Wesley Corpus

Sat. 26.--I preached, at seven, to a large and serious congregation, and again at four in the afternoon. When I began, in a meadow near the house, the wind was so high, I could hardly speak. But the winds too’are in God’s hand: in a few minutes:that inconvenience ceased, and we found the Spirit of God breathing in the midst of us, so that great was our rejoicing in the Lord. Sun. 27.--A little before I took horse. I Icoked into a room as ] walked by, and saw a good old man, bieediig almost to death. 1 desirea 578 REV. J. WESLEY'S JOURNAL. [May, 1755. him immediately to snuff vinegar up his nose, and apply it to his neck, face, and temples. It was done; and the blood entirely stopped in less than two minutes. The rain began about five, and did not intermit till we came to Haworth; notwithstanding which, a multitude of people were gathered together at ten. In the afternoon I was obliged to go out of the church, abundance of people not being able to getin. The rain ceased from the moment I came out, till I had finished my discourse.--How many proofs must we have that there is no petition too little, any more than too great, for God to grant? Mon. 28.--I preached at Keighley ; on Tuesday at Bradford, which is now as quiet as Birstal. Such a change has God wrought in the hearts of the people since John Nelson was in the dungeon here. My brother met me at Birstal in the afternoon. Wed. 30.--We began reading together, ‘“‘ A Gentleman’s Reasons for his Dissent from the Church of England.” It is an elaborate and lively tract, and contains the strength of the cause; but it did not yield us one proof that it is lawful for us (much less our duty) to separate from it. Thur. May 1.--I finished the “ Gentleman’s Reasons” (who is a Dissenting minister at Exeter.) In how different a spirit does this man write from honest Richard Baxter! The one dipping, as it were, his pen in tears, the other in vinegar and gall. Surely one page of that loving, serious Christian, weighs more than volumes of this bitter, sarcastic jester.