hairs of his head," who worketh all in all,' and who compassionated his ignorance, of teaching him how little real cause he had of self-preference. One of the passengers in the coach in which he travelled, was taken with a fit; and, as there was an immediate cry for water, the Doctor ran to a brook which he saw at some distance. Having no vessel, he thought of his hat; but on beholding the fine new beaver, decorated with an elegant rose, then common among clergymen, his heart, which he had supposed so large, instantly failed him, and he returned in haste to the scene of distress. A gentleman, who was assisting the afflicted man, and had observed with pleasure the Doctor's design, exclaimed with surprise and indignation, "What, Sir! have you brought no water ?" and instantly ran himself to the brook, and returned with his hat full.

The Doctor felt his situation, in the presence of the passengers; but his inward mortification was inexpressible. He was deeply wounded in the very part where he supposed himself invulnerable. He had trusted in himself that he was righteous, on a high scale, and had despised—or lightly esteemed-others. That scale now kicked the beam, and the convicted sinner felt the truth of that word, He that trusteth his own heart is a fool, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know.' With his spirit thus wounded, he arrived in London.

6

The Doctor was now prepared to attend more seriously to what he heard among a people, who were well acquainted with those teachings and reproofs of the Spirit of God, and with that renunciation of their own righteousness' which must precede the obtaining of that righteousness which is of God by faith.

6

His trouble increased. He found himself to be what our Lord calls a Stranger in the fellowship of his people. The Holy Spirit, who, by fastening one wrong act on the mind of a sinner, can, in the issue, as in the case of the Samaritan woman, convince him of all that ever he did,' now shewed

.

him that in him dwelt no good thing. But, to acknowledge his state, and to take his place among those who "groaned their nature's weight to feel," was a sacrifice as yet too great for him. He was stript of that self-complacency which had served at Bristol as a shield against all the arrows of conviction, and his distress became very great. He felt he had undertaken a work for which he was wholly unfit, and he saw no way of deliverance.

His arrival made some noise; and he had many visitors. Among the number was Mr. Maxfield, who had separated from Mr. Wesley, as already related, and who occupied a chapel in the neighbourhood of Moorfields.* The ardency and strength of this gentleman's mind has been already noted. What Lady Huntingdom had said of him, when first employed in the work, must be fresh in the reader's recollection. After a short preface, he inquired, with his usual promptness, into the Doctor's own state: He seemed not to doubt of his justification (as neither did Mr. Wesley), but inquired if he were perfected in love? The Doctor acknowledged, he had not attained that privilege. Mr. Maxfield immediately pressed it upon him with all his might; shewing, in his usual strong way, that the blessing was to be received by faith, and consequently that it might and ought to be received now. The Doctor was amazed, and much embarrassed: He got off, however, from his vehement exhorter as well as he could, informing him, that he would maturely consider what had been advanced, and make it a matter of prayer.

The Doctor did so; and an intimacy took place between them, the consequence of which was, that, through the instrumentality of that extraordinary man, the Doctor found rest unto his soul. He obtained that faith which gave his labouring conscience peace; and which, in a mind natu

* What the biographer of Dr. Coke says of Mr. Maxfield's living at South Petherton, and of his being acquainted with the Doctor there, is, 1 believe, an entire mistake.

rally so ardent, raised him up as on the wings of eagles! He joined, from that time, in all the exercises of religion with a fervour that surprised many, and caused the people to whom he ministered to glorify God on his behalf.

He confined himself no longer to the duties of a clergyman, but took part in all the work of a regular preacher. Preaching abroad, and in all the chapels; exhorting all with a zeal almost equal to Maxfield himself;* instant in season and out of season,' no labours seemed too much for him,-no journeyings too fatiguing; so that Mr. Wesley used to say, he was to him as a right hand.

That much of the "infection of nature" (which our church, in conformity with holy scripture, states as " remaining even in the regenerate,") still remained in him, must not, and, indeed, cannot be denied. The wisdom from above' was not always manifest in his zeal; so that those who sought occasion were amply supplied with matter for declamation against him. He spared not those whom he thought lukewarm, and consequently they did not spare him. Complaints were sometimes made to Mr. Wesley against what was called his rash spirit and proceedings; but as those complaints were generally made by those who were known to be lukewarm, or not well affected, that man of God, who would believe evil of no man, and put the best construction upon every thing, took little notice of these complaints, having generally abundant cause to be satisfied with all the Doctor's conduct, which came under his own observation, and especially with the

* In this account the Reader will see much of what has been already related respecting Mr. Maxfield. See page 222.-Mr. Wesley told me, that while this very zealous man remained in connexion with him, he took care to have Dr. Jones in London at the same time with Mr. Maxfield. The one was remarkable for enforcing the fruits of faith, and the duties of the Gospel: The other for vehemently insisting on faith itself. Each had his peculiar talent; but labouring together, the people were kept in the safe path of faith and obedience. But Dr. Coke did not need any stimulus to duty. He was zealous of good works' from the first day to the last.

316

LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY.

humility and meekness with which he received every reproof or advice from his father in God.

I have no intention of giving a biography of Dr. Coke: That is already done. But I think it needful to give this short sketch of this good and very zealous man's character, in order to correct the mistakes of his biographer; and chiefly, that the reader may know the real ground of those unjust censures, which Dr. Whitehead has so liberally heaped upon him, in his Life of Mr. Wesley. That Life was written to please some who were most offended with Dr. Coke; and we may believe also, that Dr. Whitehead was not without hope, that the calumnies which he thus cast upon him would excuse the injury which he had committed against the Doctor, concerning Mr. Wesley's manuscripts.

I shall now proceed to detail the particulars concerning his being employed by Mr. Wesley in a very extensive Missionary work; a work which led him into his own proper element, and in which he so greatly distinguished himself, not only on the continent of America, but in the West India islands. There he proved himself an able Minister of the New Testament' towards those who, without that ministry, would have been of all men most miserable.' He thus became the zealous successor of Nathaniel Gilbert, the pious and excellent Speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua. The labours of those men, with their able co-adjutors, will, through the grace of Him who worketh all in all, be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, in the day of the Lord Jesus.'

CHAPTER II.

PROGRESS OF RELIGION IN AMERICA-ORDINATION FOR THE AMERICAN SOCIETIES-OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.

AMERICA, unlike other empires, owes all its greatness to religion, especially North America, of which we must now speak.

In 1606, James the First erected two companies for the colonization of New England, then included under the general name of VIRGINIA. But no regular settlements were then formed; a small trade only was carried on with the Indians. But under the violent persecutions of the Non-conformists by Archbishop Laud, many of that oppressed people fled for refuge to New England; and, with indefatigable and unremitted zeal, through almost every difficulty and danger that could obstruct so hazardous an undertaking, changed the face of a great tract of country from a waste wilderness to an improved and cultivated land. Many of these first settlers did undoubtedly experience the vital power of godliness, and were joined by a multitude of others, that fled from the tyranny of Charles the Second.

For some considerable time, all the holy fruits of religion were manifested among them. But, as usual, an uninterrupted flow of prosperity damped the sacred flame; and, perhaps, their wars with the Indian nations might also contribute towards it. Then appeared the same spirit among themselves, which they had so much opposed in England. The views of mankind were not sufficiently enlarged at that period, to enable them to see the importance of universal toleration to the prosperity of society. None of them seem to have had a conception, that a most perfect civil amity may be