as they supposed, struck him and knocked him overboard. From that moment he was seen and heard no more. My soul was bowed before the Lord. I kneeled down, and commended the departing spirit to his mercy in Christ Jesus. I adored his distinguishing goodness. The one shall be taken, and the other left. I thought of those lines of Young: "No warning given! unceremonious death! a sudden rush from life's meridian joys; a plunge opaque beyond conjecture." The sailors were so, confounded they knew not what they did. The decks were strewed with sails; the wind shifting about the compass; we just on the shore, and the vessel driving where or how they knew not. One of our cabin passengers ran to the helm, and gave orders as captain, until they had righted the ship. But I ascribe it to our invisible Pilot, that we got safe to shore soon after ten. The storm was so high, that we doubted whether boats would venture to fetch us. At last one answered and came. I thought it safer to lie in the vessel; but one calling, Mr. Wesley you must come, I followed; and by eleven o'clock found out my old lodgings at Robert Griffiths'." From this period until his marriage, he was engaged chiefly in London, Bristol, and their neighbourhood. On the ninth of April 1749, he was married by his brother John to Miss Sarah Gwynne, at Garth, in Wales.'

February 8th, 1750, there was an earthquake in London. “This morning," Mr. Wesley remarks," March 8th, a quarter after five, we had another shock of an earthquake, far more violent than that of February 8th. I was just repeating my text, when it shook the Foundery so violently, that we all expected it to fall on our heads. A great cry followed from the women and children. I immediately cried out, Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved and the hills be carried into the midst of the sea; for the Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jaco is our refuge. He filled

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my heart with faith, and my mouth with words, shaking their souls as well as their bodies. The earth moved Westward, then East, then Westward again, through all London and Westminster. It was a strong and jarring motion, attended with a rumbling noise like that of thunder. Many houses were much shaken, and some chimnies thrown down, but without any further hurt."

April 4th," Fear filled our chapel, occasioned by a prophecy of the return of the earthquake this night. I preached my written sermon on the subject, with great effect. It was a glorious night for the disciples of Jesus. April 5, I rose at four o'clock, after a night of sound sleep, while my neighbours watched. I sent an account to M. G. as follows:-The late earthquake has found me work. Yesterday I saw the Westminster end of the town full of coaches, and crowds flying out of the reach of Divine Justice, with astonishing precipitation. Their panick was caused by a poor madman's prophecy. Last night they were all to be swallowed up. The vulgar were in almost as great consternation as their betters. Most of them watched all night; multitudes in the fields and open places; several in their coaches: many removed their goods. ́ London looked like a sacked city. A lady just stepping into her coach to escape, dropped down dead. Many came all night knocking at the Foundery door, and begging admittance for God's sake."

Mr. W. Briggs, in a letter to Mr. John Wesley, says, "This great city has been, for some days past, under terrible apprehensions of another earthquake. Yesterday, thousands fled out of town, it having been confidently asserted by a dragoon, that he had a revelation, that great part of London and Westminster especially, would be destroyed by an earthquake on the 4th instant, between twelve and one at night. The whole city was under direful apprehensions. Places of worship were

crowded with frightened sinners, especially our two chapels, and the Tabernacle where Mr. Whitefield preached.

"Though crowds left the town on Wednesday night, yet crowds were left behind; multitudes of whom, for fear of being suddenly overwhelmed, left their houses, and repaired to the fields, and open places in the city. Tower-Hill, Moorfields, but above all, Hyde-Park, were filled best part of the night, with men, women, and children lamenting. Some, with stronger imaginations than others, mostly women, ran crying in the streets, an earthquake! an earthquake! Mr. Whitefield preached at midnight in Hyde-Park."

In the year 1751 Mr. Wesley visited the Methodist societies throughout the kingdom, correcting mistakes, destroying irregularities, and superintending the general interests of the body-he relates a trial which had not long before excited general attention, and as it is of importance to know how the Gospel has been opposed of late years, it is extracted: "At Whitecoat-Hill, three miles from Leeds, a few weeks since, as our Brother Maskew was preaching, a Mob arose, broke the windows and doors, and struck the Constable Jacob Hawley, one of the Society. On this we indicted them for an assault; and the ringleader of the Mob John Hellingworth, indicted our Brother the Constable, and got persons to swear the Constable struck him. The Grand Jury threw out our indictment, and found their's against us; so we stood trial with them, on Monday July 15th, 1751. The Recorder, Richard Wilson, Esq. gave it in our favour, with the rest of the Court. But the Foreman of the Jury, Matthew Prestley, with two others, Richard Cloudesly, and Jabez Bunnel, would not agree with the rest, being our avowed enemies. The Foreman was Mr. Murgatroyd's great friend and champion against the Methodists. However the Recorder gave strict orders

to a guard of Constables, to watch the Jury, that they should have neither meat, drink, candles, nor tobacco, till they were agreed in their verdict. They were kept prisoners all that night and the next day till five in the afternoon, when one of the Jury said, he would die before he would give it against us. Then he spake closely to the Foreman concerning his prejudices against the Methodists, till at last he condescended to refer it to one man. Him the other charged to speak as he would answer it to God in the day of judgment. The man turned pale, trembled, and desired that another might decide it. Another, John Hardwick, being called upon, immediately decided it in favour of the Methodists. After the trial, Sir Henry Ibeson one of the Justices, called a Brother and said, you see God never forsakes a righteous man, take care you never forsake him."

Mr. Wesley continued his usual mode of life from this period until November 1756, always present whereever he appeared to be necessary-exciting the societies to that harmony and love which are indispensably requisite in a large body of people. After the year 1756 it does not appear that he travelled to any great distance-his labours were principally confined between London and Bristol, and he preached until within a short time previous to his dissolution.

Mr. Wesley's body was weak, and his health precarious during the greater part of his life: his intense application to study and abstinence from food, if not the causes, certainly increased the unpleasantness of his sensations in a very considerable degree. His constant equestrian exercise strengthened him much, and probably protracted his life to its great age. It is related of him, that he was always subject to an instinctive fear of death, arising from an anticipation of which he could never divest himself, that in his last moments, his sufferings would be exquisite. This operated very powerfully upon his

mind-his body was reduced to the utmost weakness in his last illness, and during his affliction it was his constant desire expressed to his visitants, that they would pray to God to vouchsafe him patience and ease in death. The Father of mercies did not permit his fears to be realized, he possessed that frame of soul which in others had always been pleasing to him-unaffected humility, holy resignation to the will of God, solid hope and unshaken confidence in Christ: these kept him in perfect peace; and his frame being decayed, he resigned his soul into the hands of the redeemer with Christian sincerity, on the 29th of March 1788, in his eightieth year, and by his own directions, his remains were intered in Marybone church yard. The circumstances of his death are related by his daughter in a letter to Mr. John Wesley.

Dear and honoured Uncle,

"We were all present, when my dear respected father departed this life. His end was what he particularly desired it might be, Peace!

"For some months past he seemed totally detached from earth; he spoke very little, nor wished to hear any thing read, but the Scriptures. He took a solemn leave of all his friends. I once asked, if he had any presages that he should die? he said, "No: but his weakness was such, that he thought it impossible he should live through March." He kindly bade me remember him; and seemed to have no doubt, but I should meet him in heaven.

"All his prayer was, "Patience and an easy death!" He bade every one who visited him, to supplicate for these, often repeating, " an easy death!"

"He told my mother, the week before he departed, that no fiend was permitted to approach him; and said to us all, I have a good hope!"