On Monday, MAY 1, and Tuesday I preached at Leeds; on Wednesday at the church at Horsforth, with a remarkable blessing.

 

Thur. 4.-Preaching at Tadcaster in the way, in the evening I preached at York.[1]

 

May 1, Monday

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, sermon; 11 chaise; 12.30 Leeds, on business; 1.30 dinner, conversed; 3 read narrative; prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer, read 6.15 Eph. ii. 12, the leaders; 8.30 at Mr. Hey’s, supper, conversed, prayer; 10

 

Tuesday 2

 

4 Prayed, I Peter v. 10, the leaders, within, prayer; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, visited; 9 letters, 11 journal, within to many; 1 at brother Floyd’s, dinner, conversed; 2.30 writ narrative, prayed, 5 tea, conversed; 6 Jer. Vi. 16! society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45

 

Wednesday 3[2]

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. [-], 2-8, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.15 chaise; 10.30 Horsefor[rth], prayers, mark i 15! At Mr. Sharpl[y], within, dinner, prayer, chaise; 3.30 at home, writ narrative, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 Lu. Viii 18! the bands, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Thursday 4

 

4.15 prayed, I Pet. iv 7! Within, letter; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 chaise; 12 Tadc[aste]r, within; 1 dinner, writ narrative; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6 mark i. 15! Society, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 5

 

4 Prayed, Heb. vi. 1, letters, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letter; 10 chaise; 11.30 York, at brother Felt[-]’s, read narrative; 1 dinner, conversed, letters, within, prayed, tea, conversed; 6 I Thess. Iv. 3! select society, 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sun. 7.-ln the morning I preached at St. Saviour's Church thoroughly filled with serious hearers; and in the afternoon a St. Margaret's, which was over-filled, many being constrained to go away. We had a lovefeast in the evening, at which many artlessly testified what God had done for their souls. I have not for many years known this society in so prosperous a condition. This is undoubtedly owing, first, to the exact discipline which has for some time been observed among them; and, next, to the strongly and continually exhorting the believers 'to go on unto perfection.'

 

Mon. 8.-I  preached about one in the new house at Easingwold,[3] and in the evening at Thirsk.

 

Tues. 9.-I went on to Richmond. I alighted, according to his own desire, at Archdeacon Blackburne's house. How lively and active was he some years ago![4]  I find he is two years younger than me; but he is now a mere old man, being both blind and deaf, and lame.

 

Saturday 6

 

4 Prayed, letters, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, sermon; 12 walk; 1.15 dinner, conversed, letters; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 Mark ix. 23! society; 8 at brother Spense, supper, conversed,

 

prayer; 9.30.

 

                                       Sunday 7

 

4 Prayed, letters; 7 tea, conversed, sermon; 10.15 St. Sav[iour's], prayers, Matt. v. 3, etc., communion, dinner, conversed; 2.30 St. Marg(are]t's, prayers, Rom. vi. 23, ill, tea, prayed; 5 Matt. v. 49; 6.30 love­. Feast; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Monday 8

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. ii. II, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 chaise; 11.30 Eas[ing]w[ol]d; 12 dinner, conversed, Gal. iii. 33! 2 chaise; 3.30 Thirsk, writ narrative, prayed; 5 tea; 6. Psa. cxlvi. 4 com­munion, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 9

 

 4 Prayed, I Cor. xv. 58! letter, tea; 7 chaise; 9.30 tea, chaise; 12 Rich[mon]d, at the Archd[eacon's], conversed; 2 dinner; together, walk; 4.45 Usk [? Marske] tea, conversed, walk; 6 Isai. Iv. 6!               society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.              ' .

 

Who maketh thee to differ? He durst not ask me to preach in his church, ' for fear somebody should be offended.' So 1 preached at the head of the street, to a numerous congregation; all of whom stood as still (although it rained all the time) and behaved as well as if we had been in the church.

 

    Wed. 10.[5]_ I rode through a lovely country to Barnard Castle, and found much life in the congregation.

 

Thur. 11.-About noon we came to Appleby,[6] the county­ town of Westmorland.

 

Wednesday 10

 

4 Prayed, Heb. vii. 25! letters, tea, on business; 7.30 chaise; 10.30 Barn[ar]d [Castle], read narrative, within to some; 12.30 dinner, conversed, writ narrative; 4 prayed; 5 tea, visited; 6 Mat. xx. 16! society! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 11

 

4 Prayed, Matt. v. 6! letter, tea; 7 walk, chaise; 10 Brough, tea, prayer; 11 chaise; 12.15 Appleby, dinner, Jo. xvii. 3! Visited; 2.30 chaise; 4.30 Penri[th], tea, prayed; 6 Rev. xx. 12! supper, prayer;  9.30.

