Wesley Corpus

I found my brother (to supply whose absence I came) had been in Wales for some days. The next morning I inquired particularly into the state of the little flock. In the afternoon we met together to pour out our souls before God, and beseech him to bring back into the way those who had erred from his commandments. I spent the rest of the week in speaking with as many as I could, either comforting the feebleminded, or confirming the wavering, or endeavouring to find and save that which was lost. Sun. 16.--After communicating at St. James’s, our parish church, with a numerous congregation, I visited several of the sick. Most of them were ill of the spotted fever ; which, they informed me, had been extremely mortal; few persons recovering from it. But God had said, “Hitherto shalt thou come.” I believe there was not one with whom we were, but recovered. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I visited many more, partly of those that were sick or weak, partly of “the lame” that had been “turned out of the way;” having a confidence in God, that he would yet return unto every one of these, and leave a blessing behind him. Thur. 20.--My brother returned from Wales. So, early on Friday, 21, I left Bristol, and on Saturday, in the afternoon, came safe to London. Tues. 25.--After several methods proposed for employing those who were out of business, we determined to make a trial of one which several of our brethren recommended to us. Our aim was, with as little expense as possible, to keep them at once from want and from idleness ; in order to which, we took twelve of the poorest, and a teacher, into the society room, where they were employed for four months, till spring came on, in carding and spinning of cotton: and the design answered: they were employed and maintained with very little more than the produce of their own labour.