and one or two more for three days. But the rest were greatly comforted in that hour, and went away rejoicing and praising God.

Saturday 23, I spoke severally with those who had been so troubled the night before. Some of them I found were only convinced of sin; others had indeed found rest to their souls. This evening another was seized with strong pangs; but in a short time her soul also was delivered.

Sunday 24, As I was riding to Rose-green, in a smooth plain part of the road, my horse suddenly pitched upon his head, and rolled over and over. I received no other hurt than a little bruise on one side, which for the present I felt not, but preached without pain to six or seven thousand people on that important direction, Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God. In the evening a girl of thirteen or fourteen, and four or five other persons, some of whom had felt the power of God before, were deeply convinced of sin, and with sighs and groans, which could not be uttercalled upon God for deliverance.

ed, Monday 25, About ten in the morning, J-e C-r, as she was sitting at work, was suddenly seized with grievous terrors of mind, attended with strong trembling. Thus she continued all the after

but at the society in the evening God turned her heaviness into joy. Five or six others were also cut to the heart this day; and soon after found him whose hands make whole; as did one likewise. who had been mourning many months without any to comfort her.

Tuesday 26, I preached near the house we had a few days before began to build for a school, in the middle of Kingswood, under a little sycamore-tree, during a violent storm of rain,on these words, As the rain cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud: So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Three persons felt terribly the wrath of God abiding on them, at the society this evening; but upon prayer made in their behalf, he was pleased soon to lift up the light of his countenance upon them.

Friday 29, I preached in a part of Kingswood where I never had before. The places in Kingswood at which I now usually preached were these: once a fortnight, a little above Connam, a village on the south-side of the wood; on Sunday morning, near Hannam-mount; once a fortnight, at the school-house, in the middle of Kingswood; on Sunday in the evening at Rose-green; and once a fortnight near the Fish-ponds, on the north side of the wood.

Saturday 30, At Weavers'-Hall, seven or eight persons were constrained to roar aloud, while the sword of the Spirit was dividing asunder their souls and spirits, and joints and marrow. But they were all relieved upon prayer, and sang praises unto our God and unto the Lamb that liveth for ever and ever.

I gave a particular account, from time to time, of the manner wherein God here carried on his work to those whom I believed to desire the increase of his kingdom, with whom I had an opportunity of

corresponding. Part of the answer which I received sometime after from one of these I cannot but here subjoin:

"I desire to bless my Lord for the good and great news your letter bears, about the Lord's turning many souls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and that such a great and effectual door is opened among you, as the many adver-4 saries cannot shut. O may he that hath the key of the house of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, set the door of faith more and more open among you, till his house be filled, and till he gather the outcasts of Israel! And may that prayer for the adversaries be heard, Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name, O Lord!

"As to the outward manner you speak of, wherein most of them were affected who were cut to the heart by the sword of the Spirit, no wonder that this was at first surprising to you, since they are indeed so very rare, that have been thus pricked and wounded. Yet some of the instances you give, seem to be exemplified, in the outward manner wherein Paul and the jailor were at first affected: As also Peter's hearers, Acts ii. The last instance you gave, of some struggling as in the agonies of death, and in such a manner as that four or five strong men can hardly restrain a weak woman from hurting herself or others: this is to me somewhat more inexplicable: if it do not resemble the child spoken of, Mark ix. 26. and Luke ix. 42. Of whom it is said, that while he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down and tore him. Or what influence sudden and sharp awakenings may have upon the body I pretend not to explain. But I make no question, Satan, so far as he gets power, may exert himself on such occasions to hinder the good work in the persons who are thus touched with the sharp arrows of conviction, and partly to disparage the work of God, as if it tended to lead people to distraction. However, the merciful issue of these conflicts in the conversion of the persons thus affected, is the main thing.

"When they are brought by the saving arm of God, to receive Christ Jesus, to have joy and peace in believing, and then to walk in Him, and give evidence that the work is a saving work at length, whether more quickly or gradually accomplished, there is great matter of praise.

