"On the 16th day of February, 1800, Mr. John Clarke came to preach at Peasmarsh. His text was Luke xxiii. 42, 43, 'Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,' &c. and the sermon was rendered instrumental in alarming my fears, humbling my stubborn soul, and leading me to cry for mercy unto God. Being returned home from the preaching, the Spirit of God still more powerfully alarmed me; and the convictions, under which I laboured for a short time, were brought to my remembrance. I opened the Bible, but the word was like a hammer, breaking the rock in pieces; in consequence, I could only direct my prayer unto God; and, indeed, so intolerable was the burden of guilt under which I laboured, and so afflicting the retrospect of my past conduct, that in the most fervent manner I was constrained to agonize with God in prayer. I continued under the most unspeakable anguish of mind for three days, when the Lord, who never said to the seed of Jacob, 'seek ye me in vain, graciously favoured me with a sense of redemption, through the blood of Jesus, by forgiving all my sins. Being in the field, in the exercise of prayer, I heard, as it were, a voice, saying, 'Ho! every one that thirsteth, let him come and drink of the waters of life freely; at which instant my soul was dissolved into contrition, and, for some moments, I remained speechless; but, soon I cried out, 'Lord, I thirst; shew me the waters:' when by faith I beheld the Son of God evidently as crucified before me, was delivered of the burden of guilt, and was enabled to exclaim, Lord, I will praise thee, for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou now comfortest me.' Thus was my darkness turned into light, and my mourning into joy, which was unspeakably great. I now no longer neglected Divine ordinances, but embraced every opportunity of waiting upon God; yea, in him and in his ways was my delight; nevertheless, I was soon tempted to suppose that I was indulging a false peace; hence I cried to God, who soon delivered me by applying, 'Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.'" He now walked in the light of God's reconciled countenance daily; and in the contemplation of the works of creation, providence, and grace, found unutterable delight. His deep and powerful conviction of sin had led him to see, that in an unpardoned state he could not be safe, and hence he wrestled with God for redemption through the blood of the cross; and when afterwards brought into doubt and fear, lest he had deceived himself, he could not lightly part with the sense of mercy. Very possibly Mr. Butler's case may be read by some who have long seen their need of pardon, but have never, as yet, tasted that the Lord is gracious; or, who, through unnecessary reasonings, have lost that lively sense of the Divine favour which they once enjoyed. It would be well for such to recollect, that the remission of sins is an essential part of the great salvation; because, no unpardoned soul can enter heaven; that, all the first Christians had a clear sense of the pardoning love of God, and thereby rejoiced in hope of the glory of God; that, every convinced sinner is called to possess the same happy experience, inasmuch as the testimony of their peace and joy in believing, who first trusted in Christ, is left on record for the encouragement of all awakened sinners to the end of time; and, lastly, admitting the indispensable obligation on every penitent to bring forth the fruits meet for repentance, by departing from sin and living unto God; yet, that the pardoning mercy of God is suspended on the condition of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only immediate method of laying hold on the promise of mercy, and receiving the witness of the Holy Spirit unto the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins. Neither is it sufficient to attain the sense of pardon; but we are equally called to retain this grace unto the end. It is easy to exclaim, "Once in grace, always in grace!" or, "once justified, for ever justified!" But the Holy Spirit may be grieved; and, as the result, the witness of pardoning mercy be withdrawn. Mr. Butler himself, after having for some time enjoyed the comforts of genuine experience, in one instance painfully felt the distressing consequences of giving way to sin, and for a time had the sentence of guilt and condemnation on his conscience. This declension, he says, "was accompanied by such a degree of obduracy that, for some time, I neglected to acknowledge my evil; and O, how great was the darkness in which I was now involved! But being satisfied by experience that mercy was with the Lord, and being determined that if I perished it should be at his footstool, I soon regained the light of his countenance." Mr. Butler being again restored to the enjoyment of Divine mercy, resolved to be doubly watchful, gave his heart fully to God, and continued to follow the Lord with due circumspection and perseverance unto the close of life. Several months after Mr. Butler's recovery of the happy experience he had lost, he found his mind strongly imprest that it was his duty to call sinners to repentance. On this subject he had many severe conflicts. Fearing to rush, uncalled of God, on an office and work the most awful and important that can be committed to man, he long resisted the impression; yet he felt a tender concern for sinners, accompanied with a distressing apprehension, that by refusing to comply with the impression on his mind, he should incur the Divine displeasure; and hence he yielded to the call that was given, and began to preach the doctrines of the cross to his fellow-creatures, wherever the Lord opened his way. It appears to have been about this time, though I cannot exactly ascertain the date, that he had his mind more fully enlightened to see the indispensable necessity of perfect holiness. The discovery of the remaining depravity of his heart was a revelation which pierced him through with many sorrows. But of all others, the strong propensity he felt to unholy anger was to him painful in the extreme: and, indeed, such was the force of this propensity, that, to use his own expression, "It mattered not whether it had any object; and it was frequently no small difficulty to prevent its breaking out; so that I was under the necessity of carefully watching over my spirit, and seeking help from God." For some time the discoveries he had of the remaining evils, against which he struggled to get free, were so affecting to his mind, that he could scarcely expect the deliverance he wanted until he should be made free from the body. But, by "reading with attention and much prayer to God, Mr. Fletcher's Last Check to Antinomianism, my corrupt nature," he says, "became intolerably loathsome, and I was convinced that until a deliverance was effected, I should remain a stranger to that happiness which God designed me to enjoy." He continued to seek earnestly for the full renewal of his soul in righeousness, and rested not until, by faith in