grow. But as of a healthy child, one does not see it grow, and yet it doth; so the soul, surrounded by temptation, may not discover its growth; nevertheless, the sun does not more freely give its light and warmth to the earth, than the beams of the immaterial Sun meet the seeking soul.

January 21.-I went to-day to see some sick, among whom was the mother of a young man, who, about four years ago, came to our Sunday night's meeting. It pleased the Lord to awaken him, and soon after he died happy. On his deathbed he entreated his mother and sister, that they would attend the meetings as he had done. Some time after, the eldest sister came to me for advice among the other patients. Conversing with her, I perceived she had some convictions, and invited her to meet with a few persons whom I had collected. She did so, and seemed to drink in instruction as the parched ground the softening shower. After a few weeks she was set at liberty. She was now desirous her mother might share in her felicity. She begged me to visit her, as she was too infirm to come out. Accordingly I went, but found her so ignorant, and so exceedingly weak as to her understanding, that it seemed almost impossible to do her any good. After some time, she appeared under some concern; and her complaint then was, to use her own words, "O that I could but get a smile from God!" Her convictions continued to increase, and she would cry, "O what shall I do? Shall I never be saved? O how easily did Betty come to it, while I can. not get one smile, not one look from God! The face of the Almighty is all dark to me, as dark as darkness itself." The Lord was then pleased to lay her on a sick bed, in a very painful disorder. Finding nothing gave her any relief, and believing she must die, she was in great distress, and said to her daughter, "My dear, my pain is greater than I can bear! I cannot live over this night. I pray thee go to mistress, and see if she can order me something." "O mother," said she, "I know not how to go, we have had so much in former illnesses. I fear it will seem as if we were imposing on her; let me go to the doctor again!" The old woman lying in great distress, at length cried out, "Thou wilt order me a medicine, Lord! I can believe thou wilt. But shall I have no share in thy glory?"

Then, as she expressed it, "It went through my mind with power, I will have mercy on thee! I will receive thee at the eleventh hour!' O what did I then feel! Such comfort came over me as I can never tell. I did not mind the pain; I believed it would be removed. But my soul! O! what a change did it feel! Why, the dark face of God was all light! I thought before, that he hated me for my sins; but now I saw he loved me. Yes, I saw he had loved me all my life, and had been inviting me to come to him; but I did not understand. And now, O! how I love him! Yes, I love my God better than I ever loved my best bairn (child.) O it is a brave thing! And what a change it makes! Why, one is quite a new creature! And it has made me see things quite different from what I did before. I used to chafe and fret, when any thing went wrong, and thought things were very hard; but now I see nothing is hard; all is love! So I never do complain now.

Her daughter came to me, and told me (as well as she could) how her mother was; but her disorder was so peculiar, and so badly described, that I was on the point of saying, I cannot do any thing for her, when all at once a mixture came into my mind. I went and made it up. The first spoonful gave her ease; and soon after quite removed the disorder. All I can say on this extraordinary case is, the Lord would have it so. The medicine was not an opiate, but in itself a very simple thing; but when the Lord will bless, who shall stay his hand? Thou art a God who hears and answers prayer.

January 30.-Last night I met the classes at AMuch of the power of the Lord was present. But, O! I

*As it was in the days of the personal ministry of the Son of God, so it is in these his Spirit's Gospel days:-"He hides those things from the wise and prudent, and revealeth them unto babes. The weary and heavy laden, who believe," Matt. xi, 25-30. How easy it is to forget this! How hard to keep it in remembrance, and to allow it its due weight! Did ever any man, since the days of St. Paul, more fully, or more constantly, appreciate this than Mr. Wesley? It was the principle that governed and directed his whole life and labours; and on which account he denominated the fruit of those labours, "The work of God." A work which he began, supported, and prospered; and in respect to which Mr. Wesley, notwithstanding his unparalleled activity, always considered himself as a mere passive instrument.-ED.

am not what I would be, Lord! How is it I seem to get so slowly forward? This morning I rose early, and found it good. Self-denial agrees with my soul, but I use too little of it.

