who fulfilled God's law, and died in our stead. And even the condition of it is not, as they suppose, our holiness either of heart or life; but our faith alone; faith contradistinguished from holiness, as well as from good works. Other foundation, therefore, can no man lay, without being an adversary to Christ and his Gospel, than faith alone; faith, though necessarily producing both, yet not including either good works, or holiness.

"But supposing them to have laid the foundation right; the manner of building thereon which they advise is quite opposite to that prescribed by Christ. He commands to build up one another. They advise, 'To the desert! to the desert! and God will build you up.' Numberless are the commendations that occur in all their writings, not of retirement intermixed with conversation, but of an entire seclusion from men, perhaps for months or years, in order to purify the soul. Whereas, according to the judgment of our Lord, and the writings of his Apostles, it is only when we are 'knit together,' that we have nourishment' from Him, and 'increase with the increase of God.' Neither is there any time when the weakest member can say to the strongest, or the strongest to the weakest, I have no need of thee.' Accordingly our blessed Lord, when his disciples were in their weakest state, sent them forth, not alone, but two by two. When they were strengthened a little, not by solitude, but by abiding with Him and one another, he commanded them to wait, not separate, but being assembled together, for the promise of the Father. And they were all with one accord, in one place, when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Express mention is made in the same chapter, that when there were added unto them three thousand souls, all that believed were together, and continued steadfastly, not only in the Apostles' doctrine, but also in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in praying with one accord. Agreeable to which is the account the great Apostle gives of the manner which he had been taught of God, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ, even to the end of the world. And according to St. Paul, all who will ever come, in the unity of the faith, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, must together grow up into Him. From whom the whole body fitly joined

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together and compacted (or strengthened) by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love. (Eph. iv. 15, 16.)

"So widely distant is the manner of building up souls in Christ taught by St. Paul, and that taught by the Mystics! Nor do they differ as to the foundation, or the manner of building thereon, more than they do with regard to the superstructure. For the religion these authors would edify us in, is solitary religion. If thou wilt be perfect,' say they, 'trouble not thyself about outward works. It is better to work virtues in the will. He hath attained the true resignation who hath estranged himself from all outward works, that God may work inwardly in him, without any turning to outward things. These are the true worshippers, who worship God in spirit and in truth.' For contemplation is with them the fulfilling of the law, even a contemplation that 'consists in a cessation of all works.'

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Directly opposite to this is the Gospel of Christ. Solitary religion is not to be found there. Holy solitaries' is a phrase no more consistent with the Gospel than holy adulterers. The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness, but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of Christian perfection. This commandment we have from Christ, that he who loves God love his brother also; and that we manifest our love, by doing good unto all men, especially to them that are of the household of faith. And in truth, whosoever loveth his brethren, not in word only, but as Christ loved him, cannot but be zealous of good works. He feels in his soul a burning, restless desire of spending and being spent for them. My Father,' will he say, 'worketh hitherto, and I work;' and at all possible opportunities, he is, like his Master, going about doing good."

In full accordance with these scriptural principles are the following remarks upon the very defective theology of William Law, which Mr. Charles Wesley entered in his private journal during his stay at Bristol:-"I read part of Mr. Law on Regeneration to our society. How promising the beginning! how lame the conclusion! Christianity, he rightly tells us, is a recovery of the divine image; and a Christian is a fallen

spirit restored, and re-instated in paradise; a living mirror of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. After this he supposes it possible for him to be insensible of such a change; to be happy, and holy, and translated into Eden, renewed in the likeness of God, one with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet not know it. Nay, we are not to expect, or bid others expect, any such consciousness, if we listen to one who too plainly demonstrates, by his wretched inconsistency, his knowledge of the new birth is mostly in theory."

In this manner did these faithful men bear testimony to the truth, and retract the errors which had long held them in spiritual bondage. Their teaching was now derived from the holy Scriptures, to which they subordinated every principle and opinion; feeling the full force of the inquiry, "What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord."

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CHAPTER VII.

THERE is a chasm in Mr. Charles Wesley's private journal from the 6th of November, 1739, to the 14th of March following; and hence it is difficult to ascertain the whole of his movements during this period. He appears to have left Bristol early in November, and to have gone to Oxford, being summoned thither by the authorities of the University, to respond in the divinity disputations. Here, it is probable, the following letter was addressed to him, containing the intelligence of his brother Samuel's death. It was written by an intimate friend of the deceased, Mr. Amos Matthews:

Tiverton, Nov. 14, 1739. Rev. and dear Sir,-Your brother, and my dear friend, (for so you are sensible he was to me,) on Monday, the 5th of November, went to bed, as he thought as well as he had been for some time before. He was seized about three o'clock in the morning very ill; when your sister immediately sent for Mr. Norman, and ordered the servant to call me. Mr. Norman came as quick as he possibly could; but said, as soon as he saw him, that he could not get over it, but would die in a few hours. He was not able to take anything, nor to speak to us; only 'yes,' or 'no,' to a question asked him; and that did not last half an hour. I never went from his bed-side till he expired, which was about seven the same morning. With a great deal of difficulty we persuaded your dear sister to leave the room before he died. I trembled to think how she would bear it, knowing the sincere affection and love she had for him. But, blessed be God, He hath heard and answered prayer on her behalf; and, in a great measure, calmed her spirit, though she has not yet been out of her chamber. Your brother was buried on Monday last, in the afternoon; and is gone to reap the fruit of his labours. I pray God we may imitate him in all his virtues, and be prepared to follow. I should enlarge much more, but have not time; for which reason I hope you

will excuse him who is under the greatest obligations to be, and really is, with the greatest sincerity,

"Yours in all things."

On receiving this intelligence of their brother's death, Mr. John and Charles Wesley hastened to Tiverton, to sympathize with their widowed sister. They arrived on the 21st; and John says in his Journal, " 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!"

This concluding sentence refers to a correspondence between Samuel and John concerning justification by faith, and the witness of the Holy Spirit to the personal adoption of believers. Samuel had received some very erroneous impressions, respecting the tenets and proceedings of his brothers, from letters addressed to him by Mrs. Hutton, containing exaggerated statements, and written under the influence of irritated feelings. John had attempted to convince him of the truth; and rejoiced to find, that, before his brother's spirit returned to God, he received that assurance of the divine favour which is the fruit of a vital faith in the atonement of Christ. In cases of this nature, the conviction which arises from personal experience is immensely more important than that which arises from mere argument. "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Mr. Samuel Wesley was tenderly beloved by his aged mother, who was now hastening to the close of her earthly pilgrimage. Nor is this surprising; for he was an example of filial reverence and affection. Under the painful bereavement this venerable woman thus poured forth the feelings of her heart to the younger of her now-surviving sons: "Nov. 29th, 1739. Dear Charles,-Upon the first hearing of your brother's death, I did immediately acquiesce in the will of God, without the least reluctance. Only I somewhat marvelled that Jacky did not inform me of it before he left, since he knew thereof; but he was unacquainted with the manner of God's dealing with me in extraordinary cases, which