From the Foundery, London, to S W in Bristol. The last Lords Day deserves to be remembered - Charles read the whole service except for the first lesson, preached for almost an hour from Isaiah 26:20 'never with greater enlargement'. After the administration of the sacraments, he felt that they could have prayed forever.
Despite the great number of communicants, he was able to get away by one with Miss Wells to dine at Sister Phipp's house, before going on to Sister Boult's house on the way to the Foundery, where he again preached with great feeling and power on the text 'if ye be willing & obedient ye shall eat the good of the land…'. At the meeting of the Society he was unexpectedly required to pray for Mr Lindsay, [James] Waller, and for a friend in Bristol and her two children - 'These prayers were GIVEN & therefore SEALED prayers'. They continued in fellowship and prayer until eight, but he felt less tired than he had that morning.
The pain in his face was relieved tonight by means of a 'purging'. He awoke with it on Monday morning, but it did not prevent him from 'expounding the 46th Psalm & meeting the Select Band'. Charles then rode over to Low Leyton where he spent an enjoyable day with Lady Piers and Mr Howard, both of whom asked after Sarah and her family. In the evening he came across his friend [Samuel] Lloyd on the highway, and rode with him for an hour. During the night he was somewhat disturbed by his 'looseness' but had strength enough to preach the following morning at the Foundery.
Mr Phene took his leave 'full of gratitude both to me & our children [the Methodists], who out of their little, have contributed £60 for the relief of our distrest brethren in Germany, besides 5 guineas for himself'.
Notes
- Publication Record: Quoted extensively by Thomas Jackson in The Journal of the Rev. Charles Wesley (1849), Volume 2, pp.209-210 .
- Publication Record: 'How did I even contend to lay' is transcribed by S T Kimbrough, and Oliver Beckerlegge in The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley (1988), Volume 3.