MARCH 1, Wed.[1] -I had appointed to preach in Trowbridge at noon; but we could not get thither till half an hour after. I then preached without delay, and in the evening in Bristol, on ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?[2] ‘Afterwards I visited one who could say, with Mr. Renty, ‘I bear with me an experimental verity, and a plenitude of the presence of the ever-blessed Trinity.' In the afternoon I went over to Kingswood, and found the school in excellent order.

 

MARCH 1, Wednesday

 

4 Prayed, writ sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, sermon, chaise; 12.30 Trowbr[idge], Heb. vii. 25! 1.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.45 chaise; 5 Bath, tea, conversed, prayed, sermon; 6.30 Lu. viii. 18, society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Thursday 2

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 6 I Jo. iii. 8, sermon; 8 visited, tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise, visited; 11.30 Bristol, on business; 1 at Miss Johnso(n's], dinner, conversed; 2.30 sermon; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 I Cor. xv. 55! the bands, at sister Jo[hnson]'s, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 3[3]

 

4 Prayed, sermon, tea, letters; 11 the females, visited! 2 dinner, con­versed, prayer; 3.30 writ narrative, prayed, tea, conversed, prayed; 5.30 chaise, at the School, within; 6.30 letters; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sun. 5.-I read prayers and preached and administered the sacrament to about five hundred communicants. At three I preached in Temple Church; at five in the new room. On Friday I baptized a young negro, who appeared to be deeply serious and much affected; as indeed did the whole congregation.

 

Saturday 4

 

4 Prayed, read; 6 the children, within, chaise; 8 at Miss Morg[an's], tea, conversed, prayer]; 9 letters; 2 at Mr. Durb[in's], dinner, con­versed, prayer; 4 prayed, tea, conversed; 6 Guin[ea] Str[eet], Job xxii. 21! Pen[ry], at Mr. Ca[stleman's], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sunday 5

 

4 Prayed, Journal, tea, prayed; 9.30 read prayers, 2 Cor. vi. 2! com­munion; 1 dinner, conversed, prayed; 3 prayers; 3.30 Phil. iv. 9! tea, prayed; 5 Gen. xxii. I, 2, society, the singers; 8 supper, con­versed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 6

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. ii. 20, etc., letter; 7 class, tea, class; 1 at sister Staft[ord's], dinner, conversed; 2 class; 4.30 prayed, tea, conversed, prayer, writ narrative, prayed; 7 I Pet. ii. 25, 26 [sic], at Miss J[ohnson's]; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 7

 

4 Prayed, writ narrative; 6 class; 8 tea, conversed, letters; 9 class; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 class, read narrative; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 read the letters, the leaders; 8 at sister Johns[on's], 9 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 8

 

4 Prayed, writ journal!; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, walk; 10 at home, letters, [cipher]*; 1 at brother Hopk[in’s], dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 class, chaise, Jacob's Well                , class, Clifton, writ

 

narrative, supper, conversed, prayer; 9. 30.

 

Thursday 9

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 at home, letters; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 letters; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayed; 6.30 Deut. v. 7! the bands, at sister Jo[hnson]'s, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 10

 

4 Prayed, texts; 11 within to many; 12 the females; 1 prayer, christened; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 visited many; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 Gui[nea] S[treet], Lu. xviii. 8! visited at sister Jo[hnson's]; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sat. 11. - I rode over to Churchill, about twelve miles from Bristol, where Dr. Barry read prayers and I preached to a serious congregation.

 

Mon. 13.-I left Bristol, taking Mr. Bradburn with me, as I judged a change of place and of objects would be a means of calming his mind, deeply affected with the loss of a beloved wife. In the evening I preached at Stroud; Tuesday the 14th at noon in Painswick, with uncommon liberty; and in the evening at Gloucester. I preached in the old church (now vanished away) belonging to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, which I think was very considerably larger than the new chapel in London.