"All the outward appearances of people's being affected among us, may be reduced to these two sorts; one is, hearing with a close, silent attention, with gravity and greediness, discovered by fixed looks, weeping eyes, and sorrowful or joyful countenances: another sort, is when they lift up their voice aloud, some more depressedly, and others more highly; and at times, the whole multitude in a flood of tears, all as it were crying out at once, until their voice be ready to drown the minister's, that he can scarce be heard for the weeping noise that surrounds him.-The influence on some of these, like a land-flood, dries up; we hear of no change wrought. But in others, it appears in the fruits of righteousness, and the tract of a holy conversation.

"May the Lord strengthen you, to go on in his work! And in praying for the coming of his kingdom with you and us, and I hope

you shall not be forgotten among us, in our joint applications to the throne of grace. "Your very

"I am, reverend and dear Sir,

affectionate brother and servant in Christ,
"RALPH ERSKINE."

Sunday, July 1, I preached to about five thousand, on that favourite advice of the infidel in Ecclesiastes (so zealously enforced by his brethren now) Be not righteous over much. At Hannam and at Rosegreen I explained the latter part of the viith chapter of St. Luke: --that verse especially, When they had nothing to pay, He frankly forgave them both.

A young woman sunk down at Rose-green, in a violent agony both of body and mind: as did five or six persons in the evening at the New Room, at whose cries many were greatly offended. The same offence was given in the morning by one at Weavers'-Hall, and by eight or nine others, at Gloucester-lane, in the evening. The first that was deeply touched was L-W-; whose mother had been not a little displeased a day or two before, when she was told, how her daughter had exposed herself before all the congrégation: the mother herself was the next, who dropped down, and lost her senses in a moment; but went home with her daughter, full of joy, as did most of those who had been in pain.

Soon after the Society, I went to Mrs. T-'s, whose nearest relations were earnestly dissuading her, from being righteous over-much; and by the old motive, Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? She answered all they advanced with meekness and love, and continued steadfast and immovable. Endure hardship still, thou good soldier of Christ! Persecuted, but not forsaken: torn with inward, and encompassed with outward temptations: but yielding to none. O may patience have its perfect work!

Tuesday 3, I preached at Bath to the most attentive and serious audience I have ever seen there. On Wednesday I preached at Newgate on those words, Because of the Pharisees, they durst not confess him. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. A message was delivered to me when I had done, from the Sheriffs, that I must preach there no more.

Friday 6, I pressed a serious Quaker to tell me, why he did not come to hear me as formerly? He said, "Because he found we were not led by the Spirit; for we fixed times of preaching before-hand; whereas we ought to do nothing unless we were sensibly moved thereto by the Holy Ghost." I asked, "Whether we ought not to do what God in Scripture commands, when we have opportunity? Whether the Providence of God thus concurring with his word was not a sufficient reason for our doing it, although we were not at that moment, sensibly moved thereto by the Holy Ghost?" He answered, "It was not a sufficient reason. This was to regard the letter that killeth." God grant that I may so regard it all the days of my life.

In the afternoon I was with Mr. Whitefield, just come from London, with whom I went to Baptist-Mills, where he preached concerning the Holy Ghost, which all who believe are to receive; not

without a just, though severe, censure of those who preach as if there were no Holy Ghost.

Saturday 7, I had an opportunity to talk with him of those outward signs which had so often accompanied the inward work of God. I found his objections were chiefly grounded on gross misrepresentations of matter of fact. But the next day he had an opportunity of informing himself better. For no sooner had he begun, in the application of his sermon, to invite all sinners to believe in Christ, than four persons sunk down close to him, almost in the same moment. One of them lay without either sense or motion. A second trembled exceedingly. The third had strong convulsions all over his body, but made no noise unless by groans. The fourth, equally convulsed, called upon God with strong cries and tears. From this time, I trust, we shall all suffer God, to carry on his own work in the way that pleaseth him.