 

A very large room being provided, I preached with much liberty, and then cheerfully went on to Penrith.

 

In my way hither I looked over Lord Bacon's Ten Centuries of Experiments.[7] Many of them are extremely curious, and many may be highly useful. Afterwards I read Dr. Anderson's Account of the Hebrides. How accurate and sensible a writer! But how clearly does he show that, through the ill-judged salt [duty], the herring-fishery there, which might be of great advan­tage, is so effectually destroyed that the King's revenue therefrom is annihilated; yea, that it generally, at least frequently, turns out some thousand pounds worse than nothing.[8]

 

Fri. 12.-I preached at Carlisle, and Saturday the 13th, after a long day's journey, at Glasgow. After spending three days here fully employed, on Wednesday the 17th we went on to Edinburgh. Here likewise I had much and pleasant work. On Friday the 19th I went forward to Dundee, and on Saturday the 20^th to Arbroath, where I spent the Lord's day in the Lord's work.

 

Friday 12

 

3.15 prayer; 4 chaise, read Dr. Anderson; 7.30 Carlisle, within, tea, prayer; 9 chaise, Anderson; 12 

 

St[ - ] hill, dinner, chaise, read; 4 Wood Green, tea, chaise; 7 Moffet, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 13

 

3.30 Prayer; 4 chaise; 6.30 Elvanfoot, tea; 7.30 chaise, read Douglas; 11 Douglas Mills; 12.15 chaise, Mauch[la]n; 4 Ham[ilto]n; 4 dinner; 4.45 chaise; 6.15 Glasgow, at brother Richard's, tea, within; 7 Mark iii. 35! within, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Sunday 14[9]

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, texts; 10.30 prayers, Matt. xiii. 31; 1 at brother McKa[y's], dinner, prayer, sleep; 2 Matt. v. 20! prayed; 4.30 tea,  conversed; 5 prayed, writ narrative; 6 2 Cor. viii. 9! society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 15

 

4 Prayed, Heb vi. I, wilt Mag.; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 read narrative; 10.30 walk, in talk; 11.30 read; 1 dinner, con­versed, prayer; 2 letters, read; 4 tea, conversed, prayer; 5 prayed; 6 Matt. vii. 24; 7 the bands; 8 at Mr. Rent's, supper, within, prayer; 9.30.

 

Mon. 22.-Having a long day's journey before us, we set out, at half-hour past three; so we came early to Aberdeen.[10]

 

Tuesday 16

 

4 Prayed, Matt. viii. 2! writ narrative, Journal; 1 walk; 2 at Dr. Gillies', dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 walk; 4 prayers, tea; 6 2 Tim. iii. 5!    society, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 17

 

4 Prayed, communion, chaise, tea, chaise; 10 went; 11 chaise; 2 Coats, conversed; 3 dinner, conversed; 4 writ, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, coach; 6 Acts xi. 26! coach; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 18

 

4 Prayed, Psa. cvi. 24! letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 12.30 Coats; 1class; 3 dinner, conversed, prayer; 4 prayed, sleep, tea, prayed; 6.30 Matt. xv. 28; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 19

 

3.15 Prayed, chaise, Leith, tea; 5.45 boat; 7.30 walk, chaise; 10.30 Inn, tea; 11.30 chaise; 3.15 boat; 4 Dundee, T[homas] Hanby, within, tea, prayed; 7 Mark iii. 35! read, supper, within, prayer; 9.45.

 

Saturday 20[11]

 

4 Prayed, Matt. v. 48! sermon; 8 tea, conversed, sermon; 11.30 visited; 12.30 dinner; 1.30 chaise; 5 Arbroath, brother McAllum, tea, conversed, prayer., prayed; 7 Heb. xii. I4; 8 read, supper, [-] prayer, on business; 9.45.

 

Sunday 21

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, sermon; 10.30 prayers! 2 Kings v. 12, sermon, christened; 1 dinner, sleep; 2.30 Matt. v. 24, sermon prayed, tea; 6 Lu. xvi. 31! sermon, supper; 9 prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 22

 

3.30 Tea; 4 chaise; 6 Montrose, tea; 7 chaise; 930 Bervie; 10.15 chaise, 12 Stonehaven, dinner; 1.15 chaise; 4 Ab[er]deen; 5 sermon, tea, prayed; 7 Matt. iv. 10, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wed. 24.-We had an exceeding solemn parting, as I reminded them that we could hardly expect to see each other’s face any more till we met in Abraham’s bosom.

 

Thur. 25.-We set out early; but when we came to Bervie, the inn was full; there was no room for man or beast; so we were constrained to go a double stage, to Montrose. But the storm was so high we could not pass for several hours. How­ever, we reached Arbroath soon after six, and a large congrega­tion was deeply attentive while I applied ‘To him that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even what he assuredly hath.'

