Wesley Corpus

Are the societies in general more dead, or more alive to God, than they were some years ago ? " The almost universal answer [Aug. 1777. was, " Ifwe must know them by their fruits, there is no decay in the work of God, among the people in general. The societies are not dead to God: They are as much alive as they have been for many years. And we look onthis report as a mere device of Satan, to make our hands hang down." "But how can this question be decided ?" You, and you, can judge no farther thanyou see. You cannotjudge of one part by another ; of the people of London, suppose,by those of Bristol. And none but myself has an opportunity of seeing them throughout the three kingdoms. But to come to a short issue. Inmost places, the Methodists are still a poor, despised people, labouring under reproach, and many inconveniences ; therefore, wherever the power of Godis not, they decrease. By this, then, you may form a surejudgment. Do the Methodists in general decrease in number ? Then they decrease in grace ; they are a fallen, or, at least, a falling people. But theydonot decrease in number ; they con- tinually increase : Therefore, they are not a fallen people. The Conference concluded on Friday, as it began, in much love. But there was one jarring string : John Hilton told us, he must withdraw from our Connexion, because he saw the Methodists were a fallen people. Some would have reasoned with him, but it was lost labour ; so we let him go in peace. Mon. 11.-I returned to London. Thursday, 14. I drew up proposals for the " Arminian Magazine." Friday, 15. The Committee for the buildingmet, which is now readyfor the roof. Hitherto God has helped us ! Sun. 17.-In the calm, fair evening, I took the opportunity to preach in Moorfields. The congregation was at least as large as I ever saw there. As yet I do not see any sign ofthe decay of the work ofGod in England. Mon. 18. I went down to Bristol again, and read in the way Dr. M'Bride's " Practice of Physic." Undoubtedly it is an ingenious book ; yet it did not answer my expectation. Several things I could contradictfrom my own experience ; e. g., he says,