Wesley Corpus

Soon after the society, I went to Mrs. T ’s, whose nearest relations were earnestly dissuading her from being “ righteous overmuch ;” and by the old motive, “* Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?” She answered all they advanced with meekness and love, and continued steadfast and immovable. Endure hardship still, thou good soldier of Christ ! Persecuted, but not forsaken: torn with inward, and encompessed with outward, temptations; but yielding to none. O may patience have its perfect work! Tues. 3.--I preached at Bath to the most attentive and serious audience | have ever seen there. On Wednesday I preached at Newgate on those words, ‘ Because of the Pharisees, they durst not con 144 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [July, 173$ fess him. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” A message was delivered to me when I had done, from the sheriffs, that I must preach there no more. Fri. 6.--I pressed a serious Quaker to tell me why he did not come to hear me as formerly. He said, because he found we were not led by the Spirit; for we fixed times of preaching beforehand ; whereas we ought to do nothing unless we were sensibly moved thereto by the Holy Ghost. I asked, whether we ought not to do what God in Scripture commands, when we have opportunity : whether the providence of God thus concurring with his word, were not a sufficient reason for our doing it, although we were not at that moment sensibly moved thereto by the Holy Ghost. He answered, it was not a sufficient reason. This was to regard “ the letter that killeth.” God grant, that I may so regard it all the days of my life! In the afternoon I was with Mr. Whitefield, just come from London, with whom I went to Baptist Mills, where he preached con- ' cerning “ the Holy Ghost, which all who believe are to receive ;” not without a just, though severe, censure of those who preach as if there were no Holy Ghost. Sat. '7.--I had an opportunity to talk with him of those outward signs which had so often accompanied the inward work of God. I found his objections were chiefly grounded on gross misrepresentations of matter of fact. But the next day he had an