption holds a fair correfpon- dence with your fufficient grace, as to the Non-cleét; there is not one fingle perfon fanétified by ¢his, or faved by that. Nay further; feeing al} the influence that Chrifl’s death hath upon them, according to your doéirine, tends to no other end, than to carry on the decree of their Reprobation, and they being the far ‘greater part, it had been much more proper if you had faid, Thofe Divines gave their fuffrages for Univeral Perdition. Martinius (who deals fo clearly, as you fuppofe, in this queftion) fays, “ That the Redemption by Chrift muft be proclaimed not only as a common, fuflicient benefit, but as really and intentionally defigned for me; elfe- no neceffity ‘can be deduced from it, to engage me to believe that it be. longs tome.” | But what is this common benefit? ‘and what doth that redemption amount to?) Why, not faving grace ; for that is peculiar to believers, but remiffion of fins, and eternal life, if they repent and believe. : | It will be worth our while to obferve, after what manner Godis fappofed by this dorine to addrefs his calls of mercy to thefe Non-eleét, who are dead in fins, that he may woo them to repentance. He mutt {peak after this manner: “© ye children of Reprobation, once, in your firlt parent Adam, ‘dearly beloved of me, but now rejected, out of an eternal and implacable hatred ; how long will ye abufe my patience? How long will ye fpin out the war of your rebellion againft me Pp 5 ntance THE CALVINIST-CABINET UNLOCKED: me? Know ye not how acceptable a facrifice repe anda broken heart are to’ me? Recolleét yourfelves a believe me; I intreat and pray, beg and befeech, turn your felves, and feek after righteoufnefs. I fwear by myfelf, that ‘and that I will be obedience is better to mé than facrifice; ; me: and if the Author of eternal falvation to all that obey * thefe things cannot move you, behold the tears of your God, your Creator, who is a Father of Mercies to you. And will ye be deat alfo to his fighs and moans, complaints and lamen- tations? O that ye would be wife! O that ye would confider! Why will ye die arid perifh in your fins ? What pleafure ist to you, to provoke your God to anger, who loveth righteoul- nefs and hateth iniquity? ‘Tt is very true, you cannot but rebel again{l me, becaufe [have deprived you of the power to will and to do right; arid from eternity rejeéted you from all communion in my faving grace: but yet I do ferioufly affirm it and protelt and fwear by my Holinefs, that your Es pentance will be very acceptable to me. ‘And do you but repent thoroughly, and I Will unfeignedly give you pardon and falvation.” Behdld what affe@tions his invitations to the Non-eleét fhould be cloathed with, according to this doftrine! ‘In-your next flage you run on: They give more to Chrift’s ‘death for the Eleé& than you; but no lefs to his death for all the reft. The ee puareor= & THE CALVINIST-CABINET UNLOCKED, The difference is plainly this: the Synod thought that Chrift purchafed more for fome, than you do; but no lefs for others. Here Mr. Baxter is exceffive in his bounty towards the Eleét, but defeétive in his charity towards the Reprobates ; and therefore no wonder he is out in the mean, which is that grace that brings falvation to man’s chotce, as {tated, not by him, but by the Remonftrants. i For the firft, he is deficient even in his pretended fufficiency, and the accounts being calt up, we fhall find the Reprobates are little obliged to him, or to the Synod, for their alms of fufficient grace. For when they fpeak of grace, they underfland either God’s love and favour, or the effeéts of it. God’s grace in the firft fenfe is either general, extended to all mankind, confidered as rational creatures, but out of Chrift; and this, though the Reprobates have an intereft in it, will not ferve the turn; or /peczal, which provides Chrift and all other means neceflary to the working of converfion. And this is a peculiar inclofure to the Ele&.. If we take grace in the fecond fenfe, for the effets of God’s free love and favour; this grace is divided into general and Special. The {fpecial grace, which is faving, is proper to the heirs of falvation,. fays Mr. Baxter, that is, to the Eleéi. The general, is that common grace, confilling of fuch effeéts as flow from God’s general love, and this is vouchfafed to the Reprobate. Which grace fignifies only fo much as. is fufficient to cOnvindemensof their want of a Redeemer; and