Wesley Corpus

Not one of ours, either verse or prose, was to be seen, but several of another kind. O that our brethren were as zealous to make Christians as they are to make Calvinists / He came home before dinner, and soon convinced me that the Philistines had been upon him. They had taken huge pains to prejudice him against me, and so successfully, that he did not even ask me to preach: So I had thoughts of going on; but in the afternoon he altered his purpose, and I preached in the evening to a large congregation. He seemed quite surprised; and was convinced for the present, that things had been misrepresented. But how long will the conviction last? Perhaps till next month. Wed. 18.--I called upon another serious Clergyman, Vicar of a little town near Pickering. He immediately told me how he had been received by warm men “to doubtful disputations.” He said, this had for a time much hurt his soul; but that now the snare was broken. About one I preached at Smainton, eight or nine miles beyond Pickering, to a small, but deeply serious congregation. When I came to Scarborough, though the wind was very high and very sharp, the multitude of people constrained me to preach abroad; and all, but a few noisy children, behaved remarkably well. Thur. 19.--The Room was filled at five; and the congrega tion this evening was larger than the last. How is the face of things changed here within a year or two ! The society increased four-fold: Most of them alive to God, and many filled with love; and all of them enjoy great quietness, instead of noise and tumult, since God put it into the heart of an honest Magistrate to still the madness of the people. I wrote a letter to-day, which after some time I sent to forty or fifty Clergymen, with the little preface annexed:-- “REv. S1R, “NEAR two years and a half ago, I wrote the following letter. You will please to observe, 1. That I propose no more April, 1764.] JOURNAL, 169 therein than is the bounden duty of every Christian. 2. That you may comply with this proposal, whether any other does or not.