contending parties face to face: and they resolved and promised on all sides, to let past things be forgotten. O how few have learned to forgive one another, as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us!

Saturday 6, We had an exceeding lively congregation in the evening at Trewalder. Indeed all the Society stands well, and adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour. Sunday 7, at eight I preached again, and was much comforted. I then rode to Port-Isaac Church, and had the satisfaction of hearing an excellent sermon. After service I preached at a small distance from the Church, to a numerous congregation and to a far more numerous one in the town, at five in the afternoon. In examining this Society, I found much reason to bless God on their behalf. They diligently observe all the Rules of the Society, with or without a Preacher. They constantly attend the Church and sacrament, and meet together at the times appointed. The consequence is, that thirty out of thirty-five, their whole number, continue to walk in the light of God's countenance.

Monday 8, A gentleman followed me to my Inn at St. Colomb's, and carried me to his house, where were three or four more as friendly as himself. One of them rode with me seven or eight miles, and gave me a pleasing account, of two young Clergymen, Mr. C— and Mr. Phelps, who had the care of three adjoining parishes. Surely God has a favour for the people of these parts! he gives them such serious, zealous, lively Preachers. By these, and the Methodists together, the line is now laid, with no inconsiderable interruption, all along the north sea, from the eastern point of Cornwall to the Land's-end. In a while I trust, there will be no more cause on these coasts, to accuse Britannos hospitibus feros.

The congregation at St. Agnes, in the evening was, I suppose, double to that at Port Isaac. We had nearly as many, Tuesday 9, at five in the morning, as the Preaching-house could contain. Afterwards I examined the Society, and was surprised and grieved to find, that out of ninety-eight persons, all but three or four had

had forsaken the Lord's table. I told them my thoughts very plainly they seemed convinced, and promised no more to give place to the devil.

Wednesday 10, I had much conversation with Mr. Phelps, a man of a humble, loving, tender spirit. Between him, on the one hand, and the Methodists, on the other, most in the parish are now awakened. Let but our brethren have zeal according to knowledge, and few will escape them both. When I came to St. Ives, I was determined to preach abroad: but the wind was so high I could not stand where I had intended. But we found a little enclosure near it, one end of which was native rock, rising ten or twelve feet perpendicular, from which the ground fell with an easy descent. A jetting out of the rock, about four feet from the ground, gave me a very convenient pulpit. Here well nigh the whole town, high and low, rich and poor, assembled together. Nor was there a word to be heard, or a smile to be seen, from one end of the congregation to the other. It was just the same the three following evenings. Indeed, I was afraid on Saturday, that the roaring of the sea, raised by the north wind, would have prevented their hearing. But God gave me so clear and strong a voice, that I believe scarcely one word was lost.

Sunday 14, At eight I chose a large ground, the sloping side of a meadow, where the congregation stood, row above row, so that all might see as well as hear. It was a beautiful sight. Every one seemed to take to himself what was spoken. I believe every backslider in the town was there: and surely God was there, to heal their backslidings. I began at Zennor, as soon as the Church service was ended: I suppose scarcely six persons went away. Seeing many there who did once run well, I addressed myself to them in particular: the spirit of mourning was soon poured out; and some of them wept bitterly. O, that the Lord may yet return unto them, and leave a blessing behind him! At five I went once more into the ground at St. Ives, and found such a congregation, as I think was never seen in any place before (Gwenap excepted) in this County, Some

VOL. IV.

of the chief of the town were now not in the skirts, but in ́ the thickest of the people. The clear sky, the setting sun, the smooth, still water, all agreed with the state of the audience. Is any thing too hard for God? May we not well say, in every sense,

"Thou dost the raging sea control,

And smooth the prospect of the deep:

Thou mak'st the sleeping billows roll;

Thou mak'st the rolling billows sleep.'

Monday 15, I enquired concerning the uncommon storm, which was here on March 9, the last year. It began near the Land's End, between nine and ten at night, and went eastward, not above a mile broad, over St. Just, Morva, Zennor, St. Ives, and Gwinnear, whence it turned northward, over the sea. It uncovered all the houses in its way, and was accompanied with impetuous rain. About a mile south-east from St. Ives, it tore up a rock, twelve or fourteen ton weight from the top of a rising ground, and whirled it down upon another, which it split through, and at the same time dashed itself in pieces. It broke down the pinnacles of Gwinnear Church, which forced their way through the roof. And it was remarkable, the rain which attended it, was as salt as any sea-water.

