Wesley Corpus

We set out at three, on Thursday, 13, and reached Plymouth between one and two in the afternoon. I preached to a large audience in the evening; and although the day was extremely hot, yet I found myself better yesterday and to-day, than I have been for some months. Fri. 14.--In the afternoon I went on to the Dock, having 468 REv. J. Wesley’s [Aug. 1789. previously determined not to say or hear anything of their late senseless quarrel; wherein I could not but blame both sides, and knew not which to blame most. So I spent this and the next day in peace, and answered all my letters. Sun day, 16. In the morning, I believe, we had not less than six hundred communicants; but they were all admirably well behaved, as if they indeed discerned the Lord’s body. But when I preached in the afternoon, the House would not hold half the congregation. I chose the space adjoining the south side of the House, capable of containing some thousands of people. Besides, some hundreds sat on the ridge of the rock which ran along at my left hand. I preached on part of the Gospel for the day, “He beheld the city, and wept over it;” and it seemed as if every one felt, His heart is made of tenderness ; His bowels melt with love. Mon. 17.--Setting out at three, we easily reached our friends at St. Austle by dinner-time. But I knew not where to preach, the street being so dirty, and the preaching-house so small. At length we determined to squeeze as many as we could into the preaching-house; and truly God was there. Tuesday, 18. We went on to Truro, where I had appointed to preach at twelve o'clock; but here an unforeseen hinderance occurred. I could not get through the main street to our preaching-house. It was quite blocked up with soldiers to the east, and numberless tin ners to the west; a hugemultitude of whom, being nearly starved, were come to beg or demand an increase of their wages; without which they could not live. So we were obliged to retire to the other end of the town, where I preached under the Coinage Hall, to twice as many people, rich and poor, as the preaching house would have contained; and many of them would not have come thither at all.