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Christ's imputed righteousness; and looking to receive it every moment as by promise theirs.

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Trinity Sunday, May 28th. I rose in great heaviness, which neither private nor joint prayer could remove. last I betook myself to intercession for my relations, and was greatly helped and enlarged herein; particularly in prayer for a most profligate sinner. I spent the morning with James Hutton, in prayer, and singing, and rejoicing. In the afternoon my brother came, and, after a short prayer for success upon our ministry, set out for Tiverton. I then began writing my first sermon in the name of Christ my Prophet.

To-day Mrs. Bray related to me the manner of her receiving faith in public prayers, and the great conflicts she has since had with the enemy. For some days he so darkened the work of God, that though her eye of faith had been opened to see herself encompassed with the blood of Christ, yet still he suggested to her that she did not believe, because she had not the joy which others had. She was just overpowered by his devices, when in great heaviness she opened upon, "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief." This stayed her for a time: but the tempter still pursued, and in the very words he had used to shake my brother's faith. She went to public prayers, and was fervent throughout the whole. Toward the conclusion she saw as it were Satan under her feet; and came home in all the triumph of faith.

After dinner Miss Claggett and other friends came. I thought some would be now gathered into the fold, and was much assisted to pray. I rose, and saw the younger Miss Claggett under the work of God. I asked, urged, believed that she believed. She thought so too, but was afraid to confess it. While she stood trembling and in tears, I consulted the oracle for her, and met with Isai. xxx. 18: "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him. For the people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious to thee, at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee."

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She then opened the book on 2 Cor. v. 17: “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." She read so far, and gave me the book to read on: "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Mr. Holland then read, "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." She now openly professed her faith, and increased in confidence every moment. We joined in hearty thanks to God for his unspeakable gift. Just before parting, she opened the book upon Luke viii. 39: "Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee." This success was followed with inward trials; but at the same time I experienced the superior power of Christ.

Wed., May 31st. To-day God enabled me, in spite of the devil and my own heart, to send Mr. Wells a plain simple account of what God hath done for my soul.

PART III.

FROM JUNE 1ST, 1738, WHEN HE BEGAN TO INCULCATE THE DOCTRINE OF PRESENT SALVATION BY FAITH, TO THE END OF THE YEAR.

THURSDAY, June 1st, 1738. I was troubled to-day, that I could not pray, being utterly dead at the sacrament.

Fri., June 2d. I was still unable to pray; still dead in communicating; full of a cowardly desire of death.

Sat., June 3d. My deadness continued, and the next day increased. I rose exceeding heavy and averse to prayer; so that I almost resolved not to go to church; which I had not been able to do, till within these two or three days past. When I did go, the prayers and sacrament were ex

ceeding grievous to me; and I could not help asking myself, "Where is the difference between what I am now, and what I was before believing?" I immediately answered, "That the darkness was not like the former darkness, because I was satisfied there was no guilt in it; because I was assured it would be dispersed; and because, though I could not find I loved God, or feel that he loved me, yet I did and would believe he loved me notwithstanding."

I returned home, and lay down with the same load upon me. This Mr. Ingham's coming could not alleviate. They sung, but I had no heart to join; much less in public prayers. In the evening Mr. Brown, Holland, and others called. I was very averse to coming among them, but forced myself to it, and spent two or three hours in singing, reading, and prayer. This exercise a little revived me; and I found myself much assisted to pray.

We asked particularly, that, if it was the will of God, some one might now receive the atonement. While I was yet speaking the words, Mr. Brown found power to believe. He rose and told me, my prayer was heard, and answered in him. At the same time Mr. Burton opened the Bible upon Col. i. 26: "Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

We were all full of joy and thanksgiving. Before we parted, I prayed with Mr. Brown, and praised God, to the great confirmation of my faith. The weight was quite taken off. I found power to pray with great earnestness, and rejoiced in my trials having continued so long, to show me that it is then the best time to labour for our neighbour, when we are most cast down, and most unable to help ourselves.

Mon., June 5th. I waked thankful, with power to pray and praise. I had peace at the sacrament, and some attention in public prayer. In the afternoon I met Mrs. Sims, with Mr. and Mrs. Burton, at Islington. He told me God had given him faith, while I was praying last night; but he thought it would do hurt to declare it then. Upon finding his heart burn within him, he desired God would

show him some token of his faith, and immediately opened on, "Let there be light, and there was light." We rejoiced together in prayer and singing; and left the rest of the company much stirred up to wait for the same unspeakable gift.

Tues., June 6th. In the evening I read Luther, as usual, to a large company of our friends. Mr. Burton was greatly affected. My inward temptations are, in a manner, uninterrupted. I never knew the energy of sin, till now that I experience the superior strength of Christ.

Wed., June 7th. I found myself this morning under my Father's protection; and reading Matt. vii., “Ask, and ye shall receive," I asked some sense of his love in the sacrament. It was there given me to believe assuredly that God loved me, even when I could have no sense of it. Some imperfect perception of his love I had, and was strengthened to hope against hope, after communicating.

I went to Mrs. Sims, and passed the afternoon in singing and reading the promises. Miss Claggetts, Mr. Chapman, Verding, and others, dropped in, as by accident. We all went to public prayers; whence we again returned, contrary to my intention, to Mr. Sims. We joined in pleading the promises, and asking some token for good. I rose in confidence of our prayer being heard; and at the same time Mr. Verding declared, with great simplicity and astonishment, that he had seen as it were a whole army rushing by him, and bearing the broken body of Christ. He found himself quite overpowered at the sight; was all in a cold sweat. While he spoke, my heart bore witness to the work of God in his; and I felt myself affected as on Whitsunday; was assured it was Christ; said the written word would bear witness with the personal, and opened it for a sign upon Isai. xlv. 24, 25: "Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." I then read, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue

shall swear." And then, 1 Peter i. 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." After this he grew visibly in the faith, and we rejoiced and gave God thanks for the consolation. He appeared a very child; owned he feared nothing so much as offending his Father; was ready to die that moment. In the beginning of prayer he could hardly persuade himself to kneel down, not thinking he could find any benefit; so poor, so sinful a creature, what should he pray for?

Returning home in triumph, I found Dr. Byrom; and, in defiance of the tempter, simply told him the great things Jesus had done for me and many others. This drew on a full explanation of the doctrine of faith, which he received with wonderful readiness. Toward midnight I slept in peace.

Thur., June 8th. I had the satisfaction of hearing Mr. Sparks confess himself convinced now, that he is under the law, not under grace. In public prayer it pleased the Lord to melt me into humility and love.

At three I took coach for Blendon, with Mr. Bray; and had much talk with a lady about the fall, and faith in Christ. She openly maintained the merit of good works. I would all who oppose the righteousness of faith were so ingenuous: then would they no longer seek it as it were by the works of the law.

Before seven we came to Eltham. In riding thence to Blendon, I was full of delight, and seemed in new heavens and a new earth. We prayed, and sang, and shouted all the way. We found Miss Betsy and Hetty at home, and prayed that this day salvation might come to this house. In the lesson were those words, "This is the accepted time, this is the day of salvation."

Fri., June 9th. I prayed with fervour for the family. The second lesson was blind Bartimeus. In riding to Bexley, with Mr. Piers, I spake of my experience in simplicity and confidence, and found him very ready to receive the

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