sufficient cause to depart from their first resolution. So that their fixed purpose is, let the clergy or laity use them well or ill, by the grace of God, to endure all things, to hold on their even course, and to continue in the church, maugre men or devils, unless God permits them to be thrust out.

14. Near twenty years ago, immediately after their solemn consultation on the subject, a clergyman, who had heard the whole, said with great earnestness," In the name of God, let nothing move you to recede from this resolution. God is with you of a truth; and so he will be, while you continue in the church: but whenever the Methodists leave the church, God will leave them." Lord, what is man! In a few months after, Mr. Ingham himself left the church, and turned all the societies under his care into congregations of independents. And what was the event? The same that he had foretold! They swiftly mouldered into nothing.

Some years after, a person of honour told me, "This is the peculiar glory of the Methodists: however convenient it might be, they will not, on any account or pretence whatever, form a distinct sect or party. Let no one rob you of this glorying." I trust none will, as long as I live. But the giver of this advice entirely forgot in a very short time, and has, almost ever since, been labouring to form independent congregations.

15. This has occasioned many to ask, "Why do you say, the Methodists form no distinct party; that they do not leave the church; are there not thousands of Methodists who have, in fact, left the church; who never attend the church service; never receive the Lord's supper there; nay, who speak against the church, even with bitterness, both in public and private; yea, who appoint and frequent meetings for divine service at the same hour? How then can you affirm, that the Methodists do not leave the church ?"

I am glad of so public an opportunity of explaining this; in order to which, it will be necessary to look back some years. The Methodists

at Oxford were all one body, and, as it were, one soul; zealous for the religion of the Bible, of the primitive church, and, in consequence, of the church of England; as they believed it came nearer the scriptural and primitive plan than any other national church upon earth.

When my brother and I returned from Georgia, we were in the same sentiments. And at that time, we and our friends were the only persons to whom that innocent name was affixed. Thus far, therefore, all the Methodists were firm to the church of England.

16. But a good man, who met with us when we were at Oxford, while he was absent from us, conversed much with dissenters, and contracted suong prejudices against the church; I mean Mr. Whitefield; and not long after he totally separated from us. In some years, William Cudworth and several others separated from him, and turned independents; as did Mr. Maxfield and a few more, after separating from us. Lastly, a school was set up near Trevecka, in Wales; and almost ali who were educated there, (except those that were ordained, and some of them too,) as they disclaimed all connection with the Methodists, so they disclaimed the church also: nay, they spoke of it, upon all occasions, with exquisite bitterness and contempt.

Now let every impartial person judge, whether we are accountable for any of these? None of these have any manner of connection with VOL. I.

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the original Methodists. They are branches broken off from the tree: if they break from the church also, we are not accountable for it.

These, therefore, cannot make our glorying void, That we do not, will not form any separate sect, but from principle remain, what we always have been, true members of the church of England.

17. Brethren, I presume the greater part of you also are members of the church of England. So at least you are called: but you are not so indeed, unless you are witnesses of the religion above described. And are you really such? Judge not one another; but every man look into his own bosom. How stands the matter in your own breast? Examine your conscience before God. Are you a happy partaker of this scriptural, this truly primitive religion? Are you a witness of the religion of love? Are you a lover of God and all mankind? Does your heart glow with gratitude to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Father of the spirits of all flesh, who giveth you life, and breath, and all things; who hath given you his Son, his only Son, that you "might not perish but have everlasting life?" Is your soul warm with benevolence to all mankind? Do you long to have all men virtuous and happy? And does the constant tenor of your life and conversation bear witness of this? Do you "love not in word, [only,] but in deed, and in truth?" Do you persevere in the "work of faith, and the labour of love?" Do you "walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us?" Do you, as you have time, " do good unto all men?" and in as high a degree as you are able? Whosoever thus "doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Whosoever thou art, whose heart is herein as my heart, give me thine hand! Come, and let us magnify the Lord together, and labour to promote his kingdom upon earth! Let us join hearts and hands in this blessed work, in striving to bring glory to God in the highest, by establishing peace and good will among men, to the uttermost of our power! First, let our hearts be joined herein; let us unite our wishes and prayers; let our whole soul pant after a general revival of pure religion and undefiled, the restoration of the image of God, pure love, in every child of man! Then let us endeavour to promote in our several stations, this scriptural, primitive religion: let us, with all diligence, diffuse the religion of love among all we have any intercourse with: let us provoke all men, not to enmity and contention, but to love and to good works; always remembering those deep words, (God engrave them on all our hearts!) "God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him!"

