He raised some enemies by this doctrine. He has been called an Arminian; and perhaps many who have used the term have annexed an idea to it by no means just. How often has he wished, and it is devoutly to be wished by all the friends of true religion, that the names of Calvinist and Arminian were buried in oblivion; they have tended to keep up strife and discord only, amongst those who ought to love one another as brethren, however they have differed on some points of doctrine. But some have supposed that to be an Arminian is to maintain salvation by works; that it is to degrade Christ and to throw the lustre of redemption by Christ into a cloud at any rate, if not to overturn it. Was this the case with our minister of the gospel ? Did he not preach free grace as much as any Calvinist ? Did he not assert that pardon is the free gift of God, without money and without price? Did he not assert that repentance itself only prepares the heart to receive the gift of God, that it does not give any kind of merit to the man? How often has he declared to you that the best works any man can perform need atonement? So far was he from putting works in the place of the blood of Christ, that he gave them their just value only; he placed them in the order of christian experience where the gospel places them; as the fruits of a living operative faith, and as the measure of our future reward; for every man will be rewarded, not for his works, but according to the measure of them. This is undoubtedly a scriptural representation of this matter, and it would be well if all christians were to attend to this distinction more than they do. It is to be feared that some may have cried out against works, not from the very best motives, at least from some inclination to relax in holiness. The way in which some have preached faith,. has done no honour to the gospel; and may probably have encouraged some persons to pay less attention to christian duties than they ought to do. But while he

insisted on good works, as the necessary fruits of faith, he gave the whole glory of salvation to God, from first to last; not in the general plan of it only, but in the order of communicating the benefits of Christ to the mind. He believed that man would never turn to God, if God did not begin the work: nay, how often has he told you, that the first approaches of grace to the mind are irresistible; that a man cannot avoid being convinced that he is a sinner; that God by various means awakens his conscience; and whether the man will or no, these convictions approach him. He gave

all the glory of the work of salvation in the heart to the grace of God, he ascribes no merit to works; he tells you indeed that in proportion as you improve the grace given, you shall have more, and be rewarded according to your works, with grace here as well as glory hereafter,

There is one subject more, which I must touch upon, christian experience. It is well known that this able minister of the gospel, together with his brother Charles, and the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, have been the principal instruments in the hands of God, of diffusing the knowledge of this important article of the christian religion, amongst the bulk of the people of this country, And in this respect only, they have been a blessing to every class and order of men. For though all have not believed their report, yet many have believed it in every station of life, and born a happy testimony to the truth of it. How ably has our beloved Father illustrated and defended this part of christianity? Many indeed have supposed that what we call experience is mere imagination that it is nothing more than the working up of our own minds into a fancy of something which can have no foundation in truth or reason. christian. experience is something real and not imaginary; it rests upon as solid a foundation as the

But

evidence of our external senses.

We have no more

reason to doubt the reality of our experience, when it is scriptural, than we have to doubt of the existence, of an object which we see with our eyes, or of a sound which we hear, when these organs are in the most sound and healthy state. But what is christian experience, and what degree of certainty is there in it?

Christian experience is the present possession of the benefits of the Gospel which relate to this life, and which prepare us for the enjoyment of God in glory. If we use the word in the most extensive sense, so as to include the preparation of the mind to receive Christ in his mediatorial character, it will imply repentance toward God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fruits of the Spirit, so admirably described by Paul; love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness and temperance, with all the privileges of the Christian state here. In the gospel we are commanded to repent and return to God; to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be filled with the fruits of the Spirit. The Gospel promises every necessary aid and assistance to put us in possession of these benefits ; and we read also in the New Testament of many persons who professed to have experience of these things. If indeed the Gospel be a fable, then the things of which it speaks and the promises which it makes, signify nothing real, they are purely imaginary, and to profess any experience of them must be delusion. But, as we have the most certain evidence that the Gospel is of God that it gives a true account of what God has done and is now doing for the salvation of men, and of the means by which he is accomplishing this great purpose, the promises it gives us must signify something real, and they must be as certain as the existence and truth of God himself. It is evident then, that we may experience the blessings which it promises to us, if we seek them in the way which God hath appointed.

If we inquire into the evidence which a man has that he does experience the things which we here speak of, we shall find that it is of the strongest kind possible. If a man's understanding be enlightened with Gospel truths; if his conscience be awakened to decide justly on his motives and actions, as they are related to God and his law; if in consequence of this, he turns from his sins, and is humbled, abased and ashamed before God for them, and prays for mercy: how is it possible for such a change as this is to take place in the dictates of his conscience and in the opinion he has had of himself, and he not know it? The very supposition is absurd; he must be as conscious of it as he is of his own existence, or of any thing that happens to him. In like manner, when a person in the state I have now described, is enabled to believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of his soul; to rely fully upon him for pardon and acceptance with God; must not such a person be conscious of this act of his mind, and of the change in his views of God, and in the feelings of his mind that are subsequent to it? Will he not be as conscious and certain of these things as he is when he sees an object before him, or feels pleasure or pain? If he that believeth be filled with love, joy, peace, and the other fruits of the Spirit just mentioned, must he not be certain of this? Our internal consciousness carries the same conviction of reality with it, as our external senses. Would it not appear exceedingly absurd to you, if you heard a person say in the commor affairs of life, that he loved an object dearly, but that he was not conscious of any love; that he rejoiced exceedingly in a thing, but that he did not feel any joy? It is just the same in christian experience. If from proper views of the Gospel and faith in Christ, I feel peace, I cannot be ignorant of it; if I look up to God through Jesus Christ with holy confidence, and feel pleasure and delight, I must be conscious and certain of it,

Christian experience then, has certainty in it; if a How is it pos

man has it he cannot be ignorant of it. sible for any man who has not felt the peace of God to form a just notion of it? Its evidence stands on the same ground as the evidence of our external senses. For if a man had never seen colours, he could not form any true idea of them; if a man had never felt, pain or pleasure, he could not be taught to understand what they are however perfect his rational faculties might be, he must feel them to know them. So it is with Christian experience, you must enter into it and feel it, and then you will know what it is; and will as easily distinguish it from the feelings or consciousness arising from other things, as you distinguish seeing from hearing, or the touch from the smell.

III. Having considered the character of the Rev. Mr. Wesley as a man of learning, and well qualified to examine a subject and to discover the truth; and having taken a view of his principal and leading opinions in religion: my intention is, very briefly to consider his labours as a minister of the Gospel, and the effects of them.

Mr. Wesley was a man of industry from his youth, and employed his time to the greatest advantage in pursuit of literary knowledge. After he was convinced of the pure doctrines of the Gospel, he was assiduous in declaring them to others. How few possess the necessary qualifications for useful studies and for active life! These were united in him in a very high degree. His leading doctrines discover a diligent and patient examination of the scriptures, great strength of judgment, and closeness of reasoning: and he was not less remarkable for his zeal, activity and steadiness in propagating them among the people, for which many thousands have had reason to thank God in their dying moments. At first he preached in the churches wherever an oppor