February 4.-Last Wednesday I had a remarkable preservation. Going to take my bark mixture, my mind being much taken up with what I had been writing, I took a bottle of laudanum, which through a strange providence was not then locked up, a circumstance which seldom happens. I took four teaspoonfuls and a half of it. As soon as I had swallowed it, I perceived what it was; and thought I must take a large dose of ipecacuanha. I looked for it, but could not find it, though it stood very near me. I knew my life depended on the present moment; and thought, perhaps the Lord has appointed to take me this way. I found my mind calmly stayed on God, and those words came across it, "These signs shall follow those that believe if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them." I went into Mrs. Crosby's room, and told them what had happened. Having medicines in the parlour, we went down to look there for the ipecacuanha, but there was none. We returned to my room and found it. I took about thirty grains. We then joined in prayer. For half an hour it had no effect. I thought it would then have no power, as the opiate must in that time have taken hold of the nerves of the stomach. But it soon after operated, and brought up (it seems) both the laudanum and ipecacuanha. Fearing the whole had not come away, they gave me another dose; but that had no effect at all. I felt, however, not the least inconvenience. In the night, I a little rambled, and was restless, but not ill. On the whole, it was a comfortable dispensation. I had been always tempted to think, if I should be called to face death in full health, I should shrink from it. But now that I fully believed it to be just before me, my soul did calmly wait on the Lord, though not with joy, yet with quiet peace!

Last night I dreamed I was telling the Lord he was the loadstone, and my soul the needle. That his will was the north pole, to which my heart should turn, however tossed about. To-day Miss Ritchie came. I have had some profitable conversation with her. She is indeed a

blessed soul; and I feel more of the immediate presence of God since that conversation.

May 5.-I had a meeting some days ago at B where an odd circumstance occurred. I observed (as I was speaking on these words, The Master is come, and calleth for thee) a gentleman among the congregation, who looked with great earnestness. As soon as the meeting was over. I rode home, where I had not long been, till this man came after me. He is a stranger, and came into these parts about business. He felt a great alarm in his soul; and declared he had always before thought himself very righte ous; but he now feared he should go to hell; and insisted on telling me his whole life, and confessing (as he termed it) all his sins. He was very long; and I feared there was in his mind a mixture of insanity. He told me he was building a house for an assembly, but he would go home, and turn it into a preaching house, if I would come and speak in it, that his neighbours might get the light he had got. I strove to prevail on him to return to the friend's house from whence he came, and to set off the next morning for his own country, where he told me he had a good wife and family; but he insisted he would not leave me till he had found the Lord! At length he said he felt some comfort, and would go and spend most of the night in prayer. Next morning he was more calm; and on my promising to answer him if he wrote to me, he went away. Satan made use of this occurrence to bring me into discouragement respecting public speaking; but some years after, I heard a most pleasing account of this gentleman, that he had indeed turned his assembly into a Methodist preaching house, and that himself and family were joined to the society.

June 11, Tuesday.-Mrs. Westerman came here on the Thursday before Whitsunday, and stayed ten days. She came in full expectation of a blessing; and in the Sunday night meeting, as I was in the last prayer, I felt it on my mind to plead with the Lord that he would seal some soul as his abode that night. Just then the answer came. She felt the heart of stone taken away, and has ever since rejoiced with exceeding joy. Tuesday I went to B. When we came, we found the man at whose house we were to have been, died that morning. Another offered

his barn, though with seeming fear; but when we came to the house, he either could not, or would not find the key. So we stood in an open place, with some serious people from other parts, and some of the careless inhabitants. However, all behaved well, and I found liberty in enforcing these words, "Acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace,-hereby good shall come unto thee."

July 20. This day I found a good deal of liberty in prayer, especially in pleading, "If it be thy will I should be holy, if it be the great design of thy death,—O, then, let it all be answered on thy poor creature! Let all thy will be done!" It seems to me I fall short in every thing. I am continually making rules and plans, and yet I keep to none with any degree of exactness. Nevertheless, I see it well to make them; for though I never come up to what I propose, yet I always gain something; every fresh effort seems to put me a little forward. I have of late been reading Dr. Cheyne's works; I see self-denial very beautiful, and of profit both for soul and body.

July 24.-H. S. gave a good account of the work wrought on her soul. I think it is about three months ago I providentially met with her in a class, which I went to meet about a mile from home. She appeared that night all ear, and quite awakened to the desire of loving God with all her heart. I felt much liberty in conversing with her, and asked her to come to the meeting, which she did the first opportunity, and seemed quite broken down ;-expressing herself in such a manner concerning her inbred sin, as plainly showed the Lord had plucked away every covering. While we were at prayer, she felt a degree of living faith; and last night she gave the following account: "After I left you I was very happy. I went to bed, wondering at the great miracle Jesus had wrought in saving such a sinner. When I awoke in the morning, (O, what a precious morning to me!) I had an impression as if my dear Lord stood just by me, and said, 'I will cause all my goodness to pass before thee.' I cried out, O, it is thee, my Lord!' Then the words came to me, 'I have set thee as a signet upon mine arm, as a seal upon my heart. Thy sun shall no more go down. I will be thine everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory.' O, what rapture did I feel, and so I do still! He is all day