Prince obtains from his Father an amnesty for all the rebellious subjects; yet only those who accept are pardoned; but all might have accepted. "In the offers of salvation to all, there is a great difference between a Calvinist and a Wesleyan Methodist: the Calvinist is so fastened up in his armour, as to be unable to move. I once heard my friend Robert Hall say, that many Ministers lay down the offers of salvation in such a way, as that their hearers cannot take them up and I think the same. The Calvinist who mentions election in his offers of salvation to the people, puts a barrier in the way of their embracing it. I agree with Dr. Whitby, and other universal redemptionists, as it respects the universal offer of salvation, honestly, affectionately, fully; telling men their salvation depends on their faith. The universalists come forward with more truth than the particularists. They say, 'Christ died for all ;''He tasted death for every man ;' that redemption is as extensive as Adam's fall. There must be a sense in which these passages are true. Peter says, that Christ redeemed those who deny him. All would not have been commanded to believe, if Christ had not died for all. Christ marvelled at their unbelief, which could not have been honest, if he had not provided salvation for them. God also beseeches men to be reconciled. He expostulates, O that thou hadst known!' offers to all would be without meaning, if all are not redeemed. The Wesleyans are not theoretical Arminians. I have never observed pride in their prayers or preaching; they abjure independentism before God; and I would sooner send a band of Wesleyans forth among a low, ignorant population that need the church extension, than a number of staunch, buckram, Calvinist Ministers. In preaching, ply inducements; employ the imperative mood: systematic theologians use the indicative mood. To spend time in the pulpit in talking about predestination is worse than idle; it is ruinous. You will not thereby prepare the people for heaven, but for the companionship of devils; for so they are employed in hell. 'Others apart sat on a hill retired, In thoughts more elevate; and reason'd high The "I object to the statement, that the number of the saved cannot be increased; that all cannot be saved if they will. Edwards of America threw obstructions in the way of sinners. It is not true, that as many will be saved, if apathy prevail among the Ministers of the church, as if all are diligent in saving souls. "The saying of the Missionary Eliot, that prayer and diligence, with faith in Christ, can do anything,' is worth a hundred sayings of the square, argumentative Calvinist. There is a great difference between the cold, learned Divines of the Church of England, and the Wesleyan Methodists, in their dependence upon God for help. All men have something that renders them accountable. No one, who improves the means of salvation afforded to him, will be found at the left hand on the last day." I have many other observations which I heard made by the excellent Doctor. SAMUEL DUNN. WESLEY PAPERS. No. XXVIII.-REMARKS ON THE EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE OLD TESTAMENT. (To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.) THE Notes on the New Testament were scarcely published, before Mr. Wesley was importuned to write Notes on the Old Testament; but he was so thoroughly fatigued with "the immense labour of writing" fifteen hundred quarto pages for that work, that he withstood the solicitation for many years. He had already published "A Selection of the plainest and most useful Portions of Scripture," from the Old Testament chiefly.* Where an expression was not easy to be understood, he added a note; but always taking care that the comment should not be longer than the text. "I cannot," says he, "entertain the thought of composing a body of Notes on the Old Testament." The difficulty of the work, and the period of life at which it was undertaken, made it appear to himself almost incredible that he should commence a work of this kind when entering the sixty-third year of his age. The only question remaining was, "Is there extant any Exposition which is worth abridging?" Matthew Henry had been commended by his father for his laborious work on the Old Testament; "and he is allowed," says Wesley, "by all competent judges, to have been a person of strong understanding, of various learning, solid piety, and much experience in the ways of God; and his Exposition is generally clear and intelligible.” But few could profit by this Exposition, having neither money for the purchase, nor time to read it. Wesley always considered the labouring classes, who were the great mass of his hearers: hence says he, "It is not possible for men who labour from six in the morning till six in the evening to find six guineas for six folios." Wesley viewed a great book as a great evil; and hence has said that "if angels were to write books, I think we should have very few folios."