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it, having heard the conjectures the rest had to offer, lie made his own observations on the phrase, design, and difficult places; and one or two wrote these down from his mouth.

"If any one could have provoked him, I should; for I was very slow in coming into their measures, and very remiss in doing my part. I frequently contradicted his assertions; or, which is much the same, distinguished upon them. I hardly ever submitted to his advice at the time he gave it, though I relented afterwards. One time he was in fear I had taken up notions that were not safe, and pursued my spiritual improvement in an erroneous, because inactive way; so he came over and staid with me near a week. He condoled with me the incumbrances of my constitution, heard all I had to say, and endeavoured to pick out my meaning, and yielded to me as far as he could. I never saw more humility in him than at this time.

"Mr. Wesley had not only friends at Oxford to assist him, but a great many correspondents. He set apart one day at least in the week, to write letters, and he was no slow composer; in which, without levity or affectation, but with plainness and fervour, he gave his advice in particular cases, and vindicated the strict original sense of the Gospel precepts.

"He is now gone to Georgia as a Missionary, where there is ignorance that aspires after divine wisdom, but no false learning that is got above it. He is, I confess, still living; and I know that an advantageous character is more decently bestowed on the deceased. But besides that, his condition is very like that of the dead, being unconcerned in all we say, I am not making any attempt on the opinion of the public, but only studying a private edification. A family picture of him, his relations may be allowed to keep by them. And this is the idea of Mr. Wesley, which I cherish for the service of my own soul, and I take the liberty likewise to deposit with you.”

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HAVING now, according to our Engagement, laid before the Public such an Account of Mr. Wesley's Family, of his Education, and Manner of Life from his Youth, as appeared to us to be a proper and necessary Introduction to his Journal, in which he is his own Biographer; and having, in the Progress of that Account, arrived at the period when that Journal commences, we shall here conclude this Introductory part of our Compilation, and no longer detain our Readers from the perusal of that entertaining and instructive Narrative. They will recollect that an Account of his Death is intended to follow the Journal.

AN

EXTRACT

OF THE

REV. JOHN WESLEY'S

JOURNAL.

WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? THAT ISRAEL WHICH FOLLOWED AFTER THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, HATH NOT ATTAINED TO THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEREFORE? BECAUSE THEY SOUGHT IT NOT BY FAITH, BUT AS IT ROMANS IX. 30, 31.

WERE BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW.

EXTRACT

OF THE

REV. JOHN WESLEY'S

PREFACE TO HIS JOURNAL.

It was in pursuance of an advice given by Bishop Taylor, in his Rules For Holy Living And Dying, that about fifteen years ago, I began to take a more exact account than I had done before, of the manner wherein I spent my time, writing down how I had employed every hour. This I continued to do, wherever I was, till the time of my leaving England. The variety of scenes which I then passed through, induced me to transcribe, from time to time, the more material parts of my Diary, adding here and there such little reflections as occurred to my mind. of this Journal, thus occasionally compiled, the following is a short extract: it not being my design to relate all these particulars, which I wrote for my own use only; and which would answer no valuable end to others, however im-. portant they were to me.

J. W.