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 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 favour 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 inspeet the work of others, but to labour himself; and that the Great Head of the Church did, in the most signal manner bless and prosper this labour, 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..

BOOK IV.

BRADFORD (WILTS) CIRCUIT, 1782-3.

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 endeavoured 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 labourers were favoured; 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,—

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 are bound to perform when we come of age,) To renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh: that we will keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our life! This baptismal promise which you

have so often repeated from your catechism, is precisely the same with that contained in the fine and affecting hymn which you have been now singing. Now, shall we promise and not perform? Shall we vow, and not keep our vow? God has heard what we have sung and said, and it is registered in heaven. What then do you purpose to do? Will you continue to live to the world, and forget that you owe your being to God, and have immortal souls which must spend an eternity in heaven or hell, according to the state they are found in when they leave this world? We have no time to spare, scarcely any to deliberate in: the judge is at the door, and death is not far behind. I have tried both lives: and find that a religious life has an infinite preference beyond the other. Let us therefore heartily forsake sin, vanity, and folly, and seek God by earnest prayer, nor rest till we find He has blotted out all our sins, purified our hearts, and filled us with peace and happiness. If we seek earnestly and seek through Christ Jesus, we cannot be unsuccessful." He then prayed, and many were deeply affected. That night and the next morning, thirteen persons, young men and women, came to him earnestly enquiring what they should do to be saved.* A religious concern became general throughout the village and neighbourhood; many young persons sought and found redemption in the blood of the Lamb. The old people seeing the earnestness, and consistent walk of the young, began to reflect upon their ways: many were deeply awakened, and those who had got into a cold or lukewarm state, began to arise and shake themselves from the dust, and the revival of pure and undefiled religion became general. Thus God shewed him that the very circumstance (his youth) which he thought most against him and his usefulness, became a principal means in his Divine hand of his greatest ministerial success. Methodism in Road continued to prosper during the whole time he was in that circuit; and when he visited them several years after, he found it still in a flourishing

state.

In several other parts of this circuit, God blessed his work, and he and his brethren lived in peace and unity, and drew cordially in the same yoke; and the people were everywhere satisfied with their teachers. Many who had long rested on their lees, were stirred up afresh; and not a few were encouraged to seek and find full redemption in the blood of the cross. It was on the whole, a year of prosperity, and Mr. C.'s heart grew in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

He endeavoured to cultivate his mind also in useful know

*

Fifty years after this event, one of these (then) young persons came and called upon Dr. Clarke, when he preached at Frome for the last time. See Appendix at the end of the Work. By the Rev. J. B. B. Clarke.

156

PROGRESS IN, AND CHECK TO, HIS STUDIES.

ledge; but a circumstance took place which, through his inexperience, had nearly proved ruinous to the little knowledge which he had already acquired, and would utterly have prevented all future accessions to his little stock. This circumstance requires distinct relation. He had not been long in this circuit before he received the Hebrew Grammar, which, as we have already seen, he subscribed for at Kingswood. He entered heartily on the study of this sacred language, from this work; which, though it promised much, yet really did perform a good deal. The copious lessons precluded for a time, the necessity of purchasing a Hebrew Bible: and the analysis accompanying each lesson, soon led him into the nature of the Hebrew language; these are carefully compiled, and are, by far, the best part of that grammar. The other parts being confused, meagre, and difficult, though its pious author had thought, (for he inserted it in his title page,) that the whole was digested in so easy a way, that a child of seven years of age might arrive, without any other kind of help, at a competent knowledge of the sacred language; a saying, which is in every part incorrect and exceptionable. The lessons and analytical parts are good, the rest of the work is nearly good for nothing.

In his Latin, Greek, and French he could make little improvement, having to travel several miles every day; and preach, on an average, thirty days in every month, and to attend to many things that belonged to the work of a Methodist preacher. That he might not lose the whole time which he was obliged to employ in riding, he accustomed himself to read on horseback; and this he followed through the summer, and in the clear weather in general. In this way he read through the four volumes of Mr. Wesley's History of the Church, carefully abridged from Mosheim's larger work. In abridging from voluminous writers, Mr. Wesley was eminently skilful; and this is one of the best things he has done of this kind: but the original work by Mosheim, is the best Church History published before or since. The practice of reading on horseback is both dangerous, because of the accidents to which one is exposed on the road; and injurious to the sight, as the muscles of the eye are brought into an unnatural state of contraction, in order to counteract the too great brilliancy of the light. Yet what could he do, who had so much to learn, so often to preach, and was every day on horseback? When he came in the evening to his place of residence for the night, he found no means of improvement, and seldom any place in which he could either conveniently study or pray. But the circumstance that had nearly put an end to his studies, is yet untold. In the preachers' room at Motcomb, near Shaftsbury, observing a Latin sentence written on the wall in pencil, relative to the vicissitudes of life,