Wesley Corpus

We now gave up our hopes of reaching Grantham, the snow falling faster and faster. However, we took the advantage of a fair blast to. set out, and made the best of our way to Stamford Heath. But here a new difficulty arose, from the snow lying in large drifts. Sometimes horse and man were well nigh swallowed up. Yet in less than an hour _ we were brought safe to Stamford. Being willing to get as far as we could, we made but a short stop here; and about sunset came, cold and weary, yet well, to a little town called Brig Casterton. Wed. 18.--Our servant came up and said, “ Sir, there is no travelling to-day. Such a quantity of snow has fallen in the night, that the roads are quite filled up.” I told him, “ At least we can walk twenty miles a day, with our horses in our hands.” So in the name of God we set out. The north-east wind was piercing as a sword, and had driven the snow into such uneven heaps, that the main road was unpassable. However, we kept on, afoot or on horseback, till we came to the White Lion at Grantham. Some from Grimsby had appointed to meet us here ; but not hearing any thing of them, (for they were at another house, by mistake,) after an hour’s rest, we set out straight for Epworth. On the road we overtook a clergyman and his servant; but the toothache quite shut my mouth. We reached Newark about five. Soon after we were set down,. another clergyman came and inquired for our fellow traveller. It was not long before we engaged in close conversation. He told me, some of our preachers had frequently preached in his parish; and his judgment was, 1. That their preaching at Hunslet had done some good, but more harm. Because, 2. Those who attended it had only turned from one wickedness to another ; they had only exchanged Sabbath breaking, swearing, or drunkenness, for slandering, backbiting, and evil speaking; and, 3. Those who did not attend it were provoked hereby to return evil for evil: so that the former were, in effect, no better; and the latter worse than before.