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of the emphasis of those well-chosen words of the apostle, in which he ranks the trial of cruel mockings with scourgings and bonds and imprisonments. The continued railleries with which he was received, in almost all companies where he had been most familiar before, did often distress him beyond measure; so that he has several times declared that he would much rather have marched up to a battery of the enemy's cannon than have been obliged, so continually as he was, to face such artillery as this. But, like a brave soldier in the first action wherein he is engaged, he continued resolute, though shuddering at the terror of the assault; and quickly overcame those impressions which it is not perhaps in nature wholly to avoid and therefore I find him, in the letter referred to above, which was written about half a year after his conversion, "quite ashamed to think of the uneasiness which these things once gave him." word, he went on, as every resolute Christian by Divine grace may do, till he turned ridicule and opposition into respect and veneration.

In a

But this sensible triumph over these difficulties was not till his Christian experience had been abundantly advanced, by the blessing of God on the sermons he heard, particularly in the Swiss chapel, and on the many hours which he spent in devout retirement, pouring out his whole soul before God in prayer. He began, within about two months after his first memorable change, to perceive some secret dawnings of more cheerful hope, that vile as he saw himself to be, and I believe no words can express how vile that was, he might nevertheless obtain mercy, through a Redeemer. And at length, if I remember right, about the end of October, 1719, he found all the burden of his mind taken off at once, by the

powerful impression of that memorable scripture upon his mind, Rom. iii. 25, 26, "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins, -that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." He had used to imagine that the justice of God required the damnation of so enormous a sinner as he saw himself to be; but now he was made deeply sensible that the Divine justice might be not only vindicated, but glorified in saving him by the blood of Jesus, even that blood which cleanseth us from all sin. Then did he see and feel the riches of redeeming love and grace, in such a manner as not only engaged him with the utmost pleasure and confidence to venture his soul upon it, but even swallowed up, as it were, his whole heart in the returns of love which, from that blessed time, became the genuine and delightful principle of his obedience, and animated him, with an enlarged heart, to run the way of God's commandments. Thus God was pleased, as he himself used to speak, in an hour to turn his captivity. All the terrors of his former state were changed into unutterable joy, which kept him almost continually waking for three nights together, and yet refreshed him as the noblest of cordials. His expressions, though naturally very strong, always seemed to be swallowed up, when he would describe the series of thought through which he now passed, under the rapturous experience of that joy unspeakable and full of glory which then seemed to overflow his very soul; as indeed there was nothing he seemed to speak of with greater relish. And though the first ecstacies of it afterwards subsided into a more calm and composed delight, yet were the impressions so deep and so permanent, that he assured me, on the word of a

Christian and a friend, wonderful as it might seem, that for about seven years after this, he enjoyed almost a heaven upon earth. His soul was so continually filled with a sense of the love of God in Christ, that it knew little interruption, but when necessary converse and the duties of his station called off his thoughts for a little time: and when they did so, as soon as he was alone, the torrent returned into its natural channel again; so that from the minute of his waking in the morning, his heart was rising to God, and triumphing in him; and these thoughts attended him through all the scenes of life, till he lay down on his bed again, and a short parenthesis of sleep, for it was but a very short one that he allowed himself, invigorated his animal powers, for renewing them with greater intenseness and sensibility.

I shall have an opportunity of illustrating this in the most convincing facts by extracts from several letters which he wrote to intimate friends during this happy period of time-letters which breathe a spirit of such sublime and fervent piety as I have seldom met with anywhere else. In these circumstances, it is no wonder that he was greatly delighted with Dr. Watts's imitation of the 126th Psalm, since it may be questioned whether there ever was a person to whom the following stanzas of it were more suitable :

:

When God reveal'd his gracious name,
And changed my mournful state,
My rapture seem'd a pleasing dream,
The grace appear'd so great.

The world beheld the glorious change,
And did thine hand confess;

My tongue broke out in unknown strains,
And sung surprising grace.

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"Great is the work," my neighbours cried,

And own'd the power Divine:
"Great is the work," my heart replied,
"And be the glory thine."

The Lord can clear the darkest skies,
Can give us day for night,
Make drops of sacred sorrow rise
To rivers of delight.

Let those that sow in sadness wait

Till the fair harvest come;

They shall confess their sheaves are great,
And shout the blessings home.

I have been so happy as to get the sight of five original letters which he wrote to his mother about this time; which do, in a very lively manner, illustrate the surprising change made in the whole current of his thoughts and temper of his mind. Many of them were written in a most hasty manner, just as the courier who brought them was, perhaps unexpectedly, setting out; and they relate chiefly to affairs in which the public is not at all concerned: yet there is not one of them in which he has not inserted some warm and genuine sentiment of religion. And indeed it is very remarkable that though he was pleased to honour me with a great many letters, and I have seen several more which he wrote to others, some of them on journeys, where he could have but a few minutes at command, yet I cannot recollect that I ever saw any one in which there was not some trace of piety. And the Rev. Mr. Webster, who was employed to review great numbers of them, that he might select such extracts as he should think proper to communicate to me, has made the same observation.*

* His words are these: "I have read over a vast number of

Christian and a friend, wonderful as it might seem, that for about seven years after this, he enjoyed almost a heaven upon earth. His soul was so continually filled with a sense of the love of God in Christ, that it knew little interruption, but when necessary converse and the duties of his station called off his thoughts for a little time: and when they did so, as soon as he was alone, the torrent returned into its natural channel again; so that from the minute of his waking in the morning, his heart was rising to God, and triumphing in him; and these thoughts attended him through all the scenes of life, till he lay down on his bed again, and a short parenthesis of sleep, for it was but a very short one that he allowed himself, invigorated his animal powers, for renewing them with greater intenseness and sensibility.

I shall have an opportunity of illustrating this in the most convincing facts by extracts from several letters which he wrote to intimate friends during this happy period of time-letters which breathe a spirit of such sublime and fervent piety as I have seldom met with anywhere else. In these circumstances, it is no wonder that he was greatly delighted with Dr. Watts's imitation of the 126th Psalm, since it may be questioned whether there ever was a person to whom the following stanzas of it were more suitable :

When God reveal'd his gracious name,
And changed my mournful state,
My rapture seem'd a pleasing dream,
The grace appear'd so great.

The world beheld the glorious change,
And did thine hand confess;

My tongue broke out in unknown strains,
And sung surprising grace.

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