CHAPTER II.

MR. WESLEY'S LABOURS AND PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPES-HIS OPINION OF THE MONTANISTS.DEATH OF MR. JANE-HIS PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.-FALL OF WHEATLEY, AND RENEWED LABOURS OF MR. C. WESLEY.

MR. WESLEY continued his labours without intermission. He generally preached three or four, and sometimes five, times in the day; and often rode thirty or forty, sometimes fifty, miles. Thus did he labour while he could ride on horseback; nor do we believe there could be an instance found, during the space of forty years, wherein the severest weather hindered him for one day!

Many were the "hair-breadth escapes" which he experienced during that time, and which he has noted in his Journals, with lively gratitude to Him who numbers the hairs of our head. In this year (1750) he records a remarkable one.

"I took horse," says he, " in Bristol for Wick, where I had appointed to preach at three in the afternoon. I was riding by the wall through St. Nicholas' gate, (my horse having been brought to the house where I dined,) just as a cart turned short from St. Nicholas-street, and came swiftly down the hill. There was just room to pass between the wheel of it and the wall; but that space was taken up by the carman. I called to him to go back, or I must ride over him. But the man, as if deaf, walked straight forward. This obliged me to hold back my horse. In the mean time the shaft of the cart came full against his shoulder with such a shock, as beat him to the ground. He shot me forward over his head, as an arrow out of a bow, where I lay, with my arms and legs, I know not how, stretched out in a line, close

to the wall. The wheel ran by, close to my side, but only dirtied my clothes. I found no flutter of spirit, but the same composure as if I had been sitting in my study. When the cart was gone, I rose. Abundance of people gathered round, till a gentleman desired me to step into his shop. After cleaning myself a little, I took horse again, and was at Wick by the time appointed. I returned to Bristol, (where the report of my being killed had spread far and wide,) time enough to praise God in the great congregation, and to preach on, Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast.""

6

He now visited, with those that laboured with him, many parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire, where he had never been before. He also visited Plymouth and many other places in the West; and in every place the work of God prospered.' Mr. Wesley observes, “This is no cant word: It means, 'the conversion of sinners from sin to holiness."" But still they were obliged, in many parts, to carry their lives in their hands. Some instances of this have been related already. I shall mention one more, in his own words.

"After preaching at Oakhill, a village in Somersetshire, I rode on to Shepton Mallett, but found the people all under a strange consternation. A mob, they said, was hired, and made sufficiently drunk to do all manner of mischief. I began preaching between four and five, and none hindered or interrupted at all. We had a blessed opportunity, and the hearts of many were exceedingly comforted. I wondered what was become of the mob. But we were quickly informed, they mistook the place, imagining I should alight, (as I used to do,) at William Stone's house, and had summoned by drum all their forces together to meet me at my coming. But Mr. Swindells, (one of the preachers,) innocently carrying me to the other end of the town, they did not find their mistake till I had done preaching.

"However, they attended us from the preaching-house to William Stone's, throwing dirt, stones, and clods, in abundance; but they could not hurt us, only Mr. Swindells had a little dirt on his coat, and I a few specks on my hat.

"After we had gone into the house, they began throwing large stones, in order to break the door. But perceiving this would require some time, they dropped that design for the present. They then broke all the tiles on the pent-house over the door, and poured in a shower of stones at the windows. One of their Captains, in his great zeal, had followed us into the house, and was now shut in with us. He did not like this, and would fain have got out, but it was not possible. So he kept as close to me as he could, thinking himself safest when he was near me. But staying a little behind, (when I went up two pair of stairs, and stood close on one side, where we were a little sheltered,) a large stone struck him on the forehead, and the blood spouted out like a stream. He cried out, 6 O Sir, are we to die to-night? What must I do? What ' must I do?—I said, Pray to God. He is able to deliver

6

you from all danger.' He took my advice, and began praying, I believe, as he had scarce ever done before.

