Wesley Corpus

Tues. '7.--Finding the people about Dent’s Hole were grown dead and cold, I preached there at twelve o’clock ; if haply it might please God yet again to breathe on the dry bones that they might live. Wed. 8. --I found the congregation at Blanchland abundantly increased. [f preached in the evening at Spen, and the next day, at noon, to a serious congregation at Winlinton Mills: a gentleman who had talked of making a disturbance, finding not one man to second him. Fri. 10.--Having settled all the societies in the country, I began examining that of Newcastle again. It was my particular concern, to remove, if possible, every hinderance of brotherly love. And one odd one I found creeping in upon us, which had already occasioned much evil: namely, a fancy, that we must not justify ourselves. (Some of the spawn of Mystic divinity.) Just contrary to the scriptural injunction, “‘ Be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in you.” For want of doing this in time, some offences were now grown incurable. I founa it needful, therefore, to tear up this by the roots; to explain this duty from the foundation, and to require all who desired to remain with us to justify themselves, whenever they were blamed unjustly; and not to swallow up both peace and love in their voluntary humility. Sat. 11.--I preached at Biddick at noon; at Pictery, (two miles west of Biddick,) by Mr. M.’s invitation, in the afternoon ; and in the even ing at Newcastle. Sun. 12.--I preached at Gateshead in the morning ; at Swalwell about two; and at the Room in the evening. I scarce ever heard so fine a defence of a weak cause, as was Mr. S.’s sermon in the morning ; wherein he laboured much to prove the unlawfulness of laymen’s preaching; but with such tenderness and good nature, that 1 almost wished the sermon were printed, for a pattern to all polemicai writers.