the most distant idea of the subject being at all consonant with Scripture, but with its reasonableness, he contrives to contradict what he had just affirmed, by stating, "We freely admit that no man can reform his conduct till he is convinced of the criminality of his former habits, and feels that regret with which such a conviction must of necessity be attended. But this reformation we contend must, in order to be permanent, be gradual in its progress. Admitting it to be gradual in its progress, is that to be deemed a sufficient proof that it is not sudden in its commencement? But why "must" it be "gradual ?" Is there any "needs be" for this? Here we are again at issue. It is not contended by the Methodists, that it "must" be either slow or sudden, but that it "must" be genuine. They are delighted to see a reformation of any kind, and seldom deliberate on the manner, when they are convinced that the work itself is effectual. There is certainly a prede!iction in favour of a hasty reformation; and I dare say, you, Sir, will be ready to conclude with the Methodist body at large, that the sooner mankind are reformed the better. Instead of adopting a strain of language which seemed to indicate, that sinners were to take time, and to consider the propriety of a reformation—a work, as Mr. W. tells us, which is "the result of much deliberate reflection," you would sound in their ears the trump of God," Choose you THIS DAY whom ye will serve;". TO-DAY if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;" "Behold now is the accepted TIME; behold, Now is the DAY of salvation."+

Dreadfully afraid, lest the sinner, who has violated the laws of God, should experience too much uneasiness of mind, Mr. W. shews the baneful effects of such a doctrine as that of "conviction of sin." He remarks, that "Many an unfortunate object, whose natural disposition may have been tinged with melancholy, and who has long been accustomed to view human nature in its darkest aspect, has been led by the preaching of these self-elected instructers to feel the effects of a conviction of sin in their full force, but, with all his reiterated efforts, has never been able to acquire that happy assurance, which he is told never fails to accompany, or to follow, a true saving faith. And what is the prospect such an individual is thus compelled to contemplate? However undeviating may have been his perseverance in welldoing, he can look forward to nothing but tribulation and wrath;' nor will all the means of grace enjoined in the gospel, while he is depressed by fears and doubts, enable him to escape final destruction." Should the melancholy being, thus described, not make a merit of his "undeviating perseverance in well-doing," and his attention to "all the means of grace enjoined in the

* Page 29. +Josh. xxiv. 15; Heb. iii. 15; 2 Cor. vi. 2. + Page 48.

gospel," he will meet, in Methodism, with ample encouragement. To such an one a Methodist Preacher would change his theme from a conviction of sin" to the promises of the gospel. On the other hand, to a person who reposes confidence in these things as meritorious, Methodism offers no consolation, because unauthorised by Scripture. To persons of this Pharisaic cast, it is to be feared, Mr. W. alludes; for the whole passage is perfectly unconnected, on his own side of the question, with faith in the merits of Christ. Such characters never reflect, that "the means of grace" may be used, without their enjoying the grace of the means. Now, every Methodist knows, that the means, exclusive of the grace of them, would no more satisfy the soul thirsting after righteousness, than the pipe or conduit, which conveys the refreshing stream to the abodes of men, would allay their thirst, without the water. With the Establishment, they have learned to distinguish between the grace and the means; as where she teaches us that a Sacrament is "An outward sign of inward grace, and a means whereby we receive the same." Mr. Wesley, with the same caution, in his SERMONS, guards the people against confounding the means with the end. There must be some radical defect in the system of those persons, who use "All the means of grace enjoined in the gospel," without arriving at the enjoyment of religion. "Ye ask," says the apostle, and receive not, because ye ask amiss."+

