advice. The
questions proposed to every one before he is admitted are such as these:
Have you forgiveness of your sins? Have you peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ? Have you the witness of God's Spirit with your own
that you are a child of God? Is the love of God shed abroad in your
heart? Has no sin, outward or inward, dominion over you? Do you desire
to be told of all your faults? Do you desire that every one of us should
tell you from time to time whatever we fear--whatever we hear concerning
you--that in doing this we should cut to the quick and search your heart
to the bottom? And so on. Again, at every meeting it is to be asked,
"What known sins have you committed since our last meeting? What
temptations have you met with? How were you delivered? What have you
thought, said, or done of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?" To
the members of these bands the minutest injunctions are given. Amongst
other things, they are to "pawn nothing--no, not to save life."

Society Meetings were instituted by Mr. Wesley immediately after the
formation of the first Methodist Society, and were regarded by him of
great importance in a spiritual point of view. All preachers were to
hold them on the Lord's day; only those members who had tickets were to
be admitted. On these occasions the society is to be closely and
affectionately addressed by the preacher on those important subjects
which relate to personal and domestic religion. A Methodist love-feast
is a meeting at which none are present but the members of the society,
and such as have obtained special permission from the minister. The
meeting begins with singing and prayer, after which the stewards, or
other officials of the society, distribute to each person a portion of
bread or cake, and then a little water. A collection is then made for
the poor. Liberty is then given to all to relate their religious
experience in accordance with the words of the Psalmist--"Come and hear,
all ye that fear God, and I will tell what He hath done for my soul."
This service is usually held once a quarter, continues about two hours,
and is concluded with prayer. The times for holding public
prayer-meetings are not fixed by any established rule of the connexion,
but are left to the discretion of the superintendent of the circuit, who
usually appoints such times as may be most convenient to the people of
the district. Prayer-meetings are generally held on Sunda