Wesley Corpus

Tues. 9.--I preached at Bury; and on Wednesday, at Col chester, where I spent a day or two with much satisfaction, among a poor, loving, simple-hearted people. I returned to London on Friday, and was fully employed in visiting the classes from that time to Saturday, 20. In my late journey I read over Dr. Lee’s “Sophron.” He is both a learned and a sensible man; yet I judge his book will Dec. 1773.] JOUIRNA 1. 5 hardly come to a second impression, for these very obvious reasons:-1. His language is generally rough and unpleasing; frequently so obscure that one cannot pick out the meaning of a sentence, without reading it twice or thrice over: 2. His periods are intolerably long, beyond all sense and reason; one period often containing ten or twenty, and sometimes thirty, lines: 3. When he makes a pertinent remark he knows not when to have done with it, but spins it out without any pity to the reader: 4. Many of his remarks, like those of his master, Mr. Hutchinson, are utterly strained and unnatural; such as give pain to those who believe the Bible, and diversion to thcse who do not. Mon. 22.-I set out for Sussex, and found abundance of people willing to hear the good word; at Rye in particular. And they do many things gladly: But they will not part with the accursed thing, smuggling. So I fear, with regard to these, our labour will be in vain. Monday, 29. I went to Gravesend; on Tuesday, to Chat ham; and on Wednesday, to Sheerness; over that whimsical ferry, where footmen and horses pay nothing, but every car riage four shillings I was pleasing myself that I had seen one fair day at Sheerness | But that pleasure was soon over. We had rain enough in the evening. However, the House was crowded sufficiently. I spoke exceeding plain to the bigots on both sides. May God write it on their hearts | Mon. DECEMBER 6.--I went to Canterbury in the stage coach, and by the way read Lord Herbert's Life, written by himself; the author of the first system of Deism that ever was published in England. Was there ever so wild a knight errant as this? Compared to him, Don Quixote was a sober man. Who can wonder, that a man of such a complexion should be an Infidel?