^3 i J 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 PRTNCETON, N. J. 
 
 BX 8495 .N34 A3 1810 ' 
 Nelson, John, 1707-1774. 
 An extract from the journal 
 of Mr. John Nelson, 
 
EXTRACT 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 JO URNAL 
 3IR. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 PREACHER OF THE GOSrEL. 
 
 Coiifahiing an account of God's Deal- 
 ings with hhn,from his Youth io the 
 fort I] -second year of his age. 
 
 WRITTEIJ EY HIMSELF. 
 
 
 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus CJ^St 
 the Father of Mercies, and the God of all comfort ; who 
 comforieth us in all our Tribulation, that we may be 
 able to comfort them which are in any Trouble, by the 
 Comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted v.i 
 God. IlCor. i.3,4. 
 
 l.OKu, thou hast led the Blind by a V/ay that he knew 
 not. Isaiah rfii. 16. 
 
 BALTIMORE : 
 
 Published by J. Kingston, Bookseller 
 ]C4 Market -street. 
 AlagiU and Clime, Printers. 
 
 1810. 
 
THE following Journal was written at 
 divers times, for my own satisfaction. 
 About twenty years ago, having transcrib- 
 ed it, several of my friends saw it, and 
 begged it might be printed ; which I re- 
 fused at that time. 
 
 Some time after, Mr. Thornton of 
 Leeds, a very particular friend of mine, 
 desiring to see it, thought, as my case had 
 been a means of stirring up many to hear 
 the word, this might be of use to comfort 
 some who were in trouble, and so advised 
 me to put it to the press without delay. 
 But I still declined it, till he shewing it to 
 several of my friends, wlio were of the 
 same opinion. I at last complied. 
 
 What is wrong may the Lord pardon.' 
 And that no one may be hurt by me, or 
 any thing I have written or preached, is 
 the sincere prayer of their unworthy ser- 
 vant, for Christ's sake. 
 
 John Nelson. 
 
JOURNAT. 
 
 OF 
 
 My. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 1 JOHN NELSON, was born in the pa- 
 rish of Birstall, in the W'est-Ridiug of the 
 county of York, in October 1707, and 
 brought up a Mason, as was my father bC' 
 fore ine. 
 
 When I was between nine and ten years 
 old, 1 was horribly terrified with the 
 thoughts of death and judgment, when- 
 ever I was alone : one Sunday night as I 
 sat on the ground by the side of my fa- 
 ther's chair, while he was reading the 
 twentieth chapter of the Revelation, the 
 word came with such light and power to 
 my soul, that it made me tremble, as if a 
 dart was shot at my heart. 1 fell with 
 my face on the floor, and wept till the 
 place was as wet where I lay, as if water 
 had been poured thereon. As my father 
 proceeded, I thought I saw every thing 
 he read about, though my eyes were shut, 
 and the sight was so terrible, I was »- 
 bout to stop my ears, that I might not 
 hear, but 1 durst not ; for as soon as I 
 put my fingers in my eats, I pulled them 
 back, again. When he came to the ele- 
 venth verse, the words made me cringe, 
 and my flesh seemed to creep on my 
 
4 
 
 THE JOVRNAt OF 
 
 bones, while he said, " And I saw a grea^ 
 white Throne, and Him that sat thereon, 
 from whose Face the heavens and the earth 
 lied away, and there was found no place 
 for them : and I saw the dead, small and 
 great, stand before God, and the Books 
 w ere opened ; and another book was o- 
 pened, which is the book of life: and the 
 dead were judged out of those things that 
 were written in the books, according to 
 their works." O what a scene was open- 
 ed to my mind ! li; was as if I had seen the 
 Lord Jesus Christ sitting on his throne, 
 with the twelve apostles below him ; and 
 a large book open at his left hand ; and as 
 it were a bar fixed about ten paces from 
 the throne, to which the children of Adam 
 came up ; and every one, as he approach- 
 ed, opened his breast, as quick as a man 
 could open the bosom of his shirt. On one 
 leaf of the book was written the character 
 of the children of God ; and on the other, 
 the character of those that should not en- 
 ter into the kingdom of heaven. I thought, 
 neither the Lord, nor the apostles, said 
 anything ; but every soul, as he came up 
 to the bar. compared his conscience with 
 the book, and went away to his own place : 
 either singing, or else crying and how- 
 ling. Those that went to the right hand 
 were like the stream of a small brook ; but. 
 the others were like the flowing of a oiigh- 
 ty river. 
 
MB. JOHN NELSOK. 
 
 6 
 
 God had followed me with convictions 
 ever since I was ten years old ; and when- 
 ever 1 had committed any known sin, ei- 
 ther against God or man, I used to be so 
 terrified al'ten»'ards, that 1 shed many 
 tears in private ; yet when I came to my 
 companions, I wiped my face and went oa 
 again in sin and folly. But O ! the hell 
 I found in my mind vvhen I came to be 
 alone again, and what resolutions I made ! 
 Nevertheless, when temptations camfe, my 
 resolutions were as a ^hread of tow, that 
 had touched the fite. 
 
 When I was about sixteen, 1 heard a 
 sermon in our ownchuich, which depriv- 
 ed me of rest in ,the night ; nor durst I siu 
 as I had done belbre for iminj days. But 
 alas ! I looked thp m rong way ; for I 
 vratched those that were older and more 
 leijrned than myself, and what they did, 
 { thought I might safely do ; so I turned 
 back to .''in and folly. O what evil do the 
 oFd and learned do to those who are young 
 and unlearned ! When their lives are cor~ 
 rupt, they are certaiidy the most accursed 
 beiogs on the earth. How many times 
 have their example hardened my heart, 
 and encouraged me iu the broad way ' 
 Surely they are a curse to their own chil- 
 dren and servants, as well as to their ig- 
 norant and unlearned neighbours. 
 
 When I wa^ turned a little of sixteen, 
 mj father taken ill, which I thought 
 A 2 
 
6 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 wasfoi" my wickedness •, yet at that time, 
 vile as I was, 1 prayed earnestly that Cod 
 >would spare him i'or the sake of my mo- 
 ther and the young children, and let me 
 die in his stead; but the Lorf! would not 
 legard my prayer. Three days before 
 ]je died, he said to my mother, " Trouble 
 not thyself for me ; for I know that my 
 peace is made with God, and he will pro- 
 vide for thee and the children." I was 
 greatly surprised at his words, wondering 
 how he could know his peace was made 
 with God. 
 
 In one of my 'times of trouble I was in 
 a stuble, and falling into a slumber, I 
 dreamt I prayed that God would make me 
 happy. But 1 thought, what will make 
 me happy I alao dreamt that I beheld 
 •lereiuiah, the prophet, standing on a large 
 rock, at the West-gate of Jerusalem. His 
 countenance was grave, and with great 
 authority he reproved the elders and ma- 
 gistrates of the city, for which they were 
 enraged, and pulling him down, cast him 
 on a dunghill where the butchers poured 
 forth the blood of their slain beasts : and 
 I imagined I saw them tread him under 
 their I'eet, but his countenance never 
 changed, neither did he cease to cry out, 
 *' Thus saith the Lord, if ye will not re- 
 pent and give glory to my name, I will 
 bring destruction on you and your city." 
 He seemed so composed and so happy 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 7 
 
 while fie lay on the dunghill, and while 
 they were treading him under their feet, 
 that I said in my dream, " O God ! make 
 me like Jeremiah/' And though it was 
 but a dream, it left such an impression on 
 me, as if I had seen it with my eyes. And 
 since then. Thou, Lord, in a small mea- 
 sure, hast given me a taste of his cup. 
 
 When 1 was about nineteen, I found 
 myself in great danger of falling into scan- 
 dalous sins ; and 1 prayed, 1 believe, 
 twenty times for God to preserve me, and 
 give me a wife that I might live with her 
 to his glory. He heard my prayer, and 
 <Ielivered me out of many dangerous temp- 
 tations ; for which 1 praise his holy name. 
 
 The first time I ever saw my wile was 
 iii-ToT\ge, where I was going to build the 
 rrew church. 1 did not know who she was, 
 nor where she came from ; but, at first 
 sight, I said in my mind, " That is the 
 woman i asked of God in prayer ;" and J 
 fully determined, if I got married, I would 
 live to his glory. But what are resolu- 
 tions when made in our own strength ! 
 For though 1 believe God gave me the 
 inost suitable wite that I cduTd have had, 
 in every respect, yet for some vears after 
 we were married, I did not ne to his 
 glory, for 1 loved pleasure mord than God: 
 yet many times when ] had be^n shooting 
 a whole day, and had got theicreatures 1 
 pursued, I was quite unhappy) xind ready 
 
THE JOURNAL O? 
 
 tobret^k my gun in pieces, resolving never 
 to shoit or hunt any more. At last I said 
 to my wife, " I am determined to leave 
 off this course of life, yet it is impossible 
 if I stay here ; therefore, if thou art free, 
 I will'^go to Sir Howland Wynn's, and see 
 if I can get business there ; if not, I will go 
 somewhere else at a distance from home." 
 To this she gladly consented. 
 
 On Monday morning we parted in great 
 love, praying one for the other. As I went 
 from our town, I made use of Jacob's 
 words, which he spake to the Lord as he 
 went to Padanaram ; and the Lord bles- 
 sed me in all my journey. I found work at 
 Newark on Trent, and stayed about a 
 month. All that time the band of God 
 was upon me, by convicting? '^p of my Itir- 
 mer sins ; so that the sense of his wrath 
 being justly kindled against me, made me 
 cry to him for mercy, some days forty 
 times in the day. Then 1 went to Lon- 
 don, and got into business the day I arriv- 
 ed there. Here my concern for salva- 
 tion increased for some time, and I conti- 
 nued to read and pray when I had done my 
 
 if I had had some one to shew me the way 
 I should lave closed in with the Lord ia 
 a saving nauner. But I looked at men- 
 for exampb, and fell l!'"om my seriousness. 
 The workren cursed and abused me, be- 
 cause I VJld not drink with them, and 
 
 work, refusing alid( 
 
 and 1 believe. 
 
JIK. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 9 
 
 «pend my money as tliey did. I bore ma- 
 ny insults from them, without opening my 
 mouth to speak to them again. But when 
 they took, my tools from me, and said, if I 
 would not drink with them, I should not 
 work while they were drinking ; that pro- 
 voked me, so that! fought several of them, 
 then they let me alone. But that stifled 
 my concern for salvation ; and I left oft' 
 prayer and reading in a great measure. 
 I stayed better than half a year, and had 
 not one hour's sickness, nor did I want 
 one day's work all that time ; so that by 
 my hand labour, I cleared, besides main- 
 taining myself, twelve pounds, fifteen shil- 
 lings. 
 
 When I came home, I fell into my for- 
 mer course. I said to my wife, " I cannot 
 live here.'' So I set ofTfor London again, 
 ordering lier to follow me in the wag- 
 gon. We both got well there, and lived 
 in a good way, (as the world calls it,) that 
 is, in peace and plenty, and love to each 
 other. 
 
 After some time, I had a sore lit of ill- 
 ness ; then my conscience was alarmed, 
 and I expected to die, and perish body 
 and soul in hell. O the distress 1 was in, 
 not through fear of death, so much as of 
 the judgment that should follow ! But the 
 Lord rebuked the fever, and restored me 
 to perfect health. 
 
10 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 After residing some years in London, 
 my wife had not her health, tlicrefore we 
 -agreed that she should talce our two chil- 
 dren and go into the country, and 1 would 
 follow at a certain season ; which accord- 
 ingly I did ; but 1 could not rest night or 
 day. I said, " 1 must go to London a- 
 gain." Several asked me, " Why I would 
 go again, since 1 might live at home as 
 well as any where in the world My 
 answer was, " I have something to learn 
 that 1 have not yet learned but 1 did 
 not know that it was the great lesson of 
 love to God and man. When 1 got there, 
 I fell to work presently, and all things 
 prospered that I pursued. I then began 
 to consider what I wanted to make me 
 iappy ; for I was yet as a man in a barren 
 ivilderness, that could find no way out. 1 
 tsaid to myself, " What can I desire that 
 I have not ; I enjoy good health as any 
 man can do I have as agreeable a wife aa 
 J can wish lor I am clothed as well as I 
 can desire ; I have, at present, more gold 
 and silver than 1 Iiave need of ; yet still I 
 Iccep wandering from one part of the king- 
 dom to another, seeking rest and cannot 
 find it." Then 1 cried out, " O ! that I 
 had been a cow, or a sheep for 1 looked 
 back to see how I had spent about thirty 
 years ; and thought, rather than live thir- 
 ty years more so, 1 would chuse strang. 
 ling. But when I considered that after 
 
Mft. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 such a troublesome life, I must give an ac- 
 count before God, of the deeds done in 
 the body, who knew all my thoughts, 
 words and actions^ 1 cried out, " O that I 
 had never been born !" for I feared my 
 day of grace was over, because I had 
 made so many resolutions and broke them 
 all ! Yet I thought 1 would set out once 
 mere ; for I said, " surely, God never 
 made man to be such a riddle to himself, 
 and to leave him so ; there must be some- 
 thing in religion, that I am unacquainted 
 with, to satisfy the empty mind of man, or 
 he is in a worse state than the beasts that 
 perish." In all these troubles I had none 
 to open my mind to, so 1 wandered uo and 
 down in the fields when I had done my 
 work, meditating what course to take to 
 save my soul. 
 
 I went from church to church, but 
 found no ease. One minister of St. Paul's 
 preached about man doing his duty to 
 God and his neighbour, and when such 
 came to lie upon a death-bed, what joy 
 they would find in their own breast, by 
 looking back on their well spent life. But 
 that sermon had like to have destroyed 
 my soul ; for 1 looked back, and could not 
 see one day in all my life, wherein 1 had 
 not left undone something which I ought 
 to have done, and wherein 1 had not done 
 many things wrong ; that I was so far 
 i'vom having a well spent life to reflect up- 
 
12 
 
 THE JOURNAL Ot 
 
 On, that I savv^, if one day well spent would 
 Sare my soul, 1 must be damned lor ercr. O 
 , what a stab was that sermon to my wounded 
 Boul ! It made me wish my mother's womb 
 had been my grave. Alter that I heard 
 another sermon, wherein the preacher 
 summed up all the christian duties ; but 
 he said, man, since the fall, could not per- 
 fectly fulfil the will of his Maker ; but 
 God required him to do all he could, and 
 Christ would make out the restjjbutif 
 man did not do all he oould, he must una- 
 voidably perish ; for he had no right to 
 expect any interest in themeriis of Christ, 
 if he had not fulfilled his part, and done all 
 that lay in his power. Then 1 thought, 
 not only I, but every soul must be damn- 
 ed : for I did not believe thatany who had 
 lived to years of maturity, had doueall they 
 could, and avoided all the evil they might. 
 Therefore 1 concluded that none could be 
 saved but little children. O what deadly 
 physick was that sort of doctrine to my 
 poor sin-sick soul ! 
 
 1 thought 1 would try others ; and went 
 to hear Dissentersof divers denominations, 
 hut to no purpose. I went to the Roman 
 Catholics, but was soon surfeited with 
 their way of worship. Then I went to the 
 Quakers, and prayed that God would not 
 suHer the blind to go out of the way, but 
 join me to the people that worshipped him 
 la spirit and in truth : I cared not what 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 15 
 
 they were called, nor what 1 suffbred up- 
 on earth, so that my soul might be saved 
 at last. I believe I heard them every Sun- 
 day lor three months-, what made me con- 
 tinue 80 long was. the expectation ol' some 
 help, by hearing them ; for tliere was one, 
 almost at my first going; that spoke some- 
 thing that suited the state my soul was 
 in ; but he shewed no remedy. I had now 
 tried ail but the Jews, and I thought it 
 was to no purpose to go to them ; so I 
 thought I would go tociiurch, and read 
 and pray, whether i perished or not. But 
 I was amazed, when I came to join in the 
 morning prayer, to see that 1 had mocked 
 my maker all my days, by praying for 
 things I did not expect or desire ; then I 
 thought none could be so ignorant as 1 had 
 been, nor so base, to draw near to God with 
 their lips and their hearts so far from him. 
 
 In the spring Mr. Whilefield came into 
 Moorfields, and I went to hear him : he 
 was to me as a man that could play well on 
 an instrument, for his preachiDg was plea- 
 sant to me, and I loved the man ; so that if 
 any one offered to disturb him, 1 was ready 
 to fight for him. But I did not underst-.<!id 
 him, though I might hear him twenty 
 times for aught 1 know. Yet I got some 
 hope of mercy, so that I was encouraged 
 to pray on, and spend my leisure hours in 
 reading the Scriptures. Sometimes as I 
 was readimg, I thought, if what 1 read is 
 B 
 
u 
 
 THE JOURNAL OS 
 
 true, and if none are Christians, but sncH' 
 as St. John and St. Paul describe to be 
 God's people, I do not know any person 
 that is a Christian either in town or coun- 
 try. I said, " If things be so, I am no more 
 a christian than the devil and my hope 
 of ever being one was very smalK In this 
 struggle i had but little sleep ; if I slept 
 four hours out of twenty-four, I thought it 
 a great deal : sometimes I started as if I 
 w.'ts falling, into some horrible place. At 
 other times I dreamed that I- was fighting 
 with satan, and when I awoke, I was sweat- 
 ing and as fatigued as if I had really been 
 fighting. Yet all this time l was as capa- 
 ble of working, both in understanding and 
 strength, as ever I was in my life ; and this 
 was an encouragement to me. In all this 
 time I did not open my mind to any person 
 either by word or letter ; but I was like a 
 wandering bird, cast out of its ne.st, till Mr. 
 John Wesley came to preach his first ser- 
 mon in Moorfield.'^, O that was a blessed 
 morning to my soul ! As soon as he got up- 
 on the stand, he stroked back his hair, and 
 turned his face towards where I stood, and 
 I thought fixed his eyes on me. His coun- 
 tenance struck such an awful dread upon 
 me, before 1 heard him speak, that it made 
 my heart beat like the pendulum of a 
 clock ; and when he did speak, I thought 
 his whole discourse was aimed at me. 
 When he bad done, I said, " This man 
 
MR JOHN NELSON. 
 
 IS 
 
 •can tell the secrets of my heart. lie hath 
 not left me there, for he hath shewed the 
 remedy, even the blood of Jesus. Thea 
 was ray soul filled with consolation through 
 liope, thart God for Christ's sake, would 
 eave me ; neither did I dijubt in such a 
 manner any more, till within twenty-four 
 hours of the time, when the Lord wrote a 
 pardon on my heart. Tho' it was a little 
 after Midsummer that 1 heard hinjj and it 
 was three weeks after Michaelmas before 
 1 found the true peace of God ; yet I con- 
 tinued to hear as often as 1 could, but not 
 to neglect my work. I had many flashes 
 of love under the word, when I was at pri- 
 vate prayer, and at the table of the Lord ; 
 but they were short, and often some sore 
 temptations followed. 
 
 Now all my acquaintance set upon me, 
 to persuade me not to go too far in reli- 
 gion, lest it should unfit me for my busi- 
 ness, and so bring poverty and distress on 
 my family : and said, " We wish you had 
 never heard Mr. Wesley, for we are a- 
 fraid it will be the ruin of you " I told 
 them, " 1 had reason to bless God that 
 ever he was born, for by hearing him I 
 was made sensible that my business in this 
 world is to get well out of it and as for 
 my trade, health, wisdom, and all things 
 in the M orld, they arc no blessings to me, 
 any farther than as so many instruments 
 to help me, by the grace of God, to work 
 
hi THE JODRNAl OF 
 
 oul my salvation." Then they said, they 
 were very sorry for me, and should be 
 glad to knock Mr Wesley's brains out, 
 ibr he would be the ruin of many families, 
 if he was allowed to live, and go on as he 
 did. Some of them said they would not 
 bear him preach for 50l. But I told them * 
 I had reason to bless God that ever I 
 heard him, and I intended to hear him as 
 often as I could, for 1 believed him to be 
 God's messenger ; and if I did not seek 
 to be born again, and experience that spi- 
 ritual birtli, I could not enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven, which was the docj- 
 trine he preached. 
 
