OF THE REVEREND JOHN WESLEY, A. M. SOMETIME FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. FIRST AMERICAN COMPLETE AND STANDARD EDITION, FROM THE LATEST LONDON EDITION, WITH THE LAST CORRECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR : COMPREHENDING ALSO NUMEROUS TRANSLATIONS, NOTES, AND AN ORIGINAL PREFACE, &c BY JOHN EMORY, IN SEVEN VOLUMES. VOLUME IV. STOR LIBRARY NEW-YORK NEW YORK, PUBLISHED BY T. MASON AND G. LANE, FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE CONFERENCE OFFICE, 200 MULBERRY-STREET. J. Collord, Printer. 1840. AN EXTRACT OF THE 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 bouses. 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. The wind kept off the rain while I was preaching. As soon as I ended, it began. 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 Fortuna. [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; bu* 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 |