in folemn prayer; but it is neceffary that a man should have fome exterior occupation. The chief thing is to employ ourselves profitably. My throat is not formed for the labours of preaching: when I have preached three or four times together, it inflames and fills up; and the efforts which I am then obliged to make in fpeaking heat my blood. Thus I am, by nature, as well as by the circumflances I am in, obliged to employ my time in writing a little. O that I may be enabled to do it to the glory of God! Let us love this good God, who hath so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life. How fweet is it, on our knees, to receive this Jefus, this heavenly gift, and to offer our praises and thanks to our heavenly Father! The Lord teaches me four leffons: the firft is to be thankful that I am not in hell; the fecond, to become nothing before him; the third, to receive the gift of God the perfon of Jefus; and the fourth is to feel my want of the Spirit of Jefus, and to wait for it.Thefe four leffons are very deep: O when fhall I have learned them! Let us go together to the school of Jefus, and learn to be meek and lowly in heart. Adieu. I. F.

James Ireland, Esq.

My dear Friend,

Madeley, Feb. 6th, 1774.

IN the prefent circumstances it was a great piece of condefcenfion in dear Lady Huntingdon, to be willing to fee me privately; but for her to permit me to wait upon her openly, denotes fuch generofity, fuch courage, and a mind fo much fuperior to the narrownefs that clogs the charity of moft profeffors, that it would have amazed me, if every thing that is noble and magnanimous was not to be expected from her Lady fhip. It is well for her that fpirits are imprifoned in flesh and blood, or I might by this time (and it is but an hour fince I received your letter) have

troubled her ten times with my apparition, to wish her joy of being above the dangerous fnare of profefforsthe fmiles and frowns of the religious world; and to thank her a thoufand times for not being ashamed of her old fervant, and for cordially forgiving him all that is paft, upon the score of the Lord's love, and of my honeft meaning.

But though my mind has travelled fo faft to Bath, on reading your letter, yet an embargo is laid upon my body" I must not go yet." I am the more inclined

to take the hint, for two reafons. I will tell you all my heart about it. The more I fee her Ladyfhip's generofity, and admire the faithfulness of the friendfhip that he has for many years honoured me with, the more I ought to take care not to bring burdens upon her. It might leffen her influence with thofe fhe is connected with; and might grieve fome of her friends, who poffibly would look upon her condefcenfion as an affront to them. This is the first reafon. The fecond respects myself. I must follow iny light. A neceffity is laid upon me to clear my confcience with respect to the Antinomian World, and to point out the ftumbling block that keeps many ferious people from embracing the real doctrines of free grace. I cannot do this without advancing fome truths, which I know her Ladyfhip receives as well as myself, but which, by any manner of unfolding them, will, at first fight, appear dreadful touches to the gofpel of the day. I am juft fending to the prefs "A Scriptural Effay upon the aftonishing rewardableness of the works of faith.” Though it confifts only of plain fcriptures, and plain arguments, without any thing perfonal, I think it will raife more duft of prejudice against me, than any preceding publications. With respect to myself, I do not mind it, but I am bound in love to mind it with refpect to her Ladyship. My refpect to her Ladyfhip therefore, together with the preceding reafon, determine me to defer paying my refpects perfonally to her, till after the publication of my Effay, and Scripture Scales and if he does not then revoke the kind leave

the gives me, I shall most gladly make the beft of my way to affure her in perfon, as I do now by this indirect means, that I am, and fhall for ever be her dutiful fervant in what appears to me the plain gospel of

our common Lord.

The fmartness of the letter-writer in the Westminfter Journal, and his bringing college charges against me, made me think he was probably the Author of "The Whip for Pelagian Methodists." Well; after all St. John's love will carry the day. If I have all faith, and have not that, I am nothing: but when you plead for love, you plead for the chief work I contend for; fo you are almost as deep in the mud, as I am in the mire. With love to yourself, and dutiful love to our noble friend, I am, &c. I. F.

Madeley, March 27th, 1774.

James Ireland, Esq.