the purifying blood, and receiving a larger measure of the Spirit of Christ, he laid hold on the promise of a full deliverance from all sin. "Then," he observes, " were my affections supremely placed on God, and the language of my heart was, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." My delight in his ways increased, the fear that hath torment vanished, my confidence was firm, and my evidence bright for glory. Yea, hereby it was made manifest to me, that my preceding experience was only a preparation for that felicity unto which I was now called." Such is his own account of the effects of that grace which he had received; and let not any reader, who is of a different opinion respecting the doctrine of entire sanctification, suppose that he was deceived, or that the experience, which he relates, or the doctrine included in that expеrience is not true. Rather let him believe the report of the Word of God on this head; let him search the Scriptures, laying aside all prejudice and partiality, in the fear of God, with earnest prayer to understand this truth aright; and, instead of disputing against this glorious doctrine, and attempting to shew with how little of the mind of Christ he may go to heaven, let him seek with all his heart, in lively expectation through faith in the blood of the cross, for the cleansing efficacy of that precious blood; and verily, as God and his word are true, and as there is an infinite efficacy in the blood and Spirit of our common Lord to save from all sin, he shall also prove by faith, that he VOL. IV. 22 who pardoneth sin is also equally willing to "cleanse from all unrighteousness." Mr. Butler had been a local preacher about two years, when he was addressed by one of the travelling preachers on the circuit, in regard to his becoming an itinerant. This proposal was succeeded by some severe conflicts of mind respecting the will of God. He feared to run before he was sent, and to comply with the request of a friend, while the approbation of his Divine Master was wanting. Hence he wrestled mightily with God to know his will, and committed himself to the disposal of him who alone could read his heart. In due time the way was opened, but attended with some difficulties: for, when he received from the Conference a letter respecting his travelling, he met with a decided opposition from a very near quarter. "I was," he says, "strenuously opposed by an affectionate father, whose conduct on the occasion indicated that his life was bound up in the presence of his son; and who, by his remonstrances, prevailed on me to refuse the request of the Conference. But I was convinced that I was sinning against the Lord; for no sooner had I put the letter into the post-office than the glory of God departed from me. I no longer retained a sense of his approbation, but laboured under an intolerable sense of guilt, a stranger to peace, until my father gave his consent to retract what I had said in my letter." His retractation was accepted, and in the year 1802, he was appointed to the Lynn circuit. He entered on his work with an intention, if accepted, to abide therein; but, if otherwise to return to his father's house. "I soon became," he says, "more sensible of my own ignorance, and of the greatness and importance of the work in which I was engaged. I was severely tried from various quarters; and I most assuredly should have relinquished my work, but having once felt the bitterness of sinning against God in a similar case, I dared not to repeat it again. "I was stationed, at the Manchester Conference, 1803, on the Thetford circuit. This year the Lord blessed the labours of his servants, and granted unto us to see a gradual prosperity of his work. "At the London Conference, 1804, I was removed to the city of Norwich. From a consciousness of my inability, I entered on my circuit with fear and trembling; but God granted me strength according to my day, and gave me favour in the eyes of the people. "From thence I was removed to Grimsby, in 1805, with Mr. Vaughan, with whom I had laboured at Thetford. This was a prosperous year to both preachers and people, many being added to the Lord." In 1806 he was appointed to the Winterton circuit, in which it appears he was married to Miss H. Marshall. His next remove was to Lincoln, where, he observes, "I spent two happy years, amongst an affectionate and pious people." Their next remove was to Biggleswade; after noticing which Mr. B. remarks, that Mrs. B. was to him a true help, and a useful member of society; but that in about nine years from their marriage, she was taken away from him. This was a severe stroke to him; but he was, amidst the most distressing feelings and anxieties, enabled to look up to God for strength, and found that support and comfort which his case required. Whilst Mr. Butler was stationed in the Ipswich circuit, he took a violent cold, in the foggy weather of November, 1817, but continued to preach till January, 1818, when his voice and strength failed him. The severity of his cough occasioned the rupture of a blood-vessel, from the effects of which he never recovered. Hence, in January, his brother, Mr. E. Butler, of Peasmarsh, brought him home to his own house in the Rye circuit, where he died. When I visited him, he was so extremely weak that it was but little that he could say on any subject; yet he evidently possessed his soul in peace; and, from the beginning to the close of his last illness, found his mind comforted in the retrospect of past mercies, and in the view of an approaching immortality. The truth and importance of Christianity, his recollection of the early impressions made by the Holy Spirit upon his mind, his call to the work of the ministry, the many blessings he had received therein, together with the prospect of eternal glory, appear to have yielded him matter for meditation; and, on the ground of his personal interest in these, he distinctly notices the consolation he received. For a short time after his arrival at Peasmarsh he seemed to revive, but the issue proved that the last stage of his complaint had taken place; and he was compelled to give up the hope of life. Yet, not the hope of a life beyond the grave; for, admitting the extreme weakness of his frame, his soul was, as he advanced towards eternity, not seldom enraptured with the abundant consolations of the grace he enjoyed. On these, his brother remarks, that "One day his sister said to him, that if he recovered he would deceive all his friends; he answered, Well, heaven is before me. At another time he said, 'Were I to speak or write all my thoughts, it would wear me out. I have been thinking of our glorious Head, that he ascended into the heavens, and he will also bring us thither. These poor bodies must go to the grave until the resurrection, when they will be raised glorious bodies, and our spirits return with our Redeemer and inhabit them." March. 27. After a restless night of coughing, he saio, "I can recount the dealings of God with my soul. My foundation |