Granting Mr.W. what he advances, viz. that the doctrine may produce unfavourable impressions on the minds of the melancholy; is it for that reason not to be preached? What are the multitude, who need it, never to hear it, because the few are weak enough to deduce from it unfavourable inferences? Is it a doctrine that cannot be guarded? Surely there can be no difficulty in this. When an individual is sincere in the use of the meansmourning-trusting in Christ alone for salvation, how easy is it to address him in the language of Mr. Wesley, "Whosoever thou art, to whom God hath given to be poor in spirit,' to feel thyself lost, thou hast a right to the kingdom of heaven, through the gracious promise of him who cannot lie. It is purchased for thee by the blood of the Lamb. It is very nigh: thou art on the brink of heaven. Another step, and thou enterest into the kingdom of righteousness, and peace, and joy." It was in this way that he was accustomed to cheer the disconsolate; and if Mr. Wainewright will only give his Sermons a second reading, and not only principally" but altogether "rely" on them for his information, he will find that he adapted his advice, exhortations, reproofs, warnings, and entreaties, to the characters he addressed; "rightly dividing the word of truth" Nor did he, any more Works, vol. vii. p. 221-2. + James iv. 3. Works, vol. vii. p. 330. VOL. XLII. FEBRUARY, 1819.

*

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than his followers, consider it impossible for a person "to escape final destruction," merely because of his being "depressed by fears and doubts." He had too much descrimination to confound guilt, with fears and doubts; and knew that the latter might be present without the former, and that too without at all endangering the safety of the individual. Fear is more an expression of timidity than of distrust. It is a proof that the person is not yet made perfect in love, but it is not a blot that obliterates his Christianity. This, however, can only be applied to such as really possess religion, and to whom Jesus would say, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?" There is no consolation for a melancholy being, who resolves to persist in his sins. There is no remedy against despair, when the despairing sinner refuses to renounce those crimes, the remembrance of which causes all his distress. It would be as unscriptural to soothe the mind of such an one with the balm of Christianity, as it would be cruel to augment the grief of the penitent.

A

Mistaking his way, as he does in the outset of religion, it is not likely that Mr. W. will improve much as he proceeds. person who is about to discharge a ball from a fowling-piece, may possibly find, in running his eye along the barrel, that the muzzle only appears to be a few inches from the mark. He is soon convinced, that the ball verges wide of the point at which he aims, in proportion to the distance it has to fly. Methodism is the butt of Mr. W.'s indignation. Without different materials from those he has hitherto employed, his attempt at its demolition will be vain. "Wesley," he informs us," considered justification itself as distinct from a sense of pardon, which were often confounded by his followers."+ No one will attempt to deny the former part of this, Mr. Wesley considered justification and pardon as one and the same thing. "The plain notion of justification," says he, "is pardon, the forgiveness of sins." Since he considered them the same, he could no more confound justification with a sense of pardon, than he could confound justification with a sense or assurance of justification itself. I can as easily distinguish between justification as an act of God, and a sense of it, as enjoyed by man; as I can discern between an impression upon my spirit, and the cause of that impression. Though Mr. Wesley had learned to distinguish between cause and effect, and betwixt different doctrines, yet he was cautious not to separate them. He was aware that, though a necessary connexion between the members of the human frame may be demonstrated, yet, when once separated, they cease to be living members; just as justification ceases to be genuine, when separated from any of its evangelical effects. Mr. Wainewright was perhaps never more wide of the mark than when he states the Methodists to hold, that a man "is justified by the irresistible effusion of the grace * Matt. xiv. 31. † Page 26. ↑ Works, vol. vii. p. 67; also vol. vi. p. 309,

of God." Though justification is perceptible, it is not, as stated, irresistible. Their whole system declares, that a man may resist the grace of God against himself, in every stage of his Christian pilgrimage. Equally erroneous is he, where he supposes that "Momentaneous justification and a plenary assurance of pardon," are produced by a change of ministers. With the apostle and with their founder, the Methodists attribute the whole to the free grace of God;—" Being justified freely by his GRACE, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." The ministry of the word would, by an old Puritan divine, be considered as the remote or accidental cause of our justification.

(To be continued.)

THE WORD OF GOD ILLUSTRATED.

