Wesley Corpus

Just. God applied his word with power: More especially at the Sept. 1780.] JOURNAL. 191 meeting of the society, when all our hearts were as melting wax. Friday, 25. I preached in the market-place at St. Ives, to most of the inhabitants of the town. Here is no opposer now. Rich and poor see, and very many feel, the truth. I now looked over a volume of Mr. K-’s Essays. He is a lively writer, of middling understanding. But I cannot admire his style at all. It is prim, affected, and highly Frenchified. I object to the beginning so many sentences with participles. This does well in French, but not in English. I cannot admire his judgment in many particulars. To instance in one or two: He depresses Cowley beyond all reason; who was far from being a mean poet. Full as unreasonably does he depress modern eloquence. I believe I have heard speakers at Oxford, to say nothing of Westminster, who were not inferior to either Demosthenes or Cicero. Sat. 26.--We had our Quarterly Meeting at Redruth, where all was love and harmony. Sunday, 27. It was sup posed, twenty thousand people were assembled at the amphi theatre in Gwennap. And yet all, I was informed, could hear distinctly, in the fair, calm evening. Mon. 28.--I preached at Wadebridge and Port-Isaac ; Tues day, 29, at Camelford and Launceston. Hence we hastened toward Bristol, by way of Wells; where (the weather being intensely hot, so that we could not well bear the Room) I preached on the shady side of the market-place, on, “By grace are ye saved, through faith.” As I was concluding, a Serjeant of Militia brought a drum. But he was a little too late. I pronounced the blessing, and quietly walked away. I know not that ever I felt it hotter in Georgia than it was here this afternoon. Sun. SEPTEMBER 3.--I preached three times at Bath; and, I believe, not without a blessing. Wednesday, 6. I preached at Paulton. The flame, kindled last year, still continues to burn here: And, (what is strange,) though so many have set their hand to the plough, there are none that look back. In all the number, I do not find so much as one backslider. Thur. 7.-I spent an hour with the children, the most diffi cult part of our work.