Wesley Corpus

To his Brother Charles Date: BRISTOL, November 7, 1741. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1741) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR BROTHER, -- All last week I found hanging upon me the effects of a violent cold I had contracted in Wales; not, I think (as Mr. Turner and Walcam supposed), by lying in a damp bed at St. Bride's, but rather by riding continually in the cold and wet nights and preaching immediately after. But I believed it would pass off, and so took little notice of it till Friday morning. I then found myself exceeding sick, and as I walked to Baptist Mills (to pray with Susanna Basil, who was ill of a fever) felt the wind pierce me, as it were, through. At my return I found myself something better; only I could not eat anything at all. Yet I felt no want of strength at the hour of intercession, nor at six in the evening, whilie I was opening and applying those words, 'Sun, stand thou still in Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon.' I was afterwards refreshed, and slept well; so that I apprehended no farther disorder, but rose in the morning as usual, and declared, with a strong voice and enlarged heart, ‘Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love.' About two in the afternoon, just as I was set down to dinner, a shivering came upon me and a little pain in my back, but no sickness at all, so that I ate a little; and then, growing warm, went to see some that were sick. Finding myself worse about four, I would willingly have lain down. But having promised to see Mrs. Grevil, who had been out of order for some days, I went thither first, and thence to Weavers’ Hall. A man gave me a token for good as I went along: ‘Aye,’ said he, ‘he will be a martyr too by-and-by.’ The scripture I enforced was, ‘My little children, these things I write unto you that ye sin not. But if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ I found no want either of inward or outward strength. But afterwards finding my fever increased, I called on Dr. Middleton.