Wesley Corpus

To Mrs. Rogers Date: LONDON, October 12, 1787. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1787) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR HETTY, -- I do not doubt but your calling at Dublin would be in an acceptable time, especially as Rowland Hill was there. Jemmy Rogers did exceedingly well in advising our people to go to their own church. [Rogers had moved from Dublin to Cork. They spent a week in Dublin on their return from the Manchester Conference.] After we left you at Manchester we pushed on and in all haste set out for the Isle of Jersey. But a storm drove us into Yarmouth, in the Isle of Wight. There Dr. Coke and I preached in the market-place by turns two evenings and two mornings. A second storm drove us to the Isle of Purbeck,. just where the Indiaman was lost. There I had an opportunity of preaching to a little Society, which I had not seen for thirteen years. We hoped to reach Guernsey the next evening, but could get no further than the Isle of Alderney. I preached on the beach in the morning, and the next afternoon came safe to Guernsey. Here is an open door: high and low, rich and poor receive the word gladly; so that I could not regret being detained by contrary winds several days longer than we intended. The same thing befell us in the Isle of Jersey, where also there was an open door, even the Governor and the chief of the people being quite civil and friendly. Jane Bisson [See letter of Aug. 4.] I saw every day. She is nineteen years old, about the size of Miss Ritchie, and has a peculiar mixture of seriousness, sprightliness, and sweetness, both in her looks and behavior. Wherever we were she was the servant of all. I think she exceeds Madame Guyon in deep communion with God. I hope you will see a revival in Cork also. See that you take particular care of the tender lambs, not forgetting poor Patty Laffan. Peace be with all your spirits! -- I am, with kind love to James Rogers, my dear Hetty, Yours most affectionately.