 

Wed. 15.-Much snow fell in the night, and quite blocked

 

Saturday 11

 

4 Prayed, texts; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise; 11.15 Churchill, prayers, Isa. Iv. 6, chaise, Wrington, dinner, conversed, prayer, chaise; 5.30 at home, tea, prayed, on business; 7.30 Pen[ry], at Mr. Ca[stleman's], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sunday 12[4]

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, prayed; 9.30 prayers; I Thess. iv. 5! communion, chaise, at the School, dinner, conversed, prayer, 2 Matt. xv. 28! chaise, visited, tea, prayed; 5 I Thess. iv. 8! society, letters; 8 supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 13

 

4 Prayed, tea; 5 chaise; 8.15 Newport [near Berkeley), tea, conversed; 9.45 chaise; 12.30 Stroud; 1 letters; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 letters, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 Tit. ii. 11, etc., society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 14

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 11 chaise; 12 Painsw[ick], Isa. Ivii. I, 2! dinner, conversed; 2 chaise; 4 Glo[uce]ster, writ narrative, prayed, tea, conversed; 6 read prayers, Is. Iv. 6, 7, society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 15

 

4 Prayed, letter; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 within; 9.30 chaise; 11.15 Tewksb[ury], conversed; 12 Mark iii. 35! dinner, conversed; 2 chaise; 4.30 Worc[este]r, letter; 5 tea, conversed; 6 Jo. iv. 24! society, visited, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

up the road. Yet with some difficulty, we got through to Tewkesbury, where I preached at noon. Abundance of snow likewise fell in the afternoon; but we pushed through it to Worcester

 

Thur. 16. - It was not without some difficulty that we made our way through the snow to Bewdley. Prejudice is here now vanished away. The life of Mr. Clark turned the tide; and, much more, his glorious death.[5] I preached at noon; and at Worcester in the evening, where we had an uncommon blessing while I was enforcing ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’

 

Fri. 17. - At eleven I preached at Bengeworth; and again at six in the evening: I believe not without effect.

 

Sat. 18. - I went on straight to Birmingham.[6]

 

Sun. 19. - A large congregation attended in the morning

 

Thursday 16

 

4 Prayed, writ narrative; 6 Jo. vi. 28, writ narrative; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise; 11.30 Bewdley, conversed; 12 Tit. ii 11, dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 chaise; 5.30 tea, conversed; 6 Deut. V. 7! The bands, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30 [cipher]*!

 

Friday 17

 

4 Prayed, writ narrative; 6 I pet. Iv. 7! Tea, conversed; 8 chaise; 10.30 Benge[worth], visited, prayers, Jo. Iv.24! 1 dinner, conversed, letter, Prayer, writ narrative, prayed, at Mr. Be.; 5.30 prayers, Job xxii 21! Texts, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 18

 

4 Prayed, U. Blu, tea,  prayer; 6.30 chaise; 8.45 Studl[ey], tea; 9.45 chaise; 12.45 Birm[ingham], E. Ri[tchie]; 1.30 dinner, conversed, 3 on business; 4 prayed, tea, conversed, writ narrative; 7 Mark iii. 35! writ narrative; supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sunday 19

 

4 Prayed, Journal; 7 tea, conversed, 8 Isa. xl. i! Journal; 10 prayers; 12.15 writ narrative; 12.45 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 letter, prayed, 4 tea, conversed, prayer, 5 Isa. Iv. 1! Communion; 8.30, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30. 

 

At ten I went to St Mary’s[7] where the curate preached an admirable sermon. At five the preaching-house  

 

would not near contain the congregation. Afterwards I administered the Lord’s Supper to about five 

 

hundred communicants.

 

Mon. 20.[8] _ I met the select society,[9] most of whom are clearly perfected in love.

 

Tue. 21. - At three in the in the afternoon I preached at Quinton,[10] in the new preaching-house, and in the 

 

evening at Birmingham. To-day I read Dr. Withering’s[11] Treatise on Foxglove. He says it frequently cures epilepsies, palsies, insanity, consumptions, and several other diseases.

 

Monday 20.

