I could not refrain from telling him my ftate, and if I do, he can only laugh at me, for he never heard of any being like me. He talked a good deal, but I kept all my mifery to myself, and thus fuffered the enemy to deceive me for the prefent. When the Preacher defcribed the torment of the damned, his words left a great impreffion on my heart. I thought I was the perfon who was going to be fo tormented; and prayed earneftly that God might deliver me. A few days after, it being a holy-day, I did not know what to do with myfelf. But having two companions who were much dearer to me than all the refl, I went to see them; but with this refolution, not to play with them as before. But Oh! how dangerous it is to attempt to meet Satan on his own ground! For I found them, and about forty more playing at foot-ball, and I like Lot's wife, stood to look at them, and leaned upon a ftone wall. They came up and faid, "What is the matter with him, he used to be the firft ?" I felt much reluctance for awhile, but it was foon gone; and that afternoon I was more like a fiend than a human creature. My heels were repeatedly tripped up, and I pitched with my head upon the frozen ground; but I was infenfible to all pain both of body and mind. At night I returned home; but Oh! the racking torment I felt in my breaft! The devil immediately fuggefted that I should pray no more; and I thought if I did, it would only increase my guilt, and make me more fit for hell. It happened to be the preaching night; and I was forely tempted not to go. However after many ftruggles I did go, and was truly miferable indeed. I thought every one looked at me, and faid in his heart, "We know what thou hast been doing to-day;" yet no perfon in the place then knew that I had a defire to fave my foul. I now began to despair of mercy, and of conquering my fins, and the many enemies I faw in the way. I spent many hours both by day and night in the fields, and barns, or any where that I might mourn, and wished that I had been any thing but a human creature. The The heart knoweth its own bitterne fs: yet God in tender compaffion did not fuffer the blind to go out of the way; for he continued my defires, and in a few weeks my mother was convinced, and joined the Society immediately: This gave me great fatisfa&tion: yet I did not make my mind known to her, but the obferving an alteration in me, began to talk to me; and then advifed me to go to Clafs-meeting. After fome time I went, but was fo much afhamed, that the fweat ran down, and I thought they all laughed at feeing me there. Yet I found a great love for them, because I thought they were the people of God. I did not go again for a long time, but I ftill continued to fly from fin, and to buy up every opportunity I could for hearing preaching. [To be continued.] A Short Account of Mr. THOMAS KINLEY. HE [By Mr. Samuel Mitchel] The E was born in Ireland, in the County of Antrim, and parish of Ballinderry. About the latter end of the year 1769, he was led by curiofity to hear Mr. John Smith preach. word was attended with divine illumination to his foul; which induced him to attend again for edification. Not long after, it was attended with the power of God to the conviction of his confcience for the guilt of fin. In his diftre's he cried unto the Lord night and day, but fill became more weary and heavy laden in spirit; until one night returning home from a prayer-meeting, he began to reafon thus with himself, "others. have found peace with God in every age, but I fear I never fhall, for the door of mercy feems thut against me." He then roared aloud through the difquietude of his fpirit, and con tinued groveling on the cold earth with tears, prayers, and cries, to the Lord Jefus, for feveral hours together; but reVOL. XIV. ceived 3 M ceived no fatisfactory answer. At length, benumbed with cold, and wounded in fpirit, he rofe up and went home. There he could find no ease, and ran out of his house into his garden, where he kneeled down in the greateft agony, and poured out his foul in prayer, and continued fo until he felt that all his wifdom was foolishness, his ftrength weakness, and that his tears and prayers could not merit a bleffing at the hand of a righteous God. He then funk under his load of mifery and darknefs, when in an inftant Jesus spoke peace, and love to his foul; and immediately a bright light fhone around him, fo that he could difcern the fmalleft objects. He went on his way rejoicing, for about a fortnight after his juftification, when being at private prayer, the Lord deeply convinced