 A little after Michaelmas I had many 
 trials again, and passion got the advan- 
 tage over me : then I thought it was to no 
 purpose for me to strive any longer, for 
 every one endeavoured to provoke me, 
 and [ could not bear it. About this time, 
 I was going out of the Park into West- 
 minster, where was a soldier with hi* 
 arms about him, as he was coming from 
 guard, who began to talk to some other 
 soldiers and a company of Welch women. 
 1 was bufr a few paces from him : the tenor 
 of his discourse was as follows : " You 
 know what manner of man I was some • 
 months ago and none of you pitied me 
 then, tho' I was going headlong to the 
 devil i for I was a drunkard and a swear- 
 efr, I was a whoremonger and a fighter ; 
 
MR. JOHN NBtSON. 1 ' 
 
 a sabbath-breaker and a gamester ; nay, I 
 know no sin but 1 was guilty of either in 
 word or deed ; so that it is a miracle that 
 my neck was not brought to the gallows, 
 and my souf to hell long ago : at that time 
 I durst not think of death : for I had no 
 reason to think of ought but hell : there- 
 fore I was desperate in wickedness, and 
 did not put a restraint on my lust or ap- 
 petite ; till one day, as I was coming out 
 of the country by Kennington Common, 
 Mr. John Wesley Avas going to preach, 
 and I thought 1 would hear what he ]iad 
 to say for 1 had heard many learned and 
 wise men say he was beside himself : but 
 when he began to speak, his words made 
 me tremble. I thought he spoke to no one 
 but me, and I durst not look up, for I 
 imagined all the people were looking at 
 me ; and was ashamed to shew my face, 
 expecting God would make me a public 
 example, either by letting the earth open 
 and swallow me up, or by striking me 
 dead ; but before Mr. Wesley concluded 
 Lis sermon he cried out, " Let the wick- 
 ed forsake his way, and tlie unrighteous 
 man his thoughts, and let him retai n unto 
 the Lord, and he will have mercy upon 
 him, and to our God, and he will abun- 
 dantly pardon. ' I said, if that be true, 
 I will turn to God to-day. 1 immediate- 
 ly went home, and began to read and pray, 
 keeping out of bad company for about a 
 B 3 . 
 
18 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 fortnight, and hearing Mr. Wesley as 
 often as I could ; but my old companions 
 inissed me, and came to see what w as the 
 matter : when they found me. reading the 
 Bible, they cursed and swore, and drag- 
 ged Hie away into an alehouse, where I 
 sat down and began to reason with them. 
 But O how dangerous is it to encounter 
 with satan on bis own ground ; for as I 
 talked I began to drink a little, which got 
 into my head, when I quarrelled with 
 them and fought ; and as I was going to 
 my quarters, a lewd woman met me, and 
 I had no power to resist her, and was 
 again taken captive by the devil. Never- 
 theless when 1 had slept, I was so terri- 
 fied, I thought I never durst pray more, 
 or expect mercy. I was determined how- 
 ever, to hear Mr. Charles Wesley that 
 night, and by his preaching 1 had some 
 hopes that my day of grace was not over. 
 Then I began to pray again, and read the 
 scriptures ; and one Sunday morning I 
 called at Whitehall Chapel, where the sa- 
 crament was going to be administered. I 
 went to the table with trembling limbs and 
 a heavy heart ; but no sooner had I receiv- 
 ed, than 1 found power to believe that Je- 
 sus Christ had shed his blood for me, and 
 that God for his sake h'>d forgiven my of- 
 fences. Then was my heart filled with love 
 to Cod and man -, and since theu sin hath 
 not had dominion ovcrnie."' 
 
MR. JOHN NKLSON. 
 
 These sayings of the soldier were a bles 
 sing to me, for they sunk deep into my 
 mind, and made me cry, more earnestly, 
 that God would work tho same change in 
 jny heart. I found my soul much refresh- 
 ed at the sacrament on the Sunday after, 
 and mightily encouraged under Mr. Wes- 
 ley's sermon in the afternoon. All the 
 week after 1 felt an awful sense of God 
 resting upon me ^ and 1 had a great watch- 
 fulness over my words, and several short 
 visits of love, having great hope that I 
 had got a compleat victory over my beset- 
 ting sin. But passion was yet too strong 
 for me, for that niffht 1 fell again, and cri- 
 ed out immediatdy, I am undone, I 
 have lost all hope;, of mercy.'' All the 
 night I was as if I had been given up to 
 Satan. lii the morning, one prayed with 
 me, but 1 found no answtsf ; lor uiy heart 
 was as hard as a rock. 
 
 When I went back to my lodging at 
 noon, dinner was ready ; and the gentle- 
 woman said, "Come, sit down, you have 
 need of your dinner, for you have eaten 
 nothing to-day. But when 1 looked on 
 the meat, 1 said, "Shall such a wretch as 
 I devour the good creatures of God in the 
 state I am now in ! ISo, I deserve to be 
 thrust into hell." I then went into my 
 chamber, shut the door and fell down on 
 my knees, crying, "Lord, save, or I per- 
 is^," When I had prayed till I could 
 
to 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 pray no more, I got up and walked to and 
 I'ro, being resolved 1 would neither eat 
 nor drink, till 1 had found the kingdom of 
 God. I fell down to prayer again, but 
 found no relief ; — got up and walked a- 
 gain ; — then tears began to flow from my 
 eyes, like great drops of rain, and 1 fell 
 on my knees the third time ; but now I 
 was as dumb as a beast, and could not put 
 up one petition, if it would have saved my 
 boul. I kneeled before the Lord some 
 time, and saw myself a criminal before the 
 judge ; then I said, "Lord, thy will be- 
 done, damn or save." That moment Je- 
 sus Clirist was as evidently set before the 
 eye of my mind, as crucified for my sins, 
 as if I had seen him with my bodily eyes 
 and in. that instant my heart was set at li- 
 berty from guilt and tormenting fear, and 
 filled with a calm and serene peace. I 
 could tlien say, without any dread or fear, 
 "Thou art my Lord, and my God Now 
 did I begin to sing that part of the 12th 
 chapter of Isaiah, "O Lord, I will praise 
 thee ■, tho' thou wast angry with me, thine 
 anger is turned away, and thou comfortest 
 me; Behold, God is my salvation I will 
 trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jeho- 
 vah is my strength and my song ; he also is 
 become my salvation." My heart wa» 
 filled with love to God and every soul of 
 mail : next to my wife and children, my 
 .•'lother, bretben and sisters, my greatest 
 
MK. JOHN HELSQ.M 
 
 enemies had an interest in in_\'*prayers 
 and I cried, " O Lord, give ine to see my 
 desire on tliem ; let them experience thy 
 redeeming love.'' 
 
 In the afternoon I opened the book where it 
 is said, "Unto him that loved us, and wash- 
 ed us from our sins in his own blood," witJi 
 which 1 was so affected, that I could not 
 read for weeping. That evening, under 
 Mr. Wesle^-'s sermon, 1 could do nothing 
 but weep, and love, and praise God, ibr 
 sending his servant into the fields to vshew 
 me the way of salvation. All that day 1 
 neither ate nor drank any thing ; for be- 
 fore 1 found peace the hand of God was so 
 heavy upon me. that I refused to eat : and 
 after I had found peace, 1 was so filled 
 with the manna of redeeming Love, that I 
 had no need of the bread that perisheth, for 
 that season. 
 
 At night when I came home, the gentle- 
 woman of the house where 1 had lodged a 
 long time, told me to provide a lodging, 
 for 1 must stay there no longer than that 
 one night ; for her husband was afraid 
 some mischief would come either on them 
 or me, with so much praying and fuss I 
 had made about religion, 1 told them I 
 would come on Wednesday night, and pay 
 what I owed them, and fetch my clothes 
 away, praying that God might reward 
 them for the kindness they had shewed 
 me y for I had had a fever in the house , and 
 
22 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ao one could shew more compassion to a 
 stranger, than they did to me at that time. 
 
 Oil Wednesday night, according to my 
 promise, I went to my old lodging, and 
 paid what I owed there, and got my 
 clothes ready to bring away. But having 
 forgot something, 1 stept back into the 
 room to look for it. In the mean time the 
 man said to his wife, " Suppose John 
 should be right and we wrong, it will be 
 a sad thing to turn him out of doors." 
 When I came down, the woman stood at 
 the door, and said, " You shall not go out 
 of this house to-night.'' I said, " What 
 will you neither let me go nor stay >" She 
 replied, " My husband is not willing you 
 should go ; for he saith, if God hath done 
 any thing more for you than for us, he 
 would have you shew us how wc may find 
 the same mercj." So I sat down with 
 them, and told them of God's dealings 
 with my soul, and prayed with them. 
 Soon after, they both went to hear Mr. 
 "Wesley, when the woman was made a 
 partaker of the same grace ; and 1 hope 
 to meet them both in heaven. 
 
 On the Saturday following, the dragon 
 stood ready to dev our my new-born soul ; 
 for my master's ciiief foreman came to me , 
 saying, John Nelson, you must look after 
 such and such men to morrow ; there is a 
 piece of work to be done with all speed, 
 for the Lord of the Exchequer will bo 
 
.MB. JOHS I'V 
 
 here on a particular day, hy whiclj tim« 
 it must be compleated.'" Sir, I replied, 
 you have forgot yourself; to-morrow is the 
 Sabbath." He said he knew that as well 
 as me •, but the king's business required 
 haste, and it was common to work on the 
 Sunday for his majesty, when any thing 
 was upon the finish. I told hiii., I would 
 not work upon the Sabbath for any man 
 in England, except it was to quench fire, 
 or something that required the same im- 
 mediate help. He said, " Religion has 
 made you a rebel against the king." I 
 answered, No Sir, it has made me a 
 better subject than ever I was." I added, 
 " The greatest enemies the king has are 
 the Saobath-breakers, swearers, drunk- 
 ards, and whoremongers; for these pulf 
 down God's judgments upon both king aud 
 country." Then he said, if I would not 
 obey him, I should lose my business. I 
 replied, " I cannot help it ; tlio' it may be 
 ten pounds out of my way to be turned 
 out of my work at this time of the year, 
 I will not willully offend God for I 
 bad much rather want bread ; nay, I 
 would rather see my w'fe and children 
 beg their bread barefooted to heaven, than 
 ride in a coach to hell.'' He swore, if 1 
 went on awhile I should be as mad as 
 Whitefield ; and added, " What hast thou 
 done, that thou needest make so much ado 
 about salvation ? 1 always took thee to bs 
 
TH« JOCRNAL OF 
 
 as honest a man as any I have in the work, 
 and could have trusted thee with five hun- 
 dred pounds." I answered, " So you 
 might, and not have lost one penny by 
 me." He said, " What, hast thou killed 
 sonieboby, or committed adultery, that 
 thou art so much afraid of being damned 
 1 replied, " God takes the will for the 
 deed ; and though clear from those acts, 
 I deserve to be damned tenfold for other 
 crimes ; for if I sin wilfully against God, 
 after he hath shewed me such mercy, I 
 may expect to have the hottest hell." He 
 said, " I have a worse opinion of thee 
 now than ever." I replied, " Master, I 
 have the odds of you for I have a much 
 worse opinion of my.seJf, than you caa 
 have/' 
 
 At nigA when I went to receive my 
 wages, he asked me. if I was still obsti- 
 nate I answered, " 1 am determined not 
 to break the Sabbath ; for 1 will run the 
 hazard of wanting bread here, before I 
 would rnn the hazard of wanting water 
 hereafter." He said, " Wesley has made 
 a fool of thee, and thou wilt beggar thy fa- 
 mily." I had a glorious Sabbath that day; 
 for God blessed my soul wonderfully both 
 under the word, and at the sacrament. 
 
 I Avent on Monday morning to the ex- 
 chequer, to take care of my tools, not ex- 
 pecting to work there any more. But God 
 hath the hearts of men in his own hand : 
 for he that was so wroth with me on the 
 
Mn. 30HN "NELSON. 
 
 Saturday, now gave me good words, and 
 bid me set the men to work. From that 
 time he carved better for me than before ; 
 neither did he set any man to work on the 
 Sabbath as he had said he would. So I 
 see it is good to obey God, and cast our 
 ■care upon him, who will order all things 
 well ; for if we refuse to join with the 
 wicked, it will be a restraint to them. 
 
 In the time of my convictions, I never 
 let my wife know of my trouble ; but now 
 1 could not eat my morsel alone ; I there- 
 forew rote to her and all my relations, to 
 seek the same mercy that I had found. 
 However, all I said seemed as idle tales 
 to most of them. 
 
 Some weeks after, three gentlemen (pro- 
 cessed deists) fell upon me, and reasoned 
 with me for about an hour : but the Lord 
 put such words in m-j mouth, that mado 
 them say, Mr. Wesley had taught me his 
 own lesson ; and I was sunk so deep into 
 enthusiasm, that I was past recovery. Ne* 
 vertheless I see it is bad for weak believ- 
 ers to reason with men of corrupt princi- 
 ples ; for after some time the enemy 
 brought their words to my mind, and began 
 to reason withme in this manner : "Suppose 
 Jesus Christ should be an impostor 
 (as these men say he is) thou art lost for- 
 ever." O ! the distress I was in for a short 
 time. But I made a stop and said, " If 
 Jesus Christ be not the Son of God and 
 C 
 
25 
 
 THE JOURNAL Of 
 
 my Saviour, I will be damned, for I wiii 
 have no other." Then the cloud broke, 
 and my soul was so filled with love, that I 
 thought, if all the world, yea and the de- 
 vils in hell, were to set on me, they could 
 not make me disbelieve that Jesus CJirist 
 is a very and true God, and my Redeemer. 
 
 I daily reproved all that sinned in the 
 work where I was ; so that none of them 
 ■would swear in my presence. But having 
 no christian friend to converse with, I 
 kept close to God in prayer, and read the 
 bible at all opportunities, and heard one 
 of the Mr. VVesleys every Sunday, and 
 stirred up many others to hear them. And 
 though 1 had many trials, 1 was so kept 
 by the power of God, that nothing dis- 
 turbed my peace for some time. 
 
 Once, however, as I was reading in the 
 ' ble, a gentlewoman (that lived in part 
 . ' tiie house) brought me a book, and said, 
 " You are often reading the bible ; if you 
 please I will lend yon this book : my mo- 
 ther, she added, took delight in reading 
 therein." 1. thanked her and began to 
 read. For some pages it was agreeable to 
 many things I had experienced in the 
 time of conviction ; but it was not at all 
 correspondent to my experience, as to my 
 conversion ; pleading lor sin after con- 
 version to keep the saints humble, and ma- 
 king Gcd the author of all sin. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSO.N 
 
 Then the enemy began to reason with 
 ^me, that 1 ouglit not to reprove sin any 
 jnore. From that time my love began to 
 cool both iinlo God and man, and my 
 zeal for the salvation of others abated ; 
 and though the more I read, the worse 1 
 was, yet 1 was tempted to read it through. 
 
 Before I read in that book, ( did not 
 know there was a man in the « orld who 
 held such an opinion ; for in iny trials, i 
 believed every threatening in the bible 
 was against liie disobedient, and every 
 promise to those that turn to God But 
 now I was tempted to think I was safe, 
 do whatever I would, l et I still prayed, 
 " Lord, let me die, rather than live to sia 
 against thee.'' 
 
 1 had never spoke to ?>Ir. Wesley in my 
 life, nor conversed with an experienced 
 man about religion. I longed to find one 
 to talk with ; but I sought in vain, for I 
 could find none. 
 
 One time as I was reasoning about what 
 1 had read, 1 opened the bible on these 
 words, " If any man lack wisdom, let 
 him ask of God, who giveth liberally, and 
 upbraideth not 1 then prayed, " O 
 Lord, what 1 know not do thou teach 
 me." And I thought I would wait upon 
 the Lord in lasting and prayer till he re- 
 vealed his will tome -, and I did for se- 
 veral weeks fast from Thursday night to 
 "i?ht o'clock on Saturday morning (s'pcnd 
 
£8 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ing the time I was off my work) eiilic/ 
 wpon my knees at prayer, or in searching 
 the scriptures ; and before I opened my 
 bible, 1 prayed that God would open my 
 understandingto comprehend what I read, 
 1 think the first scripture that was appli- 
 ed to me was, " As ye have received the 
 Lord Jesus, so walk in him.'' Then I re- 
 membered what state my soul was in, 
 when I first received his spirit in my 
 heart ; that it was filled with love to every 
 soul, and 1 coul^pray for all my enemies 
 as well as myself -, but this book had turn- 
 ed me aut of that blessed state I was in, 
 by setting meto reason about opinions that 
 I never heard in my life, till several weeks 
 after I had received the love of Christ ; 
 therefore I said in my mind, let it be right 
 ©r wrong, it is not necessary for salva- 
 tion. I found the Lord to be my Saviour, 
 before I knew there was a man in the 
 world of that opinion ; and before I read 
 of it, I loved both God and man better 
 than I have done since, and was more 
 Useful in reproving and doing good than 
 I am now. I then prayed that God would 
 give me that simplicity and godly sinceri- 
 ty, that I walked in Avhen he first reveal- 
 ed Christ in my heart. And he answered 
 me in a wonderful manner ; so that my 
 tongue was loosed to reprove, and my heart 
 again enlarged to pray for every soul uf 
 man. 
 
MR. 30HS NELSON 
 
 1 now went on my way rejoicing for 
 some days ; and had so much of the Lord 
 ail the day long, that my soul seemed to 
 breath it's life in God as naturally as my 
 body breathed life in the common air. But 
 one day I 'reproved a man for swearing, 
 when he told me he was predestinated to 
 it, and did not trouble himself about it at 
 all, for if he was one of the elect he should 
 be saved ; but if not, all he could do, would 
 not alter God's decree ; so al! that I said 
 to him, seemed to take no more hold of 
 him, than if I had thrown a leather ball 
 against a rock. I thought God was very 
 good to me, who kept me ignorant of those 
 opinions till I knew my part in the all 
 atoning blood ; for I feared if I had heard 
 such things, in the time of my distress, 
 they would have been the destruction of 
 my body and soul. Yet I durst not say 
 any thing against that opinion, but wish- 
 ed 1 had some experienced man to con- 
 verse with about it, for I was brought in- 
 to heaviness again by reasoning, but alas ! 
 not one could 1 find. 
 
 I still continued to wait on the Lord, 
 with fasting and prayer. One fast-day, 
 being greatly perplexed, I opened the 
 book on these words, " as I live, saith the 
 Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a 
 sinner." Then my heart was set at liber- 
 ty ; and I cried out, " Glory be to thee, O 
 Lord,, lb*:, thou hast giyeu me thy word. 
 
;-o 
 
 THE JOURNAL OT 
 
 and thy spirit in my heart, to bear wit- 
 ness that thou art no respecter of persons-" 
 
 Now 1 found such a desire for the salva- 
 tion of souls, that 1 hired one of the men 
 to go and hear Mr. Wesley preach, who 
 hath since told me, it was the best thing 
 both for him and his wife, that ever man 
 did for them. 
 
 All that hard winter, I still fasted from 
 Thursday night to Saturday morning ; 
 and gave away the meat that I should 
 have eaten to the poor, spending my time 
 in praying and reading the scripture. 
 
 About this time several came to see me, 
 who finding me at work, looked at each 
 other like men amazed, and said they 
 were glad to see me so well. I told them 
 I had not had one day's sickness for six 
 months. They said, " A man that work- 
 eth at the treasury with you, told us, you 
 had been hearing that false prophet, Wes- 
 ley ; and had made you go mad, and inca 
 pable of working." " Well, said 1, here is 
 my master, he can testify that I have not 
 lost one day s work this half year, nor was 
 I better able to do any work in all my 
 life ; but I have heard Mr. Wesley, and 
 have reason to bless God for it, for he is 
 God's niessenger for my good " Some 
 words that 1 spoke seemed to stick in 
 them ; so that I hope Satan will lose 
 ground by that false and ill grounded re- 
 port. 
 
IIR. JOHN NELSON". 
 
 SI 
 
 The enemy, however, now came upon 
 ine with other temptations, and prepared 
 such instruments to destroy my soul, that 
 1 feared I should be overcome, and perish 
 at last; for wherever I went, the snare 
 was laid for me, and my soul was so har- 
 rassed with my wicked dreams, that 1 
 have often awaked and found my pillow 
 wet with tears, after thinking that the 
 enemy would reason with me about some 
 hini had committed in my dream ;but this 
 drove me more to prayer, and shewed 
 me my corrupt nature in such a light, that 
 I abhorred myself, and thought the Lord 
 never undertook to save one more like the 
 devil in nature than 1 was. And it was 
 often impressed on my mind, that if I held 
 out to {he end, I should have great reason 
 to sing louder in the redeemer's praise 
 tharuany other soul in heaven. 
 
 I would fain have known whether any 
 one that had the grace of God in him, was 
 tertipted day and night as I was ; but my 
 business being altogether at the court end 
 of the town, 1 had no one to open my mind 
 to. Then I took up the bible, and after 
 prayin'g, happeued on these words ofSto 
 James, " Bles.sed is the man that endur- 
 eth temptation ; for when he is tried he 
 shall receive the crown of glory, which 
 ■the Lord hath promised to them that love 
 •him." 
 
