Wesley Corpus

The afternoon congregation was larger still. What has God wrought in the midst of those rough mountains ! Mon. 13.--At five I preached on the manner of waiting for “perfect love;” the rather to satisfy Mr. Grimshaw, whom many had laboured to puzzle and perplex about it. So once more their bad labour was lost, and we were more united both in heart and judgment than ever. At noon I preached in Colne, once inaccessible to the Gospel; but now the yard I was in would not contain the people. I believe I might have preached at the Cross without the least interruption. About five I preached at Paddiham, another place eminent for all manner of wickedness. The multitude of people obliged me to stand in the yard of the preaching-house. Over against me, at a little distance, sat some of the most impudent women I ever saw : Yet I am not sure that God did not reach their hearts; for They roar'd, and would have blush'd, if capable of shame. In the morning I preached at Bentley-Wood-Green, on, “Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Mr. G. afterwards told me, that this perfection he firmly believed and daily prayed for, namely, the love of God and man producing all those fruits which are described in our Lord’s Sermon upon the mount. About noon I preached at Bacup, a village in Rosendale. The new preaching house is large, but not large enough to contain the congregation. Soon after five I preached at Heptonstall. The society here had been greatly hurt by two Leaders getting into new opinions. One of them fell upon me directly, for “denying the righteousness of Christ.” On this we discoursed about an hour. The issue was, one of them was quite convinced; and the other (to my no small satisfaction) desired me to put a new Leader in his place. Wed. 15.--About seven I preached at Ewood, and about 68 REv. J. WESLEY’s [July, 1761. moon at Halifax. New opinions had done harm here also ; but at this time all was quiet. I rode over to Bradford in the afternoon, where I found an Anabaptist Teacher had perplexed and unsettled the minds of several; but they are now less ignorant of Satan’s devices. Fri.