doubt, the officers had them bound together and taken to David Sands' house, informing him their lives were at his mercy, and he was to determine their sentence; upon which he gave them suitable advice, and then forgave them, and as they were weary with long travelling, he ordered them comfortable refreshment. At this time his wife, observing one of the men, said "Thou art he that shot at us," Her husband made answer, "He has been told of it before." David Sands was informed the officer could not be pardoned, as the punishment of such a crime was death to him who should have been an example to his men. But David being very solicitous to preserve his life, asked if nothing could be done to release him from that punishment? They informed him there was but one way, which was for him to desert the regiment, which was permitted. They likewise said some punishment must be inflicted some of the men to deter others from the like practices. Therefore some of them underwent a slight flogging. Several years after this occurrence, David Sands was travelling upon a religious visit, and after appointing a public meeting, a person came up to him and begged his pardon. He was indeed going to kneel his knees, upon but David prevented him, saying, he thought he was not the person he meant, as he had no knowledge of him. But the man confessed he was

his wife being reinstated in the society, and himself on the point of being received as a member.

THE SCRIPTURES.

one of those concerned in pillaging David's house, and was one of the two who deserted to avoid discovery, and that he had not been easy in his mind since, but hoped he should meet with his forgiveness. David Sands told him it was out of his power to forgive sins, but he hoped the Almighty would forgive him, as he had long done, so far as he was concerned. The man informed him

the other person was at a short distance off, who came to David attired as a Friend, asking his excuse and confessing his crime, desiring him, at the same time, as a confirmation of his entire forgiveness, to go with him to his house; telling him he had married a young woman of the society, but said he had not had true peace of mind since they had done him that injury. David consented to go, and found it as he had said,

At any price give me the book of God! I have it here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be a man of one book.

There then I am, far from the busy ways of men.

I sit down alone:

only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read; Does any thing apI lift up pear dark and intricate? my heart to the Father of Lights. 'Lord is it not thy word-If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God? Thou givest liberally, and upbraidest not. Thou hast said, If any be willing to do thy will, he shall know. I am willing to do: let me know thy will.' I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. I meditate thereon, with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remain, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God: and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak. And what I thus learn, that I teach."-J. Wesley.

RIGHT opinions in religion are as far from saving a man that crosseth them in his practice, that such shall be beaten with many stripes.

THE NEXT STEP.

THE article entitled "The Next

Step," &c., which appeared in the last number of the Investigator, was to have been accompanied with the following article, but in consequence of the Editor being from home when the number was made up for the press, the following article was omitted.We insert it here, believing that it is calculated to assist our readers in forming a correct judgment on the subject on which it treats.

To W. Trotter.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have read the article entitled "The Next Step,-or a Reason of the Hope that is in us ;" and though there are many things in the article which I approve, yet there are others which appear to me to be calculated to bewilder or mislead. Your friend intimates that the Disciples of John and of Christ, after hearing their duty explained, had to wait till the day of Pentecost for power to do their duty,-that the power for which Christ directed his disciples to tarry at Jerusalem, was power to reduce to practice the precepts of the Saviour respecting selfdenial, trust in God, the use of property, and other subjects similar, that professors now, after hearing their duty explained on these subjects, have not, as yet, the necessary power to do their duty, but must wait, as the Disciples were directed to wait, till power come down upon them, and that this power is to be looked for in answer to earnest and believing prayer alone. In the remarks which follow the article, you appear, in some measure, to sanction these views. Now these views do not appear to me to be correct, and I am wishful, if the article be published, that a few observations of my own should be published along with it. I have no desire for controversy, nor do I expect that the remarks which I have to make will lead to any controversy: I think that when the three communications are laid together before the readers of the Investigator, every one may be able to form his own judgment on the matter. The remarks I have to offer are as follow:

The disciples were not to wait at Jerusalem for power to obey Christ's

their

cross,

commands, but for power to prove the divinity of Christianity by working miracles, and speaking with foreign tongues. There is no intimation that they had not already power, previous to the day of Pentecost, to deny themselves, to take up the contrary, all that the Saviour and to follow Christ: on said to them, as well as his addresses to his hearers generally, goes on the supposition that they had power to do these things. There is one fact which proves beyond controversy that the disciples had power to obey the self-denying precepts of their Saviour previous to the day of Pentecost; it is this: they did obey them before that time. They left their boats, their nets, their friends, and their all, to follow Christ, trusting in him alone for a supply of their daily wants. "Lo, we have left all," said Peter, "and followed thee." Mark. x. 28. They did not lay up for themselves treasures on earth, they did not take thought for the morrow, but simply did as their master commanded them, and cast their care on him. And they did this, not only when Christ was with them, but when he sent them forth during his life to preach. He commanded them to go forth, "providing neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in their purses, nor scrip for their journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves;" and they did as they were bid. They went forth, without either money, or provisions, or the promise of a salary, giving freely what they had freely received, trusting for supplies of needful things to the providence of God.

The

Matt. x. The Saviour gave similar instructions to the other seventy which he sent forth. They were to take neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and when received into any house, they were to eat and drink such things as were set before them; and they appear to have obeyed these instructions. Saviour himself bears testimony indirectly, that his disciples acted on those instructions, in a conversation which he had with them afterwards, recorded in Luke xxii. 35. he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."

"And

THE NEXT STEP.

