Wesley Corpus

To James Hutton Date: BRISTOL, May 28, 1739. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1739) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR BRETHERN,--On Sunday, the 13th, I began expounding the 13th of the First of Corinthians at the Bowling Green. [On Saturdays and Sundays Wesley preached a course of sermons on Charity at the Bowling Green (where All Saints and Wellington Streets now stand). See entries in Diary; and next letter.] About six thousand were present. More than half that number were at Hanharn Mount, to whom I explained ‘the promise by faith of Jesus Christ’; as I did to about six thousand at Rose Green after I came from Clifton, where it pleased our good God to give me a strong mouth in speaking on those words, ‘He that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whoso drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water which I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ Monday, 14th, about five thousand were at the Brickyard, whom I exhorted to be ‘as little children.’ Three mourners were comforted this evening, as was one the night before. Mrs. Labbe (educated as an Anabaptist) was baptized the next day and filled with the Holy .Ghost. At three in the afternoon I preached at Two-Mile-Hill on those words of Isaiah (upon which the book opened) [Here a line is left blank in the letter.] .... Afterwards we went to look out a proper place for the school, and at last pitched on one between the London and Bath Roads. Soon after five I began expounding at the Back Lane on the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees; but, the house being too small, I stood in a little garden at one end of the lane, so that all who were in the lane or at the windows or on the adjoining walls (about a thousand) could hear well. The power of God fell on several of those that heard, one or two of whom were soon comforted; as were three others at the Society in Baldwin Street. About ten, two that had before been comforted, but were in heaviness again, came to Mrs. Grevil. We prayed, and they were again filled with peace and joy in believing.