"Mr. Swindells and I then went to prayer; after which I told him, 'We must not stay here. We must go down ' immediately."—He said, 'Sir, we cannot stir, you see how the stones fly about.-I walked straight through the room, and down the stairs; and not a stone came in, till we were at the bottom. The mob had just broke open the door, when we came into the lower room; and while they burst in at one door, we walked out at the other. Nor did one man take any notice of us, though we were within five yards of each other.

66

They filled the house at once, and proposed setting it on fire. But one of them remembering that his own house was next, persuaded them not to do it. Hearing one of them cry out, They are gone over the grounds,' I thought the hint was good. So we went over the grounds to the far end of the

6

town, where one waited, and undertook to guide us to Oakhill. "I was riding on in Shepton-lane, it being now quite dark, when he cried out, Come down! come down from the bank !' I did as I was desired; but the bank being high, and the side almost perpendicular, I came down all at once, my horse and I tumbling one over another. But we both rose unhurt. In less than an hour, we came to Oakhill, and the next morning to Bristol."

On his return from Ireland, he visited Cornwall, and August 15, 1750, observes," By reflecting on an odd book, which I had read in this journey, The General Delusion of Christians with regard to Prophecy,' I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected; (1.) That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real scriptural Christians: And (2.) That the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was, not only that faith and holiness were well-nigh lost, but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all, as either madness or imposture.”*

On his return from Cornwall, he preached in the street at Shaftesbury; but none made any noise, or spake one word, while he called the wicked to forsake his way.' When he was returned to the house where he lodged, a constable came, and said, “Sir, the Mayor discharges you from preaching in this borough any more." Mr. Wesley replied, "While King

* The Montanists were a sect of Christians, which sprung up about the year of Christ 171. They took their name from Montanus, a Phrygian by birth. They made no alteration in the creed or articles of belief then commonly received. They were abstemious and moral in their conduct. They maintained, that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost were not withdrawn from the faithful and pious; and that they had among themselves the gift of prophecy, &c. It is to be lamented, that, at this early period of Christianity, Christian principles and Christian practice, or morality, were too much separated; and that whoever differed from the rulers of the church, were immediately branded with the name of heretics; their principles and practices were represented with little or no regard to truth; and all manner of evil was spoken of them, to deter the people from going near them.

George gives me leave to preach, I shall not ask leave of the Mayor of Shaftesbury."

September 8, he came to London, and received the following account of the death of one of the travelling preachers :"John Jane was never well after walking from Epworth to Hainton, on an exceeding hot day, which threw him into a fever. But he was in great peace and love, even to those who greatly wanted love to him. He was some time at Alice Shadforth's house, with whom he daily talked of the things of God, spent much time in private prayer, and joined likewise with her in prayer several times in a day. On Friday, August 24, he sat in the evening by the fire-side; about six he fetched a deep sigh, and never spoke more. He was alive till the same time on Saturday, when, without any struggle or sign of pain, with a smile on his face, he passed away. His last words were, I find the love of God in Christ Jesus.'

“All his clothes, linen and woollen, stockings, hat, and wig, are not thought sufficient to answer his funeral expences, which amount to one pound, seventeen shillings, and threepence. All the money he had was, one shilling and fourpence."-" Enough," adds Mr. Wesley, " for any unmarried Preacher of the Gospel to leave to his executors !”*—Mr. Wesley spent the remainder of the year, 1750, in London, Bristol, and the neighbouring places; and in preparing several books for the use of the children at Kingswood School.

Mr. Wesley had many correspondents; and it often surprised his friends, that he could answer one-fourth of the letters he received. But by never losing any time, he was enabled to get through this duty also, and could say with the Trojan hero," Nec me labor iste gravabit." He was often fatigued, but his labour never saddened him: He served a good Master.

*Mr. Southey seems to think, that the crucifixion to the world, manifest in Mr. Jane, arose from his devotedness to Mr. Wesley; and supposes St. Francis himself would have been satisfied with such a disciple. We give him credit for a higher principle: He had learned of the same Master.