me, and appeared again to my fainting foul. He restored the witnefs of his fpirit, and applied his precious promises, particu larly Ifaiah liv. 5, with fuch power to my mind, that all doubts and unbelieving fears were removed. I now fupposed that my fpiritual winter was past, and that I fhould enjoy an eternal summer under the kind influence of the beams of the fun of righteousness. I often fung with unspeakable pleasure,

My God is reconcil'd,

His pardoning voice I hear:
He owns me for his Child,
I can no longer fear :

With confidence I now draw nigh,

And Father, Abba, Father, cry.

I found the fervice of the Lord to be perfect freedom and peace: my heart was enlarged after finners, and I thought I could fuffer any thing to bring them to Chrift. The language of my foul was, "Come all the world: come finner thou;

"All things in Christ are ready now.
"If all the world my Saviour knew,
"All the world would love him too."

I remembered the words of our Lord to Peter, "When thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren," and therefore I began to give a word of exhortation, when I had opportunity, which the Lord owned and bleffed. Sometimes I was forely harraffed by a fubtle enemy; but the grace of God was fufficient for me, and I went on my way rejoicing in the God of my falvation.

In the latter end of the year 1787, and the beginning of 1788, I had very ftrong impreflions to preach the gospel of the Redeemer; but I trembled at the thought, and treated thefe impreffions as fo many devices of the enemy. The affliction of mind which I had on this occafion, was much greater than any thing I had ever before experienced I thought, were I to open my mind to any person, confidering my youth and little experience, they would advise me to decline fuch an undertaking. The more I ftrove to resist the fecret impulfe, the ftronger were my convictions. When I was pleading my cause with God, and laying my youth before him as an excufe, faying, "Ah, Lord God, behold I cannot speak, for I am but a child,Send by whom thou wilt, but send not me; I am ignorant, and know nothing as I ought: What can I say to promote thy glory?" The Lord was pleased to filence my objec tions, by the application of fome scriptures, accompanied with so much of the divine prefence, that I was for a moment a new creature. When I walked out alone, it often feemed as if a congregation were before me, and being led out of myself by these vifionary ideas, I frequently exclaimed aloud, before I was aware, "O! for a Trumpet's voice

On all the world to call,
To bid their hearts rejoice

In him who died for all."

Being

Being under the influence of two powerful motives, the Love of Chrift to the Church and the world; and the terrors of the Lord against finners; I made a covenant with him, that if he would open a way for me, I would embrace the first opportunity. At this time, a friend unknown to me, made an engagenient for me to preach at a place called Flathead, in Halifax Circuit. I much objected to the engagement, till recollecting the vow which I had made unto the Lord. When I got to the place appointed, I never dreaded the terrors of hell more, than I did the fight of the hour in which I was to preach, but the Lord was better to me than all my fears.

By this time I was reduced to a very relaxed, and low habit of body; it was therefore thought proper I fhould go to Harrowgate waters in Yorkshire, were it pleafed God to strengthen both body and mind. When I returned home I was appointed a local preacher and continued in this sphere of action, a fubject of many temptations; (but grace much more abounded) with fome fruit of my poor labours, till the year 1791, when I was called into Coln Circuit. My new fphere of action brought new temptations and troubles. Though I was much bleffed in preaching, yet I began to call every thing into queftion relative to my experience, and the work of the miniftry. I had great ftruggles of mind arifing from three caufes: Firft, whether I was called to preach the gofpel, and what evidence I could produce in favour of that call; for Satan fold me I had none. Secondly, whether I fhould obey God or man, because it did not meet with my Father's approbation. Thirdly, my inability for fo great a work; I faw that all I could fay, camé infinitely fhort of exploring the mystery of a juft, holy, and pure Law; the ftupendous fyftem of redemption; the myfterious influ ence and operations of the Holy Spirit; and all the heights and depths of grace. I had no reft either night or day; reafonings crowded in upon me, till I thought I could neither pray nor preach. Every thing I did or faid, in the difcharge of my office, appeared to be fuperficial and a vain attempt: Life itfelf became a burden, and I wished rather to die than to live. I often refolved to leave the Circuit; one day I was determined to put my refolus tion into practice, and went to the ftable to take my horfe, but was prevented by the door being locked: I returned to my room, weary and heavy laden, and fell proftrate before the Loid, my eyes overflowing with tears, and blood gufhing up at my mouth. O how did I long for the fatal ftroke! My health being much impaired, it was judged expedient to confult Dr. Hamilton of Leeds, by whofe prefcriptions, through the bleffing of heaven, and the tender care of an affectionate people, among it whom I laboured, I got much better. Towards the latter end of the year my faith was ftrengthened, and I had an increase of the comforts of the Holy Spirit.