THE article entitled "The Next Step," &c., which appeared in the last number of the Investigator, was to have been accompanied with the following article, but in consequence of the Editor being from home when the number was made up for the press, the following article was omitted.We insert it here, believing that it is calculated to assist our readers in forming a correct judgment on the subject on which it treats.

To W. Trotter.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have read the article entitled "The Next Step,- -or a Reason of the Hope that is in us ;" and though there are many things in the article which I approve, yet there are others which appear to me to be calculated to bewilder or mislead. Your friend intimates that the Disciples of John and of Christ, after hearing their duty explained, had to wait till the day of Pentecost for power to do their duty,-that the power for which Christ directed his disciples to tarry at Jerusalem, was power to reduce to practice the precepts of the Saviour respecting selfdenial, trust in God, the use of property, and other subjects similar,that professors now, after hearing their duty explained on these subjects, have not, as yet, the necessary power to do their duty, but must wait, as the Disciples were directed to wait, till power come down upon them, and that this power is to be looked for in answer to earnest and believing prayer alone. In the remarks which follow the article, you appear, in some measure, to sanction these views. Now these views do not appear to me to be correct, and I am wishful, if the article be published, that a few observations of my own should be published along with it. I have no desire for controversy, nor do I expect that the remarks which I have to make will lead to any controversy: I think that when the three communications are laid together before the readers of the Investigator, every one may be able to form his own judgment on the matter. The remarks I have to offer are as follow:

The disciples were not to wait at Jerusalem for power to obey Christ's

66

commands, but for power to prove the divinity of Christianity by working miracles, and speaking with foreign tongues. There is no intimation that they had not already power, previous to the day of Pentecost, to deny themselves, to take up the contrary, all that the Saviour their cross, and to follow Christ: on said to them, as well as his addresses to his hearers generally, goes on the supposition that they had power to do these things. There is one fact which proves beyond controversy that the disciples had power to obey the self-denying precepts of their Saviour previous to the day of Pentecost; it is this: they did obey them before that time. They left their boats, their nets, their friends, and their all, to follow Christ, trusting in him alone for a supply of their daily wants. Lo, we have left all," said Peter, "and followed thee." Mark. x. 28. They did not lay up for themselves treasures on earth,-they did not take thought for the morrow, but simply did as their master commanded them, and cast their care on him. And they did this, not only when Christ was with them, but when he sent them forth during his life to preach. He commanded them to go forth, "providing neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in their purses, nor scrip for their journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves ;" and they did as they were bid. They went forth, without either money, or provisions, or the promise of a salary, giving freely what they had freely received, trusting for supplies of needful things to the providence of God.

Matt. x. The Saviour gave similar instructions to the other seventy which he sent forth. They were to take neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and when received into any house, they were to eat and drink such things as were set before them; and they appear to have obeyed these instructions. The Saviour himself bears testimony indirectly, that his disciples acted on those instructions, in a conversation which he had with them afterwards, recorded in Luke xxii. 35. he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."

"And

And if the twelve and the seventy had power before the day of Pentecost, to reduce to practice the precepts of Christ with respect to selfdenial, wealth, and trust in God, I should suppose that the rest of Christ's disciples and followers had power to do the same. I know of no intimation to the contrary. The notion that during the ministry of John and Christ, the people were only receiving instruction, and that they were to wait for the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost before they should be able to reduce the instructions they had received to practice, appears to me to be not only altogether without foundation, but contrary to the plainest facts.

Besides, when the Redeemer promised the Spirit to his disciples, he promised it, not to enable them to keep his commandments, but on condition that they did keep his commandments. "If ye love me," said the Saviour, in his discourse with his disciples, as recorded in John xiv. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth." They were not to wait for the Spirit in order that they might obey Christ's commandments; they were to obey his commandments in order that they might obtain the Spirit. The Spirit was promised to them to qualify them for teaching, and convincing, and converting others. "The comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." ." John. xiv. 26. "When the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me.' John. xv. 26. "And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." John. xvi. 8. This view of the subject is confirmed by every passage in which it is mentioned. În Luke xxiv. 49, where the direction to "Tarry at Jerusalem" occurs, it is the power to qualify them for effectually preaching the Gospel to all

nations, that they are commanded to wait for. And in Acts i. 8, the Saviour says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses of me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." And in Acts ii., where the account of the outpouring of the Spirit is given, still further confirmation of this view is given. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." It is not said that they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and then began to obey Christ's precepts. And when Peter gave an account of the outpouring of the Spirit in his Pentecostal Sermon, he gave the same view of the matter. "This is that which is spoken of by the Prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days my Spirit, and they shall prophesy." And the Apostle Paul, in his account of the Pentecostal gift of the Spirit in Eph. iv. gives the same view, representing it as given, not to enable the followers of Christ to obey the general precepts of Christ, but specially to qualify them for converting the world to God. "When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, Apostles; and some, Prophets; and some, Evangelists; and some, Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." It is evident, therefore, from all these passages, that it was not power to reduce to practice the precepts of Christ, for which the disciples were to tarry and wait at Jerusalem, but for power to enable them to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel, to prove the resurrection of their crucified Master, and to preach his doctrine to all nations, and in all the languages of earth. It is manifest, that the disciples had the power necessary to reduce to practice the precepts of the Saviour before the day