Wesley Corpus

Wed. 15.--I endeavoured to guard those who were in their first love, from falling into inordinate affection, by explaining those strange words at Baptist Mills, “« Henceforth know we no man after the flesh.” Fri. 17.--Many of our society met, as we had appoirted, at one in the afternoon ; and agreed that all the members of our society should obey the Church to which we belong, by observing, all Fridays in the year, as days of fasting or abstinence. We likewise agreed that as many as had opportunity should then meet, to spend an hour together in prayer. Mon. 20.--I preached on those words, to a much larger congregation than usual, ‘“* Oughtest not thou to have compassion on thy fellow servant, as I had pity on thee?” Wed. 22.--I was with many that were in heaviness ; two of whom were soon filled with peace and joy. In the afternoon, I endeavoured to guard the weak against what too often occasions heaviness,--levity of temper or behaviour,--from “T said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it ?” Mon. 27.--For two hours I took up my cross, in arguing with a zealous man, and labouring to convince him that I was not an enemy to the Church of England. He allowed, I taught no other doctrines than those of the Church; but could not forgive my teaching them out of the church walls. He allowed, too, (which none indeed can deny, who has either any regard to truth, or sense of shame,) that “ by this teaching, many souls who, till that time, were ‘perishing for lack of knowledge,’ have been, and are brought, ‘from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God:’” But he added, “ No one cau tell what may be hereafter ; and therefore I say these things ought not to be suffered.” Indeed the report now current in Bristol was, that I was a Papist, if not a Jesuit. Some added, that I was born and bred at Rome; which many cordially believed. O ye fools, when will ye understand that the preaching of justification by faith alone ; the allowing no meritorious \ wise of justification, but the death and righteousness of Christ ; and 150 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Aug. 1739.