Wesley Corpus

Saturday, 7. At noon, I preached at Preston-on-the-Hill; and in the 200 REv. J. Wesley’s [April, 1781. evening at Warrington. Sunday, 8. The service was at the usual hours. I came just in time to put a stop to a bad custom, which was creeping in here: A few men, who had fine voices, sang a Psalm which no one knew, in a tune fit for an opera, wherein three, four, or five persons, sung different words at the same time ! What an insult upon common sense! What a burlesque upon public worship ! No custom can excuse such a mixture of profaneness and absurdity. Mon. 9.--Desiring to be in Ireland as soon as possible, I hastened to Liverpool, and found a ship ready to sail; but the wind was contrary, till on Thursday morning, the Captain came in haste, and told us, the wind was come quite fair. So Mr. Floyd, Snowden, Joseph Bradford, and I, with two of our sisters, went on board. But scarce were we out at sea, when the wind turned quite foul, and rose higher and higher. In an hour I was so affected, as I had not been for forty years before. For two days I could not swallow the quantity of a pea of any thing solid, and very little of any liquid. I was bruised and sore from head to foot, and ill able to turn me on the bed. All Friday, the storm increasing, the sea of consequence was rougher and rougher. Early on Saturday morning, the hatches were closed, which, together with the violent motion, made our horses so turbulent, that I was afraid we must have killed them, lest they should damage the ship. Mrs. S. now crept to me, threw her arms over me, and said, “O Sir, we will die together l’” We had by this time three feet water in the hold, though it was an exceeding light vessel. Meantime we were furiously driving on a lee-shore; and when the Captain cried, “Helm a lee,” she would not obey the helm. I called our brethren to prayers; and we found free access to the throne of grace. Soon after we got, I know not how, into Holyhead harbour, after being sufficiently buffeted by the winds and waves, for two days and two nights.