32 
 
 THE JOURNAl OF 
 
 One night, after a day of fasting, f 
 dreampt, that [ was in Yorkshire, in mj 
 werking clothes, going home ; and as i 
 went by Paul Champion's, 1 heard a migh- 
 ty cry, as of a multitude of people in dis- 
 tress ; and I saw in my dream, the large 
 court behind John Rhodes's as full of peo- 
 ple as they could stand by one another. 
 All on a audden, they began to scream and 
 tumble one over another ; 1 asked, what 
 was the matter ? and they told me, Satan 
 was let loose among them, and begged of 
 me to get out of the way, for he was com- 
 ing ; but I said, " by the grace of God, I 
 will not turn to the right hand or to the 
 left for him." Then 1 thought I saw him 
 in the shape of ared bull, running through 
 the people, as a beast runs through the 
 standing corn, yet did not offer to gore 
 any of them, but made directly at me, as 
 if he would run his horns into my heart. 
 Then I cried out, " Lord, help me !'• and 
 immediately caught him by the horns, 
 'and twisted him on his back, setting my 
 right foot on his neck, in tlie presence of 
 a thousand people ; and I bid tnem cry to 
 Jesus, assuring them, that what they had 
 seen me do, he would en&ble them to do. 
 When I a^Voke, I was ia a sweat, and my 
 feody was as much fatigued, as if I bad, 
 been at hard labour, but my soul was fil' 
 kd with joy. 
 
WR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 A little after this, as I was reading the 
 Scriptures, a letter came to me ; I saw it 
 was not from my wife ; then I said, " I 
 fear here is bad news." Upon opening it, 
 I found ray daughter was dead, whom I 
 formerly idolized : my son was so ill that 
 his life was despaired of ; my wife had 
 fallen from a horse and was lamed ; my 
 father-in-law was dead, and my mother 
 was sick. It then came to my mind, that 
 when I was at the sacrament, I had made 
 a fr^e-will offering to the Lord, of my bo- 
 dy and soul, wife and children, and all 
 that was near and dear to me ; but I 
 thought, how shall I bear it, now the 
 Lord has taken them at my hand. 1 went 
 to prayer, and found my heart wholly 
 resigned to the will of God. Then it 
 came to me, Let the dead bury their 
 dead ; but follow thou me." I began to 
 read again, and the people of the house 
 where 1 was, scolded me. because I did 
 not weep, wring my hands, and stamp as 
 they did, at the loss of a child ; saying, 
 I was a hard hearted father. I replied, 
 " I cannot tell how to chuse what is Dest ; 
 but God cannot err." 
 
 The May following I was ordered to 
 take some men and go to Lord Onslow's, 
 near Guildford in Surry, to do a piece of 
 work that would last all Summer. This 
 was heavy tidings ; for I thought I was 
 but weak in faith, and should be deprived 
 
34 
 
 THE JOUjlN.M- OF 
 
 of hearing Mr. Wesley, and have no quo 
 to converse with. I desired to be excus- 
 ed, but all in vain. 1 believe I should 
 have left my master, but I thought it 
 would be unjust to leave him in such a 
 busy time, when he had kept me employ- 
 ed all that haj"d winter. However, it made 
 me cry to the Lord to go with me, and 
 protect me from both my inward and out- 
 ward enemies. And he was gracious to 
 me, enabling me to reprove all that sinned 
 in my presence; so that a young gentle- 
 man said to some of the men, " Of what 
 religion is your foreman .? Is he a Baptist, 
 or is he a Quaker >' They replied. "No 
 Sir, he is of the church of England." He 
 said, " he may tell you so ; but he is no 
 chui chman ; for you can hardly speak at 
 table, but he is reproving us and if he 
 saysbutoneword, we cannot persuade him 
 to drink a glass more. ' I overheard him, 
 though he did not see me ; and said, "Sir, 
 you cive a bad character of the church of 
 Eiigtand, if you siiy, a man cannot be a 
 churchman, that reproves others for curs- 
 ing and swearing, and refuses to drink to 
 excess " 
 
 Oiie day the Speaker of the House of 
 Coiiinions, came to visit my Lord ; and 
 taking a view of the work, he asked me 
 many questions about it, which I answer- 
 ed as well as I could. He said, "This is 
 a fine house, and a fine estate of land 
 
MR. JOHN NELSQN. 
 
 3.5. 
 
 about it ! But what it signify ? For a 
 piece of land, six feet long ami tiiree 
 broad, will fit me shortly." He then 
 fetched a deep sigh, went away, and wallc- 
 ed alone among the trees. 
 
 While J was at Cuildford I had several 
 conversations with soais Baptists. But 
 alas! their religion lay in notions ; I found' 
 no true experience amongst theni. 1 rea- 
 soned with them about the necessity of the 
 New Birth; and contended with many 
 other sects, that all religion, without the 
 lile of Christ manifested in us, would pro- 
 fit us nothing at last. 
 
 I heard that some who were called se- 
 rious people, said that 1 was a dangerous 
 man to converse with ; and others sliunned 
 my company after 1 had talked with them. 
 Then 1 thought, 1 wouhi lea\ c off reprov- 
 ing and reasoning, ftr 1 made myself to 
 be abhorred. I cried out, Lord, shew 
 me what is thy Will in this matter," then 
 laid me down in great heaviness. That 
 night I dreamt, 1 saw a tall young person 
 in a white vesture, whose face shone like 
 the sun, standing at the foot of my bed, 
 who said unto me, " Arise, and praise the 
 Lord/' I thought a great light shone 
 round my bed, by which 1 saw myself de- 
 filed from the top of my head to the sole 
 of niy foot ; and answered, " How can 
 such an unclean creature shew forth the 
 pnaises of God." Then 1 thought he 
 
So 
 
 The 30UKNAL OF 
 
 shevred me a river, as clear as crystal, 
 with fine green grass growing at the bot- 
 tom thereof, in which he bade me wash 
 and be clean. I thought I went at his bid- 
 bing : and as soon as my feet were dipped 
 in the water, the filth dropped from my 
 whole body ; nevertheless the water was 
 not defiled by it, at which I was surprised. 
 When I came to the middle of the river, 
 it was deeper than I was high,^ and I 
 knew I could not swim ; yet my soul was 
 so filled with the sense of God s love, that 
 my head was kept above water. 1 then 
 thought I spread my hands, like a man 
 who is going to swim, and as 1 laboured to 
 swim, 1 rose out of the water, and was 
 carried as on the wings of an eagle above 
 the clouds, and cried, " Hosanna to the 
 king of heaven." And though asleep, I 
 sung so loud, that I awaked the people of 
 the house. I now resolved to reprove a- 
 gain, and seemed to do it with more au- 
 thority than before^ and my words began 
 to stick to some, and cause them to re- 
 form their lives. 
 
 About Michaelmas I came back to Lon- 
 don ; and several that used to attend Mr. 
 Wesley's preaching at Kennington-Com- 
 mon and Moorfields, who had also joined 
 with him in the foundery, came to see 
 me ; at which I was surprised, having no 
 correspondence with them any farther than 
 speaking one to another, as we went from 
 
MR. X)HN NELSOX. 3/ 
 
 place to place lo hear him preach. At 
 their first comiug, I thought it was the 
 thing 1 longed for ; ol'ten wishing that I 
 had some christian friends to converse 
 with. They said they heard 1 was come 
 to town, and the love they bore me, made 
 them come to see nie. I answered, " 1 
 thank you ; pray how does my good friend 
 Mr. Wesley do r They replied, " We 
 do not know ; poor dear man, he is wan- 
 dering in the dark ; but we hope our Sa- 
 viour will open his eyes, and let him see 
 that he is a blind leader of the blind." 
 Their words were as a sword running 
 through my liver ; and made me cry out, 
 " Lord, have mercy upon him ! What is 
 the matter with him ' They answered, 
 " Poor dear man, he is under the law, 
 and does not know the privilege oftbe 
 gospel himself therefore he preaches law 
 and works." 1 said, " Then he is strange- 
 ly altered since I left London for when I 
 was in town he preached repentance to- 
 wards God, and the faith in our Lord Je- 
 sus : teaching the necessity of both as 
 clearly froiii scripture, as any man in 
 England could, and shewing the fruits of 
 faith as plain as possible for any man to 
 do ; and I found his word to l)e more bles- 
 sed to me, than any man's I ever heard in 
 my life." They told me that " 1 had ne- 
 ver heard the gospel in my life, except 1 
 had heard the brethren that preached in 
 
5^ 
 
 THE JOURNAL Ot 
 
 Fetter-Lane ; for they were the men that 
 were to come to lead them into true still- 
 ness." 1 said, " What do you mean by 
 true stillness ?" They replied, " It is to 
 cease from our own works, such as last- 
 ing and prayer, reading the bible, and 
 running to church and sacrament ; and 
 ■wholly to rely on the blood and wounds of 
 the Lamb." I said, " I do not know that 
 1 ever heard either of the Mr. Wesleys 
 bid any man trust in prayer, or reading, or 
 going to sacrament, or giving of aims, for 
 salvation, either in whole or in part." But 
 they answered, " Why doth he teach men 
 to do those things, if they are not to be sa- 
 ved by tlieni ? ' I replied, " If 1 under- 
 stand Mr. Wesley right, he only speaks 
 of them as Christ and his apostles spake 
 ofthem, that is, to wait in them as a beg- 
 gar waits for a morsel at a man s door. 1 
 never spoke to Mr. WcsJey in my life 
 therefore, know not what be believes, 
 any farther than by his preaching. ' — 
 Tiiey told me, that most of the people, who 
 had followed him before I left London, 
 had forsaken him, and were becomehappy 
 sinners now ; and wished I would go and 
 hear the brethren, for Mr. Wesley waa 
 only a John Baptist to go before and pre- 
 pare them for the brethren to build up : 
 Adding, " If you go to hear him, he will 
 bring you into bondage ; and you will ne- 
 ver be happy till you are free from the 
 
Mn. JOHN NELSON'. 
 
 S9 
 
 law •, for we were never happy till we left 
 Jiiin, .and went to hear Mr. Molther ; and 
 till then, we were under the law." I re- 
 plied, " Pray, were yon not converted 
 beJore you left Mr. Wesley ' They an- 
 swered, " Yes, we had gone through a 
 great deal of trouble, and tbund great 
 peace and joy, knowing our sins were for- 
 given ; But when we heard Mr. Molther, 
 we found we were yet under the law 
 For he shewed the privilege of the gospel, 
 and we found we had not such a priri- 
 , lege ; for if we broke the law in any lit- 
 tle matter we were quite unhappy or if 
 we neglected to pray, or missed a sermon 
 or two, then we were uneasy •, but now 
 we are happy, for the Lamb hath done all 
 for us.'' I said, " Though he hath done 
 his part, yet the apostle teaches us to 
 I'ork; out our salvation, with fear and 
 trembling ; and we are to pray always, and 
 search the scriptures. And St. Paul fast- 
 ed often, and kept his body in subjection, 
 lest, when he had preached to others, 
 himself should be a cast-away : But you 
 are become wiser than the apostle, and 
 have got another gospel. Though he said, 
 if he or an angel from heaven shouid preach 
 another gospel, let him be accursed. I 
 am afraid you are deceived, and are 
 seeking a happiness that is separated from 
 iioliness ; if so, you are led by a deceiv- 
 ii)g spirit; for if you commit, and break 
 
THE JOIRNAL OP 
 
 the rigliteoua law of God, and still conti- 
 r.tie huppy, without anv conviction that 
 God is so offended with you, your consci- 
 ences are seared as with a hot iron.*' They 
 answered, " You are a poor unhappy man, 
 and as blind as Mr. Wesley." and so left 
 ine without either praying with me or 
 lor me. 
 
 When I came to reason about what they 
 had said, and to compare it with the 
 words of our Lord and his apostles, I saw 
 their scheme of salvation was as contrary 
 to that of Christ, as darkness is to light. 
 Tliii-drove me to prayer, and made me 
 double my diligence in reading the bible. 
 
 Jn a few days after, two more that were 
 a little acquainted with me, came to see 
 me : 1 asked them, " Ilow Mr. Wesley 
 was > ' " They said, they did not know, 
 i'or they did not hear him now. ' I tue\r\ 
 ed, "Why do you not 'I'hcy replied, 
 " He denieth the faith of the gospel. " 1 
 aajd, " I am sorry for it ; but I hope you 
 are only wrong informed." They answer- 
 ed," We have heard ourselves." I repli- 
 ed, " What do you nail the faith of the 
 gospel ?'' They said, " Predestination and 
 election. ' I told them, I thought that was 
 not the faith ol'the gospel ; but it was ra- 
 ther for every one to believe in his heart, 
 that he is a fallen spirit by nature, a child 
 of wrath, and by practice an heir of hell ; 
 and that the eteriial son of God, out of love 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 41 
 
 to ine, a poor helpless and liell-descrving 
 creature, laid his glory by, and lor my 
 sake, fulfilled all righteousness, at last 
 giving his body for my body, and his soul 
 for my soul ; and that God, for the sake of 
 his obedience and blood shedding, hath 
 forgiven all my sins. I said, " According 
 to the light I have, this is the iaith of the 
 gospel ; and he that is partaker of this 
 faith, hath received the spirit of pow er, of 
 love, and ofa sound Jiiind ; power to deny 
 ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live 
 a godly, righteous, and sober life.'' I add- 
 ed, " Pray, under whom were you con- 
 verted They both replied, " under Mr. 
 Charles Wesley." " Did he then preach 
 what you now call the gospel ?" They re- 
 plied, "No." "Did (Jod reveal that to 
 you to be the faith of the gospel, as soon 
 as he wrote pardon on your hearts ? ' 
 'I'hey said, " No : when we were in our 
 first love, we believed as Mr. Wesley be- 
 lieves ; but now we see better, and hope 
 his eyes will be opened shortly." I said, 
 " I fear yours are become dim -. for I think 
 you are more light and unwatchful than 
 you used to be ; and you own you have 
 lost your first love. O remember, Christ 
 bids you repent and do your first works, 
 or he will remove your candlestick." But 
 they told me, " Do what we will, we can- 
 not finally fall." 1 answered, "That as 
 far as I coidd Jearn by their wordsand be- 
 D 2 
 
4S 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 haviour, they were already fallen : And 
 I wished they did not make a Christ of 
 their opinions: for though I allow many 
 good men hold these opinions, yet I judge, 
 all that were converted under the two 
 Mr. Wesleys, were at first filled with love 
 to every man, and a perfect hatred to all 
 sin, and were inspired with a zeal for 
 God's glory, and the welfare of all man- 
 kind. Were you not in this state once?'* 
 They owned they were, till they heard Mr; 
 Sawyers ; and it was by him they saw in- 
 to the electing love of God. " I replied, 
 " I fear you have sinned aginst light and 
 love ; and instead of going back to the 
 Lord, by true repentance, and seeking a 
 fresh pardon in the blood of Christ, you 
 have been gadding about to seek new opi- 
 nions: you have gone out of the highway 
 of holiness, and have now got into the de- 
 vil's pinfold. You are not seeking to per- 
 fect holiness in the fear of God, but are 
 resting in opinions, that give you liberty 
 to live after the flesh : And ifyou conti- 
 nue so to live, you are safe in this hold, 
 out of which you will be brought to the 
 slaughter." They told me I m as as stu- 
 pid as Mr. Wesley. I replied, " Satan 
 had preached that doctrine to me before 
 they did ; and God had armed me against 
 both him and them." Then they left me 
 in my blind estate as they called it. And 
 1 prayed, that I might never turn out of 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 43 
 
 the way that God had called me into. — 
 On Sunday I had the opportunity of hear- 
 ing Mr. John Wesley once more ; and his 
 word was precious food to my soul. Then 
 1 blessed the I,ord that still had kept his 
 servant as an iron pillar, in the same spi- 
 rit in which I left him ; but 1 observed a 
 great part of the congregation were stran- 
 gerstome, for many of the old hearers were 
 gone, and others come in. When 1 found, 
 that some had turned to the Germans, and 
 some to the Predestinarians, I said " O 
 Lord I will praise thee, for thou dost 
 all things well. Thou, by thy providence 
 didst send me out of town, when the ene- 
 my was rending thy flock to pieces, and 
 thereby thy servant hath escaped the 
 snare." 
 
 A few weeks, after 1 was at St. Paul's, 
 where Mr. John Wesley also was. And 
 I contrived to walk with him after sacra- 
 ment ; for 1 often wished I could speak 
 with him, therefore I seized this oppor- 
 tunity. So we continued in discourse 
 all the way from St, Paul's to the farther 
 end of Upper Moorfields ; and it was a 
 blessed conference to nie. When we part- 
 ed, he took hold of my hand and looking 
 me full in the face, bid me take care I did 
 not quench the spirit. I had not such an 
 opportunity again while I stayed in Lon- 
 don .either with him or his brother; but I 
 kept close to God by fasting and prayer; 
 
44 
 
 The JOURSAt OF 
 
 and the Lord helped me through many 
 trials. 
 
 One night after 1 had been delivered 
 from grievous temptations, my soul was 
 filled with such a sense of God's love as 
 i7Kidc me weep before him. In the night 
 f dreamed ! was in Yorkshire, going from 
 Gomersal-Hill-Top to Cleck-Heaton ; and 
 about the middle of the lane, I thought I 
 saw Satan coming to meet me in the shape 
 of a tall black man, and the hair of his 
 head 1 ike snakes. But I thought I was not 
 afraid at all ; and I said, " Stand by me 
 () Lord and I will not turn to the right 
 hand, nor to the left." Yet 1 thought I 
 would not stand to fight with him as I 
 used to do. When he ame within about 
 five paces of ine he stood. But i went 
 on, riptopen my clothes, and shewed him 
 my naked breast, saying, " See. here is 
 the blood of Christ." Then I thought he 
 lied from me as fast as a hare could run. 
 
 I was still attacked by the iMoravians on 
 one side, and the Predestinarians on the 
 other. But the Lord enabled me to stop 
 their mouths and to shew them that they 
 had lost their first love. Yet they seemed 
 to be hardened and past all conviction. 
 And the morfe ] read the scriptures, the 
 more I was confirmed that they were fal- 
 len into carnal security. Which made 
 me pray more earnestly, that God would 
 preserve me from all the snares of the de- 
 vil. 
 
MB. JOHN NELSOX. 4J 
 
 About ten days before Christmas I went 
 to St- Paul'fij and while I was at the com- 
 munion tabic, I felt such an awful sense 
 of God rest upon me, that my heart w as 
 like melting w ax before him ; and all my 
 prayer was, "Thy will be done: Thy 
 will be done !" I was so dissolved into 
 tears of love, that I could scarce take the 
 bread ; and after I had received, it was 
 impressed on my mind, " I must go into 
 Yorkshire, directly '' But I said in myself, 
 " If 1 do, it will be ten pounds out of my 
 way.'' I had determined to go at May- 
 day ; but I thought, to stay for the sake 
 of money would be wrong, when I believ- 
 ed it was the w ill of God 1 should go. So I 
 packed up my clothes and set out. I found 
 much of the Lord's presence all the way I 
 went ; but 1 had no more thought of preach- 
 ing than I had of eating fire. 
 
 When I got home, I was greatly disap- 
 pointed ; for 1 expected to find many of 
 my relations converted, as I understood 
 they attended Mr. Ingham's preaching. 
 But when I explained to them what it was 
 to be converted, they said they never 
 heard of such a thing in their lives. J 
 told them, I knew those things by happy 
 experience. But they begged, I would 
 not tell any one that my sins were forgiv- 
 en V for no one would believe me ; and 
 they should be ashamed to shew their faces 
 in the street. I answered, I shall not 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 be ashamed to tell what God has done for 
 my soul, if I could speak loud enough 
 lor all the men in the world to hear me 
 at ouce." Mj mother said. " Your head 
 ' is turned.'^ I replied, *' Yes, and my 
 heart too, I thank the Lord-" My wife 
 told me, she was ashamed to put her head 
 out of doors^ for every one was talking 
 about me, and upbraiding her with my 
 sayings ; and she wished I had stayed in 
 London ; for she oould not live with me 
 if I went on as 1 did ; for which reason, 
 she desired, that I would leave off abus- 
 ing my neighbours, or go back to London. 
 I answered, I did not care what all the 
 people could say for I was determined 
 to reprove any one that sinned in my pre- 
 sence. Then she cried, and said, I did 
 not love her so well as I used to do. I re- 
 plied, " Yes, I love thee better than ever 
 I did in my life, and thou hast no reason 
 to dispute my love ; for I have been care- 
 i'ul to provide for thee, whether 1 was. 'lit 
 home or abroad ; and we have been hap- 
 py in each other upwards of twelve years ; 
 but if thou wilt seek for redemption in 
 the blood of Christ, we shall be ten times 
 .happier than ever." *She then said, " Nay, 
 my happiness with thee is over ; for ac- 
 cording to thy words, I am a child of 
 the devil, and thou a child, of God." Then 
 she wept, and said. " i cannot live with 
 thee." 1 said, " Why so ? Thou shalt ne-: 
 
MR. JOHN NELS-.'N. 
 
