Wesley Corpus

On Monday, 24, and the following days, I met the classes at Bristol, andwas not a little surprised to find that the society is still decreasing. Certainly we have all need to stir up the gift ofGod that is in us, and with all possible care to " strengthen the things that remain." Thur. 27. I preached atBath andBradford; and onFriday, at Trowbridge. How long did we toil here and take nothing ! Fri- At length, it seems, the answer ofmany prayers is come. day, 28. About noon I preached at Keynsham ; and not without hopes ofdoing good even here. Since Miss Owen has removed from Publow , Miss Bishop has set up a school here ; and it is worthy to be called a Christian school. It is what the school at Publow was ! Sat. 29. I spent an hour with Mr. Henderson at Hannam, and particularly inquired into his whole method ; and I am persuaded there is not such another house for lunatics in the threekingdoms . He has a peculiar art ofgoverning his patients ; not by fear, but by love. The consequence is, many of them speedily recover, and love him ever after. Thur. OCTOBER 4.-I was importuned to preach the con- demned sermon at Bristol. I did so, though with little hope of doing good; the criminals being eminently impenitent. Yet they were, for the present, melted into tears ; and they were not out of God's reach . Sun. 7-. I took my leave of the congregation in the new [Oct. 1781. Square, in a calm, delightful evening. Monday, 8. I preached at the Devizes about eleven ; at Sarum in the evening. Tues. 9.-I preached at Winchester, where I went with great expectation to see that celebrated painting in the cathe- dral, the raising of Lazarus. But I was disappointed. I observed, 1. There wassuch a huddle of figures, that, had I not been told, I should not ever have guessed what they meant. 2. The colours in general were far too glaring, such as neither Christ nor his followers ever wore . When will painters have common sense ? Wed. 10. I opened the new preaching-house just finished at Newport in the Isle of Wight. After preaching, I explained the nature of a Methodist society ; ofwhich few had before the