Wednesday, September 1.--Being now clear in my own mind, I took a step which I had long weighed in my mind, and appointed Mr. Whatcoat and Mr. Vasey to go and serve the desolate sheep in America. Thursday, 2. I added to them three more; which, I verily believe, will be much to the glory of God.
The Journal of John Wesley
Tuesday, 31.--Dr. Coke, Mr. Whatcoat, and Mr. Vasey came down from London, in order to embark for America.
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Wednesday, August 18.--I went to Admiral Vaughan's, at Tracoon, one of the pleasantest seats in Great Britain. Tne house is embosomed in lofty woods and does not appear till you drop down upon it. The Admiral governs his family, as he did in his ship, with the utmost punctuality. The bell rings and all attend without delay, whether at meals or at morning and evening prayer. I preached at seven on Phillipians 3:8 and spent the evening in serious conversation.
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Wednesday, 30- In the evening I preached at Epworth. In the residue of the week, I preached morning and evening in several of the neighboring towns.
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Tuesday, 29. I preached in the street at Scotter, to a large and deeply attentive congregation. It was a solemn and comfortable season. In the evening I read prayers and preached in Owstone church; and again in the morning.
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In the afternoon I went to Gainsborough and willingly accepted the offer of Mr. Dean's chapel. The audience was large and seemed much affected; possibly some good may be done even at Gainsborough!
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I am as strong at eighty-one as I was at twenty-one; but abundantly more healthy, being a stranger to the headache, toothache, and other bodily disorders which attended me in my youth. We can only say, "The Lord reigneth!" While we live, let us live to Him!
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Monday, June 28 (Epworth).--Today I entered on my eighty-second year and found myself just as strong to labor and as fit for any exercise of body or mind as I was forty years ago. I do not impute this to second causes, but to the Sovereign Lord of all. It is He who bids the sun of life stand still, so long as it pleaseth Him.
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Sunday, 23 --I went in the morning to the Tolbooth kirk; in the afternoon, to the old Episcopal chapel. But they have lost their glorying: they talked, the moment service was done, as if they had been in London. In the evening the Octagon was well filled; and I applied, with all possible plainness, "God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" [John 4:24].
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Saturday, 22 (Edinburgh).--A famous actress, just come down from London (which, for the honor of Scotland, is just during the sitting of the Assembly), stole away a great part of our congregation tonight. How much wiser are these Scots than their forefathers.
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Thursday, 20.--It blew a storm; nevertheless, with some difficulty, we crossed the Queen's Ferry.
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Tuesday, 18.--I preached at Dundee. Wednesday, 19. I crossed over the pleasant and fertile county of Fife, to Melval House, the grand and beautiful seat of Lord Leven. He was not at home, being gone to Edinburgh, as the King's Commissioner; but the Countess was, with two of her daughters and both of her sons-in-law. At their desire, I preached in the evening on "It is appointed unto man once to die" [Heb 9:27]; and I believe God made the application.
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Tuesday, 11.--Notwithstanding the long discontinuance of morning preaching, we had a large congregation at five. I breakfasted at the first house I was invited to at Inverness, where good Mr. McKenzie then lived. His three daughters live in it now, one of whom inherits all the spirit of her father. In the afternoon we took a walk over the bridge, into one of the pleasantest countries I have seen. It runs along by the tide of the clear river and is well cultivated and well wooded. And here first we heard abundance of birds, welcoming the return of spring. The congregation was larger this evening than the last, and a great part of them attended in the morning. We had then a solemn parting, as we could hardly expect to meet again in the present world.
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Monday, 10.--I set out for Inverness. I had sent Mr. McAllum before, on George Whitfield's horse, to give notice of my coming. Hereby I was obliged to take both George and Mrs. MeAllum with me in my chaise. To ease the horses, we walked forward from Nairn, ordering Richard to follow us, as soon as they were fed; he did so, but there were two roads. So, as we took one, and he the other, we walked about twelve miles and a half of the way, through heavy rain. We then found Richard waiting for us at a little alehouse, and drove on to Inverness. But, blessed be God, I was no more tired than when I set out from Nairn. I preached at seven to a far larger congregation than I had seen here since I preached in the kirk. And surely the labor was not in vain, for God sent a message to many hearts.
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Sunday, 9.--I preached to a small company at noon on "His commandments are not grievous." As I was concluding, Colonel Grant and his lady came in; for their sake I began again and lectured, as they call it, on the former part of the fifteenth chapter of St. Luke. We had a larger company in the afternoon to whom I preached on "judgment to come." And this subject seemed to affect them most.
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Saturday, May 8.--We reached the banks of the Spey. I suppose there are few such rivers in Europe. The rapidity of it exceeds even that of the Rhine, and it was now much swelled with melting snow. However, we made shift to get over before ten; and about twelve reached Elgin. Here I was received by a daughter of good Mr. Plenderleith, late of Edinburgh; with whom, having spent an agreeable hour, I hastened toward Forres. But we were soon at full stop again; the river Findhorn also was so swollen that we were afraid the ford was not passable. However, having a good guide, we passed it without much difficulty. I found Sir Lodowick Grant almost worn out. Never was a visit more seasonable. By free and friendly conversation his spirits were so raised that I am in hopes it will lengthen his life.
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She said she had often heard her mother relate what an intimate acquaintance had told her, that her husband was concerned in the Rebellion of 1745. He was tried at Carlisle and found guilty. The evening before he was to die, sitting and musing in her chair, she fell fast asleep. She dreamed that one came to her and said, "Go to such a part of the wall, and among the loose stones you will find a key, which you must carry to your husband." She waked; but, thinking it a common dream, paid no attention to it. Presently she fell asleep again and dreamed the very same dream. She started up, put on her cloak and hat, and went to that part of the wall, and among the loose stones found a key. Having, with some difficulty, procured admission into the gaol, she gave this to her husband. It opened the door of his cell, as well as the lock of the prison door. So at midnight he escaped for his life.
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Monday, 19.--I went on to Ambleside; where, as I was sitting down to supper, I was informed that notice had been given of my preaching and that the congregation was waiting. I would not disappoint them; but preached immediately on salvation by faith. Among them were a gentleman and his wife, who gave me a remarkable account.
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And, in the meantime, we are laboring 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.
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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, 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.
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1784. Monday, April 5.--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."
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Thursday, December 18.--I spent two hours with that great man, Dr. Johnson, who is sinking into the grave by a gentle decay.
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Sunday, 6.--We rejoiced to meet once more with our English friends in the new chapel, who were refreshed with the account of the gracious work which God is working in Holland also.
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I can by no means regret either the trouble or expense which attended this little journey. It opened me a way into, as it were, a new world where the land, the buildings, the people, the customs, were all such as I had never seen before. But as those with whom I conversed were of the same spirit as my friends in England, I was as much at home in Utrecht and Amsterdam, as in Bristol and London.
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