Age 59

1762 afraid of George Bell's work returning, that they can hardly be persuaded it is the work of God, because of a little disorder that attends it." And a month later, he writes: “The good work is not so lively as it was. This, I think, has been chiefly caused by the old members being so exceedingly afraid of George Bell's days. An excess of prudence has hindered it." We have here, thirty-three years after Maxfield and Bell's secession, one of the effects of their fanatical behaviour. Then, (2) it must be borne in mind, that it was not until now that the doctrine of Christian perfection, attainable in an instant, by a simple act of faith, was made prominent in Methodist congregations; but that, ever after, it was one of the chief topics of Wesley's ministry, and that of his itinerant preachers. Of this we shall have ample proof in succeeding pages.

We now return to Wesley's Journal, and follow him in his peregrinations, during the year 1762. "This year," says he, "from the beginning to the end, was a year never to be forgotten. Such a season I never saw before. Such a multitude of sinners were converted, in all parts both of England and Ireland, and so many were filled with pure love." 1

On January 2; he set out for Everton, to supply for Berridge, who was hard at work in London, and whose church and pulpit he occupied on two successive Sundays, preaching to large and lively congregations; but not now witnessing there any of the extravagances which had been so manifest a few years before. "Indeed," says Wesley, "the people were now in danger of running from east to west. Instead of thinking, as many did then, that none can possibly have true faith but those that have trances, they were now ready to think, that whoever had anything of this kind had no faith."

During his sojourn at Everton, Wesley visited many of the surrounding villages, and everywhere testified the gospel of the grace of God. Though it was the depth of winter, he preached at Harston by moonlight. In every place, crowds flocked to hear him. Some cried out in great distress, others dropped down as dead; and several found peace with God. On January 12 he came to Norwich, where he excluded two hundred members, because they neglected to meet in

Wesley and a Starving Player.

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class; and left about four hundred remaining, "half of whom 1762 appeared to be in earnest." Age 59

Returning to London on January 23, he writes: "I had a striking proof, that God can teach by whom He will teach. A man full of words, but not of understanding, convinced me of what I could never see before, that anima est ex traduce, that all the souls of his posterity, as well as their bodies, were in our first parent."

On the 15th of March, Wesley left London for Ireland, taking Bristol and Wales on his way. He arrived at Dublin about three weeks afterwards. For the first time, he now saw Dublin chapel " throughly filled."

On April 19, he started on his tour through the Irish provinces. At Newry, the society had been reduced from nearly a hundred members to thirty-two. At Carrickfergus, he had to delay the morning preaching, because "the delicate and curious hearers could not possibly rise before ten o'clock." At Belfast, he preached in the market house. At Newtown, "the poor shattered society was reduced from fifty to eighteen members," which were doubled, however, before he left. At Lisburn he had "many rich and gentle hearers." At Lurgan he had, what he had long desired, an opportunity of conversing with Mr. Miller, who had executed a piece of mechanism "the like of which was not to be seen in Europe." At Clanmain, he opened the new chapel. At Enniskillen, "the inhabitants gloried, that they had no papist in the town." At Sligo, he preached to "abundance of dragoons, and many of their officers;" a company of strolling players acting in the upper part of the market house, while the Methodists sang hymns below.

Ireland, that

The scene is

It was either here, or somewhere else in Wesley met with an adventure worth relating. a public house, the spectators a number of Irish tipplers; the performers in the drama, Wesley, a termagant landlady, and a starving player. The last mentioned reclines on a wooden couch in the chimney corner, arrayed in a motley dress that, like its owner, seemed to have seen better days. The landlady, addressing him in furious tones, bawls rather than speaks: "Turn out, you pitiable ragamuffin; plenty of promises, but no money; either pay your way, or you and your

1762

Age 59

Why, sir, they are all starving.

doll of a wife turn out." Just at this juncture, Wesley enters,
and the terrible tongued woman, in an instant, becomes one
of the mildest of Abigails. "Dear sir," she says, "I am
glad you're come; this man, sir, is a very bad man, sir; as
you said in your sermon yesterday, ' He that oppresseth the
poor is a bad man,' sir." "What has he done?" asks Wesley.
"Why, sir, I have kept him and his wife for a fortnight, and
have never seen the colour of his money. Three crowns is
my due, and I'll have it, if law can get it." "Who is this
gentleman?" "Who is he? why he is one of those you
preach against, one of your player men. I wish you could
preach them out of the town.
I don't think this man has got a good meal for a fortnight,
except what I have given him, and now you see his gratitude.'
Wesley approached the poor, starving, dejected actor, and
said: "You serve the stage, young man; would I could teach
you to serve your God; you would find Him a better Master.
Pardon me, I mean not to upbraid you, or to hurt your feel-
ings. My Master sent you this;" putting into his hand a
guinea; "retire, and thank Him." "Who is your master?”
cried the actor; "where and how shall I thank him?"
"God is my Master; return Him thanks." "How?"
"On
your knees when in private; in public at all times, in your
principles and in your practice; farewell, go comfort your wife
and children." The poor, astonished player, though a dealer in
words, was dumbfoundered, and sobbing a gratitude which he
was not able to articulate, he left the room. "Three crowns
is your demand on our afflicted brother?" said Wesley to the
termagant. "Yes, sir, fifteen shillings; and if he does not
pay me, I'll seize his rags upstairs, sell them, and pay my-
self." "I will pay you," said Wesley; "but what can you
think of yourself? How terrible will be your condition on
your death bed, calling for that mercy, which you refuse to a
fellow creature! I shudder whilst under your roof, and leave
it, as I would the pestilence. May the Lord pardon your
sins!" With this, he put fifteen shillings on the table, and
made his exit. "Pardon my sins?" quoth the irate
female tapster; "pardon my sins, indeed! and why not his
own? I'll warrant he has as much to answer for as I
have; getting a parcel of people together, that ought to be