 47 
 
 ver want while I am able, by honest en- 
 deavours, to provide for thee. Nay, (1 
 continued) if thou wilt not go to heaven 
 with me, I will do the best I can for thee ; 
 only I will not go to hell with thee for 
 company. But I believe, God will hear 
 my prater, and convert thy soul, and 
 make thee a blessed companion for me in 
 the way to heaven." After this, my wife 
 began to be concerned about the salv^ation 
 of her soul. 
 
 A few days after 1 got home, David 
 Taylor came to preach in our town, in 
 Mr. Ingham's society, when I went to 
 hear him : and a dry morsel his sermon 
 was — Several that were acquainted with 
 him followed me, and wanted to know 
 how I liked the discourse. 1 was back- 
 ward to tell them, but they pressed hard 
 on me, and said, " Do you not think he 
 is as good a preacher as Mr. Wesley >" 
 1 said, There is no comparison between 
 his preaching and Mr. Wesley's: He has 
 not stayed long enough in the large room 
 at Jerusalem '' After they had been gone 
 some time, they came again to ask what I 
 meant.? I said, '"He is not endued witii 
 power from on higlu" They went and 
 related to him what r said ; and he told 
 me since, that if 1 had been present, he 
 could have stabbed me ; yet he could not 
 rest till he went to hear Mr. W^esley at 
 London. Then be found what I said was 
 
48 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 true ; and he came down to Sheffield, and 
 into Derbyshire, preaching, what he call- 
 ed, Wesley's doctrine, and awakened 
 and converted many scores of people, till 
 the Germans got to him, and made him 
 deny the law of God; Then he became 
 again as salt without savour. 
 
 J went afterwards to a meeting of Mr. 
 Ingham's, where one read in an old book 
 for near an hour : then sung a hymn, and 
 read a form of prayer. I told them, that 
 way would never convert sinners; and 
 began to relate some of my experience ; 
 and several were struck with convictions 
 while I was speaking: Some of whom be- 
 came witnesses of the same grace, that 
 God shewed me. 
 
 In a little time, all I said was noised 
 abroad ; and people of all denominations 
 came to dispute with me. As soon as I 
 came home from work, my house was fill- 
 ed with people, which made my wife un- 
 easy ; for she could do no work, and did 
 not yet believe what I said was true. 
 Generally when I came in and sat down, 
 some one would ask me a question, and 
 others would begin to dispute with me, 
 while others stood ^ hear. 
 
 When any began to cavil, 1 commonly 
 asked, " What church do you belong to ?'' 
 And if they said, the Church of England, 
 then 1 replied, '• Do you know your sins 
 IbrgivEi: f" Several said, " No, nor nsvcr^ 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 49 
 
 expect to know it in this world." Then 
 I replied, " You are no members of (he 
 Church of England, if you have not a full 
 trust and confidence, that God for Christ's 
 sake hath forgiven you. Read the Homi- 
 lies of the Church, and you will see what 
 1 say is true." 1 used to have the hible 
 and Common 'Prayer-Book by me ; and I 
 shewed them the Articles ef the Church, 
 saying, "You deny inspiration ; and the 
 Church you profess to belong to, sa} s, 
 Beibre the grace of Christ, and the in- 
 spiration of his Spirit, no good works can 
 be done " So if the Church speaks right, 
 you must be inspired by the Spirit of 
 Christ to enable you to bring foith good 
 fruit, or you must be the fuel of hell. 
 And how dare you to pray to have your 
 thoughts cleansed by the inspiration of 
 Cod's Holy Spirit, if you do not believe 
 there is any such thing to be attained in 
 this world > O ! do not mock God any 
 more, by asking for things with your 
 mouth, when you do not believe in your 
 hearts be will grant them." But one said, 
 " I have been with a very learned Clergy- 
 man of a neighbouring church, and he 
 told me, there was ^o such thing to be 
 attained in this life.' I answered, "I 
 think you have mistaken him, for 1 was 
 at' that church last Sunday, and heard 
 him declare all 1 have said to you." He 
 said, " 1 was there, and heard no such 
 E 
 
50 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 thing mentiosed " I repl'ed, " No ! ditt 
 you not hear hiin affinn , ' That God had 
 given power and commandment to his mi- 
 nisters, to declare and pronounce to his 
 ■people, being penitent, the absolution of 
 their sins ? And he farther declared, 
 that God pardoneth and absolvetJi ail those 
 that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe 
 his gospel.' Therefore, it ib plain, you 
 never did repeait, or unfeignedly believe 
 his gospel, if God has not pardoned and 
 absolved you from your sins. Else both 
 lie and all that are in Priest's orders ia 
 England, are false witnesses before God 
 and man. And how many times have you 
 besought God to give you true repentance j 
 and to forgive you all your ains, negligen- 
 ces, and ignorances: and to endue you 
 with tlie grace of his Holy Spirit, that 
 3'ou might amend your ways according to 
 his holy word > And now you say there 
 is no such thing ! thougliyou may remem- 
 ber Mr. 11. said, " Let us beseech God to 
 grant us true repentance, and his Holy 
 y[)irit, that those things may please him, 
 which we do at this present ; and that 
 the rest of our lives may be pure and 
 holy." Hi 
 
 By these discourses, many were prick- 
 ed to the heart, and durst not offer the 
 sacrifice of fools any more ; but prayed 
 in good earnest for God to pardon thei/"' 
 sins, and to answer them in the joy of 
 their hearts. 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 51 
 
 "When any said, they were of the 
 Church of Scotland I asked them, if 
 they did not know their sins forgiven ? 
 They to\d me, that they did not ; nay, 
 further, they thought it presumption for 
 any one to pretend to know it, or to ex- 
 pect such high attainments as 1 spoke of; 
 and they told me I was a Papist, or 1 
 Mould not talk as I did. I answered, 
 " I know not what you think of me ; but 
 1 think, you neither know wjiat a Papist 
 or Presbyterian is ; for your own mouths 
 declare, that you are no members of the 
 Church of Scotland. That Church dis- 
 owns you ; for none are allowed members 
 thereof, but those that are effectually call- 
 ed. And they that are cft'ectirally called, 
 do in this life partake of Justification, 
 Adoption, and Sanctification. And the 
 same Church saith, that .Justification is 
 an act of God s free grace, wherein he 
 pardoneth all our sins Adoption is an 
 act of God's free grace, by which we are 
 received into the number, have a right 
 to all the privileges of God's sons ; and 
 that Sanctiiication is the work of God's 
 free grace, whereby we are renewed in 
 the inner man, after, the whole image ol" 
 God ; and all that are so eflectuaily call- 
 ed, do enjoy an assurance of God's love, 
 paace of conscience, and joy in the Ho 
 ly Ghost. And I pray you, what have 
 1 Said more .> By your talking, you arc 
 
>53 
 
 THE JOURNAL Of 
 
 the sons of Rome, and enemies to the 
 true Protestant Religion. I^et me beg 
 you lo go home, and read the Assem- 
 bly's Catechism, and come and talk, with 
 me again, after you have read it." Se- 
 veral ot them did so ; and came with 
 tears in their eyes ; and arc now wit- 
 nesses, that God had power on earth to 
 forgive sins. 
 
 1 found it always in my mind not to 
 let any depart that came to dispute with 
 ine, till we had prayed together. The first 
 that was brought to experience the re- 
 deeming love of Christ, was my own 
 brother ; and in a few days six of my 
 neighbours. 
 
 My wife also was thoroughly convinced 
 that she must experience the same work 
 of grace, or perish. During the time of 
 her convictions she was seized with u 
 pleurisy, and her case was thought to be 
 very dangerous : then I besought the Lord 
 lor her with fasting and prayer. The 
 next day she was worse ; and the distress 
 of her soul increased the disorder of her 
 body, so that she seemed as if she could 
 not subsist long. That night my house 
 was filled with people, and none of them 
 oHered to dispute with me. i read seve- 
 ral portions of Scripture to them, some 
 out of the Old, some out of the New Tea- 
 tament, and compared one with another, 
 and prayed with them. As I was inprayer,, 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON 
 
 my wife being in the parlour, and with- 
 in hearing, fHiiited, and was as il" slie had 
 Just sunk into the gulf of God's judgments -. 
 immediately she thought she felt the Lord 
 J«sus catch her as she was falling, and lay 
 his hand on her side, where the disorder 
 was, and bade her be of good comfort ; tell- 
 ing her. Thy sins are forgiven. When I 
 came to the bed side, she was just come to 
 herself, and said, " My dear, the Lord has 
 healed me both in body and soul ! I will 
 get up and praise his holy name which 
 she accordingly did. From that hour her 
 fever ceased, and her heart was tilled 
 witJi peace and lave. 
 
 Now God had raised up eight witnesses 
 to himself in this place : and the enemies 
 heg)in to report, that I had forgiven such 
 ikod such their sins, which made many 
 come and talk with me. 
 
 One night 1 went to Adwalton, to hear 
 Mr. Ingham preach. As soon as I got 
 into the house, he called me into the par- 
 lour, aiid desired the company that was 
 with hira, to go out, for he had something 
 to say to me. When they went out, he 
 rose up, barred the door, then sat down 
 by me, and aiked me, how my wif« did.* 
 When I had told him, he said, " Do yo\i 
 know your own heart, think you?*' I an- 
 swered, *• Not rig^itly :'but { know Jesus 
 Christ ; and he knows and hath taken 
 poflsesiiion of it : and tliough it be deceit- 
 
^4 The journal of 
 
 fiil, yet he can subdue it to himself; and 
 I trust he will." He said, " Have you 
 not deceived yourself with thinking that 
 your sins ate forgiven, and that you arc 
 in a state of grace ? I was three years 
 seekinc; before I found him." I replied, 
 '* Suppose you were, do you confine God 
 to be three years in converting every 
 soul, because you were so long? God is 
 as able to convert a soul in three days 
 now. as he waste convert St. Paul 1700 
 years ago." — I then began to tell him 
 what I had seen at Loudon under Mr. 
 Wesley's preaching. He said, he pitied 
 poor Mr. Wesley ; lor he was ignorant of 
 his own state ; and he spoke as if he be- 
 lieved Mr. Wesley to be an unconverted 
 ntan ; at which words my corrupt nature 
 be-gan to slir. But it came to my mind, 
 " The wrath of man workcth not the 
 righteousness of God ;" and 1 lifted up 
 niy heart to the l^ord, and my mind was 
 calm in a n,o:ncrit. He said, " You ought 
 not to tell people, that they may know 
 their sins forgiven ; for the world cannot 
 bear it ; and if such a thing was preach- 
 ed, it would raise persecution." I re- 
 plied, " Let them quake that fear. By 
 the grace of God I love everv man, but 
 fear no man: and I will tell all I can, 
 that there is such a prij^e to run for. If 
 I hide it, mischief will come upon me. 
 There is a famine in the land, and J see 
 
MR JOHN NELSON 
 
 55 
 
 myself in the case of the lepers that were 
 at the gate of Samaria, who found provi- 
 sion in the enemy's camp : and when they 
 had eat and drank, and loaded them- 
 selves, said, " We do not well ; for this 
 is a day of glad tidings, let us go and 
 make it known to the King's household : 
 When I found God's wrath removed for 
 tjie sake of his dear Son, I saw provision 
 enough for my poor fainting soul, and'for 
 all the world, if they woutd come for it. 
 I belie -e it is a sin not to declare to the 
 children of men what God has done for 
 my soul, that they may seek for the same 
 mercy." He told me, I had nothing to do 
 with the Old Testament, or to make com- 
 parisons from any thing that was in it. 
 1 ansivered, " I have as much to do with 
 it as with the New Testament." He re- 
 plied, "1 would not have you speak any 
 more to the people, till you are better 
 acquainted with your own heart." I told 
 him, I would not in his Societies, unless 
 I was desired ; but what I did in my own 
 house, or in any other person's, that re- 
 
 fuested me. he hath no business with, 
 added, " I do not belong to you ; and 
 though I have heard you several times, 
 it is no benefit to me ; for I have experi- 
 enced more of the grace of God than ever 
 I hear'd you preach of yet, or any one 
 eince I left London." 
 
6d 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Soon after Mr. Ingham came out and 
 began to preach •, when I was greatly sur- 
 prised, for what he had forbidden me to 
 do, he did directly : he told tJiem that 
 night, they must know their sins forgiven 
 in this world, or go to hell, if all the de- 
 vils in hell could pall them in. 
 
 I still went on at my own house as be- 
 fore every night ; and' in about three 
 weeks my eight were increased to seven- 
 teen. 
 
 As t was explaining Rom. vii. my mo- 
 ther I'ell into deep convictions, and cried, 
 " 1 am a lost sinner/' I went to prayer 
 with her ; and she neither ate pleasant 
 bread, nor took natural rest, till she found 
 redemption through the blood of Christ. 
 Then she came to me witJi tears of joy, 
 and said, '* Thank God on my behalf, for 
 he hath dealt bountifully with me. VVhcn 
 thou wast a lad, 1 had more trouble with 
 thee than any other child ; but God has 
 more than rewarded me for all my trou- 
 ble, in .that he has raised thee up to 
 shew me the way of salvation." She liv- 
 ed about six months after, and then died 
 m the triumph of faith. She was the first 
 ripe fruit that Cod gave me of my la- 
 bour. 
 
 Soon after, another of my brothers, my 
 aunt, and two cousins, were converted ; 
 though still I did not attempt to preach, 
 but read some part of the Scripture, thexj 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 57 
 
 exhorted tliem to observe what they had 
 heard ; and .so ended witli praj-er. And 
 God wrought in a wondeilul manner ; for 
 six or seven were converted in a week for 
 •several weeks together. All this time I 
 had no one to converse with, except such 
 as wanted to turn me out ( f the narrow 
 path ; neither had 1 any correspondence 
 with Mr. Wesley ; but still 1 was as one 
 set to labour in afield alone. 
 
 Alter some time Peter Bohler came in- 
 to Yorkshire, and laboured while Mr* Ing- 
 ram went to London. I heard hini, and 
 iie pleased mc well ; for at that time he 
 BpaKe to the purpose. When he had done 
 1 went and took him by the hand, and 
 thaaked him for his wholesome exhorta- 
 tion. He asked rae my name I told him. 
 He saluted me, and said, * My brother, ( 
 am glad to see you ; for I have just now 
 been talking with some, that told me they 
 were converted by yon ; and I like them 
 better than any souls I have conversed 
 with since J came into Yorkshire.' And 
 he added, ' I will call to see you when I 
 come to Birstal ' So he did, and stayed 
 with me all night, and encouraged me to 
 speak on and spare none. He added, ' The 
 Lord hath called you to labour in his vine- 
 yard; and if you do not labour he will call 
 you to Judgment for it ' I told hitn that 
 Mr. Ingham had forbidden me ; but he 
 said. • He will bo back from London in 
 
58 
 
 The journal of 
 
 three weeks, then 1 w ill speak to him ; for 
 I know that God is with you ; and I will 
 call onj'ou whenever I come through this 
 town.' So he did at that season ; and his 
 conversation was profitable to me, for he 
 then sroke as contrary to the Moravians 
 M-ho are in London, as black is to white. — 
 God blessed his word, for many were awa- 
 krMied by him at his first coming into York- 
 shire. 
 
 When Mr. Ingham returned from Lon- 
 don, he came to brother Mitchell's in our 
 town, and sent for me. He saluted me as 
 soon as I came in. and desired me to sit 
 down by him, and said, ' John, I believe 
 God has called you to speak his word ; for 
 I have spoken with several since I came 
 back from London who 1 believe have re- 
 ceived giacc since I went ; and I see God 
 is working in a shorter manner than he did 
 M'ith us at the beginning ; and I should be 
 sorry to hinder any one from doing ^ood.' 
 He said also to the brethren and sisters. 
 Before you all. I give John leave to ex- 
 hort in all my Societies.' He then took mc 
 by the hand saying, ' John, God hath given 
 3'ou great honour, in that he hath made use 
 ol'you to call sinners to the blood of our 
 Saviour ; and I desire you to exhort in all 
 my Societies as often as you can.' 
 
 i did so ; and many were struck to the 
 Jieart, and were made to cry out. ' Lord 
 save or we perish !' So that nine or ten 
 
 \ 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON,- 69 
 
 in a week were brought to experience the 
 love of Jesus. Those that were ol' the 
 Church of England, I exhorted to kt-ep 
 close to the Church and Sacrament ; and 
 the Dissenters, to keep to their own meet- 
 ings, and to let their light shine before 
 those of their own community. But soon 
 after I leai-nt. that Mr. Ingham advised 
 the contrary, and several began to stay at 
 home on the Sabbath, which made me very 
 uneasy. 
 
 One night I had been disputing .with se- 
 veral of them about their neglecting the or- 
 dinances, and about their speaking against 
 inward holiness, as we were going to hear 
 Peter Bohler at Charles Summerscales s. 
 "When he got up, he took two verses of the 
 tenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel : 
 * Whosoever shall confess me before men, 
 liim will I confess before my Father which 
 is in heaven : but whosoever shall deny 
 jne before men, him also will 1 deny be- 
 fore my Father which is in heaven.' I 
 thought if he had heard all that 1 had said, 
 and had laboured to justify every word I 
 had spoken, he could not have preaciied 
 more to the purpose ; for he said, to con- 
 fess Jesus was to live to him, and to lion- 
 our hijn with body, soul, and substance ; 
 and to deny him was to live to ourselves, 
 by refusing to do what he commanded, be- 
 cause it was not agreeable to nature, and 
 did act make for our temporal iuterest — 
 
60 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 He added, ' If any one did so much as l» 
 keep the tip of his little finger, to commit 
 sin witli, it would damn both bis body and 
 soul in hell.' 
 
 My adversaries now hung down their 
 heads ; and complaint was made to Mr. 
 Telchig, that Mr, Bohler preached Wes- 
 ley's doctrine, and he was sent to London 
 soon after. He came back in three weeks 
 time ; but such a change tor the worse did 
 I never see in mortal man ! for he that pro- 
 fessed to love me as his own soul, durst 
 not come near the door of my house, nor 
 converse with me at all : And his word 
 was aschaft in comparison of what it used 
 tobe. 
 
 Then I saw what was coming on me, and 
 the people God had given me. This made 
 me weep in secret places before the Lord ; 
 and I desired to die, rather than live to 
 see the children devoured by these boars 
 out of the German wood. 1 saw many de- 
 luded by their soft words and fair speech- 
 es ; for I was begetting children, and they 
 slew them among the smooth stones of the 
 brook ; and they had better never have 
 known the way of salvation, than after 
 knowing it, be turned thereout. But Sa- 
 muel Mitchel urged me to speak, and not 
 to spare. Yet 1 found great backward- 
 ness and often said, when I went out of 
 my door, ' Lord, thou knowest I had ra- 
 ther be hanged on that tree than go to 
 
MB. JOHN NELvSON. 
 
 61 
 
 preach, but that 1 believe thou dost require 
 it at my hand.' And many a time 1 have 
 said, ' except some one be converted this 
 time, I will take it for granted, that I may 
 leave oirspeaking in thy name But O the 
 condescension of the Most High ! For Jie 
 60 far bore with my weakness, that some 
 were converted as sure as I asked the to- 
 ken. For all that, I acted the part of Jo- 
 nah, and fled into the fields by a wood side, 
 when a great congregation was gathered 
 together, and begged me to preach to them. 
 But the hand of the Lord was upon me : 
 and I fell ilat on my face on the ground ; 
 and thought that if ever a living man tast 
 ed the cup of the damned, I did : I then 
 cried out, " Let me die ! let me die ! for 
 why should 1 live to see the destruction of 
 my people Or wherefore should 1 ever 
 speak in thy Name, and by thy Word be- 
 get children for the slaughter.?"' I laya- 
 bout au hour with my face on the grass 
 But O the anguish my soul was in ■ The 
 euflerings of our Lord v. cre brought to 
 my mind, and his Apostles, whose cup [ 
 had once desired at the Lord's hand. But 
 now, when it was in a small degree put 
 in my hand, I chose rather to die than to 
 •drink it. 
 
