Thus they calmly travel on through life, never repining, or murmuring, or dissatisfied, till the hour comes that they shall drop this covering of earth, and return to the Father of spirits.

“This revival of religion has spread to such a degree as neither we nor our fathers had known. How extensive has it been! There is scarce a considerable town in the kingdom, where some have not been made witnesses of it. It has spread to every age and sex, to most orders and degrees of men; and even to abundance of those who, in time past, were accounted monsters of wickedness.

"Consider the swiftness as well as the extent of it. In what age has such a number of sinners been recovered, in so short a time, from the error of their ways? When has true religion, I will not say since the Reformation, but since the time of Constantine the Great, made so large a progress in any nation, within so small a space? I believe, hardly can ancient or modern history afford a parallel instance.

"We may likewise observe the depth of the work so extensively and swiftly wrought. Multitudes have been throughly convinced of sin; and, shortly after, so filled with joy and love, that, whether they were in the body, or out of the body, they could hardly tell; and in the power of this love they have trampled under foot whatever the world accounts either terrible or desirable, having evidenced, in the severest trials, an invariable and tender good-will to mankind, and all the fruits of holiness. Now, so deep a repentance, so strong a faith, so fervent a love, so unblemished holiness, wrought in so many persons in so short a time, the world has not seen for " * many ages." As Mr. Wesley declined into the vale of years * Works, vol. vii. pp. 423-427,

the perpetuity of that system of doctrine and discipline, which had been so signally owned of God in the conversion and salvation of men, became a matter of anxious concern both to himself and his people. The appointment of the Preachers to the various chapels, and to the consequent pastoral charge of the societies, presented the greatest difficulty. It had been agreed that, after the death of the two brothers, the power to station the Preachers should be vested in the Conference; and hence arose the inquiry, "Who constitute the Conference?" the men who had hitherto borne that name being simply such Preachers as Mr. Wesley had personally invited to meet him once a year, to aid him with their advice, as to the most effectual means of carrying on the work of God. The Preachers felt the importance of the case, and requested Mr. Wesley to consider what could be done in this emergency; so that, in the event of his death, the Connexion might not be dissolved. He took legal advice, and drew up the "Deed of Declaration," constituting one hundred Preachers by name, "the Conference of the people called Methodists;" at the same time defining their powers, and making provision for the filling up of all vacancies occasioned by death, superannuation, or expulsion. This Deed he caused to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery, in the year 1784. It created some uneasiness at the time, particularly among the Preachers whose names were omitted; but that uneasiness soon passed away; and the Deed has unquestionably been the greatest benefit of the kind ever conferred upon the Connexion. From the time of Mr. Wesley's death, it has been strictly acted upon by the Conference, and has preserved the unity of the body, by securing to

the congregations and societies that itinerant ministry, for the exercise of which every Methodist chapel was originally built.

With respect to this document. Mr. Wesley says, "Without some authentic deed, fixing the meaning of the term, the moment I died the Conference had been nothing. Therefore any of the proprietors of the land on which our preaching-houses were built, might have seized them for their own use; and there would have been none to hinder them; for the Conference would have been nobody, a mere empty

name.

"You see, then, in all the pains I have taken about this necessary deed, I have been labouring, not for myself, (I have no interest therein,) but for the whole body of Methodists; in order to fix them upon such a foundation as is likely to stand as long as the sun and moon endure. That is, if they continue to walk by faith, and show forth their faith by their works; otherwise I pray God to root out the memorial of them from the earth.” *

The maintenance of the Conference in the full possession and exercise of the power with which he invested it, Mr. Wesley believed to be the only means of effectually preserving the unity and purity of the body; and of this every one must be convinced who duly considers the subject. The Conference was not entrusted with those powers for its own sake, as has sometimes been insinuated, but for the benefit of the Connexion in all its departments. It is the centre of union to the body, and can have no interests separate from those of the societies. Its government is strictly paternal.

• Works, vol. xiii. p. 217.

K

CHAPTER V.

THE DEATH OF THE TWO WESLEYS, AND OF THEIR PRINCIPAL CLERICAL FRIENDS.

MR. WESLEY was spared to a very advanced period of life; so that he superintended the itinerant ministry and the societies which he had formed, till both had acquired an encouraging degree of stability. He survived all the clerical friends with whom he had been early connected in the work of God. Among these was the Rev. James Hervey, Rector of Weston-Favell, in Northamptonshire. He was a member of the Methodist society in Oxford, being a Commoner of Lincoln College when Mr. Wesley was a Fellow. During his residence at the University he was under great obligations to Mr. Wesley, who taught him Hebrew, and showed him other marks of especial kindness; which led him, on Mr. Wesley's departure to Georgia, to say, "My father, shall I call you, or my friend? for indeed you have been both to me." * He was a man of unquestionable piety, and very exemplary in the discharge of clerical duties in his parish. His writings, though disfigured by an artificial and inflated style, have been very useful, particularly in leading devout people to connect the love of nature and admiration of the works of God with evangelical sentiment. Having embraced the scheme of absolute predestination, he was induced, towards the close of life, to write against Mr. Wesley; but on his death-bed he

* Arminian Magazine, vol. i. p. 131.

directed the unfinished manuscript to be destroyed. It was, however, by Mr. Hervey's brother, placed in the hands of William Cudworth, a man of antinomian principles, who had separated from Mr. Whitefield. By him it was understood to be largely interpolated; so that when it was published, it was found to contain bitter and cruel sarcasms and reflections upon Mr. Wesley, which, there is reason to believe, never emanated from the alleged author, who was now no more. Mr. Wesley deeply felt this act of injustice. In Mr. Hervey's name, he was charged with such a want of common honesty, that even Turks, Deists, and Atheists would disown him. He defended himself in the spirit of Christian meekness, and with his accustomed acumen, and force of argument. The following is his emphatic conclusion "And is this thy voice, my son David? Is this thy tender, loving, grateful spirit? No. The hand of Joab is in all this! I acknowledge the hand, the heart of William Cudworth. I perceive it was not an empty boast, (as I was at first inclined to think,) which he uttered to Mr. Pearse, at Bury, before my friend went to paradise, Mr. Hervey has given me full power to put out and put in what I please.'

"But he, too, is gone hence; and he knows now whether I am an honest man or no. It cannot be long, even in the course of nature, before I shall follow him.

'My race of glory 's run, and race of shame;
And I shall shortly be with them that rest.'

I could wish, till then, to be at peace with all men ; but the will of the Lord be done! Peace or war, ease or pain, life or death is good, so I may but 'finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I