Wesley Corpus

1764.] JOURNAL, 159 water was like a sea on both sides. I asked the ferryman, “Can we ride the causeway?” He said, “Yes, Sir; if you keep in the middle.” But this was the difficulty, as the whole causeway was covered with water to a considerable depth. And this in many parts ran over the causeway with the swift ness and violence of a sluice. Once my mare lost both her fore feet, but she gave a spring, and recovered the causeway: Otherwise we must have taken a swim; for the water on either side was ten or twelve feet deep. However, after one or two plunges more, we got through, and came safe to Witney. The congregation in the evening, as well as the next day, was both large and deeply attentive. This is such a people as I have not seen,--so remarkably diligent in business, and, at the same time, of so quiet a spirit, and so calm and civil in their behaviour. Thur. 19.--I rode through Oxford to Henley. The people here bear no resemblance to those of Witney. I found a wild, staring congregation, many of them void both of common sense and common decency. I spoke exceeding plain to them all, and reproved some of them sharply. Friday, 20. I took (probably my final) leave of Henley, and returned to London. Mon. 23.--I rode to Sundon, and preached in the evening to a very quiet and very stupid people. How plain is it, that even to enlighten the understanding is beyond the power of man After all our preaching here, even those who have constantly attended no more understand us than if we had preached in Greek. Thur. 26.--Returning from Bedford, I tried another way to reach them. I preached on, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched;” and set before them the terrors of the Lord, in the strongest manner I was able. It seemed to be the very thing they wanted. They not only listened with the deepest attention, but appeared to be more affected than I had ever seen them by any discourse whatever. IVed. FEBRUARY 1.--I buried the remains of William Hurd, a son of affliction for many years, continually struggling with inward and outward trials. But his end was peace. Thur. 2.--I preached again in the Foundery, which had been repairing for several weeks.