 I cow began to be a.shamed before the 
 Lord, when I considered how wonderful- 
 ly he had dealt with me ; so that the tears 
 ^^csan to flow, and my heart was broken 
 
6S 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 within me. Then F said, "I am not my 
 own, but thine; therefore, thy will be 
 daae in me, on me, and by me." In that 
 instant the cloud broke, and the Sun of 
 , Righteousness arose on my soul : So that 
 I cried out, " Lord, continue with me, 
 as thou art now, and I am ready to go to 
 hell to preach to devils, if thou requirest 
 it." Then I came home, expecting the 
 people to be gone ; but they were u aitiog 
 about the door of my house. I got up 
 and preached to them, and that night two 
 men declared that God for Christ's sake 
 had forgiven all their sins. 
 
 I thought, after I had done, if 1 had had 
 ten pounds, I would have given it for one 
 hour's conversation with Mr. John Wes- 
 ley but I despaired of ever having an op- 
 portunity, except 1 went to London on 
 purpose and said, I am not worthy of 
 an upright man to converse with : There- 
 fore, I am encompassed about with briars 
 and thorns. 
 
 After some time, I was told, that there 
 were twenty preachers come to the Smith- 
 House ; and that four or five of them were 
 clergymen who had been with Mr. Wes- 
 ley ; but they were now convinced of bis 
 errors, and content to be poor sinners ; 
 and hoped I should see my error in a lit- 
 tle time, and come to the Brethren ; for 
 all of them, thsy said, had been as blind 
 39 I was, and as much bigotted to Mr. 
 
MR. JOHH NELSON. 
 
 63 
 
 Wesley's notions. I told thf.m, that what 
 they called Light, I believed to be gross 
 darkness; for it did not agree with what 
 the Scriptures shewed to be the way to 
 heaven. 0:ie of their cxhorters said to 
 me, that there were several of the Mora- 
 vian preachers that could write as good 
 Scriptures as the Bible ; that the very 
 power which the Apostles hao, did rest on 
 the Moravian preachers I told him, i did 
 not believe a uordofit; I believed them 
 to be a fallen people ; and 1 praj ed God 
 that they might jepent, and do their first 
 works. I said, ** ; am sorry for Mr. Irg- 
 ham, for he never will do half so ini>ch 
 ^ood as he has done hui t, bv bringi/^ them 
 into this country, for they do not labour 
 to convert sinners, but to turn saints out 
 of the way that leads to heaven-" But he 
 said, it was 1 that was wrong, for they 
 were the most experienced men in the 
 woild. And it was beiieved by many, 
 that Count Zinzendorf was so familiar 
 with the Lamb, that many hundreds who 
 were now in hell, would be saved by hii 
 prayers. 
 
 A few days after, they were to have a 
 great meeting at Gumersal Fieid-House ; 
 and one came and told me, that Mr. Ing- 
 ham desired me to be there. According- 
 ly I went, but could not ^et into tlie 
 house, where they were n^aaing the let- 
 ters, nor near tbc door, for the multitude 
 
64 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 SO I walked into the croft, where there 
 were about two hundred people, who had 
 gone from the door, because they could 
 not hear ; so I preached to tliem in the 
 croft, while they read the letters within. 
 I think there were five or six preachers, 
 and four exhorters, and near a hundred 
 people, who were looked upon as the chief 
 of their Societies. Then Mr Ingham 
 stood up, and said, that the country peo- 
 ple were surprised to see so many of the 
 Brethren come together ; they thought it 
 prudent not to have so much preaching, 
 till they were settled awhile, for fear it 
 should make them persecute the Brethren ; 
 " And I desire that none of the youne 
 men will expound, till they are ordered 
 by the Brethren : We shall meet again 
 this day month ; and then we will let you 
 know, what we are all to do." Then he 
 spake to them one by one, and said, " I 
 hope you will be obedient, and not ex- 
 pound any more, till you have orders." 
 They all replied, " Yes Sir." He then 
 turned to mc ; saying, " John, 1 hope yoii 
 will leave off, till you have orders froifl 
 tho church. ' 1 said, " No, Sir, 1 will 
 not leave oil", I dare not for 1 did not be- 
 gin by the order of man, nor by my own 
 will ; therefore, I shall not leave oil by 
 your order ; for I tell you plainly 1 should 
 have left otf without your bidding, but 
 that I believed if I did, I should be damn- 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 65 
 
 ed for disobedience." He replied, "You 
 see these young men are obedient to the 
 elders ; and they have been blessed in 
 their labours as well as you.'' I said, "I 
 cannot tell how they have been blessed ; 
 but I think, if God had sent them on his 
 own errand, they would not stop at your 
 bidding." Then one of the preachers said, 
 " The spirit o^" the prophets is subject to 
 the prophets therefore they are right, 
 and yon are wrong ; for they are subject." 
 1 replied, "You are not obedient to the 
 prophets of God tliat were of old ; for God 
 saith by one of them, • 1 have set watch- 
 men upon the walls of Jerusalem, that 
 shall not cease day or night ;' But you can 
 hold your peace for a month together, at 
 man's bitUling." Then turning to Mr. 
 Ingham, 1 said, " You know that many 
 have been converted by my exhorting 
 lately, and u great many are under con- 
 victions ; what a sad thing then would it 
 be, to leave them as they are } ' He re- 
 plied, " Our Saviour can convert souls 
 without your preaching." I replied, 
 " Yes, or your's either : and he can give 
 us corn without plow ing and sowing, but 
 he does not, neither has he promised that 
 he will." He said. Be still one month, 
 aud then you will know more of your own 
 heart.'' 1 replied, " With one proviso, I 
 will" He said, '* What is that ? ' I an- 
 swered, " If you can persuade the devil 
 
THE JOURNAL Ot 
 
 to be still for a month but if he goc» 
 about like a roaring lion seeking whom 
 he may devour, and God liath put a sword 
 into my hand I am determined to at- 
 tack him, wheresoever 1 meet him, and 
 wheresoever 1 meet sin, I meet satan." 
 Some of them said, that their ears burn- 
 ed on their heads, to hear me speak to 
 such a man as Mr. Ingham. I answered, 
 I would speak to a gentleman as I would 
 to a beggar, in the cause of God Mr. 
 Ingham said, " It must needs be that of- 
 fencfs will come — but woe to him by 
 whom they do come." I replied, " Sir, , 
 take care that your curse does not fall on 
 your own head." Then he charged all 
 the people, as they loved him and the ; 
 brethren, that they should not let me 
 preach in their houses, or encourage me, [ 
 by hearing me elsewhere. I replied, " I ' 
 hope you will not hinder those who were 
 converted under my word, from hearing 
 me ; for they are my own children " He 
 8aid, they would hinder them — for they ] 
 were none of mine, but our Saviour's chil- 
 dren I a.nswered, " I have as much right 
 to call them my children, as St Paul had ■ 
 to call the Galatians his— and if they pe- 
 rish by being turned out of the way thro' 
 you, I will require their blood at your 
 hand.*' Then Mr. Clapham said, '• May 
 not i have some private conversation with 
 John?" Mr. nscham answered. *• Yes " , 
 And Mr. .Clapham said, He shali be 
 
MR. JOHN MELSOK. 
 
 67 
 
 my teacher while I live " So it was — for 
 he died in the faith within a fortnight. 
 
 When I gdt home, there were several 
 people at my house, waiting to be instruct- 
 ed in the way to the kingdom. One of 
 them cried out, " What is the matter ? 
 Are you not well ? you look so pale !" I 
 said " I have neither pain nor sickness of 
 body ; but my soul is disordered within 
 me, for they have bereaved me of my chil- 
 dren, and commanded them not to hear me 
 before my face. O these treacherous deal- 
 ers have dealt treacherously ! I am sorry 
 Mr. Ingham should be atool in their hands^ 
 to turn the simple t>ut of the way ; but 1 
 hope he does it in ignorance. If he knows 
 w hat he is doing, he w ill be a miserable 
 man ; for it is a less crime to take a child 
 of God, and cut his throat, and thereby 
 send him to heaven at once, than to turn 
 him out of the way, and to destroy both 
 body and soul ; nevertheless, let us pray 
 for him and them.'' So we went to pray- 
 Hr ; and when we arose from our knees, I 
 took the bible, requested God to speak to 
 me by his word ; I opened on Isa. xlix. 
 19. '* Thy waste and thy desolate places, 
 and the land of .'hy destruction, shall 
 now even be too narrow, by reason of the 
 inhabitants And they that swallowed 
 thee up, shall be far away. Thy chil- 
 dren, which thou shalt have after thou hast 
 lost the others bhalt say again in thine 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 eara The place is too strait for me ; give 
 place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt 
 thou say in thine heart, Who hath begot- 
 ten me these, seeing I have lost my chil- 
 dren, and am desolate, a captive removing 
 to and fro ; and who hath brought up 
 these ? Behold, I was left alone ; these, 
 where had they been >" At the reading 
 of which words, I and all that were in the 
 house were so affected, that we burst into 
 weeping : And God gave me one child, 
 in answer to my prayer that night. 
 
 It was soon spread abroad that Mr. Ing- 
 ham and Nelson had differed ; and many 
 said, " We shall now see an end of this new 
 religion ! ' Several of them, who once 
 professed to love, me as their own lives, 
 now became my open enemies, and labour'< 
 ed to draw all fioni me they could. They 
 said, I made my Bible niy God ; and 
 would take it up in a scornful manner, 
 saying, " This is John Nelson's god ! poor 
 man, he hurls himself much by reading in 
 it, it would be better for him if he woul(t 
 let it alone, and abide by his heart." — ' 
 Then I said, " Woe is me that my mother 
 ever bare me, to bfi a man of vStrife to all 
 that are about me — E. it Lord, I commit, 
 my cause to thee !" 
 
 So I went on pieaching repentance to- 
 wards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus 
 Christ; insisting, that those who believ- 
 ed, should be oareCui to maintain e^ood 
 
,MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 69 
 
 works. Eut many that once said they 
 might bless GoJ they ever heard nie, now 
 called me legal — and told me to my i'ace, 
 that 1 never knew the gospel liberty, nor 
 what it was to enjoy the poor sinnei ship. 
 I replied. " 1 do not desire to know it, I 
 only want to know the perfect and accep- 
 table Will of Cod, and power to do the 
 same." But they cried out, they liad no- 
 thing to do, lor the Lamb Jiad done all lor 
 them. 
 
 After their next monthly meeting, one 
 that had exhorted, canie and called me 
 out of my house, saying, he wanted to 
 speak with me. 1 wen: out — wJien he 
 told me the Brethren had sent him, and 
 they had the same power as the Apostles 
 had, all that withstood them were soon 
 miserable. I answered, " What do you 
 hobble at in your speech > If you came to 
 tell me thai, they have given me up into 
 the hands of the devil, speak out, Mi- 
 chael lie said, they had. I replied, 
 " 1 hope I shall pray for them as long as I 
 live — But do you go back and tell them, I 
 have the devil under my heel — and he can 
 never hurt me, so long as I have the 
 grace of Cod." 
 
 Soon after I met with another, that Iiad 
 got into the poor sinnership, who held his 
 neck on one side, and talked as if he had 
 been bred up upon the borders of Bohe- 
 mia : He said, the brethren were sorry 
 
70 
 
 THE iOVRVMt or 
 
 for me ; nay, he heard some of them say, 
 that they would take care of my w ife and 
 children 1 told him, I would see my 
 wife and children die on a dunghill, be- 
 fore i would sell my soul, and the souls of 
 my country people. 
 
 I still kept close to God by prayer and 
 fasting, and waa daily refreshed with a 
 sense of his love ; he also opened my 
 mouth more and more to speak his word, 
 so that sinners were daily converted Sa- 
 muel Mitchell encouraged me much, and 
 went with me almost every night that I 
 went out of town ; often four or hve miles, 
 after we had done our work, and we used 
 to come back together the same night in 
 all sorts of weather. 
 
 One night after a day of fasting, I 
 dreamt that Mr. 'ohn and- Mr. Charles 
 Wesley were both sitting by my fire side, 
 and that Mr. John Wesley said, 1 will stay 
 but a few da.vs now, for I must go into the 
 North, and return at such a time and stay 
 with you a week The next day when f 
 told it, one said, *• If thou hast dreamed 
 so, they will certainly come " I replied, 
 " i no more expect them than I expect the 
 king to come.' But in a few months af- 
 ter, they came, and sat in the very pos- 
 ture 1 dreamed ; and Mr. John Wesley 
 s[ oke the very words 
 
 I was desired once more to go to Go- 
 mcrs-Fieid-Head, to speak with Mr. Ing- 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 71 
 
 ham. When I got there, David Taylor 
 was with him in the parlour, and spoke 
 kindly to me but when Mr. Taylor was 
 gone, he began to talk to me about mak- 
 ing division among the brethren I told 
 him, 1 did not want to make division ; I 
 wanted the people to be saved But he 
 said, " We cannot receive you or Mr. 
 Wesley into our community, till he pub- 
 licly declares he has printed I'alse doc- 
 trine, and you declare you have preached 
 false " I said, " Wherein ?" He then 
 burst out into laughter and said, " 'n tell- 
 ing the people that they may live without 
 committing sin.' 1 replied, " Do you call 
 that false doctrine ? He answered, " I 
 do, 1 do, and Mr. Wesley has written 
 false doctrine, teaching the same errors." 
 He quoted some words ■, then 1 said, 
 " They are not Mr. Wesley s but St. 
 John a words : it is St. John says, ' Let no 
 man deceive you, he thatdoeth righteous- 
 ness, is righteous, and he that committeth 
 sin, ia of the devil.' So if St John be 
 right, every one that preacheth contrary 
 to what Mr. Wesley has written here, and 
 what 1 have preached, is a deceiver and 
 betrayer of soyls. If that be your opi- 
 nion, said Mr Ingham, we cannot re- 
 ceive you into pur church." I replied, 
 " 1 do not want to be one of you ; for f 
 am a member of the Church of England." 
 He JMWwercd, 'Jht Church of England 
 
?3 
 
 ♦ HB .TOURNAf. OF 
 
 is no Church ; we arfc the Church." I 
 said, " We ! who do you mean ? ' He re- 
 plied, " I and the Moravian brethren." 
 I said, " I have no desire toJiavc any fel- 
 lowship with you or them ; it has been 
 better lor my own soul, since I have been 
 wholly separated from you, and God has 
 blessed my labours more, since I was told 
 they had delivered me up to satan, than 
 ever before ; therefore I think it is better 
 to have their curse, tiian to have commu- 
 nion with them." He replied, " If you 
 think so, 1 have no more to say to you.', 
 And then turned his back on me. 
 
 When I went home, I met with one 
 that had got into the liberty — and he tx)\d 
 me that the devil had sent me into York- 
 shire, to hinder the brethren from having 
 the country to themselves. I answered, 
 " If satan sent me, he is divided against 
 himself, for you know by my preaching, 
 many are turned that were grossly wick- 
 ed, to live a righteous life ' He said, 
 " No men should be damned but for their 
 own unrighteousness," and wlien I men- 
 tioned an}' Scripture, he laughed me to 
 scorn, saying, " You will never be happy 
 tillj'ou leave off these Scripture-notions, 
 and come to your own heart, and be a poor 
 sinner. 
 
 Now atrial came upon me from another 
 quarter — some of tliem came to my house, 
 when I was from home, and talked with 
 
KR. JOW-H NELSON. 
 
 75 
 
 ny wife, stirring her up against *me, so 
 that she was tempted to go to thetn, and 
 leave me — and the temptation was so 
 strong, that she got out of bed three times 
 to go to them ; nay, the more 1 reasoned 
 with her from Scripture, in ever so lov- 
 ing a manner, the more she was set" a- 
 gainst me ; then I liad none but my old 
 refuge, to get to God by prayer, and fast- 
 ing ; and the Lord took the mutter into his 
 own hand, and shewed her, wherein she 
 had been deceived, and made her a staff" 
 in my haud, and a support to my soul again. 
 
 About this time one of my neighbours, 
 that used to hear me preach, was going to 
 London, and said, ' I should be glad to see 
 Mr. John Wesley, whom you call your fa- 
 ther in the gospel.' I replied, * If yea 
 will carry a few lines to him from me, you 
 may see and hear him too.' In t^is letter 
 1 desired Mr. Wesley to write to me ; and 
 as he was my father in the gospel, to give 
 me some instructions how to proceed, in 
 the work that God had begun by such an 
 unpolished tool as me. When he got to 
 '■ London, he wrote to me, that he had seen 
 I Mr. Wesley and given iiim the letter, who 
 I read it, and asked him some questions 
 about me, and said, 'Do you write by this 
 niglit's post, and tell him I shall beat his 
 house on Tuesday next, if God perniit." 
 I got the letter on Sunday, and was melted 
 into tears before the Lord. 
 
 G 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 That day the Lord blessed our soivVs 
 much, while we were praying th:it lie 
 would-condiict his servant in safety to us, 
 and bless liis coming amongst us — but lie 
 was detained on the road, so that it was 
 Wednesday at nine o'clock in the fore- 
 noon when he arrived ut Birstal. He sent 
 for me to the inn, from whence I conduct- 
 ed him to my house, and he sat down 
 by my fire-side, in the very posture 1 had 
 dreamed about four months before, and 
 spoke the same words 1 dreamed he spoke. 
 
 Before he went to Newcastle, large com- 
 
 Eanies of those that had left me, came to 
 ear him — several of whom said they ne- 
 ver heard such a sermon in their lives, nor 
 ever felt so much of the power of God un- 
 der any man's preaching. 
 
 Some said, when Mr. Ingham came 
 first, he was often telling of this Mr. Wes- 
 ley, saying, he believed lie never talked 
 with him but it was a blessing to his sou], 
 and extolled him above any man that ever 
 tlipy heard him talk ol^and now they 
 thought he exceeded all that Mr. Ingham 
 liad said about him — but they were great- 
 ly surprized, that Mr Ingham should go 
 through Birstal, and not call to see Mr., 
 Wesley. 
 
 When Mr. Wesley came from Newcas- 
 tie, their minds were changed — for they 
 did not come to bear him. I asked seve- 
 ral of them the reason — and they told me 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 75 
 
 Mr. Ingham declared he preached false 
 doctrine, and it was not sale to hear him. 
 
 However he did not preach in vain, I'or 
 God hJessed his word, and his coming was 
 a great ble^oing to iny soul. 1 said to him 
 ' Sir, you may inak.e usa of Jacob's words, 
 ' The children thou hast begotten in Egypt 
 before are mine for 1 freely deliver 
 them to your care.' After he had spent 
 about a week, he left me — and now they 
 that stayed with me were confirmed in the 
 truth they had received ; and many ivere 
 convinced of the necessity of being born 
 again, so that greater multitudes than 
 ever came to hear, and several were con- 
 rerted. 
 
 One Saturday night, there came a num- 
 ber of people that were halting between 
 the Germans and me — and as i preached 
 to them, my mouth was almost stopped, 
 and all the time it appeared to jne as if I 
 was ploughing upon a rock. Nevertheless, 
 when I had done, and got to the fire-side, 
 the pepple did not offer to go away, but 
 stood "^s beggars that wanted a morsel of 
 bread, i then took up the Bible, and open- 
 ed on the Prophecy of Isaiah, where it 
 saith, ' 1 have blotted out thy transgres- 
 sions as a cloud, and thy sins as a thick 
 cloud : Return unto me, for I have re- 
 deemed thee/ And I said, ' Hear ye the 
 word of the Lord !' So 1 read these words 
 to them as I stood, and began to explain 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ihcm, wlien the power of God came as a 
 .'Tiighty wind, and many cried out, ' Lord, 
 save, or we perish'. I tell upon my knees, 
 ajid called upon God to heal the bones thkt 
 
 V ere broken, and to shew mei cy to the 
 poor and needy — And he heard our cry, 
 f-.o that seven testified that God for Christ's 
 sake had blotted out their sins that night 
 and most of them told ine, they purposed 
 only to hear me that time, and to have 
 gone to the Germans the next day. 
 
 Now the people from every quarter 
 nocked to Birstal on the Sabbath, but as 
 yet there came only three from Lecdsj 
 Mary Shent, and two other women. 
 
 It was about May when Mr. John Wes- 
 ley came into Yorkshire, and towards 
 JMichaelrnas that Mr. Charles Wesley and 
 Mr. Charles Graves came. They stayed 
 a few days, then went on to Newcastle, 
 with an intent to return in a fortnight ; but 
 the Lord opened such a door in that place 
 that Mr. W esley stayed some time longer. 
 Mr. Graves came at the time appointed, 
 and the Lord blessed his coming to seve- 
 ral souls. I remember one night at Arm- 
 ley, he preached, and when he had done, 
 I gave an exhortation, and the Lord ap- 
 plied the virtue of his precious blood to 
 many souls that night, and for a whole 
 
 V eek together, there were some that felt 
 the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 When. Mr. Charles We&ley oame back 
 fioin Newcastle, the Lord was with biiii 
 ill such a manner, that the pillars of hell 
 seemed to tremble, many tbut were fa- 
 mous for supporting the devil s kingdom, 
 fell to the ground, while he was preach- 
 ing, as if they bad been tliunder-struck. 
 One day he had preached four times, and 
 one that had been amongst the people ail 
 the day, said at nrglit, twenty-two had 
 received iorgiveness of their sins that 
 day. 
 
