After visiting Newcastle and Congleton, on Saturday, APRIL 1, I came to Macclesfield. Here again I had the satisfaction to find a people much alive to God.

 

Sun. 2.-We had a large and serious congregation at the new church,[1] both morning and afternoon. The organ is one of the finest-toned I ever heard; and the congregation singing with it make a sweet harmony.

 

Mon. 3.-About eleven I preached to a crowded congregation in the new house near Chapel-en-le-Frith.[2] Many of these lively people came from among the mountains, and strongly reminded me of those fine verses wherein Dr. Burton para­phrases

 

APRIL 1, Saturday,

 

4 Prayed, Rom. i. 16, accounts, read; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise; 11 Macc[lesfiel]d, letters; 1 dinner, conversed, letters; 3.30 prayed, on business, tea, conversed; 5.30 prayed; 6 Rev. iii. 20; 7 read; 8 supper, conversed, prayer, on business; 9.45.

 

Sunday 2

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 7 tea, conversed, Journal; 10 prayers, Heb. iv. 7. writ narrative, dinner, conversed, sleep; 2 prayers, Heb. iv. 14, etc., prayed, letters, tea, conversed, prayed; 5 Prov. xxii. 6, lovefeast! 8.15 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 3

 

4 prayed, Heb. iv. 9, letters; 7 tea, conversed, prayer; 8.15 chaise, [cipher] *! 11 Chapel, Acts xviii. 19! dinner, conversed; 1 chaise, visited, chaise, [cipher] *; Hayfield; 4 prayed, tea; 4.30 I Cor. vi. 19! chaise; 7 New Mills, prayed, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

those plain words, ‘The hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and so are the stony rocks for the conies’:

 

Te, domine, intonsi montes, te saxa loquentur

 

Summa Deum, dummontis amat juga pendulus hircus,

 

Saxorumque colit latebrosa cuniculus antra.[3]

 

It is chiefly among these enormous mountains that so many have been awakened, justified, and soon after perfected in love; but, even while they are full of love, Satan strives to push many of them to extravagance. This appears in several instances: (1) Frequently three or four, yea, ten or twelve, pray aloud all together. (2) Some of them, perhaps many, scream all together as loud as they possibly can. (3) Some of them use improper, yea, indecent, expressions in prayer. (4) Several drop down as dead; and are as stiff as a corpse; but in a while they start up, and cry, ‘Glory! Glory!’ perhaps twenty times together. Just so do the French Prophets,[4] and very lately the Jumpers in Wales, bring the real work into contempt. Yet, whenever we reprove them, it should be in the most mild and gentle manner possible. .

 

Tues. 4.-In the evening I preached to a lovely congregation at Stockport.[5]

 

Tuesday 4

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, Siege; 10 Mal. iii. I! society! Siege; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 chaise; 4,  Stockp[ort], prayed, tea, walk; Matt. xxii. 27, society; 7 Siege; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 5

 

4 Prayed, read Siege; 8 tea, conversed, Siege; 10 chaise, Bullock Smi[thy]; 11 prayers, Acts ii. 4! dinner, conversed; 2 chaise; 3.30 Manc[heste]r, prayed, tea, within; 6 Deut. v. 7! within; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 6

 

4 Prayed letters; 7 tea, conversed; 8 chaise; 9.15 Ashto[n], Jo. xvii. 3! chaise; 11.30 New Hall; 12 Jo. iv. 24! chaise! 3 sleep, sermon, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6. Lu. viii. 18! sermon, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Fri. 7.[6]- I went on, as swiftly as 1 could, through Manchester, Wigan, and Bolton.

 

Friday 7

 

Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, prayer, sermon; 9 chaise; 10 Failsworth, Heb. ix. 27; 12 chaise; 1 Oldham, dinner; I Jo. v. 19, chaise; 4 Manch[este]r, ill, writ narrative; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 I Cor. x. 12! supper, conversed, prayer, on business; 9.45.

 

Saturday 8

 

5 lll, prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, sleep, the Painter; 12 sleep; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 sleep, on business; 4 the Painter; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 Mark iii. 34! 8 read, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Sunday 9

 

4.30 Prayed, letters; 8.15 tea, conversed, letters; 10 prayers, Phil. iv. 5! communion; 1.30 dinner, conversed, sleep; 4 prayed, tea; 5.15 Heb. v. 7! society, on business; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30. 

