Wesley Corpus

Wed. 26.--I walked round the poor remains of the castle. The situation is extremely fine. It stands on the top of a gently-rising hill, commanding the prospect all four ways, and having rows of tall trees reaching down to the vale on three sides, with a grove covering it on the north-east. But the house, as well as the gardens round about it, are now utterly run to ruin. I wonder none has rebuilt it; unless there is a curse on the place for the sins of its former inhabitants ! Thur. 27.--I finished Mr. Spearman’s “ Inquiry ;” an ingenious, sensible book; but I cannot at all agree with his scheme: I still think Mr. Hutchinson’s whole system is not only quite unsupported by Scripture, but loaded with insuperable difficulties. I cannot yet see Journal I.--42 654 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [ May, 1758. the possibility of any motion, without so much as a vacuum dissemuna tum. [A diffused vacuum.] Is it not flatly impossible, if all be full. and all matter be impenetrable? Much less can I conceive, how the streams of light and air can move continually in opposite directions, and that in space absolutely full, without justling with each other! In the evening I preached at Portarlington. Both this day and the next I was much concerned for my rich, gay hearers; and God gave me such a word for them, as I scarce ever had before. Hence, at his earnest request, I rode over to Mr. L--y, who said he could not die in peace till he had seen me. For some time he had been quite distracted ; but he spoke quite sensibly yesterday, while Mr. Swindells was there, saying, with many tears, he had never prospered in any thing since he used Mr. W. so ill. That night he had sound and refreshing sleep, which he had not had for many weeks before ; and, when we called. most of what he said was reasonable and connected. Perhaps God may put an end to the troubles which have lately encompassed him on every side.