SEPT. 2, Sat. - The storm abating, we set sail about nine, though the wind was contrary; but in the afternoon it fell calm. The rolling of the ship made us sick. I myself was sick a few minutes; Mr. Broadbent, by times, for some hours; Mr. Bracken­bury (who did not expect to be at all), almost from the begin­ning of the voyage to the end.

 

Sun. 3.-When we had been twenty-four hours on board, we were scarce come a third of our way. I judged we should not get on unless I preached which I therefore did, between two and three in the afternoon, on ‘It is appointed unto men once to die’; and I believe all were affected for the present. After­wards we had a fair wind for several hours, but it then fell dead calm again. This did not last long, for as soon as prayer was over a fresh breeze sprung up, and brought us into the bay. It being then dark, we cast anchor, and it was well; for at ten at night we had a violent storm. I expected little rest, but I prayed, and God answered; so that I slept sound till my usual hour, four o’clock. The wined being again quite contrary, we were obliged to tack continually, but about nine were brought safe to Harwich. After resting about an hour we took chaise, and about one came to Colchester, where, Mr. Brackenbury being exceeding weak, we thought it best to stay till the morning.

 

In the evening the house was thoroughly filled, and many received the truth in the love thereof; so that I did not at all regret my stopping here.

 

SEPT. 1, Friday

 

4.30 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, sermon, walk; 2.30 dinner, sermon; 4.30 walk; 5 sermon, tea, prayed, sermon; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30 lay down; 11 sleep.

 

­ Saturday 2

 

4.30 Prayed, sermon, tea; 9 on board, read; 1dinner, read Excerpta; 5.30 tea, prayed; 6 read Excerpta, within, supper, Excerpter; 9.30.

 

Sunday 3

 

4 Prayed, read Excerpta; 8 tea, Excerpta, within; 1 dinner; 2 prayed, Heb. ix. 27! Excerpta, conversed, tea, prayed, supper; 9.30.

 

Monday 4

 

4 Prayed, Excerpta, together; 9 Harwich, tea, conversed; 10 chaise; 1 Colch[este]r, at Inn, dinner, conversed; 2 Diary, writ Diary, prayed, tea, writ letters; 6.30 prayed; 7 Lu. viii. I8! supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Setting out early in the morning, Tuesday the 5th, I reached London before one o'clock, and transacted most of my business in the afternoon. In the evening I preached on Ps. xxix. 9, 10, and the voice of the Lord was indeed with power.

 

Wed. 6.-I answered my letters, and on Thursday the 7th set out for Bristol.[1]

 

In the evening I preached at Newbury. It rained and blew vehemently; yet the house was thoroughly filled, and I found uncommon liberty in pushing the inquiry, ‘Who of you are building on the sand, and who upon a rock? ‘

 

Fri. 8.-In the evening I preached at Bath to a more numerous congregation than I expected; and more serious, for I do not find there were any careless or inattentive hearers.

 

Sat. 9.[2]-We had a good congregation at five, although the weather continued stormy. 

 

Tuesday 5

 

4 Prayed, tea; 5.15 chaise, Ingatestone, tea, chaise; 1 at home, dinner, prayed; 2 on business, at T[homas] R[ankin’s], on business, writ narrative; 5 tea, conversed; 6.30 Psa. xxix., at T[homas) R[ankin’s], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 6

 

4 Prayed, letters; 6 Dr. Coke, tea, within; 7 letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 letters, [cipher] * letters; 1.30 dinner, conversed, letters; 5 tea, conversed, visited, on business; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 7

 

3.30 Prayed, tea; 4.30 chaise, Colebrook, tea, chaise; 12 Reading, chaise; 2.30 Newbury, dinner, conversed, Life; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 Matt. vii. 24! supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 8

 

3.30 tea; 4.15 chaise, Smollet[t], Hung[er]f[ord], tea, conversed, chaise; 10 Beck[ing]ton, chaise, Melksham, dinner; 2.30 chaise; 4 Bath, writ narrative, prayed, tea, conversed; 6.30 I Thes, iv. 8! supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 9

 

4 Prayed, 2 Cor. iv. 7! letters; 8 tea, in talk, prayer; 10 letter, read; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 on business, letter, prayed; 5 tea, conversed, Mag.; 7 I Thes. iv. 3! 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Afterward I searched to the bottom a story I had heard in part, and found it another tale of real woe. Two of our society had lived together in uncommon har­mony, when one who met in band with E. F., to whom she had mentioned that she had found a temptation toward Dr. F.,[3] went and told her[4]  husband she was in love with him, and that she had it from her own mouth. The spirit of jealousy seized him in a moment, and utterly took away his reason; and, some one telling him his wife was at Dr. F.’s (on whom she had called that afternoon), he took a great stick and ran away, and, meeting her in the street, called out, ‘Strumpet, strumpet!’ and struck her twice or thrice. He is now thoroughly convinced of her innocence; but the water cannot be gathered up again! He sticks there: ‘I do thoroughly forgive you; but I can never love you more.’