becaufe it informs nere like- wife that Chrift is fuch an one, fent to give life and pardon upon condition of faith and repentance, '(defigned only for the Eleét) and that life and pardon is tendered to them upon thofe conditions, which are irrefiftibly effe@ed in thofe Eleét, but made impoffible to the Reprobate. And this is all the fufliciency I can find in it, by the doétrine of the Synod. We fee how little the Reprobates are beholding to you for j this A SERMON ON 1 COR. Vil. 95+ 7. this your fufficient grace. If the Non-ele& neither have, nor can have an intereft in that grace which is of force to procure converfion, what do you in telling them of the refit, by which never man was, nor can be faved? And is it poflible for any man to arrive at falvation, who lies under the decree of Preterition, and is thereby, 7//o fado, put in the order of men certainly to be damned; damnation being the unavoidable execution of that decree, whereof preterition and pre-damnation are but feveral refpeéts ? I muft therefore prefer to fuch collufion, the ingenioufnefs of thofe men, who fpeak their opinion out, and tell us that all the difpenfations of grace adminiftered to thefe Non-ele&, are defigned ‘to make them more inexcufable. [To be continued. | we ee, Pr, 7 AP, we, wy wy, ‘ 1% af ? We  CAEN ORIGINAL SERMONS, | By the Rev. JOHN WESLEY, M. A. SecheoR Mia O ae Nee Oz 1 CORINTHIANS Vii. 35. This I | [peak—that yemay attend upon the Lord chithewtda ication: 1. A LMOST in every part of our Nation, more efpecially in the large and populous towns, we hear a general complaint among fenfible perfons, of the ftill increafing Diffipation. It is obferved to diffufe itfelf more and more in the Court, the City, and the Country. From the continual mention ‘which is made of this, and the continual decla- mations againft it, one would naturally imagine that a word fo 8 4 SERMON ON 1.COR. vii. 95, fo commonly ufed was perfeéily underflood. Yet it may be doubted whether it be or no. Nay we may very fafely affirm, that few of thofe who frequently ufe the term, underftand what it means. One reafon of this is, that although the thing has been long among us, efpecially fince the time of King Charles the Second, (one of the moft diffipated mortals that ever breathed) yet the word is not of long flanding. It was hardly heard of fifty years ago; and not much before the prefent reign. So lately-has it been imported: and yet itis fo in every one’s mouth, that it is already worn thread-bare, being one of the Cant-words of the day. 2. Another reafon why it is fo little underftood may be, © that among the numberlefs writers that {warm about us, there is not one, (at leaft whom I have feen) that has publifhed fo much,as a fixpenny pamphlet concerning it. We have in- deed one fhort Effay upon the fubjeét: but exceeding few _ have feen it, as it fiands in the midft of a volume of Effays, the Author of which is little known in the world, And even this is fo far from going to the bottom of the fabjeé, that it only flightly glances over it: and does not fo much as give us one definition of Difipation, (which T looked nar- —rowly for) from the beginning to the end. gy. We are accuftomed to fpeak of Diflipation, as having refpeét chiefly, if not wholly to the outward behaviour; to the manner of life. But it is within, before it appears without : it is in the heart, before it is feenin the outward converfation. There mult be a diffipated {pirit, before there is a diffipated manner of life. But what is diffipation of f{pirit? This is the firft and. the grand enquiry. are a , 4. God created, all things for himfelf; more efpecially all intelligent {pirits. (And indeed it feems that Intelligence, in. fome. kind. or degree, is infeparable from {piritual: beings ; that Intelligence is as effential to Spirits, as Extenfion is to Matter.) He made:thefe more dire@tly for himfelf, to know, love,, and. enjoy. him. As the. Sun is, the: centre of the Solar Pp reser OF «+ Se Pgs 7 a ee A pe PE Rn A SERMON ON 1 COR. Vil. 35: 3H Solar Syftem, fo (as far as we may compare material things with fpiritual) we need not fcruple to affirm, that God is the centre of fpirits. And as long as they are united to him, created f{pirits are at reft: they are at reft fo long, and no longer, as they attend upon the Lord without diftraction. 