Journal of a Voyage from Gibraltar to Georgia, Journal 3 · Part 31 – Part 32
GLOUCESTER.
Tueſday, April 10. Viſited the religious Society laſt Night, preached at four in the Afternoon, to a great Congregation at St. Michael's Church, viſited a Society near the Weſt-gate-Street at ſeven, and another at eight; the laſt of which was very much cr…uded. Oh what unſpeakable Pleaſure does it give me, to ſee my own Townſmen receive the Word with Joy!
Wedneſday, April 11. Was treated this Day as I expected, and as I told my Friends I ſhould be uſed, when I firſt entred the City. — The Miniſter of St. Michael's was pleaſed to lend me his Church yeſterday and to day, but ſome wealthy Demetrius's being offended at the Greatneſs of the Congregations, and alledging that it kept People from their Buſineſs, he was influenced by ſome of them to deny the Uſe of his Pulpit any more on a Week Day. Alas! what an Enmity there is in the natural Man againſt the Succeſs of the Goſpel! How fond are they of Ph…raoh's Objection, Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye ſay, Let us go worſhip the LORD.
About four I ſet out for Painſwick, a Town four Miles diſtant from Glouceſter, where the Pulpit being denied, I preached to a very large Congregation from the Stairs belonging to the School-houſe, in one of the Streets. Many were ſolicitous for me to come and preach at other neighbouring Places alſo. —At my Return to Glouceſter, my Heart was much refreſhed by the Reception of near thirty Letters from Briſtol; all, I hope, from Perſons whoſe Hearts GOD hath been pleaſed to touch, and powerfully convince of Self-righteouſneſs. — LORD, not unto me, but unto thy Name be all the Glory.
Thurſday, April 12. Spent the Morning in anſwering ſome of my dear Correſpondents, and preached in the Evening to near three Thouſand Hearers in a Field belonging to my Brother. Cry out who will againſt his my Forwardneſs, I cannot ſee my dear C…untrymen and Fellow Chriſtians every where ready to periſh through Ignorance and Unbelief, and not endeavour to convince them of both.
Thoſe who forbid me to ſpeak to theſe poor baptized Heathens, that they may be ſaved, upon them I call to give a Reaſon for their ſo doing; a Reaſon which may ſatisfy not Man only, but GOD. And accordingly, I here cite them to anſwer it to our common Maſter. What their real Reaſon is, whether Envy, or Maſter, in ſo doing thou reproacheſt us; or ought elſe, ſhall, one Day, be manifeſted to Men and Angels.
I am, and proſeſs myſelf a Member of the Church of England. I have received no Prohibition from any of the Biſhops; and having had no Fault ſound by them with my Life or Doctrine, have the ſame general Licence to preach, which the Rectors are willing to think ſufficient for their Curates; nor can any of them produce one Inſtance of their having refuſed the Aſſiſtance of a Stranger Clergyman, becauſe he had not a written Licence. — And have their Lordſhips, the Biſhops, inſiſted that no Perſon ſhall ever preach occaſionally without ſuch ſpecial Licence? Is not our producing our Letters of Orders always judged ſufficient? Have not ſome of us been allowed …o preach in Georgia, and other Places, by no other than our general Commiſſion? Take thou Authority to, &c. nay, and therefore ordained that we might preach in Georgia? — His Lordſhip of London allowed of my preaching there, even when I had only received Deacon's Orders; and I have never been charged by his Lordſhip with teaching or living otherwiſe than as a true Miniſter, and true Son of the Church of England. I keep cloſe to her Articles and Homilies; which, if my Oppoſers did, we ſhould not have ſo many Diſſenters from her. But it is moſt notorious, that for the moralizing Iniquity of the Prieſts, the Land mourns. We have preached and lived many ſincere Perſons out of our Communion.—I have now converſed with ſeveral of the beſt of all Denominations; many of them ſolemnly proteſt that they went from the Church, becauſe they could not find Food for their Souls; they ſtayed among us till they were ſtarved out.
I know this Declaration will expoſe me to the Illwill, not of all my Brethren, but of all my indolent, earthly-minded, Pleaſure-taking Brethren. But was I not to ſpeak, the very Stones would cry out againſt them. Speak therefore I muſt, and will, and will not ſpare. GOD look to the Event. Whatever becomes of the Paſtors who feed themſelves, and not the Flock, I have born my Teſtimony, I have delivered my own Soul.
