It

But this is attended.

totally deftroys the

nay, contend, that he is a little God. with a peculiar inconvenience. unity of the Godhead. For, if there be a great God and a little God, there must be two Gods. But waving this, and keeping to the point before us. All who speak of Christ as inferior to the Father, though it be ever fo little, do un doubtedly know him after the flesh: not as the brightness of the Father's glory, the exprefs image of his perfon, as upholding, bearing up all things, both in heaven and earth, by the word of his power, the fame powerful word, whereby of old time he called them all into being.

6. There are some of thefe, who have been bold to claim that great and good man Dr. Watts, as one of their own opinion and in order to prove him fo, they have quoted that fine Soliloquy, which is published in his pofthumous works. Yet impartial men will not allow their claim, without ftronger proof than has yet appeared. But if he is clear of this charge, he is not equally clear, of knowing Chrift after the flesh, in another sense. I was not aware of this, but read all his works with almost equal admiration, when a perfon of deep piety as well as judgment was occafionally remarking, "That fome of the Hymns printed in his Hora Lyrica, dedicated to Divine Love, were (as he phrafed it) too amarous, and fitter to be addreft by a lover to his fellow-mortal, than by a finner to the most High God." I doubt, whether there are not fome other Writers, who, though they believe the Godhead of Chrift, yet fpeak in the fame unguarded manner.

7. Can we affirm, that the Hymns published by a late great man (whofe memory I love and efteem) are free from this fault? Are they not full of expreffions, which strongly favour of knowing Chrift after the flesh? Yea, and in a more grofs manner, than any thing which was ever before published in the English tongue. What pity is it, that those coarse expreffions should appear in many truly fpiritual Hymns! How often in the midft of excellent verses, are lines in ferted which difgrace thofe that precede and follow? Why

fhould not all the compofitions in that book, be not only as poetical, but likewife as rational and as fcriptural as many of them are acknowledged to be?

8. It was between fifty and fixty years ago, that by the gracious Providence of God, my brother and I in our voyage to America, became acquainted with the (fo called) Moravian Brethren. We quickly took knowledge what fpirit they were of, fix and twenty of them being in the fame hip with us. We not only contracted much efteem, but a strong affection for them. Every day we conversed with them, and confulted them on all occafions. I tranflated many of their Hymns for the use of our own congregations. Indeed, as I durft not implicitly follow any men, I did not take all that lay before me, but felected those which I judged to be moft fcriptural, and moft fuitable to found experience. Yet I am not fure, that I have taken fufficient care, to pare off every improper word or expreffion, every one that may seem to border on a familiarity, which does not fo well fuit the mouth of a worm of the earth, when addreffing himself to the God of heaven. I have indeed particularly endeavoured, in all the Hymns which are addreffed to our blessed Lord, to avoid every fondling expreffion, and to speak as to the most High God, to him that is "in glory equal with the Father, in majesty co-eternal."

[To be concluded in our next.]

FROM

[Written by Himself.]

[Continued from page 408.]

ROM the time I was convinced, under my father's prayer, I began to feek the Lord in all the means of grace, and found it very comfortable to my foul. Sometimes four or five of us boys met together in the corner of fome

field, to fing and pray, and fometimes in a ftable, barn, or hay-loft; and it was my meat and drink to do the will of God. In this flate I continued till I was fourteen years old, and then went into a family that were professed Methodists, to learn the ftocking bufinefs. The family confifted of a mafter and mistress, and a young man three or four years older than myfelf; but their deportment was very unbecoming the gospel. Sometimes they were full of levity and at other times full of evil tempers, and often made use of very unbecoming words. This grieved me very much, and for a time it hurt my mind; but after awhile I was determined to live more clofe to God chan ever, and to make a good use of bad example, waien the Lord was pleased to enable me to do, and my foul was truly alive to God.

