at evening tide according to his promife in Zech. xiv. 7. I should rather think, that the vifions are not yet plainly disclosed; and that the day, and year, in which the Lord will begin to make bare his arm openly, are ftill concealed from us.

I must fay of Mr. Walsh, as he faid once to me concerning God, "I wish I could attend him every where, as Elifha did Elijah." But fince the will of God calls me from him, I must fubmit, and drink the cup prepared for me. I have not feen him, unless for a few moments, three or four times before divine fervice. We must meet at the throne of grace, or meet but feldom. O when will the communion of faints be complete! Lord haften the time, and let me have a place among them that love thee, and love one another in fincerity.

I fet out in two days for the country. O may I be faithful. Harmlefs like a dove, wife like a ferpent, and bold as a lion for the common caufe! O Lord do not forfake me! Stand by the weakest of thy fervants, and enable thy children to bear with me, and wrestle with thee in my behalf. . O bear with me, dear Sir, and give me your bleifing every day, and the Lord will return it to you fevenfold. I am, Reverend and dear Sir, your unworthy fervant, I. F.

Mrs. Glynne.
Madam,

London, April 18th, 1758.

AS it is never too late to do what multiplicity of bufinefs, rather than forgetfulness, has forced us to defer, I am not afhamed, though after fome months, to ufe the liberty you gave me, to enquire after the welfare of your foul; and that fo much the more, as I am confcious I have not forgotten you at the throne of grace. O may my petitions have reached heaven, and forced from thence, at leaft fome drops of those spiritual fhowers of righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, which I implore for you.

Though, I truft, the unction from 'above teaches you all things needful to falvation, and especially the neceffity of continuing inftant in prayer, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, yet, I think it my duty to endeavour to add wings to your defires after holinefs, by enforcing them with mine. O were I but clothed with all the righteoufnefs of Chrift, my prayers would avail much; and the lukewarmnefs of my brethren would not increafe my guilt, as being myself an inftance of that coldness of love, which puts me upon interceding for them.

Though I speak of lukewarmnefs, I do not accufe you, Madam, of having given way to it; on the contrary, it is my duty, and the joy of my heart, to hope, that you ftir up more and more the gift of God, which is in you; that the evidences of your intereft in a bleeding Lord get clearer every day; that the love of Christ conftrains you more and more to deny yourself, take up your crofs in all things, and follow him patiently, through bad and good report; in a word, that continually leaving the things which are behind, you stretch forward, through funfhine or darkness, towards the prize of your high calling in Jesus Christ-I mean a heart emptied of pride, and filled with all the fulness of God. This is the hope, which I delight to entertain of you; and I defcribe it, not out of flattery Madam, but with an intent that, if you fall fhort in any thing, thefe lines may be an instrument in the hand of God to ftir you up again, and make you look on all things as dung and drofs, in comparifon of the excellency of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, with whom we ought to be crucified to the world, and the world to us.

*

I have often thought of you, Madam, in reading the letters of a Lady, who was a Chriftian, and an eminent Chriftian, not to fay one of the brightest lights, that God has raised fince the late revival of godlinefs. The reproach of Chrift was her crown of rejoicing, his cross her continual fupport, his followers her deareft companions, his example the pattern of her con

* Mrs. Lefevre.

verfation. She lived a faint, and died an angel. Each one of her letters may be a pattern for Chriftian correfpondents, by the fimplicity, edification, and love they breathe in every line. O when fhall I write as fhe did! when my heart fhall be full of God as hers

was.