 1 think, from the time of Mr. Charles 
 Wesley and Mr. Graves's first coming, 
 and their leaving Yorkshire, after their 
 return to Newcastle, which was about a 
 month, there were added to the true be- 
 lievers near four-score. Then they began 
 to cry out, ' The place i.^ too strait lor us, 
 Yvc should have a greater house !' So that 
 tlie words of Isaiah which J opened on, 
 when the Germans bereaved me of my for- 
 mer children, were fulfilled. 
 
 About this time William Shent was 
 converted— 'and there began to be an up- 
 roar in Leeds, about his saying he knew 
 his sins forgiven. Some, however, believ- 
 ed his report, and had a desire to hear lor 
 tiiiemselves— neither could he be content 
 to eat his morsel alone, for his heart pant- 
 ed for the salvation of all his neighbours. 
 
 The Christmas following he desired me 
 to go and preach at Leeds — but when I 
 G S 
 
78 
 
 The journal of 
 
 gave notice of it to the Society, they ad- 
 A ised me not to go till we had kept a day 
 ol' fasting and prayer. So we humbled 
 ourselves before the Lord on the Friday, 
 ^nd on Sunday night I went to Leeds, 
 several of the brethren accompanying me. 
 As we were going over the bridge, we 
 met two men, who said to me, ' If you at- 
 tempt to preach in Leeds, you must not ex- 
 pect to come out again alive — for there is 
 a company of men who swear they will kill 
 you.' 1 answered, ' They must ask my' 
 i'ather's leave, for if he hav e any more 
 work for me to do, all the men in the town 
 eannot kill me till I have done it. 
 
 When we got to brother Shent's, he had 
 provided a large empty house to preach 
 in, and it was well filled with people. — 
 As soon as 1 got upon the stairs, 1 felt an 
 awful sense of God rest upon me, and the 
 people behaved as people that feared God, 
 and received the word v/ith meekness. 
 
 Now Armley Society became a nurs- 
 ing mother to the new born souls at Leeds ; 
 for there were several steady souls at 
 Armley, who had stood from the begin- 
 ning without wavering, and 1 trust we 
 shall meet together in heaven. 
 
 Some time after we had begun ab 
 Leeds, Mr. John Bennet, from Chinley, 
 in Derbyshire, came to our town, and 
 sent for me to the inn : 1 did not know him. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 7Q 
 
 but by his dress 1 took him to be a preach- 
 er. 1 said, ' I do not know you, pray what 
 is your name He told me. I asked him 
 if he came from Mr. Wesley.' He said, 
 ' No, he was not in connexion with him ; 
 he was in fellowship with the Moravian 
 brethren, but he had had a great opinion 
 of Mr. Wesley for some time, till lie saw 
 a Utile pamphlet which Mr. Wesley had 
 lately published, which he stiles. The 
 Character of a Methodist, and it turned 
 his mind.' I asked, 'Sir, what do you 
 find wrong there He replied, ' There is 
 too much perfection in it for me.' I an- 
 sAvered, 'Then you think a less degree of 
 lioliness will fit you for heaven, than what 
 is mentioned there : pray what are the 
 words you stumble at ?' On his telling me, 
 1 said, ' They are the words of St. John. 
 But he said, ' We know by experience 
 that there is no such thing to be attained 
 in this life.' 1 replied, ' If your experi- 
 ence do not answer to what St. Paul and 
 St. John speak, I shall not 'regard it;' 
 and when I mentioned some passages of 
 Scripture, he did not believe that what I 
 said was Scripture. 1 pulled out my bi- 
 ble, and shewed him the words ; and 
 when he had read them, his countenance 
 changed, and he caviled no more. 
 
 When we met again, we seemed to be 
 of one heart and judgment, for God re- 
 vealed his will to him soon after he had 
 
80 
 
 THE JOt'RNAL 0/ 
 
 parted with mc, and made him an iiistru- 
 ment to turn many to righteousness, and 
 to bring me and my brethren to preacli 
 in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. 
 
 The first time I went, he met me at 
 Marsden, to conduct n?e into Cheshire i 
 but as 1 went over a great Common, a 
 little behind Huddersfield, a dog leaped 
 out of the heath, and came and smelled at 
 my leg, and walked by my side for near 
 a mile, he then went to the houses that 
 %vere a little out of the way, and bit se- 
 veral dogs, and came running after me 
 again, so walked by my side till he saw 
 another house, where he fought 'i'ith a 
 dog ; then followed me again. Thus he 
 went on for about five miles, and went 
 with me into the inn at Marsden, when 
 ho sat down by my side. There were se- 
 veral men in the house, whom I asked, it' 
 any of th«m knew whose dog that was.' 
 but none of them could tell. 1 said, I 
 think he is mad ; but they laughed me to 
 scorn. Soon after another dog came in, 
 and he went and bit him directly, and 
 ran out and bit four more, and then the 
 men pursued and killed him. When \ 
 saw, that God had ke|3t me in such im- 
 minent danger, 1 was greatly humbled 
 before him. 
 
 As Mr. Bennet and I went over to 
 Stanedge, we met David Taylor, who 
 had got SO much into the poor sinnership^ 
 
Mir. JOIIM NELSON. hi 
 
 tJiat he would scarcely speak to ine ; ha 
 called iMr. Bennet to a distance, and .said, 
 he was sorry that he was going to take 
 me into Derbyshire, for 1 w as so full of 
 law and reason, that I should do a great 
 deal of hurk wherever I preached. 
 
 I preached twice that afternoon, once 
 at Hopkin-Pit, in Lancashire, and tho 
 other time at Woodly, in Cheshire. It 
 was given out, unknov/n to me. to preacJi 
 at .Manchester-Cross on the Sunday after- 
 noon. About ten people went with me 
 from Mr. Lackwood's to Manchester. 
 AVhen we arrived there, i do not know- 
 but there might be two thousand people 
 gathered together at the Cros9 ; and most 
 of them behaved well. But when I was 
 in the middle of my discourse, one at the 
 outside of the congregation threw a stone 
 which cut me on the head; hou'ever, 
 that made the people give greater atten- 
 tion, especially when they saw the blood 
 run down my face ; so that all was quiet 
 till I had done, and was singing a hymn. 
 Then the Constable and his deputy came 
 and seized me and Mr Bennet, and said, 
 ' You must go before the Justice.' I ask- 
 ed, ' By whaf order >' He held up his 
 staff, saving, that was his warrant, and 
 he would make me go. I answered, ' I 
 will not resist, for if I liave done auy 
 thing contrary to tiie law, I ought to sui- 
 ftr by the law.' lie said, 1 should sufihv 
 
82 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 for wJiat I had done ; then he began to 
 strike the people that crowded about us. 
 As soon as he and his deputy could get 
 through the multitude, they out-ran us; 
 when I called and said, ' Stay, Gentle- 
 men, for we cannot get through the peo- 
 ple as last as you.' But the people crowd- 
 ed about us in such a manner, that we 
 saw the Constable no more. Afterwards 
 •we rode to Jonathan Holmes's. That 
 night we had a blessed meeting ; and the 
 Lord was much with us all the time I 
 stayed in those parts. 
 
 Soon after Mr. John Wesley came into 
 Yorkshire again ; and the Lord blessed 
 his coming to many souls. When he set 
 out for Newcastle, he desired me to go to 
 Grimsby, in Lincolnshire, and to spend 
 a few days there, among some people that 
 had once run well, but were turned out 
 of the way, by one <hat had come down 
 from London, who had got into the poor 
 sinnership, and was made free from the 
 righteous law of God, and from all ordi- 
 nances and good work?. He brought ma- 
 ny of them into his own liberty, so that 
 they sold their prayer books, left oft' read- 
 ing and pnaying, and followed the motions 
 of their own minds, which they called 
 the lamb in their hearts: but one or two 
 remained under the law, as they called it, 
 that is, they still continued to read the 
 Bible, and durst not leave off prater, uor 
 
MR. JOHN NEI^SON. 8-3 
 
 any other ordinance that Christ had a[ - 
 pointed. These came to Epn orth to seeic 
 the pure gospel ; and when tliey Jieard 
 Mr. Wesley, they said, his word was as 
 sweet wine to a thirsty soul. 
 
 1 set out with a great sense of my own 
 weakness, and was ready to turn back, 
 then I opened my bible, where these 
 wffrds were written, ' 1 was aiVaid, and 
 went and hid my talent in the ground.' I 
 cried out, ' Lord, give me strength and 
 understanding for the work, if tbou hast 
 called me to it.' I opened my book again, 
 on Isaiah xiv, 1. 'The Lord will have 
 mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Isra- 
 el, and set them in their own land, and 
 the strangers shall be joined with them.' 
 That night 1 came to Epworth, and 
 preached to a large congregation. 
 
 Kext morning, 1 and a man that be- 
 longed to Grimsby, and a boy about twelve 
 years of age, set out on foot for Grimsby, 
 but nigiit came upon us when ue Avere 
 five miles short of it, and there being no 
 public liouse near, we went to several 
 farm houses to ask for lodging, but 
 could get none. Then we went to a poor 
 house, where I prevailed with the people 
 to let the boy lie with two of their own 
 boys ; and 1 said to the mail, ' Let us go 
 and seek a bed somewhere else, or a sta- 
 ble to lie in. As we went on in the dark, 
 M'e saw a light at a small distance, and 
 
THE JOURKAJ. 0? 
 
 we went over a field to it. I knocked at 
 the door, and tlicy 1)id us come in ; there 
 Tverc foiir men, thiTe women, and two 
 boys, sUtitig by the fire. As soon as I 
 entered, I said, ' Peace be to this house •,' 
 at which words the people started up as 
 if I had thrown fire at them. I Siiid, 
 ' We are two way faring men, and if you 
 iv iil entertain us for a night, we will sa- 
 tisfy you. Thej^ got us a good supper, 
 and made us a good bed. I talked to 
 them about the way of salvation, and 
 went to prayer with them, and they were 
 so affected, that the master and the mis- 
 tress talked to me two hours after we 
 were 'in bed. The next morning after 
 breakfast, 1 went to pay the woman, but 
 she said her husband charged her to take 
 nothing, but on the contrary, to give us 
 Home money to support us on the road -. 
 but I replied, ' Not one farthing will we 
 have, and if you will not take our money, 
 I pray God reward you with everlasting 
 consolation.' 
 
 We then went where we had left the 
 koy, and paid the people for him, and 
 set out for Grimsby, which we reached 
 by ten o'clock. The people soon heard 
 that I was come, and flocked to me di- 
 rectly, when I prayed with them, and be- 
 gan to exhort, but many of them despised 
 my words, saying, I was too legal for 
 Ihem. 1 theu took up my BiblCj and said. 
 
«B. JOHN NEI.60N. 
 
 Si 
 
 ' Hear yc the word of the Lord !' So I 
 read two or three verses, and bid thent 
 try themselves by that standard ; then I 
 read in another place, and said, 'Il'you 
 tvill compare your conscieiice with these 
 Scriptures, you may see what state your 
 souls are in/ One woman turned pale 
 and began to tremble, saying, ' I clearly 
 see we are deluded, and that what we call- 
 ed the lamb iir our hearts, is nothing but 
 the devil.' Then she cried out, ' Alas '. 
 Alas ! what must we do ?' We went to 
 prayer again, and Cod made the king- 
 dom of satan to shake once more lu that 
 place. 
 
 The second night, a schoolmaster sent 
 mc word that he would give me leave to 
 preach in his school, which would hold 
 several hundreds of people. But those 
 that had fallen into the poor sinnership, 
 told me, if 1 did, they durst not go to 
 hear nie, for they should be mobbed, and 
 I should be killed. I said, ' As the ^ea- 
 tleman has made me the ciTer, 1 wilJac- 
 cept it, and by the grace of God will 
 yreach, if there were as many devils in 
 jt as there are tiles on it.' Accordingly 
 I went, and it was well filled from side to 
 side, and the people behaved well. I 
 found great liberty in speaking, and when 
 I had done, several cried out, ' This 
 the way of salvation.' 
 
 H 
 
Sd THE JOURNAL OP I 
 
 Wheu I came back to brother Blow's, I 
 those that had been shorn of their i 
 streiiglh, conlessed their learfulness, and : 
 said, ' VVhile we continued in the spirit | 
 in which we were converted, we were as j 
 bold as lions. O, what shall we do to re- 
 cover our strength ?' I tcid them to hum- I 
 ble themselves before the Lord with 
 prater and fasting, and he would snatch \ 
 them out of the snare of the devil, and 
 give them back their first love. 
 
 I preached again the next morning, and 
 set out forEpworth. In my v/ay 1 stopt ' 
 at Ferry, where! preached at four in the ' 
 ai'terno.on, and got into Epworth by sevea ' 
 that evening. ■ 
 
 When I cam.e there, such a large com- 
 pany were gathered together, that f could i 
 not get into the' Jiouse, nor yet one third ' 
 of the people, though it was dark and 
 snowed -, however, 1 desired them to hand 
 me out a chair, eo I stood up in the snow, 
 ' and preached, and they behaved as well 
 as ever 1 knew a congregation in my life ; 
 and it appejtred that Cod blessed his word 
 to many bouIs that night. 
 
 When I returned home, I found God 
 had opened the mouth of Jonathan Kenves, 
 and blessed his word to numbers about 
 Bir.stai ; and wc laboured together for 
 some time, till 1 returned into Mr. Ben- 
 net's circuit. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 87 
 
 I went into tlie Peak to preach at Mo- 
 uyash, wi'ieii a Ciergvmau, willi a great 
 company of men that worked in the leait- 
 groves, all being in liquor, came in just 
 as I began to give ont the hymn : As 
 soon as we began to sing, he began to Jial- 
 loo and shout, as ii" he were hunting w ith 
 a pack ol' hounds, and so continued aU the 
 time we sang. When 1 began to pray, 
 he attempted'' to overturn the rhair that 
 1 stood on. but he could not, although he 
 struck so violently with his foot, that he 
 broke oae of the arms of the chair quite 
 oif. When I begaa to preach, he called 
 on his companions to pull me down ; but 
 they replied, "No, Sir, the man says 
 notJiing but the truth : Pray, hold your 
 peace, aad let us hear what he has to 
 say.' He then came to me himself, tonk 
 me by the cuilar of my shirt, and pulled 
 me down ; then he tore down my coat 
 cutis, and attempted to tear it down the 
 back; then took mc by the collar 
 shook me. I said, ' Sir, you and I must 
 shortly appear at the bar of God, to give 
 an account of this night's work He re- 
 plies", ' ' Vhat ! must you and I appear 
 before (Ind's bar together.' I said, ' As 
 sure as we look one another in the face 
 now ' He let go my throat, took my bi- 
 ble out of my hand, and turning it over 
 and over, said, ' It is a rigiit Bible; and 
 if you preach by the Spirit of God, let me 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Ijear you preach from this text?' which 
 was, ' Wisdom strengtheneth the wise, 
 more than ten mighty men in the city I 
 got up and began to preach from this 
 text, and when any ofFered to make a 
 ijoise, the grovei s said, * Hold your peace, 
 or we will make you, and let us hear 
 what he will make of the parson's text.' 
 As I went on, the parson said, ' That is 
 right, that is true/ After awhile he look- 
 ed round, and saw many in tears; then 
 Jie looked at me, and went away, leav- 
 ing me to finish my discourse in peace. 
 All the rest of the Circuit I had peace- 
 ahle meetings ; and the Lord kept still 
 adding to the number of his children. 
 
 At my return home, I began to preach 
 in the open street, at brother Shent's 
 door, in Leeds, and great companies 
 ilocked to hear mc. The first time 1 
 stood up in the street, I was struck on 
 the head with an egg and two potatoes, 
 but that neither hindered me from speak- 
 ing, nor them from hearing. I heard that 
 several serious people, as soon as I had 
 done, wfent to an old Clergyman, to ask 
 his advice about the doctrine I had 
 preached, and told him as much of my 
 sermon as they could : He answered, he 
 hoped no one had disturbed me from 
 preaching that doctrine; they told him 
 some had thrown potatoes at me, and 
 spoiled my wig and coat with a rottea 
 
MR. JOHN KELsO 
 
 6:' 
 
 egg ; lie said, lie would rather lose lii.s 
 arm, than throw at any man for preach- 
 ing such doctrine : for that was the mar- 
 row of the gospel. Many lost their pre- 
 judice by his word, and embraced the 
 truth with joy ; so that I preached in the 
 streets at Leeds, every other Sunday 
 morning, with very little disturbance. 
 
 After some time I went into Lincoln- 
 shire again ; and the congregation was so 
 large at Grimsby, that 1 was obliged to 
 stand upon a table at brother B!ow^ back 
 door for several days together. As I wa.s 
 preaching, the Minister and three men 
 came to play at quoits, as near the peo- 
 ple as tliey could get ; but with all their 
 playing and shouting they could not draw 
 any one from hearing. 
 
 Some friends from Tetney and Clear- 
 thorps prevailed with me to go to a shep- 
 herd's house near the sea coast. There 
 was a large company gathered together in 
 that desart, and 1 opened my book, on 
 (]al. 1,3.' Grace be unto you, and peace 
 from God the Father, and t'rom our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who gave himself fv,r our 
 sins, that be might deliver us from this 
 Jjresent evil world, according to the will 
 of Crod and our Fatheir.' 1 felt much of 
 the Lord's presence, atid the power of 
 God was so great among us, that the peo- 
 ple fell flat on their faces, or kneeled 
 down on their knees, so that there wa.« 
 H £ 
 
00 
 
 The JOUIiNAL OF 
 
 riot one left standing, and their cry was 
 Ko great, that my voice could not t be 
 heard ; then I fell on my knees and call- 
 ed upon the Lord to hta! the bones that 
 were broken, and I l^eiieve many will 
 praise God for that meeting to all eterui- 
 
 ty. 
 
 On my return to Epwortli, I was desir- 
 ed to go by Hainton, and several from 
 Grimsby went with me. When we got 
 tlicrc, William Fenwick told me, there 
 was a company of men at the bowling 
 green, Arho had made themselves almo&t 
 drunk, on purpose to kill me: 1 answer- 
 ed, that God was my dei'ence, and I be- 
 lieved he would deliver me from them 
 all. As soon as they heard I was come, 
 they all left the bowls, and came to Wil- 
 liam Fcnwirk's, many of them with sticks 
 about two feet long, and as thick as a 
 man's wrist ; some of them began to siDg 
 a psalm, and others to curse and swear; 
 but 1 reproved them, and they had no 
 power io meddle with me. At the ap- 
 j)ointed hour I went into the street, and 
 spoke to them in the name of the Lord, 
 and God put a bridle in the jaws of the 
 ■wicked, so that they stood patiently to 
 hear, while I was reasoning with them 
 about the necessity of being made holy 
 here, that we may not be damned eter- 
 nally. A lusty, red faced gentlewoman 
 exclaimed aloud, ' I am a Papist, and be- 
 
MS, .10HN NELSON. 
 
 91 
 
 lieve I shall ije cleansed in purgatory/ 
 When I had done, 1 said, ' T appeal to all 
 your consciences, that 1 have not spoken 
 Diy own words, but the words of the 
 Lord.' A gentleman answered, ' We al- 
 low all you say is true ; yet you deserve 
 to be set in the stocks for delivering it in 
 the street.' 
 
 As I went into the house, one hit me 
 with an egg on my head, and the peo[jle 
 crowded so fast into the house th;it i 
 could scarcely turn niyKcIf ; at I;:st i gut to 
 sit upon a dresser, and spoke to them for 
 an hour, and Cod began to work on seve- 
 ral of them ; but as soon as they brgan 
 to tremble, and cry out, ' Lord save, or 
 we perish,' others made all the haste ibc.y 
 could to get out of the house. When I 
 got to Epworth, I found the j)cop!e much 
 ill earnest, and niy own soul was greatly 
 blessed in speaking to them. 
 
 After I had laboured in Yorkshire a 
 while longer, Mr. John Wesley sent (or 
 me to London. But by this time I j!a.d 
 almost worn out my clothes, and did not 
 know where the next should come from. 
 My wife said, I was not fit to go any 
 where as I was. I answered, ' 1 have 
 worn them out in the Lord's work, and 
 he will not let me want long.' Two days 
 after, a Tradesman in our parish, that 
 did not belong to our Society, came to m.y 
 house, and brought me a piece of blue 
 
03 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 doth for a coat, and a piece of black 
 cloth for a waistcoat and breeches ; so i 
 see the Lord is mindful of theni that trust 
 in him. 
 