When I was about fixteen, I was truly and deeply convinced of inbred fin, the evil of my heart, and how offenfive it was to God; and faw the neceffity of a clean heart, and a right fpirit, and had a very great defire to be wholly renewed after the image of God in righteoufnefs and true holinels. Under the burden of my evil nature I groaned for fome time; but having no one that understood my cafe, I did not make fo proper a use of the bleffing, which God was pleafed to confer upon me, and which he would have conferred more abundantly, if I had retained what he had given me. I continued in this family about three years, and foon after I left it, my master failed in business, left the country, went into the army, and farther and farther from God; but as he died abroad, I do not know what end he made. The I spoke of married, went into business, and foon failed alfo ; he left the country, went into the army, and died abroad, fo I am equally ignorant of the manner of his death; but there were many circumstances in their fhort lives, too fhocking to mention. I am a witnefs that they were triflers with God, and with their own fouls, and the means of grace. Let this be a saution to all thofe, who have tafted the good word of

young man

God,

1

God, and have felt the powers of the world to come, to take care how they draw back in their hearts from God. "Be not deceived, God will not be mocked, for whatsoever a man foweth, that fhall he alfo reap. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

From the time I was eighteen till I was twenty I lost ground in my foul; but when I was about twenty-one, being then married to my prefent wife, I began to feek the Lord again with all my heart, and with all my strength; and I foon found him as good as his word; for, he filled my foul with perfect love that cafleth out all flavish fear. I then entered into a folemn covenant with God, that I would be his and ferve him all the days of my life. My wife willingly joined with me, and we fet out for the kingdom of heaven with all our hearts, and I foon found power to love God with all my heart, and with all my foul, and with all my strength. My body and foul were wholly given up to God; and I think no common man ever enjoyed more sweet and close union and communion with God than I did. I hated fin with a perfect hatred, and loved God and holinefs with a perfec heart. I can truly fay I lived a life all devoted to God, and it was my delight to give God all my heart. It was my element to love God and delight in him, and to do his will; and as I loved him, fo I feared to offend him. Indeed I felt no inclination to offend the God I loved. At this time I went into business, and the Lord was pleased to bless me in all I fet hands unto.

my

From twenty-one until I was thirty I was Leader of two, and fometimes three Claffes, and a Band, and Steward of the Society, and General Steward of the Circuit. I often met the people in public, and read Mr. Wefiey's Notes on the New Teftament over and over, and his Sermons in public and private. The Lord was with me and blessed me in all I did, gave me favour in the eyes of the people, and made my weak endeavours ufeful to many. My fifler was juftified under my

prayer,

prayer, and died very happy foon after. When I was about thirty-one, the Lord inclined and conftrained me to speak in public. Nothing but the mighty power of God could cause me to do this, for I am naturally of a fearful, bashful, and shy difpofition. Indeed it is a miracle that I ever faced a congregation; but there is nothing too hard for God, who can I was a out of the ftones raife up children to Abraham. local Preacher about three years, during which time the Lord pleafed to blefs the word, which he enabled me to deliver, to the conviction and converfion of many; and to the encouragement of feekers, and the building up of believers in their most holy faith. Many declared on their death-bed that at fuch a time, while I was preaching, the word took fuch hold of them, as never to leave them afterwards.

When I was thirty-four years old I wrote to Mr. Wefley to let him know that I had a mind to give up myself more fully to the work of God; when he was pleased to accept of me weak and unworthy as I was. This was not done because I could not live at home, or for any temporal advantage, for I had a good houfe of my own, and good business, by which I cleared fifty pounds a year with half the labour I have had fince I left home. I had alfo a kind father, a tender mother, a loving wife, and many friends; but Ltook up my crofs, and a great one it was to me and my wife. We went, according to appointment, into the Eaft of Cornwall, and with great difficulty I could get a place for her to live in. At laft I agreed with Mr. Holmes, near Tavistock, to board her for fo much a week. He had three daughters and a fon, all very kind and loving: they spent the year very comfortably together, and were made a bleffing to each other. From that time to the prefent, which is twenty-one years, I have always gone where I was appointed without the leaft objection; and as I had no other motive in leaving my bufinefs and country, but to do good to the fouls of my fellow-creatures, I have made it my ftudy to be as useful as poflible in the ho