As we went back to the inn, the clergyman said, "I dare not pray as you did to-night; you prayed that God would give you some fruit in that place, as he had done in others: I have been a preacher many years, and I cannot say that I have had any fruit, or that any one has been converted by my preaching in all my life." I replied, “If you be not converted yourself, and have not a greater commission than man can give you, you may preach all your days, and never convert one soul."

When we were at supper, he asked me how Mr. Wesley went on and when he heard how he lived, and how he was treated by wicked men, he said, "If that be the way to heaven, I think I shall never get there; my flesh is not brass, nor my bones iron." I replied, "You do not know what you can bear till you come to be tried." He said, "Well, I believe Mr. Wesley is the greatest man in the kingdom, but I think he uses too much austerity." We talked till eleven o'clock, then parted in love.

1 saw him no more, but I have heard since that he receives Mr. Wesley to preach in his church, and that God has made him an instrument of converting sinners,

I preached the next morning, and then set out for Axminster, where I preached in the open street, at three in the afternoon, to a well-behaved people, though it was the second day of their fair.

The next day I went to Thorngrove, near Middlesey. That night God blessed his word to many, as appeared afterwards. One gentlewoman was convinced that night, who four years after sent my wife four guineas, which came in good time; for she had borrowed four guineas of a neighbour to buy a cow, and the time for payment was come, and she had not money to pay.

When I got to Bristol, I found my soul much blessed among the people, and in those ten days there were several that found the Lord.

In my return home, I preached at Stroud, and several other places on my way to Wednesbury, whither I came, not long after the people had been mobbed in such a cruel manner. I preached in an open yard, to very large congre.

gations

gations of people, several times; some of the mobbers came. to hear me, but all behaved well: so he, who stops the raging of the sea, can stay the madness of the people.

After spending a few days there, I set out for Nottingham, and stayed there two days. I preached at the MaltCross on the Sabbath, to a large congregation, in great peace; but Monday, being a rejoicing day, they had bonfires in the market-place, and some came with squibs to disturb me as I was preaching. One of them threw a squib on fire close to my heels, but a woman kicked it away: the man caught it up again to throw it at me, but it burst in his hand, and he went away shaking his head. Another came on the low side of the cross, with a design to throw one in my face; but I did not turn my face that way as soon as he expected, so that it burst in his own hand. As soon as I had done, a sergeant in the army came to me with tears in his eyes, and said, "In the presence of God, and all this people, I beg your pardon; for I came on purpose to mob you, but when 1 could get no one to assist me, I stood to hear you, and am convinced of the deplorable state my soul is in, and I believe you are a servant of the living God." He then embraced me, and went away weeping.

When I got home, I found my wife much better, though not likely to recover her former strength; owing to the persecution she met with at Wakefield, when Mr. Larwood was mobbed there. After they had abused him, she, with some women, set out for Birstal, a mob following them into the fields when they overtook them, she turned about and spake to them, upon which all the men returned without touching them; but the women followed them till they came to a gate, where they stopt them: they damned her, saying, "You are Nelson's wife, and here you shall die." They saw she was big with child, yet beat her on the body so cruelly, that they killed the child in her womb, and she went home and miscarried directly: this treatment she has reason to remember to her life's end; but God more than made it up to her, by filling her heart with peace and love.

There

There had been some disturbance at Leeds, and I was the first that stood up after at Brother Shent's door. A number of men had protested to pull down the first man that attempted to preach there: but if the fear of God could not restrain them, the fear of the magistrates did; so that they did not meddle with me; only some boys threw about a peck of turnips at me, but not one of them hit me. That was a blessed morning to many souls; two that had been enemies, were struck to the ground, and cried out for the disquietude of their souls. I preached often afterwards with little disturbance, and believers were multiplied in Leeds.

