Wesley Corpus

and evening : And a few are added to the society. Sun. 23. I preached (after reading Prayers) at ten, at half- hour past two, and in the evening. Very many heard ; I hope Aug. 1780.] 189 somefelt what was spoken. We have sown: O may God give the increase ! Mon. 24.-I went on to Bristol. While I was at Bath, I narrowly observed and considered the celebrated Cartoons ; the three first in particular. What a poor designer was one of the finest painters in the world ! 1. Here are two men in a boat ; each of them more thanhalf as long as the boat itself. 2. Our Lord, saying to Peter, " Feed my sheep," points to three or four sheep standing by him. 3. While Peter and John heal the lame man, two naked boys stand by them. For what ? O pity that so fine a painter should be utterly without common sense ! In the evening I saw one of the greatest curiosities in the vegetable creation,-the Nightly Cereus. About four in the afternoon, the dry stem began to swell; about six, it gradually opened; and about eight, it was in its full glory. I think the inner part of this flower, which was snow-white, was about five inches diameter ; the yellow rays which surrounded it, I judged, were in diameter nine or ten inches. About twelve it began to droop, being covered with a cold sweat ; at four it died away. The people at Bath were still upon my mind: So on Thurs- day, 27, I went over again ; and God was with us of a truth, whenever we assembled together. Surely God is healing the breaches of this poor, shattered people. Sun. 30. Forty or fifty of our Preachers being come, we had asolemn opportunity in the morning. Wehad the most numerous congregation in the afternoon which has been seen here for many years. Andwillnot the Lord be glorified in our reformation, rather than our destruction ? Tues. AUGUST 1.-Our Conference began. We have been always, hitherto, straitened for time. It was now resolved, “ For the future we allow nine or ten days for each Conference ; that every thing, relative to the carrying onof the work ofGod, may be maturely considered." Fri. 4-. I preached on a convenient piece of ground, at one