Wesley Corpus

April, 1785.] JOURNAL. 301 with two such wives, I know not where to find again. In the evening, and so every evening beside, we had Sunday evening congregations; and in the morning they were larger, by a third part, than those I had when I was here last. On Tuesday, and the three following days, I examined the society. I never found it in such a state before; many of them rejoiced in God their Saviour, and were as plain in their apparel, both men and women, as those in Bristol and London. Many, I verily believe, love God with all their hearts; and the number of these increase daily. The number of the whole society is seven hundred and forty-seven. Above three hundred of these have been added in a few months;-a new and unexpected thing ! In various places, indeed, we have frequently felt The o'erwhelming power of saving grace; which acted almost irresistibly. But such a shower of grace never continued long; and afterwards men might resist the Holy Ghost as before. When the general ferment subsides, every one that partook of it has his trial for life; and the higher the flood, the lower will be the ebb; yea, the more swiftly it rose, the more swiftly it falls: So that if we see this here, we should not be discouraged. We should only use all diligence to encourage as many as possible to press forward, in spite of all the refluent tide. Now, especially, we should warn one another not to grow weary or faint in our mind; if haply we may see such another prodigy as the late one at Paulton, near Bath, where there was a very swift work of God; and yet, a year after, out of an hundred converted, there was not one backslider' The number of children that are clearly converted to God is particularly remarkable. Thirteen or fourteen little maidens, in one class, are rejoicing in God their Saviour; and are as serious and stayed in their whole behaviour, as if they were thirty or forty years old. I have much hopes, that half of them will be steadfast in the grace of God which they now enjoy. Sun. 17.-We had such a mumber of communicants at the cathedral as was scarce ever seen there before.