 

4 Prayed, Matt. xii 43! Letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters,11 select society, visited, 1 dinner, prayer, letters, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 Matt. ix. 5! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Tuesday 21

 

4 Prayed, letters, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, texts, letters; 1 dinner, coach; 3 Quinton, Isa. i 3 coach; 5.15 Birm[ingham], tea, conversed, prayer, read, 6.30 Eph. iii. 14; 7.30 the bands, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sun. 26. - The church,[12] as usual, was far too small to contain the congregation. I preached on Rev. xiv. 1-7, and exhorted the congregation to cherish that divine ambition of being found ‘faultless before God.’ We had another large congregation in the afternoon, and all serious as death. I spent the evening at

 

Wednesday 22

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 7, writ letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 letter, within to some; 10 on business, prayer; 11 chaise, with E. R[itchie]; 12.30 Wedn[esbur]y, writ narrative; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 Journal; 4 prayed, tea; 6 Acts xvii. 30! society! supper, prayer; 9,30.

 

Thursday 23

 

4 Prayed, texts, sermon; 7.30 tea, conversed, prayer; 8.30 sermon; 11 chaise; 11.30 Darla[sto]n, sermon; 12 dinner, sermon; 1.30  read prayers; 2 Tim. i. 7, chaise, sermon, prayed; 6 Matt. vii. 16! the bands, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 24

 

4 Prayed, Matt. v. 6! sermon; 7.30 tea, prayer, sermon; 11 chaise; 12.15 Dudley; 12.30 texts; 1.30 dinner, texts, prayed, visited, tea, conversed, prayed; 6 Jo. iv. 24! 7 society! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 25

 

4 Prayed, I Thess. v. 19! tea, chaise; 8 W[olve]rhampton, tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Isai. iv. I! 10.15 chaise; 1.30 Madeley, dinner, conversed, [-]; 5 tea, conversed, read [-], prayed prayer; 8 supper, conversed, prayer, on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 26

 

4 Prayed, [-]; 7.30 Jam. iii. 17, tea, conversed, texts; 10 prayers, Rev. xiv. I, etc.; 12 texts, dinner, conversed, sleep, texts; 2 prayers, Mark xvi. 16; 4 texts, prayed, tea, conversed; 5 prayed, Journal; 8 at Mr. Ferr., conversed, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 27

 

4 Prayed, letters; 7 prayer, tea, conversed, chaise; 6 Coalb[rook] Dale, Isa. lxvi. 8! chaise; 9.30 letters; 12 writ texts; 12.30 dinner, conversed; 2 read to Mrs. F[letcher], to E. R[itchie]; 4 prayed, tea, 

 

        con­versed; 6.30 prayers, Jo. xiv. 22! 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

a neighbouring gentleman's house, in close conversation from the beginning to the end.

 

Tues. 28.-After calling at Sheriffhales, and giving them a short exhortation, I hastened to Stafford, and found the congregation waiting. I strongly enforced upon them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand’; and then went on to Lane End. It was past seven, and the wind was piercing cold. However, I was constrained to preach abroad; and none of us seemed to regard the weather, for God warmed our hearts.

 

I forgot to mention that, the evening before, Madeley church was thoroughly filled; and God reserved the great blessing for the last. We had a glorious opportunity. He poured the dew of His blessing on many souls, and caused many mourners to rejoice with joy unspeakable.

 

Wed. 29.-We came to our old, steady friends at Burslem; but he with whom I used to lodge is no more seen.[13] He trusted the Americans with all his substance, and they cheated him out of all. So he came home and died, leaving an amiable widow and six or seven children.

 

Cold as it was, the multitude of people constrained me to preach abroad; but I believe none went away. I preached on ‘Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus, Christ.’ We have scarce seen such a time since we came from London. The place seemed to be filled with His glory.

 

Tuesday 28

 

4 Prayed, Isai. xxx. 18! prayed; 7 chaise; 8,30 Sher[iff] Ha[les], tea, Pet. i. 24! 9.45 chaise; 1 Stafford, Mark i. 15, dinner; 2.30 chaise, Lane [End] [Longton]; 5 tea, within; 6 Rom. viii. 33! prayed; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 29

 

4 Prayed, Heb. vi. I, sermon; 7.30 tea, prayer, sermon; 10 within; 11.15 chaise; 12.30 at Mr. Wood [Enoch Wood, the sculptor, who had married Miss Bourne], dinner, conversed; 2.30 chaise; at brother Robinson, sermon, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 I Jo. i. 3! society! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 30

 

4 Prayed, I Cor. xii. 31 sermon; 8 visited, tea, prayer, chaise; 9.30 Newca[stle]; 10 sermon; 1 dinner, sermon, letters; 5 prayed, tea; 6 Jo. v. 19! society; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 31

 

4 Prayed, Psa. 1. 23, letters; 8 tea, letters; 10 chaise; 12 Congle[ton], Mag. ; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 Mag.; 4 prayed, tea; 6 Matt. iv. 10; 7 society, supper, prayer; 9.30,

---

 

[1] Bradburn writes (Memoirs, p. 103):

 

March 1.-I heard Mr. Wesley preach at Trowbridge and Bath. My friends have forced me out, in hopes of recovering my health.

