help of two perfons down to the Chapel; and when there, no one could be more attentive to every part of divine worship. He never miffed his Clafs a fingle time in the whole course of his life, if he was at home, and very frequently he attended at all the other Claffes which met in the village where he lived.

He was naturally of a very warm temper, but for a confiderable time after being brought to the knowledge of God, he had full dominion over it: And no doubt, had he lived in the exercise of the grace which the Lord bestowed upon him, and looked as he ought for the accomplishment of all the divine promises, he would have continued to enjoy that state of inward liberty into which the Lord had brought him. But like too many profeffors, by little and little he gave way to his natural temper, and confequently fuffered very great lofs in the divine life; and by this means prepared a bitter cup of deep forrow and fevere diftrefs against a dying hour. It is on this account chiefly, that the subfequent narrative is made public, as a folemn warning to profeffing Chriftians to take care that they do not lofe their first love, by fuffering evil tempers, thofe roots of bitterness, to fpring up again in their minds. I know well, that there are many who make but little account of being overcome by anger, when they meet with any thing difpleafing; and not a few have so habituated themselves to this evil, that now their confciences give them very little trouble about it, as it is become quite familiar. This was the cafe with my dear father.

I was ftationed in London in 1769, and in the month of Oc tober that year, I received a letter from my brother, informing me of the fickness of my father. Mr. Wefley very freely gave me leave to go down into Yorkshire to fee him. I did fo, and found him very weak in body, and not likely to live long. He appeared to have much peace in his mind, to be patient under his affliction, refigned to the will of God, and willing to die, having no painful fear or dread of death; fo that we thought all was well with him. But as he lay in his bed one morning, (feveral weeks before his decease,) he had a difcovery of all the Lord's gracious dealings with him, and the whole travail of his foul from first to Jaft. He faw into what an holy and happy ftate the Lord brought him when he was firft juftified, and the nature and excellence of the privileges he then enjoyed. He plainly faw how long he had ftood faft in that liberty, and how far he had been faithful to the grace then given; and likewife, when, and by what means he had grieved the Holy Spirit, and loft a measure of the life of God. He faw that from that time he had frequently difhonoured God, and gradually departed from him in heart, till he wandered into the wilderness, where he enjoyed but little communion with the 'Redeemer. He difcovered, in fuch a manner as words cannot exprefs, that all his religious duties were too formal, and that however conftant he had been in attending them, they had not proved what the Lord defigned them to be, viz. wells of falvation to his foul."

It

It is impoffible to defcribe the dreadful anguish and distress that now well nigh overwhelmed his foul. O how bitterly he lamented his past unfaithfulness, and mourned on account of his having grieved the Holy Spirit. He quite gave up his confidence in God ás reconciled to him, and had little hope of obtaining mercy. Satan, who always loves to fish in troubled waters, laboured to heighten this diftrefs, by drawing a vail over the mercy and love of God, and by fuggefting fuch thoughts to his mind as tended to plunge him into the dark regions of despair.

We all tenderly fympathized with my father in this hour of diftrefs, and endeavoured to comfort and encourage him all that we poffibly could, by enlarging upon the mercy and love of God in Chrift Jefus, and his willingness to fave poor returning finners. He feriously attended to all that we could fay, and as cordially joined with us in prayer, whenever opportunity ferved; but nothing could fatisfy him till he obtained a clear manifeftation of the love of God. This, in anfwer to our inceffant prayers, the Lord mercifully granted unto him, filling his whole foul with peace and joy in believing. O what a glorious change did he now experience! He had not only a divine confcioufnefs of his intereft in Chrift, but was fully renewed in righteousness and true holiness: He was all meekness, gentleness, humility and love.

From this time to the hour of his death, he had a joyful hope of heaven, and quietly and patiently waited for the happy hour when the Lord fhould fign his release from the body, and receive him into paradife. He was quite free for me to return to London whenever I pleafed. He faid, "I cannot die when I would; "I must wait the Lord's time; and you will be wanted in your "Circuit; go then, when you think proper; I have seen you, "and that is enough."

