at me and faid, "Really young man, I cannot blame you." I went immediately to Mr. Wefley, who after a little conver fation, gave me a note of Admittance.

14. As I now prayed much, and heard many fermons, and abstained from all known fin, I began to be very easy, supposing myself to be a very good Christian. And one day in a house in Radcliffe-highway, I began talking as if I had gone a great way in Religion. This an old gentlewoman observing, came and taking me by the hand, faid, "Do you know your fins are pardoned?" I anfwered, "I hope fo." She faid, "I fear not: for if they were, you would have the witness in yourself. Satan cares not how far we go in Religion, if we will but stop fhort of this. I advife you, when you go home, pray earneftly to the Lord, to fhew you whether your fins are pardoned? If they are, to give you the witness of it; if they are not, never to let you reft without it."

15. I was quite fpeechlefs, finding I had flopped fhort of the prize. I haftened home, praying all the way. I watched, I prayed, I waited in all the means of grace, longing for Chrift to come into my heart. I could hardly eat any food, till Sunday came, when I went to the Seven-Dials, to hear Mr. Wesley. I was much bleft under the word, expecting every moment to receive the bleffing. On Monday, as I fat at work, I was thinking the fermon over again, when on a fudden my mind was whirled away, and filled with vain imaginations. After a time I cried out, "Lord, what a wicked wretch am I? Wilt thou pardon this, with all my other fins ?" In a moment the Lord faid to my heart, "My blood hath atoned not only for this, but for all the fins which thou haft ever committed. Thou art no more thy own. Thou art bought with a price: and I will give thee power to glorify me, with thy body, and thy fpirit which are mine."

[To be concluded in our next.]

VOL. V.

To

I Do

To the READER.

Do not remember ever to have met with a more remarkable account than is contained in the following Journal. What an amazing inftance of Divine Mercy does it fet before us! Especially confidering all the difficulties he had to grapple with, in his infancy, his childhood and his youth. Was not this indeed a brand plucked out of the burning? And who then can despair? For

But as the fame

The Journal itself is abundantly larger. Experience occurs over and over, I judged it advisable to felect out of it only the moft material parts: thofe especially which artlessly defcribe the ftruggle between the flesh and the Spirit, even in a true Believer; and thofe which relate to the accomplishment of that grand Promise, which is the Quintellence of the Gospel, "I will circumcife thy heart, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul."

J. W.

Macclesfield, April 1, 1782.

1.

An Extract from the JOURNAL of Mr. G—C—.

"I

Was born July 1, 1710, (New Stile,) at New York.

My Father was feveral years Governor of the Province. My Mother's name was Rebecca, daughter of George Haig, merchant in London. My Mother brought me to London, without my Father's confent. Having in a little time spent all the money fhe had, fhe was obliged to leave me to the parish of St. Ann's, Westminster. I was shifted about from

one

one parish-nurfe to another, till I was taken into the School. I dined on Sundays at the woman's house, where my Mother lodged: but I knew nothing either of my Father or Mother.

2. When the Parish-Officers judged me to be of a fit age, they bound me apprentice to a foft-wood Turner. He took me for the fake of the fix pounds he had with me. My Mistress made Soldiers' clothes; and while that business lafted (fix months in the year,) we lived pretty well: but afterwards we had fcanty allowance: for my master and I earned next to nothing. I was then taken very ill: the Phyfician faid, I must go out of town. My mother heard of it, and came and took me in a coach to Kenfington. Being recovered, I was brought home to my Master, with whom I continued two years. I then ftole fome pattens and offered them to fale; but I was stopped and forced to confefs. Yet the owner would not profecute me. But my Master would not receive me, and bade me go where I would.

3. I wandered about, till I was found by a woman whom my Mother had defired to enquire after me. With her I lodged, till I got to be fervant to a man that fold Newspapers. Somtime after I caught an Ague, which continued eighteen months. But before I was well, my Mafter turned me away. I then returned to the fame woman, whom I long begged to introduce me to my mother. At length my mother con fented to fee me. And that was all; for fhe gave me nothing, no, not fo much as a kifs.

