Wesley Corpus

And if so, the life of God vanishes away. About seven I preached in the street at Bolton, to twice or thrice as many as the Room would have contained. It was a calm, still evening, and the congregation was as quiet as the season; though composed of awakened and unawakened Churchmen, Dissenters, and what not. As many as the House would well contain were present again at five in the morning. About seven in the evening the multitude of people constrained me to preach in the street, though it rained. But in a very short time the rain stopped; and I strongly enforced our Lord’s word, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” After sermon, one was mentioning a person who, according to his account, was disordered just like those in Scotland. In the morning, Friday, 13, her father brought her over. Soon after she fell into a fit; but it was plainly natural. I judged it to be of the epileptic kind. When she fell into a second, I advised electrifying. The fit ceased by a very gentle shock. A third was removed in the same manner; and she was so well, that her father found no difficulty in carrying her home behind him. At ten I began to preach at Wigan, proverbially famous for all manner of wickedness. As I preached abroad, we expected some disturbance; but there was none at all. A few were wild at first; but in a little space grew quiet and 188 REv. J. wesDEY’s [July, 1764. attentive. I did not find so civil a congregation as this the first time I preached at Bolton. To-day I wrote the following letter, which I desire may be seriously considered by those to whom it belongs:-- “THERE was one thing, when I was with you, that gave me pain: You are not in the society. But why not? Are there not sufficient arguments for it to move any reason able man? Do you not hereby make an open confession of Christ, of what you really believe to be his work, and of those whom you judge to be, in a proper sense, his people and his messengers? By this means do not you encourage his people, and strengthen the hands of his messengers?