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Apostle-taking him as an instance -sought to accomplish by preaching, and by what kind of preaching he endeavoured to secure the object, he himself informs us. As to the first, he mentions the impressive language of his Lord, in giving him the commission, in the fulfilment of which the remainder of his life was to be spent. He had to turn men from darkness to light, and from Satan to God, that so they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are sancti fied. This is the Christian salvation; and his work was to bring men actually to receive it. And in doing this he testified, whether he preached to Jews or Greeks, "repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ." That is, he laboured, with all fidelity, to bring them to a conviction of their personal guilt and sinfulness, and their consequent need of a Saviour, and of salvation by him; and then, having thus brought the law of God to bear on their conscience with awakening power, he preached unto them CHRIST CRUCIFIED, and the promises of pardon, and peace, and holiness; and, exercising the ministry of reconciliation, besought men to be reconciled to God. He was not, as it were, a philosopher, seeking to make his hearers disciples of some new school, by explaining its tenets to them. His one great object was, so to preach the divine law, and the divine Gospel, as to bring men to God here, and to heaven hereafter.

Now, whencesoever it arises, yet so it is, that there is that in man which always responds, and responds most painfully, to declarations respecting the existence of the one true God, as Ruler, Lawgiver, and Judge. There is in him a conscience. This is the true moral sense, depraved, indeed, and hardened by sin, but always ready to awaken and condemn, when roused up by the voice of truth. It was this which, when Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," made Felix tremble. It was this which made Agrippa, suddenly moved by a light and power which

he could not resist, forget for the moment that he sat on the seat of authority, and humble himself before his enshackled prisoner; exclaiming, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." And thus were the weapons with which these soldiers of Christ waged war with the sins of men, mighty through God." They spoke to the conscience. They preached the law of God, both in its precepts and threatenings, and men were pricked to the heart under their ministry, and many cried out, "What must we do to be saved?"

Nor was their preaching less powerful when they addressed the awakened and inquiring penitent; for they were still manifesting THE TRUTH. Had they required deeds and sufferings, pilgrimages and penances, they would have had disciples indeed; for what will not men do, what will they not suffer, to pacify an awakened conscience? but their disciples would have found neither peace nor power. To mental terrors, bodily inflictions would have been added; and that would have been all. But they had themselves experienced that God was the Justifier of the ungodly; and, constrained by the love of Christ, by zeal for God, by compassion for souls, from the fulness of their heart, with a feeling which made their sincerity unquestionable, they one and all exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!" And this was the truth. Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has atoned for the sins of men. He does make intercession for them. By him all that believe actually are justified. To them that are justified by faith, the Holy Ghost is given, to shed abroad in their heart a sense of the reconciling love of God. The blessings of Christian salvation are blessings of actual reception and experience on the part of all who are truly interested in them. When, therefore, the conscience had been awakened, and, instead of again lulling it to deadly rest, men both yielded to its terrors, and anxiously

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sought deliverance, directed, not by "cunningly-devised fables," but by the true promises of the God of truth and mercy, they would pray to Him who is the hearer of prayer, and seek forgiveness of Him who is always ready to forgive;" and, coming to the mercy-seat by the blood of sprinkling, they would receive what was "the end of their faith," and of the Apostles' preaching, "forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are sanctified." And from the New Testament we know, as matter of history, that this was most extensively the case. And thus it was that they, made many rich.

There is one frequently-occurring circumstance by which, if we could be contented with what is comparatively a low, though by no means an unimportant, meaning, the Apostle's language might be explained. It is this: True religion often produces a great and very visible amendment in the temporal condition of men. It teaches them industry, honesty, and frugality. It saves them from many foolish and even ruinously-expensive habits. It secures the blessing of divine Providence. And thus does godliness become profitable to all things. Very many, who at one time seemed plunged in a poverty from which they struggled in vain to extricate themselves, began to emerge from this "horrible pit and miry clay" as soon as they experienced the spiritual deliverance of the Gospel. The history of all Christian churches could supply numerous instances of persons who have risen, not only to respectability, but even opulence, solely in consequence of their reli gion.

But this is far below the force and solemnity of the Apostle's declaration. We have still to ask, In what sense does Christianity thus make many rich?

What is the ordinary signification of the term? What is meant by being rich? Two general definitions have been given: the one, somewhat philosophical; the other, more general and popular. By the first, he is said to be rich whose

wants are supplied, and who has something to spare. By the second, the rich man is he who possesses so much of this world's wealth as to be able to gratify those desires which generally exist in the worldly heart.

Reflection, however, will show that the mere possession of wealth is not, by itself, sufficient. It is as considered as a means of enjoyment that it is valued. A few, indeed, value it for its own sake, and accumulate for the mere sake of accumulation; but they are significantly called misers,-a name which denotes their wretched condition, and which sufficiently expresses their condemnation by general opinion. By an easy transition, he who can procure enjoyment is said to be rich. In England, this, so far as derived from outward sources, is purchased by the precious metals, as they are termed; but in other countries, by other things. The common notion of riches is that of the possession of ample means of procuring enjoy.

ment.

