Wesley Corpus

Yet God has all power. And sometimes he sends, when and where it pleases him, O'erwhelming showers of saving grace. IBut I have never observed these to last long. And in all the intervals of them, he acts by his standing rule, “Unto him that hath,” and uses what he hath, “shall be given; and he shall have more abundantly: But from him that hath not,” uses it not, “shall be taken away even that he hath.” Wed. 21.--I went on to Athlone. Friday, 23. I rode to Abidarrig, to the Quarterly Meeting. Many of the people came from far; and God gave them a good reward for their labour. Saturday, 24. We returned to Athlone. Sunday, 25. In the afternoon Istood in Barrack-Street, and cried aloud to a mixed 368 REv. J. wesLEY’s [June, 1769. multitude, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” I never before saw so quiet a congregation on this side the water. There was not only no tumult, but no murmur to be heard, no smile to be seen on any face. Mon. 26.--About noon I preached on the Green, at Clara, to an exceeding serious congregation; and in the evening at Tullamore. Tuesday, 27. I found a little increase in the society: But there cannot be much without more field preaching. Wherever this is intermitted, the work of God stands still, if it does not go back. To-day I wrote to a pious and sensible woman as follows : “DEAR MADAM, Tullamore, 27th June, 1769. “WHEN I had the pleasure of conversing with you some years since, you had a regard both for me and the people called Methodists. If I am rightly informed, you are now of another mind. May I ask, When did that change begin? Was it at your last journey to Dublin? Whenever it was, suffer me to ask, What were the reasons of it? I will tell you what I conjecture, and I do it in writing because I may not have an opportunity of talking with you; because I can write more freely than I could speak; because I can now say all I have to say at once; whereas, if we were talking together, I might probably forget some part; and because you may by this means have the better opportunity of calmly considering it.