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turn unto me, faith the Lord." And if you doubt, whether you may believe for a great measure of holiness; whether your foul, already in old age and barren, fhall believe for abundant fruitfulness; anfwer yourself my dear friend, from that word, "Whofoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely." I have juft told Mrs. Smyth of one of your fifters here, once a deeper unbeliever than yourself, but now quite full of God: I refer you to her letter. O my God, in mercy let thy power reft on thy dear fervants! Convey, even by this poor fcrawl, fome power to their hearts; fome fresh light into the mighty chain, which begins with man's wickednefs, hangs on God's mercy in the promifes, is continued by faith and victory fpringing therefrom, and ends with Chrift's fulness becoming all in all. We pray the God of love to be with your children, and all who meet with them. Tell fifter Hammond to keep hold of the chain: it shall draw her into the holy of holies. With our kindeft, and moft grateful remembrance of you both, we remain, your fincere, but unworthy friends, J. and M. F.

To Mr. HENRY BROOKE.

My dear Brother,

Madeley, April 27, 1784.

MERCY, peace, and perfect love attend you, your dear

partner, and the dear friends under your roof, with whom I beg you may abide under the crofs, till, with John, Mary and Salome, &c. you all can fay, "We are crucified with him; and the life we now live, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us.'

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You are certainly right, when you prefer the inward to the outward the former is the fafer; but both together make up the beauty of holiness. The inward life may be compared to the hufband, the outward to the fruitful wife: what God hath joined together, let no man, nor even angel put afunder.

With refpect to the glory of the Lord, it is at hand, whatever falfe wisdom and unbelief may whisper to our hearts: it can be no farther off, than the Prefence of Him, who fills all in all. Our wrong notions of things are a great hinderance to our ftepping into it and perhaps our minding more the cherubims of glory, than the plain tables, and the manna hid in the ark. "There is a paffing," fays Bromley," from the outward to the inward, "and from the inward to the inmeft; and it is only from the inmoft, that we can fee the Lord's fpiritual glory.' Pray, my dear brother, when you get fo fixed in the inmoft, as not to lofe fight of him, who dwells in the light, and in the thick darkness, let me fhare your joy. Love will make me partake of your happinefs.

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With refpect to what you fay, of the kingdom not coming with the outward pomp, which is discoverable by the men of the world, it is ftrictly true; but, that there is an inward display of power and glory under pentecostal Chriftianity is undeniable, both

from

from our Lord's promifes to his difciples, and from their experiences, after the kingdom was come to them with power. It is fometimes fuggefted to me, that, as the apoftacy hath chiefly confifted in going after the pomp of the whore of Babylon, so that while the woman, who fled into the wilderness, remains there as a widow, fhe must be deprived even of those true ornaments, and of that fpiritual glory, which was beftowed upon her on the day of Pentecoft, the day of her efpoufals. I do not, however, clofe in with the fuggeftion, as I am not fure, that it cannot come from Satan transformed into an angel of light, to rob me of a bright jewel of my Chriftian hope. To wait in deep refignation, and with a conftant attention to what the Lord will pleafe to do, or fay, concerning us, and his Church; and to leave to him the times and the feafons, is what I am chiefly called to do; taking care in the mean while of falling into either ditch : into fpeculation, which is carelefs of action, or into the activity, which is devoid of fpirituality. I would not have a lamp without oil, and I could not have oil without a lamp, and a veffel to hold it in for myself, and to communicate it to others.

- I mean

I thank you, my dear friend, for the books you have fent me. I read, with great pleasure, Ramfay's Theological Works, which were quite unknown to me. My good wishes attend both your brothers. Fare you, all well in Chrift: fo prays,

[To be concluded in the next.]

My dear Friend,

A

To the EDITOR.

