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the evening. That night I lodged at the house of Mr. Pearce; a man who was a pattern of every excellence that constitutes the Christian character: and the next day I set out into my circuit, of which Trowbridge was the first place.

"Though burdened with a sense of my great unfitness for the work into which I was going, yet I left Kingswood without a sigh or a groan. It had been to me a place of unworthy treatment, not to say torment: but this had lasted only one month and two days; thirty-one days too much, if God had not been pleased to order it otherwise. But the impressions made upon my mind by the bad usage I received there, have never been erased: a sight of the place has ever filled me with distressing sensations; and the bare recollection of the name never fails to bring with it associations both unpleasant and painful. Those who were instruments of my tribulation are gone to another tribunal; and against them I never made any complaint."

A younger person than ADAM CLARKE, had probably never gone out into the work of the ministry among the Methodists, or perhaps among any other people: and had not his been a case peculiar and singular, and which should never pass into a precedent, it would have been imprudent to have appointed so young a man to such a work, both for his own sake, and for the sake of those who were to sit under his ministry.

Mr. C. was judged to be at this time about eighteen; and even small and youthful taken for that age: he was a mere boy, and was generally denominated the little boy. But he was in a very particular manner fitted for the work, by strong exercises of spirit, and by much experience and knowledge of his own heart, of the temptations of Satan, and of the goodness of God. His acquaintance with the Scriptures could not be extensive; but it was very correct as far as it went.

Of the plan of salvation he had the most accurate knowledge; and in this respect, his trumpet could not give an uncertain sound. He had received the word from God's mouth, and he gave the people warning from Him. He well knew those portions which applied to the stout-hearted and far from righteousness-to the penitent-the strongly tempted-the lukewarm-the believer-the backslider-and the self-righteous. All these states he could readily discern; and knew well how to address them. Besides, his zeal knew no other bounds than those that limit the human race; and its exertions under that influence, were confined only within the limits of his corporeal and mental strength. The Bible was his one book; and Prayer his continual exercise. He frequently read it upon his knees; and often watered it with his tears. He never entered the pulpit but with the conviction that if God did not help him by the influence of his Spirit, his heart must be hard, and his mind dark, and consequently his word be without unction, and

without effect. For this influence he besought God with strong crying and tears; and he was seldom, if ever, left to himself. With respect to preaching itself, his diffidence was extreme; and he felt it as a heavy burden which God had laid upon his shoulders; and under which God alone could support him: and, as he found in this case most emphatically, without God he could do nothing; he was therefore led to watch and pray most earnestly and diligently, that he might be enabled to hold fast faith and a good conscience, that continuing in God's favour, he might have reason to expect his support.

Of the Methodists' economy, as it respected secular things, he knew little: it never entered into his mind that he was to have anything but his food: as to clothing, he did not anticipate the thought of needing any. Purer motives, greater disinterestedness, never dwelt in the breast of human being: he sought nothing but the favour of his Maker, and the salvation of souls, and to spend and be spent in this work.

Of learning, he did not boast; because he believed that he could not. He knew that he had the rudiments of literature, a moderate classical taste, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge; especially the knowledge of God and His works: his mind was not highly cultivated, but the soil was broken up, and was, in every respect, improvable. Such were the qualifications of ADAM CLARKE, when, on Sept. 27, 1782, he went out as an itinerant preacher among the people called Methodists.

It has already been stated, that a thorough reading of the New Testament settled his Creed; no article of which he ever afterwards saw occasion to change. The principal Articles were the following: and for these he believed he had the unequivocal testimony of Scripture, the steady voice of reason, and the evidence of facts, as far as these could apply to the articles in question.

"I. That there is but one uncreated, unoriginated, infinite, and eternal Being;—the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things.

"II. There is in this Infinite Essence a Plurality of what we commonly call Persons; not separately subsisting, but essentially belonging to the Deity or Godhead; which Persons are generally termed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; or, God, the Logos, and the Holy Spirit, which are usually designated the Trinity; which term, though not found in the Scriptures, seems properly enough applied; as we repeatedly read of these Three, and never of more persons in the Godhead.

"III. The Sacred Scriptures or Holy Books, which con

stitute the Old and New Testaments, contain a full revelation of the will of God, in reference to man; and are alone sufficient for every thing relative to the faith and practice of a Christian, and were given by the inspiration of God.

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"IV. Man was created in righteousness and true holiness, without moral imperfection, or any kind of propensity to sin; but free to stand or fall, according to the use of the powers and faculties he received from his Creator.

"V. He fell from this state, became morally corrupt in his nature, and transmitted his moral defilement to all his posterity. "VI. To counteract the evil principle in the heart of man, and bring him into a salvable state, God, from his infinite love, formed the purpose of redeeming him from his lost estate, by the incarnation, in the fulness of time, of Jesus Christ; and, in the interim, sent his Holy Spirit to enlighten, strive with, and convince, men of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

"VII. In due time this Divine Person, called the Logos, Word, Saviour, &c., &c., did become incarnate; sojourned among men, teaching the purest truth, and working the most stupendous and beneficent miracles.