 As soon as I well could, I set out fot 
 London on foot, but one of my ncigh- 
 Imurs was going, and he took my place, 
 and let me ride sometimes I preached 
 at Nottingham-Cross as 1 went. 
 
 I stayed a few days at London, then 
 Mv. Richards and I get out for Oxford. 
 \Vc both preached at High- Wycombe as 
 we went. 
 
 When we came to Oxford, v, e met three 
 young gentlemen in their gowns in the 
 street, but I think I never hoard a soldier 
 or a sailor swear worse than they did. 
 Mr. Richards being first, and a Collegian 
 himself, said, ' (ientlemen, I am ashamed 
 to hear yeu •. It is a sad thing, that you 
 fjhonld come here to learn to be guides to 
 others in the way to heaven, and continue 
 to go in the way to destruction your- 
 fjclvcs !' One of them said with a curse, 
 ' What, are you a Presbyterian V When 1 
 spoke, another of them said, 'These chaps 
 belong to poor Wesley so they went a- 
 way. 
 
 We spent a Sabbath at Oxford ; and 
 some ol the Collegians behaved vei-y rude- 
 ly as 1 M'as preaching in the evening ; but 
 the Lord put Iiis hook into their jaws, 
 and kept them from doing any harm to the 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 people, or hindering ine in my discourse. 
 The next day we got to Cirencester, and 
 stayed two nights there ; and one of tlie 
 brethren went with us to Bristol. All this 
 journey, we had but one horse between 
 
 After tarrying a lew dajs at Bristol, 
 and preaching a few days at Bath, Mr. 
 Wesley, Mr. Downs and I set out for 
 Cornwall. Mr. Downs and I had but one 
 horse, so we rode by turns. Mr. Wesley 
 preached at Taunton Cross and Exeter 
 Castle as we went. We generally set out 
 before Mr. Wesley and Mr. Shepherd. 
 
 One day hiiving travelled twenty miles 
 without baiting, we came to a village, and 
 enquired for au Inn ; but the people told 
 us there was none in the toM-n, nor any oa 
 our road within twelve Cornish jniles ; 
 Then I said, ' Come, brother Downs, wo 
 jnust live by faith.' When we had stood 
 awhile, I said, ' Let us go to yonder 
 house, wliere tlie stone porch is, and ask 
 for s'Mneihing ; so we did, and the woman 
 said, ' We have bread, butter and milk, 
 and good hay j'or your horse ' When wc 
 had refreshed ourselves, 1 gave tJie wo- 
 man a shilling ; but she said, she did not 
 desire any thing : 1 said, ' I insist upon 
 it.' 
 
 We got to Bodmin that night ; but it 
 was late before Mr. Wesley and Mr. Shep- 
 herd arrived, having lost the path on the 
 
THE JOURNjIL OF 
 
 twelve-mile common, and found the wayM 
 again by the sound of tlie beils. The nexifl 
 day we got to Gwennp, and the day after ■ 
 to St. l\e.s. Tiie lolloping day J worked^ 
 at my own business, and continued to , 
 work for several days. 
 
 When I had done my job of work, I 
 went to St. Justs, and pveached at the 
 cro-s to a large company of well behaved 
 people. Then I went to the Land's-Knd, 
 and preached the same evening. Next 
 morning, wiiich was Sunday, i came to 
 IVlorva church. After service I preach- 
 ed, and in the evening at Zunnor. 
 
 \V hen I had been out a week, I return- 
 ed to St. Ives, and Ibund brother Downs 
 in^a iever, so that he was not able to preach 
 at" all. All that time Mr. >Vesley and I 
 lay on the floor. He had my great coat 
 for his pillow, and I had Burkitt's Notes 
 on the New-Tastament lor mine. After 
 being here near three weeks, one rnorning, 
 about three o'clock, Mr. Wesley turned 
 over, and finding me awake, clapped me on 
 the side, saying, ' Brother Nelson, let us 
 be of good cheer, I ha ve one wltole side 
 yet, for tlie skin is oA' but on one side.' We 
 usually pre;iched on the Commons, going 
 from one Comujon to another, and it was 
 but seldom ai'.y one asked us to eat and 
 driiik, 
 
 Oiie day wc had been at St. Hilldry 
 Downs, and Mr. Wesley had preached 
 
MR. JOHN NELSOK, 
 
 95 
 
 from Ezekiel's vision ol' dry bones, and 
 there was a shaking among the people, 
 as he preached. As we returned, Mr. 
 Wesley stopped his horse to pick tlie 
 black-berries, saying, 'Brother Melson, 
 we ought to be th;>!ikiul that there are 
 plenty ol" black berries ; lor this is the best 
 country 1 ever saw fbi' getting a stomach, 
 but the worst that ever I saw lor getting 
 food ; do the people think we can live by 
 preaching?' 1 said, * 1 know not what they 
 may think ; but one asked me to eat sonie- 
 thingas I came from St. Ju^ts, when I eat 
 heartily of barley bread and honey.' He 
 said ' You were well oiY : 1 had thongiit cf 
 begging -a crust of bread of the woman, 
 where I met the people at Morva, butibr- 
 got it till 1 had got some distance from the 
 house.' 
 
 One Sunday, having been at the T.-.uul's 
 End in the morning, and at Morva at noon, 
 I cametoZunnor to preach at night, anil 
 got there before the altern>.on service be- 
 gan, la the sermon the minister said, 
 ' Here is a people, who hold that damna- 
 ble popi.sh doctrine of .iKstification by 
 faith ; therefore I beg you not to hear 
 them.' After the service was over, I went 
 about two hundred yards from the church, 
 and got upon a rock, where I began to sing 
 a hymn, and [I believe the whole congre- 
 gation came to hear me. According to 
 I'elightl had, I shewed what was the 
 
9c 
 
 THE JOUKNJL OF 
 
 faith of the gospel, and what the faith of 
 *he church of Rome. 
 
 I stayed a fortnight after Mr. Wesley 
 was gone, and found my soul was much 
 blessed among the people. When Mr. 
 Wesley arrived at Bristol, he wrote to 
 nie, and desired nie to call at three differ- 
 ent places to preach, iu my way to Bris- 
 tol. 
 
 When I leftCapt. Hitchens's, I was be- 
 nighted on the twelve-mile common, and 
 was wet to the skin, but by the providence 
 of God, I came to the house, where I had 
 called in going down. I knocked at the 
 door, and the woman knew my voice, and 
 said, ' The Lord bless you ! come in.' As 
 soon as 1 went into the house, they pulled 
 oli my wet clothes, and put on me dry ones, 
 and got me something warm for sup- 
 per ; tlieytookmy wet clothes out of my 
 bags, which they rinced, dried and iron- 
 ed. We sang a hymn, went to pray- 
 er, and i gave them an exhortation that 
 night. The next morning, the man rose 
 up, and alarmed that and another village, 
 so that by seven o'clock I had about three 
 hundred to preach to, who all seemed to 
 receive the word with joy. I heard soon 
 afterward, thatthe man and his wife, who 
 received us, had received the Lord that 
 sent us. 
 
 Tiie next night I came to Sticklepath, 
 and preached to a largo congregaiion ia 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 97 
 
 a field. As I was speaking, a woman,, 
 who had been brought up a Quaker, be- 
 gan to tremble, and in a little time sunk 
 down upon the grass, and laid till I had 
 done. Then they brought her to Mrs. 
 Bridgood's, where I was, and I prayed 
 with her. Although most ofthe company 
 were Quakers, yet they desired me to sing, 
 and read several of our hymns. 
 
 The next morning, before I began to 
 preach, the woman that fell down, with 
 two more, came into the room where I 
 was ; she said, ' I had no rest in the night, 
 the anguish of my soul was so great, and 
 I de-sirc thee to pray with me.' We went 
 to prayer, and when we rose up, she said, 
 O praise the Lord, for to-day is the day 
 of Pcnteco.st with me.' 
 
 After I had done preaching, an Excise- 
 man, who came from Crockern Wells, 
 told mc, that it was given out for me (o 
 preach there at ten o'clock that afternoon, 
 and he was to conduct me. So we set 
 out directly, and I preached in anorchard. 
 Among the rest of the people were a cler 
 gyman and his wife. All behaved well. 
 
 Almost as soon as I alighted at the Ox- 
 ford inn, in Exeter, a man came to con- 
 duct me to the place where I was to 
 preach. There was a clergyman in the 
 next room, who soon came into the room 
 where I was, and a?ked me how the two 
 iMr. Wesleys did ? and insisted upon my 
 1 , 
 
08 THP JOURNAL OF 
 
 supping with him. I told him, I must g<y' 
 to preach first. He said he would go with 
 me; which he did. As 1 was preaching, 
 the clerk of a parish fell down, and after 
 him another inati and woman. They did; 
 not cry out, but lay groaning for mercy. 
 After 1 had done, and the greater part of 
 the people were gone, 1 went to prayer 
 with them that were in distress. 
 
 As we went back to the Inn, the Cler- 
 gyman said,' 1 dare not preach as you did' 
 to-night : You prayed that. God would' 
 give yoi! some I'ruit in that place, as he 
 had done in others : I have been a preach- 
 er for many years, and 1 cannot say that I 
 have had any Iruit, that any one has, 
 been converted by my preaching in all 
 my life.' I replied, ' If you be not con- 
 verted yourself, and have not a greater 
 commission than man can give you, you 
 jnay proach all your days, and never con-' 
 vert one soul. 
 
 When wc were at supper, he asked me 
 how Mr. Wesley went on .> and when he 
 .heard how he lived, and how he was treat-, 
 ed by wicked men, he said, * If that be the' 
 way to heaven, I think 1 shall never geft 
 there ; my llesh i.s not brass, nor by bones 
 iron.' I replied, ' You do not know what^ 
 you can bear, till you come to be tried.' 
 He said, 'Well, I believe Mr. Wesley i.s 
 the greatest man in the kingdom, but I 
 think he uses too much austeri' v ' W e 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 99 
 
 ' ed till eleven o'cloc'c, then parted in 
 \ e. I saw hini no more, but Jiave heard 
 ice tliat he receives Mr. Wesley to 
 ( ich in his church, and that God has , 
 mIc him an instrument of converting 
 -riners. 
 
 I preached the next morning, and then 
 set out for Axminsler, where I preached in 
 the open street, at tiiree in the alternoon, 
 to a \veli-l)ehaved people, thou^ it was 
 the second day of the lair. 
 
 The next day, 1 went to Thorngrove, 
 near Middiescy. That night Cod blessed 
 his word to many, as appeared afterwards. 
 One gentlewoman was convinced that 
 night, who four years after sent my w ife 
 four guineas, which came in good time; 
 for she had borrowed four guineas of a 
 neighbour to buy a cow , and the time for 
 payment was come, and she had not mo- 
 ney to pay. 
 
 When I got to Bristol, I found my soul 
 much blessed among the people, and in 
 those ten days there were several that 
 found the Lord. 
 In my return home I preached at Stroud, 
 and several other places in my way to 
 Wednesbury, whither I came not long af- 
 ter the people had been mobbed in such a 
 cruel manner. I preached in an open yard 
 to very large congregations of people, se- 
 veral times ; somt of the mobbers came to 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 hear me, but all behaved well. So he, 
 who stops the raging of the sea, can stay 
 the madness of the people. 
 
 After spending a few days there, I set 
 out for Nottingham, and stayed there twtt 
 days. I preached at the Malt-Cross on th& 
 Sabbath, to a large congregation, in great 
 peace ; but Monday being a rejoicing day, 
 they had bon fires in the Market place, 
 and some came with squibs to disturb me 
 as I was preacliing. One of them threw a 
 squib on fire close to my heels, but a wo- 
 man kicked it away. The man caught it 
 up again to throw at me, but it burst ia 
 his hand, and he went away shaking hia 
 head. Another came on the low side of 
 the cross with a design to thi ow one io 
 my face ; but \ did not turn my face that 
 way as soon as he expected, so that it 
 burst in his own hand. As soon as I had 
 done, a sergeant in the army came to 
 me with tears in his c^es.and said, * in the 
 presence of God, and all this people I beg 
 your pardon ; for I came on purpose to 
 mob you, but when I could get no one to 
 assist me, I stood to hear you, and am con- 
 vinced of the deplorable state my soul id 
 in, and I believe you are a servant of the 
 Jiving God.' He then embraced me, and 
 went away weeping. 
 
 When I got home, I found my wife 
 much better, though never likely to reco- 
 ver her former strength ; owing to the per- 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 101 
 
 sedition she met with at Wakefield, when 
 Mr. narvvood was mobbed there. After 
 they had abused him, she, m ith some wo- 
 men, set out for Birstal, a mob followed 
 them into the fields; wlien they overtook. 
 1 hem, she turned about and spake to them, 
 u|)on wliich all the men returned without 
 touching them, but the women followed 
 them till they came to a gate, where they 
 stopt them. They damned her, saying, 
 • You are Nelson's wife, and here you shall 
 die.' They saw she was big with child, 
 yet beat her on the body so cruelly, that 
 they killed the child in her womb, and she 
 went home and miscarried directly ; this 
 treatment she has reason to remember to 
 her life's end but God more than made 
 it up to her, by filling her with peace and 
 love. 
 
 There had been some disturbance at 
 Leeds, and 1 was the first that stood up af- 
 ter at brother Shent's door. A number of 
 men had protested to pull down the first 
 man that attempted to preach there ; hut 
 if the fear of God could not restrain them, 
 the fear of the magistrates did, so that 
 they did not meddle with me ; only some 
 boys threw about a peck of turnips at me, 
 but not one of them hit me. That was a 
 blessed morning to many souls ; two that 
 had been enemies^ were struck to the 
 ground, and cried out for the disquietude 
 
102 
 
 The journal of 
 
 of Ihcirsouls. I preached often afterwards, 
 ■rt ith little disturbance, and believers were 
 raiiltiplied in l-cedp. 
 
 After i had stayed a few months in 
 Yorkshire, I went a tliini tunc into Lin- 
 colnshire. At Epworth we had peaceable 
 and blessed meetings. But when 1 came 
 to Grimsby, the minister got a man to beat 
 the town drum through the tort-n, and went 
 before the drum, and gathered all the rab- 
 ble he could, giving them lirjuor to go 
 with him to fight for the church. When 
 they came to Mr. Blow's door, they set up 
 three huzzas, and the parson cried out, 
 • Pull down the house ! pull dowB the 
 house!' But no one oHered to touch the 
 house till 1 had donepreaching. Then they 
 broke the windows, till they had not lel't 
 one whole square about the house ; and as 
 the people went out, they abused them, till 
 some of the mob began to fight their I'el- 
 lows for abusing the women, so that most 
 of the people got away while they were 
 lighting one with another. Not long af- 
 ter the"" minister gathered them together 
 again, and gave them more drink ; then 
 they came and broke the stanchions of 
 the windows, pulled up the paving in the 
 streets, which they threw in at the win- 
 dows, and broke the household goods in 
 pieces, the parson crying out, • If they 
 will not turn the villain out, that we may 
 
riK. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 105 
 
 ! him in the bjack-dilch, pull down 
 house.' 
 
 \\ hi!e they wercdriimrning, cursing and 
 s\v caring, fighting and breaking the goods, 
 one ol" their neighbours, who was not a 
 liearer, went to an alderman, and said, 
 • Some order must be taken with these 
 men, Tor if they be suffered to go on as they 
 do, they will ruin William Blow, and I 
 fear they will kill somebody.' But the 
 good alderman said he would do nothing 
 but lend them his mash-tub to pump the 
 preacher in. Then the mob fell out again 
 one with another and dispersed, after la- 
 bouring from seven till almost tw elve at 
 night. The pardon said to the drummer, 
 I will reward you for ^vour pains, but 
 be sure to come at five in the morning, for 
 the villain will be preaching again then.' 
 So the drummer did, and" began to beat 
 just as I was going to give out the hymn. 
 V\ hen he had beat for near three quarters 
 of an hour, and saw it did not disturb us, 
 he laid down his drum, and stood to hear 
 for himself, and the teats presently ran 
 down his cheeks. When [ had ended, he 
 expressed great sorrow for w hat he had 
 done to disturb us. As he and some others 
 went up the town, the parson met them, 
 and bid them be sure to come at seven 
 o'clock. He said, ' No, sir ; I will ne- 
 ver beat the drum to disturb yonder peo- 
 ple *ny more while breath is iu my body.' 
 
THE roURNAt OF 
 
 So that we had great peace in our shatter- 
 ed house that night, and God's presence 
 amongst us. 
 
 The next day I went to Hainton ; and 
 when I had done preaching, a grave elder- 
 ly gentleman came to me and said, ' Your 
 doctrine is sound, but it would far better 
 become a church.' I answered, ' Sir, if a 
 man was hungry in the midst of a desart, 
 and wholesome food was brought him, lie 
 would not refuse to eat because he was not 
 in the dining-room.' He replied, ' You 
 are right, you are right. 1 thank you 
 kindly, and wish you well, and that much 
 good may be done by you wherever you 
 preach, for good food is good, wherever it 
 is eaten.' 
 
 When I got to Epw orth, I was told the 
 clerk was drunk, and had been swearing 
 he would pull down the preacher, and 
 take him to such an ale-house, wliere the 
 curate and some other men were drinking. 
 In the evening, as I was preaching, he 
 came staggering, and rushed in among the 
 people, crying, ' Stand out of the way ; 
 lor 1 must have the preacher : He must 
 go before my master, that is in such an 
 itle-house,' One asked him where his 
 warrant was .> he said he had none, but 
 his master had sent him, and be would 
 make me go with him. The people bade 
 him hold his peace, or get about his busi- 
 ness ; and when he began to be rude, one 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 105 
 
 took him up in his arms, and laid him 
 down upon a dunghill, and there left liim. 
 
 After I got home, it was much impiea- 
 scd upon me, that some trial was coming 
 upon me. And several times when 1 was 
 preaching, 1 have said, ' There is a cloud 
 gathering, and it will burst over my h ead. 
 Opray for me !' After this, I stayed some 
 time in Yorkshire, and sinners were daily 
 turning from their evil ways ; so that se- 
 veral ale-house keepers cursed me to my 
 lace, and told me 1 ought to be transport- 
 ed, for I preached so much hell and dam- 
 nation, that I terrified the people so, that 
 they durst not spend sixpence w ith a neigh- 
 bour. 
 
 Some time after, I met a gentleman as 
 I was riding to Leeds, who said something 
 about the weather. 1 answered, * The 
 Lord orders all things well.' He present- 
 ly said, ' I know you, for I have heard you 
 preach, but I do not like you. You lay 
 a wrong foundation for salvation : Do 
 you think that the blood of another maa 
 will save me.' I replied, ' St. Paul sailh 
 other foundation can no man lay but Christ 
 Jesus i but you say that is a wrong foun- 
 dation. Upon what terms do you expect 
 to be saved He said, ' by good works.' 
 I answered, ' You will be the firstthatever 
 got to heaven that wa,y. But, suppose you 
 could, what would you do when you came 
 there >' He said, ' What do others do 
 
T}iE jourkAl or 
 
 there ?' I answered, ' They sing glory to 
 Cod that sitteth on the throne, and to tlie I 
 Lamb for ever and ever, that was slain, ; 
 and hath redeemed us by his blood. But ! 
 your song will be, glory to myseif. For 1 
 have quickened my own soul, and quali- 
 fied myself for heaven. O sir, what a 
 scandalous sonj^ wiil you have to sing } It 
 w ill make discord in hciiven.' He turned 
 pale, and said nothing tor some time. 
 VVJien he had rode awhile, he said,' All 
 tlie Ijord requires of us is. To do justly, 
 to love mercy, and walk humbly with 
 God ' I answered, ' Do you expect to 
 stand dr fall by that scripture ?' He said, 
 ' I do.' 'I'hen I replied, • You are lost for- 
 ever, if you are to go to heaven fordoing 
 justly, for loving mercy, and walking 
 JiU Tibly with God. I appeal to your con- 
 science, if you have not come short in 
 every one of these duties. Have you dealt 
 -with every man, as you would have Lim 
 do to you, in all circumstances, ever since 
 you knew good from evil > Suppose you had, 
 Jiave you dealt justly with God, and employ- 
 ed every talent, that he has committed to 
 your charge, to his glory, lioth lime, wis- 
 dom and learning ; house, land, health 
 and trade.? If yon i^uv tisod an> one ta- 
 lent, and not to the glory of (Jod, you 
 liave l obbed him.' 'I hen 1 spoke of the 
 other two.' He said, ' There is repent- 
 ance.' But I replied, ' Not for you ; for 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 107 
 
 you are to be saved fordoing justly, for 
 loving mercy, and walking humbly witli 
 God. If you come short of these duties, 
 you must be damned-' He said, ' Lord 
 have mercy on me ! you are enough to 
 make any man despair." ' Yes, i said, of 
 saving himself, that he may come to Jesus 
 Christ and be saved." He argued no 
 more. But heard me patiently, and part- 
 ed friendly. 
 
