Wesley Corpus

“Your unworthy son in the Gospel, * Joun Hacur.” Ye who loved and profited by this man of God, when he was alive, hear what, “ being dead,” he “ yet speaketh.” Tues. 10.--My brother returned from the north, and I prepared to supply his place there. Sunday, 15.--I was very weak and faint ; but on Monday, 16, I rose soon after three, lively and strong, and found all my complaints were fled away like a dream. I was wondering, the day before, at the mildness of the weather; such as seldom attends me in my journeys. But my wonder now ceased: the wind was turned full north, and blew so exceeding hard and keen, that when we came to Hatfield, neither my companions nor I had much use of our hands or feet. After resting an hour, we bore up again, through the wind and snow, which drove full in our faces. But this was only a squall. In Baldock-field the storm began in earnest. The large hail drove so Mey Oe ae ee 388 REV. J WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Feb 1747 vehemently in our faces, that we could not see nor hardly breathe. However, before two o’clock we reached Baldock, where one met and conducted us safe to Potten. About six I preached to a serious congregation. Tuesday, 17.--We set out as soon as it was well light ; but it was really hard work to get forward ; for the frost would not well bear or break : and the untracked snow, covering all the roads, we had much ado to keep our horses on their feet. Meantime the wind rose higher and higher, till it was ready to overturn both man and beast. However, after a short bait at Bugden, we pushed on, and were met in the middle of an open field with so violent a storm of rain and hail, as we had not had before. It drove through our coats, great and smal], boots and every thing, and yet froze as it fell, even upon our eyebrows ; so that we had scarce either strength or motion left, when we came into our inn at Stilton.