DEC. 1, Fri.[1]- I took a solemn leave of them at six. At nine I preached at North Cove, with much enlargement of spirit; and about eleven at Beccles, to more than their preaching­-house could contain; and all of them appeared as serious and attentive as the congregation at Yarmouth. In the evening there seemed to be a considerable shaking even among the dry bones at Loddon[2]; and such a company attended at Mr. Crisp’s in the morning as I never saw there before.

 

Sat. 2.-I returned to Norwich, and was much pleased in the evening with the largeness and seriousness of the congre­gation. 

 

DEC. 1, Friday

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 6 Lu. i. 72! Tea; 7.30 chaise, N[orth] Cove, I Jo. i. 3! 10 chaise; 11 Beccles, Matt. xxii. 4! chaise; 1.30 Loddon ; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 Mag., prayed; 4.15 tea, prayed; 6 I Pet. iv. 18! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 2

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 6 I Sam. xxi. 8! Mag., tea, conversed; 9 coach; 11 Norwich, on business, Mag.; 1 at Dr. Hunt’s, dinner, conversed, sleep, prayed; 2.30 Jo. iv. 24! letters, tea; 5.30 on business, prayed, 1 Cor. xv. 55! supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Sun. 3.-I administered the Lord’s Supper at eight, and afterwards attended our parish church. Besides the little company that went with me, and the clerk and minister, I think we had five men and six women; and this is a Christian country!

 

Our house could in no wise contain the congregation, either in the afternoon or in the evening; and at both times great was the power of God in the midst of them. I have not seen, for many years, such a prospect of doing good in this city.

 

Mon. 4.-I was strongly importuned by our friends at Long Stratton to give them a sermon there. I heard of a young woman in that country who had uncommon fits, and of one that had lately preached; but I did not know that it was one and the same person. I found her in the very house to which I went, and went and talked with her at large. I was surprised. Sarah Mallet,[3] two or three and twenty years old, is of the same size that Jane Cooper was; and is, I think, full as much devoted to God, and of as strong an understanding. But she is not likely to live, having a species of consumption which I believe is never cured. Of the following relation, which she gave me, there are numberless witnesses.

 

Some years since it was strongly impressed upon her that she ought to call sinners to repentance. This impression she vehemently resisted, believing herself quite unqualified, both by her sin and her ignorance, till it was suggested, ‘If you do it not willingly, you shall do it whether you will or no.’ She fell into a fit, and, while utterly senseless, thought she was in the preaching-house in Lowestoft, where she prayed and preached for near an hour, to a numerous congregation. 

 

Sunday 3

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea; 8 communion; 9 letters; 11 prayers; 1 dinner, conversed; 2.15 sleep; 2.30 Rom. xiii. 10! prayed, tea, conversed; 5 prayed; 5.30 Rom. xiii. 11, etc., society, Mag.; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 4

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 6 Eph. vi. 11, Mag.; 7.30 tea, conversed, prayer, Mag.; 10.30 chaise; 12 Stratton, Sar[ah] Mallet, conversed, prayed; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 I Cor. i. 23, chaise, tea, prayed; 6 Lu. viii. 10! the leaders, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

­

 

She then opened her eyes, and recovered her senses. In a year or two she had eighteen of these fits, in every one of which she imagined herself to be preaching in one or another congregation.

 

She then cried out, ‘Lord, I will obey Thee; I will call sinners to repentance.’ She has done so occasionally from that time; and her fits returned no more. 

 

I preached at one to as many as the house could contain, of people that seemed ready prepared for the Lord. In the evening the hearts of the whole congregation at Norwich seemed to be bowed as the heart of one man. I scarce ever saw them so moved. Surely God will revive His work in this place, and we shall not always find it so cold and comfortless as it has long been.

 

Tues. 5.-In the afternoon I took coach again, and returned to London at eight on Wednesday morning. All the time I could save to the end of the week I spent in transcribing the society-a dull but necessary work, which I have taken upon myself once a year for near these fifty years.[4]

 

Tuesday 5

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 6 1 Cor. x. 31! Within; 7.30 tea, ton versed, prayer, visited many; 11 Mag.; 2 at Mr. Thirgar’s(?), within, dinner; 3 Mag., prayed; 4 tea, conversed; 4.30 mail coach; 8 supper, within, sleep.

 

Wednesday 6

 

6 Together; 8 at brother Bumst[ead’s], tea, conversed, letters; 2.30 at brother Wright’s; 3 dinner, visited many; 5 at brother Wri[ght’s], tea, conversed; 6 prayers, Heb. xii. 14! 7 communion, [-], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 7

 

4 Prayed, Mag., letters; 8 tea, prayer, on business; 9.30 coach, Hi[gh]b[ury]  Pl[ace], writ society; 1.30  garden, dinner, conversed; 3 society; 5.30 tea, society, prayed, society; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 8

 

4 Prayed, writ society; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, society; 12 on business; 1 society; 2 dinner; 3 writ society; 6 tea, prayed, society, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wed. 13.-I retired to Peckham, where, the next evening, I preached to as many as the house would well contain, and found much liberty of spirit in enforcing upon them the glorying only in the cross of Christ.

