Wesley Corpus

APRIL 1. I went on to Macclesfield. That evening I preached in the House; but it being far too small, on Tuesday, 2, I preached on the Green, near Mr. Ryle's door. There are no mockers here, and scarce an inattentive hearer. So mightily has the word of God prevailed ! -Having climbed over the mountains, I preached at the New-Mills, in Derbyshire. The people here are quite earnest and artless, there being no public worship in the town but at our chapel: So that they go straight forward, knowing nothing of various opinions, and minding nothing but to be Bible-Christians.- I began an answer to that dangerous Tract, Dr. Price's "Observations upon Liberty;" which, if practised, would overturn all government, and bring in universal anarchy. On Easter-Day the preaching-house at Manchester contained the congregation pretty well at seven in the morning; but in the afternoon I was obliged to be abroad, thousands upon thou sands flocking together. I stood in a convenient place, almost over against the Infirmary, and exhorted a listening multitude to "live unto Him who died for them and rose again." I came to Chester, and had the satisfaction to find an earnest, loving, well-established people. -In the evening, the House at Liverpool was well filled with people of all ranks. -I visited one formerly a Captain, now a dying sin ner. His eyes spoke the agony of his soul; his tongue hav ing well nigh forgot its office. With great efforts he could but just say, "I want Jesus Christ l" The next day he could not utter a word; but if he could not speak, God could hear. April, 1776. JOURNAL. 71 -About noon I preached in the new House at Wigan, to a very quiet and very dull congregation. But con sidering what the town was some years ago, wicked even to a proverb, we may well say, God hath done great things already. And we hope to see greater things than these. In the even ing I was obliged to preach abroad at Bolton, though the air was cold, and the ground wet. Tuesday, 16. I preached about noon at Chowbent, once the roughest place in all the neighbourhood. But there is not the least trace of it remaining: Such is the fruit of the genuine Gospel. As we were considering in the afternoon what we should do.