Wesley Corpus

To James Hutton Date: BRISTOL. April 26, 1739. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1739) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR BRETHREN,--On Sunday evening, the 15th, the women had their first lovefeast. On Monday about three thousand were at the Brickyard. In the evening the brother of the person who owns it told me 'his brother did not care I should be there any more, and desired me to look out for some other place.' There was much power at the Society this night. Tuesday, 17th, at three in the afternoon, eleven unmarried women met at Mrs. Grevil's, [The sister of the Rev. George Whitefield. She lived in Wine Street, Bristol, and John Wesley lodged there for some weeks on his coming to the city.] and desired three others might be admitted among them. They were then divided into three bands. The same day we were with the two prisoners who are under sentence of death, the younger of whom seemed much awakened. At five I was at a Society where I had not been before. The upper room in which we were was propped beneath; but the weight of people made the floor give way, so that in the beginning of the expounding the post which propped it fell down with much noise. However, we stayed together till seven. I then went to Baldwin Street Society, where it was much impressed upon me to claim the promise of the Father for some that heard it, if the doctrine was of God. A young woman (named Cornish) was the first who felt that our prayer was heard, being after a short agony fully set at liberty; the next was another young woman (Eliz. Holder); the third was one Jane Worlock; the last (a stranger in Bristol), John Ellis, was so filled with the Holy Ghost that he scarce knew whether he was in the body or out of the body. He is now gone home to declare the marvelous works of the Lord. Behold how He giveth us above what we can ask or think! When Miss Cornish began to be in pain, we asked God to give us a living witness that signs and wonders were now wrought by the name of His holy child Jesus. We asked for one, and He hath given us four.