1786. JAN 1, Sun. - We began that solemn service, the renewing of our covenant with God, not in the evening as heretofore, but at three in the afternoon, as more convenient for the generality of people. And God was with us of a truth.

 

JAN. 1, 1786, Sunday

 

4 Prayed, errata; 8 the preachers; 9.30 prayers, Deut. v. 7! communion; 1 at brother Hammo[nd’s], dinner, conversed; 2.15 sleep, prayed; 3 the Covenant; 6 prayed, errata; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 2[1]

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. ii. 21! select society, tea, errata; 11 walk, errata; 12 select society; 1.30 at sister Dixon[’s], dinner, conversed, prayer, errata, visited! 5.45 prayed; 6.30 read prayers, Rom. i. 16, supper, the bands; 9.30.

 

Mon. 9.[2] - At leisure hours this week, I read the Life of Sir William Penn,[3] a wise and good man. But I was much surprised

 

Tuesday 3

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. ii. 21, errata; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, errata; dinner; 3 visited, walk; 4 Hackn[ey], conversed, prayer! Coach; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayed; 6.30 prayers, Rom. ii. 29, the leaders, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday  4

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, prayer; 8 errata ; 12 visited; dinner, conversed prayer; 3 errata, prayed, tea, conversed, prayer, errata; 6 Mr. Wolff etc.; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 5

 

4 Prayed, letters, errata; 7.30 tea, prayer, errata; 10 on business; I2.30 visited; 1.30 dinner, conversed; 2 prayer; 2.30 visited; 3 errata, tea, prayed; 6.30 prayers, Rom. iv. 9! the bands; 8 supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 6

 

4 Prayed, writ Journal; 2.45 dinner, conversed, prayer; 4 prayed, tea, writ narrative; 6.30 audit; 8 supper, within, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 7

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, prayer; 8 letters, Journal; 5.30 at brother Da., dinner, conversed, Journal, prayed; 5 at brother Thomas’s, tea, conversed, prayer, prayed; 6 prayers, Rom. vi. 23! communion; 7 visited, supper, Pen[ry), on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 8

 

4 Prayed, Journal, Chapel, prayed; 9.30 prayers, Rom. xii. 2, communion 1 dinner; 2.15 sleep, prayed; 3 the leaders, prayers, Rom. xii.21, society, coach, society; 7 married persons; 8.15 supper, conversed; prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 9

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iii. ad fin., select society, tea, prayer, Journal; 11 coach, Stratf[or]d, read Journal; 2 dinner; 3 Journal, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayed, Journal; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

at what he relates concerning his first wife, who lived, I suppose, fifty years, and said, a little before her death, ‘I bless God, I never did anything wrong in my life!’ Was she, then, ever convinced of sin? And if not, could she be saved on any other footing than a heathen?

 

Tuesday 10

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 prayer, tea, conversed, Journal; 2 dinner, conversed, Journal; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed; 6 Journal; 8.15 supper, con­versed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 11

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 prayer, tea, conversed, Journal; 2 dinner, conversed, Journal, prayed; 5.30 tea, conversed; 6.30 Jo. xvii. 3! Journal; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Thursday 12

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8.30 prayer, tea, conversed, Journal; 1.15 together; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 Journal, prayed; 4.45 tea, conversed, prayer, Journal; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 13[4]

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 prayer, tea, conversed, Journal; 12.30 coach; 1.30 visited, on business; 2.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 5 prayed, the preachers, tea, conversed, writ narrative; 8 supper; 8.30 prayer, Mark ix. 23! coffee, prayer; 12.30.

 

Saturday I4[5]

 

6.30 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 1 dinner, conversed; 2.30 letters; 1.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 letters; 5 tea, con­versed, prayer, prayed, letters; 7.45 supper, Pen[ry] on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 15

 

4 Prayed, letters, Sp[italfields]; 9.30 prayers, Matt. xiii. 3, etc., com­munion, at Mr.    , dinner, meditation; 3 St. George’s, prayers, Rom. xiii. 10! tea; 5.30 at home, prayed, letters; 6.30 society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 16

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 1-6, select society, tea, prayer, letters; 11walk, select society, dinner, conversed; 2 visited many; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 prayers, Rom. xiv. 17! supper, the bands; 9.30.

 

    Tues. 24. - I was desired to go and hear the King deliver his speech in the House of Lords. But how agreeably was I surprised! He pronounced every word with exact propriety. I much doubt whether there be any other King in Europe that is so just and natural a speaker.

 

Tuesday 17

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 1, 2! writ Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, walk; 9.30 letters, Journal; 1 dinner, conversed; 2.30 Journal, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 Jam, ii. 22; the leaders; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 18[6]

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 7.30 tea, conversed, prayer, letters, Journal; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 walk; 3.30 New[ing]on; 4 Journal ; 5 tea, conversed, prayed, Journal; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 19

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Journal; 1.30 dinner, within; 2.30 Journal, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6 Journal; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 20

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Journal; 1.30 Mr. Rutt[le] dinner, conversed; 2.30 writ narrative ; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed, writ narrative, 7 Heb. xi. I! writ narrative; 8 supper, conversed prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 21

 

4 Prayed, read Journal; 7.30 tea, conversed, prayer; 8.15 coach; 9 at home, on business, writ, letters; 1at T[homas] Ra[nkin’s], dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 letters; 3 prayed; 4.30 walk, tea; 6 prayers, I Cor. i. 3; 9 supper, conversed, Pen[ry] on business; 9.30.

