more effectually, in my reply to Mr. Hill's Creed for Perfectionifts. Probably, I fhall get nothing by my polemick labours, but lofs of friends, and charges of "novel chimeras" on both fides. I expect a letter from you on the fubject: write with opennefs, and do not fear to difcourage me, by fpeaking your disapprobation of what you diflike. My aim is to be found at the feet of all, bearing and forbearing, until truth and love bring better days. I am, Rev. and dear Sir, your most affectionate brother and fon in the gospel, I. F.

Madeley, Dec. 4th, 1775.
The Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.
My very dear Bother,

I SEE the end of my controverfial race, and I have fuch courage to run it out, that I think it my bounden duty to run and ftrike my blow, and fire my gun, before the water of difcouragement has quite wetted the gunpowder of my activity. This makes me feem to neglect my nearest correfpondents.

Old age comes fafter upon me than upon you. I am already fo gray headed, that I wrote to my brother to know, if I am not 56 infead of 46. The wheel of time moves fo rapidly, that I feem to be in a new element; and yet, praised be God, my ftrength is preferved far better than I could expect. I came home laft night at 11 o'clock tolerably well, after reading prayers and preaching twice, and giving the facrament in my own church, and preaching again and meeting a few people in fociety at the next market town.

The Lord is wonderfully gracious to me, and what is more to me than many favours, he helps me to fee his mercies in a clearer light. In years paft, I did not dare to be thankful for mercies, which now make me fhout for joy. I had been taught to call them common mercies, and I made as little of them, as apoftates do of the blood of Chrift when they call it a common thing.

But now the veil begins to rend, and I invite you and all the world, to praife God for his patience, truth, and loving kindnefs, which have followed me all my days, and prevented me, not only in the night watches but in the paft ages of eternity. O how I hate the delufion, which has robbed me of fo many comforts! Farewell. I am, &c. I. F.

James Ireland, Esq.

Madeley, Feb. 3d, 1776.

My very dear Friend,

UPON the news of your illnefs by Mr. G, I-and many more, helped to pray that you might be. fupported under your preffures, and that they might yield the peaceable fruit of righteoufnefs. We fhall now turn our prayers into praifes for your happy recovery, and for the fupport the Lord has granted you under your trial. May it now appear that you imitate David, who faid, It was good for me that I was afflicted. Let people fay what they will, there are leffons which we can never learn but under the crofs: we must fuffer with Christ, if we will be glorified with him. I hope you will take care that it may not be faid of you as it was of Hezekiah, He rendered not unto the Lord, according to the benefit of his recovery. Let us rather fay, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? And may we see the propriety and profit of rendering him our bodies and our fouls,-the facrifices of humble, praifing, obedient love; and warm, active, cheerful thanksgiving.

A young clergyman offers to affift me: if he does, I may make an excurfion fome where this fpring: where it will be I don't know. It may be into eternity, for I dare not depend upon to morrow; but fhould it be your way, I fhall inform you of a variety of family trials, which the Lord has fent me-all for good, to break my will in every poffible refpect.

The Lord ftrengthen you in body and foul, to do and fuffer his will. Adieu. I. F.

Mr. Vaughan.

Dear Sir,

Madeley, March 21st, 1776%

YOUR barrel of cyder came fafe as to the outfide, and I hope as to the infide too. How could you think to make me fuch a prefent? But I muft rather thank you for your love and generofity, than fcold you for your exceffive profufion. You fhould have stayed at least till cyder was ten fhillings a hogfhead, but in fuch a year as this however, the Lord reward you and return it to you, in ftreams of living water, and plenty of the wine of his kingdom!

I thought I fhould foon have done with controverfy, but now I give up the hope of having done with it before I die. There are three forts of people I muft continually attack, or defend myfelf against Gallios, Pharifees, and Antinomians. I hope I fhall die in this harness fighting against some of them. I do not, however, forget, that the Gallio, the Simon, and the Nicholas within, are far more dangerous to me than those without. In my own heart, that immenfe field, I must first fight the Lord's battles and my own. Help me here, join me in this field. All Chriftians are here militia-men, if they are not profeffed foldiers. O, my friend, I need wifdom-meeknefs of wifdom! A heart full of it is better than all your cyder-vault full of the moft generous liquors; and it is in Chrift for us. O go and afk for you and me, and I fhall ask for me and you. What a mercy is it

that our Lord bears stock! May we not be afhamed nor afraid to come, and beg every moment for wine and milk, grace and wisdom.