Laying down this as one principle, the next is, that those riches are of the greatest value which will procure the truest, the greatest, the most lasting enjoyment. Here is a town in which a most painful and destructive disorder is raging. One man has plenty of gold and silver, but he can effect no cures with it. Another has a medicine which not only relieves all who take it, but entirely removes the disease; and he has a sufficient quantity for all the inhabitants. In these circumstances, which is the richer man? The illustration is homely, but it will answer our purpose, and brings us again to the point, that he who possesses the certain means of safety and enjoyment-of making existence completely and lastingly happy-is, with scarcely a figure in the form of speech, called a rich man.

The application of this to the Apostle's language is direct and easy. However the proud infidel may scorn, or the wretched worldling despise, the beneficence of Christianity appears in this,-that it confers genuine, undecaying wealth;

riches which do not "make to themselves wings, to fly away;" which never leave us, unless we ourselves dismiss them.

The Apostles made "many rich." Do we now ask, How? They brought men to true repentance, to the acceptance of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, and thus to forgiveness and adoption. And thus they become rich, first, even in a lower sense, by the reduction of their wants within very narrow limits, even within those of controlled and sanctified nature. He who is devoted to God knows "the plague of his heart," its natural worldliness, and the danger of feeding it. Selfdenial, therefore, becomes habitual and pleasant. Where there is real delight in God, little else is wanted. Plain food and decent clothing will be abundantly sufficient, and will be received with thankfulness. He who is brought into such a condition is made rich, if not by the enlargement of his means, yet by the reduction of his wants.

This, however, is but a lower sense of St. Paul's language. We now come to the higher, and, as we believe, to the proper and intended, meaning.

Look, then, at the real-not figurative-circumstances of all who are truly brought to God, according to the Gospel of Christ.

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God is their reconciled Father.All the riches of God, therefore, are engaged by his promise for the supply of their actual need. He who is Lord and Possessor of heaven and earth is their friend,-not their negligent and unregarding friend, but one who "careth for them," whose eye is upon" them, and whose "ear is open to their cry." Jeremiah, in the midst of the ruins and desolations of Jerusalem, was a rich man; for though earthly possessions had all been swept away by the Chaldean irruption, he could look up to the calm and bright heaven, far above the region of tempests, and say, "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

They possess a solid and durable enjoyment.-They have the privilege

of an access to God, of which the unregenerate cannot even form a conception. They need not the wells opened here and there in this world's wilderness, to quench the thirst that thus is continually recurring; and which, if there be no access to the well, becomes a raging fever; for they have a well within them. Their peace flows full and equable as the river. Their joy is unspeakable, and full of glory. Trials only show the greater brightness of the light in which they walk, and the prospect of death raises their happiness to triumph and exultation.

And they have a glorious inheritance before them.-Although in the land where they are only strangers and sojourners they may have no possessions, yet in that to which they now happily belong, of which they are the registered citizens, and to which every day brings them nearer, they have a boundless inheritance,-a better and enduring substance in the better, that is, heavenly, country. They journey towards it with singing; and when they come to the gate through which they pass into the eternal city, sorrow and sighing, the companions of their earthly pilgrimage, leave them for ever, and they obtain joy and glad. ness, and so are for ever with the Lord.

If, then, every true Christian possesses the especial, distinguishing favour of the Lord, the everlasting God; if he has true enjoyment, both as to the present in sacred communion with God, and as to the future in a well-grounded hope of complete and eternal felicity; if he has a real title to an actually-existing inheritance, one that he shall possess when every other shall have passed for ever away, and which shall constitute the proper blessedness of his whole nature for an everlasting age; then is it true, that in the highest and best sense he is rich; and all who are instrumental in bringing men to this state, however poor they may be, yet, by God's blessing, are they honoured in "making many rich."

How great is the goodness of God,

in that he gives to all the means of securing what is truly and everlastingly good!-We see in the world what appears to be great inequality in the distribution of secular possessions. There are many to whom he has not given (to use his own language by Moses) "the power to get wealth." But what then? With wealth happiness may not be by any means connected; and soon shall the grave close all earthly enjoyments, and all earthly trials too, and level all earthly distinctions. But he has given, without exception, the power to obtain "the true riches;" or, if exception to any extent exist, it is all in favour of the poor. If they have fewer earthly advantages, they have fewer earthly hinderances.