SERMON LVI-Some Account of the Lale Work of God in North America.

[First published in the year 1778.]

"The appearance was,—as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel,” Ezek. i, 16.

1. WHATEVER may be the primary meaning of this mysterious passage of Scripture, many serious Christians, in all ages, have applied it, in a secondary sense, to the manner wherein the adorable providence of

God usually works in governing the world. They have judged this expression manifestly to allude to the complicated wheels of his providence, adapting one event to another, and working one thing by means of another. In the whole process of this, there is an endless variety of wheels within wheels. But they are frequently so disposed and complicated, that we cannot understand them at first sight; nay, we can seldom fully comprehend them, till they are explained by the event.

2. Perhaps no age ever afforded a more striking instance of this kind than the present does, in the dispensations of Divine Providence with respect to our colonies in North America. In order to see this clearly, let us endeavour, according to the measure of our weak understanding, First, To trace each wheel apart: and,

Secondly, To consider both, as they relate to and answer each other. I. And First, We are to trace each wheel apart.

It is by no means my design, to give a particular detail of the late transactions in America; but barely to give a simple and naked deduction of a few well known facts.

I know this is a very delicate subject; and that it is difficult if not impossible, to treat it in such a manner as not to offend any; particuJarly those who are warmly attached to either party. But I would not willingly offend; and shall therefore studiously avoid all keen and reproachful language, and use the softest terms I can, without either betraying or disguising the truth.

1. In the year 1736, it pleased God to begin a work of grace in the newly planted colony of Georgia; then the southernmost of our settlements on the continent of America. To those English who had settled there the year before, were then added a body of Moravians, so called; and a larger body who had been expelled from Germany by the archbishop of Saltzburg. These were men truly fearing God and working righteousness. At the same time there began an awakening among the English, both at Savannah and Frederica; many inquiring what they must do to be saved, and "bringing forth fruits meet for repentance.'

2. In the same year there broke out a wonderful work of God in several parts of New England. It began in Northampton, and in a little time appeared in the adjoining towns. A particular and beautiful account of this was published by Mr. Edwards, minister of Northamp ton. Many sinners were deeply convinced of sin, and many truly converted to God. I suppose there had been no instance in America, of so swift and deep a work of grace, for a hundred years before; nay, nor perhaps since the English settled there.

3. The following year, the work of God spread, by degrees, from New England towards the south. At the same time it advanced by slow degrees from Georgia towards the north: in a few souls it deepened likewise; and some of them witnessed a good confession, both in life and in death.

4. In the year 1738, Mr. Whitefield came over to Georgia, with a design to assist me in preaching, either to the English or the Indians. But as I was embarked for England before he arrived, he preached to the English altogether; first in Georgia, to which his chief service was due, then in South and North Carolina, and afterwards in the interme diate provinces, till he came to New England. And all men owned that God was with him, wheresoever he went; giving a general call, to high

and low, rich and poor, to "repent and believe the gospel." Many were not disobedient to the heavenly calling; they did repent and believe the gospel; and by his ministry a line of communication was formed, quite from Georgia to New England.

5. Within a few years he made several more voyages to America, and took several more journeys through the provinces; and in every journey he found fresh reason to bless God, who still prospered the work of his hands; there being more and more in all the provinces, who found his word to be "the power of God unto salvation."

6. But the last journey he made, he acknowledged to some of his friends, that he had much sorrow and heaviness in his heart, on account of multitudes who for a time ran well, but afterwards "drew back unto perdition." Indeed in a few years, the far greater part of those who had once received the word with joy, yea, "had escaped the corruption that is in the world, were entangled again and overcome." Some were like those who received the seed on stony ground, which in time of temptation withered away: others were like those who received it among thorns: the thorns soon sprang up and choked it. Insomuch that he found exceeding few who "brought forth fruit to perfection." A vast majority had entirely turned back from "the holy com mandment delivered to them."

