be kept in mind, of the foundation on which their salvation is built, and receive grace to enable them to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things. "XXVII. The soul is immaterial and immortal, and can subsist independently of the body. "XXVIII. There will be a general Resurrection of the dead; both of the just and the unjust; when the souls of both shall be re-united to their respective bodies; both of which will be immortal and live eternally. "XXIX. There will be a general Judgment; after which all shall be punished or rewarded, according to the deeds done in the body; and the wicked shall be sent to hell, and the righteous taken to heaven. "XXX. These states of rewards and punishments shall have no end, for as much as the time of trial or probation shall then be for ever terminated; and the succeeding state must necessarily be fixed and unalterable. "XXXI. The origin of human salvation is found in the infinite philanthropy of God; and, on this principle, the unconditional reprobation of any soul is absolutely impossible. "XXXII. God has no secret will, in reference to man, which is contrary to His revealed will,-as this would shew Him to be an insincere Being,-professing benevolence to all, while He secretly purposed that that benevolence should be extended only to a few; a doctrine which appears blasphemous as it respects God,-and subversive of all moral good as it regards man, and totally at variance with the infinite rectitude of the Divine Nature.” It is thought necessary to give these Articles of his Creed in his own words; for, although they contain nothing but what the Church of God has received from its very foundation; yet, the manner of proposing them is VOL. I. N both original and precise, and well calculated to convey the sense of each. If ever language should be clear ;—if ever terms should be strictly and accurately defined, and used in the most fixed and absolute sense;—it is when they are used to express the articles of a religious creed : a subject in which the understanding and judgment are most intimately concerned, and in which man has his all at stake. On the Tenth Article, relative to the Eternal Sonship of Christ, there has been some difference between him and some persons, who, in all other respects, held precisely the same doctrines. On this point, he has often been heard to say:-"Let my Argument on Luke i. 35, be proved false, which, if it could be, might be done in as small a compass as that of the Argument itself, then I am prepared to demonstrate, from the principles of the Refutation, that Arianism is the genuine doctrine of the Gospel relative to the Person of Jesus Christ. But as that Argument cannot be confuted, and my Argument in favor of the proper Divinity of Jesus Christ, in my Sermon on Salvation by Faith, cannot be overthrown; consequently, the doctrine of the proper and essential and underived Deity of Jesus Christ must stand, and that of the Eternal Sonship must be overwhelmed in its own error, darkness, and confusion." With the above Qualifications, and these Doctrines, ADAM CLARKE went out into the vineyard of his Lord, not to inspect the work of others, but to labor himself; and that the Great Head of the Church did, in the most signal manner bless and prosper this labor, has been witnessed by many thousands among whom he has gone preaching the kingdom of God; witnessing powerfully to all,-Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. HE BECOMES AN ITINERANT PREACHER. 179 BOOK IV. BRADFORD (WILTS) CIRCUIT, THIS circuit extended into three counties, Wilts, Somerset, and Dorset, and contained at that time the following places: Bradford, Trowbridge, Shaftsbury, Motcomb, Fontmill, Follard, Winsley, Shepton Mallet, Kingston Deverell, Longbridge Deverell, Bradley, Frome, Corsley, Buckland, Coalford, Holcomb, Oak-hill, Bruton, West Pennard, Alhampton, Ditcheat, Freshford, Seend, Melksham, Devizes, Pottern, Sandy Lane, Broomham, Wells, Walton, and Road ;-more than one place for every day in the month; and the Preachers rarely stopped two days in the same place, and were almost constantly on horseback. This circumstance was advantageous to a young preacher, who could not be supposed to have any great variety of texts or of matter, and consequently not able as yet to minister constantly to the same congregation. But, as Adam Clarke diligently read the Scriptures, prayed much, and endeavored to improve his mind, he added by slow degrees to his stock, and was better qualified to minister each time of his coming round his circuit. His youth was often a grievous trial to him; and was the subject of many perplexing reasonings: he thought, "How can I expect that men and women, persons of forty, threescore, or more years, will come out to hear a boy preach the gospel! And is it likely, if through curiosity they do come, that they will believe what I say! As to the young, they are too gay and giddy, to attend to divine things; and if so, among whom, lies the probability of my usefulness?"-In every place, however, the attendance was good, at least equal to that with which his fellow-laborers were favored; and the people in every place treated him with the greatest kindness. He was enabled to act so that no man despised his youth; and the very circumstance which he thought most against him, was that precisely from which he gained his greatest advantages. When the little boy, as he was called, came to any place to preach, the congregations were always respectable, and in many places unusually large: and it soon appeared, that the Divine Spirit made the solemn truths he spoke, effectual to the salvation of many souls. One circumstance relative to this, should not be omitted. Road, a country village between Trowbridge and Frome, was one of the places which belonged to his circuit but it was so circumstanced that only two out of the four preachers, could serve it during the quarter: and when the next quarter came, the other two took their places. As Mr. C. came late into the circuit, as has been already noticed, it did not come to his turn to visit that place before the spring of 1783. The congregations here were very small, and there were only two or three who had the name of Methodists in the place. Previously to his coming, the report was very general that, "a little boy was to preach in the Methodists' chapel at such a time :" and all the young men and women in the place were determined to hear him. He came, and the place long before the time, was crowded with young persons of both sexes, from fourteen to twenty-five; very few elderly persons could get in, the house being filled before they came. He preached, the attention was deep and solemn, and though crowded, the place was as still as death. After he preached he gave out that very affecting hymn, now strangely left out of the general Hymn book, VAIN, delusive world, adieu, With all thy creature good! Only Jesus I pursue, Who bought me with his blood. All thy pleasures I forego, And trample on thy wealth and pride; And Jesus crucified. The fine voices of this young company produced great effect in the singing.-As each verse ended with the two last lines above, when he sung the last, he stopped, and spoke to this effect," My dear young friends, you have joined with me heartily, and I dare say, sincerely, in singing this fine hymn. You know in whose presence we have been conducting this solemn service ;-the eyes of God, of angels, and perhaps of devils, have been upon us. And what have we been doing? We have been promising in the sight of all these, and of each other, that we will renounce a vain delusive world-its pleasures, pomp, and pride, and seek our happiness in God alone, and expect it through Him who shed his blood for us. And is not this the same to which we have been long previously bound by our baptismal vow. Have we not, when we were baptized, promised, either by ourselves, or sureties, (which promise if made in the latter way, we acknowledge we |