 

Monday 10

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 7, tea; 6.30 chaise; 8.30 Buckl[ey] H[ill], tea, chaise; 11 Nor[th]wich, letters; 12 Eccl. vii. 29! dinner; 2 chaise; 5.15 Chester, tea; 6 Deut. v. 7! society; 8 supper, prayer, at Jo. Sellers; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 11

 

4 Prayed, Rev. ii. 5! Gouge; 8 tea, conversed, prayed, Gouge; 12.30 walk; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 Gouge, prayed; 5 tea, con­versed, prayer, 6 Jo. xiv. 22! 8 the society, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 12

 

4 Prayed, Rev. ii. 5, on business! 6.30 tea, prayer; 7 chaise; 10 tea, Rock [Ferry], boat; 11.30 Liverp[ool], at Mr. Wagner, letters; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer, on business, prayed; 6.30 Deut. v. 7! society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 13

 

4 Prayed, I Cor. x. 12! select society, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 letters; 1 dinner, conversed; 2.30 letters, prayed, tea; 6 Lu. xii,        20! communion; 9 supper, conversed, prayer; 10.

 

Good Friday 14

 

4 Prayed, I Cor. vi. 20! coffee; 6 chaise, Prescot, tea, chaise; 10.30 Wigan; 11 prayers; 12 dinner; 1 2 Cor. viii. 9! chaise; 5 Bolton, tea, prayed; 6 Heb. ix. 13, society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30

 

Sun. 16, being Easter Day.[7]- I crossed over to Warrington, where, having read prayers, preached, and administered the Lord’s Supper, I hastened back to Bolton.[8] The house was crowded the more because of five hundred and fifty children, who are taught in our Sunday schools. Such an army of them got about me when I came out of the chapel that I could scarce disengage myself from them.

 

Mon. 17. - I went on to Blackburn,[9] which was sufficiently

 

Saturday 15

 

4 Prayed, Rom. viii. 4, letters, tea, conversed; 8.30 chaise; 11 Rochdale; 12 lsa. lxvi. 8! dinner; 2.30 chaise; 4 Bur[y], prayed; 5 Gal. vi. 14! chaise; 8 Bolton, supper, conversed, on business; 9.30.

 

Easter Day

 

4 Prayed 5; tea, chaise; 7.30 Warr[ing]ton], tea, conversed, Mag.; 10 prayers, Lu. xxiv. 25; communion; 12.15 dinner; 1 chaise, Bolton, tea, prayed; 5 1 Pet. i. 3, society, supper, prayer, conversed; 9.30.

 

Monday 17

 

4 Prayed, Col. iii. 1 4, letters, chaise; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, chaise; 11.30 Blackbur[n]; 12 letters; 1.30 dinner; conversed, texts; 4 prayed, tea; 6 Rev. xx. 12! 7 society! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

crowded, it being the fair-day. No house would contain the people; so I stood abroad, and expounded that awful scripture, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.' All were still as night, unless when they sung; then their voices were as the sound of many waters.

 

Tues. 18.[10] I preached at Padiham, Burnley,[11] Southfield,[12] and Colne.

 

Thur. 20.-I went to Otley, and found God was there, both in the evening and morning service.

 

Fri. 21.-I preached at Yeadon, where the work of God is rapidly going forward. Such a company of loving children I have nowhere seen but at Oldham, near Manchester.

 

Tuesday 18

 

4 Prayed, Journal, tea, conversed; 8 chaise; 9.30 Paddiha[m]; 10 Rom. viii. 33! Communion; 12.30 within; 1 dinner, conversed; 1.45 chaise; 2.30 Burnl[e]y, Mark i. 13! 4 tea, chaise; 7.30 Sou[th]field, letter, prayed, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 19

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, sermon; 12 dinner; I Matt. xxv. 1, etc., sermon; 3 chaise; 4 Coln[e], tea, prayed; 5 I Jo. v. 19! Communion; 7 chaise; 8 Sout[h]f[ield], supper, conversed; 9 prayed; 9.30.

 

Thursday 20

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 6 Acts xxii. 16, tea, conversed, prayer; 7.45 chaise; 10.30 Inn; 11.30 chaise; 1.45 Otl[ey], sermon, dinner, sermon; 4 prayed, tea, conversed; 6 Gal. v. I! 7 society, supper, within, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 21

 

4 Prayed, Job vii. 17! sermon; 8 tea, conversed, sermon; 11 prayer, chaise; 12 Parkga[te], sermon; 2 dinner, conversed; prayed; 6.30 Yeadon, Isai. Ixvi. 9! 8 chaise, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Sun. 23. - I preached in Haworth church in the morning, and Bingley church in the afternoon; but, as there were many hundreds that could not get in, Mr. Atmore preached abroad at the same time. In the evening I preached to a huge multitude at Bradford. Surely the people of this town are highly favoured, having both a vicar[13] and a curate that preach the truth.

