him, that is, more or lefs affectionately than he deferves. And by the miftake which is occafioned by the defeat of my bodily organs, I am naturally led fo to do. Such is the prefent condition of Human Nature: of a mind dependent on a mortal body. Such is the ftate entailed on all human spirits, while connected with flesh and blood!

[To be concluded in our next.]

རྒྱའི་ཡི

IT

A fhort Account of Mr. ROBERT WILKINSON.

[Concluded from page 183.]

One of our

As I read, I

and I found

T was not long before my faith was tried. brethren, a Calvinift, lent me a book. thought Mr. Wefley was quite in the wrong; fomething in me that rose against him: yet one thing I remember I could not fwallow, which was, The Author afferted that a fenfe of inbred fin would reconcile us to death. No, faid Mr. Wesley, Nothing but perfect Love. Indeed I could not perfuade myself that the fting of death could reconcile us to death itself! However, I read and reafoned myself miferable. Yet the Lord gave me grace to wrestle with him in prayer; and every day, I found more or lefs, the witness my fonfhip. I was then afraid if I fought after holiness, I fhould rob Chrift of his glory. Some of our people hearing that I read that book, and converfed with the man who lent it, took it for granted that I was prejudiced against the doctrine of Perfection and thofe that preached it. They told this to my Band-Leader. I went one Sunday morning, as ufual, at feven o'clock, to meet my Band, and found myself in a peaceable frame of mind: No fooner did the Leader begin to pray, than he cried, "Lord, never fuffer us to be prejudiced against thy Servants, feeing that thy will is our Sanctification!"

of

Sanctification!" I found, as it were, fomething in me saying, When he fpoke his experience he expreffed

He

He means me. the fame thing; on which, I faid, It is me you mean? anfwered, "What I have faid, I have faid." I then found violent prejudice against him.

My peace was gone. My

I told one of our people

foul was torn in pieces within me. as we went home, how my Leader had behaved towards me. I did not regard breaking the Band-Rules, because I was determined never to meet in a Band any more. I had no reft: though I could not give up my Confidence in God; nevertheless my corruptions boiled fo within me that I could have fought with a feather.

On Friday night we had preaching. I went to it like one poffeffed with a legion of devils. Afterwards the Bands met, and the Preacher earneftly exhorted all present to look for the fecond Bleffing, and infifted that it might be received. Now, thought I, if there is fuch a thing, none can stand in more need of it than I do. But the Enemy fuggefted, "There are thofe that have known God feveral years, and have not attained; and fhalt thou be delivered who haft been juftified only a few months?" Immediately I found power to refill the temptation, and faid within myfelf, God is not tied to time. No fooner did that thought pafs through my heart than the power of God feized me. I found I could not refift, and therefore turned myself over upon the feat: I cannot exprefs how I was. I found fuch a travail in my foul as if it would burft from the body. I continued fo, till I was motionless and insensible for a season. But as I was coming to myself I found fuch an emptying, and then fuch a heaven of love fpringing up in my foul, as I had never felt before; with an application of these bleffed words, "He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water." If poffible, I could have put my Band-Leader into my heart. The book I mentioned before, had pleased me fo well that I had given orders to him that

lent

lent it me, to buy me one of them.

But no fooner did God

work this change in my foul, than I found an utter averfion to it, and told the man, You must not buy it; for I fhall

read it more.

never

In the year 1768, I was sent to call finners to repentance, in and about the city of Carlisle. Here I was much persecuted; but blessed be God he delivered me out of the hands of all my enemies, and gave me feveral feals to my ministry.

[Thus far Mr. Wilkinfon lived to write himself. One of his Fellow-labourers added what follows.]

My acquaintance with Mr. Wilkinson was very fhort. The first time I ever faw him was a little above three years ago. The next time was after laft Bristol Conference. He was there appointed to labour with me in and about Grimsby.

