im

As to your Questions, I do often find in Prayer many pertinent thoughts come into my mind; but they do not diftract me. I never find my foul preft down by any bodily weakness. I often find Satan exercifes my Imagination with impertinent thoughts. Sometimes I can banish them as they appear at other times I bear them as my burden. They never trouble my foul: yet I think the deeper communion I have with God, the lefs power Satan will have. I do find every Reasoning brought into captivity to the obedience of Chrift. As to my Dreams, I feldom remember them. But when I do, I find in general they are harmless. Sometimes I dream of being in danger, and always escape by the power of Faith. My foul is pierced through with a sense of God's goodnefs and my own unworthiness! If my happiness were dependent on any creature, how often would it be at an end? But

Stands my house on Jefus fast,
My Rock cannot remove.

Bleffed be God for Chrift, the Sinner's Friend! And blessed be Chrift for free Grace! What great things hath God laid up for them that give him their whole hearts?

I never fit down to write to you, but I find my foul filled with the goodness of God. As to being offended at you by any thing I can hear, I think my foul is guarded against it, I am enabled to look through all I hear. There is but one thing which would leffen my affection to you, that is, to find in you any Evil allowed. My heart cannot be joined to any one, who hath not the glory of God at heart. Nothing but fin can separate the foul from God: and nothing but fin can feparate my heart from you: and that, not by hearing it from others; but my eyes muft fec, and my ears hear.

You faid once," By your plain dealing you have the Key of my heart, and free liberty to fearch it as you pleafe." I think,

1

think, I ufe it. God grant it may anfwer the end for which he intended it! He would not have put this power into my hands, were it not to anfwer fome great end. I feel a love that would break through fire and water, fo you may love God with all your heart! O that you was filled with the Holy Ghoft, with all inward and outward Holiness! How my heart is expanded at the thought! Sir, in writing and converfing, let you and I always confider ourfelves, as before the Throne of God: and then we fhall furely speak in the uprightnefs of our hearts. My ftrengh fails me: fo I conclude, Your affectionate Child and Servant,

S. R.

LETTER

CCXXVIII.

[From the Rev. Mr. Wefley, to Mrs. S. R.]

My dear Sifter,

Jan. 20, 1758.

WOW did you feel yourself under your late trial? Did

How

you find no flirring of Refentment? No remains of your own Will? No defire or wish, that things fhould be otherwife? In one fenfe, you do defire it: because you desire, that God fhould be glorified in all things. But did not the falling fhort of that defire leffen your happinefs? Had you fill the fame degree of communion with God? The fame joy in the Holy Ghoft? I never faw you fo much moved, as you appeared to be that evening. Your foul was then greatly troubled: and a variety of conflicting paffions, Love, Sorrow, Defire, with a kind of Despair, were easy to be read in your countenance. And was not your heart unhinged at all? Was it not ruffled or difcompofed? Was your foul all the time calmly flayed on God? Waiting upon him without

diffraction?

diffraction? Perhaps one end of this clofe trial was to give you a deeper knowledge of yourself and of God? Of his power to fave, and of the salvation he hath wrought in

you.

Most of the trials you have lately met with, have been of another kind: but it is expedient for you to go through both evil and good report. The converfing with you, either by fpeaking or writing, is an unfpeakable blefling to me. I cannot think of you, without thinking of God. Others often lead me to him: but it is, as it were, going round about: you bring me ftraight into his prefence. Therefore whoever warns me against trufling you, I cannot refrain; as I am clearly convinced, he calls me to it.

I am your affectionate Brother,

LETTER

CCXXIX.

J. W.

[From Mr. Theophilus Oakes, to Mr. L. C. and Mr. T. B.]

My dear Brethren,

IT

Dublin, May 20, 1763.

T is about fifteen years fince the Lord called me from among the pots, and spoke peace to my foul. I was for many months in the chariot of Love. I did not fee the wickedness of my heart. I thought all was over, and that I fhould never again draw my chariot wheels heavily. And I am fure, if I had been faithful, it would have been fo. But I began to fee and feel that I had an evil heart, yet I did not expect being delivered from it; and fo was fometimes rejoicing, and fometimes caft-down. But laft year the Lord was pleased to begin fuch a work here, as was aftonishing. Many have found a glorious and bleffed deliverance from all

fin. The alarm reached me; and the Lord, in a manner I never faw before, fhewed me the dreadful confequences of my fallen nature, and the neceffity of being delivered from it. I alfo found a great defire to be freed from it. He who gave me this knowledge did not let me wait in vain. For in a moment he cleanfed my heart from all evil. I felt the change pafs upon my foul with that comfortable text, " I will, be thou clean." The Lord has been unto me ever fince, as the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land. He reigns in my heart, and makes it as a watered garden. I can rejoice evermore, and pray without ceafing. I find it as natural for me to watch and pray, as to breathe. I know the Enemy of fouls is always endeavouring to impofe his temptations upon me. But bleffed be God they have no place in my heart. I fee more and more the precioufness of Faith, and the love of Jefus to fo poor a worm as me. I can fay, my Mafler's fervice is perfect freedom. O let us be thankful to God! furely if all his children knew this privilege, they would not plead for fin's remains: they would not doubt his power and willingnefs to deftroy the carnal mind. How does Satan ftrive to hinder the children of men from coming to the knowledge of the Truth? Yet, glory be to God, there are many, even here, who teflify that the blood of Chrift cleanfeth from all fin,

I am your affectionate Brother in Chrift,

LETTER

THEOPHILUS OAKES.

CCXXX.

I

[From the Rev. Mr. Conyers, to the Rev. Mr. Wesley.]

Rev. and dear Sir,

June 7, 1763.

Have had informations from many hands of your defign of calling upon me at Helmfley, in your return out of Scotland. I take this opportunity frankly and freely to

declare

declare to you, Sir, that my houfe and my heart are, and ever fhall be open to you. I prefume our Archdeacon will be with me from Stokesley, on Wednesday evening, as he always takes a bed, and spends a night or two with me, when he is upon his Vifitations, which is at this place on Friday next. How far you may think proper to alter your defign of preaching here upon that account, I leave to yourfelf. I speak not this out of fear; for I love you as I love my own foul: my only apprehenfion is, that he being upon the spot, may fhut my church-doors against you. But if you only mean a friendly visit to me, I shall be glad to fee you, let who will be here, and it will be the comfort of my heart to have you preach to my flock in every room of my house, at any time when you come this way. As far as the doctrine you teach has come to my knowledge, I know not one part to which I could not fubfcribe both with hand and heart. You have my prayers for the divine bleffing and protection upon you. May he conduct you fafely through all dangers to his everlasting kingdom! And O that I may bear fome humble part in that blessed work of praise, and be a partaker with you in the joys of the Redeemer's kingdom!