After I had stayed a few months in Yorkshire, I went a third time into Lincolnshire. At Epworth we had peaceable and blessed meetings. But when I came to Grimsby, the Minister got a man to beat the town drum through the town, and went before the drum, and gathered all the rabble he could, giving them liquor to go with him to fight for the Church. When they came to Mr. Blow's door, they set up three huzzas, and the Parson cried out, " Pull down the house! pull down the house!" But no one offered to touch the house till I had done preaching. Then they broke the windows, till they had not left one whole square about the house: and as the people went out, they abused them, till some of the mob began to fight their fellows for abusing the women, so that most of the people got away while they were fighting one with another. Not long after the Minister gathered them together again, and gave them more drink; then they came and broke the stanchions of the windows, pulled up the paving in the streets, which they threw in at the windows, and broke the household goods in pieces, the Parson crying out, "If they will not turn out the villain, that we may put him in the black-ditch, pull down the house."

While they were drumming, cursing and swearing, fight ing and breaking the goods, one of their neighbours, who was not a hearer, went to an Alderman, and said. "Some order must be taken with these men, for if they be suffered to go on as they do, they will ruin William Blow, and I fear they will kill somebody." But the good Alderman

said he would do nothing, but lend them his mash-tub to pump the Preacher in. Then the mob fell out again with one another, and dispersed, after labouring from seven to almost twelve at night.

The Parson said to the drummer, "I will reward you for your pains; but be sure to come at five in the morning, for the villain will be preaching again then." So the drummer did, and began to beat just as I was going to give out the hymn. When he had beat for near three quarters of an hour, and saw it did not disturb us, he laid down his drum, and stood to hear for himself, and then the tears presently ran down his cheeks. When I had ended, he expressed great sorrow for what he had done to disturb us. And as he and some others went up the town, the Parson met them, and bid them be sure to come at seven o'clock. He said, "No, Sir; I will never beat the drum, to disturb yonder people any more, while breath is in my body." So that we had great peace in our shattered house that night, and God's presence amongst us.

The next day I went to Hainton; and when I had done preaching, a grave elderly gentleman came to me, and said, Your doctrine is sound, but it would far better become a church," I answered, "Sir, if a man was hungry in the midst of a desert, and wholesome food was brought him, he would not refuse to eat because he was not in the dining

room. He replied, "You are right, you are right. I thank you kindly, and wish you well, and that much good may be done by you wheresoever you preach, for good food is good, wherever it is eaten."

When I got to Epworth, I was told the Clerk was drunk, and had been swearing he would pull down the Preacher, and take him to such an ale-house, where the Curate and some other men were drinking. In the evening, as I was preaching, he came staggering, and rushed in among the people, crying, "Stand out of the way; for I must have the Preacher: he must go before my master, that is in such án ale-house." One asked him where his warrant was? He said he had none, but his master had sent him, and he would make me go with him. The people bade him hold

his

his peace, or get about his business; and when he began to be rude, one took him up in his arms, and laid him down upon a dunghill, and there left him.

After I got home, it was much impressed upon me, that some trial was coming upon me and several times when I was preaching, I have said, "There is a cloud gathering, and it will burst over my head: O, pray for me!" After this, I stayed some time in Yorkshire, and sinners were daily turning from their evil ways; so that several ale-house keepers cursed me to my face, and told me I ought to be transported, for I preached so much hell and damnation, that I terrified the people so that they durst not spend sixpence with a neighbour.

Some time after, I met a gentleman as I was riding to Leeds, who said something about the weather. I answered, "The Lord orders all things well." He presently said, "I know you, for I have heard you preach, but I do not like you. You lay a wrong foundation for salvation': Do you think that the blood of another man will save me?" I replied, "St. Paul saith, Other foundation can no man lay but Christ Jesus;' but you say that is a wrong foundation upon what terms do you expect to be saved?" He said, "By good works." I answered, "You will be the first that ever got to heaven that way."

"But suppose you could, what would you do when you came there?" He said, "What do others do there?" I answered, "They sing glory to God that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever, that was slain, and hath redeemed us by his blood. But your song will be, Glory be to myself; for I have quickened my own soul, and qualified myself for heaven. O, Sir, what a scandalous song will you have to sing! It will make discord in heaven." He turned pale, and said nothing for some time. When we had rode a while, he said, "All the Lord requires of us is, To do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God." I answered, "Do you expect to stand or fall by that scripture ?" He said, "I do." Then I replied, "You are lost for ever, if you are to go to Heaven for doing justly, for loving mercy, and walking

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humbly