OF THE

REVEREND JOHN WESLEY, A. M.

SOMETIME FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD.

FIRST COMPLETE AND STANDARD AMERICAN EDITION,

FROM THE LATEST LONDON EDITION

WITH THE LAST CORRECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR:

COMPREHENDING ALSO

NUMEROUS TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES:

BY JOHN EMORY.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOLUME II.

New-York:

PUBLISHED BY CARLTON & PHILLIPS,

200 MULBERRY-STREET.

1856

AN EXTRACT

OF THE

1

REV. MR. JOHN WESLEY'S JOURNAL.

FROM JUNE 17, 1758, TO MAY 5, 1760.

JOURNAL.-No. XI.

SATURDAY. June 17.-I met Thomas Walsh once more in Limerick, alive, and but just alive. Three of the best physicians in these parts have attended him, and all agree that it is a lost case; that by violent straining of his voice, added to frequent colds, he has contracted a pulmonary consumption, which is now in the last stage, and consequently beyond the reach of any human help. O what a man, to be snatched away in the strength of his years! Surely thy judgments are a great deep! Wed. 21.-Our little conference began, at which fourteen preachers were present. We settled all things here, which we judged would be of use to the preachers or the societies, and consulted how to remove whatever might be a hinderance to the work of God.

Fri. 23.-I rode over to Court Mattress, a colony of Germans, whose parents came out of the Palatinate, about fifty years ago. Twenty families of them settled here; twenty more at Killiheen, a mile off; fifty at Balligarane, about two miles eastward, and twenty at Pallas, four miles further. Each family had a few acres of ground, on which they built as many little houses. They are since considerably increased in number of souls, though decreased in number of families. Having no minister, they were become eminent for drunkenness, cursing, swearing, and an utter neglect of religion. But they are washed since they heard and received the truth which is able to save their souls. An oath is now rarely heard among them, or a drunkard seen in their borders. Court Mattress is built in the form of a square, in the middle of which they have placed a pretty large preaching house: but it would not contain one half of the congregation; so I stood in a large yard. wind kept off the rain while I was preaching. As soon as I ended, it began.

The

Sun. 25.-About six I preached in the island in a square, green inclosure, which was formerly Oliver Cromwell's camp. I have not seen such a congregation since we left London. To how much better purpose is this ground employed than it was in the last century!

Thur. 29.-I rode to Clare, and at six preached in the street to many

poor Papists, and rich Protestants, almost all the gentry in the country being assembled together. Thence I went on to Ennis, and at ten the next morning had another genteel congregation in the court house. In Ennis, many suppose there are not less than fifty Papists to one Protestant. They would have been very ready to show their good will; but the sight of Mr. B kept them in awe. A report however was spread of some terrible things they were to do in the evening; and many were surprised to observe, that more than nine in ten of the congregation were Papists: but none spoke an unkind or uncivil word, either while I preached or after I had done.

How unspeakable is the advantage, in point of common sense, which middling people have over the rich! There is so much paint and affectation, so many unmeaning words and senseless customs among people of rank, as fully justify the remark made seventeen hundred years ago,

Rarus enim ferme sensus communis in illâ

Fortunâ.

[For, among that class, common sense is generally scarce.]

Sun. July 2.-I preached in the island near Limerick, both morning and evening, standing on the side of a large hollow, adjoining to the old camp. The ground on the sides of it sloped upward, so that the people sat on the grass, row above row. Such an amphitheatre I never saw before, in which thousands of hearers were so commodiously placed and they seemed earnestly to attend to our Lord's invitation, "Come, for all things are now ready!" I did not then observe that I strained myself; but in the morning I was extremely hoarse. This increased all day, together with a load and stoppage in my breast. On Tuesday morning I began spitting blood, found a pain in my left side, a sensible decay of strength, and a deep wheezing cough, just the symptoms which I had some years since. I immediately applied a brimstone plaster to my side, and used a linctus of roasted lemon and honey. Wednesday, 5. -My side was quite easy, and my hoarseness much abated: so in the evening I made shift to preach again, though not without difficulty. I had purposed preaching the next day at Shronill, about twenty-four English miles from Limerick; and at Clonmell, about the same distance from Shronill; but perceiving my strength would not suffice, and yielding to the advice of my friends, I rested another day.

Thur. 6.-The news of Prince Ferdinand's victory had half turned the heads of most of the Protestants, till they were brought to themselves by news of another kind, which ran through the city as in an instant. One who was well known therein, a great curser and blasphemer, and eminently "without God in the world," went a fishing a little way from his own door, and stood with his angling rod on the edge of the water. Many were looking on, when, his foot slipping, he fell forward and sunk. As help was at hand, he was soon drawn out; but it was too late; there were no remains of life; his soul was gone to give its account.

Fri. 7.-I rode in a chaise to Charleville, and thence on an easy horse to Cork. James Massiot died in peace the morning before, so I was just in time to perform the last office for him. Sat. 8.-The congregation was large, but my voice was so weak that many could

not hear. Sunday 9.After the burial of James Massiot, I preached to a multitude of people on, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord;" and the longer I spoke the more my voice was strengthened. Tues. 11.-I rode with James Morgan to Bandon, and preached in the market house to a listening multitude. Wednesday, 12.—I read over the "Analysis of Lord Bolingbroke's Works." Surely never did any man so flatly contradict and so fully answer himself. Thur. 13. About noon I preached in the Exchange, at Kinsale. The townsfolks "care for none of these things." But we had a large congregation of soldiers, many of whom are good soldiers of Jesus Christ. In the evening I preached in the main street at Bandon. Having now need of all my voice, it was given me again; only with a little pain in my side, which ceased while I was speaking.

Sat. 15.-I preached about noon at Innishannon, and returned to Bandon. A fortnight since they laid the foundation of their preaching house this evening I preached in the shell of it; but it would not contain the congregation. Truly these are "swift to hear," though not "slow to speak."

Sun. 16.-I preached again in the shell of the house at eight, and in the main street at six in the evening. Observing many of the French officers there, I could not but pray for them in particular. Some of them were deeply attentive. Perhaps it was not for nothing that God brought them into a strange land. Mon. 17.-I returned to Cork. Wednesday, 18.-I began speaking severally to the members of the society. Many of them, I found, were truly alive to God. Old misunderstandings were removed. And I had the satisfaction of seeing them so united together as they had not been for many years.

Fri. 21.-I met with a tract which utterly confounded all my philosophy: I had long believed that microscopic animals were generated like all other animals, by parents of the same species; but Mr. Needham makes it highly probable that they constitute a peculiar class of animals, differing from all others in this, that they neither are generated or generate, nor subsist by food, in the ordinary way. Tues. 25.-In the evening I assisted the society in renewing their covenant with God. It was to many a season of great refreshment, and the fear of God was upon all.

Sun. 30.-I began meeting the children in the afternoon, though with little hopes of doing them good. But I had not spoke long on our natural state before many of them were in tears, and five or six so affected that they could not refrain from crying aloud to God. When I began to pray their cries increased, so that my voice was soon lost. I have seen no such work among children for eighteen or nineteen years.

Mon. 31.-I finished the Glasgow "Abridgment of Mr. Hutchinson's Works." He was doubtless a man of uncommon understanding, and indefatigable application. Yet the more I consider it, the less can I subscribe to his system either of divinity or philosophy; as I am more and more convinced, that they have no foundation in Scripture or sound reason.

Tues. August 1-The captain with whom we were to sail was in great haste to have our things on board; but I would not send them while the wind was against us. On Wednesday he sent message after