After Sermon, I viſited two crowded Societies; many received the Word with Gladneſs; and to day I felt ſuch an intenſe Love, that I could have almoſt wiſhed myſelf accurſed for my Brethren according to the Fleſh. Oh that they experimentally knew the Things that belong to their Peace before they are everlaſtingly bid from their Eyes!
Friday, April 19. Was much delighted with ſome more Letters I received from ſome young Soldiers of JESUS CHRIST. — Redeemed what Time I could to anſwer ſome of them; preached at Noon to a much larger Congregation than yeſterday in the Field; took a little Refreſhment, and went, upon Invitation to Chafford, eight Miles from Glouceſter, where I preached with great Power to above 3000 Souls, all which behaved with great Decency, and like new-born Babes, ſeemed deſirous to be fed with the ſincere Milk of the Word. It rejoyces me much to find that my Countrymen alſo receive the Goſpel. Oh that it may take deep Root in their Hearts!
Saturday, April 14. Lay at Stroud, about three Miles from Chafford, preached in the Fields belonging to the Inn, at Nine in the Morning, to about 600 People; went to Stonehouſe to pay my dear Flock a Viſit there; and being intreated moſt earneſtly, as I paſſed through the Town yeſterday, at three I preached again at Painſwick, to double the Number I preached to before. And GOD was with us of a Truth. Aſſoon as I had done, I haſted to Glouceſter, according to Appointment, and preached in the Boothall to, I believe, near 5000 People. Extraordinary Power GOD was pleaſed to give me. I was uncommonly enlarged in Prayer; and though I had preached twice, and rode ſome Miles, yet I think I never ſpoke with greater Demonſtration of the Spirit. GOD will work, and who ſhall hinder?
After this, I received another Packet of Letters from Briſ…ol People, and was comforted by the coming of ſome more Friends, with whom I took ſweet Counſel, and praiſed GOD luſtily, and with a good Courage. How are his Mercies ſhowered down upon me! What Enlargements of Heart have I experienced this Night! Oh that I had a thouſand Tongues wherewith to praiſe my GOD! About three Days ago I was much humbled, now am I exalted. Yet a little while and I ſhall be humbled again. Thus GOD acts according as he ſeeth beſt for our Souls.
Sunday, April 15. Preached by eight in the Morning to a larger Congregation than ever in my Brother's Field; went to the Cathedral Service at Ten; and after Dinner went to Stonehouſe, being invited thither by the Miniſter, as well as People. — It rained all the Way going thither; but notwithſtanding that, I believe 3000 Souls were ready to hear me, and behaved with great Decency and Devotion whilſt I was ſpeaking to them. The Church not being large enough to contain a third part of the Auditory, I preached from a very commodious Place on the Outſide; and though it rained the whole Time, yet I did not obſerve one Perſon leave the Place before I had done.—Afterwards many of the Children of GOD came to me. rejoycing that Free Grace in CHRIST had been preached unto them, telling me, it was Food to their Souls, and what they had experienced for ſome Years. — The other People alſo behaved moſt affectionately, and would have conſtrained me to abide with them all Night; but being engaged to return back to Glouceſter, I haſted thither through the Rain, and expounded in the Boothall to above 5000 People. They behaved excellently well, and hung upon me to hear the Word. — All was huſht and ſolemn. — And my delivering the Word from a Place juſt before where the Judges ſit rendered it very awful. — Oh that I could plead the Cauſe of my Lord and King, even JESUS CHRIST, with greater Power!
Monday, April 16. Preached with an extraordinary Preſence of GOD amongſt us at my Brother's Field about ten in the Morning. — Received a moſt comfortable Packet of Letters, giving me an Account of the Succeſs of the Goſpel; — viſited the Priſon, took a little Refreſhment, preached to near a Thouſand at Oxnell, ſeven Miles from Glouceſter. being invited thither by the Reverend Mr. Paunce…oot, a worthy Miniſter of JESUS CHRIST; then returned, and preached my Farewel Diſcourſe to more People than ever in the Boothall, and afterwards found my Strength renewed, and my Soul filled with divine Love and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt. Oh what a Myſtery is the hidden Life of a Chriſtian!
Had many merciful Deliverances in going to, and returning from Newent. Praiſe the LORD, O my Soul, and all that is within me, praiſe his holy Name.
