Wesley Corpus

wesLEY’s [June, 1769. no House would contain the people. We made the best shift we could, by stowing as many as possible in the House; the rest, as I stood near the door, were quiet without. It was an uncommon time, particularly with regard to those who had opposed the truth. One dropped down like a stone; many trembled and wept exceedingly. All declared, that such a work as this was never seen at Enniscorthy before. Thur. 15.--I began to preach a little before five, on, “The kingdom of God within us.” The hearts of the hearers, one and all, seemed to be as melting wax. Surely it was not for nothing that Satan fought so furiously to keep the Gospel from this place. Indeed there has not been hotter persecution of late years any where in the kingdom than here. The mob, encouraged by their superiors, beat and abused whom they pleased, broke open their houses, and did just what they listed. A wretched Clergyman confirmed them therein, and applied to the Methodist Preachers 2 Tim. iii. 6, 7; the very text of that unhappy gentleman at Bristol, which he uttered, and dropped down in the pulpit. After he had painted them as black as devils, he added, “I have not time to finish now; next Sunday I will give you the rest.” But the next morning he was struck in a strange manner. He could not bear to be a moment alone. He cried out, “Those hobgoblins; do not you see them? There, there ! The room is full of them.” Having continued thus some days, he screamed out, “See that hobgoblin at the bed’s feet ! O that roll, that roll which he holds up to me ! All my sins are written therein l” Not long after, without showing the least sign of hope, he went to his account. In the afternoon I came to Kilkenny, and in the evening preached in the Tholsel. A more civil and unawakened audience I know not when I have seen. The bulk of them appeared to be no more affected than if I had been talking Greek. However, many of them attended the next morning, and more than ever in the evening: And all behaved well but one gentleman, who took much pains to divert those that were near him.