Wesley Corpus

From him I went to Baptist Mills, where about two thousand persons stayed, notwithstanding several showers. I testified to them the holiness and happiness of true believers from those words of St. Peter, ‘Him hath God exalted . . . to give unto Israel repentance and remission of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that believe Him.’ Returning to John Haydon, we found his body quite worn out and his voice lost; but his soul was in peace, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, and full of love and the Holy Ghost. [See Journal, ii. 189.] The female bands meeting at seven, and a young woman complaining of blasphemous thoughts and an inability to pray, we began praying for her, during which another young woman (Miss [Elizabeth] Cutler) fell into a strong agony, and received power in a few minutes to cry out, ‘My Lord and my God!’ The next day I visited Anthony Purver [See previous letter.] (a Quaker) at Frenchay; with whom was a Dutchman, lately arrived from Ireland, who I verily think is full of the Spirit and breathes nothing but Jesus Christ. On Friday evening at Gloucester Lane Society a woman [Mrs. England.] received remission of sins. Saturday, 5th, six Quakers, three from Ireland, one from the North, and two from Frenchay, met six of us by appointment. We prayed together, and our hearts were much enlarged towards one another. At four (being forbid to preach any more at the Poorhouse) I preached at the Bowling Green to about two thousand on those words (at the request of an unknown friend), 'Be still, and know that I am God.' Sunday, 6th, I preached in the Bowling Green to about seven thousand on Matthew xviii. 3; on Hanham Mount to about three thousand on Galatians iii. 22 (after a young woman had received remission of sins); at Clifton to a church full and many hundred in the churchyard on Christ our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and at Rose Green to about five thousand on ‘The scripture hath concluded all under sin, &c.’ O my dear, dear brethren, pray that, when I have preached to others, I may not myself be a castaway!