Received Letters from Abergavenny, acquainting me how many had been convinced ſince I was there. — Heard of one that had received the Holy Ghoſt immediately upon my preaching CHRIST. Received a Letter from one under ſtrong Convictions; and, indeed, there is ſcarce a Day paſſes over my Head, but GOD ſhews me that he works effectually upon the Hearts of many by my Miniſtry. A Proof this, I am ſure, that the Word preached is not my own, but GOD's. May he always own it in this Manner. Even ſo Lord JESUS.
Tueſday, April 17. Spent this Morning in viſiting a private Society, and converſing with many religious Friends, who came from far to take their Leave. — About eleven, by the Biſhop's Permiſſion, I baptized, at the Church of St. Mary de Crypt, Mr. Thomas W—d, a profeſſed Quaker, about ſixty Years of Age, who was convinced of the Neceſſity of being born again of Water as well as the Spirit. Many of CHRIST's faithful Servants a…ended on the Prayers around him; and, I believe, the Holy Ghoſt was with us of a Truth. — After the Solemnity was over, I gave a Word of Exhortation from the Font; and it being the Place where I myſelf not long ſince had been baptized, it gave me an Opportunity of reflecting on my own frequent Breaches of my baptiſmal Vow, and proving the Neceſſity of the New-Birth from the Office of our Church. GOD, I believe, gave it his Bleſſing.
After this, we returned, and gave private Thanks; and having dined, prayed with, and taken Leave of my weeping Friends, and diſperſed a great many of my Sermons amongſt the Poor, I took Horſe. But, Oh what Love did the People expreſs for me! How many came to me weeping, and telling me what GOD had done for their Souls by my Miniſtry! Oh how did they pray for my Return amongſt them! LORD, I dared not expect ſuch Succeſs among my own Countrymen. When I came to the City, I found the Devil had painted me in moſt horrible Colours: For it was currently reported, that I was really mad; that I had ſaid, I was the Holy Ghoſt, and that I had walked bareheaded through Briſtol Streets ſinging Pſalms. — But GOD was pleaſed to ſhew them that the Devil was a Liar, and that the Words that I ſpoke were not thoſe of a Madman, but the Words of Soberneſs and Truth.— It often pleaſes me to think how GOD makes Way for me into the Hearts of his People; nay, even of his Enemies, wherever I go. — My firſt asking Leave for the Pulpit, and preaching in the Fields, notwithſtanding they are denied, puts me in mind of the Children of Iſrael firſt intreating Leave of Og, Sihon, &c. To go quietly through their Land; but fighting their Way through, when Leave was denied. Like them, by the Strength of my Divine Leader, I ſhall, at laſt, be more than Conqueror over all the Canaanites, and carnal Teachers among the Iſrael of GOD.
CHELTENHAM, 7 Miles from Glouceſter.
Being earneſtly invited by ſeveral of the Inhabitants, I came hither, attended with about a dozen Friends, by five of the Clock; and the Uſe of the Pulpit being refuſed me, I preached on the Bowling-green belonging to the Plough-Inn. — When I came in, the Town, I perceived, was alarmed, by the People ſtanding at their Doors. At the firſt, I found my ſelf quite ſhut up. — My Heart and Head were dead as a Stone; but when I came to the Inn, my Soul began to be enlarged. I felt a Freedom in my Spirit, and was enabled to preach with extraordinary Power, to near two Thouſand People. Many were convicted. One was drowned in Tears, becauſe ſhe had ſaid I was crazy; and ſome were ſo filled with the Holy Ghoſt, that they were almoſt unable to ſupport themſelves under it. This, I know, is Fooliſhneſs to the natural and Letter-learned Men; but I write this for the Comfort of GOD's Children. They know what theſe Things mean.
Wedneſday, April 8. Preached this Morning with Power, to a much larger Congregation than we had laſt Night. Several Servants of GOD ſaid, they never ſaw the like before.— Whilſt I was preaching, I ſaw the People melted into Tears, and, by their Looks, ſhewed that the Divine Preſence was amongſt them.— We ſhall ſee greater Things than theſe: For almoſt every Day Perſons of all Denominations come unto me, telling how they interceed in my Behalf. And it ſhall now be my particular Buſineſs, wherever I go, to bring all the Children of GOD, notwithſtanding their Differences, to rejoyce together. How dare we not converſe with thoſe that have received the Holy Ghoſt as well as we?