Wesley Corpus

“The following week, grievous threatenings were given out, of what we should suffer, if we met again. On Friday, 9, a gentleman sent for me, and told me he would hire a mob to pull the house down; for we were the most disturbing dogs in the nation. I said, ‘Sir, if there be a disturbance now, it will lie at yourdoor. A few of us intend to meet on Sunday, after sermon, to encourage one another in serving God. You say, if we do, you will have the house pulled down: and then you will say we have made the disturbance.’ He said he would send for me another time, and have an hour’s discourse with me. “On Sunday, the man at whose house we were to meet, was warned by his landlady not to receive us; for if he did, the horse would surely be pulled down. However, he did receive us. A great many people coming about the house, he told them, if they had a mind, they might come in; so they came in, as many as the house would hold. I told them all, the design of our meeting. Then we prayed, and I read the first chapter of St James, and spoke a little on those words, ‘If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.’ And two more of our brethren testified, by their own experience, that he is a God of truth. They stood as dumb men, till we had done, nor did one afterward open his mouth against us. “From this time we have been threatened more and more, especially by the gentry, who say they will send us all for soldiers. Nevertheless, on Sunday, 18, we had a quiet and comfortable meeting. We considered the third chapter of the First Epistle of St. Peter, which was the Evening lesson for the day. We were thankful for the record that is there left us ef the treatment we are to meet with. And we are all much humbled, that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Christ.