 

The storm was still so high that, unless we set out at night, we could not pass till nine in the morning. So we went on board at eleven.

 

Tuesday 23

 

4 Prayed, Heb. vi. I, within, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, sermon; 12 within, walk; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 sermon; 4 on business, tea, conversed, prayer; 6.30 I Pet:. i. 18! Society; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 24

 

4 Prayed, Matt. xiii. 3, etc., select society, Journal; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Journal, within, at Mrs. B., prayer; 10 [cipher]* letters; 12 walk; 1.15 dinner, Mag.; 3 read narrative, R. W. letter, prayed, 2 Cor. v. I, etc., supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 25

 

3 Prayed, tea; 3.30 chaise; 6 Stoneh[aven], tea; 7 walk, chaise; 11.30 Montrose; 12 dinner, high wind; 4 walk, chaise; 6 Arbroath, on business, tea; 7 Lu. viii. 18; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

.

 

The wind was then so strong that the boat could scarce keep above water. However, our great Pilot brought us safe to land between one and two in the morning.[12]

 

Sat. 27.-About three we came to the New Inn, and rested till between six and seven. Thence, going gently on to Kinghorn, we had a pleasant passage to Leith.[13] After preach­ing, I walked to my lovely lodging at Coates, and found rest was sweet.

 

Sun. 28.- I preached first at our own house, and at noon on the Castle Hill. I never saw such a congregation there before. But the chair was placed just opposite to the sun. But I soon forgot it while I expounded those words, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.’ 

 

Friday 26

 

4 Prayed, 1 Cor. x. 13, Mag.; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 chaise; 1 Dundee; 1.45 dinner, read; 3 Mag.; 4 prayed, tea; 6 Deut. v. 7! Mag., supper, conversed; 9.30 sleep; 11 in the boat; 12.45 chaise.

 

Saturday 27

 

4.30 New Inn, sleep; 6.30 tea; 7.15 chaise; 9.30 Ki[ng]horn, read; 11.30 boat; 12.45 Lei[th], Mag.; 2.45 dinner, conversed; 3.30 letter, prayed, tea; 6 Gal. vi. 14! 7 walk, Coat[e]s, supper, conversed, prayer;  9.30.

 

Sunday 28

 

4.30 Prayed, letters, tea, prayer, chaise; 7.30 Psa. 1. 23, letters; 10.30 prayers, Rev. xx. 12, dinner, letters, prayers; 3.45 letters, prayed; 5.30 tea; 6 Isai. Iv. 6, 7! chaise; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 29

 

4 Prayed; 5 1 Cor. x. 12, letters; 8 tea, conversed, walk; 10 letters; 2 dinner, conversed, prayer, visited some; 5 tea, conversed, prayer, letters, prayed; 6.30 1 Pet. iv. 11, society, chaise, supper; 9 

 

        con­versed, prayer; 9.30.

 

In the evening the whole audience seemed to feel, ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’

 

Tues. 30.-I had the happiness of conversing with the Earl of Haddington and his Lady, at Dunbar. I could not but observe both the easiness of his behaviour (such as we find in all the Scottish nobility), and the fineness of his appearance, greatly set off by a milk-white head of hair.

 

Wed. 31.-I took a view of the stupendous bridge, about ten miles from Dunbar, which is thrown over the deep glen that runs between the two mountains, commonly called the Pease.[14] I doubt whether Louis the Fourteenth ever raised such a bridge as this.

 

Tuesday 30

 

4 Prayed, I Cor. xv. 55, tea, conversed, prayer; 7 chaise, Hadd[ington], tea; 10 chaise; 12 at Dr. Hamilton’s, christened, within, chaise; 2.30 at Mr. Fall’s, dinner, letter, prayed; 5 tea; 6 Prov. iii. 17! conversed, chaise, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 31

 

4 Prayed, walk; 5 I Pet. i. 24, tea; 7 chaise, the Arch! 9.30 tea; 10.30 chaise; 12 Berw[ick], letters; 1.30 dinner, conversed, letters; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed; 6 2 Tim. iii. 5; 7 society, walk, supper, prayer; 9.30.

---

 

[1] According to diary, he preached at York on Friday.

 

[2] On May 3 he wrote from Leeds to his brother Charles (Works, vol. xii. P. 155)

 

[3] Now visited for the first time. Wesley found a class of seventeen members under the leadership of John Barber. A chapel had been built at a cost of a hundred and forty pounds, which Wesley  opened. (Tyerman's Life of Wesley,. vol. iii. p. 473)

 

[4] See above, vol. V. pp. 295-6.