Methodist Professors of Sanctification.

447

"A

1762

minding their work. Why it was only yesterday, he was preaching everybody to the devil that encouraged the players, Age 59 and to-day he is the first to do it himself." "This gentleman is a clergyman, I suppose," said one of the spectators. clergyman!" replied the landlady; "not he, indeed; it's only John Wesley, the Methodist, that goes preaching up and down, and draws all the idle vagabonds of the country after him."1

Space forbids our following Wesley to Longford, Athlone, Hollymount, Newport, Galway (where all the society were young women), Limerick, Cork, Youghal, Kinsale, Bandon, Waterford, Kilkenny, Birr, Portarlington, and other places. "Poor, dead Portarlington!" writes Wesley; " and no wonder it should be so, while the preachers coop themselves up in a room with twenty or thirty hearers. I went straight to the market place, and cried aloud, 'Hearken! behold a sower went forth to sow.' God made His word quick and powerful, and sharp as a two-edged sword."

Wesley got back to Dublin on July 26, and, a few days afterwards, embarked for England.

On reviewing the work in Ireland, he says that, in Dublin, he found forty persons who professed to have obtained the blessing of entire sanctification within the last four months. Contrasting the work there with that in London, he writes:

66

I. It is far greater in Dublin than in London, in proportion to the time and the number of the people. That society had above seven-andtwenty hundred members; this not above a fifth part of the number. Six months after the flame broke out in London, we had about thirty witnesses of the great salvation. In Dublin, there were above forty in less than four months.

"2. The work was more pure. In all this time, while they were mildly and tenderly treated, there were none of them headstrong or unadvisable ; none that were wiser than their teachers; none who dreamed of being immortal or infallible, or incapable of temptation; in short, no whimsical, or enthusiastic persons; all were calm and sober minded. I know several of these were, in process of time, moved from their stedfastness. I am nothing surprised at this; it was no more than might be expected; I rather wonder, that more were not moved. Nor does this, in any degree, alter my judgment concerning the great work which God then wrought."

'Reilly's "Memoir of an Actor."

1762

In Limerick, the society was stirred up by Wesley to seek Age 59 entire deliverance from sin; and, in a few weeks, ten women and thirteen men professed to obtain the blessing. This Wesley considered a greater work than even that at Dublin.

On reaching England, he found, at Chester, about a dozen who believed themselves sanctified, and whose lives did not contradict their profession. At Liverpool, where the work of sanctification had begun in the previous month of March, he spoke severally with those who said they had been fully saved from sin. They were fifty-one in number; twenty-one men, twenty-one women, and nine young people or children. In one of these, the change was wrought three weeks after she was justified; in three, one week; in one, five days; and in Sus. Lutwich, aged fourteen, two days only. At Macclesfield, he spoke to forty, one by one, who believed the blood of Christ had cleansed them from all unrighteousness. He writes: "Some of them said they received that blessing ten days, some seven, some four, some three days, after they found peace with God; and two of them the next day. What marvel, since one day is with God as a thousand years!" At Manchester, he spoke with sixty-three who "believed God had cleansed their hearts; to about sixty of whom he could find no reasonable objection."

We give these facts as we find them. The reader will form his own opinion concerning them.

On August 10, Wesley met his conference, at Leeds, at which were present Lady Huntingdon, with the Revs. Messrs. C. Wesley, Whitefield, Romaine, Madan, and Venn.1 Of the proceedings of this conference we know nothing. Wesley simply says: "We had great reason to praise God for His gracious presence from the beginning to the end."

Wesley got back to London on the 19th of August, and, four days afterwards, set out for Cornwall. When he began service at Exeter, his congregation consisted of two women and one man. "This," says he, "comes of omitting field preaching." He himself went out of doors, and preached, on Southernhay green, to "a multitude of people; but a lewd,

"Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. i., p. 281. Grimshaw had died triumphantly four months before.