5. This expreflion of the Apoftle, (not to encumber our felves at prefent with the particular occafions of his {peaking it) is exceeding peculiar: apo¢ ro edzrpbcedpor 73 xvplwe The word which we render attend upon, literally means, fitting in a good pofture for hearing. And therein St. Paud undoubtedly” alluded to Mary fitting at the Mafter’s feet, Luke x. 39- Mean time Martha was cumbered with much ferving, was diftratled, diffipated: megorérer It is the very expreflion from whence St. Paul takes the word which we render, without diftradion. 6. And even as much ferving diffipated the thoughts.of Martha, and diftraéted her from attending to her Lord’s words, fo a thoufand things which daily occur are apt to diffipate our thoughts, and diflraét us from attending to, his voice, who is continually {peaking to our hearts: I mean, to all that liften to his voice. We are encompaffed on all fides with perfons and things that tend to draw us from our centre. Indeed every creature, if we are not continually on our guard, will draw’us from our Creator. The whole vifible world, all we fee, hear or touch, all the objeéts either of our fenfes or underftanding; have a tendency to diffipate our thoughts from the invifible world, and to diftra@ our minds from attending to Him, -who is both the Author and End of ‘ our being. 7. This is the more eafily done, becanfe we are all 7 nature 2, Atheifls in the world: and that in fo higha de- gree that it requires no lefs than an Almighty Power, to counteraét that tendency to difipation, which is in every human fpirit, and reftore the capacity of attending to God, and fixing itfelf on him, For this cannot be done, till we. \l Olaw Vellew B , are. 10 A-SERMON-ON 1.COR: Vil. 35> are new creatures, till we are created anew in Chrift Jefus, till the fame power which made the world, mate us a clean heart, and renewa right /piret within us. ® 8; But who.is he that isthus renewed? He that believeth in the name of the Son of God. . He alone that belicyerh on the Lord Jefus Chriff is thus born of God. It is by this faith alone, that he is created anew in:or through Chrifl Fefus, that he is reftored to the image of God, wherein he was created, and: again centred in God, or as the Apoftle exprefles it, joined to the Lord in one fyirit. Yet even then the believer may find in himfelf, the remains of that carnal mind, that natural tendency to reft in created good, to acquiefce in vifible things, which without continual care will prefs down his foul, and draw him from his Creator. Herein the world, the men that know not God, will never fail to join; at fome- times with defign, and at other times perhaps without defign: for their very fpirit is infeGtious, and infenfibly changes ofs into its own likenefs. And we may be well affured, the prince of this world, the devil, will affift them with all hig might. He will labour with all his ftrength, and what is far more dangerous, with all his fubtilty, if by any means he may draw us away from our /implicity towards Chrift; from our fimple adherence to him, from our union with him, through whom we are alfo united in one fpirit to the Father. g- But nothing is more certain than this, that though he nay tempt the flrongeft believer, to give up his fimplrcety to- ward Chrift, and featter his thoughts. and defires among worldly objeéts: yet he cannot force even the weakeft ; for the grace of God is ftill fufficient for him. The fame grace which .at firft united him to God, is able to continue that happy union, in {pite of ail the rage, and all the ftreneth, and all the fubtilty of the enemy. God has never left himfelf without witnefs, that he has power to deliver them that truft in him, as out of every temptation that can affault them, fo ‘out of this in particular. He has {till a little flock who do . in A SERMON ON 1 COR. Vil. 35: it in fat attend upon him without diftraflion: who cleaving to him with full purpofe are not diffipated from him, no not for a moment; but rejotce evermore, pray wethout ceafing, and in every thing give thanks. 