 

Mon. 24- I preached at Halifax; Tuesday the 25th, at ten,

 

Saturday 22

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise, Bailden, Mark iii. 35! chaise; 12.30 Keighl[e]y, letters; 1.30 dinner, letters, prayed; 5 visited, tea, conversed; 6 Isa. lvii. I, 2; 7 society, letters, supper, conversed, prayer, on business; 9.45.

 

Sunday 23

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, chaise; 10 Hawor[th], prayers, I Jo. v. 11! dinner; 1 chaise; 2.30 Bingl[ey], prayers, Lu. viii. 18! chaise; 5 Bradf[ord], at Mr. Cross's, tea, conversed; 6 prayed, Mark iii. 35; society, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Monday 24

 

4 Prayed, Psa. cvi. 24, letters; 7 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 10.30 chaise; 12.30 Halifax; 1.30 dinner, conversed, letters; 4.15 prayed, tea, conversed; 6.30 2 Cor. v. I, etc., society, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Tuesday 25

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 6 Lu. xx. 34, etc., letters, tea; 8 chaise; 10 Hepton­stall, prayers, Acts xxii. 16, society, communion; 1 dinner, within, prayer; 2 chaise; 3 at Mr. Sut[cliffe's]: 3 sermon, tea, prayed; 5 prayers, Matt. xv. 28! sermon, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

in Heptonstall church (the ugliest I know); and in the after­noon at Todmorden church. How changed are both the place and the people since I saw them first! Lo! the smiling fields are glad; and the human savages are tame! '

 

Thur. 27.-I preached at Greetland at ten, and at Huddersfield in the evening.

 

Fri. 28.-I preached at Longwood House, the owners of which are a blessing to all the poor, both in spirituals and temporals.

 

Sat. 29. - The wind drove us in the evening into the cloth­hall in Gildersome, where I expounded and applied ‘The things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal.'

 

Sun. 30.[14]- I preached in the new house at ­ Dewsbury, [15]­ as I had intended. I could not preach abroad at Birstall at noon, because of the boisterous wind. I got some shelter from it at Wakefield, while I applied those words in one of the psalms for the day, ‘He healeth them that are broken in heart, and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.'

 

Wednesday 26

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 6 Matt. viii. 2! at Mr. Sutcl[iffe's]; 8.15 chaise; 10.30 Halifax, letters, sermon; 12.30 walk; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 sermon, letter, prayed, tea, conversed; 6.30 2 Tim. iii. 5! society; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 27

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise, Greetland, Matt. vii. 16; 11 chaise; 12 Longw[ood] House, sermon; 1.30 dinner, conversed; 2.30 sermon; 5 tea, conversed, chaise; 6 Isai. lix. 1, 2! chaise; 9 supper, prayer; 10.

 

Friday 28

 

4.45 prayed; 6 Eph. iv. 30, etc., writ Conf[erence]; 7 tea, conversed, prayer, writ Conf[erence]; 11 chaise; 12.30 Dewsb[ury], Conf[erence]; dinner, Conf[erence]; 3 Trustees; 5 tea, prayed; 6.30 Matt. xxii. 37! society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 29

 

4 Prayed, writ texts; 6 I Cor. xiii. I3! letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, writ Conf[erence]; 11 chaise; 12 Gild[er]som[e], writ for Conf[erence]; 1 dinner, conversed, letters; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed; 6 Cloth Hall, 2 Cor. iv. I8! read, prayed; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sunday 30

 

4 Prayed, letters; 6.30 tea, conversed, chaise; 8 Dewsbury, Matt. xxii. 39! Chaise; 10.30 Birstal[l], letters; 12 dinner, Psa. cxliv. 15, letter; 2.30 chaise; 4.15 Wakefield, tea; 5 Psa. cxlvii. 3! letter, prayer; 7.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

  

---

 

[1] The church built by Mr. Roe for Mr. Simpson. See above, vol. vi. p. 142.

 

[2] See Meth. Rec. Sept. 25, 1902.

 

[3] See above, vol. iv. p. 113.

 

[4] Refugee Camisards from the Ce­vennes. See above, vol. ii. p. 136 n., and

 

Pike’s Ancient Meeting-Houses, p. 321.

