Wesley Corpus

I had now determined, if it should please God, to spend some time in Bristol. But quite contrary to my expectation, I was called away, in a manner I could not resist. A young man, who had no thoughts of religion, had come to Bristoi, a few months before. One of his acquaintance brought him to me; he approved of what he heard, and fc 1 while behaved well; but soon after, his seriousness wore off; he ee hl eS ee Feb. 1740. | REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 177, returned to London, and fell in with his old acquaintance: by some of these he was induced to commit a robbery on the highway ; for which he was apprehended, tried, and condemned. He had now a strong desire to speak with me ; and some of his words (ina letter to his friend) were, “I adjure him, by the living God, that he come and see me before I go hence.” Fri. Feb. 1.--I set out, and on Sunday, 3, declared the grace of God at Newbury, from those words of the prophet, “ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.”? And though the church was full of (chiefly) genteel, well-dressed people, they behaved as if they knew God was there. Mon. 4.--I came to Reading, and met with a few still hungering and thirsting after righteousness. A few more I found at Windsor in the evening. The next afternoon I reached London. Wed. 6.--I went to the poor young man who lay under sentence of death. Of a truth God has begun a good work in his soul. O may it-be brought to perfection! I think it was the next time I was there, that the ordinary of Newgate came to me, and with much vehemence told me, he was sorry I should turn Dissenter from the Church of England. I told him, if it was so, I did not know it: at which he seemed a little surprised ; and offered at something by way of proof, but which needed not a reply. Our twentieth Article defines a true church, “a congregation of faithful people, wherein the true word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered.” According to this account, the Church _ of England is that body of faithful people, (or holy believers,) in Eng-