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told that she had left his house, determined never to return, he said, non eam reliqui; non dimisi; non revocabo." She died in October 1781, and bequeathed her fortune to Mr. Vizelle-To Mr. Wesley she gave a ring.

On March 27, Mr. Wesley commenced his Northern journey. He travelled through the societies as far as Whitehaven, and on April 20, arrived at Newcastle. On the 24th, he proceeded to pay his first visit to Scotland. He was invited thither by colonel Galatin, who was then quartered at Musselborough. Mr. Wesley having mentioned this to Mr. Whitefield, he replied, "You have no business there: for your principles are so well known, that if you spoke like an angel, none would hear you. And if they did, you would have nothing to do but to dispute with one and another from morning to night." He answered, "If God sends me, people will hear. And I will give them no provocation to dispute: for I will studiously avoid controverted points, and keep to the fundamental truths of christianity. And if any still begin to dispute, they may: but I will not dispute with them."

noon.

"I had no intention," says he, "to preach in Scotland; not imagining that there were any that desired I should. But I was mistaken.. Curiosity, if nothing else, brought abundance of people together in the afterAnd whereas in the kirk, Mrs. Galatin informed me, there used to be laughing and talking, and all the marks of the grossest inattention; it was far otherwise here. They remained as statues from the beginning of the sermon to the end. I preached again at six in the evening, on, Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. I used great plainness of speech towards high and low : and they all received it in love: so that the prejudice which had been several years planting, was torn up

X

by the roots in one hour. After preaching, one of the bailiffs of the town, with one of the elders of the kirk, came to me,and begged I would stay with them a while; nay, if it were but two or three days, and they would fit up a larger place than the school, and prepare seats for the congregation. Had not my time been fixed, I should gladly have complied. All that I could now do, was to give them a promise, that Mr. Hopper should come back the next week and spend a few days with them. And it was not without a fair prospect. The congregations were very numerous many were cut to the heart; and several joined together in a little society."

That activity, diligence, and success which had marked Mr. Wesley's labours and travels during several years, were evinced throughout the whole of the year 1752, in various districts both in England and Ireland.

In April, 1753, he again visited Scotland by the invitation of Dr. Gillies of Glasgow, in whose kirk he preached to very large and attentive congregations : "Who would have believed," says he, "five and twenty years ago, either that the minister would have desired, or that I should have consented to preach in a Scotch kirk!" In July, Mr. Wesley crossed over to the Isle of Wight. From Cowes, he went to Newport.He here found a little society in tolerable order: se⚫veral of whom had found peace with God, and walked in the light of his countenance. At half an hour after six he addressed in the market-place a numerous congregation the children made much noise and many grown persons were talking aloud during the time of worship. There was a large congregation again at five in the morning and every person therein, seemed to know that this was the word whereby God would judge him in the last day. "In the evening the congregation was more numerous, and far more serious than the night before; only one drunken man made a

little disturbance, but the mayor ordered him to be taken away."

In a short time his

October 19, Mr. Wesley returned to London, and the next day found himself unwell. complaint appeared to be an ague. Before he was perfectly recovered, he was threatened with a rapid consumption. In consequence of Dr. Fothergill's advice, he retired to Lewisham and wishing "to prevent vile panegyrick" in case of death, he wrote as follows:

"Here lieth

The body of John Wesley,

A brand plucked out of the burning :

Who died of a consumption in the fifty-first year of his age.

Not leaving after his debts are paid, ten pounds behind

him: Praying,

God be merciful to me an unprofitable servant !"

He ordered that this, if any inscription, should be placed on his tomb-stone.

While Mr. Wesley was confined, he received the following letter from Mr. Whitefield.

"Rev. and very dear Sir,

"If seeing you so weak when leaving London distressed me, the news and prospect of your approaching dissolution hath quite weighed me down. I pity myself and the church, but not you a radient throne awaits you, and ere long you will enter into your Master's joy yonder he stands with a massy crown, ready to put it on your head amidst an admiring throng of saints and angels. But I, poor I, that have been waiting for my dissolution these nineteen years, must be left behind to grovel here below! Well! this is my comfort it cannot be long ere the chariots will be sent even for worthless me. If prayers can detain them,

:

even you, rev. and very dear sir, shall not leave us yet: but if the decree has gone forth, that you must now fall asleep in Jesus, may he kiss your soul away, and give you to die in the embraces of triumphant love! If in the land of the living, I hope to pay my last respects to you next week. If not, rev. and dear sir, farewell. Ego sequar, etsi non passibus æquis. My heart is too big, tears trickle down too fast, and you are I fear too weak for me to enlarge. Underneath you may there be Christ's everlasting arms. I commend you to his never-failing mercy, and am,

Rev. and very dear sir,

Your most affectionate, sympathizing,
And afflicted younger brother,

In the Gospel of our common Lord,

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G. WHITEFIELD."

On May 6, 1755, the conference began at Leeds. "The point," says Mr. Wesley, on which we desir-* ed all the preachers to speak their minds at large, was, whether we ought to separate from the church? Whatever was advanced on one side or the other, was seriously and calmly considered and on the third day we were all fully agreed, that, whether it was lawful or not, it was by no means expedient."

:

“August 6, I mentioned to our congregation in London, a means of increasing serious religion, which had been frequently practised by our forefathers, the joining in a covenant to serve God with all our heart and with all our soul. I explained this for several mornings following; and on Friday many of us kept a fast unto the Lord, beseeching him to give us wisdom and strength, that we might promise unto the Lord our God and keep it. On Monday at six in the evening we met for that purpose, at the French church in Spitalfields. After I had recited the tenour of the covenant proposed, in the words of that blessed man, Richard Allyen, all the

people stood up, in token of assent, to the number of about eighteen hundred. Such a night I scarcely ever knew before. Surely the fruit of it shall remain for ever." The covenant has been renewed once every year, since that period.

January 1756. The general expectation of publick calamities in the ensuing year, spread a general seriousness over the British nation. "We endeavoured," says Mr. Wesley," in every part of the kingdom, to avail ourselves of the apprehensions which we frequently found it was impossible to remove, in order to make them conducive to a nobler end, to that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom.-February 6, "The fastday was a glorious day, every church in the city was more than full: and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer: and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquillity.”

In the latter end of March, he visited Ireland again, and after inspecting the societies in Leinster and Munster, went with Mr. Walsh into the provinces of Ulster and Connaught.

August 25, Mr. Wesley returned to Bristol, where he found about fifty preachers, who had collected to hold a conference.

Mr. Wesley's journeys and labours of love, in preaching the gospel of peace through all parts of the three kingdoms, were continued with the same unremitting diligence; while the duties of his situation in some. other respects, increased every year upon him. New societies were frequently formed in various places; which naturally called for an increase of ministers. These, however, were more easily procured, than à stranger would imagine; for the class and band meetings were a fruitful nursery, where the most zealous and pious young men soon grew up to the requisite standard, to be transplanted into a higher situation, among the local or itinerant preachers.