Wesley Corpus

“J preached at Rahew likewise the week after you was there. The man of the house had fetched his mother from a considerable distance ; she had never heard a Methodist preacher before. She was soon cut to the heart, and cried out aloud. One behind her bid her fall upon her knees, which she presently did, and the whole house was as in one cry. I broke off my discourse, and began to pray, which I continued till I was so spent I could hardly speak. I went out to take a little breath, and came in again. She was crying out, ‘I am dropping, dropping into hell; its mouth is open, ready to swallow me up.’ I went to prayer again; and before we had done, God spoke peace to her soul. She was filled with joy unspeakable, and could but just say, ‘I am in a new world! I am in a new world!’ “From the whole, I cannot but observe two things: 1. What a blessing it is, when any who finds that peace, declares it openly before all the people, that we may break off and praise God. If this was always done, it would be good for many souls. The first that found it on Sunday evening, spoke before all; and we praised God. The moment she spoke, another, and then another, found peace; and each of them spoke aloud, and made the fire run through the whole congregation. I would observe, 2. The woman at Rahew had never before seen any one in the like trouble. Therefore she could not cry out because she had heard others do it; but because she could not help it; because she felt the word of God ‘sharper than a two-edged sword :’ and, generally, the sharper the convictions are, the sooner they are over. “This is from your son in the Gospel, Tp Tues. August 1.--I spent a solemn hour with our children at Kingswood. After having settled all things there and at Bristol, I returned to l.ondon, where I received a remarkable account from Cork. On August 19, twenty-eight depositions were laid before the grand jury there, but they threw them all out; and at the same time made that memorable presentment, which is worthy to be preserved in the annals of Ireland, to al! succeeding generations :--- Journal I,--380