Wesley Corpus

5. Now, let candid men judge, does humility require me to deny a notorious fact If not, which is vanity to say I by my own skill restored this man to health, or to say God did it by His own almighty power By what figure of speech this is called boasting I know not. But I will put no name to such a fact as this. I leave that to the Rev. Dr. Middleton. [See letter of May 27, 1749.] . 6. In five months medicines were occasionally given to above five hundred persons. Several of these I never saw before; for I did not regard whether they were of the Society or not. In that time seventy-one of these, regularly taking their medicines and following the regimen prescribed (which three in four would not do), were entirely cured of distempers long thought to be incurable. The whole expense of medicines during this time was nearly forty pounds. We continued this ever since, and by the blessing of God with more and more success. XIII. 1. But I had for some years observed many who, although not sick, were not able to provide for themselves, and had none who took care to provide for them: these were chiefly feeble, aged widows. I consulted with the Stewards how they might be relieved. They all agreed, if we could keep them in one house, it would not only be far less expensive to us, but also far more comfortable for them. Indeed, we had no money to begin; but we believed He would provide 'who defendeth the cause of the widow: so we took a lease of two little houses near; we fitted them up, so as to be warm and clean. We took in as many widows as we had room for, and provided them with things needful for the body; toward the expense of which I set aside first the weekly contributions of the bands, and then all that was collected at the Lord's Supper. It is true this does not suffice; so that we are considerably in debt on this account also. But we are persuaded it will not always be so, seeing 'the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.'