Wesley Corpus

O shame to a Christian country ! However, both the small and great rabble were so engaged, that they had no leisure to molest us; so that I preached to a large congregation under the hill with perfect quietness. Tues. 5.--I rode to Bradford. Wednesday, 6. I preached at one in Great-Gomersal; in the evening at Dewsbury. The congregation was as large as at Bradford, and as attentive; although a few years since the people of Daw-Green were as eminently savage and irreligious, as even the colliers of Kingswood. Thur. 7.--We had as hot a day as most I have known in Georgia. However, about noon I rode to Horbury; but it was impracticable to preach abroad. So we retired into the new House; but this too was as hot as an oven. Some of the people behaved exceeding ill at first; but it was soon over. Aug. 1766.] JOURNAL, 261 In a few minutes the whole congregation was as serious and attentive as that at Daw-Green. Fri. 8.--I rode over to Huddersfield. The church, though large, was exceeding hot, through the multitude of people; on whom I enforced St. Paul’s words, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How we should have rode back, I know not; but that the wind, which was in our face as we came, was again in our face as we returned. At Birstal we found many of our brethren from various parts. One of them was mentioning a remarkable case:--David Prince, of Thorner, near Leeds, had been stone-blind for many years, and was without God in the world till past fourscore. At about eighty-one he received remission of sins, and from that hour he never lost the sense of it. When he was asked how he did, his answer was, “Happier and happier.” In the eighty fifth year of his age his spirit returned to God. Sun. 10.--After Mr. Eastwood had read Prayers, I came out into the churchyard, and preached to four times as many as the church could contain, on, “Are not Abana and Pharpar better than all the waters of Israel?” About one I preached at Daw-Green. I judged the congregation, closely wedged together, to extend forty yards one way, and about an hundred the other. Now, suppose five to stand in a yard square, they would amount to twenty thousand people.