At one, I preached in Maddern parish, and then rode to St. Just. I have not seen such a congregation here, for twice seven years. Abundance of backsliders being present, I chiefly applied to them. Some of them smiled at first; but it was not long before their mirth was turned into mourning. And I believe few, if any, went away, without a witness from God, that he willeth not the death of a sinner.

Tuesday 16, At five the room was nearly full; and the great power of God was in the midst of them. It was now accompanied with one unusual effect: the mouths of those whom it most affected, were literally stopped. Several of them came to me, and could not speak one word very few could utter three sentences. I rejoined to the Society ten or eleven backsliders, and added some new members.

Here (as at Port-Isaac, St. Agnes, and St. Ives) we are called to thankfulness: at most other places, to patience. All the day it blew a storm: and in the evening, though the rain ceased, the furious wind continued. I ordered all the windows of the preaching house to be set open, so that most could hear without as well as within. I preached on, He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. And again God applied his word, both to wound and to heal them that were already wounded.

About this time I wrote the following letter :

"To the Editor of the London Chronicle.

" SIR, Sept. 17, 1760. "AS you sometimes insert things of a religious nature in your Paper, I shall count it a favour, if you will insert this.

"SOME years ago, I published A Letter to Mr. Law, and about the same time, An Address to the Clergy. Of the former, Mr. Law gives the following account, in his Collection of Letters, lately published:

"To answer Mr. Wesley's Letter, seems quite needless, because there is nothing substantial or properly argumentative in it. I was once a kind of oracle to Mr. W. I judged him to be much under the power of his own spirit. To this was owing the false censure which he published against the Mystics, as enemies to Good Works, p. 128, 130. His Letter is such a juvenile composition of emptiness and pertness, as is below the character of any man, who had been serious in religion for half a month. It was not ability, but necessity, that put his peh into his hand. He had preached much against my books; and forbid his people the use of them; and for a cover of all this, he promised, from time to time, to write against them: therefore, an answer was to be made at all adventures. He and the Pope conceive the same reasons for condemning the mystery revealed by Jacob Behme,' p. 190.

"Of the latter, he gives this account. The Pamphlet you sent is worse than no advice at all; but infinitely beyond

Mr. Wesley's Babylonish Address to the Clergy; almost all of which is empty babble, fitter for an old Grammarian, that was grown blear-eyed in mending Dictionaries, than for one who had tasted of the powers of the world to come,' p. 198.

१

"I leave others to judge, Whether an answer to that letter be quite needless or not; and whether there be any thing substantial in it: but certainly there is something argumentative. The very queries relative to Jacob's Philosophy, are arguments, though not in form; and perhaps most of them will be thought conclusive arguments, by impartial readers. Let these likewise judge if there are not arguments in it (whether conclusive or not) relating to that entirely new system of Divinity, which he has revealed to the world.

"It is true, that, Mr. Law, whom I love and reverence now, was once a kind of oracle to me.' He thinks I am still under the power of my own spirit,' as opposed to the Spirit of God. If I am, yet my censure of the Mystics is not at all owing to this, but to my reverence for the Oracles of God, which, while I was fond of them, I regarded less and less; till, at length, finding I could not follow both, Ι exchanged the Mystic writers for the Scriptural.

"It is sure, in exposing the Philosophy of Behme, I use ridicule as well as argument; and yet I trust I have, by the grace of God, been in some measure, 'serious in reliligion,' not half a month' only, but ever since I was six years old, which is now about half a century. I do not know that the Pope has condemned him at all, or that he has any reason so to do. My reason is this, and no other: I think he contradicts Scripture, reason, and himself; and that he has seduced many unwary souls from the Bibleway of salvation. A strong conviction of this, and a desire to guard others against that dangerous seduction, laid me under a necessity of writing that letter. I was under no other necessity; though I doubt not but Mr. Law heard I was, and very seriously believed it. I very rarely mention his books in public: nor are they in the way of one in a hundred of those whom he terms my people, meaning, I