How amazing is this! And is it not still more amazing, that some of the greatest and most sensible men in the nation, should not only not have scrupled to employ him, but have been his fast friends upon all occasions ?

Wednesday 19, I returned to Norwich, and found the ferment a little abated. I was much pleased with the leaders, in the evening, a company of steady, lively, zealous persons; and indeed with most of the Society with whom I have conversed, none of whom seem to have lost ground since I was here last.

Sunday 23, I met the Society for the first time, immediately after the morning preaching. Afterwards I went. to Church, with a considerable number of the people, several of whom, I suppose, had not been within those walls for many years. I was glad to hear a plain, useful sermon, and especially for the sake of those, who, if they had been offended at first, would hardly have come any more. In the evening, God made bare his arm, and his word was sharp as a two-edged sword. Before I had concluded my sermon, the mob made a little disturbance: but let us only get the lambs in order, and I will quickly tame the bears.

Monday 24, I rode to Bury. Here the mob had, for some time, reigned lords paramount; but a strange gentleman from London, who was present one evening, when they were in high spirits, took them in hand, and prosecuted the matter so effectually, that they were quelled at

once.

Tuesday 25, 1 rode to Colchester, and found a strange ferment in the Society, occasioned by the imprudence of who had kindled a flame which he could not quench, and set every man's sword against his brother. I heard them all face to face, but to no purpose. They regarded neither Scripture nor reason: but on Thursday evening, at the meeting of the Society, God was intreated for them the stony hearts were broken: anger, revenge, evil-surmising, fled away. The hearts of all were again united together, and his banner over us was love.

It may be of use to insert here part of a letter, which I received about this time.

"In reading your Notes on Heb. xii. 9, a while since, I was struck with your exposition of the ninth verse. Perhaps these expressions, fathers of our flesh, and Father of spirits, intimate, that our earthly fathers are only the parents of our bodies, our souls not being derived from them, but rather created by the immediate power of God, and infused into the body from age to age.' But meeting with a curious old book which asserts a contrary doctrine, I hope you will pardon my freedom in transcribing, and begging your thoughts upon it.

"That souls are not immediately infused by God, but immediately propagated by the parent, is proved, 1, from the Divine rest, Gen. ii. 2, And he rested on the seventh day, from all the work which he had made: 2, from the blessing mentioned, Gen. i. 28, And God blessed them, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply; for this does not relate to a part, but to the whole of man: 3, from the generation of Seth, Gen. v. 3, And Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image, for this image principally consisted in the soul: 4, from the procession of the soul from the parent mentioned, Gen. xlvi. 26, All the souls, which came out of his loins: 5, from the very consideration of sin; for they are infused, I. either pure, and then, 1, they will either be free from original sin, the primary seat of which is the soul; and so God will be cruel in condemning the soul for what it is not guilty of: or, 2, we must suppose the impure body to pollute the soul, which is absurd. Or, II. they are infused impure, and in that case, God will be the cause of impurity, which is impossible. This is further proved from the doctrine of regeneration : for that which is regenerated was also generated or begotten, but the whole man is regenerated, therefore the whole man is generated; compare John iii. 6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; and Eph. iv. 23, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

"That the human soul is propagated by the parents together with the body, is further proved, 1, by the creation. of Eve; whose soul is not said to have been breathed into her by God: 2, from the confession of David, Psal. li. 2. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me; which words cannot possibly relate to the body only: 3, from our redemption; what Christ did not assume, he did not redeem; if therefore he did not assume his soul, together with his body from the Virgin Mary, our souls are not redeemed by Christ, which is evidently false: 4, from similar expressions, Job x. 8, Thine hands have made and fashioned me; and Psal. cxxxix. 15, For thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb; where God is said to have formed us with his own hands, which yet is no otherwise done than mediately by generation: 5, from the nature of the begetter and the begotten; they are of one species, but the man who be gets consisting of a soul and body, and a body without a soul, are not of one species.

