Wesley Corpus

the former part of Rev. xiv. I came to Epworth before the church Service began ; and was glad to observe the seriousness with which Mr. Gibson read Prayers, andpreachedaplain useful : sermon ; but was sorry to see scarce twenty communicants, half ofwhom came on my account. I was informed likewise, that scarce fifty persons used to attend the Sunday service. What can be done to remedy this sore evil ? } Ifain would prevent the members here from leaving the church ; but I cannot do it. As Mr. G. is not a pious man, but rather an enemy to piety, who frequently preaches against the truth, and those that hold and love it, I cannot with allmy influence persuade them either to hear him, or to attend the sacrament administered by him. If I cannot carry this point even while I live, who then can do it when I die? And the i case ofEpworth is the case of every church, where the Minister neither loves nor preaches the Gospel. The Methodists will not attend his ministrations. What then is to be done ? At four I preached in the market-place, on Rom. vi. 23 ; and vehemently exhorted i the listening multitude to choose the bet- terpart. Mon. 7.-Having taken leave of this affectionate people, proJuly, 1788. ] bably for the last time, I went over to Finningley ; and preached at eleven, on that verse in the Second Lesson, Luke xix. 42. After dinnerwewalked over Mr. H.'s domain, the like to which I never saw in so small a compass. It contains a rabbit-warren, deer, swans, pheasants in abundance, besides a fish-pond and an elegant garden. Variety indeed ! But is there no danger that such amultitude of things should divert the mind from the " one thing needful ?” In the evening I preached at Doncaster. I never before saw this House so filled, much less crowded ; and it was, in aman- ner I never knew before, filled with the presence of God, while I earnestly enforced that advice, "Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace." One fruit of this was, that the congre- gation at five in the morning was larger than it ever was before in the evening ; and God again made bare his arm, and uttered