Wesley Corpus

It is not true, that no man is capable of malice, or delight in giving pain; much less, that every man is virtuous, and remains so as long as he 486 REv. J. WESLEY’s [Jan. 1773. lives; nor does the Scripture allow that any action is good, which is done without any design to please God. Fri. 18.--I preached at Hertford. Last year there was a fair prospect there. But the servants of God quarrelled among themselves, till they destroyed the whole work. So that not only the society is no more, but even the preaching is discontinued. And hence those who had no religion before are now more hardened than ever. A more stupid and senseless mob I never saw, than that which flocked together in the evening. Yet they softened by degrees, so that at last all were quiet, and, as it were, attentive. Mon. 21.--I visited the sick in various parts of the town, but was surprised that they were so few. I hardly remember so healthy a winter in London. So wisely does God order all things that the poor may not utterly be destroyed by hunger and sickness together. Sun. 27.--I dined with one who, in the midst of plenty, is completely miserable, through “the spirit of bondage,” and, in particular, through the fear of death. This came upon him not by any outward means, but the immediate touch of God’s Spirit. It will be well if he does not shake it off till he receives “the Spirit of adoption.” Thur. 31.--Being greatly embarrassed by the necessities of the poor, we spread all our wants before God in solemn prayer; believing that he would sooner “make windows in heaven” than suffer his truth to fail. Fri. JANUARY 1, 1773.--We (as usual) solemnly renewed our covenant with God. Monday, 4. I began revising my letters and papers. One of them was wrote above an hundred and fifty years ago, (in 1619,) I suppose by my grandfather’s father, to her he was to marry in a few days. Several were wrote by my brothers and me when at school, many while we were at the University; abundantly testifying (if it be worth knowing) what was our aim from our youth up. Thur.