expatiations, for the purpose of giving them subsequently to the world; it is not the Journal of the traveller, wandering over countries, visiting cities, and beholding the varying manners of men: although, from these ―to us very interesting-pages, numerous specimens of all these might be collected for in his journeyings, Mr. Wesley noted men and things, and read books, and interspersed his Journal with the most instructive observations. But as to give these was by no means his great design, so neither do they constitute the substance of his pages. To a certain work he unswervingly devoted himself, and thus records the manner in which he employed his time while engaged in performing it. Let this be distinctly kept in view, and the observations of the Reviewer will at once appear to be inaccurate and inapplicable. He says, "His voluminous Journals are little better than a turnpike-log,-miles, towns, and sermon-texts; whilst their authoritative tone and self-centring details give the record an air of arrogance and egotism which, we doubt not, would disappear could we view the venerable writer face to face." It should rather have been said,"which all disappear when we remember the work in which the venerable writer was engaged, and his objects in giving this record of it." Assuredly, these Journals would not deserve the attention paid to them by successive generations of Wesleyans, with unabating interest, and which we confess ourselves to pay to them in repeated perusals, were this their character. That the writer is influenced by a feeling every way friendly, is evident ; and in remarking upon his language we are not defending Mr. Wesley from hostile attack, but seeking to explain the true character and value of these particular productions. It will be no favourable day for Methodism when the Methodists regard Mr. Wesley's Journals merely as the innocent and pious garrulities of a good old man, over which they smile, and from which they can derive no particular nor extensive profit.

We have already intimated that as Mr. Wesley's great work was to save souls by preaching, so it may be viewed in two principal divisions: the conversion of sinners, and the spiritual edification of the converted; for these great objects, not confining himself to one place, but journeying through England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and occasionally visiting Continental Europe. So far as desire extended, "the world was his parish;" but his actual labours were-shall we say limited, or extended?—to Great Britain, through which, for the whole of a life prolonged beyond the ordinary period allotted to man, he annually travelled, for these purposes of (may we term them?) parochial visitation. His Journals bring before us the regular travels of the Evangelist and Pastor. Nor is this the complete aspect of the case. Many of these details would cease to be interesting, they would appear to be useless, if we were to view the writer as only one among many, all employed in the same work, and having received it from their progenitors, who had been engaged in it for successive generations. Mr. Wesley was the first and chief instrument of the great revival of religion which his Journals describe. Preceded in his labours by none, he long laboured alone, and first drew the outlines of that magnificent construction which now, distinctively, bears his name. And these Journals, containing an account of the manner in which he spent his time, necessarily furnished in detail the account of the commencement, progress, and development of the work in which he was engaged, at first alone, and afterwards with co-adjutors whom, he believed, God gave to him; assistants and helpers, over whom, likewise, he was called to watch. To furnish this account, first, to the members of his own societies, and also to the church