At the Conference in 1792, I was appointed for Leicester Circuit, to travel with Mr. Longley, who had been a Father to me

in all my afflictions the year before. The Lord revived his work in feveral places. The first time I preached at Leicefter, I had the pleasure of feeing one awakened and others much affected under the word. I spent the greatest part of the year at Coventry, where the Lord removed prejudice from the minds of many, and increafed the number of our little flock: He likewife favoured me with frequent manifeftations of his love. I had a good opportu nity for retirement, which contributed greatly to my peace; as I never found my foul more happy than when fecluded from the world, and engaged in contemplating thofe fubjects which are calculated to furnish the mind with useful knowledge.

At the Conference in 1793, I was appointed for Nottingham, I went with much diffidence, left I fhould not profit the people; but this was foon removed, by their hofpitable spirit and brotherly love. Ifpent this year with much profit to myself; and found that fufficient unto the day was the grace thereof. I felt a willing nefs to fuffer, as well as to reign with Chrift. The facrament of the Lord's fupper was a bond of union to us, and an ordinance of peace and love.

At the Conference in 1794, I was appointed to labour in Glamorganfhire. From the accounts which I had received of Wales, I expected this to be a year of trial, but bleffed be his Name, who caufeth all the occurrences of providence to work together for good to them that love him, I found his fervice to be perfect freedom. Though it has been a year of great labour yet we have had peace and profperity in our borders: Indeed fome dead branches were broken off from the living vine, but others were grafted in, after being convinced of fin and favingly born again of the fpirit.

When I reflect upon the kindness of God to fuch an unworthy finner, I think I cannot conclude my imperfe&t account in lan guage more confonant with my prefent views and experience, than that of the Apostle's," Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day: " Unto whom, with the Lamb who hath washed me from my fins in his own blood, be afcribed glory, falvation, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

Two DISCOURSES on CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, By Mr. MATHER.

Having thefe promifes, dearly beloved, let us cleanfe ourselves from all filthinefs of the flesh and fpirit, perfecting holinefs in the fear of GOD. 2 Cor. vii. 1.

HE perfons here addreffed, are the Believers at Corinth. Thefe had already received the Grace of God; and although in time pait they had been uprighteous,, yet now they

were

were washed, were justified, yea, sanctified, by the Spirit of our God. But that this grace might not be received in vain, the Apostle gives them a variety of important advices, reproofs, and exhorta tions, in the course of thefe Epiftles; and among the reft, this in our Text: without diligent attention to which, whofoever standeth muft fall: a thing he exceedingly dreaded, how little foever it may be regarded, or thought even impoffible by many. Yet he, who efpoufed them to Chrift as a chafte virgin, was jealous over them with a godly jealoufy, left as the Serpent beguiled Eve, any of them fhould be beguiled from the fimplicity which is in Chrift Jefus: A lofs this, which it is impoffible for all that can be put in the place of it to repair! For what were all the attainments, wherein the Corinthians fo much excelled, when compared with the felicity refulting from the poffeffion of their first love? nothing, or less than nothing, in the esteem of this fervant of God, this father in Chrift, this wife mafter-builder.