VIII. The above Person is really and properly God: was foretold as such, by the Prophets: described as such, by the Evangelists and Apostles; and proved to be such, by His miracles; and has assigned to Him by the inspired writers in general, every attribute essential to the Deity; being One with Him who is called God, Jehovah, Lord, &c.

"IX. He is also a perfect Man, in consequence of His Incarnation; and in that Man, or Manhood, dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily: so that His nature is twofold— Divine and Human, or God manifested in the flesh.

"X. His Human Nature was begotten of the blessed Virgin Mary, through the creative energy of the Holy Ghost: but His Divine Nature, because God, infinite and eternal, is uncreated, underived, and unbegotten; and which, were it otherwise, He could not be God in any proper sense of the word: but He is most explicitly declared to be God in the Holy Scriptures; and therefore the doctrine of the Eternal Sonship, must necessarily be false.-(See the Arg. p. 96.)

"XI. As He took upon Him the nature of man, and died in that nature; therefore, He died for the whole human race, without respect of persons: equally for all and every man.

"XII. On the third day after His crucifixion, and burial, He rose from the dead; and after shewing himself many days to His disciples and others, He ascended into Heaven, where, as God manifested in the Flesh, He is, and shall continue to be, the Mediator of the human race, till the consummation of all things.

"XIII. There is no salvation, but through him; and throughout the Scriptures His Passion and Death, are con

sidered as Sacrificial: pardon of sin and final salvation being obtained by the alone shedding of His blood.

"XIV. No human being, since the fall, either has, or can have, merit or worthiness of, or by, himself; and therefore, has nothing to claim from God, but in the way of His mercy through Christ therefore, pardon and every other blessing, promised in the Gospel, have been purchased by His Sacrificial Death; and are given to men, not on the account of any thing they have done or suffered; or can do or suffer; but for His sake, or through his meritorious passion and death, alone. "XV. These blessings are received by faith; because they are not of works nor of suffering.

"XVI. The power to believe, or grace of faith, is the free gift of God, without which no man can believe: but the act of faith, or actually believing, is the act of the soul under that power: this power is withheld from no man ; but, like all other gifts of God, it may be slighted, not used, or misused, in consequence of which is that declaration, He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

"XVII. Justification, or the pardon of sin, is an instantaneous act of God's mercy in behalf of a penitent sinner, trusting only in the merits of Jesus Christ: and this act is absolute in reference to all past sin, all being forgiven where any is forgiven: gradual pardon, or progressive justification, being unscriptural and absurd.

"XVIII. The souls of all believers may be purified from all sin in this life; and a man may live under the continual influence of the grace of Christ, so as not to sin against God. All sinful tempers and evil propensities being destroyed, and his heart constantly filled with pure love both to God and man; and, as love is the principle of obedience, he who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and his neighbour as himself, is incapable of doing wrong to either.

XIX. Unless a believer live and walk in the spirit of obedience, he will fall from the grace of God, and forfeit all his Christian privileges and rights; and, although he may be restored to the favour and image of his Maker from which he has fallen, yet it is possible that he may continue under the influence of this fall, and perish everlastingly.

"XX. The whole period of human life is a state of probation, in every point of which a sinner may repent, and turn to God: and in every point of it, a believer may give way to sin, and fall from grace: and this possibility of rising or falling is essential to a state of trial or probation.

"XXI. All the promises and threatenings of the Sacred Writings, as they regard man in reference to his being here and hereafter, are conditional; and it is on this ground alone that the Holy Scriptures can be consistently interpreted or rightly understood.

"XXII. Man is a free agent, never being impelled by any necessitating influence, either to do good, or evil: but has the continual power to choose the life or the death that are set before him; on which ground he is an accountable being, and answerable for his own actions: and on this ground also he is alone capable of being rewarded or punished.

"XXIII. The free will of man is a necessary constituent of his rational soul; without which he must be a mere machine, -either the sport of blind chance, or the mere patient of an irresistible necessity; and consequently, not accountable for any acts which were predetermined, and to which he was irresistibly compelled.

"XXIV. Every human being has this freedom of will, with a sufficiency of light and power to direct its operations: but this powerful light is not inherent in any man's nature, but is graciously bestowed by Him who is The true Light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world.

"XXV. Jesus Christ has made by His one offering upon the Cross, a sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and atonement for the sins of the whole world; and His gracious Spirit strives with, and enlightens, all men; thus putting them into a salvable state: therefore, every human soul may be saved if it be not his own fault.

"XXVI. Jesus Christ has instituted, and commanded to be perpetuated, in His Church, two sacraments only:-1. BAPTISM, Sprinkling, washing with, or immersion in, water, in the name of the Holy and Ever-blessed Trinity, as a sign of the cleansing or regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit, by which influence a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness, are produced: and 2. The EUCHARIST, or Lord's Supper, as commemorating the sacrificial death of Christ. And he instituted the first to be once only administered to the same person, for the above purpose, and as a rite of initiation into the visible church: and the second, that by its frequent administration all believers may 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

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