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.

MY DEAR SIR,

HAVING lately met with a copy of the only pamphlet eve written by the justly celebrated and Reverend Mr. Grimshaw, I send you, for early insertion in your much-read periodical work, his remarks on the miracles of Jesus Christ; and remain, your's, most sincerely, W. HILL.

Keighley, Nov. 26, 1818.

ON THE MIRACLES. "The Miracles of our Saviour are, as I think, intended to typify the truly gospel doctrine of the Faith of Assurance; denied, indeed, by the generality even of serious professors, though clearly, either expressly or implicitly, taught in almost every page in the New Testament, as also in the Psalms and Prophets. In many of them there is a lively representation not only of this truth, but of the whole work of conversion or regeneration. Our Lord, I am persuaded, (think other men as they please,) did not only intend the many miraculous cures that he wrought upon men's bodies, to be the credentials of his Messiahship, but to be lively emblems also of the cures he works upon our souls. So that what we find in the one, the like corresponding therewith we shall discover in the other. I shall only instance in two miracles: that of the woman with the "issue of blood," (Mark v. 25, &c.) and of the man "sick of the palsy," (Mark ii. 3, &c.) designing to take little more notice of them than what concerns my present purpose.

The woman" had spent all that she had, and was nothing better, but rather grew worse." A lively representation this of an awakened sinner's using all self-endeavours to obtain pardon of his sins, and eternal life of God. "When she heard of Jesus," -a last shift! So sinners, or self-righteous men, never come to *Page 26, 51. + Page 121.

Rom. iii. 24. Wesley's Works, vol. vii. p. 155.

Jesus, neither will they hear of it, till they are brought to sec, that all their other means and attempts are ineffectual.-" Came behind him in the press saying, (within herself) if I may but touch his clothes, (I have faith to believe) I shall be made whole." So sinners, convinced that all their righteousness will not secure them from eternal death, hearing of Jesus, and convinced that none but Jesus only can pardon and save them, by faith come and touch him." And having touched his garment, straightway, (that very moment) the fountain of her blood was dried up." That very instant a sinifer comes by faith and touches Jesus, he is pardoned; justification being an instantaneous work." And she felt in her body (mark the next words) that she was healed of her plague." She was sensible of a perfect cure. Sinners, in like manner, touching Jesus by faith, who is the true physician of the soul, also clearly experience the healing of their souls, the pardon of their sins; sin being the soul's "bloody issue." What is true in one case, is equally and every way so in the other.

In like manner, the paralytic was so helpless, as to be borne on a bed by four, (an argument of his exeeding weakness) and not only so, but sensible of his incurable condition, and confident that Jesus alone, and no other, could and would cure him, he was resolved at all hazards, as appears from the circumstances of the story, to be set before him. Another plain indication of a convinced sinner's faith, that he must either come to Jesus alone for mercy and forgiveness, or perish for ever. "Jesus, seeing their faith, (O what a powerful thing is faith !) said, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee:" and afterwards, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." Upon which words "he immediately arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all." His cure was instantaneous and sensible. "He immediately arose," who could scarcely, it is probable, stir hand or foot before; and as a further proof of it, bore back the bed to his house, which had borne him to Christ. Moreover he had his sins forgiven him in express words. He had therefore the fullest assurance of his cure and pardon. As certain, sudden, and spiritually sensible, is the remission of sins, the cure of the sin-sick souls, who come by faith as this man did, to Jesus.

I know it is as great a paradox, and counted as gross blasphemy by the letter-learned wise men of this day, to hear men affirm that their sins are forgiven by that same Jesus who, they ought to consider, "hath still power on earth to forgive sins;" as it was to the Scribes in our Saviour's days to hear him, viva voce, pronounce the same then. But where is the absurdity or unreasonableness of it? It is not only equally as easy a matter with our Saviour to pardon our souls, as to heal our bodies; or as possible with him to manifest the one as the other to