Nor can this felicity be preferved, except we retain that childlike confidence, which ever comes boldly and fimply, to the throne of Grace. This faith works by love; nor can the one exist in the foul without the other; however large attainments in what may be called fpiritual gifts, may be preferved without either! But the fimplicity of loving faith remains no longer than while we continue to regulate our converfation (our whole inward and outward behaviour) in the world, and towards each other, by the grace of God, and according to the directions given in his word: No, it is impoffible it fhould. For no fooner do we think of walking by any other rule, called by the Apostle fleshly wisdom, (properly fo, as, however admired and adopted by many, it cometh of corrupt nature, and is oppofed to the grace of God) but we lofe that fingle eye, whereby the whole body is full of light! And if the light which is in us, becometh darkness, how great must that darkness be?

To prevent this, and all its fatal effects, the advice in our text is adminiftered, and with the utmost propriety: because it not only directs to what will fupprefs the evil, namely, the fear of God; but alfo to the perfecting holinefs, in that reverential awe of God upon the foul, which readily apprizes us of the first approach of evil, and marks the rifings of defire, and the wander ings of the will. This preferves the confcience truly tender, and drives us again to the atoning Blood, which alone can make the wounded whole; and hereby proves the most effectual means of our cleanfing ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit, as it preferves all our graces awake, by keeping them in continual exercife. And left the Corinthians fhould imagine that the Apostle was fevere, on the one hand in calling them who were faved by grace, to fo much doing, yea, fuffering, as this neceffarily required, even to a daily felf crucifixion and mortification, he uses the most endearing appellation, "dearly beloved:" as if he had faid, " I would not have ought enjoined you but what is abfolutely for your advantage,

advantage, and effential to your prefent and eternal welfare." And left they fhould, on the other hand, be difcouraged through a fenfe of their own inability, he reminds them of the promises of that God, who was faithful to his word; and in which they were particularly interested, as all that he had made was theirs in Chrift Jefus, and in him YEA, and AMEN.

The advice thus enforced upon the Corinthians, is alfo left upon record for our admonition, who are partakers of like precious faith we fhall therefore endeavour to confider,

I. The end the apostle has in view, viz. our perfection in holinefs.

II. The means he recommends us to ufe, that we may effectually, and fpeedily attain that noble end, fo much defired by all real believers: fo to live in the fear of God, as to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.

III. The argument he uses, at once to enforce the duty, and encourage thofe who are called to the performance of it: " having these promises, dearly beloved," &c.

I. We are to confider the end which the Apostle had in view, even our perfection in holiness. An end this, which, in its nature and effects, is at once fo pleafing to God and profitable to man, that one would be led to imagine, none who defired the glory of the one or the felicity of the other, could poffibly object to; fince it is utterly impoffible, that thefe two grand ends of man's creation and redemption fhould be answered any other way, or in any higher degree than as man attains to this!

Therefore we need no greater evidence of the depravity and blindness of fallen man, than his wonderful averfion to and objections against this. Infomuch, that holinefs, our holiness, perfonal holinefs, perfection in holiness, our perfection in holiness, is almost every where spoken againft! and is fuffered to come out of the lips of few of thofe, who would be counted orthodox divines! And all who fo fpeak, and fo enforce, are confidered as enemies to the Gofpel of Chrift!

Be it fo. If this be to be vile, I trust there are, and ever will be found, fuch friends to God and man, as will be bold enough to declare as upon the house-tops, that God, in fending his Son to vifit man, designed to "deliver him from his enemies, that he might ferve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of his life."

But to return. ift. What is holinefs? 1. Inward holiness is the love of God and of man, for the Lord's fake, shed abroad in the heart, producing lowlinefs, meeknefs, patience, long-fuffering, kindness, compaffion, tender-heartedness, forgiveness, content, and every other grace of the Spirit, against which there is no law. (Gal. v. 23.) 2. Outward holiness is that regularity of conduct, whereby we manifest this inward disposition, (1.) By our obedience to all the commandments of God. (2.) By walking in all VOL. XIX. Jan. 1796.

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