Wesley Corpus

The poor American, though not pretending to be a Christian, knew better than this. When the Indian was asked, " Why do July, 1781.1 JOURNAL. 211 you think the beloved ones take care of you ?" he answered, "When I was in the battle, the bullet went on this side, and on that side; and this man died, and that man died; and I am alive ! So I know, the beloved ones take care of me." It is true, the doctrine of a particular Providence (and any but a particular Providence is no Providence at all) is absolutely out of fashion in England: And a prudent author might write this to gain the favour ofhis gentle readers. Yet I will not say, this is real prudence ; because he may lose hereby more than hegains; as the majority, even of Britons, to this day, retain some sort of respect for the Bible. If it was worth while to mention a little thing, after things of so much greater importance, I would add, I was surprised that so sensible a writer, in enumerating so many reasons, why it is so much colder in the southern hemisphere than it is in the northern; why it is colder, for instance, at forty degrees south, than at fifty north latitude ; should forget the main, the primary reason, namely, the greater distance of the sun ! For is it not well known, that the sun (to speak with the vulgar) is longer on the north side the line than the south ? that he is longer in the six northern signs than the southern, so that there is a dif- ference (says Gravesande) ofnine days ? Now, if the northern hemisphere be obverted to the sun longer than the southern, does not this necessarily imply that the northern hemisphere will be warmer than the southern? And is not this the primary reason of its being so ? Sat. 7-. I designed to go from hence to Boston ; but a mes- sage from Mr. Pugh, desiring me to preach in his church on Sunday, mademe alter my design. So, procuring a guide, I set out for Rauceby. We rode through Tattershall, where there are large remains of a stately castle ; and there was in the chan- cel of the old church, the finest painted glass (so it was