Arminian Magazine, For the YEAR 1796. CONSISTING CHIEFLY OF EXTRACTS AND ORIGINAL TREATISES ON Univerfal Redemption. VOLUME XIX. LONDON: Printed by G. PARAMORE, North-Green, Worlhip-Street: Sold by G. WHITFIELD, at the Chapel, City-Road, and at all the Arminian Magazine, For JANUARY 1796. I A short Account of the Experience of Mt. JAMES BUCKLEY. WAS born December 20, 1770, at á place called Cowlitiah Lane, in the parish of Crampton, Lancashire. God, as a tender parent, began to draw me by the Cords of Love, at a very early period; I can remember being under serious impreffions at three years of age at this time I was often led to meditate upon, and inquire after God; I wondered where, and how he lived. I often rambled into the fields, and looked upon the works of the Almighty that lay within my obfervation, with amazément, I had a great defire to know how he made the grafs to grow, and the flowers, to be fo variegated. My infant mind was frequently impreffed with horror when I heard hell mentioned, but was filled with great joy when I heard the pleasures and happiness of heaven defcribed. My parents were pharifees of the strictest fect," of the Church of England; they watched over. me with great exactnefs, and my convictions waxed ftronger and ftronger. At ten years of age, fome fcriptures were opened to me in fuch a manner, that I could not read them without being much affected, and fome times burting into a flood of tears. One day while I was reading at fchool, the parable of the Houfholder who had planted a vineyard and digged a wine-prefs in it, I thought I was hike one of thofe ungrateful Hufbandmen who had killed his fon by my fins; I attempted to fhut the book, but my Mafter infifled upon my proceeding: In the attempt, I dropped down as though I had been dead; I thought that I should go to hell for my wickedhefs. Sin appeared to be exceeding finful, and the fecret inquiry of my heart was, " What fhall I do to be faved ?". But I did not know what to do, nor where to go for inftruction or comfort. As the word of God and religious books augmented my mifery, I hated them with a perfect hatred, I ftrove to get into all kinds of irreligious company, to divert my mind from ferious impreflions I grafped at every empty fhadow that prefented itself, "but alas ! was always difappointed, s; Thus I continued to fin, and repent, till the year 1784, when it pleafed God to bring me among the Methodists. One of my aunts who was in connection with the fociety, came to my father's on a visit, and had defired a preacher to call upon her. When I was acquainted with this circumftance, I went into the workfhop to the fervants and told them, in a fatirical way," that a Methodist A 2 parfon |