He appeared to be wholly given up to the Lord, and conftantly engaged in prayer, except when converfing with the family, or with fome Chriftian friend who called to fee him. His difcourfe was fpiritual and heavenly, and he could not relish any converfation but that which favoured of the heaven to which he was going.

One day, when talking to me and my brother, tears of joy and gratitude flowed from his eyes at the thought of leaving all his family united in the facred bonds of chriftian as well as brotherlylove: "I think, (faid he) I may now die with the greatest fatis"faction that any man ever did, feeing that I leave you all of one heart and of one mind.”

66

I was with him all the day on which he died. He faid very little to any one, but his mind feemed altogether flayed upon the Lord. I prayed with him a fhort time before he changed for death; and he expreffed the ftrongeft confidence in God, and an earnest desire to depart. About nine o'clock in the evening, he quietly, without either a figh or groan, or the leaft ftruggle, fell

afleep

afleep in my arms. There was fomething remarkably ftriking in his countenance when he was dead, wonderfully expreffive of that extraordinary ferenity of mind which the Lord favoured him with in his dying moments. He had enjoyed a measure of the fanctifying grace of God near ten years, and died Nov. 23, 1769, in the 75th year of his age.

Soon after my father's death, my brother wrote me the fol lowing letter.

"With refpect to my dear departed father, he is feldom out of my mind; I think of him when alone, with a melting heart and weeping eyes. I have at certain times felt fuch a defire to fee him again as I cannot defcribe. An expreffion which you dropped in the pulpit has often been a check to me, viz. If a with would bring him back again, I would not dare to wish it." Had it not been for this, and I know that you loved him as well as I could poffibly do, I fhould often have wished he might have returned to us again.

"The words which he spoke to me in his laft conflict with Satan, with fuch deep concern in his countenance, I fhall never forget. But he is now where fear can never come, and where temptation can have no place :

'Tis finifh'd, 'tis paft, his conflict below,
The greatest and laft he ever fhall know;
Triumphantly glorious, through Jefus's zeal,

And more than victorious o'er fin, death, and hell.

"I doubt not but he is now joined with the Church triumphant, and from thofe peaceful regions, I almost think, I hear him kindly forbid me thus to weep and mourn on his account, feeing that he is now inexpreffibly happy in the enjoyment of God. O yes; I moft affuredly believe, that he is this moment worshipping before the throne, with thofe holy happy ones, whofe bleffed fociety my foul longs to join. O my brother, I trust that he will one day give us a hearty welcome to that glorious city where pain and parting fhall be no more. The thoughts of this ravifhes my very heart and quite overcomes me :

"There all the fhip's company meet

That fail'd with the Saviour beneath;
With fhouting each other they greet,
And triumph o'er forrow and death:

The voyage of life's at an end,
The painful affliction is paft,
The age that in heaven they fpend

For ever and ever fhall laft!"

In the above account, we may fee much of the mercy and love of God manifefted towards one who had zealously contended against the Truth, and defpifed those who embraced it. He certainly thought himfelf poffeffed of real religion, before he had any knowledge of its nature; and believed himself to be a faith

ful

ful worshipper of God, before he had any faving acquaintance with him. He was thoroughly awakened, and laboured under very deep and painful convictions for a confiderable time, till the Lord manifefted himfelf unto him as a fin-pardoning God. For fome time he walked in the living Light; but alas! unhappily miffed his way, by fuffering his own bad tempers to rife from the dead. And, as I am afraid that this is the cafe with too many, who look upon themfelves as believers; from the example of one who was unfpeakably dear to me, and from the confideration of what he fuffered upon his death-bed, I beg leave to warn all, who may fee this account, to take care left they alfo fall into the fame condemnation, and plant before hand their dying pillow with thorns.

