Wesley Corpus

Wesley’s [April, 1772. be left behind for ever! Friday, 10. Having sent my chaise before, I rode to Ambleside. Thence, on Saturday, we went on comfortably, in hired chaises, to Whitehaven. Sun. 12.--At eight we had our usual congregation of plain, earnest people. But at five (who would imagine it?) we had well nigh all the Gentry of the town; and “the power of the Lord was present to heal them;” so that few, I believe, were unaffected. The same power was present at the meeting of the children. I never, in all my life, was so affected with any part of Solomon’s Song, as while one of the girls was repeating it. Mon. 13.--At five in the evening we had all the Gentry again, with several Clergymen; and again the Spirit applied the word. For the present even the rich seemed to be moved. As soon as I had delivered my message, I set out for Cockermouth. Tues. 14.--I set out for Carlisle. A great part of the road was miserably bad. However, we reached it in the afternoon, and found a small company of plain, loving people. The place where they had appointed me to preach was out of the gate; yet it was tolerably filled with attentive hearers. Afterwards, inquiring for the Glasgow road, I found it was not much round to go by Edinburgh; so I chose that road, and went five miles forward this evening, to one of our friends’ houses. Here we had an hearty welcome sub lare parvulo,” with sweet and quiet rest. Wed. 15.--Though it was a lone house, we had a large congregation at five in the morning. Afterwards we rode for upwards of twenty miles, through a most delightful country; the fruitful mountains rising on either hand, and the clear stream running beneath. In the afternoon we had a furious storm of rain and snow: However, we reached Selkirk safe. Here I observed a little piece of stateliness which was quite new to me: The maid came in, and said, “Sir, the lord of the stable waits to know if he should feed your horses.” We call him ostler in England. After supper all the family seemed glad to join with us in prayer. Thur. 16.--We went on through the mountains, covered with snow, to Edinburgh. APRIL 17.