 

[5]He wrote to 'My dear sister in Thirsk,' deploring a dispute between Mr. Oastler and Mr. Taylor, and advising a com­promise, &c. (new ed. Wesley Letters).

 

[6]The Life of Robert Gate contains an interesting account of William Varty, who was intimately associated with the founding of Methodism in Appleby and Penrith, also in other places of this district. Both in the Memoir of Mr. Gate and in Miss Bosanquet's Journal, which is freely quoted, the identity of places is a little confused, so that we have difficulty sometimes in saying certainly whether the reference is to Appleby or Penrith. The general course of events, however, is clear. In May 1776 William Varty, who was a man of substance and enterprise, visited Leeds on business; a friend with whom he drank tea asked him to hear a lady preach in one of the Methodist chapels, apparently not in Leeds itself but in Baildon. Miss Bosanquet, says the lady took for her text, 'The Master is come, and calleth for thee.' It was near the time when she herself received the greatest call of her life, in John Fletcher's proposal of marriage.                She spoke so impressively that the stranger in the congregation was deeply moved. He followed her to the friend's house at which she was staying, told her the story of his life, pouring out confessions which she did not wish to hear. It was with the utmost difficulty that she pre­vailed upon him to leave the house. He seems to have spent the whole night in prayer. In the morning he returned to Mary Bosanquet and told her that the whole course of his life was changed. He was building a large hotel with an As­sembly Room and shops. The Assembly Room he devoted to Methodist preaching. He afterwards, provided a preacher's lodge in Penrith and a class-room. In one of the shops Robert Gate afterwards carried on his business. William Varty himself joined the only Methodist society at that time available, meeting in Betty Benson's class at Gamblesby. At a later date he himself became a leader. (Memoirs of Robert Gate, pp.31-8, and Mrs. Fletcher's Journal, May 1776.)

 

[7] Sylva Sylvarum; or, a Natural History. In X Centuries. Published after the author's death, by William Rawley, D.D., London, 1627.

 

[8] Dr. James Anderson, An Account if the Hebrides, and West Coasts 0f Scotland, with hints for encouraging the fisheries, &c., Edinburgh, 1785. See W.H.S. vol. iv. p. 236.

 

[9] On the 14th he wrote from Glasgow to Mr. J. Copeland (W.H.S vi. 46).

 

[10] In his interesting sketch of Metho­dism in Aberdeen, ‘C.D.’ prints a Minute, which is countersigned by Wesley. It describes in minute detail the financial arrangements made for the preacher in Aberdeen, the house in which he was to live, his weekly allowance of 11s. and three pounds for each quarter. These payments together made forty pounds twelve shillings a year, a little more than the amount given in Dublin. Out of this the preacher provided meat, drink, washing, attendance, coals, candles, letters, &c., &c. The stewards provided lodging and all necessary furniture. They provided this sum apart from the seat­money or the rent of the shop to be built, reserving these for interest, ground­rent, and reducing the money borrowed for building the house and the necessary finishing of the chapel. The letter is signed, ‘For myself and brethren, the trustees and leaders, Robert Imlach, steward’; and is countersigned, ‘I entirely approve of this. Signed, JOHN WESLEY.’

 

[11] On the 20th, before leaving Dundee, he wrote to his nephew Charles, on his brother Samuel’s change of religion (he had become a Roman Catholic). Wesley Urges Charles and his sister to seek a change of heart, as of infinitely greater importance than opinions, whether Protestant or Papist. (Works, vol. xiii. p. 132, where the date is given as May 2, and the letter headed ‘To Mr. C.’)

 

[12] This entry covers two days. Twice he says ‘We could not pass,’ the first referring to the Ferry at Montrose, the second to the Tay at Dundee which, in wild weather, he crossed to Newport on Friday midnight. The New Inn, an old coaching-house, is near Kings Kettle, and about 19 miles S.W. of Newport. 

 

[13] At this time the Edinburgh Metho­dists occupied the Barbers’ Hall, where considerable congregations were accustomed to hear the word. See Stamp’s Memoir of Atmore, W.M. Mag. 1845, p. 108. The passage to Leith was by boat from Kingshorn across the Forth. He found his ‘sweet rest’ at Coates Hall (see above, vol. vi. p. 499), the residence of Lady Maxwell of Pollock. Surrounded as it was at that time by gardens, and lying beyond the confines of the busy city it might well appeal to him in the warm terms in which he writes

 

[14] Pease Bridge is a bold piece of bridge-building 300 feet in length and 127 feet in height, on the old road between Edinburgh and Berwick. See Thomas Lee’s account of his journey over the Pease, Wesley’s Veterans, vol. iii. p. 213, or E.M.P. vol. iv. p.163. Cf. also below, p. 391.