The gofpel ftate moft affuredly is a ftate of Liberty; liberty from the guilt, and from the power or dominion of fin. Thus we have long been accustomed to fing:

The guilt and power, with all thine art,

Can never be disjoin'd;

Nor will GOD bid the guilt depart,

And leave the power behind.

Perhaps fome will answer, "Without doubt, every believer is made free from the power of outward fin." This is not enough : All awakened finners who are faithful to enlightening grace, are free in this refpect; they bring forth fruits meet for repentance. But a believer, being created anew in Chrift Jefus, and having crucified the flesh with all its affections and defires, is made free from the power of inward fin: He has dominion over his own fpirit and tempers, and in this fenfe, is made free from fin, and becomes a fervant of God. The fame living faith which brings the peace of God into the confcience, brings alfo divine purity into the heart. So that a real believer can fay with the Apostle, The law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus, hath made me free from the law of fin and death." It is but too true, very few continue long in this liberty, unless they look for the utter deftruction of all fin, and prefs forward towards the mark of perfect love. Those who fail here, generally grow weary of the in ward war: The flesh lufteth against the fpirit, till the flesh proves conqueror, and then we fee believers (fo called,) foon angry, governed by their own will, conquered by pride and evil defire. But these things ought not to be fo: Surely the will of God is, our entire fanctification of body, foul and fpirit; and confequently, it is our indifpenfible duty, not only to hold fast whereunto we have attained, but also to follow after, in order that we may apprehend that for which we are apprehended of God in Chrift Jefus. In doing this, we fhall retain the mastery over our own fpirit, and increate with all the increase of God. I am your affectionate brother, J. PAWSON.

THE

THE BLESSING OF A CHEERFUL HEART.

WH

[EXTRACTED FROM A LATE EMINENT WRITER.] ·

THEN we furvey the World in which we live, and in which we find things framed not only for neceffity, but pleasure; not only for ufe, but beauty. The lights which God hath "fet in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day from the night, to be for figns, and for feafons, for days, and for years,' while they answer all thofe purposes according to his ordinance, do, at the fame time, cheer and delight us, by their splendid appearance. The bloffoms of the fpring, which ferve to protect the infant fruit; the glories of fummer, which mature and bring it to perfection; and the riches with which autumn overspreads the face of a country, contribute as much to the fatisfaction of the beholder, as they do to the hufbandman's advantage. The fame genial power which brings food out of the earth for the nourishment of the animals that walk upon it, arrays it in a colour the most agreeable and refreshing to the eye of man. And let any one, who walks forth, at the proper feason of the year, to contemplate the creation in its beauty; who beholds the brightnefs of the fun, the clearnefs of the fky, the verdure of the earth, well watered paftures clothed with flocks, valleys covered over with corn, and woods refounding with the mufic of birds; let fuch a one determine whether Providence defigned, this world fhould be filled with murmurs and repinings, or that the heart of man fhould be involved in gloom and melancholy." Certainly the Pfalmift was of another opinion, whofe defcription of the pleafing objects, with which nature abounds, may supply their abfence, and make them prefent to our minds:" He fendeth the fprings into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beaft of the field; the wild affes quench their thirft. By them fhall the fowls of heaven have their habitation, and fing among the branches. He watereth the hills from his chambers; the earth is fatisfied with the fruit of thy works. He caufeth the grafs to grow for the cattle, and herb for the fervice of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face fhine, and bread which ftrengtheneth man's heart." A furvey of creation filled his heart with admiration, joy and gladness. "O Lord," fays he," how manifold are thy works! In wifdom haft thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches! I will fing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will fing praife unto my God, while I have my being. My meditation of him fhall be fweet; I will be glad in the Lord."

Å cheerful disposition of mind, is a duty we owe to our Maker, who hath placed us in a world thus ftocked with objects, capable of infpiring complacency and delight. For it was, doubtlefs, his intention, that, by contemplating the beauties and glories of the

creation,