Wesley Corpus

About noon I preached at Alpraham, to an unusually large congregation. I was surprised, when I came to Chester, to find that there also morning preaching was quite left off, for this worthy reason: "Because the people will not come, or, at least, not in the winter." If so, the Methodists are a fallen people. Here is proof. They have "lost their first love;" and they never will or can recover it, till they "do the first works." As soon as I set foot in Georgia, I began preaching at five in the morning; and every communicant, that is, every serious person in the town, constantly attended throughout the year: I mean, came every morning, winter and summer, unless in the case of sickness. They did so till I left the province. In the year 1738, when God began his great work in England, I began preaching at the same hour, winter and summer, and never wanted a congregation. If they will not attend now, they have lost their zeal; and then, it cannot be denied, they are a fallen people. And, in the mean time, we are labouring to secure the preaching-houses to the next generation . In the name of God, let us, if possible, secure the present generation from drawing back to perdition Let all the Preachers that are still alive to God join together as one man, fast and pray, lift up their voice as a trumpet, be instant in season, out of season, to convince them they are fallen; and exhort them instantly to "repent, and do the first works:" This in particular, rising in the morning, without which neither their souls nor bodies can long remain in health. I crossed over the water to Liverpool. Here I found a people much alive to God; one cause of which was, that they have preaching several mornings in a week, and prayer-meetings on the rest; all of which they are careful to attend. On Good-Friday, APRIL 9, I went to Warrington. In the morning I read Prayers, preached, and administered the Lord's Supper, to a serious congregation. I preached at 270 REv. J. WESLEY's April, 1784. five again, and believe few were present who did not feel that God was there of a truth. Sat.