 

 Sat. 16. - I returned to London.

 

Saturday 9

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, prayer, coach; 9 at home, letters; 1.30 at brother Butch[er’s], dinner, conversed; 2 letters, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed; 6 prayers, Jam. ii. 22! society, communion, supper; 8.15 Pen[ry], on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 10

 

4 Prayed, letters, Chapel; 9.30 prayers, Acts x. 34! communion, dinner; 2.30 sleep, prayed, the leaders; 3.30 prayers, Jam. iii. 17! society, coach, society; the bands; 9.30.

 

Monday 11

 

4 Prayed, 2 Pet. i. 5-9, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayed, letters; 10.30 Chapel, Captain Smith, select society; 1.15 dinner, conversed, prayer, letters; 4 visited some; 6.30 Ja. iv. 14; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Tuesday 12

 

4 Prayed, 2 Pet. i. 5-9, A. Ja., [cipher] *, writ narrative; tea, conversed, prayer, walk; 9 at home, letters; 1 dinner, conversed, 2 letters; 4.30 sister Westr., tea; 6 prayed; 6.30 read prayers, Jam. iv. 13, the leaders, supper, within, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 13

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 10 visited, coach; 12.30 Peckham, writ society; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 society, prayed; 5.30 tea, conversed, society, prayed; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 10.

 

Thursday 14

 

4 Prayed, writ society; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, society; 1 at Mr. Godden’s, dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 letters, prayed; 5 tea, con­versed; 6 letters; 7 Gal. vi. 14! Letters; 8.30 supper, conversed; 9 prayer; 9.45.

 

Friday 15

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 letters; 1 walk; 1.30 dinner,     conversed; 2 letters; 4 prayed, at sister Thornt[on’s], tea, conversed, prayer; 7 prayed, writ narrative, supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Saturday 16. The frost began!

 

4 Prayed, Will, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, writ society; 11.30 coach; 12 at brother Thornt[on’s], letters; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 Writ society letter, prayed; 5 tea, conversed; 6 read prayers, I Pet. iv. 7! communion, supper, Pen[ry] on business; 9.30.

 

Sun. 17.-We had, as usual, a very solemn and comfortable season at Spitalfields.

 

Wed. 20.[5] - I retired to Highbury Place; but how changed!

 

Where are the three amiable sisters? One is returned to her father, one deprived of her reason, and one in Abraham’s bosom![6]

 

Sunday 17

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 Sp[italfields]; 9.30 prayers, Acts xvii. 30! communion; 1at brother Dup[lex’s], dinner, conversed, prayer, sleep; 3 the leaders; 4 tea, conversed, prayed; 5 prayers, I Pet. v. 10! 6 society; 7 within; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 18

 

4 prayed, 2 Pet. i. II, etc., within to some; 8 visited, tea, conversed, prayer; 9 [-]; 12 select society; 1.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 read narrative, prayed, visited, tea, conversed, prayer! 6.15 read prayers, 2 Pet. i. 5, etc., supper, the bands, read narrative; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 19

 

4 Prayed, 2 Pet. i. 9, etc., read narrative; 7 tea, conversed, prayer, walk; 9 letters; 1 dinner; 2 letters; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayer, prayed; 6.30 prayers, 2 Pet. ii. 9! the leaders, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 20

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, prayer, on business; 10 Hi[gh]b[ury] Place, writ     sermon; 2 dinner; 3.30 writ narrative, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayed, sermon; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 10.

 

Sat. 23.-By great importunity I was induced (having little hope of doing good) to visit two of the felons in Newgate, who lay under sentence of death. They appeared serious; but I can lay little stress on appearances of this kind. However, I wrote in their behalf to a great man; and perhaps it was in consequence of this that they had a reprieve.

 

Sun. 24.-I was desired to preach at the Old Jewry.[7] But the church was cold, and so was the congregation. We had a congregation of another kind the next day, Christmas Day, at four in the morning, as well as five in the evening at the new chapel, and at West Street chapel about noon.

 

Thursday 21

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, prayer, sermon; 2 dinner, sermon; 5 tea, conversed, prayed, sermon; 8 supper, conversed; 9 prayed; 9.30.

 

Friday 22

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, writ narrative; 2 dinner, conversed, prayer, coach; 4 at home, letters; 5 tea, prayed, Mag.; 8     supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 23

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, writ narrative; 12 Newgate! 1.15 at sister Sha., dinner, conversed, letter, prayed; 5 tea, within; 6 prayers, I Jo. iv. 19! communion; 8 supper, Pen[ry]; 8.30 on busi­ness; 9.30.

