DEC. 1, Sat.[1]- I saw an uncommon instance of distress: four children in a dark, dirty room(her husband being imprisoned for debt), without almost any of the necessaries of life. No wonder if she had chose strangling rather than life.

 

Sun. 2.-I was pressed in spirit to warn our people, in strong terms, of the Laodicean spirit which had crept in among them. They received the reproof; and many began to stir up the gift of God that is in them, which immediately appeared from the very great increase of the morning congregations.

 

Tues. 4.-I retired to Rainham,[2] to prepare another edition of the New Testament for the press.[3]

 

Wed. 5.-I preached at Purfleet to a deeply serious con­gregation, many of whom walk in the light of God’s countenance.

 

Thur.6.-I preached to a large congregation at Rainham. I trust some good will be done here also.

 

DEC. 1, Saturday

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 2 at brother Butcher’s, dinner, conversed, Test[ament]; 3 visited; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayed; 6 prayers, Heb. xiii. 22! communion, supper, Pen[ry], on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 2

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 the preachers; 9.30 prayers, Rom. xiii. 13, communion, dinner, visited; 2.30 sleep, prayed; 3 the leaders, tea, prayed; 5 prayers, Heb. viii. 10, society, on business, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 3

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. i. 9! select society, on business; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 writ narrative, visited; 12 select society; 1 dinner, conversed, visited, the children; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayer, prayed; 6.30 prayers, Heb. x. 36! supper; 8 the bands, prayer; 9.15.

 

Tuesday 4

 

4 Prayed, 1 Pet. i. 9! read, tea, chaise, tea, on business; 9 chaise; 11.30 Rainham; 12 Test[ament]; 2 dinner, Test[ament]; 4 Mag. ; 5.30 tea, together; 6 Mag., prayed; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 5

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Test[ament]; 1.30 dinner, within, Test[ament]; 3 chaise; 4 Purfleet, tea, conversed, class; 6 Matt. viii. 2! chaise, prayed, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30. 

 

Thursday 6

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, together, prayer; 9 Test[ament]; 1.30 dinner; 2.30 Test[ament], prayed; 5.30 tea; 6 sermon, 7 Heb. ix. 27! Test[ament]; 8.30 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.45.

 

­Fri. 7.-I returned to London, and again considered what was to be done in our present temporal circumstances. After much consultation, they desired me (1) to appoint a few of our brethren to divide the town between them, and desire our brethren that were able to assist in this exigence; (2) that a collection should be made in all our preaching-houses for the same purpose. Above three hundred pounds were raised by these means, whereby the whole difficulty was removed.[4]

 

Sun. 9.-I went down at half-hour past five, but found no preacher in the chapel, though we had three or four in the house[5] ; so I preached myself. Afterwards, inquiring why none of my family attended the morning preaching, they said it was because they sat up too late. I resolved to put a stop to this; and therefore ordered that (1) everyone under my roof should go to bed at nine; that (2) everyone might attend the morning preaching. And so they have done ever since.

 

Mon. 10.-I was desired to see the celebrated wax-work at

 

Friday 7

 

4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 chaise; 11.15 at home, on business; 12 the females; 1 prayer; 2 dinner, conversed, prayer, letters, on business, prayed; 5 tea, prayer, prayed; 6 Committee; 8.30 supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 8

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer, visited, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed, prayer; 5.15 prayed, within; 6 prayers, I Pet. i. 9! communion; 8 supper, Pen[ry]; 9 on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 9

 

4 Prayed, Matt. ii. 6, meditation, read narrative; 8 Chapel; 9.30 prayers, Isa. v. 4! 12 communion, dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.30 sleep, tea; 3 the leaders, prayers, Jam. ii. 14, tea, society; 6 Charles? society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 10

 

4 Prayed, 2 Pet. i. 4, select society, on business, tea, letters; 10.30 Wax­works; 12 select society, dinner, conversed; 3 children, visited, tea, conversed; 6.30 prayers, Jam. iii. 17! supper, coach, at home, prayer; 9.30.

 

the Museum in Spring Gardens.[6] It exhibits most of the crowned heads in Europe, and shows their characters in their countenance. Sense and majesty appear in the King of Spain; dullness and sottishness in the King of France; infernal subtlety in the late King of Prussia (as well as in the skeleton Voltaire); calmness and humanity in the Emperor and King of Portugal; exquisite stupidity in the Prince of Orange; and amazing coarseness, with everything that is unamiable, in the Czarina. In the evening I preached at Peckham to a more awakened congregation than ever I observed there before.

 

Thur. 13.-I preached in the evening at Miss Teulon’s,[7] in Highgate. I never saw such a congregation there before. Will there, then, be good done here at last? Well, nothing is too hard for God!

 

Tuesday 11

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, prayer, letters; 10 chaise, Peck[h]am, Test[ament]; 2.30 dinner, within; 4 Test[ament], prayed; 5.30 tea, conversed; 6.30 Jam. iii. 17! supper, prayer; 9.45.