§ His father had spent ten years in writing a large folio of Dissertations on Job; "a work of immense learning,” as he styles it, "but not such as I admire :" being useless to common readers, and ruinous to his own family. He apologizes for the brevity of his Notes, by saying, "It is no part of my design to save either the learned or unlearned the trouble of thinking. If so, I might perhaps write folios too, which usually overlay rather than help the thought. On the contrary, my intention is to make them think, and assist them in thinking. The way to * First edition, 1746, consisting of one hundred and eighty-nine Lessons from the Old Testament, and fourteen from the Apocrypha. Second edition, 1816, reprinted from my father's copy. + The late Rowland Hill, having misunderstood the Notes on Gen. i. 1, and Isa. lv. 4, says, with his usual acrimony, "Mr. Wesley became a commentator on the Bible before he could read the Bible." "Is this," says Wesley, "Attic salt, or wormwood?" (Works, vol. x., p. 423.) See Appendix to Jackson's "Life of Charles Wesley," vol. ii., p. 524. We learn that the tracts and smaller publications of Mr. Wesley became a source of considerable profit; for, in his sermon on "the Danger of Riches," he says: "Having a desire to furnish poor people with cheaper, shorter, and plainer books than I had seen, I wrote many small tracts. Some of these had such a sale as I never thought of; and by this means I unawares became rich." (Works, vol. vii., p. 9.) ,,, In a understand the things of God is, 'Meditate thereon day and night.' letter to Miss L―, he said, "If you would be saved the trouble of thinking, read Mr. Henry's Comment; but if you would only be assisted in thinking, read the Explanatory Notes." * These are taken principally from Poole's Annotations, and the only extracts from Henry are to supply what is wanting in Poole.+ 66 My design," says he, "is not to write sermons, but to give the direct literal meaning of every verse, of every sentence, and, as far as I am able, of every word, in the oracles of God. I design only, like the hand of a dial, to point every man to this: to keep his eye fixed on the naked ‡ Bible, that he may hear and read it with understanding." Wesley and Henry were perfect contrasts as expositors; for, to use the words of Hervey, if one Exposition is "too corpulent," the other is "too lean." Hampson § describes them as "short and concise; rather practical than critical; and written, as may be supposed, with a view to his peculiar doctrines." He does not think it clear that they are calculated for all the purposes Wesley designed. "If intended for the use of public persons, they are too concise; and if for families, they are equally liable to the same censure. Their true character is, they are briefly explanatory, with no great depth or ingenuity of criticism, and, in general, without any such helps towards a religious improvement as will be found in the more useful comment of Henry. Many difficult passages," says he, "on which a full elucidation was necessary, are dispatched with a brief hint; and too much is frequently left to the ingenuity of the reader. The text," he observes, "is altered in some places, and, in some instances, for the better." There is a circumstance, however, respecting these Notes on the Old Testament, which is not generally known, and which is mentioned by Dr. Adam Clarke, in the General Preface to his own Commentary. (P. xii.) "The Rev. John Wesley published a 'Selection of Notes on the Old and New Testament,' in four volumes, 4to. Bristol, 1765. The Notes on the Old Testament are allowed on all hands to be meager and unsatisfactory. This is owing to a circumstance with which few are acquainted. Mr. Pine, the printer, having set up and printed off several sheets in a type much larger than was intended, it was found impossible to get the work within the prescribed limits of four volumes, without retrenching the Notes, or cancelling what was already printed. The former measure was unfortunately adopted, and the work fell short of the expectation of the public. This account I had from the author himself." Wesley's main objection to Henry's comment was, that it was not sufficiently spiritual and practical. "Even his exposition of the 20th of Exodus || does not answer my expectation; nor do I remember that he has anywhere given a satisfactory account of spiritual religion, of the kingdom of God within us. This," says he, "I hoped to have found in our Lord's Sermon on the Mount;' but I was quite disappointed." This, in all probability, led to his publishing his thirteen * Works, vol. xii., p. 244; or, J. Wesley's Select Letters, p. 96, published 1837. + Ibid, vol. xiv., p. 266. “The naked truths of the Gospel."-Preface to his Sermons. (Wesley's Works, vol. v., p. ii., preface.) S Hampson's "Life of Wesley," vol. iii., pp. 146, 147. "These Commandments abundance of writers have attempted to explain, but most of them in a dry and superficial manner. This defect is fully supplied by the labour of Bishop Hopkins." See a short Exposition of the Ten Commandments, extracted from Bishop Hopkins, by John Wesley. 12mo., pp. 96, 1759; 2d ed., London, 1799. (Wesley's Works, vol. xiv., p. 254.) discourses on the subject contained in the fifth volume of his Works. These were often the subject of exposition: not fewer than seven times between April 1st, 1739,* and June, 1742; again, in August, 1745; and to these he appeals in 1759. (Vol. ix., p. 102.) † City-Road, October, 1847. VISITING THE SICK. THOMAS MARRIOTT. (To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.) WHEN God had created the universe, and formed man out of the dust of the ground, having breathed into him a living soul, and given him power over all that he had made upon the earth, he took a survey of his creatures, and pronounced everything to be good, except the celibacy of Adam, whom he had invested with lordly authority and unrivalled control. Commiserating his unsocial state of existence, with His own peculiar and overwhelming love, he contrived to furnish him with a partner every way calculated to participate with him in the redundant benevolence of Heaven. Imagine, for a moment, the feelings of our first parent, when he awoke from his sound sleep, and found by his side a lovely woman! the perfection of created beauty! fairer than the virgin rose! innocence itself! What must have been his reflections? Recollecting the former period, in which he beheld no being like himself, none with whom he could converse on the enchanting subjects and scenery around him; doubtless, amazement, blended with grateful adoration, overpowered his admiring sense; but the aggregate of his felicity was