J. F.

London, March 15, 1796. SI very well know, that you not only wifh to enlighten the mind refpecting the things which are of the greatest importance, but also to guard your readers again ft thofe dangers to which they are expofed while in the prefent world, I fend you the following account of the Lord's dealings with my fifter Mrs. Sarah Tarboton, wife of Mr. Henry Tarboton, of Thorner, near Leeds; an account of whom was published in the Magazine for Nov. 1788. She was brought up (as we all were) in the fear of God; but having lived in genteel families in different parts of the nation, her mind was more deeply depraved than any of my father's family: But when married, fhe became a prudent, faithful, and affectionate wife.

When Mr. Tarboton was brought to the knowledge of the truth, as he knew my father's prejudice against the Methodists, she became a moft determined enemy to her husband; and being a woman of a high fpirit and a warm temper, fhe took very great liberties with him, and made his way exceedingly rough. In the height of her paffion, the once declared, that if he went any more among those people fhe would either kill, or lame him. So true it is, that the carnal mind is enmity against God. Notwithftanding the took thofe liberties with her husband, and was fo greatly

enraged

enraged against him, and although the well knew that I was the inftrument of leading him aftray, yet fuch was her affection for me, that she never gave me an unkind word, or a cold look, on that account.

When my father began to attend upon the miniftry of the Methodist preachers, having an high opinion of his judgment, the was confounded, and began to hear them herfelf. Divine light, fhone into her mind, conviction took place, and the faw and felt herself to be a loft undone finner. She was humbled to the duft before the Lord, and deeply mourned at his feet, because of her paft rebellion againft him. Soon after fhe was awakened, it plea fed God to bring me and several of our family into the glorious liberty of his Children; but at the time this happened, the was confined in child-bed, and could not attend thofe extraordinary lively meetings we then were favoured with. This difappointment greatly increased her diftrefs. We all endeavoured to comfort and encourage her, but it was with the utmost difficulty that he was kept from finking into the deep waters of defpair. Indeed, confidering the extreme diftrefs of her mind, which entirely deprived her of all fleep for fome time, it was little lefs than a miracle that the recovered: But the iffues of life and death are in the hands of the Lord, and he raised her up again.

Certainly an uncommon influence attended the miniftry of the word at that time, and the people's minds were fo deeply affected, that there was what fome would call, ་ no little diforder among us:" That is to fay, dead formality had no place in our affemblies; and the Lord vifited and bleffed us abundantly. In obedience to that word of God, "The merciful and gracious Lord hath fo done his marvellous works, that they ought to be had in remembrance," I will give fome account of the Lord's dealings with us.

I remember well, one Sunday morning, the Lord sent that now aged and faithful Preacher of the Gofpel, Mr. James North among

us.

He took thefe very affecting words for his text, "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his feat! I would order my caufe before him, and fill my mouth with arguments: I would know the words which he would answer me, and underfland what he would fay unto me. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put ftrength in me,' Job xxiii. 3, 4, 5. While he read thefe words, the mighty power of God fell upon all prefent, and the confequence was, he could not fpeak a single sentence, but fat down and wept, and all the people did the fame; fo that for a very confiderable time we all filently and very folemnly wept like those mentioned by the prophet Zachariah xii. 10, 12. This was a time never to be for gotten, because the power of the highest overshadowed the congres gation; and the people rejoiced in the God of their falvation.

At another time, Mr. Hofmer paid us a vifit. It is well known that he was eminently zealous in his Mafter's fervice, and was bleffed

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bleffed with an uncommon gift of preaching: But in fervent, wrestling prayer, I think, he excelled all I ever was acquainted with. While he was at prayer before the fermon, the whole congregation were fo deeply affected, that they all broke out into fervent fupplication, or joyful praife, fo that his voice was foon loft, and he gave up and liftened to the people for fome time. He then defired them to be filent and he would pray with them; they took the advice; but in a very few minutes all were as deeply engaged as before. Some, (but very few) faid, "This is confufion," and quoted the Apostle's words, "God is not the author of confufion, but of peace." But the grand end of public worfhip was abundantly anfwered, the people were uncommonly bleft, great and lafting good was done. It was a time of refresh ing from the prefence of the Lord, and his power and goodness were wonderfully manifefted.

