Wesley Corpus

much against the novel sect, the upstart Methodists; (as he termed them ;) which indeed he was accustomed to do, more or less, in almost all his sermons. ‘These are the men,’ said he, ‘whom St. Paul foretold, who have the form, the outward show of holiness, but not the power; for they are ravening wolves, full of hypocrisy within.’ He then alleged many grievous things against them; but without all colour of truth; and warned his flock to turn away from them, and not to bid them God speed, lest they should be partakers of their evil deeds. “ Shortly after he was to preach at St. Nicholas church. He had named the above-mentioned text twice, when he was suddenly seized with a rattling in his throat, attended with a hideous groaning. He fell backward against the door of the pulpit, burst it open, and would have fallen down the stairs, but that some people caught him, and carried him away, as it seemed, dead, into the vestry. In two or three days he recovered his senses, and the Sunday following died!” In the evening, the word of God was indeed quick and powerful. Afterward I desired the men, as well as the women, to meet; but I could not speak to them. ‘The spirit of prayer was so poured upon us all, that we could only speak to God. Having found, for some time, a strong desire to unite with Mr. Whitefield as far as possible, to cut off needless dispute, | wrote down my sentiments, as plain as I could, in the following terms :-- “There are three points in debate: 1. Unconditional Election. 2. Irresistible Grace. 3. Final Perseverance. With regard to the first, Unconditional Election, I believe, That God, before the foundation of the world, did unconditionally elect certain persons to do certain works, as Paul to preach the Gospel: that he has unconditionally elected some nations to receive peculiar privileges, the Jewish nation in particular: that he has unconditionally elected seme nations to hear the Gospel, as England and Scotland now, and many others in past ages: that he has unconditionally elected some persons to many peculiar advantages, both with regard to temporal and spiritual things: and I do not deny, (though I cannot prove jt is so,) that he has unconditionally elected some persons to eternal glory.