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Sunday 21, We were greatly surprised in the evening, while I was expounding in the Minories. A well-dressed, middle aged woman, suddenly cried out as in the agonies of death. She continued so to do for some time, with all the signs of the sharpest anguish of spirit. When she was a little recovered, I desired her to call upon me the next day. She then told me, that about three years before, she was under strong convictions of sin, and in such a terror of mind, that she had no comfort in any thing, nor any rest, day or night: That she sent for the minister of her parish, and told him the distress she was in upon which he told her husband she was stark mad, and advised him to send for a physician immediately. A physician was sent for accordingly, who ordered her to be blooded, blistered, and so on. But this did not heal her wounded spirit. So that she continued much as she was before; until the last night, He, whose words she at first found to be sharper than any two-edged sword, gave her a faint hope, that He would undertake her cause, and heal the soul which had sinned against Him.

Thursday 25, I baptized John Smith, (late an Anabaptist) and four other adults at Islington. Of the adults I have known to be baptized lately, only one was at that time born again, in the higher sense of the word; that is, found a thorough, inward change, by the love of God filling her heart. Most of them were only born again in a lower sense; i. e. received the remission of their sins. And some, as it has too plainly appeared, neither in one sense nor the other.

Sunday 28, I went, having been long importuned thereto, about five in the evening, with four or five of my friends to a friend's house where was one of those commonly called French Prophets. After a time, she came in. She seemed about four or five and twenty, of an agreeable speech and behaviour. She asked, why we came? I said, "To try the spirits, whether they be of God." Presently after she leaned back in her chair, and seemed to have strong workings in her breast, with deep sighings intermixed. Her head, and hands, and, by turns, every part of her body seemed also to be in a kind of convulsive motion. This continued about ten minutes, till, at six, she began to speak (though the workings, sighings, and contortions of her body, were so intermixed with her words, that she seldom spoke half a sentence together) with a clear strong voice, "Father, thy will be done, thy will be done. Thus saith the Lord, if of any of you that is a father, his child ask bread, will he give him a stone? if he ask a fish, will he give him a scorpion? Ask bread of me, my children, and I will give you bread. I will not, will not give you a scorpion. By this judge of what ye shall now hear."

She spoke much, all as in the person of God, and mostly in Scripture words, of the fulfilling of the prophecies, the coming of Christ now at hand, and spreading of the Gospel over all the earth. Then she exhorted us not to be in haste in judging her spirit, to be or not to be of God; but to wait upon God and he would teach us, if we conferred not with flesh and blood. She added, with many enforcements, that we must watch and pray, and take up our cross and be still before God.

Two or three of our company were much affected, and believed she spoke by the spirit of God. But this was in no wise clear to me. The motion might be either hysterical or artificial. And the same words any person of a good understanding and well versed in the Scriptures might have spoken. But I let the matter alone: knowing this, that if it be not of God it will come to nought.

Sunday Feb. 4, I preached at St. Giles's, on Whosoever believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

How was the power of God present with us! I am content to preach here no more.

Friday 9, A note was given me at Wapping, in nearly these words:

"SIR,

"Your prayers are desired for a child that is lunatic and sore vexed day and night, that our Lord would be pleased to heal him, as he did those in the days of his flesh, and that he would give his parents faith and patience till his time is come."

Thursday 13, I received the following note:

SIR,

"I return you hearty thanks for your prayers on Friday for my tortured son. He grows worse and worse. I hope the nearer deliverance. I beg your prayers still to our Redeemer, who will cure him, or give us patience to bear the rod, hoping it is dipped in the blood of the Lamb.

"Sir, he is taken with grievous weeping, his heart beating as if it would beat through his ribs. He swells ready to burst, sweats great drops, runs about beating and tearing himself. He bites and pinches me, so that I carry his marks always on me. He lays his hands on the fire, and sticks pins in his flesh. Thus he has been these five years. He is in his eleventh year, a wonder of affliction; I hope, of mercy also, and that I shall yet praise Him, who is my Redeemer and my God."

Saturday 17, A few of us prayed with him; and from that time, as his parents since informed us, he had more rest (although not a full deliverance) than he had had for two years before.

Sunday 18, I was desired to preach at Sir George Wheeler's chapel, in Spitalfields, morning and afternoon. I did so in the morning, but was not suffered to conclude my subject, as I had designed, in the afternoon: A good remembrance, that I should, if possible, declare at every time, the whole counsel of God.

Sunday 25, I preached in the morning to a numerous congregation, at St. Catherine's, near the Tower; at Islington in the afternoon. Many here were, as usual, deeply offended. But the counsel of the Lord it shall stand.

Friday, March 2, It was the advice of all our brethren that I should spend a few days at Oxford: whither I accordingly went on Satur

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day 3. A few names I found here also who had not denied the faith, neither been ashamed of their Lord, even in the midst of a perverse generation. And every day we were together we had convincing proof, such as it had not before entered into our hearts to conceive, that he is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God through him.

One of the most surprising instances of his power which I ever remember to have seen, was on the Tuesday following; when I visited one who was above measure enraged at this new way, and zealous in opposing it. Finding argument to be of no other effect, than to inflame her more and more, I broke off the dispute, and desired we might join in prayer, which she so far consented to as to kneel down. In a few minutes she fell into an extreme agony, both of body and soul; and soon after cried out with the utmost earnestness, "Now I know, I am forgiven for Christ's sake." Many other words she uttered to the same effect, witnessing a hope full of immortality. And from that hour, God hath set her face as a flint, to declare the faith which before she persecuted.

