Wesley Corpus

Sat. 19.--Mr. Oglethorpe returned from the south, and gave orders on Sunday, the 20th, that none should profane the day (as was usual before) by fishing or fowling upon it. In the afternoon I summed up. what I had seen or heard at Frederica, inconsistent with Christianity, and, consequently, with the prosperity of the place. The event was as it ought: some of the hearers were profited, and the rest deeply offended. This day, at half an hour past ten, God heard the prayer of his servant; and Mr. Lassel, according to his desire, was “ dissolved that he might be with Christ.” Tues. 22.--Observing much coldness in Mr. ’s behaviour, | asked him the. reason of it. He answered, “I like nothing you do. All your sermons are satires upon particular persons, therefore I will never hear you more ; and all the people are of my mind, for we won’t hear ourselves abused. ‘“‘ Beside, they say, they are Protestants. But as for you, they cannot tell what religion you are of. ‘They never heard of such a religion before. They do not know what to make of it. And then your private behaviour :--all the quarrels that have been here since you came, have been long of you. Indeed there is neither man nor woman in the town, who minds a word you say. And so you may preach long enough; but nobody will come to hear you.” He was too warm for hearing an answer. So I had nothing to do but to thank him for his openness, and walk away. Wed. 23.--I had a long conversation with Mr. , upon the nature of true religion. I then asked him, why he did not endeavour to recommend it to all with whom he conversed. He said, “I did so once; and, for some time, I thought I had done much good by it. But I afterward found they were never the better, and I myself was the worse. Therefore now, though I always strive to be inoffensive in my conversation, [do not strive to make people religious, unless those that have a desire to be so, and are, consequently, willing to hear me. But I have not yet (I speak not of you or your brother) found one such person in America.”