Wesley Corpus

J. Wesley’s [May, 1784, The church was again well filled in the evening, by those who seemed to feel much more than the night before. In consequence, the morning congregation was more than doubled; and deep attention sat on every face. I do not despair of good being done even here, provided the Preachers be “sons of thunder.” Fri. 14.--We saw, at a distance, the Duke of Gordon's new house, six hundred and fifty feet in front. Well might the Indian ask, “Are you white men no bigger than we red men? Then why do you build such lofty houses?” The country between this and Banff is well cultivated, and extremely plea sant. About two I read Prayers and preached in the Episcopal chapel at Banff, one of the neatest towns in the kingdom. About ten I preached in Lady Banff's dining-room, at Fort Glen, to a very serious, though genteel, congregation; and after wards spent a most agreeable evening with the lovely family. Sat. 15.--We set out early, and dimed at Aberdeen. On the road I read Ewen Cameron's Translation of Fingal. I think he has proved the authenticity of it beyond all reasonable contra diction: But what a poet was Ossian Little inferior to either Homer or Virgil; in some respects superior to both. And what an hero was Fingal Far more humane than Hector himself, whom we cannot excuse for murdering one that lay upon the ground; and with whom Achilles, or even pious AEneas, is not worthy to be named. But who is this excellent translator, Ewen Cameron? Is not his other name Hugh Blair? Sun. 16.--I went to Newburgh, a small fishing-town, fifteen miles north of Aberdeen. Here is at present, according to its bigness, the liveliest society in the kingdom. I preached here in a kind of Square, to a multitude of people; and the whole congregation appeared to be moved, and ready prepared for the Lord. At two in the afternoon Mr. Black read Prayers, and I preached, in Trinity chapel. It was crowded with people of all denominations. I preached from 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2, 3, in utter defiance of their common saying, “He is a good man, though he has bad tempers.” Nay, if he has bad tempers, he is no more a good man than the devil is a good angel.