Thursday 8, I called upon her, and a few of her neighbours, who were met together in the evening, among whom I found a gentleman of the same spirit she had been of, earnestly labouring to pervert the truth of the Gospel. To prevent his going on, as the less evil of the two, I entered directly into the controversy, touching both the cause and the fruits of justification: in the midst of the dispute, one who sat at a small distance felt as it were the piercing of a sword, and before she could be brought to another house, whither I was going, could not avoid crying out aloud, even in the street. But no sooner had we made our request known to God, than he sent her help from his holy place.

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At my return from hence, I found Mr. Kinchin just come from Dummer, who earnestly desired me, instead of setting out for London the next morning, as I designed, to go to Dummer and supply his church on Sunday. On Friday morning, I set out, according to his desire, and in the evening came to Reading, where I found a young man who had in some measure known the powers of the world to come. I spent the evening with him and a few of his serious friends; and it pleased God much to strengthen and comfort them.

Saturday 10, In the afternoon I came to Dummer; and on Sunday morning had a large and attentive congregation. I was desired to expound in the evening at Basingstoke. The next day I returned to Reading, and thence on Tuesday to Oxford, where I found many more and more rejoicing in God their Saviour. Wednesday 14, I had an opportunity of preaching once again to the poor prisoners in the Castle. Thursday 15, I set out early in the morning, and in the afternoon came to London.

During my stay here, I was fully employed; between our own society, in Fetter-lane, and many others, where I was continually desired to expound: so that I had no thought of leaving London, when I received, after several others, a letter from Mr. Whitefield, and another from Mr. Seward, entreating me in the most pressing

manner to come to Bristol without delay. This I was not at all forward to do; and perhaps a little the less inclined to it (though I trust, I do not count my life dear unto myself, so I may finish my course with joy) because of the remarkable scriptures which offered as often as we inquired, touching the consequence of this removal; probably permitted for the trial of our faith. Get thee up into this mountainand die in the mount, whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, Deut. xxxii. 49. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, Deut. xxxiv. 8. I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake, Acts ix. 16. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations, over him, Acts viii. 2.

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Wednesday 28, My journey was proposed to our society in Fetterlane. But my brother Charles would scarce bear the mention of it; till appealing to the Oracles of God, he received those words, as spoken to himself, and answered not again: Son of man, behold I take from thee, the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: Yet shalt thou not mourn or weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Our other brethren however continuing the dispute, without any probability of their coming to one conclusion, we at length all to decide it by lot. And by this it was determined, "I should go.' Several afterwards desiring, we might open the bible, concerning the issue of this, we did so on the several portions of Scripture, which I shall set down, without any reflection upon them. Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker, 2 Sam. iii. 1. When wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed: Shall I not now require his blood at your hands. and take you away from the earth? 2 Sam. iv. 11. And Ahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xxix. 30.

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Thursday, March 29, I left London, and in the evening expounded to a small company at Basingstoke. Saturday 31, in the evening I reached Bristol, and met Mr. Whitefield there. I could scarce. reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which he set me an example on Sunday: having been all my life, till very lately, so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a church.

April 1, In the evening (Mr. Whitefield being gone), I begun expounding our Lord's sermon on the Mount, (one pretty remarkable precedent of field-preaching, I suppose there were churches at that time also), to a little society which was accustomed to meet once or twice a week in Nicholas-street.

Monday 2, At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation, speaking from a little eminence, in a ground adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people. The Scripture on which I spoke was this, (Is it possible, any one should be ignorant, that it is fulfilled in every true minister of Christ?) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be

cause He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind: to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. At seven I began expounding the Acts of the Apostles, to a society meeting in Baldwin-street; and the next day, the Gospel of St. John, in the chapel at Newgate; where I also daily read the morning service of the church.

Wednesday 4, At Baptist Mills, (a sort of a suburb or village, about half a mile from Bristol), I offered the Grace of God to about fifteen hundred persons, from these words, I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.

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In the evening, three women agreed to meet together weekly, with the same intention as those at London, viz. To confess their faults one to another, and pray one for another, that they might be healed. At eight, four young men agreed to meet, in pursuance of the same design. How dare any man deny this to be, as to the substance of it, a mean of grace, ordained by God? Unless he will affirm, with Luther in the fury of his Solifidianism, that St. James's epistle is an epistle of straw?

Thursday 5, At five in the evening I began at a society in Castle street, expounding the epistle to the Romans; and the next evening, at a society in Gloucester-lane, the first Epistle of St. John, on Saturday evening at Weavers-hall also I begun expounding the epistle to the Romans, and declared that Gospel to all, which is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth

Sunday 8, At seven in the morning, I preached to about a thousand persons at Bristol, and afterwards to about fifteen hundred, on the top of Hannam-mount in Kingswood. I called to them in the words of the evangelical prophet, Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. About five thousand were in the afternoon at Rosegreen(on the other side of Kingswood); among whom I stood and cried, in the name of the Lord, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

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Tuesday 10, I was desired to go to Bath; where I offered to about a thousand souls the free Grace of God to heal their backslidings, and in the morning to, I believe more than two thousand. I preached to about the same number at Baptist-mills, in the afternoon, on Christ, made of God unto us, wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.

Saturday 14, I preached at the Poor-house; three or four hundred were within, and more than twice that number without: to whom I explained those comfortable words, When they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both.

Sunday 15, I explained at seven, to five or six thousand persons, the story of the pharisee and the publican. About three thousand were present at Hannam-mount. I preached at Newgate, after dinner to a crowded congregation. Between five and six we went to

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