 

I Cor. x. 31.

 

Sunday 22

 

4 Prayed, letters, Chapel; 9.30 prayers, Isa. Iv. 6! communion, dinner, conversed, prayer, sleep; 3 the leaders, prayers, i Cor. iv. 2! Society, coach, society, writ narrative, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 23

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 8, select society, tea, writ sermon; 12 select society, at sister Dix’s, dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 sermon, prayed, tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 prayers, I Cor. v. 9, supper, the bands; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 24

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 8! sermon, tea, sermon; 12.30 House of Lords; 3.3 at Mr. Griff[ith’s], dinner, conversed, coach; 6 tea, prayed ; 6.3 prayers, I Cor. vi. 20! the leaders; 8 supper, conversed, prayer, 9.30.

     

Tues. 31.—I had a more particular account of Joseph Lee[7] than ever I had before. When I went first to Newcastle-upon-

 

Wednesday 25

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 7.30 tea, conversed, prayer, sermon; 2.15 at brother Wri[ght’s], dinner, conversed, read narrative; 5 at brother Garret’s, tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayers, Acts xxvi. 28! society, com­munion; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Thursday 26

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, conversed, prayer, letters, on business; 11 coach; 12.30 Peckham, Journal; 2 dinner; 3 Journal, prayed; 5 tea, con­versed, Journal; 7 Deut. v. 7! Journal; 8.45 supper; 9 writ, prayer, visited ; 10.15.

 

Friday 27

 

4.30 Prayed, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, Journal, accounts; 1.30 dinner, conversed; 3 writ narrative; 5 prayed, tea, conversed; 6 read narrative; 8.30 supper, within, prayer; 10.30.

 

Saturday 28

 

4.45 Prayed, read narrative; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 read narrative, letters; 12 accounts; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 writ narrative; 4.30 coach, at sister Asker’s, tea, conversed ; 6 prayers, Cor. ix. 16, etc., communion, coach, supper, within, Pen[ry] on business, 

 

        con­versed; 10.

 

Sunday 29

 

4 Prayed, letters, writ narrative; 8 the preachers; 9.30 prayers, Isa. lvii. 16; communion, at brother Dew’s, dinner, conversed; 2 sleep, prayed, tea, conversed; 5 prayers, i Cor. X. 31 I society, lovefeast, supper, within; 9.30.

 

Monday 30

 

4 Prayed, i Pet. iv. 12, select society, class, tea, class; 1 dinner; 2 class, tea, class; 6 read prayers, Mark iv. 26, class; 8 within, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Tuesday 31

 

4 Prayed, letter, class; 8 tea, in talk, class; dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 class; 3 Death of Joseph Lee; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayer, on business, prayed; 6.30 prayers; 7 I Pet. iv. 7 I the leaders, supper prayer; 9.30.

 

Tyne I chose him, being a man full of faith and love, to be one of the leaders, steward of the society, and caterer for our family. He discharged his trust with the utmost ability and integrity. He walked humbly and closely with God, and was a pattern to all the town, as well as to all the society. But, after some time, he was persuaded to quit Newcastle and settle at Nottingham. There he fell among Antinomians, and trusting in his own strength, gradually sucked in their opinion, grew less and less strict, and lost first the power and then the very form of religion. After he had lived some years openly and avowedly without God in the world, while he was one evening, quite merry with his jovial companions, one of them said, ‘Why, Mr. Lee, you was once very godly; you was one of those mad Methodists!’ He answered not a word, but 1eane~ his arm on the table, and died.

---

 

[1] On Jan. 2 he wrote from London to Rev. Mr. Rocks at Great Cheveral, near the Devizes, respecting the appointment of a clergyman (new ed Wesley Letters)

   

[2] On Jan. 8 he wrote from London Joshua Keighley at Carmarthen.

 

[3] He was an English admiral, who distinguished himself at the taking of Jamaica in 1655, and was knighted for his services against the Dutch. He was the father of the more illustrious William Penn, after whom the State of Pennsylvania is named (Pepys, p. 227).  Sir William ‘married early in life. While yet in the merchant service, he had become acquainted with a young, handsome, and intelligent lady in Rotterdam, Margaret, daughter of John Jasper, an opulent Dutch merchant.’ (Hepworth Dixon’s Life of William Penn, junr.)

   

[4] On Jan. 13 he wrote from London letter to Mrs. Fletcher- 

 

‘one of the most faithful friends I have in the world’ (Works, vol. xii. p. 408). If we had

 

the letter to which this was an answer it to would be of considerable value.

 

[5] On the 14th he wrote to Samuel Mitchell (new ed. Wesley Letters).

 

[6] He wrote to R.C. Brackenbury in Jersey (new ed. Wesley Letters)

 

[7] See John Nelson’s Account of Joseph Lee’s death, Arm. Mag. 1782, p. 580. ‘Lee was our first society in Fetter Lane, and received remission of sins, one of the first in London.’ He worked in the same shop in Gascoign graham and Matthew Errington and ‘was for several yeas a burning and a shining light.’ He met in one of the Foundery Bands, June 1745 (See Stevenson’s city Road chapel, p. 34)