THE KING’S BUSINESS
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found himself praying in dark, corners of the hold. When he was given his release from the ship, he was met by his mother at Scarborough and went back to his old job as a barber at Malton. A few months later be returned again to Scarborough and renewed his work as a barber in the same shop which he had quit when he left and went to' sea. It was here he-was led back to his habit of prayer, which seemed to have left him the moment he got on shore. He could neither read nor write though he knew his letteft, and securing an old Bible he prayed that God would be his school master, and he began the task of learning to read. In the year 1761 he joined the Metho dist society and was truly converted to Christianity, and in 1763 the first real test of his conversion came when he .quit his place because he would no. longer work on Sunday. The remainder of the story, is pontinued in Mr. Hague’s own language.] In 1764 I entered into the marriage state, with a young woman a member of the Methodist Society, and of a creditable fam ily in Scarborough, of the name of Adam son, by whom I had nine children, viz., six sons and three daughters; two sons, and one daughter died, the others are all living and married, and thank God all well in clined. - In 1766 I had much reasoning in my mind about the, doctrine of free will and free grace. In this year also I got. two books, Bunyan’s Law of Grace, and the Pharisee and Publican', by these I saw into the nature of the two covenants of works and grace, and the justification of a sinner by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ through faith. I also met with Elisha Cole on the Sovereignty of God, and with Dr. Crisp’s Sermons, which gave me very great satisfaction; and I searched the Scrip tures more closely in those matters, and I was confirmed in the truth of these doc trines, called Calvinistical or free, grace doctrines, by the following passages of Scripture: “I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto
them that asked not after me” (Rom. 10: 20). “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth” (Rôm. 9:18). “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him- that runneth, but of God that shew'eth mercy”' (Rom. 9:16). “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it .is no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace, But-if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work.' What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded'.’ (Rom. 11:4-7) ; “for by grace are ye saved through‘faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before or dained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2 :8-10), “according to the faith” (Titus 1:1). “Because God hath from the begin ning chosen you to salvation through sancti fication of the Spirit, and belief of the. truth : and hath1 called you by the gospel” (2 Thess. 2:13, 14) ; "in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1 :2) ; “and as many as were ordained to eternal life be lieved” (Acts 13:48) ; “who hath saved us. and called us with an holy calling, not ac cording to our works, but according to his own purpose ' and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world bes-an” (2 Tim. 2:9). “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and with out blame before him in love; having pre destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,-according to the good pleasure of his will. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being pre destinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1: 4, 5, 11). “For
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