Wesley Corpus

“Mr. Todd, minister of the next congregation, has near the same number under his care; and several of them also, he informs me, discover the same seriousness. Indeed there are multitudes of them in various parts, who are eagerly desirous of instruction. They have generally very little help to read; and yet, to my agreeable surprise, sundry of them, by dint of application, in their very few leisure hours, have made such a progress that they are able to read their Bible, or a plain author, very intelligibly. But few of their masters will be at the expense of furnishing them with books. I have supplied them to the utmost of my ability. They are exceedingly delighted with Watts’s Songs: and I cannot but observe that the Negroes, above all of the human species I ever knew, have the nicest ear for music. They have a. kind of ecstatic delight in psalmody: nor are there any books they so soon learn, or take so much pleasure in, ag those used in that heavenly part of divine worship.” Sun. August 3.--I dined with one who lived for many years with one of the most celebrated beauties in Europe. She was also proud, vain, and nice, to a very uncommon degree. But see the end! After a painful and nauseous disease, she rotted away above ground; and was so offensive for many days before she died, that scarce any could bear to stay in the room. Mon. 4.--Hearing my old friend, Mr. H----s, was now a beggar, and forsaken of all, I called (after a separation of sixteen years) at his lodgings, to offer him any service in my power. I was pleasingly surprised to find him reading the Bible! But still I am afraid all is no Aug. 1755.] REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 585 right; for the hand of God seems to be upon him still, and his mind is so hurried, he can settle to nothing. O what a pattern of holiness and stability of mind was this very man, till he was stolen away by the men whose “ words are smoother than oil.”” But were they not to him very swords?