Wesley Corpus

Sat. 26.--I preached at Burtley, a village four miles south of Newcastle, surrounded by colliers on every side. The greater part of the congregation earnestly attended to those solemn words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor.” Mon. 28.--I was astonished to find it was real fact (what I would not believe before) that three of the dissenting ministers (Mr. A--rs, Mr. A--ns, and Mr. B ) had agreed together, to exclude all those from the holy communion, who would not refrain from hearing us. Mr. A--ns publicly affirmed, we were all Papists, and our doctrine was mere Popery. And Mr. B » In the conclusion of a course of sermons, which he preached professedly against us, went a step further still: for after he had confessed, “* Many texts in the Bible are for them,” he added, “ But you ought not to mind these texts; for the Papists have put them in.” Wed. 30.--While I was reasoning (from the twenty-fourth chapter of the Acts) on “ righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,” God constrained many of the stout-hearted sinners to tremble. O that they may not put him off to “¢a more convenient season !” April 1.--(Being Good Friday,) I had a great desire to visit a little village called Placey, about ten measured miles north of Newcastle. It is inhabited by colliers only, and such as had been always in the first rank for savage ignorance and wickedness of every kind. Their grand assembly used to be on the Lord’s day; on which men, women, and children met together, to dance, fight, curse and swear, and play at chuck, ball, span-farthing, or whatever came next to hand. I felt great compassion for these poor creatures, from the time I heard of them first; and the more, because all men seemed to despair of them. Between seven and eight I set out with John Heally, my guide. The north wind being unusually high, drove the sleet in our face, which roze as it fell, and cased us over presently. When we came to Placey, e could very hardly stand As soon as we were a little recovered, I 284 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [ April, 1743.