 

Sun. 10.-Our service began at ten. Mr. Creighton[5] (whose health is a little recovered by rest and drinking the mineral waters) read prayers and assisted at the sacrament.

 

Sunday 10

 

4 Prayed, Mag.; 8 tea, Mag.; 10 prayers, 2 Kings xix. 3, communion; 1 dinner; 2 on business, sleep; 2.30 Matt. xi. 28, prayed, tea, visited, Mag.; 5.30 Lu. x. 23! society! Mag., supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

                        Matt. xviii. 3.

 

I preached on ‘The children are brought to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth: At half an hour past two we had a far larger congregation, and I think equally serious; on whom I enforced the exhortation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden.’ In the evening I opened and largely applied those words in the Gospel for the day, ‘Verily I say unto you, Many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things that ye hear, and have not heard them.’

 

Mon. 11.-Leaving the society here well united together, I went on, and preached at Bristol in the evening; and on Tuesday the 12th retired to a friend’s house, where I went on with Mr. Fletcher’s Life without interruption; but on Wednesday the 13th I could not resist the desire of my friends to preach at temple Church in the evening.

 

Monday 11

 

4 Prayed; 6 Psa. I. 23, within, tea; 8 chaise; 10 Hanna[m], [-], conversed; 11 Mag.; 2 dinner, conversed, chaise; 4 at home, on business, prayed, tea, [-]; 6 prayed, Mag.; 6 I Pet. iii. 7! Mag., supper, Mag., prayer; 9.30.

 

Tuesday 12

 

4 Prayed, letter, Mag.; 7.30 at Mr. Stock’s,[6] tea, Mag.; 1 at brother Cross’s; 2 dinner; 2.30 Mag., prayed; 5 at Mr. K[- ]’s, tea, conversed; 6 prayed; 6.30 1 Pet. iii. 10, etc.; 7.30 the leaders, at brother Stoc[k’s], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

I never saw it so full in an evening before, nor felt so much of the power of God there.

 

Fri. 15.-I had much satisfaction in the evening at the chapel in Guinea Street. It was thoroughly filled, and most of the people seemed much affected while (from Heb. xii. I) I described what I take to be the chief besetting sins of Bristol-love of money and love of ease. I indeed God has already wrought a great deliverance for many of them; and we hope a far greater will ensue.

 

Sun. 17.-I preached morning and evening at the Room, and in the afternoon at Kingswood, where the work of God seems to stand nearly at one stay; not sensibly increasing or decreasing. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday[7]  I met the

 

Wednesday 13

 

4 Prayed, Life; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, Life, [cipher]*! 2 at Mr. Durb[in’s], tea; 2.30 dinner, prayer; 3.30 Life, prayed, at brother Collins’s, tea, conversed; 6.30 Temple C[hurch]; 7 prayers, Rom. xiv. 17! 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

 Thursday 14

 

4 Prayed Life; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 Life; 1 at brother Green’s, dinner, conversed; 2 prayer; 2.30 Life; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6 Life; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 15

 

4 Prayed, Life; 12 Mag., read narrative; 2 at brother Roberts’s, dinner, conversed; 3 prayer; 3.30 visited some; 5 tea, conversed; 6.30 Guin[ea] Street, Heb. xii. I; 8 supper, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 16

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 at home, on business, read narrative; 1 at brother Pine’s, dinner, prayer; 3 Life, on business, prayed; 5 at brother Giff[ord’s], tea, conversed, Life; 7 Pen[ry]; S at Mr. Pownal’s, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30

 

Sunday 17

 

4 Prayed, letters, Life; 8 tea, conversed, prayer; 9.30 coach, prayers, Matt. xviii. 3! communion, chaise; 1.30 at the School; 2 dinner, Matt. xviii. 14, etc., society, writ narrative, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 18

 

4 Prayed, Matt. xviii. 3, Life; 7 class, tea; 9 class; 1 dinner, conversed; 2 class; 4, writ narrative; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6.15 prayed; 7 I Pet, [iii.] 10, etc.; 8 at Mr. Castlem[an’s], supper, within, prayer; 9.30.