May the Lord enable you to walk in her fteps, and grant me to fee you fhining among the humble, loving Marys of this age, as he did but a few months ago. Her God is our God; the fame Spirit that animated her, is waiting at the door of our hearts, to cleanse them and fill them with his confolations,, if we will but exclude the world, and let him in. Why should we then give way to defpondency, and refufe to cherish that lively hope, which if any one has, he will purify himself, even as God is pure? Take courage then, Madam, and confider, that the hour of felf-denial and painful wrestling with God will be fhort, and the time. of victorious recompence as long as eterniny itself.May the Lord enable you and me, to weigh that confideration in the balance of his fanctuary, and to act agreeably; and may that gracious Being, who invites the young man to honour him in the days of his youth, grant you to fee him, whom he has given you, ponder thofe folemn truths betimes, and find by a happy experience, that none is happier than he, who takes early the Lord's yoke upon himself,

I conclude, by commending you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace, and recommending myself to your prayers, I am, Madam, your obedient fervant for Chrift's fake, I. F.

London, Dec. 12th, 1758. The Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.

My dear Sir,

IF my filence was owing to forgetfulness, I fhould blush at not availing myself more frequently of your permiffion to write; but the idea I entertain, that nothing but your great condefcenfion can make my cor

refpondence fupportable, makes me fometimes act in a manner quite contrary to the fentiments of my heart. Before I left Tern, the Lord gave me a medicine to prepare me to fuffer what awaited me here.

This humiliation prepared me fo well, that I was not furprized to learn, that a perfon in London had fpread abroad many falfe and fcandalous things of me, during my abfence; and that the minds of many were prejudiced against me. In one fenfe, I took a pleature in thinking, that I was going to be rejected by the children of God, and that my Saviour would become more dear, under the idea, that as in heaven, fo now on earth, I fhould have none but him. The first time I appeared in the chapel, many were fo offended, that it was with difficulty they could forbear interrupting me in my prayer, to tell me, Physician heal thyself. I was on the point of declining to officiate, fearing I fhould only give fresh offence; indeed, I fhould have done fo, had it not been for my friend Bernon, who preffed me to ftand firm, reprefenting the triumph my filence would give my enemies, &c. His reafons appeared fo cogent, that, as your brother did not reject my affiftance, I read prayers, and engaged to preach fometimes of a morning; which I have accordingly continued to do.

The fame day I arrived in London, our poor friend Bernon took to his bed, as if the Lord had waited my prefence to give the blow. Three days after the fever increased, and appeared to be dangerous. The next day, which was Wednesday, he fettled his temporal concerns. Friday evening he was free from fever, and I had fome hopes of his life; but on Saturday it appeared, that the fever was the lighteft part of his malady, and the phyfician faid, he would die of an inflammation in his bowels; which was the cafe on Monday, after an illness of eight days. I fat up with him three nights, and faw him as often as I could by day; and, bleffed be God, I did not fee him for a mo

ment without the full affurance of faith.

His foul was, in general, divided between the exercife of repentance, and of faith in the blood of the Lamb; however, from time to time, repentance gave way to rejoicing; and when he appeared better, he expreffed much fear of returning to life. Nevertheless, one day, when I was not with him, he had a conflict with the enemy of his faith, which continued an hour or two, when he came off conqueror. The violence of the fever fometimes threw him into a delirium, and that was the cafe fome hours before his diffolution. The last words he uttered, before the ftrength of his difeafe deprived him of fpeech, were, "O what love! What love!" I have in my heart a clear teftimony that he died the death of the juft. Thus to recompence me for the injury Satan has done me by a false friend, the Lord has taken to himfelf a true one, whom he will restore to me again in the last great day: Such a lofs is a real gain.

I fincerely rejoice in the health of Mrs. Welley.Prefent my compliments to her not thofe of the children of this world, but those of the servants of Chrift; and don't forget to give your little Charles a kifs of peace and prayer for me. Adieu. I. F.

London, March 22d, 1759. The Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.

My dear Sir,

YOU left me without permitting me to fay, farewell; but that fhall not hinder me from wishing you a good journey, and I flatter myfelf, that you are in the habit of returning my prayers. I have even shared the joy of Mrs. Wefley in feeing you again. Happier than the afflicted Jefus, you leave your own, and they regret your abfence; you return to your own, and they receive you with joy. You cannot yet be rendered perfect by fufferings; your father and mother have never forfaken you; but, no matter, you have no doubt your afflictions; and probably, the Lord puts you fe