be with him." I do not know whether the usual question be well stated, "Is heaven a state, or a place ?" There is no opposition between these two: it is both the one and the other. It is the place where God more immediately dwells with those saints who are in a glorified state. Homer could only conceive of the place, that it was paved with brass. Milton, in one place, makes Heaven's pavement beaten gold. In another, defines it more sublimely, "The house of God, star-paved." As full an account of this house of God as it can yet enter into our hearts to conceive, is given us in various parts of the Revelation. There we have a fair prospect into the Holiest, where are first, He that sitteth upon the throne; then the four living creatures; next, the twenty-four elders: afterwards, the great multitude, which no man can number. And surrounding them all, the various myriads of angels, whom God hath constituted in a wonderful order.

Undoubt

But what is the Essential Part of Heaven? edly it is To see God: To know God: To love God. We shall then know both his Nature, and his works of Creation and Providence, and of Redemption. Even in Paradise, in the intermediate state between death and the resurrection, we shall learn more concerning these in an hour, than we could in an age, during our stay in the body. We cannot tell indeed how we shall then exist, or what kind of organs we shall have: the soul will not be incumbered with flesh and blood; but probably it will have some sort of ethereal vehicle, even before God clothes us "with our nobler house of empyrean light."

No, my dear friend, no: it is no selfishness to be pleased when you give pleasure. It proves that your mind was antecedently in a right state, and then God answers you in the joy of your heart. So be more and more athirst for that holiness; and thereby give more and more pleasure to your affectionate Friend,

JOHN WESLEY.

TO MISS B

MY DEAR SISTER,

December 26, 1776.

EITHER that text in Ezekiel xxxiii. 8, is to be understood literally, or it has no meaning at all. And nothing is more certain, in fact, than that thousands perish through the neglect of others. And yet God is fully justified therein, because the principal cause of their destruction is their own neglect; their not working out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

Whatever other ends are answered by prayer, this is one, and it seems a primary one, that we may have the petitions which we ask of him. Asking is the appointed mean of receiving; and that for others, as well as for ourselves, as we may learn partly from reason itself, but more fully from our own experience, and more clearly still from Revelation. Reason teaches us to argue from analogy. If you (because you have a regard for me) would do more for a third person at my request, than otherwise you would have done, how much more will God, at the request of his beloved children, give blessings to those they pray for, which otherwise he would not have given. And how does all experience confirm this! How many times have the petitions of others been answered to our advantage, and ours on the behalf of others.

But the most decisive of all proofs is the Scripture: "Go to my servant Job, and he shall pray for you, for him will I accept." It was not a temporal blessing which was here in question, but a spiritual, the forgiveness of their sin. So when St. Paul said, "Brethren, pray for us; he did not desire this on a temporal account only, that "he might be delivered out of the mouth of the lion ;" but on a spiritual, "that he might speak boldly, as he ought to speak." But the instances of this are innumerable. In proof of the general truth, that God gives us both temporal and spiritual blessings, in answer to each other's prayers, I need only remind you of one scripture more, "Let them pray over him, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and

if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." The promise in the following verse, is still more comprehensive; "Pray one for another, and ye shall be healed," of whatsoever you have confessed to each other.

I lament over every pious young woman, who is not as active as possible, seeing every one shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour. O! lose no time! Buy up every opportunity of doing good. It does not appear to me that you ought, on any consideration, to give up the privileges you mention. Neither do I apprehend, that you would be more useful in a boarding-school than you are in your present station. I cannot, therefore, advise you to relinquish it. You have now a large field of action : you have employment enough, both temporal and spiritual : and you have ease enough: abide in your calling. The pious young woman, whom I particularly lament over, does' not live at Bath, but Bristol. But I cannot help her. She allows premises, but holds fast her own conclusion. O! who can bear riches! Who can gain money, without, in some measure, losing grace! I verily believe, if she were as poor as you, she would be as advisable.

Our Church Catechism is utterly improper for children of six or seven years old. Certainly you ought not to teach it them against your own judgment. I should imagine it would be far better to teach them the short Catechism, prefixed to the Instructions for Children.

I am, your affectionate Friend,

J. WESLEY.

TO MISS LOXDALE.

Douglas, Isle of Man, June 10, 1781.

MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE,

I HAD much hope that at my last return to Shrewsbury I should have seen you; but we are in the hands of him who knows what is best for every one that trusts in him; and if our meeting be hindered for a season, when those hindrances are removed it will be the more blest to us.

That man of God, Gregory Lopez, observes of himself, that the large manifestations of God, with which he was favoured, at first overpowered his body, and nearly suspended his understanding, nay, took away the use of his senses; but that after a time they neither interrupted the one nor the other, nor disturbed the operation of any of his faculties. I think if those manifestations which you had, had been continued, the case would have been the same with you: they would no longer have overwhelmed you as they did at first, but have flowed with a calm, even stream.

Many years since, Madam Bourignon's works were put into my hands, particularly the treatises you mention, and her exterior and interior life, written by herself. It was easy to see that she was a person dead to the world, and much devoted to God; yet I take her to have been very many degrees beneath both Mr. De Renty, and Gregory Lopez. Nay, I do not believe she had so much Christian experience as either David Brainerd, or Thomas Walsh. What makes many passages, both in her life and writings, so striking, is, that they are so peculiar: they are so entirely her own, so different from every thing which we have seen or read elsewhere. But this is in reality not an excellence, but a capital defect. I avoid, I am afraid of whatever is peculiar, either in the experience or the language of any one. I desire nothing, I will accept of nothing but the common faith, and common salvation: and I want you, my dear sister, to be only just such a common christian as Jenny Cooper was. The new expressions of Madam Bourignon naturally tended to give you a new set of ideas. They would surely set your imagination at work, and make you fancy wonderful things; but they were only shadows. I cannot doubt, in the least, but either Mr. or you,

or your sister, has experienced more of the life of faith, and deeper communion with the Father and the Son, than ever she did in her life. As I apprehend your mind must be a little confused by reading those uncommon treatises, I wish you would give another deliberate reading to the "Plain account of Christian Perfection;" and you may be assured, there is VOL. XVI.

M

no religion under heaven, higher or deeper than that which is there described. But it is certainly possible to have your mind, as well as your heart, continually stayed upon God. This you did experience for some time, and you should be continually expecting to receive it again: Ask, and it shall be given.

"For all the promises are sure

To persevering prayer.

I wrote to Mr. Fletcher some time since, and wonder I have had no answer. I hope you will always write, without reserve, my dear Miss Loxdale, to

Your truly affectionate J. WESLEY.

LETTER II.

Nottingham, July 14, 1781.

MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE,

AS it has pleased God to restore you in a measure to what you enjoyed once, I make no doubt but he will restore all which you then had: and will add to it what you never had yet. There is no end of his mercies. He will give "exceedingly abundantly beyond all that you are able to ask or think." If that sickness you mention, came (as is the case with some) only at the time of private prayer, I should incline to think it was preternatural, a messenger of Satan permitted to buffet you. But as you find it likewise at other times, when you feel any vehement emotion of mind, it seems to be (partly, at least,) a natural effect of what is called weakness of nerves. But even in this case, the prayer of faith will not fall to the ground. You may ask with resignation, and if it be best, this cup will be removed from you.

You have, indeed, reason to rejoice over your sister. Is she not given you in answer to prayer? and have you not encouragement, even from this very thing, to expect, that more of your family will be given you? Those are true words, when in his own strength you wrestle with God,