The life and death of that old disciple of Jesus Christ and eminent minister…

The next day I went again to Mr. Wheelwright, and told him what God had done for my poor Soul, who said unto me, now I was somewhat prepared to preach Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Free Grace to others, having bin taught it of God, and having heard and learned Jesus Christ my self. And he advised me to wait still upon God in Prayer, and Christ would appear again to me by his Holy Spirit in his Word, and show me and teach me how to preach; then I went home again, and continued in Prayer: And one day begging earnestly of God in Prayer, that if he had designed me to that great Work of preaching the Gospel, that then he would give me some Testimony out of his Holy Word of his calling me thereunto; whereupon those ⟨p. 51⟩words were spoken by his Spirit to my Heart, Act. 26.16. I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a Minister, and a Witness both of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee; whence I believed that now I had received a Call and Commission from my Lord Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel of his Free Grace: And I blessed God, and expected a further Appearance of Jesus Christ unto me. That Night in my sleep Christ put into my mind, that the next Lords day I should preach on that Text, Rom. 8.1. And he dictated to me in my sleep, what Doctrine I should preach from that Text. The next day I went and told all this to Mr. Wheelwright, who said, Now my beloved Brother, and Fellow Labourer in the Gospel of the Grace of God, Christ hath given you Authority, a Call and a Commission to preach: I pray you be humble and holy, and delay not to do your Masters Work, or words to that effect. That Night in my Sleep the Lord taught me more, and the third night also; and I retained it all in my Memory, and writ it down, and searched the Scriptures, which I received in my sleep for the Confirmation of my Doctrine: And the ⟨p. 16⟩next day being the Lords Day, I preached that which I had received from the Lord, and God made it useful and powerful to Conversion, as appeared to me afterwards. Thus I was night by night taught of God to preach the Doctrine of Free Grace, according to the Tenor of the new and everlasting Covenant for three or four years together, whereby very many Sinners were Converted, and many Believers were established in the Faith: