Wesley Corpus

Mon. 23.--The wind shifting to the south, and blowing hard, in the afternoon the captain seemed under some concern. There was all reason to expect a stormy night; and he despaired of getting into the Bristol Channel ; and knew the danger of beating about, when it was pitch dark, among these rocks and sands. It was much on my mind, ‘They cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress.” I knew not why we should not cry to him as well as they. Immediately the wind came fair, and blew so fresh, that in less than two hours we came into the Bristol Channel. But the danger was not over, About eleven I was waked by a huge, confused noise, and found we were in a vehement squall of wind, thunder, and rain, which brought the sailors to their wit’s end; they could not see across the ship, only just while the lightning was glaring in their eyes. This made them fear running foul, either of the Welsh sands on the one hand, or the rocky shore of Lundy on the other. So they took in the sails, and let us drive. The motion then was wonderful. It blew a storm; and, the wind being contrary to the tide, the sea ran mountain high. The ship had no goods, and little ballast on board; so that it rolled as if it would overset every moment. It was intensely dark, and neither the captain nor any man else knew where we were ; only that we were tossing in a bad, narrow channel, full of shoals, and rocks, aud sands. But does not God hear the prayer? Mr. Hopper and I believed it our duty to make the trial again; and in a very few moments the wind was small, the sea fell, and the clouds dispersed ; so Aug. 1750.] REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 495 we put up a little sail, and went on quietly and slowly till the morning dawned. About nine in the evening we reached the Pill, where I took horse, and rode on to Bristol. :