 

Wednesday 12

 

 4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 8 Ballam [Balham], prayer, tea, conversed, prayer Test[ament]; 2 dinner,   

 

         conversed, Test[ament]; 5 prayed, Test­ [ament]; 6 tea, conversed, Test[ament]; 8 supper, 

 

          together; 9.45.

 

Thursday 13

 

4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 8 tea, conversed! prayer; 9 chaise; 10 at home, writ narrative, chaise; 1.15 Highgate, dinner, conversed, Test­[ament]; 5 tea, conversed, Test[ament]; 7 I Cor. xiii. I, etc., supper, conversed, prayer; 10.

 

Friday 14

 

4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 7.15 tea, conversed, prayer; 8.30 chaise; 9 at home, Test[ament]; 2 dinner; 4 

 

         letters, tea, prayed; 6 the Com­ mittee; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 15

 

4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 1 dinner, con­versed; 2 letters; 4 visited, tea, conversed; 6 prayers, 2 Pet. i. 4, supper, Pen[ry] on business; 9.30.

 

­

 

Sun. 16.-After preaching at Spitalfields, I hastened to St. John’s, Clerkenwell, and preached a charity sermon for the Finsbury Dispensary; as I would gladly countenance every institution of the kind.[8]

 

Tues. 17.-I retired to Newington, and hid myself for almost three days.

 

Sunday 16

 

 4 Prayed, letters; 8 Sp[italfield]s, prayers, Acts xvi. 31, at St. Jo[hn’s], I Cor. xiii. 3; 2.15 dinner, conversed; 2.30 on business, the leaders, tea; 5 prayers, I Pet. iv. 11! society, supper, prayer; 9.30.                

 

Monday 17[9]

 

4 Prayed, Isai. xl. I, select society, on business; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letter; 10 walk, on business, select society; 1.30 dinner, within; 3 Test[ament]; 4 visited, tea, conversed, prayer, prayed; 6.30 prayers, I Pet. v. 12, supper; 8 the bands, prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 18[10]

 

4 Prayed, Psa. xl. 1, [-], cipher*; 7 at brother Cussun’s, tea, conversed; 9 on business; 11 

 

        New[ing]ton, Test[ament]; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer, Test[ament]; 5 tea, conversed; 6 Test[ament]; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 19

 

4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 8 tea, conversed, prayer;.9 Test[ament]; 12 garden, Test[ament]; 2 dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 Test[ament]; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 Test[ament]; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 20

 

 4 Prayed, Test[ament]; 7 Mag; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 sermon, 10.30 walk, prayed; 11.30 at home, writ narrative, tea, prayed, letters; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30

 

Fri. 21.[11]-The Committee proposed to me (1) that families of men and women should sit together in both chapels; (2) that everyone who took a pew should have it as his own. Thus overthrowing, at one blow, the discipline which I have been establishing for fifty years!

 

Sat. 22.[12]- I yielded to the importunity of a painter, and sat an hour and a half, in all, for my picture. I think it was the best that ever was taken; but what is the picture of a man above fourscore?[13]

 

Mon. 24.-We had another meeting of the Committee, who, after a calm and loving consultation, judged it best (1) that the men and women should sit separate still; and (2) that none

 

Friday 21

 

4 Prayed, letters; 12 the females; 1 prayer; 2 dinner, letters, tea, prayed, letters; 6 the Committee; 8.45 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Prov. xxiv. 14. 

 

Saturday 22

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, letters; 11 the Painter, letters; 1.15 at brother Col[linson’s],[14] dinner, together, read, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed; 6 prayers, Isai. xl. I, supper, Pen[ry], on busi­ness; 9.30.

 

Sunday 23

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 the Chapel; 9.30 prayers, Phil. iv. 4, communion; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2.15 sleep; 3 the leaders; 3.30 prayers, I Jo iii. 24; 5 tea, society; 6.15 at home, read narrative, supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 24

 

4 I Jo iii. I, etc., select society, within, tea, prayer, visited; 10 Chapel, read narrative, Waxwork; 12 select society; 2 at Charles’s, within, dinner, walk; 4 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayed, prayers, I Jo. iv. 19! Committee, conversed; 9.15.

 

should claim any pew as his own, either in the new chapel or in West Street.[15]

 

Christmas Day[16]

 

3.30 On business; 4 prayer, I Jo. iii. 8! 6 Mag.; 8 tea, conversed, prayer on business; 10 prayers, Matt. i. 29! communion; 1 at brother Brann’s, dinner, conversed, walk; 3 on business, prayed, tea, prayer; 5 Jo. xii. 21, society, lovefeast; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 26

 

4 Prayed, letters, tea, visited; 10 prayers, Prov. xxviii. 14, communion, on business; 1.30 dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 Committee, tea; 6 prayers, I Jo. iii. 8, communion; 8 N[orth] Green, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 27[17]

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 letters; 1 dinner; 2 writ narrative, Mag.; 4 prayed; 5 tea, conversed; 6 Mag.; 8 supp conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 28

 

4 Prayed, read for Mag; 8 writ Mag.; 2 dinner, conversed; 3 read narrative, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed; 6 on business; 6.30 the Committee; 8 N[orth] Green, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 29

 

4 Prayed, Mag., Journal; 8 tea, prayer, Journal, visited; dinner, within prayed ; 4.15 tea, conversed; 6 prayers, I Jo. iii. 1, 2! Communion, supper, Pen[ry], on business; 9.30.

