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But none of these came to pafs with me in the way that Satan predicted they would.

But, on the other hand, every promise that God fent to me ftood faft. The firft word that ever came to me from him was, "Believe that I am in you, and you in me;" and that moment everlafting light fhone into my foul, to fhew me where I was; and there it is to this day.

The next was, "He that overcometh fhall inherit all things." God did enable me to overcome in that dreadful temptation; and I believe to this day that God hath called me that I might receive the reward of eternal inheritance.

The next was, "Bleffed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And at that time righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, filled my heart.

Being once much concerned in my mind about the state of many poor quiet people who did not run to the same excess of riot as many do, I asked the Lord what would become of them, and he said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Being at another time brought into bondage by difputing with an old Arminian, and being fadly toffed in my mind between free will and free grace, and fome paffages of fcripture which seem to favour both, the Lord spoke to me thus, "Do not the scriptures fay that no man can come to me except the Father draw him?" I answered, I know

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know they fay fo. Then it came again, faying, "If you can find a place where it says that a man can come without being drawn, then you may prove the Bible lies;" and away went all my confufion and bondage, and fweet tranquillity followed. From that moment Arminianifm kicked the beam, nor did it ever stagger me afterwards; and I am at a point that none but the devil is the author of that fyftem.

When I carried coals, a perfon came into the neighbourhood, and took a room for an Oxford Blue to preach in. A voice told me that that room was opened for me. When the man came to speak his mouth was stopped, and I was invited to speak there, which I afterwards did for fome years.

One Sunday morning, going out to hear a minifter that was to preach out of doors, a voice came to me faying, "You must preach out of doors to-day;" and it told me what text I was to fpeak from alfo; and the minifter that was expected disappointed the people, for he came not; fo they constrained me to fpeak, which I did all that fummer, and the fummer following.

Being once in great diftrefs and want, thefe words were spoken to my heart, "I know thy tribulation, and poverty; but thou art rich." And I believe, with my whole heart, that the Lord did take notice of my poverty and fufferings, by his kind appearance for me afterwards in providence;

and

and that the Lord is the portion of my foul I have no doubt, for he hath redeemed me; and "the ranfom of a man's life is his riches." Prov. xiii, 8, When he fent me to London he told me to

prophefy upon the thick boughs." And furely none could be more oppofed than I have been, by almost every diffenting minifter and congregation; befides the oppofitions that I have met with from falfe-hearted friends, from worldlings, from devils, heretics, and hypocrites. And still the boughs are thick, and thick they will be as long as it pleafes God to speak by me.

When I had that difturbance in the church, which you know of, God told me, by his Spirit, that he would avenge his own elect. And no finall number have got that vengeance lodged in their confcience to this day; befides the many that went out of the world in lefs than two years after God had difcovered the bane of their hearts.

Soon after this, when I was wondering at their hardness of heart, and hearing of their continual calumny, he spoke thefe words to me, "When they fhall cease to deal treacherously thou shalt deal treacherously with them." This paffage fhewed me that they were to fill up their measure this way, and to go on reproaching me till they were weary of it; and that fome would then defire to come back again; and that others, in their distress, when the judgments of God overtook them,

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them, would come to me for my counsel and my prayers; and, further, that I should be a favour of death unto death to them in my miniftry, and a witness against them in the day of judgment: the former has come to pafs already, and fo will the latter.

When Europe appeared in fuch confufion under the influence of that spirit of rebellion which the devil, by the inftrumentality of Tom Paine, poured out upon men, I had long begged of God to fhew me what part of his word contained this perilous time, and he told me it was "the hour of temptation," as is related in a fermon lately published by me. And it was explained to me as being the fame trial as came upon the Jews in the days of Jeremiah; and that it was fent to try the obedience of profeffors, and the loyalty of the nations; and I foon perceived that no class of men in this nation were more eafily taken, nor more effectually bound in these bonds of iniquity, than the hypocrites in Zion, and impoftors in the miniftry; and the calamity of both will come fuddenly upon them. Thus my dear fifter may fee that what God fpeaks and applies comes to pafs. But all the fearful predictions which came to me from Satan, in the days of my trouble, fell to the ground. And, as Satan can apply fcripture, fo can he also work by dreams. All the fearful and miferable dreams which he tormented me with, fuch as dying by fuicide, being thrown into

wells,

wells, and down unfathomable precipices, and being burnt alive, and of coming to the worst of ends, and dying innumerable deaths; have none of them, as yet, come to pass; nor do I believe they ever will; whereas the dreams which came from God all came to pafs. One which I had my distress was, I was climbing up the outfide of a moft fpacious fine building, but many enemies opposed me; but I gained the height in fpite of them all.

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Another was a moft furious attack of a dreadful and formidable monfter to devour me; but, though he made feveral attempts, yet he could not come hear me by feveral feet. I wondered at this, and, looking up, faw a beautiful man fmiling at me, and holding a chain in his hand, which chain was round the body of the beast, just as a monkey is chained. And I believe the Saviour holds the devil in chains to this day; fo that he cannot deftroy God's people, though he often tries.

I had another dream, which was that of two innumerable armies drawn up to engage on a very high and fpacious plain. I was there to watch their motions, and to bear tidings; and, as foon as they began to engage, off I fet over the plain and down into a narrow road, through a low and hollow field: the cannon and muskets roaring as I ran, I thought they might kill me; but, looking towards the plain, I saw a very high

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