Wednesday, 28.—I rode to Tullamore, where one of the society, Edward Willis, gave
me a very surprising account of himself, he said:
“When I was about twenty years old, I went to Waterford for business. After a few weeks I resolved to leave it and packed up my things, in order to set out the next morning. This was Sunday, but my landlord pressed me much not to go till the next day. In the afternoon we walked out together and went into the river. After a while, leaving him near the shore, I struck out into the deep. I soon heard a cry and, turning, saw him rising and sinking in the channel of the river. I swam back with all speed and, seeing him sink again, dived down after him. When I was near the bottom, he clasped his arm round my neck and held me so fast that I could not rise.
“Seeing death before me, all my sins came into my mind and I faintly called for mercy. In a while my senses went away and I thought I was in a place full of light and glory, with abundance of people. While I was thus, he who held me died, and I floated up to the top of the water. I then immediately came to myself and swam to the shore, where several stood who had seen us sink and said they never knew such a deliverance before; for I had been under water full twenty minutes. It made me more serious for two or three months. Then I returned to all my sins.
“But in the midst of all, I had a voice following me everywhere, ‘When an able minister of the gospel comes, it will be well with thee!’ Some years after I entered into the army; our troop lay at Phillipstown, when Mr. W. came. I was much affected by his preaching, but not so as to leave my sins. The voice followed me still, and when Mr. J. W. came, before I saw him I had an unspeakable conviction that he was the man I looked for. Soon after I found peace with God, and it was well with me indeed.”
The Journal of John Wesley
“When I was about twenty years old, I went to Waterford for business. After a few weeks I resolved to leave it and packed up my things, in order to set out the next morning. This was Sunday, but my landlord pressed me much not to go till the next day. In the afternoon we walked out together and went into the river. After a while, leaving him near the shore, I struck out into the deep. I soon heard a cry and, turning, saw him rising and sinking in the channel of the river. I swam back with all speed and, seeing him sink again, dived down after him. When I was near the bottom, he clasped his arm round my neck and held me so fast that I could not rise.
“Seeing death before me, all my sins came into my mind and I faintly called for mercy. In a while my senses went away and I thought I was in a place full of light and glory, with abundance of people. While I was thus, he who held me died, and I floated up to the top of the water. I then immediately came to myself and swam to the shore, where several stood who had seen us sink and said they never knew such a deliverance before; for I had been under water full twenty minutes. It made me more serious for two or three months. Then I returned to all my sins.
“But in the midst of all, I had a voice following me everywhere, ‘When an able minister of the gospel comes, it will be well with thee!’ Some years after I entered into the army; our troop lay at Phillipstown, when Mr. W. came. I was much affected by his preaching, but not so as to leave my sins. The voice followed me still, and when Mr. J. W. came, before I saw him I had an unspeakable conviction that he was the man I looked for. Soon after I found peace with God, and it was well with me indeed.”
The Journal of John Wesley
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