Wesley Corpus

I had appointed to preach in Stroud at noon. But, about ten, observing it to rain faster and faster, was afraid the poor people would not be able to come, many of whom lived some miles off. But in a quarter of an hour the rain ceased, and we had a fair, pleasant day; so that many were at the market place, while I applied the story of the Pharisee and Publican ; the hard rain in the morning having disengaged them from their work in the grounds. There would probably have been more disturbance, but that a drunken man began too soon, and was so senselessly impertinent, that even his comrades were quite ashamed of him. In the evening I preached on Hampton Common. Many of Mr. Whitefield’s society were there; to whorn, as well as to all the other sinners (without meddling with any of their opinions,) I declared in the name of the great Physician, ‘I will heal their backsliding ; I will love them freely.”