Wesley Corpus

I shall set them down naked and unadorned: 1 . 'May 13, 1740. The devil stirred up his servants to make all the noise they could.' 2. 'May 3, 1741. I explained to a vast multitude of people, " What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God " The devil's children fought valiantly for their master, that his kingdom should not be destroyed; and many stones fell on my right hand and my left.' 3. 'April 1, 1740. Some or other of the children of Belial had laboured to disturb us several nights before. Now all the street was filled with people shouting, cursing, swearing, and ready to swallow the ground with rage.' (Page 120.) 4. 'June 27, 1747. I found only one person among them who knew the love of God before my brother came. No wonder the devil was so still; for his goods were in peace.' 5. 'April 29, 1752. I preached at Durham to a quiet, stupid congregation.' (Page 121.) 6. 'May 9, 1740. I was a little surprised at some who were buffeted of Satan in an unusual manner by such a spirit of laughter as they could in no wise resist. I could scarce have believed the account they gave me had I not known the same thing ten or eleven years ago, when both my brother and I were seized in the same manner.' If any man call this hysterics, I am not concerned; I think and let think. 7. 'May 21, 1740. In the evening such a spirit of laughter was among us that many were much offended. But the attention of all was soon fixed on poor Lucretia Smith, whom we all knew to be no dissembler. One so violently and variously torn of the evil one did I never see before. Sometimes she laughed till almost strangled: then broke out into cursing and blaspheming. At last she faintly called on Christ to help her, and the violence of her pangs ceased.' Let any who please impute this likewise to hysterics; only permit me to think otherwise. 8. 'May 17, 1740. I found more and more undeniable proofs that we have need to watch and pray every moment.