Wesley Corpus

About nine I preached at Mount-Sorrel ; and though it was the fair-day, I saw not one drunken person in the congregation. It rained most of the way to Leicester, and some were afraid there would be no congregation. Vain fear! The House was extremely crowded with deeply attentivehearers, while I applied our Lord's words to the Centurion, in effect spoken to us also, " As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." In the after- noonwe went on to Hinckley. It rained all the evening : Yet wehadmore hearers than the House could contain; and hardly a trifler among them. A more serious, well-behaved people, I have seldom seen. This evening (I believe before I had done preaching) a remarkable instance of divine justice appeared. Aman in the street was grievously cursing another, and praying God " to blast his eyes." At that instant he was struck blind : So (I suppose) he continues ever since. Tues. 11. The poor, little flock at Coventry have at length procured a neat, convenient Room : Only it is far too small. As many of the people as could get in were all attention. How is the scene changed here also ! I know not but now the Corpora- tion, if it had been proposed, would have given the use of the Town-Hall to me rather than to the dancing-master ! Inthe evening I went on to Birmingham, and found the usual spirit in the congregation. They are much alive to God, and conse- quently increasing in number as well as in grace. Wed. 12.-At noon I preached in the new chapel at De- ritend. To build one here, was an act of mercy indeed; as the church would not containa fifth, perhaps not a tenth, ofthe inhabitants. At six I preached in our chapel at Birmingham, and immediately after took coach to London. Thur. 13.-We reached the town at two, and settled all our business on this and the two following days. Sunday, 15. My heart was greatly enlarged in exhorting avery numerous con- gregation to " worship God in spirit and in truth." And we had such a number of communicants as we have not had before, July, 1786.1 since the covenant-night. I suppose fifty, perhaps ahundred ofthem, never communicated before. In the afternoon I buried the remains of Thomas Parkinson, (who died suddenly two or