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the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them experienced this; and many felt their wants, several children in particular. In the evening I preached at Lisburn, and on the two following days.

Monday 21, I met a gentleman, who looked hard, and asked me," If I did not know him?" Indeed I did not, though I had been at his house some years ago in Londonderry. Mr. Sampson was then one of the ministers there, a lively, sensible man; very fat, and of a fresh, ruddy complexion: but he was now, after a long and severe melancholy, so thin, pale, and wan, that I did not recollect one feature of his face. I spent an hour with him very agreeably. He did not shew the least touch of wildness, but calm, rational seriousness; so that I could not but believe, it is good for him that he has seen affliction.

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Wednesday 23, I preached at Drumbanagher and Newry. Thursday 24, some friends from Dublin met us at Drogheda. In the evening we walked to see the place where King William passed the Boyne. It was almost a desperate attempt, considering the depth of the river and the steepness of the banks! But God was on his side! Near the place a handsome obelisk is erected, with an inscription, giving a brief account of that memorable action..

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Friday 25, I went on to Dublin. I left three hundred and seventy-eight members in the society, and found four hundred and twelve, many of whom were truly alive to God.

Saturday, July 3, I sent to the commanding officer, to desire leave to preach in the barracks: but he replied, "he would have no innovations." No: Whoredom, drunkenness, cursing, and swearing for ever! Monday 5, about eleven, we crossed Dublin-bar, and were at Hoy-lake the next afternoon. This was the first night I ever lay awake in my life, (though I was at ease in body and mind.) I believe few can say this: in seventy years I never lost one night's sleep!

In my passage I read Dr. Leland's History of Ireland; a fine writer, but unreasonably partial. I can easily believe, that the Irish were originally Tartars or Scythians, though

calling at Spain in their way: but not that they were a jot less barbarous than their descendants in Scotland, or that ever they were a civilized nation till they were civilized by the English; much less that Ireland was in the seventh or eighth century, the grand seat of learning: that it bad many famous colleges; in one of which only, Armagh, there were seven thousand students. All this, with St. Patrick's converting thirty thousand at one sermon, I rank with the history of Bel and the Dragon.

I went by moderate stages, from Liverpool to Madeley, where I arrived on Friday 9. The next morning we went to see the effects of the late earthquake: such it undoubtedly was. On Monday 27, at four in the morning, a rumbling noise was heard, accompanied with sudden gusts of wind, and wavings of the ground. Presently the earthquake followed; which not only shook the farmer's house, and removed it entirely about a yard, but carried the barn about fifteen yards, and then swallowed it up in a vast chasm: tore the ground into numberless chasms, large and small: in the large, threw up mounts, fifteen or twenty feet high: carried a hedge with two oaks above forty feet, and left them in their natural position. It then moved under the bed of the river; which, making more resistance, received a ruder shock, being shattered in pieces, and heaved up about thirty feet from its foundations. By throwing this and many oaks into its channel, the Severn was quite stopped up, and constrained to flow backward, till, with incredible fury, it wrought itself a new channel: such a scene of desolation I never saw. Will none tremble, when God thus terribly shakes the earth?

In the evening I preached under a spreading oak in Madeley-Wood. Sunday 11, morning and afternoon, in the church. In the evening I preached to the largest congregation of all, near the market-house at Broseley. I came back just by the famous well: but it burns no more: it ceased from the time a coal-pit was sunk near it, which drew off the sulphureous vapour.

Monday 12, I preached at Wolverhampton and Birming

ham. In my journey from Liverpool I read Dr. Byrom's Poems, He has all the wit and humour of Dr. Swift, together with much more learning, a deep and strong understanding; and above all, a serious vein of piety. A few things in him I particularly remarked. 1, The first is, concerning the patron of England; and I think there can be no reasonable doubt of the truth of his conjecture, that "Georgius is a mistake for Gregorius: that the real patron of England is St. Gregory, (who sent Austin, the monk, to convert England,) and that St. George (whom no one knows) came in by a mere blunder:" 2, his criticisms on Homer and Horace seem to be well grounded. Very probably the Kuves mentioned by Homer, were not dogs, but attendants. And without doubt spnas means, not mules, but the out-guards of the camp.