him that there were finful corruptions ftill remaining in his heart, particu larly the remains of unbelief, which prevented his having and enjoying every promife of God as his real inheritance. The language of his heart then was, "'Tis worfe than death my God to love, and not my God alone." His foul now hungered and thirfted after the living God; and was as much diftreft in feeking a clean heart, as he had been in fecking pardon, only he did not feel guilt or the wrath of God upon his foul. He went on thus for fome time mourning, and attended all the means of grace. He almoft fainted with holy thirfting and ardent defire, till in the time of his extremity, God applied thofe words to his heart, "I will, be thou clean," and gave him the witneffing spirit to teftify that the work was wrought. He had never loft a fenfe of his acceptance with God, notwithstanding the great anguish he felt in feeking a clean heart. He then went on his way, rejoicing evermore, praying with out ceafing, and in every thing giving thanks. "Jefus all the day long was his joy and his fong." All his words were in wifdom, and attended with a divine power; and his actions and even tempers bore witnefs that he had union and fellowfhip with the Father, and the Son, through the bleffed Spirit. In thort, his meeknefs and moderation were known unto all his acquaintances, and he continued to adorn the chriftian character in this manner for near nineteen years. About Auguft 1788, he felt the beginning of a confumption which afterward proved fatal. A confiderable time before he died he attained the full affurance of hope, and could exult as on Pifgah's top, and view the celeftial land with conftant and triumphant faith. Once, when I asked him if he could refign his wife and helplefs children? He faid, a few days ago, I began to think about them very deeply, and found my mind diftreft for a moment, but the Lord by his Spirit reproved me, and applied thofe words, "Caft your burthen upen the Lord and he will fuftain it :" and ever fince, I can at all times commit them with all my cares to the Lord Jefus, who (I know) careth for me, and hath given himself for me, and has washed my foul in his own precious blood. Then his foul was fo filled with extafy, that he broke out in rapturous praises to the Lord, in a wonderful manner. Indeed from that time he aftonifhed all who vifited him, when they faw his refignation, mingled with pure zeal, lively faith, and perfect love, breathing through every word, and fhining in his looks when he lay filent, through difficulty in breathing. He faid, that from the time when God first manifefted his pardoning love to his foul, he was not ten minutes deftitute of a fenfe of his acceptance; and then added with uncommon emotion, and praife to the Moft High, “I fhall now never lofe a fenfe of his favour through all eternity." He increased more in fpiritual ftrength, the weaker his body grew, and warned the young, the old, rich and poor to prepare to meet him at the right hand of the Majefty on high. He went off in the triumph of faith, full of hope and love, on Friday morning the 20th of November 1789. MRS. A SUDDEN CURE. RS. J-s of Winchelfea had been much afflicted for many years, with a continual inward pain of body; yet applied to none but the great and wife Physician of body and foul. She laid her cafe before him in prayer: fincerely entreated him to deliver her from the dark vail fhe had been under for fome time, refpecting her foul; to forgive her fins, and take her to himself. But, if it was his blessed will she fhould be here a little longer, to heal and restore her to her former ftrength for the fake of the gospel, her husband, and children. On July 29th, 1790. As fhe was lying in bed, fervently praying to God for pardoning mercy, and likewife for a blessing on the Preachers in Conference, particularly for our aged and honoured father, Mr. Wefley, the Lord broke in upon her foul in a wonderful manner. At the fame time fhe faw her Saviour stand at her bed's feet, and thought fhe was going to him; and was willing to leave this world, her husband, children, and all. Her hands and feet were cold and ftiff. She then prayed to the Lord, if he had forgiven her fins, to give a proof of it in healing her fide. When immediately her hands and feet grew warm; she could use them; her fide was healed, and her pain gone. She rejoiced in God her Saviour, and fung part of that hymn, 66 Rejoice evermore, with angels above, With glad exultation your triumph proclaim, Haft fav'd us from grief, haft fav'd us from sin ; She |