 

Sunday 24

 

4 Prayed, Bible, walk; 8 Chapel; 9.30 prayers, Acts xxiv. 16; 11.45 Old Jewry, prayers, Acts xxiv. 25! at brother Cary’s; 1 dinner; 2.30 sleep, tea, prayed; 5 prayers, I Jo. iv. 10! society, within, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 25

 

3.30 Prayers, Jo. iii. 17, select society, within, tea, married C. Whe., tea, walk; 9.45 Chapel; 10 prayers, Psa. xlv. 13! at sister Brann’s, dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 read, prayed, tea, conversed; 5 prayers, Jo. i. 18! the married men, prayed, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 26

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 10 prayers, P[-], communion, visited; 1.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 writ narrative, within, tea, prayed; 6 read prayers, Psa. cxix. ult., the leaders, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

­Sun. 31.-From those words of Isaiah to Hezekiah, ‘Set thy house in order,’ I strongly exhorted all who had not done it already to settle their temporal affairs without delay. It is a strange madness which still possesses many, that are in other respects men of understanding, who put this off from day to day, till death comes in an hour when they looked not for it.

 

Wednesday 27

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, letters, walk; 10 Chapel, prayers, Jo. xxi. 21! communion; 1 at brother Jacob’s, dinner, conversed, prayer, visited some, walk; 4 No[r]th Green, writ; 4.30 tea, read, prayed, writ nar­rative; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 10.

 

Thursday 28

 

4 Prayed, writ narrative, letter; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letter; 1at Mr.      [   ], the [-], at Mr. Ford’s, dinner; 2 conversed, prayer; 4 prayed, tea, conversed; 6 Mag.; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

Friday 29

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 9 E. B. [cipher] *, sermon; 12 the females, sermon; 1 prayer, at T[homas] Olivers’; 2.30 dinner, within, prayer, visited, tea, conversed, prayed, sermon; 8 supper, conversed, prayer on business; 10.

 

Saturday 30

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 sermon; 12.30 walk; 1 dinner, conversed, sermon; 3.30 prayed; 4.30 at sister Freem[an’s], tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayers, Jo. xxi. 21. communion, supper, Pen[ry], on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 31

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 prayers, Isa. xxxvii. 3, communion; 1 dinner, conversed; 2.15 sleep, prayed; 3 the leaders; 4 tea, prayed; 5 prayers, Isa. xxxviii. 5! society, the married women, supper, on business, supper, conversed; 9.15.

---

 

[1] In December he wrote to an un­named brother a severe disciplinary letter, a study in wisdom, candour, and tenderness (Works, vol. xiii. p. 140).

 

[2] Mrs. Lydia Flegg had removed from Beighton to Loddon in 1784, and soon after joined the society (Meth.. Mag. 1826, p. 861).

 

[3] See Meth. Rec. Winter No., 1895, p. 66; Arm. Mag. 1788, pp. 91, 130, 185, 238; and Taft’s Holy Women, p. 79, where several letters from Wesley to her are inserted. She afterwards married Mr. Boyce, a local preacher.

 

[4] On Dec. 9 he wrote from London to Mrs. Fletcher.                           He has finished her husband’s Life. He only awaits his brother Charles’s elegy (which does not appear to have been written). He advises her to spend the greater part of her time in Madeley; but not all, for he hopes to meet her in London and Yorkshire (Works, vol. xii. p. 408). On the 12th he wrote to Miss Cooke on the continual marvel of his own good health (Works, vol. xiii. p. 97).

 

[5] He wrote from London to Mr. William Shepherd, of Banbury, brother of the Rev. Richard H. Shepherd, for many years minister of Ranelagh Chapel, Chelsea, a man greatly beloved by the Methodists of London for his labours among them during the later years of his life. Wesley’s correspondent was a local preacher. The letter acknowledges an account of ‘Sister Peck’s death.’ Wil­liam Shepherd at this date seems to have belonged to the Oxford society (W.M. Mag. 1852, p. 785). On the same day he wrote to Zechariah Yewdall-envied by several because ‘they say, you are one of my favourites.’ If so, Wesley did not spare a favourite preacher either work or advice (Works, vol. xiii. p. 15). On the 22nd he wrote to John Valton, concerned about his friend’s health; about the poor in Bristol and London: he was amazed that, in three kingdoms, he could not find a fit master for Kings­wood School. ‘Pray do as much as you can, and do not attempt to do more, or you will very soon do nothing’ (Works, vol. xii. P.490).

 

[6] This reference supplies further evi­dence that Wesley’s host at Highbury Place was John Horton (see above. vol. vi. p., 460). Mr. Horton married Miss Mary Durbin (above, vol. vi. p. 295), who died on May 16 of this year (1786). She is the last-named of the ‘three amiable sisters’; the second is referred to by John Valton in his Journal for Feb. 18, 1790: ‘Miss Durbin, who has long been deranged in her faculties’ ; and the third, Miss Alice Durbin, who died in 1834, aged seventy-seven years, and is buried in Bristol, may be fairly assumed to be one who had ‘returned to her father’ 

 

( W.H.S vol. iii.p.24; vii p.16; viii p.117)

 

[7] For this famous Presbyterian edifice in Meeting-house Court see Stoughton’s History of Religion in England, vol. vi. p. 83, and Pike's Ancient Meeting-houses, p. 97. The Old Jewry was noted for many

 

Nonconformist lectureships; amongst them were numbered the popular lec­tures by Lardner on Credibility. The congregation removed to Jewin Street ill 1808.