Sunday 29. I have this day felt the power of an endless life: but ftill fomething cries for devotedness. This bufy thought too often wanders: but not with my confent. O that every thought may be brought into captivity to the obedience of Chrift!

Tuesday 31. At our Prayer-meeting, I had deep communion with God, fuch as calls for loudest fongs of praise. We did indeed fit together with Chrift Jefus in heavenly places. All the day I was favoured with the prefence of the Lord, the King of Glory. O let me confecrate my every hour to Thee!

Tuesday, April 7. Ever fince Sunday I have had a nervous Fever. At this trying time, I feel very little activity of foul. It is my exercise then to fay continually, Lord, thy will be done! O that I may live every moment in the fpirit of Death! It is profitable to be converfant with Eternity.

Monday 13. In the evening I had a little time before the Lord. I felt deep abafement! Indeed a fenfe of thy presence, O eternal Jehovah! and of my exceeding great vileness and unprofitablenefs, made me loath myfelf before thee.

Sunday 26. I find many speak evil of me. But why fhould I expect to be above my Mafter? O that I may be all on the Lord's fide! Be this my only care, to please God! Saturday, May 2. All this week I have had little time for prayer, and none for writing. Yet on Monday evening the holy fire I felt, feemed almoft to confume me. Afterwards I was defired to attend a Prayer-meeting. As I was going, my fpirit fpread itfelf too wide for all below. As I entered, one who used vehemently to oppofe it, was crying to God for full deliverance from fin. All my foul was engaged in mighty prayer for him. And we were anfwered with a fhower of love.

Since Wednesday morning I have been forely buffeted with grievous accufations. But the Lord hath been my support. The more we labour to shake Satan's kingdom, the more will he labour to diftrefs us.

Tuesday

Tuesday 5. I fee more than ever, I am not called to please myself, but others, for their good, to edification. Here are a few that are much athirst for God: my fpirit is much knit to them. I intended to have gone this evening to a Prayermeeting, but was prevented. Even our beft intentions are often facrificed to God.

Wednesday 13. The Lord is reviving his work at Bedminfler. I feel my foul much engaged in it. And yet I tremble, left I should not be diligent therein. I know, I must improve my Lord's talent. I had rather be obfcure. But I dare not. O my God, help me to fight thy battles!

Monday, June 15. I parted with my dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mayer. It was a close trial. Farewel, ye happy pair! But yet, not for ever. We shall meet again, to caft our crowns before Him that liveth for ever and ever!

Tuesday 30. I am called to fill up a measure of my Lord's fufferings. I have been deeply tried: glory be to God, I am to be purified and made whole. But the most painful trial has been my barrennefs, a deep fenfe of unprofitableness. Surely the farther we go in the divine life, the more fenfible we are of this. What fhould I be, if one moment without my God?

On Monday, brother Jones, a plain, fimple man, much athirst for the great falvation, called. In the evening, in our meeting for prayer, we had a mighty out-pouring of the Spirit: and he was enabled to believe, that the Lord had caft out all his enemies. The next day came brother Payne, and told me, that on Wednesday morning, God had given him the fame bleffing. O may they never lose what thou haft given them!

[To be concluded in our next.]

A Short

A fhort Account of Mrs. SUSANNAH WESLEY: extracted from the Journal of the Rev. Mr. John Wesley.

N Tuesday, July 20, 1742, I came to London. I found

my mother on the borders of eternity. But fhe had no doubt or fear: nor any defire but (as soon as God should call) To depart and to be with Christ.

Friday 30. About three in the afternoon, I went to fee her, and found her change was near. I fat down on the bed-fide. She was in her last conflict; unable to speak, but I believe quite fenfible. Her look was calm and ferene, and her eyes fixt upward, while we commended her foul to God. From three to four, the filver cord was loofing, and the wheel breaking at the ciftern: and then, without any ftruggle, figh or groan, the foul was fet at liberty. We flood round the bed, and fulfilled her last request, uttered a little before she lost her fpeech, "Children, as foon as I am released, fing a pfalm of praise to God."

Sunday, Aug. 1. Almost an innumerable company of people being gathered together, about five in the afternoon, I committed her body to the earth, to fleep with her fathers. The portion of fcripture from which I afterwards spoke was, I faw a great white throne, and Him that fat on it; from whofe face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I faw the dead small and great, ftand before God, and the books were opened-And the dead were judged out of thofe things which were written in the books, according to their works. It was one of the most folemn affemblies I ever faw, or expect to fee on this fide eternity.

We fet up a plain ftone at the head of her grave, infcribed with the following words:

"Here lies the body of Mrs. Susannah Wesley, the youngest, and laft furviving daughter of Dr. Samuel Annesley."

"In fure and stedfast hope to rife,

And claim her manfions in the fkies,
A Chriftian here her flesh laid down,
The crofs exchanging for a crown.

True daughter of affliction fhe,
Inured to pain and misery,

Mournéd a long night of griefs and fears,
A legal night of feventy years.

The Father then revealed his Son,
Him in the broken bread made known;
She knew and felt her fins forgiven,
And found the earnest of her heaven.

Meet for the fellowship above,

She heard the call, "Arife
"Arise my love:"
I come, her dying looks replied,

And lamb-like, as her Lord, fhe died."

I cannot but further observe, that even fhe (as well as her father and grandfather, her husband, and her three fons) had been in her measure, a Preacher of righteoufness. This I learned from a letter, wrote long fince to my father; part of which I have here fubjoined.

A

Feb. 6, 1711-12.

SI am a woman, so I am also a mistress of a large family. And though the superior charge of the fouls contained in it, lies upon you,-yet in your abfence, I cannot but look leave under my upon every foul you care, as a talent committed to me under a trust, by the great Lord of all the families, both of heaven and earth. And it I am unfaithful to him or you, in neglecting to improve these talents, how fhall I anfwer unto him, when he fhall command me to render an account of my stewardship? Qq

VOL. IV.

As

As thefe and other fuch like thoughts, made me at first take a more than ordinary care of the fouls of my children and fervants, fo, knowing our religion requires a ftrict obfervation of the Lord's day, and not thinking that we fully answered the end of the inftitution, by going to church, unless we filled up the intermediate spaces of time by other acts of piety and devotion: I thought it my duty to spend some part of the day, in reading to and inftructing my family.—And fuch time I esteemed fpent in a way more acceptable to God, than if I had retired to my own private devotions.

This was the beginning of my prefent practice. Other people's coming in and joining with us was merely accidental. Our lad told his parents: they first defired to be admitted: then others that heard of it begged leave alfo. So our company increased to about thirty: and it feldom exceeded forty laft winter."

But foon after you went to London laft, I light on the account of the Danish miffionaries. I was, I think, never more affected with any thing.-I could not forbear spending good part of that evening, in praifing and adoring the divine goodness, for infpiring them with fuch ardent zeal for his glory. For feveral days I could think or fpeak of little elfe. At last it came into my mind, though I am not a man, or a minifter, yet if my heart were fincerely devoted to God, and I was inspired with a true zeal for his glory, I might do fomewhat more than I do. I thought I might pray more for them, and might speak to those with whom I converfe with more warmth of affection. I refolved to begin with my own chil dren; in which I obferve the following method. I take fuch a proportion of time as I can spare every night, to difcourfe with each child apart. On Monday I talk with Molly; on Tuesday with Hetty; Wednesday with Nancy; Thurfday with Jacky; Friday with Patty; Saturday with Charles: and with Emily and Suky together on Sunday.