7. And what wonder? For it was a true saying which was common in the ancient church, "The soul and the body make a man, and the spirit and discipline make a Christian." But those who were more or less affected by Mr. Whitefield's preaching, had no discipline at all. They had no shadow of discipline; nothing of the kind. They were formed into no societies. They had no Christian connection with each other, nor were ever taught to watch over each other's souls. So that if any fell into lukewarmness, or even into sin, he had none to lift him up: he might fall lower and lower; yea into hell if he would; for who regarded it?

8. Things were in this state, when about eleven years ago, I received several letters from America, giving a melancholy account of the state of religion in most of the colonies, and earnestly entreating that some of our preachers would come over and help them. It was believed they might confirm many that were weak or wavering, and lift up many that were fallen; nay, and that they would see more fruit of their labours in America, than they had done either in England or Ireland.

9. This was considered at large in our yearly conference, at Bristol, in the year 1767; and two of our preachers willingly offered themselves; viz. Richard Boardman and Joseph Pillmoor. They were men well reported of by all, and, we believed, fully qualified for the work. Accordingly, after a few days spent in London, they cheerfully went over. They laboured first in Philadelphia and New York; afterwards in many other places; and every where God was eminently with them, and gave them to see much fruit of their labour. What was wanting before was now supplied. Those who were desirous to save their souls, were no longer a rope of sand, but clave one to another, and began to watch over each other in love. Societies were formed, and Christian discipline introduced in all its branches. Within a few years after, several more of the preachers were willing to go and assist them. And God raised up many natives of the country, who were glad to act in connection with

them; till there were two and twenty travelling preachers in America, who kept their circuits as regularly as those in England.

10. The work of God then not only spread wider, particularly in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the Jerseys, but sunk abundantly deeper than ever it had done before. So that at the beginning of the late troubles, there were three thousand souls connected together in religious societies: and a great number of these witnessed, that the Son of God hath power on earth to forgive sin.

11. But now it was, that a bar appeared in the way, a grand hinderance to the progress of religion. The immense trade of America, greater in proportion than even that of the mother country, brought in an immense flow of wealth; which was also continually increasing. Hence both merchants, and tradesmen of various kinds, accumulated money without end; and rose from indigence to opulent fortunes, quicker than any could do in Europe. Riches poured in upon them as a flood, and treasures were heaped up as the sand of the sea. And hence naturally arose unbounded plenty of all the necessaries, conveniencies, yea, and superfluities of life.

12. One general consequence of this was pride. The more riches they acquired, the more they were regarded by their neighbours as men of weight and importance. And they would naturally see themselves in at least as fair a light as their neighbours saw them and accordingly, as they rose in the world, they rose in their opinion of themselves: as it is generally allowed,

"A thousand pound supplies

The want of twenty thousand qualities ;"

so, the richer they grew, the more admiration they gained, and the more applause they received. Wealth then bringing in more applause, of course brought in more pride; till they really thought themselves as much wiser, as they were wealthier than their neighbours.

13. Another natural consequence of wealth was luxury, particularly in food. We are apt to imagine, nothing can exceed the luxurious liv ing which now prevails in Great Britain and Ireland. But, alas! what is this to that which lately prevailed in Philadelphia and other parts of North America? A merchant or middling tradesman there, kept a table equal to that of a nobleman in England; entertaining his guests with ten, twelve, yea, sometimes twenty dishes of meat at a meal! And this was so far from being blamed by any one, that it was applauded as generosity and hospitality!

14. And is not idleness naturally joined with fulness of bread? Does not sloth easily spring from luxury? It did so here in an eminent degree; such sloth as is scarce named in England. Persons in the bloom of youth, and in perfect health, could hardly bear to put on their own clothes. The slave must be called to do this, and that, and every thing: it is too great labour for the master or mistress! It is a wonder they would be at the pains of putting meat into their own mouths! Why did they not imitate the lordly lubbers in China, who are fed by a slave standing on each side?

15. Who can wonder, if sloth alone beget wantonness? Has it not always had this effect? Was it not said near two thousand years ago, Quæritur, Ægysthus quare sit factus adulter' In promptu causa est: desidiosus erat