Wesley Corpus

curious to hear, will now draw back: men once drawn, having stifled their good desires, will disapprove what they approved before, and feel dislike, instead of good will, to the preacher. Others, who were more or less convinced, will be afraid or ashamed to acknowledge that conviction. And all these will catch at ill stories, (true or false,) in order to justify their change. When, by this means, all who do not savingly believe, have quenched the Spirit of God, the little flock goes on from faith to faith; the rest sleep on and take their rest. And thus the num- ber of hearers in every place may be expected first to increase, and then decrease. Wed. 14.--At noon I preached at Coolylough, where the preachers and stewards met. Thur. 15.--In the evening I preached at Tullamore, in Barrack-street ; and many who never had so much curiosity as to walk a hundred yards to hear the preaching, vouchsafed to hear it at their own doors. In the middle of the sermon came a quarter master, very drunk, and rushed in among the people. In a short time he slipped off his hat, and gave all the attention of which he was capable. So did many of the soldiers, and many officers. O let some lay it to heart! Fri. 16.---We walked down to Lord Tullamore’s, (that was his title then,) an old mile from the town. His gardens are extremely pleasant. They contain groves, little meadows, kitchen gardens, plats of flowers, and little orchards, intermixed with fine canals and pieces of water. And will not all these make their owner happy? Not if he has one unholy temper! Not unless he has in himself a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life. About this time I received a letter without a name, part of which I have subjoined :--