 

March 5.-I read prayers.

 

March 7.-Mr. Wesley and I met the Bristol classes. He preached every evening as usual.

 

[2] Mrs. Bradburn had died in February, and Mrs. Murlin just previously. Mrs. Bradburn was buried in Temple Church. It is said that Jeremiah Brettell preached a funeral sermon for the two ladies. The text here is an inaccurate compression of the diary, which shows that the evening preaching was at Bath, the Bristol preaching (on I Cor. xv. 55) being on Thursday and the visit to Kingswood on Friday.

 

[3] He wrote from Bristol to Charles Atmore with reference to his next northern journey (new ed. Wesley Letters), and on the 4^th to Samuel Bardsley and Miss Hannah Bownier (ibid.).

 

[4] On March 12 he wrote to Dr. Coke, endorsing his appeal for missions to the Highlands of Scotland. the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey, the Leeward Islands, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New­foundland (W.M. Mag. 1840, p. 573).

 

[5] Cf. above, vol. vi. P. 224

 

[6] Elizabeth Ritchie was there, and went with him to Madeley (see life of Mrs. Mortimer, p. 102). This was about her date of engagement to Mr. Mortimer.

 

[7] St Mary’s Chapel, so named in allusion to its chief Benefactress, Miss Mary Weaman. The Rev. John Riland (see above, vol. V. p.63) was the first Vicar, and the Rev. Edward Burn his curate. On Riland’s succession to the family living of Sutton Coldfield in 1790 Burn became the vicar and retained the living until his death in 1837. He had been a Methodist and a Student at Trevecca, and afterwards itinerating in the countess of Huntingdon’s connexion. In the Vaults of the church William Thompson, President of the first conference after Wesley’s death, was buried, and in the graveyard Hester Ann Rogers. At the time of the Birmingham conference of 1879, the friendly Vicar, Burn’s immediate successor, initiated a memorial tablet to the former, which is affixed to the chancel arch, and the restoration of the obelisk covering the grave of the latter. (Life of the Countess of Huntingdon, vol. ii. p. 477, &c.; Early Methodism in Birmingham, pp. 33, 45, 49, and Methodism Rec. March 28, 1901.)

 

[8] He wrote to Thomas Tattershall. See Lyth’s Meth. in York, p.149.

 

[9] In Anderton square, a small court surrounded by a dozen three-storied houses entered through an archway from Whittall Street. Miss Newey, who resided there, informed the author of Early Meth. In Birmingham in 1902 that she had repeatedly been told by her grandfather, Mr. Jonathan Newey, that the band- meeting was held in the first floor room of his house, the second house on the right after passing through the Archway; and that Wesley had often been his guest. The Newey family is widespread in Birmingham Methodism. See early Meth. in Birmingham. P.16.

 

[10] For the identification of this place see above, vol. vi. p.306.

 

[11] Dr. William Withering, F.R.S., was born in 1741 and died in 1799. His chief work is A systematic arrangement of British Plants. See W.H.S. vol. iv. p.235

 

[12] At Madeley. ‘Mr. Wesley preached on Sunday from Rev. xiv., and so de­lineated the character of the dear departed saint [Fletcher] as greatly to affect me and many others.' (Life of Mrs. Mortimer,

 

 p. 102.)

 

[13] Mr. John Bourne, a master potter. His wife's maiden name was Kent. She continued a devoted Methodist after the death of her husband until her own death in 1832. Wesley once cured her when doctors had failed, and she ever afterwards was a firm believer in his medical skill. See Meth. Mag. 1835. p. 631, for a sketch of Mrs. Bourne’s life,