Wesley Corpus

389 The whole affair of the Argonauts I judge to be equally fabulous; as Mr. Bryant has shown many parts of ancient history to be : And no wonder, considering how allegories and poetic fables have been mistaken for real histories. After preaching at Rochdale, I was agreeably surprised by a young woman that called upon me. Several years, agirl thirteen or fourteen years old was remarkable for piety; but a year or two after, when I called upon her with great expectation, she had not the least savour of it left. She came on purpose to inform me that God had restored her; and she was now deter mined to live and die to Him. God grant she may! She will either be an abandoned apostate, or a shining Christian. Fri. 27.--The House was well filled at five. I have not seen so large a morning congregation, in proportion to the size of the town, since I returned to England. I was invited to breakfast at Bury, by Mr. Peel, a calico-printer; who, a few years ago, began with five hundred pounds, and is now supposed to have gained fifty thousand pounds. O what a miracle if he lose not his soul | Thence we went on to Bolton. Here are eight hundred poor children taughtinour Sunday-schools, by about eighty masters, who receiveno pay but what they are to receivefrom their Great Master. About a hundred of them (part boys and part girls) are taught to sing; and they sang so true, that, all singing together, there seemed to be but one voice. The House was throughly filled, while I explained and applied the first com mandment. What is all morality or religion without this? A mere castle in the air. In the evening, many of the children still hovering round the House, I desired forty or fifty to come in and sing, Vital spark of heavenly flame. Although some of them were silent, not being able to sing for tears, yet the harmony was such as I believe could not be equalled in the King's chapel. Sun. AUGUST 5.--In the morning I met the select society; a lovely company of humble, simple Christians. Several of them appeared to have sound and deep experience of the things of God, and to stand steadfast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free.