Beware, my friend, of the world: let not its cares, nor the deceitfulness of its riches keep, or draw you from Jefus. Before you handle the birdlime be fure to dip your heart and hand in the oil of grace. Time ties. Years of plenty and of scarcity, of peace and war disappear before the eternity to which we are all haftening. May we fee now the winged difpatch of

e

time, as we shall fee it in a dying hour; and by coming to, and abiding in Chrift, our fortrefs and city of refuge, may we be enabled to bid defiance to our laft enemy. Christ has fully overcome him, and by the victory of the head, the living members cannot but be fully victorious.

Remember me kindly to Mrs. Vaughan. That the Lord would abundantly blefs you both, in your fouls, bodies, concerns and children, is the fincere with of, Dear Sir, your affectionate friend, I. F.

Madeley, May 11th, 1776. The Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.

My dear Brother,

WHAT are you doing in London? Are you ripening as fast for the grave, as I am?-How fhould we lay out every moment for God!, I have had for fome days the fymptoms of an inward confumptive der cay-fpitting blood, &c. Thank God, I look at our laft enemy with great calmnefs. I hope, however, that the Lord will spare me to publish my end of the controverfy, which is A Double Differtation upon the Doctrines of Grace and Juftice. This piece will, I flatter myfelf, reconcile all the candid Calvinists and candid Arininians, and be a means of pointing out the way, in which peace and harmony might be restored to the church.

I ftill look for an outpouring of the Spirit, inwardly and outwardly. Should I die before that great day, I fhall have the confolation to fee it from afar, like Abraham and the baptift, and to point it out to thofe who fhall live, when God does this.

Thank God, I enjoy uninterrupted peace in the midft of my trials, which are, fometimes, not a few. Joy alfo I poffefs; but I look for a joy of a fuperior The Lord beftow it when and how he pleafeth! I thank God, I feel myfelf in a good degree dead to praife and difpraife; I hope, at leaft, that it is fo; because I do not feel that the one lifts me up, or

nature.

that the other dejects me, I want to fee a Pentecoft Chriftian church, and if it is not to be feen at this time upon earth, I am willing to go and fee that glorious wonder in heaven. How is it with you? Are you ready to feize the crown in the name of the Redeemer reigning in your heart? We run a race towards the grave. John is likely to outrun you, unless you have a fwift foot. The Lord grant we may fink deeper into the Redeemer's grave, and there live and die, and gently glide into our own.

I had lately a letter from one of the preachers, who finds great fault with me, for having published, in my book on Perfection, your hymn called, The last With. He calls it dangerous Myfticifm. My private thoughts are, that the truth lies between driving Methodifm and ftill Myfticifim. What think you? Read the addreffes which I have added to that piece, and tell me your thoughts.

Let us pray that God would renew our youth, as that of the eagle, that we may bear fruit in our old age. The Lord ftrengthen you to the last! I hope I fhall fee you before my death; if not, let us rejoice at the thought of meeting in heaven. Give my kind love to Mrs. Welley, to my god-daughter, and to her brothers, who all, I hope, remember their Creator in the days of their youth. Adieu. I am, &c. I. F.

Bristol, July 12th, 1776.

Mr. Charles Perronet.
My very dear Brother,

The

HAVING an opportunity to write a line to you by a friend, whom I meet daily at the Wells, I gladly embrace it to thank you for your laft favour. Lord keeps me hanging by a thread; he weighs me in the balance for life and death: I trust him for the choice. He knows, far better than I, what is best; and I leave all to his unerring wifdom. I am calm, and wait, with fubmiffion, what the Lord will fay concerning me. I wait to be baptized into all his ful