Wesley Corpus

So that the oldest of our believers now cry out, “We never saw it before on this fashion l” Mon. 27.--I preached at Staincross about eleven; about five, at Barley-Hall; the next morning, at Sheffield. In the afternoon I rode on to Matlock-Bath. The valley which reaches from the town to the bath is pleasant beyond expres sion. In the bottom of this runs a little river, close to which a mountain rises, almost perpendicular, to an enormous height, part covered with green, part with ragged and naked rocks. On the other side, the mountain rises gradually with tufts of trees here and there. The brow on both sides is fringed with trees, which seem to answer each other. Many of our friends were come from various parts. At six I preached standing under the hollow of a rock, on one side of a small plain; on the other side of which was a tall mountain. There were many well-dressed hearers, this being the high season; and all of them behaved well. But as I Aug. 1761.] JOURNAL. 71 walked back, a gentleman-like man asked me, “Why do you talk thus of faith? Stuff, nonsense !” Upon inquiry, I found he was an eminent Deist. What, has the plague crept into the Peak of Derbyshire? Wed. 29.--I preached at five near the Bath; in Wood seats at two; and in the evening, at the end of the House in Sheffield, to thrice as many people as it would have contained. Thursday and Friday, I preached at Rotherham, in the shell of the new House, which is an octagon. Pity our Houses, where the ground will admit of it, should be built in any other form. The congregation was larger than ever; the society well united, and much alive to God. Sat. AUGUST 1.--I rode to Clayworth, and, after preaching, laboured all I could to reconcile two brothers, who had long been quarrelling about their inheritance; but it was labour lost. Indeed the reason of the thing was clear; but passion is ever too hard for reason. Hence I went on to Misterton; and, both in the evening and morning, spoke to a lifeless, money-getting people, in a sharper manner than ever I did before; and (I heard afterward) with good effect. Sun. 2.--I had the satisfaction of hearing Mr. Madan preach an excellent sermon at Haxey.