revile you, yet, if God shall strengthen me, will not 1: Yea, were it not for the poor creatures, whom you have as yet but half redeemed from their complicated misery, I could almost wish that you were forsaken of all; that you might clearly see the difference, between men of honour, and those who are in the very lowest rank, the followers of Christ Jesus.

"O! where is the God of Elijah? Stir up thy strength and come and help him! If the desire of his heart be to thy name, let all his enemies flee before him! Art thou not he who hast made him a father to the fatherless, a mighty Deliverer to the oppressed! Hast thou not given him to be, feet to the lame, hands to the helpless, eyes to the blind! Hath he ever with-held his bread from the hungry, or hid bis soul from his own flesh! Then, whatever Thou with-holdest from him, O Thou lover of men, satisfy his soul with thy likeness: renew his heart in the whole image of thy Christ: purge his spirit from self-will, pride, vanity, and fill it with faith and love, gentleness and long-suffering. Let no guile ever be found in his mouth; no injustice in his hands!-And among all your labours of love, it becomes me earnestly to entreat him, that He will not forget those you have gone through for, sir, your obliged and obedient JOHN WESLEY."" By Mr. Ingham, he also wrote to Dr. Bray's associates, who had sent a parochial library to Savannah.*

servant,

It

Dr. Thomas Bray, was born at Marton, in Shropshire, in the year 1656, and educated at Oxford. He was at length presented to the vicarage of Over-Whitacare, in Warwickshire; and in 1760, to the rectory of Sheldon, where he composed his Catechetical Lectures, which procured him such reputation, that Dr. Compton, Bishop of London, pitched upon him as a proper person to model the infant church of Maryland; and for that purpose he was invested with the office of Com

missary.

a

It was expected of the ministers who received these libraries, that they should send an account to their benefactors, of the method they used in catechising the children, and instructing the youth of their respective parishes. That part of his letter was as follows-"Our general method of catechising, is this; young gentleman who came with me, teaches between thirty and forty children, to read, write, and cast accounts. Before school in the morning, and after school in the afternoon, he catechises the lowest class, and endeavours to fix something of what was said in their understandings, as well as in their memories. In the evening he instructs the larger children. On Saturday in the afternoon I catechise them all. The same I do on Sunday before the evening-service: and in the church immediately after the second lesson, a select number of them having repeated the catechism, and been examined in some part of it, I endeavour to explain at large, and enforce that part, both on them and the congregation.

"Some time after the evening-service, as many of my parishioners as desire it meet at my house (as they

do

missary. He now engaged in several noble undertakings. He procured sums to be raised for purchasing small libraries, for the use of the poor ministers in the several parts of our plantations: and the better to promote this design, he published two books; one, entitiled Bibliotheca Parochialis, or a scheme of such theological and other heads, as seem requisite to be perused or occasionally consulted by the clergy, together with a catalogue of books which may be profitably read on each of those points; the other, Apostolical charity, its nature and excellency considered. He endeavoured to get a fund established for the propagation of the Gospel, especially among the uncultivated Indians; and by his means a patent was obtained for erecting the corporation called, The Society for the Profagation of the Gospel. He, by his industry, procured relief for prisoners; and formed the plan of the society for the reformation of manners, charity-schools, &c. He wrote 1. his Martryology, or Papal usurpation, 2. Directerium Missionarium; and other works.

in one volume folio. He died in 1730.

do also on Wednesday evening) and spend about an hour in prayer, singing, and mutual exhortation. A smaller number, mostly those who design to communicate the next day, meet here on Saturday evening: and a few of these come to me on the other evenings, and pass half an hour in the same employment."

March 4th. Mr. Wesley wrote to the Trustees for Georgia, giving them an account of his expences from March 1st, 1736, to March 1st, 1737, which deducting extraordinary expences for repairing the parsonage-house, journies to Frederica, &c. amounted for himself and Mr. Delamotte, to forty-four pounds, four shillings, and four-pence. At the same time he accepted of the fifty pounds a year, sent by the Society for his maintenance, which, however, was in a manner forced upon him, as he had formed a resolution not to accept of it, saying his Fellowship was sufficient for him. On this occasion his brother Samuel expostulated with him, and shewed him that by refusing it, he might injure those who should come after him and if he did not want it for himself, he might give it away in such manner as he thought proper. He at length yielded to the solicitations of the Society, and the advice of his friends.

It appears to us, that the affair between Mr. Wesley, and Miss Sophy Causton, was this day finally broken off; and that he refers to this circumstance in the following paragraph in his printed Journal; "From the direction I received from God this day; touching an affair of the last importance, I cannot but observe, as I have done many times before, the entire mistake of many good men, who assert, That God will not answer your prayer unless your heart be wholly resigned to his will.' My heart was not wholly resigned

to

to his will; therefore I durst not depend on my own judgment and for this very reason, I cried to him the more earnestly to supply what was wanting in me. And I know, and am assured, that he heard my voice, and did send forth his light and his truth." He proceeds in his private Journal, in reference to the same affair. "March 7. When I walked with Mr. Causton, to his country-lot, I plainly felt, that had God given me such a retirement, with the companion I desired, I should have forgot the work for which I was born, and have set up my rest in this world. March 8. Miss Sophy engaged herself to Mr. Williamson--and on Saturday, the 12th, they were married at Purrysburgh: this being the day which completed the from my first speaking to her. What thou doest, O God, I know not now; but I shall know hereafter."

year

Whether the lady's patience was exhausted by Mr. Wesley's slow procedure in the business (as it does not appear that he was in any haste to finish it) or, whether she declined entering into the connubial state with him, on account of his abstemious and rigid manner of life, is uncertain: but whatever was the cause, it is evident from his own words, that he felt a disappointment when she married Mr. Williamson. It seems, that he expressed this more fully in a letter to his brother Samuel, who tells him, in his answer, "I am sorry you are disappointed in one match, because you are very unlikely to find another."-It was not long however, before he saw sufficient cause to be thankful, that Providence had not permitted him to choose for himself. He had frequent occasions of discovering, that Mrs. Williamson was not that strictly religious character which he had supposed. On one of these occasions, near three months after her mar

riage, he writes thus, "God has shewed me yet more, of the greatness of my deliverance, by opening to me a new and unexpected scene of Miss Sophy's dissimulation. O never give me over to my own heart's desires; nor let me follow my own imaginations!"

The things Mr. Wesley now passed through, gave him a more perfect knowledge of his own heart, and of human nature in general, than he had before acquired, which amply repaid him for the disappointment he had suffered. He still pursued his labours with unremitting diligence, and observed the greatest punctuality in answering the letters from his friends. March 29. He wrote to Mrs. Chapman, a religious acquaintance in England, with whom he held a correspondence. This letter will be a sufficient answer to an objection, often made against him at this time, that he thought cheerfulness inconsistent with religion

"True friendship, (says he) is doubtless stronger than death, else your's could never have subsisted still, in spite of all opposition, and even after thousands of miles are interposed between us.

"In the last proof you gave of it, there are a few things which I think it lies on me to mention: as to the rest, my brother is the proper person to clear them up, as I suppose he has done long ago.

"You seem to apprehend, that I believe religion to be inconsistent with cheerfulness, and with a sociable friendly temper. So far from it, that I am convinced, as true religion or holiness, cannot be without cheerfulness, so steady cheerfulness, on the other hand, cannot be without holiness or true religion. And I am equally convinced, that religion has nothing sour, austere, unsociable, unfriendly in it. but, on the contrary, implies the most winning sweetness, the

most