Wesley Corpus

then in an instant she was quite calm. The next morning she fell into a fit of another kind,--being stretched out, and stiff, as a dead carcass: thus she lay about an hour. In the afternoon she was suddenly seized with violent involuntary laughter; and she had some or other of these fits several times a day, for about a month. In the intervals of them she was in great heaviness of soul, and continually erying for mercy; till, one Saturday, as she lay stretched out on the bed, she broke out, “ I know that my Redeemer liveth.” Her faith and love increased from that time; but so did the violence of her fits also. And often while she was rejoicing and praising God, she would cry out, “O Lord !” and, losing her senses at once, lie as dead, or laugh violently, or rave and blaspheme. In the middle of February she grew more outrageous than ever. She frequently strove to throw herself into the fire, or out of the window. Often she attempted to tear the Bible, cursing it in the bitterest manner; and many times she uttered oaths and blasphemies, too horrid to be repeated. Next to the Bible, her greatest rage was against the Methodists, --Mr. W. in particular. She frequently told us where he was, and what he was then doing; adding, “ He will be here soon;” and at another time, “ Now he is galloping down the lane, and two men with him.” In the intervals of her fits she was unusually stupid and moped, as if void of common understanding; and yet sometimes broke out into vehement prayer, to the amazement of all that heard. Sometimes she would strip herself stark naked, and run up and down the house, screaming and crying, “Save me! Save me! He will tear me Pidg fa i Soa ix ‘ 556 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [ June, 1753.