at large, was his one great object in the publication of his Journals; and to this object, therefore, it was to be expected that everything would be either referred or subordinated. He wrote to give to his spiritual children an account of the work in which he was employed, whose blessedness they had themselves experienced, and also of his own engagements in it. Thus considered, even those parts of the record which are made up of "miles, towns, and sermon-texts," though only a small portion of the whole, are not, in their place and connexion, at all less important than the rest. At sea, the greatest importance is attached to keeping a correct log. Even on board a small merchant-vessel, it is the duty of a particular person to perform this task. A book is prepared for the purpose, bearing this certainly not-very-elegant name; but as "the rose by any other name would smell as sweet," so this book is not less valuable for being called "the log." Every few hours, the state of the weather, the quarter from which the wind blows, the direction of the vessel, and her rate of movement, must be faithfully recorded, together with not only every circumstance immediately connected with the voyage, but every particular occurrence connected with the ship and its navigation. Certainly, there would be little in this "log" which would interest the reader for mere amusement, were it published. But still the log is kept, and such importance is attached to it in relation to some voyages, or to certain parts of them, that when the narrative of the voyage is given, copious extracts from the log will be given in the "Appendix ;" and from these, navigators, meteorologists, &c., derive important instruction. Had Columbus himself kept the "log" of his first voyage towards the unknown west, few readers would have thought it made up of dry or useless details. And we have no hesitation, when the proper meaning of the term is understood, and the vast importance of the naval log is thus established, to make use of the term which the Reviewer, in his imaginative exuberance, has employed, and to speak, too, of the "turnpikelog" of one of the most extraordinary travellers whom the world ever noting down the details of the most momentous journeys in which man was ever engaged. Thus viewing Mr. Wesley's work, and his own position in reference to it, we say that had these Journals contained fewer details of "miles, towns, and sermon-texts," less of the character of a "turnpike-log," though they might have been more amusing to the lovers of light literature, who read a "Journal" just to saunter over an idle hour, they would have been essentially defective in what was really necessary. Even our regular critics begin to call for something more than amusement in published volumes of travel. "The romance of voyage and travel," says the Quarterly Review, (Sept., 1847, p. 469,) "is therefore well nigh at an end, nor is it likely anything should hereafter occur to revive it. UTILITY, in all public undertakings of this kind, is now mainly sought after; what can be gained to physical science, to colonization, or to commerce, and the conveniences of life," &c. Of such records, dry as they may to some appear to be, it is added, "It is a debt which we owe to the existing world, and to the generations coming after us." Such was Mr. Wesley's object in publishing his Journals,-utility of the highest kind. He mapped-in the points of the extending work in which he was engaged, that his readers might see it, and glorify God in it. What were apparently dry remarks, thus became invaluable, particularly those here termed his "sermon-texts." The subjects on which he dwelt, and which were rendered so efficacious, were thus made known. Sympathy between numerous and widely-separated congregations, yet connected by

saw,

66

the closest moral ties, was awakened and preserved, by these references to their mutual instruction. And it must not be forgotten that, not merely from the form of the narrative, but from his relations to the work at large, -relations which none could sustain in the same degree, he was unavoidably the hero of his own story. He had to relate throughout what he himself did. How, therefore, was the appearance of egotism to be avoided? And to his own continued influence, the abiding conviction of his own entire, most laborious, and disinterested devotion to his providential calling, was essential. He sought not to make blind disciples, unreasoning creatures, to whom his mere word should be absolute law. In his Journals, therefore, he lived constantly before them, and they saw that their father in the Gospel had but one object, one employment in life, in which he was animated and encouraged by one hope. He lived to honour God by doing them good, success being the only reward he looked for, or would receive. Each separate scene of labour was thus known to be a specimen of every other; and all who read his Journals saw him the same when absent from them as when present with them. To each Number published might have been prefixed the apostolic declaration, "This one thing I do." But for this, the societies would have been as a rope of sand, and the interest which novelty excited would gradually have died away, and with it all his influence. Instead of which, it increased till his long life of toil closed with the glorious testimony to that divine presence which had made labour light and toil productive," The best of all is, God is with us!"

For such labours as his, the utmost economy of time was absolutely required. Hence, his characteristic order, punctuality, and brevity in speech and writing. The exact time was fixed for everything,-rising, retiring to rest, going into company and leaving it, setting out on a journey; and so throughout ;-thus completely filling up eighteen hours of waking life daily, till nearly fourscore years and ten had run their course. He had more letters to write than the conductor of a large mercantile establishment; and he could only keep up his correspondence (in which there were no letters of wire-drawn nihilities of such as Madame de Sévigné he was the very antipodes) by saying what he had to say in the fewest words possible, and no more than what he had to say. An unavoidable result of this was an apparent abruptness. And this is plainly seen in his controversial tracts. He contented himself with saying, with mathematical precision, what the argument required. He had neither leisure nor inclination for flourishing the A's, and B's, and C's, which led to his closing Q. E. D.'s. And they who understand him, feel that mere ornament would have been to his truth-speaking style what flourished letters would have been to the progressing signs of a mathematical demonstration, or an algebraic equation. But if seemingly egotistical, (he had always to write of himself,) and abrupt, (for he wrote with resolute brevity,) he was not even seemingly arrogant. That expression is the most mistaken of the whole. With a heart not only kind, but tender, a disposition naturally amiable, sanctified by grace and truth, in all he said he was always-to coin a harsh but literal translation-"truthing it in love." Always, and throughout, even to the letter, he was the Christian gentleman.