"Again: supposing the soul to be infused by the Deity, either first it will be free from sin, and so God himself will be accused as guilty of injustice in condemning a pure spirit, and in infusing it into an impure body: or, 2, he will be accounted the author of the soul's pollution, by uniting it a pure spirit, to an impure body, in order that it should be polluted: 3, a double absurdity will follow upon this supposition, viz. 1, the organical parts of man only will be slaves to sin: 2, the immortal spirit would be corrupted by the mortal body; 3, or, if the soul being thus infused, be polluted by sin, it will follow that God is expressly assigned to be the cause of sin, which is the highest blasphemy.'

Friday 28, At the request of the little Society there, I rode round by Braintree. Here I met with one who was well acquainted with the Honourable Mr. -. If he answer the character Mr. S. gives, he is one of the most amiable men in the world. O what keeps us apart? Why cannot we openly give each other the right-hand of fellowship?

Saturday 29, I returned to London. Sunday 30, I now, for the first time, spoke to the Society freely concerning Mr. M. both with regard to his injustice in the affair of Snows-fields, and his almost unparallelled ingratitude to me. But I never expect one that is false to God to be true to a human friend.

Wednesday, Nov. 2, I spent an agreeable hour with old, venerable Mr.. How striking is a man of sense, learning, and piety, when he has well-nigh finished his course, and yet retains all his faculties unimpaired! His grey hairs are indeed a crown of honour.

In this neighbourhood I learned the particulars of a remarkable occurrence. On Friday, August 19, a gentleman who was at Lisbon during the great earthquake, walking with his friend near Brighthelmstone in Sussex, and looking south-west toward the sea, cried out, "God grant the wind may rise! otherwise we shall have an earthquake quickly. Just so the clouds whirled to and fro, and so the sky looked that day at Lisbon." Presently the wind did rise, and brought an impetuous storm of rain and large hail. Some of the hail-stones were larger than hen-eggs. It moved in a line about four miles broad, making strange havock, as it passed quite over the land, till it fell into the river, not far from Sheerness. And wherever it passed, it left a hot sulphurous steam, such as almost suffocated those it reached.

Thursday 3, I returned to London. Saturday 5, I spent some time with my old friend John Gambold. Who but Count Z. could have separated such friends as we were? Shall we never unite again?

Sunday 13, I found much of the power of God in preaching, but far more at the Lord's table. At the same time one who had been wandering from God for many years, and would fain have been with us, but could not, found that the Spirit of God was not hindered, or confined to one place. He found out the poor backslider, in his own house, and revealed Christ anew in his heart.

Tuesday 15, I visited Joseph Norbury, a good old soldier of Jesus Christ. I found him just on the wing for Paradise,

having rattled in the throat for some time: but his speech was restored, when I came in, and he mightily praised God for all his mercies. This was his last testimony for a good master. Soon after, he fell asleep.

On Friday I finished visiting the Classes, and observed that, since February last, a hundred and seventy-five persons have been separated from us. A hundred and six left us on Mr. M.'s account; few of them will return till they are deeply humbled.

Here I stood, and looked back on the late occurrences. Before Thomas Walsh left England, God began that great work, which has continued ever since, without any considerable intermission. During the whole time, many have been convinced of sin, many justified, and many backsliders healed. But the peculiar work of this season has been, what St. Paul calls the perfecting of the saints. Many persons in London, in Bristol, in York, and in various parts both of England and Ireland, have experienced so deep and universal a change, as it had not before entered into their hearts to conceive. After a deep conviction of inbred sin, of their total fall from God, they have been so filled with faith and love, (and generally in a moment) that sin vanished, and they found from that time, no pride, anger, desire, or unbelief. They could rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks. Now whether we call this the destruction or suspension of sin, it is a glorious work of God: such a work, as, considering both the depth and extent of it, we never saw in these kingdoms before.

It is possible, some who spake in this manner were mistaken and it is certain, some have lost what they then received. A few (very few compared to the whole number) first gave way to enthusiasm, then to pride, next to prejudice and offence, and at last separated from their brethren. But although this laid a huge stumbling-block in the way, still the work of God went on. Nor has it ceased to this day in any of its branches. God, still convinces, justifies, sanctifies. We have lost only the dross, the enthusiasm, the prejudice and offence. The pure gold remains, faith