The Room Was Like and Oven

Sunday, 8.—We were at the minster ²¹²¹     Correct to the text. in the morning and at our parish church in the afternoon. The same gentleman preached at both; but though I saw him at the church, I did not know I had ever seen him before. In the morning he was all life and motion; in the afternoon he was as quiet as a post. At five in the evening, the rain constrained me to preach in the oven again. The patience of the congregation surprised me. They seemed not to feel the extreme heat or to be offended at the close application of those words, “thou art not far from the kingdom of God” [Mark 12:34].

Monday, 16.—I preached in the evening at Nottingham and on Thursday afternoon reached London. From a deep sense of the amazing work which God has of late years wrought in England, I preached in the evening on those words (Psalm 147:20), “He hath not dealt so with any nation”; no, not even with Scotland or New England. In both these God has indeed made bare His arm; yet not in so astonishing a manner as among us. This must appear to all who impartially consider 1) the numbers of persons on whom God has wrought; 2) the swiftness of His work in many, both convinced and truly converted in a few days; 3) the depth of it in most of these, changing the heart as well as the whole conversation; 4) the clearness of it, enabling them boldly to say, “Thou hast loved me; Thou hast given Thyself for me”; 5) the continuance of it.

Tuesday, 24 (London).—Observing in that valuable book, Mr. Gillies’ Historical Collections, the custom of Christian congregations in all ages to set apart seasons of solemn thanksgivings, I was amazed and ashamed that we had never done this, after all the blessings we had received; and many to whom I mentioned it gladly agreed to set apart a day for that purpose.