4. After this, I got a place in a public-houfe. Here I learnt all manner of wickedness. At this time I was about one and twenty. Together with the reft, I had learnt to fwear in fo uncommon a manner, that it fhocked even my companions. Yet even at this time, and in the midft of this company, the Lord did ftrangely vifit me with Love, ftrongly drawing me every day for a fortnight, to retire to prayer, and giving me inexpreffible fweetness in it; but having no one

to converfe with, I quickly returned as a dog to the vomit, and was more the child of hell than before.

5. When I was about five and twenty I married. My wife's father died foon after, and the and I undertook his bu finefs, which was felling Newspapers. Within two months of her delivery of a fecond child, I was taken ill of a fever, and brought very low. I promifed God great things if he would raife me up: he did fo; but the fear of my death brought on her labour. I was then fo weak, as hardly to be able to get out of my bed: yet I was obliged to go and ferve the cuf tomers. I held by her mother, and walked from morning to evening yet I was ftrengthened to bear it. In this illness my mother came to me, being reduced to great poverty, She never owned me till now; and I know not that ever she called me, "My dear," or "My dear child," in her life,

6. There was now a confiderable change in my outward life. I behaved decently, and was well efteemed of my neigh bours. Yet I had no Religion. I frequently drank to excefs, and was violently paffionate. I made no account of the fab bath, and it was very feldom that any of our family went to Church. The year after the hard froft, I was much straitened in my circumstances, having a fickly wife, three children and two mothers to keep. I therefore took a ticket as a porter at Doctors-Commons which enabled me both to pay my debts and keep my family. Yet did I not fee the Lord's hand in this, nor acknowledge him in any of my ways.

7. Soon after, my wife fell into a confumption, and languifhed for feveral months. Befides a girl fhe had before I married her, I had two fine children, a boy and a girl. They both died of the fmall-pox, about fix weeks before my wife. She wept much, and told me, My dear, your mother fays, I should not fear death, if God would make known his love to me." But I could fay little to it. Many times fince I have cried out, "Deliver me from blood guiltinefs, O Lord?"

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8. Soon

8. Soon after my wife died, God touched my heart, in reading a little tract of Bishop Taylor's. And though my conviction was not deep, yet now, for the first time, I prayed from my heart. About this time my mother asked me, to go to hear Mr. Wefley; but it made little impreffion upon me. Yet I liked it more and more, till November, 1746, at my mother's inftance I entered into the Society. I knew not the nature of it; but I got the Rules; read them carefully, and refolved to keep them. From this time I gave up all my company, and all thoughts of women. And now every fermon went to my heart, and I was conftrained to plead guilty before God: but he dealt very graciously with me, gently leading me, yet with fo ftrong a conviction, that I fat up part of many nights, not daring to fleep, left I should wake in hell. This continued till February 15, 1747. That morning I found a frange alteration. I felt no more condemnation. I had liberty to pray, and a full affurance, that my prayer was heard. Yet this was but as a drop before a shower. For at the Chapel the love of God fo over-powered me, that I could not bear up under the weight of it, but was obliged to fit or kneel great part of the fervice. And for feveral days those words followed me, "I am the Lord, the Lord God, who forgives iniquity, and tranfgreffion, and fin." My foul had now a clear fenfe of its union with Jefus, and I peculiarly loved him. I no more feared death or judgment, but had a strong defire to go to Him my foul loved. I had a great love for the fabbath, for private prayer, and all the other means of grace,

MR.

[To be continued.]

A fhort Account of Mr. SAMUEL MASSEY.

R. Samuel Maffey, lived at Seacroft, near Leeds. He was a great bigot to the Church, and an utter enemy to the Methodists. He heard indeed Mr. Charles Wesley

preach

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