A few things in the second volume are taken from Jacob Behmen; to whom I object, not only that he is obscure: (although even this is an inexcusable fault in a writer on practical religion:) not only that his whole hypothesis is unproved; wholly unsupported either by Scripture or reason: but that the ingenious madman over and over contradicts christian experience, reason, Scripture, and himself.

But setting these things aside, we have some of the finest sentiments that ever appeared in the English tongue: some of the noblest truths expressed with the utmost energy of language, and the strongest colours of poetry. So that, upon the whole, I trust this publication will much advance the cause of God, and of true religion.

Tuesday 13, I preached at Wednesbury: Wednesday 14, at Dudley and Birmingham. Thursday 15, I went on to Witney, and had the satisfaction to find that the work of God was still increasing. In the evening I preached at the east end of the town, to a numerous and attentive congregation. In the morning I met the select society, full of faith and love; although the greater part of them are young, some little more than children. At six I preached at the west end of the town, near Mr. Bolton's door. After preaching,

I had a pleasant journey to Wheatley, and the next day to London.

In this journey I read over that strange book, The Life of Sextus 'Quintus, a hog driver at first, then a monk, a priest, a bishop, a cardinal, a pope. He was certainly as great a genius, in his way, as any that ever lived. He did great things, and designed far greater; but death prevented the execution. And he had many excellent qualities; but was full as far from being a Christian, as Henry VIII. or Oliver Cromwell.

Wednesday 21, We had our quarterly meeting at London; at which I was surprised to find that our income does not yet answer our expense. We were again nearly two hundred pounds bad. My private account I find still worse. I have laboured as much as many writers: and all my labour has gained me, in seventy years, a debt of five or six hundred pounds!

Sunday 25, was a day of strong consolation, particularly at Spitalfields. At five I preached in Moorfields, to, it was supposed, the largest congregation that ever assembled there. But my voice was so strengthened, that those who were farthest off could hear perfectly well. So the season for fieldpreaching is not yet over: it cannot, while so many are in their sins and in their blood.

Tuesday, August 3, Our Conference began. I preached mornings as well as evenings: and it was all one. I found myself just as strong as if I had preached but once a day.

Sunday 8, At night I set out in the machine, and on Monday reached Bristol. In the way I looked over Mr.'s Dissertations. I was surprised to find him a

thorough convert of Mr. Stonehouse's, both as to the preexistence of souls, and the non-eternity of hell. But he is far more merciful than Mr. Stonehouse: he allows it to last (not five millions, but) only thirty thousand years!

It would be excusable, if these menders of the Bible would offer their hypotheses modestly. But one cannot excuse them, when they not only obtrude their novel scheme with the utmost confidence, but even ridicule that scriptural one,

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which always was, and is now held by men of the greatest learning and piety in the world. Hereby they promote the cause of infidelity more effectually than either Hume or Voltaire.

Thursday 12, I set out for Cornwall; and the next day we came to Collumpton. For five or six days, I think, the weather has been as hot as it is in Georgia. After preaching I went on to Exeter with Ralph Mather, then a humble, scriptural Christian. Saturday 14, I went on to Plymouthdock, and in the evening preached in the square.

Sunday 15, As I could not sleep, (an uncommon thing with me) till nearly two in the morning, my companion was afraid I should not be able to go through the labour of the day but I knew I did not go a warfare at my own cost. At seven I preached in Mr. Kinsman's preaching-house, on Strive to enter in at the strait gate. And I think many received the truth in the love thereof. Between one and two 1 preached in the Tabernacle at Plymouth; and in the evening declared in the square, to a multitude of people, the nature of that love, without which all we say, know, believe, do, and suffer, profits nothing.

Monday 16, In the evening I preached at St. Austle; Tuesday 17, in the coinage-hall at Truro; at six, in the main street at Helston. How changed is this town, since a Methodist preacher could not ride through it without hazard of his life!

Wednesday 18, I preached in the town-hall in Penzance. It was soon filled from end to end; and it was filled with the power of God. One would have thought every soul must have bowed down before him. In the evening I preached at St. Just: Thursday 20, in Penzance and Marazion; and in the evening in the market-place at St. Ives, to the largest congregation I have yet seen in Cornwall.

Saturday 22, I preached in Illugan and at Redruth; Sunday 23, in St. Agnes church-town at eight; about one at Redruth; and at five in the amphitheatre at Gwenap. The people both filled it, and covered the ground round about, to a considerable distance. So that, supposing the space to

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