 

classes at Bristol; and on the remaining days of the transcribed the society, considerably increased since last year[8]; and I hope in grace as well as in number.[9]

 

Sat. 23.-I read the general plan of Monsieur Gebalin’s vast work, designed to consist of twelve very large quarto volumes eight of which are published: The Primitive World Analysed, and compared with the Modern.[10] He is a man of strong understanding, boundless imagination, and amazing industry. I think his first volume is a beautiful castle in the air. I admire it; but I do not believe one word of it, because it is wholly built on the authority of Sanchoniathon, whom no one

 

Tuesday 19

 

4 Prayed, writ, society; 6 class; 7 tea, conversed, prayer; 9 class; 1 dinner, conversed, prayer; 2 class; 3 writ society, prayer; 5 tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayed, I Pet. iii. ad fin, the leaders;  8 at Mr. Ca[stleman’s], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 20

 

4 Prayed, writ society, read! 8 tea, class; 1.30 dinner; 2 class; 4.15 tea, conversed; 5 Isa. xxxvii. 3, class; 7 Clifton, writ society; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Heb. xii. I.

 

Thursday 21

 

4 Prayed, society; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, writ society; 1.30 at  Giff[ord’s], dinner, together, writ letters ; 4.15 prayed; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 I Pet. iv. 1-6, the bands; 8 at Mr. Giff[ord’s], supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Friday 22

 

4.15 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, prayer, sermon; 10 writ narrative, read Gebalin; 12 the females; 12.30 visited; 1 prayer; 2.15 dinner, conversed, prayer; 4 prayed, tea, conversed; 5.30 prayed; 6 writ sermon; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Saturday 23

 

4 Prayed, sermon; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, read Gebalin; 12 visited some; 2 at Mr. Durbin’s, dinner, conversed, prayer; 4 sleep, visited; tea, conversed, prayer; 6 prayed; 7 Pen[ry], at brother Pownal’s, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

ever yet prove to have had a being: and I fear he was a Deist:

 

(1) because he nowhere lays the least stress upon the Bible; (2) because he supposes the original confusion of tongues to have been a merely natural event.

 

Sun. 24. - God was eminently present with us at the morning service, as well as at Temple Church in the afternoon, which I never saw so filled before; which is not at all strange, con­sidering the spirit of the vicar,[11] and the indefatigable pains which he takes with rich and poor. At five I took the opportunity of a fair evening to preach once more near King Square; and once more I declared to a huge multitude the whole counsel of God.

 

Mon. 25.-We took coach in the afternoon, and on Tuesday morning reached London. I now applied myself in earnest to the writing of Mr. Fletcher’s Life, having procured the best materials I could. To this I dedicated all the time 1 could spare, till November, from five in the morning till eight at night.

 

Sunday 24

 

4 Prayed, letters; 8 tea, conversed, on business ; 9.30 Charles read prayers, I Cor. xii. 31! communion, dinner, conversed, meditation; 3 Temple, prayers, Gal. vi. 16! tea, conversed, prayed; 5 Gal. vi. 17! society, the singers, supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Monday 25

 

4 Prayed, I Pet. iv. 7, 8! letters, on business; 8 tea, conversed, letters; 12 select society; 1 dinner; 2 letters; 4 coach, with Miss Ki[-] and brother Broadb[ent], conversed, supper; 12.

 

Tuesday 26

 

6 Read; 9 at home, tea, on business, letters; 1 dinner, prayer, letters 5 at T[homas] R[ankin]’s, tea, conversed; 6 prayed, Life; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Wednesday 27

 

4 Prayed, Life; 8 tea, conversed, Life, walk; 11 New[ing]ton, Life; 1.30 dinner, conversed; 2.30 Life; 5 tea, conversed, prayed; 6.30 Lift; 8 supper, conversed, prayer; 9.30.

 

Thursday 28

 

4 Prayed; 5 Life; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, Life; 10.30 walk, at sister Cheesem[en]t’s; 11 conversed, prayer, walk; 12.30 on business; 1 at brother Willan’s, dinner, conversed, prayer; 3 visited, Life, tea, conversed; 6 on business ; 6.30 prayers, I Chro. iv. 10! the bands, supper prayer; 9.30.

 

These are my studying hours; I cannot write longer in a without hurting my eyes.

 

Sat. 30.[12]- I went to bed at my usual time, half an hour past nine, and, to my own feeling, in perfect health. But jus twelve I was waked by an impetuous flux, which did not suffer me to rest many minutes together. Finding it rather increased than decreased, though (what I never knew before) without old companion, the cramp, I sent for Dr. Whitehead.[13] He came about four; and, by the blessing of God, in three hours I was as well as ever. Nor did I find the least weakness or faintness but preached morning and afternoon, and met the society in the evening, without any weariness. Of such a one I would boldly say, with the son of Sirach,[14] ‘Honour the physician, for God hath appointed him.’