 

[5] On April 6 he wrote from Manchester to his brother Charles (Works, vol. xii. P. 154).

 

[6] Benson's unpublished diary is here of interest. He says:

 

April 7.-On Monday last I met Mr. Wes­ley at Chapel-en-le-Frith, and went along with him to Hayfield, New Mills, and Stockport, and preached at all these places, On Wednesday noon he opened the new chapel at Bullock Smithy, Mr. Simpson reading prayers. The congregation was very large. After dining at an inn with about forty persons he set off for Manchester.

 

­

 

[7] On April 13 he wrote from Liver­pool to Miss Hannah Ball, upbraiding her because she no longer confides and consults him (new ed. Wesley Letters).

 

[8] It was now, or soon after, that he preached to the children in Bolton a sermon from Ps. xxxiv. 11, in which he engaged to use no word of more than two syllables, and literally fulfilled his promise (Tyerman’s Life of Wesley, vol. iii. p. 472, who quotes Banning’s Memoirs-see below).

 

[9] In 1781 the society here was steadily increasing and a new preaching­ house became necessary. One or two cotton-mills were erected. The Peels of Blackburn built one at Altham. The Peels were just then coming into note. William Banning and George Walkden were the zealous Methodists of the town. They took a leading part in building the chapel which took the place of the Old Calender House. Mr. J. Sudall, from whom they hoped to purchase land, died suddenly, and his friends declined to sell the land. Walkden and Banning break­fasted together and prayed for help in the difficulty. After prayer Banning said: ‘We shall have a chapel in such a field.’ Walkden doubted the possi­bility, knowing that the owner was an enemy to the Methodists. But Walkden was mistaken. The land was secured, and the two friends raised nearly all the money, begging through the town from house to house. Clayton Street, where the new chapel was built, was at that time surrounded with gardens, fields, and gentlemen’s houses. It was then the most respectable part of the town. William Banning is entered on the list of trustees as a bread-maker, and George Walkden as a yeoman. See Memoir of Banning by his son; and Ward’s Meth. in Blackburn, pp. 23-7. For a subsequent visit in 1790, not recorded in previous editions of the Journal, see interesting material in

 

Jessop’s Rossendale Methodism, p. 142.

 

[10]He wrote from Keighley to his brother Charles (Works, vol. xii. p. 155).

 

[11] At this slightly mentioned visit Wesley stood on a riding-stone, near the Thorn Inn. A thorn-tree which re­mained on the spot for many years gave name to the inn. A Mr. William Hopwood, who died in 1838, after a long life of godly living, was, with his wife, returning from the church, when the preaching arrested both, and led to their conversion and membership (Meth. in Burnley, p. 57).

 

[12] Barely to be called a village. William Darney settled and died there. It be­came the home of William Sagar, for whose connexion with the Colne chapel see above, vol. vi. P.154. See fully, for Southfield, Moore's Meth. in Burnley, pp. 31, 45, and Jessop's Rossendale Methodism, pp. 114 ff. An interest­ing account of Wesley's purpose in this East Lancashire round of services is de­scribed by the Rev. J. Barritt in W.M. Mag. 1843, p. 180.

 

[13] John Crosse (not Cross), the son of a Middlesex magistrate, was converted under the preaching of Alexander Coates, one of the first race of Methodist preachers. He joined the Society at West Street, and immediately became known to Wesley. The acquaintance ripened into a friendship that was terminated only by death. Whilst incumbent at Whitechapel, near Birstall, an intimate friendship with Miss Bosan­quet was formed, and upon her marriage he exchanged clerical duties with Fletcher

 

for three months: He was vicar of Bradford from 1784 until his death in 1816, and in his own house conducted a class-meeting on the Methodist plan. His attachment to the aims and spirit of Methodism led to hostility on the part of some of his Anglican friends, so that he offered his services to Conference for duty at City Road. His first wife was the widow of Samuel Sutcliffe of Hoo Hoyle (see above, vol. v. p. 373, and a Memoir by W. W. Stamp in W.M. Mag. 1844, pp. 1 ff.).

 

[14] He wrote from near Birstall to T. Carlill (W.H.S. vol. vi. p. 92).

 

[15] Built in 1784, near the bottom of Webster’s Hill. The foundation- stone was laid by John Valton, at the corner of next vestry. It was opened by Mr. Allen, and it is said that Fletcher was with him in the pulpit. Mr. Allen resided in the house adjoining. See J. Ryley Robinson’s Meth. in Dewsbury, pp. 59, 60.