When we met in the Circuit, we were both in health; but the day before our Quarterly-meeting, I was taken very ill of a fever; however the next morning I ventured to fet out for the meeting; but having fifteen miles to ride, it was with much difficulty I got fafe thither. And then I was unable to attend either the Love-feaft or the Watch-night.

But I fhall never forget the prayer Mr. Wilkinfon put up for me at the clofe of the Love-feaft, "That the Lord would fpare me a little longer, and raise me up again to labour in his vineyard." His prayer pierced the heavens; the power of God came down upon the people like a torrent of rain. They were so affected that they wept and rejoiced abundantly. Immediately I fhared with them, although I was not in the fame room, the Divine prefence broke my heart to pieces. My foul overflowed with love, and my eyes with tears. I know not that I was ever fo powerfully and fuddenly affected under any perfon's prayer, except on the day I was converted to God. Immediately I had faith to believe the Lord would raife me up again, and for feveral minutes it appeared to me

as

as if I was perfectly well. The next day I went along with him to Louth; and in that time we had a good deal of conversation together, which chiefly turned upon thefe two points, viz. Predeftination, and Christian Perfection.

He told me with forrow of heart, how often he had been grieved for the immense hurt that he had feen done by the preaching of Unconditional Predeftination, as it blocked up the way of Repentance; weakened the foundation of Diligence; damped the fervor of Believers after Holiness; and had a tendency to deftroy it root and branch. He likewife very warmly expressed his love for Bible-holiness, faying, it was the delight of his foul to prefs after it himself, and to enforce it upon others; and that while he was doing this, the Lord bleffed him moft in his labours, and fhone clearest upon the work he had wrought in his own foul. He fignified

to me that the Lord had circumcifed his heart to love the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his foul, and with all his ftrength and I believe, at that time, he was full of Faith and the Holy Ghost.

He was truly meek, and lowly of heart; and little, and mean, and vile in his own eyes. I found my mind amazingly united to him, for the time we were together, like the foul of David and his beloved Jonathan. I loved him much for the mind of Chrift I saw in him, and for his zeal for the Lord of Hofts. We parted at Louth, and I endeavoured, with the fever upon me, to creep along to Tedford to preach: but it was with much trouble I went through my Difcourfe. That night the fever feized upon me more violently, and never left me for near a month. About a week after, Mr. Wilkinfon came to Tedford to fee me. We spent about three hours together very profitably. We then both of us prayed, and commended each other to God.

A few days after we parted, he was taken ill of the fever, and could not reft until he came to his Wife at Grimsby; where he lay ill for four or five weeks. He then appeared

to

to be recovering faft, and walked about a little: but he fud denly relapfed, and was carried off in about a week.

He bore all his afflictions with great patience, frequently lifting up his heart to God, and repeating these words: "But he knoweth the way th Itake: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his fteps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have efteemed the words of his mouth, more than my neceffary food," Job xxiii. When he perceived that he should die, he exhorted his Wife to caft all her care upon the Lord; and encouraged her to believe that his grace was fufficient for her.

He then prayed for her and his two children: earnestly intreating the Lord to protect them in this troublesome world, and to fupply all their wants.

He next prayed fervently for Mr. Wesley, that the prefence of the Lord might continue with him all his days, and crown him at laft with eternal glory.

He then remembe d his three Fellow-labourers in the Circuit, praying at the Redeemer would affift us in the great work that he would go forth with, and blefs the labours of all the Preachers, and that the kingdom of the Redeemer might spread unto the ends of the earth, and preserve them until they join the church triumphant.

In the night feason, he had a severe conflict with Satan, and his fpirit wrestled with God in prayer. Yea, he was in an agony, as he faid afterwards. At last the Tempter fled, and he feemed as if he was admitted into heaven, to converfe with God, with angels, and faints.

He fuddenly waked his Wife (who was in the fame room) and faid, "Thou hast been fleeping, but I have been in heaheaven. O what has the Lord difcovered to me this night! O the glory of God! the glory of God and heaven! The celeftial city! the New Jerufalem! O the lovely beauty! the happiness of paradife! God is all love; he is nothing but