 

Sunday 30

 

4 Prayed, read narrative; 8 the preachers; 9.30 prayers, Psa. xiv, communion, dinner, conversed; 2.15 sleep; 3 the leaders, prayed; 4 tea, conversed, prayed; 5 prayers, Psa. xiv. i, society, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 31

 

4 Prayed, I Jo. i. 9, communion, select society, on business; 8 tea, within, prayed, accounts; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 on business, writ narrative, prayed; 4.30 tea, conversed, read Reed; 7 prayer, conversed; 8 mail coach, with W. Fergu[son] [18]; 12.

  

---

 

[1] He wrote from London to R. Dan (Tyerman’s Life of Wesley, vol. iii. p. 532).

 

[2] Where lived Mr. Harle, a man of great possessions. John Valton, who then lived at Purfleet, says, ‘He took me home in the chaise to sleep, and next morning went with me to visit some sick people.’ See Wesley’s Veterans, vol. vi. pp. 49, 50; or E.MP. vol. vi. pp. 63-4, 70. Methodism was introduced into Rainham largely by John Valton. Services were held in Mr. Harle’s house, but his father-in-law in­terposed and led the mob to persecution. The cause died out, but was revived about 1830. See W.M. Mag. 1834, p. 77.

 

        [3] Green (Bibliography, p. 92) says:

 

              This may have been for the fifth edition, 4to, 1788; or the so-called fourth edition, 12mo, 1789; though more probably      

 

              for the beautiful and now rare pocket edition of the text, with an analysis of the several books and chapters, published in 

 

             1790 (the last book, excepting the Magazine for the year, that he issued from the press).

 

           [4]  On Dec. 8 he wrote from London to Adam Clarke (Tyerman’s Life of Wesley, vol. iii. p. 508).

 

[5] Namely, Dr. Coke, James Creighton, Samuel Bradburn, and John Atlay.

 

[6] Cox’s Museum was closed in 1774; but exhibitions were often held here.

 

[7] Linden House, at the west end of Hornsey Lane, removed in 1897. See Meth. Rec. Winter, No. 1897. p. 80.

 

[8] The Finsbury Dispensary was opened on Aug. 12, 1780, in Rosoman Street, Clerkenwell. George Friend, a Quaker, was its founder and first treasurer, and Dr. Lettsom was an active supporter. The Countess of Huntingdon subscribed, and ordered sermons to be preached at Spa Fields on its behalf. Rowland Hill preached several times at St. Luke’s for the same object. In the list of contribu­tions for 1787 there is the following: ‘Dec. 16.-To sermons at St. John’s, Clerkenwell, by the Rev. John Wesley and the Rev. Rowland Hill, ₤20 os. 4d.’

 

The present buildings of the institution are in Brewer Street, Goswell Road. A portrait of Wesley hangs in the Board Room. Bishop Butler remarked: ‘Nor can there be any doubt that Public 

 

Dispensaries are the most effectual means of administering sick relief.’

 

[9] On Dec. 17 he wrote from London to Robert Carr Brackenbury, to Miss Jane Bisson, and to James Ridall (Works, vol. xiii. pp. 7, 107, and new ed. Wesley Letters).

 

[10] He wrote from London to Adam Clarke. See new ed. Wesley Letters.

 

[11] On Dec. 21 he wrote from London to Miss Cooke (Works, vol. xiii. p. 99).

 

[12] He wrote to one of the preachers. See new ed. Wesley Letters.

 

[13] This was William Hamilton’s paint­ing, engraved by Fittler with the Wesley arms. It is in the National Portrait Gallery. See W.H.S. vol. iii p. 188. For the Wesley coat of arms, with engraved facsimiles, see article by L. H.Wellesley - Wesley in W.H.S. vol. i. pp. 96-100. In a manuscript note on the above the Rev. H.J. Foster adds: . Adam Clarke says that Susanna used the Annesley coat of arms. He has seen it on seals and some of her letters.’

 

[14] Probably Mr. Edward Collinson, an ironmonger in Lombard Street, associated in good works with Mr. and Mrs. Bulmer and others (Stevenson’s City Road Chapel, p. 497).

 

[15] The Journal between Dec. 24, 1787, and Feb. 25, 1788, has not yet been discovered. The Diary, however, and letters in some measure fill the interval.

 

[16] He wrote from London to Arthur Keene (W.H.S vol. viii. P. 47)

 

[17] On Dec. 27, he wrote to Zechariah Yewdall. A chapel had been offered the society, on condition that a dovecote should remain on the roof. Wesley objects on the ground that the dove-cote would fill the whole place with fleas (Works, vol. xiii. p. 16).

 

[18] See above, vol. vi. p. 415.