10. But fo far as any one yields to this temptation, fo far he is difipated. The original word properly fignifies to dif- perfe or fcatter. So the Sun diffipates, that is, featters the clouds; the wind diffipates, or fcatiers the duft. And by an eafy metaphor, our thoughts are faid to be diffipated, when they are irregularly fcattered up and down. In like manner our defires are diffipated, when they are unhinged from God, their proper centre, and {cattered to and fro among the poor, perifhing, unfatisfying things of the world. And indeed it may be faid of every man that is a flranger to the grace of God, that all his paffions are gles “ Scatteréd o’er all the earth abroad, Immeafurably far from God.” 11. Diftracton, in St. Paul's fenfe, is nearly allied to or rather the fame with Diffipation: confequently to attend upon the _ Lord wzthout diftracion, is the fame as to attend upon the Lord without diffipation. But whenever the mind is un- hinged from God, it is fo far diMipated or diftraéted. Diffi- : pation then in general may be defined, The uncentring the foul from God. And whatever uncentres the mind from God does properly diffipate us. 12. Hence we may eafily learn, what is hes proper, direct meaning: of that common expreffion, a difipated man. He is a man that is feparated from God, that is difunited from his centre, whether this be occafioned by hurry of bufinefs, by feeking honour or prefer ment, or by fondnefs. for diverfions, for filly pleafure fo called, or for any trifle under the fun. The vulgar, it is true, commonly confine this charaéler to thofe who are violently attached to women, gaming, drinking ; to dancing, balls, Taces, or the poor, childith diverfion of ee ae ee “running 12 A SERMON ON 1 COR, Vil. 95. “running foxes and hares out of breath.” But it equally belongs to the ferious fool who forgets God, by a clofe at- tention to any worldly employment, fuppofe it were of the moft elegant, or the moft important kind. A man may be as much diffipated from God, by the fludy of the Mathematics or Aftronomy, as by fondnefs for cards or hounds. Whoever is habitually inattentive to the prefence and will of his Creator, he is a diffipated man. _ 13. Hence we may likewife learn, Thata difipated life is not barely that of a powdered beau, of a petit-maitre, a gamefter, a woman-hunter, a play-houfe-hunter, a fox-hunter, or a fhatterbrain of any kind, but the life of an honourable Statefinan, a Gentleman, or a Merchant, that is zzthout God in the world. Agreeably to this, a diffipated age (fuch as is the prefent, perhaps beyond all that ever were, at leaft, that are recorded in hiftory) is an age »wherein God is generally forgotten. And a diffipated nation (fuch as England is at prefent in a fuperlative degree) is a nation, a vaft majority of which have not God in all their thoughts. _ 144, A plain confequence of thefe obferyations is, (what fome may. efteem a paradox) That Diffipation, in the full, general meaning of the word, is the very fame thing with Ungodline/s. The name is new; but the thing is undoubtedly almoft as old as the Creation, And thisis at prefent the peculiar glory of England, wherein it is not equalled by any nation under heaven. We therefore {peak'an unqueftionable truth when we fay, There is not on the face of the earth, another nation fat Jeaft that we ever heard of) fo perfeétly diffipated and ‘wih. godly: not only fo totally without God in the world, but fo openly fetting him at defiance. There never was an age that we read of in Hiflory, fince Julius Cefar, fince Noah, fince Adam, wherein Diffipation or Ungodlinefs did fo | prevail, both among high and low, rich ‘and poor, 15- But fill, blefled be God! ae _ © Allare not Joft! There be who faith prefer And piety to God!” ; . There ‘generally AN ACCOUNT OF MR. J. Ve 43 There are fome, I truft more than /even thoufand, yea or ten times that number in England, who have not yet bowed either — their knee or their heart, to the god of this world: who cleaving clofe to the God of heaven, are not borne away by the flood, by the general, the almoft univerfal torrent of Diffipation or Ungodlinefg, They are not of the mind of gentle Cri/pus, Qui nunquam direxit brachia contra Torrentem: “ Who never attempted to fwim againft the ftream.” They dare fwim againft the ftream. Fach of them can truly fay, Non me, qui cetera vincet Impetus, et rapido contrarius evchor orb. Ts i lie the tide back, they can at leaft bear an open teftimony againft it. They are therefore free from the blood of their ungodly countrymen: it muft be upon their [To be concluded in our next.] bG own head. An Account of Mr. 7. V———: in a Letter to. the Rev. -Mr.. WESLEY. [Continued from vol, Vi page 638.] WANUARY 1, 1767, I wrote as follows. I have no doubt but that the Lord did deliver me from all fin, but whether it is fo now or not I cannot tell. I cannot fay that I find any murmuring or impatience. I am content to fuffer, fo that I may be prefented blamelefs at the coming of the Lord Jefus. I hate all praife, feeling that I am vile, ignorant, and helplefs: yea a dead dog! O my God! fhine upon the work that thou haft wrought, that I may know the things that ° are freely given me of God. Make mea pillarin thy temple that I may gq out no more. Jan. ‘ : 2. i ‘ 1 AN, ACCOUNT OF. MR,. J. Vv. was only fit for Bedlam! No demoniac could be worfe! » Cries, tears, and groans were poured forth from my broken heart.. 