Wesley Corpus

372 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Aug. 1746 ‘ though he had an estate of forty pounds a year, and a living of near three hundred, of which he has been rector three and forty years.” Wed. 6.--I preached at Oak Hill. How is this? I have not known so many persons earnestly mourning after God, of any society of this size in England, and so unblamable in their behaviour: and yet not one person has found a sense of the pardoning love of God, from the first preaching here to this day! When I mentioned this to the society, there was such a mourning, as one would believe should pierce the clouds. My-voice was quickly drowned. We continued crying to God with many loud and bitter cries, till I was constrained to break away, betwee. four and five, and take horse for Shepton. Here the good curate (I was informed) had hired a silly man, with a few other drunken champions, to make a disturbance. Almostas soon as I began, they began screaming out a psalm ; but our singing quickly swallowed up theirs. Soon after, their orator named a text, and (as they termed it) preached a sermon; his attendants mean time being busy (not in hearing him, but) in throwing stones and dirt at our brethren; those of them, I mean, who were obliged to stand at the door. When T had done preaching, I would have gone out to them; it being my rule, confirmed by long experience, always to look a mob in the face : but our people took me up, whether I would or no, and carried me into the house. The rabble melted away in a quarter of an hour, and we walked home in peace.