insufficient for his exalted character and intellectual capacities. "It was not good that man should be alone," although fulness of joy was to be derived from his intimacy with his Maker; therefore God gave him a companion, and in such a manner as needed no law to make him love her. Hence he said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Society having been divinely instituted, and designed to advance man's earthly happiness, all generations have embraced and hovered around their fellow-men with reciprocal affection, although lapsed from its primeval purity and ardour; proving their dependence on each other (under God) for all that is necessary to life, and also for those enjoyments which render it easy and supportable. All human comforts flow through channels frail as dust, but emanate from God supreme. If, then, man is dependent on man for sustenance and joy, it is right to consider who most need our assistance as individuals, Christians, and stewards of the kingdom of God's grace; and if there exist one class of persons who claim our attention more than another, it surely is that number who are deprived of health, and its retinue of enjoyments. * See Works, vol. i., pp. 185, 212, 229, 230, 289, 293, 379, 515; and vol. xi., p. 483. "Twenty-nine persons received remission of sins; most of them while I was opening and enforcing our Lord's Sermon on the Mount." " +"So far from 'teaching men that they may be saved by a faith which is without good works,' without Gospel obedience and holiness of life,' we teach exactly the reverse, continually insisting on all outward, as well as all inward, holiness. For the notorious truth of this, we appeal to the whole tenor of our Sermons, printed and unprinted; in particular to those upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount,' wherein every branch of Gospel obedience is both asserted and proved to be indispensably necessary to eternal salvation." (Letter to Rev. Mr. Downes, in reference to his tract, entitled "Methodism examined and exposed," Nov. 17th, 1759.) The first question which starts itself is, Is it necessary to visit the chamber of affliction, or not? To such as propose this inquiry, a few remarks will show its unscriptural character and inutility. Behold the crowds who assemble in the theatre each succeeding evening of the week, to gratify the insatiable desires of their immortal minds with ridiculous scenes of imaginary folly, woe, and bliss! Is there any necessity for this waste of money and time, when thousands of their fellow-beings, at the same moment, and probably a vast number in their own neighbourhood, display most vividly the heart-rending anguish of real misery? How much more rational would they appear, were they to take that misapplied portion of their Master's property, and repair to the dungeon of poverty and sickness, to soothe the sorrow-smitten inhabitants of it with their sympathy and bounty! O, methinks there is of human wretchedness quantum sufficit to unloose the cords of every heart, and of every purse, without exaggerating or inventing more. Then carry your reflections to the " race-course," ," where multitudes throng together to feast their vicious eyes and depraved hearts with cruelty: thither resort all grades of society, of both sexes; many of whom, not contented with the sport of the day, retire into scenes of deeper depravity and prodigality, until their lives are sacrificed at the shrine of dissipation. Is it necessary to visit the 66 raceground?" Next, revert to the milder amusements of fashionable life, but equal in the nature of their effects, if not in the extent :-the ball-room, where disobedience to, and contempt of, parental authority are generated and nurtured; where vanity is fed, and lust is cherished; the resort of idleness and extravagance, which is frequently consummated by ruin. Is it necessary to visit the ball-room? Consider how great the number of those is who have recourse to inebriation, with its unhallowed concomitants, confusion, fighting, starvation, misery, and frequently death, accidental and malevolent! Is it necessary to visit a "prison-house?" Common sense would answer each and all of these questions in the negative. The interrogation, "Is it necessary to eat and drink in order to live?" would be deemed complete foolishness; while the inquiry, "Is it requisite to be born again?" would be doubted by some, and evaded by others. Is it needful to wait upon God in his sanctuary? Certainly, it is. Why? Because it is a divine command; and the soul of man requires communications from his Maker, in order to sustain the ills of this mortal life. Is it essential for friends to meet together, for the purpose of holding social intercourse? Yes. Why? Because the immortal mind craves information, interchange, and impartance of sentiment. The knowledge or experience of others, made known to him, dismisses his notions of singularity, disperses a consequent train of doubts, lenifies his sorrows, encourages him to proceed in his pursuits, and enables him to form a more correct judgment of his God, his fellow-men, and himself. If, then, it is needful for persons who are enjoying health to visit each other, surely the calls to visit the sick and dying must be much more urgent. Why? First, In consequence of being deprived of the means of seeking society by Him who commands the pestilence to rush and stay; and though many, apparently by their own imprudence, languish and die, yet God is the ruler of events, and afflicts for various reasons, but always for the benefit of the subjects thereof. He undoubtedly punishes some with sickness, as he did the Israelites, when they joined themselves to Baal-peor, &c. "Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted." But to leave such unhappy beings to themselves is highly culpable in professors of religion, |