What, then, ought to be our own conduct? By too many who call themselves Christians, has the heathen maxim, Post nummos virtus, "Money after virtue," been practically perpetuated. Such wisdom is folly indeed. Religion should be everything with us; and will be so, if we wisely regard our real interests. We are better without all that we may lose by the application of this rule. And in seeking these true riches, as God has placed us under no restriction, but called us to an abundant, overflowing possession, let us place no restriction on ourselves. Let us be willing even to be less rich with the perishable wealth of the world, that we may be more rich towards God. If the present circumstances of society call for the decided exemplification of any one branch of Christian virtue more than another, it is of that spirituality which results from an entire persuasion of the truth of the Bible; and which is manifested by pursuing steadily, and most evidently, that line of conduct which, if the Bible be indeed true, is man's great duty and interest.

And thus, too, we see how all may become public benefactors.-The heart of the Christian is tender and sympathizing. A genuine conversion breaks up the frost and incrustation of selfishness, and produces an earnest, active desire that others may

he happy. But, perhaps, like the Apostles, we may be poor, able to do little or nothing towards feeding the hungry, or clothing the naked. Let us visit, in imagination, the "beautiful gate of the temple," when the poor, helpless cripple was lying there. Two men come up, and observe him; and he, in his turn, looking to them, expects an alms from them. For a moment the chill of disappointment comes over his spirit; for he hears them say, "Silver and gold have I none.” But the feeling soon passes away, dispelled by the wonderful words,

Such as I have, give I unto thee. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk." They gave him better than gold and silver; for he straightway sprang up, and accompanied them into the temple, rejoicing in using the new strength he had received, “walking, and leaping, and praising God."

When we look abroad on human distress, and long to relieve it, do we wish that we had the silver and the gold, that we might gladden the hearts of the afflicted and sorrowful? Are we grieved that we have them not? Yet there is one thing that we can do, and in reference to which we may say, "Such as I have, give I unto thee." We may become the means of bringing men to the true riches. Though poor, we may make many rich. Opportunities of the highest and best usefulness are confined to no particular situation. By the great force of a steady, unsuspected example; by seasonable visits and exhortations; by such combination with others as shall greatly increase the power of individual contribution and influence; by various means, such as Christian wisdom, prompted by Christian love, will readily discover and apply; the humblest Christian may be an instrument of saving his fellows from the greatest of all miseries, and of bringing them to the possession of true and undecaying blessedness. And every Christian should cultivate this temper. The movement of the heart in a right direction is only kept up when attention is paid to it. Selfishness is

so natural to man, that, unless the warmth of holy affection be cherished, we shall easily cool down to the temperature around us. Because, then, the Christian may be useful, let him cherish the desire of

He believes the actually being so. truth of Christianity, and has experienced its power: let him seek to be a living example of its beneficence. E. T.

LETTERS OF MRS. SUSANNA WESLEY TO THE REV. JOHN WESLEY AND CHARLES WESLEY.

(To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.)

THE following letter was transcribed from the original manuscript more than twenty years ago. It was written while Mrs. Wesley was confined to her room by a cold, followed by pleurisy. The last paragraph shows how reluctant she was to communicate "those rules she observed in educating her family," and which Mr. John Wesley with some difficulty obtained, and afterwards published: these, since his death, have been often republished:* respecting them Dr. Clarke also observes, that, "after such management, who needs wonder at the rare excellence of the Wesley family?" It is much to be regretted we have not a more enlarged memoir of this extraordinary

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Monday, Feb. 21st, 1731-2. DEAR JACKY,-I thank God I am much better than I have been, though far from being in health; yet a little respite from much pain I esteem a great mercy. If you had any design to visit our family this spring, my health or sickness will be of little consequence: your entertainment would be the same, and I am no company.

I have time enough now, more than I can make a good use of; but yet, for many reasons, I care not to write to any one. I never

* See Wesley's Works, vol. i., pp. 386, 387; Dr. Jackson's Life of Charles Wesley, vol. i., pp. 2-7; and Dr. Clarke's Wesley Family, vol. ii., pp. 9-15.

did much good in my life, when in the best health and vigour; and, therefore, I think it would be presumption in me to hope to be useful

now.

can

It is more than I can well do to bear my own infirmities, and other sufferings, as I ought, and would do. All inordinate affection to present things may, by the grace of God, and a close application of our spirits to the work, be so far conquered, as to give us very little or no trouble; but when affliction comes once to touch our purely natural appetites, which we never put off, but with the body itself; when every member of the body is the seat of pain, and our strong, and, I think, innocent, propensities to ease and rest are crossed in every article; then comes on the severity of our trial; then it is not an ordinary measure of divine succour and support that will enable us to continue steadfast in the spirit and disposition of Jesus Christ. This was the very case of our dear Lord. He had no irregular passions or spiritual appetites ever to combat with; but he had what was infinitely harder to be sustained,the greatest contradiction of sinners against the purity of his nature to undergo, and all his innocent natural appetites voluntarily to sacrifice, in a death exquisitely painful, and attended with circumstances very grievous to be borne by human nature, though in its utmost perfec

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