Wesley Corpus

Sun. May 4.--We left London in the evening, and on Tuesday came to Bristol. Jon. 12.--TI dined with a gentleman who is fully persuaded, that there is no such thing as either virtue or happiness upon earth: ““ Having found,” he said, “ by repeated experiments, that, notwithstanding a thousand fair appearances, every man living was, at the bottom, wholly selfish, and truly miserable.” I should not wonder, if every rational Deist were of the same mind. Nay, they must, if consistent with themselves. For it is sure, all men are both miserable and selfish, whatever show they may make, who have not faith; even that “evidence of things not seen,” the very being whereof they question. Thur. 15.--I preached at Bath; and setting out at three the next morning, in the evening came to Blewbury. In riding, I read Dr. H.’s “ Lectures on the First Chapters of St. Matthew.” Are they not more strange than true? Here are the first elements of the Gospel of the Mystics! But is this the Gospel of Christ? I preached in the evening, on Rom. i, 16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ : for it is the powex of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth ;” and. setting out early in the morning, Saturday, 17, in the evening came to London. Mon. 19.--I saw an amazing instance of distress. A sensible young woman, (no Methodist,) constantly attending her church, had all her life long believed herself to be a right, good Christian. And in this persuasion she continued during a violent fever, till the physician told her brother, she must die; on which she cried out, “So my brother and you are going to heaven, and I am going to hell.” Her brother said, from tnat hour she was in the agony of despair, saying she was in hell already, she felt the flames ; the devil had her soul and body, and was now tearing her in pieces. If she swallowed any thing, she cried June, 1746. | REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 369