1 uttered things which I ought not, and never {fo heartily, curfed the day of my birth before. I cried, fcreamed, roared, and tore myfelf for fome time, and then in an agony of prayer concluded the day. The next morning I arofe in mifery, and being in an agony, I prayed moft violently. My ‘Janguage was, Olam damned! I'am damned! I at overcome! Tyield! LT yield! O poor, unfortunate young” man! My poor, dear foul, thou, muft perifh! Farewel God, Jefus, heaven and happinefs! I am loft, Jofl! _Spira! I remember thy fate and tremble ! hand lies heavy upon me! My fears and trials are intolerable |! O. my God, for Chrift’s fake, take away my life! I pray thee, O Lord my God, take away my foul! Lord Jefus call me home, and deliver me from the evil to come; I fhall fal] and for ever perifh! The next morning from five to eight, I was in utter defpair, Tears.and groans, with outflretched hands, were part of my morning facrifice. I befought the Lord for death. — Feb. 18. This day that text, «Gad, a troop fhall overcome him,” was explained to me more. clearly and fully than ever, I have, for fome months paft, run the gantlet, and have had "a temptation’to moft of thofe fins that formerly dwelt in my heart. I was violently befet by the fear of man, fhame-of my Mafter’s crofs, and fears of not holding out. The horrible decree founded in my ears, “ Thy : ; deftiny is damnation,” Sloth, envy, jealouly, pride, anger, and love of the creatures, I had temptations to all thefe; and yet under all, I faw God always to be love, and I alfo loved him. — ens m Jen. 18. This day my,mifery became infupportable. J | | } j { n fairly Jide a = = O Spira, O Lord, thy LS de Pr ge ape a Ms eg Se Ab i cate dg) BAG 6 Ht peated wn Bb be eh A a .. Reafoning upon the vifion of the fcales, 1 concluded this te be the interpretation: “ Thou art weighed in the/balance and found wanting.” This threw me into. great horror and agony of foul, and made me wretched and miferable! ‘On, the 4th of April, d,cried out, O God-my Saviour, «my load is grievous, my burden is intolerable! I fink under the mighty preflure! OQ woe is me! woeis me! woeisme! f am. undone and loft! All things bear hard upon me. J deferve infinitely more, O God, but if thou enterefl into judgment with me, I cannot abide. I juflify thee if thou doft inftantly fend me into hell, yea the hotteft hell. O my God, if I fay any thing haftily in prayer or writing, thou knoweft it is wrung from me by fharp temptations. I call thee to witnefs, thou holy God, that I believe they do not come from my heart. O my Saviour, I own thou mayeft juflly deny me all comfort upon earth, and leave me te wander about like an accurfed Cain, die miferably, and perith everlaftingly. And now, O my God, how fhall I help myfelf? Oh, help is not in me! Bleffed Jefus! Son of the living God! have mercy upon me. My foul draws nigh unto death. I am undone if thou dof delay. Come, O Saviour, come ere I die! Father, fave me from this hour, If it may be, let this bitter cup pafs. O my God, my fufferings difqualily me for bufinefs. I am afraid I fhall lofe my {antes and go mad. Iam weary of my life! Farewel all comfort ; 1 am loft, undone, and damned for ever. O Eternity | Eternity ! Eternity ! | : ; On the 11th, I breathed out my fuflerings in nearly thefe words: O the agony of my, foul laft night and this morning! No heart can conceive, nor tongue defcribe my mifery. I was 16 AN ACCOUNT OF MR. Jj. Vv. was almoft mad! My hands, my head, my body, my feveral aétions all made figns of diftrefs, with fupplications for mercy and pity. I twifted and twined likea worm. Oh! woe, woe, woe to me a poor, unhappy, young man! Bowels of mercy pity me, pity me, pity me! A few days after, 1 cried out, I am utterly loft and undone! My foul fweat blood! Bathed in tears, and rolling on the ground, I implored mercy of my God: but my God anfwered me. no more, either by dreams or viftons, or by his prophets. I then cried out, See! fee, O-Lord God, how the murderer purfues me with _hellifh injeétions! How