Nor was this seeming egotism unuseful. A result as remarkable as it was undesigned, has issued from it. To the honour of God, in his goodness, power, and fidelity, raising up, by his Spirit, a standard against the overwhelming, flood-like advance of the enemy, we still say,—and we dare not but say, feeling the awful responsibility devolving on those who are his 4 H

VOL. III.-FOURTH SERIES.

successors, that Mr. Wesley was the providential instrument of one of the greatest works ever wrought on the earth, (always excepting that of which inspired men were the agents,) and that therefore, in one sense, everything depended on his persevering, uniform consistency of character and proceeding. In his Journals, (especially as connected with his other works,) we have a perfect autobiography of the man. They who have attentively studied them, become thoroughly acquainted with him. His whole character is fully and transparently before them, where it is least, as well as where it is most, excellent,-the man, as well as the regenerated believer, the adopted agent of a work magnificently sublime, and the child of Adam, by some human weakness exciting, along with veneration and love, a good-natured smile. And yet, nothing of what is thus merely human appears in the work itself, over which a remarkable providence watched, furthering all that tended to good, and restraining that which, however apparently trivial, might eventually have issued in evil. Ordinarily, the work is as the workman; but here, where the interests of millions of souls are concerned, this has been most singularly prevented. In the electrotyping process, the produced is the precise image of the producing cast. The slightest defect is as surely repeated as the minutest excellence: even the adhering speck leaves behind its corresponding impression. As is the first model, so is the finished result. But in the work of which Mr. Wesley was the honoured instrument, this analogy is doubly interfered with. Not only has the reproduction of his human defects been prevented, but some of the most important results are advanced developments which, in the fuller view of them, he neither designed nor foresaw. And what do we see in this but the benevolent forecast of the ever-living, ever-reigning Head of his church? We admire Mr. Wesley's character, we reverence his memory; but we adopt (with the proper limitations) the language of the Apostle. In the vessel, which, though a vessel unto honour, prepared and fitted for the Master's use, was still earthen, there was, however, a treasure truly heavenly; and this, that the excellency of the power might be seen to be of God, and not of man.

These observations are made in a spirit corresponding to that in which the remarks observed upon have been made,-a spirit, we trust, of perfect friendliness. But, thinking explanatory observation to be necessary, we have embraced the opportunity of making it extended and full. Others, before the Reviewer, have fallen into similar mistakes, as we conscientiously believe them to be. And the rising generation of Wesleyans, in this day of light reading, will be no worse for being shown the true character and worth of Mr. Wesley's writings; nor for being exhorted to the diligent study of them, encouraged and aided by having their principles disclosed, and the standing-point from which to view them with the greatest correctness, and therefore with the greatest advantage, marked out for them. The question, properly, is not, What Mr. Wesley could have done, although to that a most satisfactory answer, as we have seen, could be given; but, What he actually did. He chose a certain path of authorship: in others he could have moved successfully; but in the one he chose he has left an invaluable legacy to his children in the Gospel. He sought not fame from "the wisdom of words," but to be a teacher of the truth by which sinners are saved and saints edified. In this respect, as in his living labours, so in his authorship, by few is he equalled, by none is he surpassed.

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[The insertion of any article in this List is not to be considered as pledging us to the approbation of its contents, unless it be accompanied by some express notice of our favourable opinion. Nor is the omission of any such notice to be regarded as indicating a contrary opinion; as our limits, and other reasons, impose on us the necessity of selection and brevity.]