Wesley Corpus

So at eight I preached in the Room again, purposing to preach in the street at noon; but Mr. Goodday sent me word, he was taken ill in the night, and begged I would supply his church: So atten I began reading Prayers, though I was so exceeding weak that my voice could scarce be heard; but as I went on, I grew stronger; and before I had half done preaching I suppose all in the church could hear. The wind drove us into the House at Newcastle likewise; that is, as many as the House would contain; but great numbers were constrained to stand in the yard: However, I suppose all could hear; for my weakness was entirely gone while I was enforcing those important words, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." I rode to Barnard-Castle, and preached in the evening, but to such a congregation, not only with respect to number, but to seriousness and composure, as I never saw there before. I intended, after preaching, to meet the society; but the bulk of the people were so eager to hear more, that I could not forbear letting in almost as many as the Room' would hold; and it was a day of God's power: They all seemed to take the kingdom by violence, while they besieged Heaven with vehement prayer. So deep and general was the impression now 136 REv. J. weslEY's June, 1763. made upon the people, that even at five in the morning I was obliged to preach abroad, by the numbers who flocked to hear, although the northerly wind made the air exceeding sharp. A little after preaching, one came to me who believed God had just set her soul at full liberty. She had been clearly justified long before; but said, the change she now experienced was extremely different from what she experienced then; as different as the noon-day light from that of day-break: That she now felt her soul all love, and quite swallowed up in God. Now suppose, ten weeks or ten months hence, this person should be cold or dead, shall I say, "She deceived herself; this was merely the work of her own imagination?" Not at all. I have no right so to judge, nor authority so to speak.