he breathes his poifon, Save me from the noifome peftilence. Away damned {pirit! As the Lord liveth, before whom I fpeak, I will hold faft this truth, ** God is love.” As thou liveft, O my God, though thou flay me, yet will I truft in thee! Though thou confume me, I will love thee, and praife thee. On the 4th of May, my foul lay flretched out upon the rack. J was tempted, mocked, fcourged, and fawn afunder! I had trials of cruel mockings indeed! The very heavens feemed to have no beauty, to defire them, when weighed in a balance with my fufferings. O where is mercy, pity, and the blood of Jefus? O the hell-hounds gnaw me! They A{warm about me like bees. It was great pleafure to me to fee yeflerday, that I fpit blood a few times. I was glad to catch at any incident that promifed {peedy relief, Thefe make up bunt a fmall part of my fore temptations during this year. But befides thefe, it was given me to fuffer by outward perfecution alfo, as the fequel will thew. On the 12th of March, I went to R m (a place near four miles from where I lived) to hear a Preacher that was invited down -by a Gentleman of the place, to preach at his houfe. Soon after the Preacher began, the father-in-law of the Gentleman came in, with two more perfecutors. He was a great, tall man, and armed with a large whip, and primed with drink, Having afked the Preacher a few queftions, he was proceeding to 1 wees aaiiaalanti pila Ty) Tas uo peed oo) bode Be As £61 7 ‘ AN ACCOUNT OF MR. J. V- 17 to violence, but Mr. G i made his efcape into an inner chamber. He then violently attacked me, and thruft me out of the room. I retired then into the kitchen, and was praying by the fire-fide, expeéting that I had had my portion. Soon after he came in, and flew upon me, and {wore he would broil me, and immediately feized me by the breaft and thruft my back againft the bars, abufing me moft horribly. He then took me up, and was going to lay me upon the fire, but was prevented by the other two, who were afraid that he might go too far in his rage. He then dragged me to the - door and threw me into the hands of a large mob, who cried out, ‘* Tear him to pieces! tear him to ‘pieces! this is the Clerk.’ With that they all furrounded me, and began to pull feveral ways. The firft pull tore my fhirt nearly from top to bottom. Some pulled me by the hair, fome by my cravat, and were about to throw me off the coal-wharf, (which was within a few yards) into the river. . The tide was down, fo that had they flung me in, I fhould in all probability, have been {mothered in the mud. Expeéting to be tore or trod in pieces, every moment, I cried out, “ Will you murder me?” Immediately God fent the ringleader of the mob to tear me out of their hands. He then bade me begone home, and uttered abufive language. A perfon prefent that favoured me, undertook to efcort me fafe from the mob, but meeting the Mintfter and his wife in the town, he left me, fearing to give offence. The Minifter ufed me, only not fo bad as the great perfecutor. I anfwered him with a few mild Woude, and went on “my way. Vhad near four miles to go in we dark, but the Lord brought me fafely home, thanks be to his holy Name for the great deliverance. Sometime after this, 1 had another inftance of the guardian care of the gracious Lord. I was returning from London in a Gravesend veffel, where were fome Gentlemen and Ladies and others. One of the Gentlemen {wore like a Trooper. 1 lovingly reproved him, This made him exceeding mad, and Vou. VII. C : Ke ‘live godly in Chrift Jefus thall fuffer 13 AN ACCOUNT OF MR. J- Vv. he called me many names. I {poke to them all in great love, plainnefs and earneftnefs, {paring neither rank nor fex. One Gentleman {poke very big words, but he could then go no farther. Sometime after; we were ftanding upon the deck, and looking towards the fhore, which was fome diftance from the veffel, the river being there about a mile over at bigh water. Whilft I was flanding there, the boom of the fhip turned over to the fide I was {landing on me timely notice, I was Knocked overboa head with my gre » and no one giving rd, and plunged over at Coat and gloves on. They never offered to help me, or throw out any thing for but did me the kindnefs to cry out toam his boat out and come to me, it was a wonder that I w videntially fwam on the me to lay hold on, an on fhore, to get As I was nothing of a fwimmer as not drowned. My great-coat pro- water, and kept me from