cessary, if the scriptures be true; for they tell me, if I have not the Spirit of Christ, I am none of his : and if I am not his, I must belong to the devil; for they two share the world between them. Besides, if there be no such thing as receiving the Holy Spirit now-a-days, as you say, then he who repeats the prayers of the church offers to God the sacrifice of fools." Here he stormed at me, and called me an Enthusiast, and said, "To talk of the Spirit is all a delusion." "Hold, Sir," I replied, " or I shall expose you before the people, which I did not design to do. How could you affirm, before God and the congregation, that you were inwardly moved by the Holy Spirit to take upon you the office of a deacon, and now testify there is no such thing as being moved by the Holy Spirit?" He said, "Did I say so?" "Yes, Sir," I answered, " when you received holy orders.' He turned pale, spake not ten words more, but went away. times since, and he speaks kindly to me.

you did

I met him several

I had some every day to dispute with me, and every night some to converse with me, who wanted to know the way to Sion. The people now cried out, "When will Mr. Wesley come for here are thousands in this town would gladly hear him." Indeed I found a great desire in them to know the way of salvation; yea, and they seemed willing to be saved in God's own way; that is, from their sins, not in them, Surely the Lord will be mindful of them, and give them teachers after his own heart,

The second Sunday I went to church, and my heart was comforted again by the love of God in the sacrament. God, I find, will meet with us in his own ways. O may we never forsake them!

This week several of the brethren came to see me, and we were comforted together. Our brother Ash brought me some little books, which I gave to the people who 'came to see me. So that by my speaking, and their reading, many began to be alarmed, and sent for me to their houses to inquire, "How can these things be which you affirm? For if these things are as you say, and Mr.

12

Wesley

Wesley has here written, then we are not Christians." told them, "I will prove those things to be true, both from our own church and the written word of God: and if you find you have not these inward marks of faith, such as peace, joy, love, and the witness of the Spirit, you are no Chris tians yet; but that is no reason why you should not become such. For Christ has commanded repentance and remission of sins to be preached to every soul in his Name, and he doth actually pardon and absolve all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Therefore seek、 and you shall find, for the truth of God binds him to give to every one that asketh.

The people attended my going into the field all this week, and when I went along the streets they came out of their houses to stare at me, as if I had been a monster. I have read that they would not suffer any to buy or sell in the city, unless they had the mark of the beast; but here, without his mark, we cannot so much as pass the streets O my God, why is thy servant as a speckled bird in this, which is called a Christian country! called after thy most sacred Name; which, whosoever nameth, must depart from iniquity? How is the faithful city become a harlot, and thy people taken captive by the enemy at his will! It is time for thee, Lord, to lay to thine hand, for they have destroyed thy law!

One day this week, after my exercise on the Moor, there came a gentleman in gold lace, and a minister in disguise, and began asking me questions; which I answered accord ing to the ability God gave me. Many flocked round about us to hear, for our dispute was long, and hot on their side. I believe we had talked half an hour before I perceived he was a minister; for I took him for a lawyer, and such a one as believed there was no God; for if I spake of the scripture, he threw up his head, and called me fool, and bade me hold my nonsense. I said, "That which you call nonsense, I call the highest wisdom." When I spake any thing of the Spirit of God, he heaved his cane at me, as if he would have struck me: but God gave me perfect peace in my soul, and words which made

him

him start, and convinced the by-standers of the truth. He was so enraged, that he foamed at the mouth like a horse that is hard rid.

you

But when I understood that he was a minister, I said, "Hold, Sir, let me speak a little, by your leave. You call yourself a minister of the church of England, do you not?" "I do.", "Pray then, Sir, what doctrine do preach; for you make the word of God of none effect, and you deny all inspiration?" He replied, "So I do deny all inspiration." "How dare you then pray for the inspiration of God's Spirit, when you do not believe there is any such thing?" When he had raged a while, he said, "I believe you have read the book of Job, and made it all your own. I answered, "I have need of patience, who have men of such principles as you to talk with, that regard not what they say to provoke one; but I thank God you have not done it yet." He replied, "My reason for speaking so is, because you cannot be quiet with your nonsense and inspiration. And, I hear,

