Wesley Corpus

Here I met with my old friend Bishop Antone, whom I had not seen for near fifty years. He did not ask me to eat or drink; for it is not their custom, and there is an inn; but they were all very courteous; and we were welcome to buy any thing that we pleased at their shops I cannot see how it is possible for this community to avoid growing immensely rich. I have this day lived fourscore years; and, by the mercy of God, my eyes are not waxed dim: And what little strength of body or mind I had thirty years since, just the same I have now. God grant I may never live to be useless | Rather may I My body with my charge lay down, And cease at once to work and live. Sun. 29.--At ten I began the service in the English church in Utrecht. I believe all the English in the city were present, and forty or fifty Hollanders. I preached on 1 Cor. xiii.; I think, as searchingly as ever in my life. Afterwards a mer chant invited me to dinner: For six years he had been at death’s door by an asthma, and was extremely ill last night; but this morning, without any visible cause, he was well, and walked across the city to the church. He seemed to be deeply acquainted with religion, and made me promise, if I came to Utrecht again, to make his house my home. In the evening a large company of us met at Miss L.’s, where I was desired to repeat the substance of my morning sermon. I did so: Mr. Toydemea (the Professor of Law in the Uni versity) interpreting it sentence by sentence. They then sung a Dutch hymn; and we an English one. Afterwards Mr. Regglet, a venerable old man, spent some time in prayer, for the establishment of peace and love between the two nations. Utrecht has much the look of an English town. The streets are broad, and have many noble houses. In quietness and stillness it much resembles Oxford. The country all round is like a garden: And the people I conversed with are not only civil and hospitable, but friendly and affectionate, even as those at Amsterdam. July, 1783.] JOURNAL. 257 Mon. 30.-We hired a coach for Rotterdam, at half-acrown per head.