 

Friday 29

 

4 Prayed, Life; 11.45 on business; 12 the females, prayer; 2 dinner; 3 Life, visited many; 5 tea, prayed, Life; 8 tea, conversed, prayer, Life; 11.30.

 

Saturday 30

 

Life; 11.30 visited; 1 at home, dinner; 2 prepared hymn-book[15]; 5 tea, conversed, prayer, 

 

hymn-book; 8 supper, Pen[ry], on business; 9.30; 12 ill.

 

I Chron. iv. 10.

---

 

[1] He wrote to Mrs. Fletcher, distressed for Miss Ritchie, who seemed to be dying (new ed. Wesley Letters).

 

[2] He wrote from Bath to Miss Cooke of Trowbridge (afterwards the wife of Dr. Adam Clarke) (Works, vol. xiii. P. 97).

 

[3] Perhaps Dr. William Faulkner (1744-1824), of the Circus, in Bath, from and after 1770. ‘Mr. Caple,’ writes Rev. Henry J. Foster, ‘tells me there is no other Dr. F. whether medical or clerical in the Bath guide-books. I have looked,’ he says, ‘into a good many from about 1780 to 1820. The name is often spelt Falkner in them; first of all resident at 6, Bladud Buildings, and afterwards in the Circus. He played a large part in the civic affairs of that                 time.’ See, fully, Dict. of Nat. Biog.

 

[4] That is to say, E. F.’s.

 

[5] In 1784 James Creighton’s name appeared, for London, in the Minutes of conference, holding the first place in the list of appointments after John and Charles Wesley. In 1796 the name was removed

 

to the end of the effective list, following, not, as hitherto, preceding, the name of Peard Dickenson. It was James Creighton who, as a presbyter of the Church of Eng­land, assisted Wesley to set apart Dr. Coke as ‘Superintendent,’ with Francis Asbury. With Wesley and Coke he ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as presbyters, to serve under Coke and Asbury in America. After Wesley’s death Creighton read prayers, and, in turn with other ordained ministers, administered the sacraments in the London circuits, as before. He also published poems, &c., that do not seem to have brought him fame. He became a supernumerary in 1810, and died a few days before the close of 1819, at eighty-three years of age. His Conference obituary, as is so frequently the case, disappoints the historian. The only person who really seems to have known him was Wesley. Always there is a suggestion of aloofness. Perhaps under the circumstances it was well that the man who, at a critical moment, was called to play a great part was himself so utterly non-assertive. He was timid and unconscious of special gifts, until the hour of persecution, and, again, until the hour of dire necessity. Then ‘Mr. Fearing’ suddenly became a hero. The words of Holy Scripture which touched him to the quick and strangely made a man of him, he read in the First Lesson when conducting service among a few Protestants in a barn in his Irish parish: ,Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? My family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ The little chapel-of-ease which Creighton built, chiefly at his own expense, a magistrate threatened to burn down. Forthwith the timid Methodist outfaced the magistrate over his own dinner table, and saved the chapel. In the end he sank down, without a murmur that we can hear, to the lowest place, waiting in patience until his Lord should bid him come up higher. When the London preachers wrote his obituary, they simply took him at his own valua­tion. See above, vol. v. p. 507; also Arm. Mag. 1785, pp. 241 ff.; Meth. Mag. 1820, p. 694, Minutes of Conference, 1820. Stevens (History of Methodism, Book V. chap. x.) gives an excellent account of him.

 

[6] In Matthew’s Bristol Directory for 1793-4 Thomas Stock, Grocer, Bath Street, appears; also three persons named ‘Cross.’

 

[7] He wrote from Bristol to Mr. Walter Churchey (Works, vol. xii. p. 439).

 

[8] The manuscript roll of membership in the possession of Mrs. A. Hall of Bristol shows many new names this year.

 

[9] On Sept. 21 he wrote apparently to Mr. Oastler a curious dietary letter for the information of Mr. Fenwick. See new ed. Wesley Letters.

 

[10] See W.H.S vol. iv. P.236.

 

[11] Joseph Easterbrook was still vicar.

 

[12] He wrote from London to freeborn Garretson, commending Dr. Coke, who, he thought, was more wanted in America than in Europe (Works, vol. xiii. P.71).

 

[13] See above, p. 43.

 

[14] See Ecclesiasticus, xxxviii.1,2:

 

Honour a physician according to thy need of him, with the honours due unto him:

 

For verily the Lord hath created him.

 

For from the most high cometh healing

 

(R.V)

 

[15] See Green’s  Wesley Bibliography, No. 396