Thursday 13, I went to a gentleman who is much troubled with what they call lowness of spirits. Many such have I been with before; but in several of them it was no bodily distemper. They wanted something, they knew not what, and were therefore heavy, uneasy, and dissatisfied with every thing. The plain truth is, they wanted God, they wanted Christ, they wanted faith. And God convinced them of their want, in a way their physicians no more understood than themselves. Accordingly nothing availed till the Great Physician came. For in spite of all natural means, he who made them for himself, would not suffer them to rest till they rested in him.

On Friday in the afternoon I left Bristol with Mr. Whitefield, in the midst of heavy rain. But the clouds soon dispersed, so that we had a fair, calm evening, and a serious congregation at Thornbury.

In the morning we breakfasted with a Quaker, who had been brought up in the Church of England: but being under strong convictions of inward sin, and applying to several persons for advice, they all judged him to be under a disorder of body, and gave advice accordingly. Some Quakers with whom he met about the same time, told him it was the hand of God upon his soul; and advised him to seek another sort of relief than those miserable comforters had recommended. Wo unto you, ye blind leaders of the blind! How long will ye pervert the right ways of the Lord? Ye who tell the mourners in Zion, much religion hath made you mad! Ye who send them whom God hath wounded to the devil for cure; to company, idle books or diversions! Thus shall they perish in their iniquity; but their blood shall God require at your hands!

We had an attentive congregation at Gloucester, in the evening. In the morning, Mr. Whitefield being gone forward, I preached to about five thousand there, on, Christ our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. It rained violently at five in the evening; notwithstanding which, two or three thousand people stayed, to whom I expounded that glorious vision of Ezekiel, of the resur rection of the dry bones."

On Monday 16, After preaching to two or three thousand on What must I do to be saved? I returned to Bristol, and preached to about three thousand, on those words of Job, There the wicked cease from troubling; there the weary are at rest.

Tuesday 17, I rode to Bradford, five miles from Bath, whither I had been long invited to come. I waited on the minister, and desired leave to preach in his church. He said, "It was not usual to preach on the week days: but if I could come thither on a Sunday, he should be glad of my assistance." Thence I went to a gentleman in the town, who had been present when I preached at Bath, and with the strongest marks of sincerity and affection, wished me good luck in the name of the Lord: But it was past. I found him now quite cold. He began disputing on several heads, and at last told me plainly, one of our college had informed him, "They always took me to be a little crack-brained at Oxford."

However some persons who were not of his mind, having pitched on a convenient place, called Bear-field or Buryfield, on the top of the hill under which the town lies: I there offered Christ to about a thousand people, for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Thence I returned to Bath, and preached on, What must I do to be saved? to a larger audience than ever before. I was wondering the god of this world was so still: when at my return from the place of preaching, poor RM told me, he could not let me preach any more in his ground. I asked him, why? He said, "The people hurt his trees, and stole things out of his ground. And besides, added he, I have already by letting thee be here, merited the displeasure of my neighbours." O fear of man! who is above thee, but they who indeed worship God in spirit and in truth? Not even those who have one foot in the grave! Not even those who dwell in rooms of cedar; and who have heaped up gold as the dust, and silver as the sand of the sea!

Saturday 21, I began expounding a second time our Lord's sermon upon the Mount. In the morning, Sunday 22, as I was explaining, blessed are the poor in spirit, to about three thousand people, we had a fair opportunity of shewing all men, what manner of spirit we were of: For in the middle of the sermon, the press-gang came, and seized on one of the hearers; (ye learned in the law, what becomes of Magna Charta, and of English liberty and property? Are not these mere sounds, while, on any pretence, there is such a thing as a pressgang suffered in the land ?) all the rest standing still, and none opening his mouth or lifting up his hand to resist them.

Monday 23, To guard young converts from fancying, that they had already attained or were already perfect, I preached on those words, So is the kingdom of God, as when a man casteth seed into the ground-And riseth day and night, and the seed buddeth forth and springeth up he knoweth not how-first the blade, then the ear, then full corn in the ear.

On several evenings this week, and particularly on Friday, many were deeply convinced; but none were delivered from that painful conviction, The children came to the birth; but there was not