100. What hinders? Is it this, that men say all manner of evil of those whom God is pleased to use as instruments in his work? O ye fools, did ye suppose the devil was dead? Or that he would not fight for his kingdom? And what weapons shall he fight with, if not with lies? Is he not a liar, and the father of it? Suffer ye then thus far. Let the devil and his children say all manner of evil of us. And let them go on deceiving each other, and being deceived. But ye need not be deceived also.――――Or if you are, if you will believe all they say: be it so, that we are weak, silly, wicked men; without sense, without learning, without even a desire or design of doing good: yet I insist upon the fact. Christ is preached and sinners are converted to God. This none but a madman can deny. We are ready to prove it by a cloud of witnesses. Neither therefore can the inference be denied, that God is now visiting his people. O that all men may know in this their day, the things that make for their peace! 101. Upon the whole, to men of the world I would still recommend the known advice of _Gamaliel_: _Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even to fight against God_. But unto you whom God hath chosen out of the world, I say ye are our brethren, and of our father’s house, it behoveth you, in whatsoever manner ye are able, _to strengthen our hands in God_. And this ye are all able to do; to wish us good luck in the name of the Lord, and, to pray continually, that none of _these things may move us_, and that _we may not count our lives dear unto ourselves, so that we may finish our course with joy, and the ministry which we have received of the Lord Jesus_! Written in the year 1744. * * * * * _Primitive Christianity._ 1 HAPPY the souls who first believ’d, To Jesus, and each other cleav’d, Join’d by the unction from above, In mystic fellowship of love. 2 Meek, simple followers of the Lamb, They liv’d, and spake, and thought the same, Brake the commemorative bread, And drank the Spirit of their head. 3 On God they cast their every care, Wrestling with God in mighty prayer, They claim’d the grace, thro’ Jesus given: By prayer, they shut, and open’d heaven. 4 To Jesus they perform’d their vows, A little church in every house; They joyfully conspir’d to raise Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise. 5 Propriety was there unknown, None call’d what he possess’d his own; Where all the common blessings share, No selfish happiness was there.