At another time we were favoured with our valuable friend Mr. Thomas Taylor, who was then juft entering upon his miniftry among us. His text was, "I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who fat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering, and to conquer" Rev. vi. 2. He had no fooner read the words, but the spirit of joyful praife fell upon him, and upon most of the people prefent. His mind was quite carried away from the tex, and he was loft in an ecftafy of joy, and continued praifing and magnifying the Lord for more than an hour together. I remember well, that I ftood all the time clofe by his fide, and was fo filled with ferious, folemn, facred joy, that I thought it nearly impoffible for me to live any longer, but that my fpirit mult break its prifon and take its everlafting flight. Some dry formalifts made themfelves wretched, by feeing others fo exceedingly happy. But there are not a few ferious Chriftians now living, who can teftify with me (although it is now thirty-fix years ago) that the Lord was prefent in the power of his Spirit, and therefore we praised him with joyful lips.

I wish the above to be made public, becaufe fome perfons are led to think, that the prefent revival of the work of God is attended with fuch circumftances as were never known before among the Methodists: I beg leave to affure them that they are greatly mistaken. I am no friend to any real diforder or confufion in the worship of God: Nor would I encourage any thing wild or extravagant. It certainly becomes us well, to be very prudent, and to conduct ourselves in the house of God with ferioufnefs and folemnity. But I am perfuaded, that we carry our prudence to an extreme, when we think that God muft needs work in fuch a particular way as we judge to be right, or not at all. There are times and feafons when the Lord certainly does go out of his common way, fets human wifdom at defiance, pours out his Spirit abundantly, and accomplishes his own moft wife and gracious defigns. And although at thefe feafons it becomes the minifters of VOL. XIX. June 1796. Chrift

Chrift to be all eye and all ear, in order to watch over, and guard the work, fo that nothing really wrong may find a place; yet it would be well, at the fame time, to attend to the good that is done, rather than to the manner in which it is done. If precious fouls are really brought to God, let him have all the glory.

My fifter continued in the deepeft diftrefs for a confiderable time, but was at length brought to the enjoyment of a clear manifeftation of the love of God to her foul, and was made truly happy. The change wrought in her was very great, and the fteadily walked in all the commandments and ordinances of God blameless for a course of years.

Her befetting fin was worldly-mindedness and although they profpered much in the world, yet her defires seemed to increase with their fubftance. She was diffatisfied with my father on account of his Will. She thought he had not done her justice, and grieved his mind not a little upon that head: But she never could prevail upon him to alter it in her favour; for although no perfon whatever faid any thing to influence him in that matter, yet he was resolved, and fhe could not move him. Here she began to fuffer lofs, and although fhe continued as conftant as ever in all the means of grace, yet from this time the declined in inward life and liberty.

She was for fome years afflicted with a painful disorder in her bowels. After ufing a great variety of innocent means for its removal, fome very injudicious perfon advised her to use spiritu ous liquors mixed with warm water. She did fo, and found (I fuppose) a temporary relief. But this proved fatal to her. She used them by way of medicine till fhe began to love them and after having been for many years a pattern of industry, frugality, and œconomy; after having been one of the very best of wives, as well as one of the most affectionate mothers, the was actually overcome (times too often to mention) with liquor. I had known her fo long, and fo well, to be in the fulleft sense of the word, one of the most prudent of women, that I could not believe my own brother when he told me of it; nay, it was with difficulty that I could believe my own eyes when I faw her, not as I wished. What both my brother and myfelf fuffered on her account, is only known to God. But it may fuffice to fay at prefent, knowing her to be naturally of a melancholy turn, we greatly feared, left in a fit of defpair, when over-burthened with guilt and fhame, the fhould come to an untimely end.

I write the above, as a folemn warning to all who may read these lines: Let them enjoy ever fo large a measure of grace, and the highest degree of prudence alfo, yet let them take care how they begin to meddle with fpirituous liquors. It is dangerous beyond all conception. O how many pious perfons have been destroyed by them. Were it proper to mention names, I could make good what I fay. Let Preachers of the Gofpel, above all other men, be careful what they do; left any of them should be taken in this fnare of Satan. This

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