My dear Sir,

I THINK I wrote my laft, two days before I received your bounty-a large hog fhead of rice and two cheefes Accept the thanks of our poor and mine on the occafion. I diftributed it on Shrove Tuesday, and preached to a numerous congregation on, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you. May you and I find the bread we fcattered that day, though it should not be till after many days. We prayed for our benefactor, that God would give him an hundred fold in this life, and eternal life, where life eternal will be no burden. I faw then, what I have not often feen on fuch occafions, gladnefs without the appearance of envying or grudging.

How kind is my Lady to offer to interpofe, and to wipe off the afperfions of iny London accufers. I had before fent my reply, which was only a plain narrative of two facts, upon which it appeared to me the capital charges were founded, together with fome gentle ex

poftulations which I hope have had the defired effect. Give my duty to the dear elect Lady, and thank her a thousand times for this new addition to all her former favours, till I have an opportunity of doing it in perfon.

I get very flowly out of the mire of my controverfy, and yet I hope to get over it, if God fpares my life, in two or three pieces more. Since I wrote laft, I have added to my Equal Check, a piece which I call An Effay on Truth, or A Rational Vindication of the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith, which I have taken the liberty to dedicate to Lady Huntingdon, to have an opportunity of clearing her Ladyfhip from the charge of Antinomianifm. I have taken this step in the fimplicity of my heart, and as due from me, in my circumstances, to the character of her Ladyflip. Mr. H-t-n called fome time after the letter was printed, and told me, "It will not be well taken." I hope better; but be it as it will, I fhall have the fatisfaction of having meant well.

I have juft fpirit enough to enjoy my folitude, and to bless God that I am out of the hurry of the world— even the fpiritual world. I tarry gladly in my Jerufalem, till the kingdom of God comes with power. Till then it matters not where I am only as my chief call is here, here I gladly ftay, till God fits me for the pulpit or the grave. I ftill spend my mornings in fcribbling. Though I grudge fo much time in writing, yet a man muft do fomething, and I may as well investigate truth as do any thing elfe, except folemn praying and visiting my flock. I fhall be glad to have done with my prefent avocation, that may give myself up more to those two things.

I

O how life goes! I walked, now I gallop into eternity. The bowl of life goes rapidly down the steep hill of time. Let us be wife: embrace we Jefus and the refurrection; let us trim our lamps, and give ourfelves afresh to him that bought us, till we can do it without referve. Adieu. I. F.

Madeley, Jan. 1775.

The Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.

My very dear Sir,

I THANK you for your letter, and your very friendly poftfcript to your brother's. I am glad you did not altogether difapprove my Effay upon Truth. The letter I grant profiteth but little, until the Spirit animates it. I had, fome weeks ago, one of these touches, which realize or rather fpiritualize the letter, and it convinced me more than ever, that what I fay, in that tract, of the Spirit and of faith, is truth.

I am alfo perfuaded, that the faith and spirit, which belong to perfect chriftianity, are at a very low ebb, even among believers. When the Son of man cometh to fet up his kingdom, fhall he find Chriftian faith upon the earth? Yes: but, I fear, as little as he found of Jewish faith, when he came in the flesh.

I believe you cannot reft either with the easy Antinomian, or the bufy Pharifee. You and I have nothing to do, but to die to all that is of a finful nature, and to pray for the power of an endlefs life. God make us faithful to our convictions, and keep us from the fnares of outward things. You are in danger from outward things. You are in danger from mulick, children, poetry; and I from fpeculation, controverfy, floth, &c. &c. Let us watch against the deceitfulness of felf and fin in all their appearances.

you

the

What power of the Spirit do find among believers in London? What openings of the kingdom? Is the well fpringing up in many hearts? Are many fouls diffatisfied, and looking for the kingdom of God in power? Watchman, What of the night?-What of the day?What of the dawn?

I feel the force of what you fay in your last, about the danger of fo encouraging the inferior difpenfation, as to make people reft fhort of the faith which belongs to perfect chriftianity. I have tried to obviate it in fome parts of the Equal Check, and hope to do it