Wesley Corpus

Wed. 2.--With some difficulty we reached Stanley: there has been lately a great awakening in this country. I never saw such a congregation here before, notwithstanding the wind and rain; and all present seemed to receive the word with gladness and readiness of mind. There is a solid, serious people in these parts, who stand their ground against all opposition. The warmest opposers are the Jacobites, who do not love us, because we love King George. But they profit nothing ; for more and more people “ fear God and honour the king.” We rode on Thursday in the afternoon through heavy rain, and almost impass- _ able roads, to Evesham; and on Friday, 4, to Birmingham, a barren, dry, uncomfortable place. Most of the seed which has been sown for so many years, the “ wild boars” have “ rooted up ;” the fierce, unclean, brutish, blasphemous Antinomians have utterly destroyed it. And the mystic foxes have taken true pains to spoil what remained, with their new Gospel. Yet it seems God has a blessing for this place still; so many still attend the preaching; and he is eminently present with the small number that is left in the society. Sat. 5.--I preached at Wednesbury, and at eight on Sunday morning. But the great congregation assembled in the afternoon, as soon as the service of the church was over, with which we take care never to interfere. A solemn awe seemed to run all through the company in the evening, when I met the society. We have indeed preached the Gospel here ‘“ with much contention :” but the success overpays the labour.