you have preached several times since you came, and have filled the heads of many in this town with your new doctrine." I told him, I had not preached publicly since I came, but did not know how soon I might.-Then he shook his stick, stampt, and said in anger, * If you do preach publicly, we shall take an order with you, which shall be worse than sending you for a soldier." "Let God -look to that," I answered; "for by his grace I can love all men, but fear none that can kill the body only. I assure you, it is not the fear of man which shall hinder me from preaching: for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." When he began to calm a little, I asked him, "Sir, suppose you had been inwardly moved by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel; if the outward ordination were refused you, when you believed yourself called according to the will of Christ to preach, would you forbear preaching? that is, would you obey man or God?" "I suppose," said he," you think you have put a hard question to me." But, hard or easy, he never answered it, and I cannot remember that ever I saw him since. Just as he went away,

he

he challenged me to go into a room with him; but I said, "I have done fighting, Sir."

On Saturday, several desired me to preach on Sunday morning. I told them I should take a walk out to the moor, at half an hour after seven. Accordingly I did so, and found thrice as many as I expected, and preached to about three hundred well-behaved people, who intreated me to preach to them again at night. I answered some of them, I did not know but I might. Yet I gave no public notice, but one told another, and it spread through the city.

I went to the Minster, and heard the bishop preach, and received the blessed sacrament at his hands. At seven in the evening, I went to the moor, and found an unexpected congregation, I believe six thousand people. But there was nothing prepared for me to stand on, and great part of the soldiers were there almost drunk, and began to quarrel with the people that crowded me; so that I saw there was likely to be mischief done, and prevented it by withdrawing. If I had preached, I believe they would have behaved very quietly, for they seemed to have a great desire to hear what this doctrine was. I had not the opportunity of satisfying them at this time; but they that heard in the morning told others, and inflamed them the more with a desire to hear for themselves. Several sent for me to their houses, and others came to me. So I see God will work, and who shall hinder? Lord, open their understanding, that they may know the things which belong to their everlasting peace!

On Monday, I heard that some clergymen were with the officers; and, at night, one of the officers sent for me, and said, "What, you cannot leave off preaching yet; but we must be blamed about you. But if ever you preach pub.. licly again, you shall be severely whipped." "My answer was, "I am not careful in this matter. It is better to obey God than man! I believe it is the will of God that I should preach; and I have not taken man to please in any thing that will offend my God."

With many threats he bade me go; but I made no promise to obey him, neither did I intend it in this case;

for

for I had promised to go to Acham, a village about a mile out of York. The next evening accordingly I went, and preached to almost all the inhabitants, in a field. The Lord gave me to speak his word freely, and sent it with power to their hearts. The rock was struck, and the water gushed out. All whom I saw behaved well. Many said, "We hope you will come again: for let men say what they will of this people, this is the truth, and so we shall find it one day."

. As I came down the street, an Alderman and his wife, of York, who had been to hear me, were standing at the gate of his house; and he called me, and said, "If you please to accept a glass of any sort of liquor my house affords, it is at your service." I answered, "I thank you for your good will, but I dont care to drink.". Several others offered me drink, but I took none. They prayed me to come once a week, as long as I stayed in York. Lord, be mindful of this people, I beseech thee, and send them those who will preach righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ; and O that they may be found with the wedding garment in that day, when every covering which is not of thy Spirit will be found as filthy rags before thy pure eyes!

All that week I had company as much as I could tell what to do with. Several desired me to preach on Sunday morning. I did not promise, but went to discourse with about a score, at seven, on the moor. Others had a suspicion of my being there, and I believe two hundred flocked round me, as soon as they saw me walking, and begged me to preach to them: I told them I stood in jeopardy if I did. But they answered, "We are more in danger than you, for our souls are in danger:" on which it came into my mind, that I had freely received, and I ought freely to give: wherefore I preached to them, and God was with us of a truth, and the hearts of the people were opened to receive the word in love..

Thence I went to sister. Townshend's, where I found my own brother, and brother Mitchel, who came to see me; and we were comforted together. Our time, was

short,