finking till the waterman got to me and faved me, of a minute more had landed me on Canaan’s fhore. The waterman then rowed after the veffel for my things, and the fhip’s company then gathered about me, exprefling their amazement at my deliverance, and could not help owning the adorable hand of my gtacious Redeemer. __ I was rowed afhore and put into a warm bed, and was as well as ever very foon, © my God, thou haft brought me through fire, and water, and yet my :life js {pared, O that I may glorify Thee therewith. Indeed I }, rimentally known the truth of that {eri I believe a quarter ave expe- perfecution.” Ihave d both to the fouls and m I the fcorn, derifion made it my one endeavour to do goo bodies of my fellow-creatures, yet a and reproach of all; and I believe many would think they did God fervice by murdering me, Added to my other trials, I fuffered much from a nervous Fever, and fometimes from the Ague. —Righteous art thou O God in all thy dealings.—I lay my fouls in the duft, and dare not fay what doft thou? Thou dealeft not with me as I deferve, but as I need. 1 bow my foul before thee, and pray that thou wouldft do with me what feemeth thee beft.” - ; — » - [To be continued.| \y / } eokeskesk ska ok Kk ekeskkkkkekk eR The Experience of Mr. ROBER T ROE. [Continued from vol. vi. page 640. | Pen 1, 1776, -I heard Mr. 7. IVejley preach from .} ‘thefe words, “ Confider from whence thou art fallen. i It was a joyful time to me; but I was much grieved at a temptation I had to laugh in the molt ferious part of his ~ difcourfe. Sometime after, my Aunt took me to fee him, when he gave us a Ticket for the Covenant at. Spitalfields. There was an amazing number of ferious people, to whom he mentioned the propriety of the meeting, and gave an eXx- hortation; after which, we fealed our ge eee by prayer and the Lord's- Supper, . ‘ Monday 15, in the morning, my mind enjoyeda pleafing calm, and I had much confidence in God; but in the afternoon — 1 was low, difinclined to prayer, and had no juft or difting& ideas of any thing. Lordhelp me, for Lam a poor creature. Wednefday 17. I have been much | refrethed by writing, and had much liberty in prayer; yet being lightly fpoken of, { found an inclination to take offence. O how unwilling 18 the carnal mind to fuffer reproach! How do I long for a kind friend to converfe with about heavenly things ! I am like a loft fheep, feparated from the reft of the flock. I cannot even retire in private here without giving offence. Thurfday 18, 1 read Haliburton’s Life. I thought there was a refemblance between my Experience APO hise — felta. C2 deeper 20 THE EXFERIENCE OF MR. ROE, dee er fenfe than ever, of my helplefsnefs without Chrift This led me into a comfortable dependance on him my foul was peace. , When I confider the goodnefs of God in from the Influenza, which has infeéte kingdom; and alfo, that I do not remember to have ever been confined four days to my bed; I am loft in wonder at his love, and my own ingratitude. tender mercy of God! Friday 19. I continue to feel an increafi God. -I have had great pleafure in reading 7th chapters of the epiftle to the Romans. in prayer, and great love to God and all mankind. ©O that God may convert this family, and the poor flock of flraying fheep in this place! “As to myfelf, my prayer is, » and all preferving me d fo many all over the © the patience and ng. happinefs in the 5th, 6th, and I find great power “ Anfwer thy gracious end in me, _ For which thy precious life was Redeem from all iniquity, Reflore and make me meet for heavén ; Unlefs thou purge my evéry flain, Thy fufléring and my faith is vain.” 4 given ; Thurfday 25- I thank thee, O Lord the voice of my prayer. I had well -haft kept my feet from falling, thy healing love; and fill I thirft fo _._. for all men, and prayer is {weet ind _ Monday g1. The inward corruption of my nature appears more cleaily to me than ever. 7 Alas, what pride, anger, 4 felfifhnefs! what deadnefs in duties! what flothfulnefs, levity, _ fear and unbelief, with every other hell-born temper, do I - ry pan Pe . 2 ‘ ; ? feel within! . Yet God bears with me, and vifits me with his » that thou haft heard nigh flipped, but thou I feel thy precious balm, rmore. I feel a love eed. love. ' Feb. 1. I never was more fenfible that my heart is my greateft enemy, and God my beft friend. His grace has been manifefted I ee LD bn AMS Lad ~- rs 2. £5 SA whe hire hue wre whe Lider cot Daas fm F tdi £. 