THE METHODIST MAGAZINE,

FOR JULY, 1801.

Some ACCOUNT of Mr. JOHN FURNACE, Preacher of the Gofpel.

To the EDITOR.

A he finished his courfe, perhaps it may not be amifs, to in

S many of Mr. FURNACE's friends may wifh to know how

fert the following fhort Account of him, in the Magazine.

A

He was born in the neighbourhood of Birftal, Yorkshire. He regularly attended the preaching at the Methodist Chapel from a child, and in early life, was very thoughtful; and affectionate and dutiful to his parents. He was converted to God at nineteen years of age; about which time he joined our fociety. From his firft becoming ferious, he preferved an unblemished character. He fteadily followed the Lord as a private member, for eight or nine years, being a pattern of piety to all around him.

Having begun to speak a little in public, he was thought a proper person to travel, and was recommended by Mr. William Bramwell. He was received on trial at the Briftol Conference, 1794, and appointed to the St. Ives (Hunts,) Circuit. In 1795, to the Bury St. Edmund's Circuit. In 1796, to the Bedford Circuit. In 1797, to the Newbury Circuit. In 1798, to the Wigan Circuit, and in 1799, to the Hexham Circuit. In all thefe Circuits he was ufeful, well received, and much esteemed as a pious chriftian. In feveral of the Circuits he walked a great deal, but was feldom, if ever, abfent from his place. Whether it was owing to too much labour, fitting in cold rooms, or fleeping in damp beds, he could not be certain, but by fome means he got a fevere cough which could not be removed. This brought on a lofs of appetite, and reduced him to fuch a ftate of weakness, as to be unable to fulfil the duties of his ftation. This happened juft at the time of the London Conference, in 1800, which induced him to request, that he might not be ftationed for a Circuit; but return to his parents for a year, and try if his own native air, and a ceffation of labour would recover Aim: But his disorder was too deeply rooted to admit of a cure, VOL. XXIV. July, 1801. From

From the time of his giving up all hopes of recovery, he was quite refigned to the will of God; his confidence in the Redeemer was firm; though he was in the beginning of his illness very, de firòus to recover, and nothing feemed to please him fo much, as to talk of his experience, of travelling, and of the work of God. I often vifited him, and was much pleased with his fimplicity and heavenly mindednefs. Many times he fo forgot his weakness, as to talk about his chriftian friends in the different circuits where he had laboured, till he had quite spent himself; and, if it had been the will of God, nothing would have delighted him fo much, as to have taken his station among us again: But the Lord had appointed it otherwise.

A few weeks before his death, his affliction was heavy; otherwife the Lord dealt very gently with him: but he then became fo feeble, restless, and was fo much troubled with phlegm, that he feemed defirous to die. A day or two before his death, he broke out and faid, "Oh! the pain, the blifs of dying! What a bleffing to be ready!" He faid to me the laft time I saw him, " I now "commit my all into the hands of a loving God: I die in love "with all mankind; and am grieved that they will not all obey "the truth." He fhook hands with me, and added, "I fhall meet 66 you in heaven: Farewell!" Of him it might be truly said, "Behold an Ifraelite indeed, in whom there is no guile."

"Do we then make void the Law thro' Faith? God forbid! Yea, we eftablish the Law."

I.

SAINT

AINT. Paul having in the beginning of this Epistle, laid down his general propofition, namely, That "the Gofpel of Chrift is the Power of God unto falvation to every one that believeth," the powerful means, whereby God makes every believer a partaker of present and eternal Salvation; goes on to thew, that there is no other way under heaven, whereby men can be faved. He speaks particularly of falvation from the guilt of fin, which he commonly terms juftification. And that all men stood in need of this, that none could plead their own innocence, he proves at large by various arguments, addreffed to the Jews as well as to the Heathens. Hence he infers, ver. 19. That every mouth, whether Jew or Heathen, must be fapt, from

excufing

excufing or juftifying himself,—and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore, faith he, by the works of the Law,-by his own obedience, shall no feb be justified in his fight. But now the righteoufness of God without the Law, without our previous obedience thereto, is manifested-Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all, and upon all that believe; for there is no difference,-as to their need of Juftification, or the manner wherein they attain it: For all have finned, and come fort of the glory of God,the glorious image of God wherein they were created And all (who attain) are justified freely by his grace, thro' the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift-Whom God hath fet forth to be a propitiation, thro' faith in his blood:-That he might be just, and yet the justifier of him which believeth in Jefus ;-that without any impeachment to his Juftice, he might thew him mercy, for the fake of that propitiation. Therefore we conclude, (which was the grand position he had undertaken to establish,) That a man is juftified by faith, without the works of the Law, ver. 28.

2. It was eafy to foresee an objection which might be made, and which has in fact been made in all ages; namely, That to fay "We are juftified without the works of the Law, is to abolith the Law. The apoftle without entering into a formal dif pute, fimply denies the charge. "Do we then, fays he, make void the Law thro' Faith? God forbid! Yea, we efiablith the Law."

3. The ftrange imagination of fome, that St. Paul, when he fays, "A man is juftified without the works of the Law," means only the Ceremonial Law, is abundantly confuted by these very words. For did St. Paul establish the Ceremonial Law? It is evident he did not. He did make void that Law thro' Faith, and openly avowed his doing fo. It was the moral Law only of which he might truly fay, We do not make void, but establish this thro' Faith.

4. But all men are not herein of his mind. Many there are who will not agree to this. Many in all ages of the church, even among those who bore the name of Christians, have contended, That "the faith once delivered to the faints," was defigned to make void the whole Law. They would no more spare the moral than the ceremonial Law, but were for hewing, as it were, both in pieces before the Lord: vehemently maintaining, "If you establish any Law, Chrift fhall profit you nothing; Chrift is become of no effect to you: Ye are fallen from grace."

5. But is the zeal of these men according to knowledge? Have they observed the connexion between the Law and Faith? and that confidering that clofe connexion between them, to destroy one is indeed to destroy both? That to abolish the moral Law, is in fact, to abolish Faith and the Law together? As leaving 2 O 2

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