 One Sunday I was at a chapel, where 
 the Minister laboured much to persuade 
 the people that there was no such thing 
 as the forgiveness of sins in this world : 
 when he had done, he sent the clerk to 
 desire me to call upon him ; I did so, and 
 he told mc, he uuderstood 1 was he that 
 went about to delude the people, telling 
 them they might know their sins forgiv- 
 en in this world, and there is no such 
 thing ; he said, he did not know his own 
 sins were forgiven, and he had talked 
 with several learned Divines, and there 
 was not one of them that did ; and seve- 
 ral believed they must never know it, till 
 the day of judgment. I answered, * Sir, 
 what will be<rome of their souls till then ; 
 will they lie in heaven or hell }' He said, 
 
 • It was an unfair question ' I replied, 
 
 * Sir, if what you say be true, every time 
 we use the church prayers, we offer the 
 sacrifice of fools, and mock God to his 
 face ; for this day you and all the congre- 
 
108 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 gatioii in my presence, prayed that God 
 would forgive you all your sins, negligen- 
 ces, and ignorances ; And you ainrmed 
 in the presence of God, that he pardoneth 
 and absolveth all them that truly repent, 
 and unfeignedly believe the gospel ; if he 
 do not, you are a false witness and a de- 
 ceiver of the people yea, and a contem- 
 ner of the word of God for St Peter 
 eaith, 'To him give all the prophets wit- 
 ness, that whosoever believeth in him, 
 shall receive forgiveness of their sins.' 
 And St. Paul saith, ' By him all that be- 
 lieve are justified from all things/ He 
 doth not say they shall be justified at the 
 day of judgment, but all that believe are 
 justified. And St. John saith, ' I write 
 unto you little children, because your sins 
 are Ibrgiven for his name's sake.' He re- 
 plied, ' You take some part of Scripture.' 
 1 answered, ' I leave all the rest to you 
 to contradict me if you can. For this day 
 you have denied the faith of the Church 
 you call yourself a Minister of ; as she 
 saith, ' Before the grace of ' Christ, and 
 the inspiration uf his Holy Spirit, no good 
 work, can be done.' But you say, there is 
 no such thing as inspiration to be expect- 
 ed in this age. And yet you prayed that 
 God would cleanse the thoughts of your 
 heart by the inspiration of his Holy Spi- 
 rit !* Then be said, * You have too good 
 
-MR JOHN NELSON. 
 
 10) 
 
 a memory Cor ine Landlady, brii)g us a 
 pint of ale :' — So I left him 
 
 One man in our town that had ran 
 well for a season, but had turned from 
 us, and was become a liappy sinner, now 
 invited tiie "Germans to preac*. at his 
 house. One of their chief Preachers came, 
 and said, (after preaching,) they had been 
 asking their Saviour about preaching in 
 Birstai ; and the Lamb had made it plain 
 to them, the time was come that they 
 should have a church in Birstai : 'YhiciJ, 
 when one came and told me ; 1 said, 
 * God had shewed me to the contrary, 
 and you may go and tell the Preacher, 
 that that Iamb who told thein so, is a 
 liar.' They came several weeks together, 
 but to no purpose. Then the Preacher 
 said, ' It is not the lamb's will that they 
 should come any more ' When they told 
 me, I replied, ' Their lamb is much giv- 
 en to change : He had not continued in 
 one mind for three months. ' 
 
 After this, as I was going to StainclifT 
 to work at my business, about five in the 
 morning, I met with a Dissenting Minis- 
 ter ; he ^topped me, and said, 'John, 
 3 0U go often this way : I would have you 
 come and spend an hour with us, for I 
 want to talk with you.' 1 answered, I 
 have not an hour to spare, for I go to 
 my work at five ia the morning, and 
 
110 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 work till six at night- Then I have al- 
 ways somewhere to go and preach ; sq 
 that [ have scareiy time to read a chap- 
 ter in the Bible, but at my dinner hour; 
 and sometimes i have to preach in that 
 hour.' He said, ' What do you mean by 
 Redemption ? Do you mean that Christ 
 hath died lor all ?' I replied, ' 1 do be- 
 lieve he did, or he cannot judge ail : 
 For Truth itself cannot condemn any 
 man, because he will not believe a lie.' 
 He said, ' What do you mean >' I answer- 
 ed, ' Every man is bound to believe that 
 by nature he is a child of wrath ; and 
 by wilful sin an heir of hell ; and that 
 while he was in that lost condition, the 
 eternal Son of God, for his sake, took 
 upon him our nature; and did in that 
 nature fulfil all righteousness for him, and 
 at the last gave his soul an offering for 
 sin ; he must consciously believe that the 
 Lord Jesus Christ loved him, and gave 
 himself for him, or he must be damned 
 eternally. And if the Lord did not give 
 himself for him, he must be damned, be- 
 cause he does not believe a lie. But you 
 know it is said, ' He, by the grace of (Jod, 
 tasted death for every man ; and he gave 
 himself a ransom for all, to be testified in 
 due season.' And St. Johnsaith, ' He is 
 the propitiation for our sins ; and not for 
 ours only, but for the sins of the whole 
 world.' Sir, there are numberless Scrip, 
 tures that say he did die for all ; but 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 Ill 
 
 shew me one that saith he did not die 
 lor a!l ? He answered, ' if he died lor all, 
 w'Jiy are ni)t all saved ?' 1 replied, ' Ket 
 the Lord an.ivver I'or Jiiiiiseli" :— ' Ve will 
 not come unto jjic, tliat ye init^ht Iiave 
 life.' He then said, ' You say, it is 
 of him that willeth.' I answered, ' U is 
 Christ that saith, 'Ye will not come to 
 ilie. Do not pi eiend to be wiser than the 
 Lord that tiiadcyon. ^'cii sayyou will have 
 no ifs ; but i say. If you give the promise 
 without the condition, Uod will take your 
 name out of the book of life. 1 hope you 
 will weigh these things ; i shall be glad 
 to converse with you at some other oppor- 
 tunity, for my time is now expired." 
 
 Almost every day some came to dispute 
 with me as 1 was at work. And I saw eve- 
 ry day more clearly, that he who insists on 
 men being saved from theirs-ns, by Christ 
 in this world, is like a speckled bird, for 
 all Sects and Parties that have not the life 
 of Christ in them to mock at. 
 
 One day two Quakers fell upon me very 
 Jiolly, and told me 1 was carnal, or else I 
 should not make use of carnal ordinances, 
 nor seek the living among the dead, i 
 told them, those ordinances they called 
 carnal. • knew to be spiritual ; for God 
 had relVesiied my soul in the use of them 
 by his spirit. * You say, I seek the living- 
 among tiie dead,' but I do not ; for 1 have 
 twuiid tht Lord of ii!e in the great congre- 
 
THE JOORNjIL of 
 
 gation : But if I would leave the church, 
 where njust 1 go 'o find a people ihat arc 
 truly alive to God? They told ine, it" 1 
 M as right i should come to thetn ; for they 
 ,were the only people that had spiritu- 
 al worship ainoiisgt them, 'i'hey talked 
 liiuch about Ceoige Fox and William 
 Pean, and said, ' What thinkest thou of 
 theinr'' i answered, 'I think well of them ; 
 but their graces will profit you nothing, 
 cxctpt the same change be wrought in 
 your hearts, as was in tiiem. Neither 
 do i see that you are Gods people any 
 more than those who go to church ; for 
 the Lord hath set a mark upon his chil- 
 dren, and it will l est on them as long as 
 the world endureth.' 'I'hey asked, ' What is 
 that mark ?' I replied, ' They are hated of 
 all men that know not God : for they who 
 live after the viirit must be persecuted by 
 those that live after the flesh. I do not 
 see that is your case, any more than of 
 those who go to church : Your forefathers 
 bad tliat spot of God's children ; but you 
 have lost it as much as the cliurcii.' Then 
 one of them turned pale, and said," Do 
 you believe that Giod hath no people in the 
 land but the Methodists ?' I replied, 1 
 did not say so/ He said, ' They are the 
 only people that are persecuted now ' 
 'I'liey thenwentaway seemingly much dis- 
 contented. ' 
 
 As i was passingthro' part of Lancashire, 
 1 found the Lord reviving his m ork among 
 
113 
 
 MH. JOHN HF.LSCN. 
 
 the people. After I bad dene preaching 
 at one place, a man and his wile came to 
 me. both in tears, and desired nic to pray 
 with them ; 1 did so. When I had done, I 
 was exhorting them to abstain Irom all 
 evil, and to continue in prayer, and told 
 them, God would shew mercy un o them 
 for the obedience and blood-snedding ot 
 his dear Son. Presently a dissenter broke 
 out. and said, ' You are deceiving the 
 people, and setting them to lean on a bro- 
 ken reed, i>y telling them that another 
 man's obeelience and blood would atone foi 
 their sins' I asked him how he could 
 stand before that God who is ol purer eyes 
 : than to behold iniquity, il tiie.e were no 
 merit in the blood of Christ to atone lor 
 bis sins > He saul. ' Man hath sucn noble 
 faculties, that if he improve them, he will 
 thereby qualify liimself ior heaven ; but 
 you degrade man's nature in your prearh- 
 io- and set him on a level with the brute 
 ' beasts.' 1 said.' Did i so?' He replied, 
 • Yes yon did, for 1 heard you myseli. 
 I replied, ' Then sir. you heard me preach 
 fulse doctrine; fur if 1 set a natural mau 
 upon a level with the beasts, 1 set h.m 
 p-ieatly out of hi.s place : I believe he ib 
 far worse ; for he has not only all the 
 faculties of the beast, which are Inst 
 and earthly mindedness, but the nature 
 of the devil, wrath, pride, malice and am- 
 bition, he is therefore three degrees w orse 
 
 K S 
 
114 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 than a beast, till he is created anew in 
 Christ Jesus ; go that if I ranked him with 
 the beasts, I set him above his place.' 
 Then he burst out into anger : But I said, 
 • Sir, make use of that reason you speak 
 of, and let mc see you save yourself from 
 anger,' At which he was ready to strike 
 me ; and went away, leaving me, as lie 
 said, in my stupid condition. 
 
 When 1 had got about ten miles farther 
 into the country, another Dissenter came 
 into the house, where 1 was at prayer 
 with a poor man. When I had done, I 
 exhorted him not to rest, till he was sure 
 that the Lord Jesus had loved him. and 
 washed him from his sins in his own blood. 
 At which words, the dissenter spoke out, 
 saying, ' I hate to hear people talk of be* 
 ing assured of any such thing, or of per- 
 fection in tliis world." 1 replied,' Is the 
 Lord oi life able to do what he came from 
 heaven to do >' He said, ' What is that .> 
 I answered, ' To destroy the works of the 
 devil, to make an end of sin, and to bring 
 in an everlasting righteousness.' He said, 
 ' Shall you make me believe that any man 
 can live without committing sin.' I an- 
 swered, ' I cannot tell whether 1 can make 
 you believe it or not ; but this I can tell 
 you, by the authority of God s word, that if 
 you are not saved from your sins here, 
 you must be damned.' Well, said he, 1 
 care not what you say ; for no man can 
 live without coiTjniitting sin one day.' I 
 
MR. JOHN NKLSOK. 
 
 Hi 
 
 replied, ' By yourtalkit is as necessary for 
 a man to commit sin, as to cat ; for you 
 say, he cannot live without it. Now doth 
 it keep his body or soul alire ? Or do you 
 believe, that all mankind are to live in sin, 
 and die without perfecting holiness in the 
 fear of God, and so be damned without 
 liope or help ?' He answered,' No ; God 
 forbid.' Then I said, ' You must be- 
 lieve there is a purgatory to cleanse the 
 souls in alter death. Sir, you and the 
 devil speak one language ; for he said to 
 our mother Eve, ' Did God say, in the day 
 that ye eat thereof, ye shall die. Ye shall 
 not die ' Hod saith, ' The soul that sinneth. 
 it shall die: But you say, ' The souls of 
 all must continue in sin, and yet they shall 
 not die ! He said, ' You shock me ; if 
 things be as you Siiy, what Avill become of 
 the greatest part of mankind 1 replied, 
 • Our Lord's word is, ' What is that to 
 thee, follow thou me." He said,' 1 cannot 
 but acknowledge, you have the scripture 
 on your side. But if you are right, we 
 are sadly wrong. 1 never did hear one of 
 you in my life ; lor our Minister has warn- 
 ed us not to hear you ; but i am determin- 
 ed to hear you this night.' So he did, and 
 thanked mc kindly w hen I had done. 
 
 At my return home, I was told, that they 
 were going to press men for his Majesty's 
 service, and that several of the aie-house- 
 keepera and clergymen had agreed to 
 
HTl THE JOURNAL or 
 
 press me for one. And I was advised not 
 to preach for a season, by several of my 
 neighbours. But! told them, 1 durst not 
 leave off preaching, for any thing that 
 man could do unto me. They replied, 
 * You should consider that you hare a 
 wife and children, and that your wife is 
 now big with child ; and if you be taken 
 from them, what can the poor woman do, 
 or how must she provide for her chil- 
 dren 1 said, • Let God look to that : If 
 wicked men be suffered to take away my 
 life, for calling sinners to the blood of 
 Jesus; the Lord, whose servant 1 am,, 
 will be a husband to the widow, and a fa- >' 
 ther to the f^tJierlcss. And were 1 assur- " 
 ed, 1 should be banished or put to death 
 for preaching, and niy wife and children 
 bsg their bread bare foot, I durst not leave 
 oft" : for the words of our Lord pursue me, 
 ' He thatlovcth father or;nother, wife or 
 childven, or his own life, moretiian me, is 
 not worthy of ine ; and he that would save 
 his life, shall lose it ; and he that will 
 hsc hio life for my sake, shall save it. 
 Therefore, pray for me, but do not tempt 
 me to sin against my own soul. 
 
 A few days after 1 went to Pudsey ; but 
 •whe-.i I got there, the people of the house 
 durst not let me preach ; they fold me the 
 constable had orders to press me, and de- 
 sired me not to light, but go back directly. 
 I rode down to a public house, where the 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 117 
 
 constable and some ethers met toge- 
 ther, iiiid talked with them ; and the peo- 
 ple had said, he had orders to jm css me ; 
 but he said, ' i will not ; for j ou do nrt ap- 
 pear to be a vagrant, and my warrant runs 
 lor none but vagrants.' JVlany of the peo- 
 
 Eie followed me into the lane, and 1 sat on 
 orseback, exhorting tJiem to keep close 
 to God bj prayer, and the Loid would 
 build the walls of Jerusalem, in these trou- 
 ble.iome times. 
 
 Soon after, I went to preach at Leeds. 
 "When I got there, I was told (hat two 
 constables had orders to press me, if f 
 preached that night. 1 said, ' if the peo- 
 ple will venture to liear, 1 dare not but 
 preach and immediately 1 went to the 
 place, where was a large congregation ga- 
 thered together, to v ho.m i preached ; 
 and a blessed season it was. The two 
 constables ga^e great heed to what was 
 spoken, and never offered to disturb me. 
 or any one of the people ; but went av\ ay 
 like men that feared Cotl. 
 
 1 still kept hewing stone in the day 
 time, and preaching every night Or: e day 
 as 1 was at work, the same ditscnting min- 
 ister, that had stopped mc one morning, 
 came to me, and began to ask mc many 
 questions. He seemed oit<;nded with my 
 answers, and said, he would have none of 
 my ifs and bulji. I answered, ' Sir, tlicy are 
 coiie of mine, they are the w ords of tlie 
 
THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 f-iord Jesiis ; and who is he, thil dares put 
 asuuder what the Lord hath joined toge- 
 ther ?' Then ]ie replied, 'Do you think 
 God would [Hit \'ou ofi', ifjoii W'ere to com- 
 mit as '^1 r;it a sin as ever you committed 
 in all your life ?' J said ' i believe 1 should 
 tliereby cut myself oflflVom God for the 
 prophet saith, ' Your sins have separated 
 between you and your God :* And God 
 paith, ' i\'y people have committed two 
 evils ; For they have forsaken me the 
 fountain of living water, and have hewo 
 out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns 
 that will hold no water." Mow Sir, God 
 would nothave said, ' They have forsaken 
 me,' if they had never been acquainted 
 Avith him ; and I believe, that one of the 
 cisterns which they hewed to themselves, 
 was the opinion you have in your head, 
 that sin will not separate the soul from 
 God.' He said, * You do not understand 
 the nature of God's decree -. For God doth 
 not look upon sin in the elect: lie did not 
 behold the iniquity in .lacob, nor see sin in 
 Israel.' I said, 'No sir, he did not, while 
 Jacob was upright and God was his glory : 
 At that time, God rejoiced over him, to do 
 him good, with his whole heart, and his 
 whole soul ; but when hecommitted whore- 
 dom with the daughters of Moab and be- 
 gan to bow to their idols, then God's anger 
 was kindled against Israel, and he cutoff 
 twenty-four thousand of them in his wrath. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 119 
 
 even the very people whom Balaam had 
 pronounced blessed.' 
 
 Then his brother-in law, who was by 
 hirn, began to curse and swear, and lifted 
 up his stick, saying, he could find in his 
 heart to knock me down, and called me a 
 damned dog ; and said, ' Cans t thou have 
 the impudence to talk so to a minister ? 
 Thou deservesttliy brainsbeat out.' 1 said, 
 * Sir, here is an evidence of what I said, 
 for you can be angry with me for preach- 
 ing righteousness by Jesus Christ, but you 
 do not reprove this man for blaspheming 
 the holy name of God.' Then they went 
 away and left me to my work.' 
 
 A little time after, as I was at work, a 
 man came to me, and said, he had called 
 at a public house for a pint of ale, a little 
 way from Birstal, and he heard the land- 
 lord offer to lay five pounds with some that 
 were drinking, that John Nelson would be 
 sent for a soldier before ten days were 
 past: I replied, ' The will of the Lord be 
 done : if (Jod permit it to be so, this also 
 shall turn to the furtherance of the gos- 
 pel.' He said, ' 1 would have you take 
 care, for evil is determined against you.' 
 I answered, 'I am not my own, but the 
 Lord's : He that lays hands on me, will 
 burn his own fingers, and God will deliver 
 me after he hath tried me.' 
 
 Soon after as I was at my work at ano- 
 ther place, three geatle<nen cai;;e to lac. 
 
]20 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 and one of them began to speak strongly 
 against perfection. 1 gave him no answer. 
 Then another began to talk about build- 
 ing ; and said, ' Hewing of stone is a fine 
 art.' I replied, ' Sir, it was a fine art 
 once, wlien there were eiglity thousand to- 
 getlier, so skilled in the art, that every 
 man's stones were |)erfectly fitted for the 
 places tiiey were to have in the temple be- 
 fore they were brought ofT the moun- 
 tain ; so that when they came to Jerusa- 
 lem, there was not one stroke to strike at 
 them, nor the sound of a tool heard in the 
 building : Sir, you will allow those men 
 to be workmen t')at needed not to be asha- 
 med ; For tiieir work was perfect before 
 it came to Jerusalem.' The gentleman 
 said, * You are right, you are right ; I 
 will never speak against holiness being 
 perfected in this world again ; for certain- 
 ly that house of God at Jerusalem, was a 
 type of the house eternal in the hea- 
 vens ; and every stone of that must be fit- 
 ted perfectly for ii's place in this world, 
 oriit must not be admitted into that New- 
 Jerusalem.' He added, ' I thank you ; and 
 wish that our preachers may so square 
 their work after the rules of God's word, 
 that they may not be ashamed when they 
 come to give up their accounts to him who 
 is Lord of the work.' 
 
 Wherever 1 w ent to preach, for ten 
 days together, I v. as told that the consta- 
 bles had orders to press me. My answer 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 was, ''Hie will of the Lord be done ; for 
 the fierceness of man shall turn to his 
 praise.* 
 
 On Friday, as I was hewing stone, i( 
 was in my mind, that trouble was near at 
 hand ; but the words of isaiah were a stay 
 to me. • I even I am he thnt comforteth 
 you. Who art tliou, that thou shoiiidst 
 be afraid of man that shall die, or ol'tlie 
 son of man, .vhich shall be made as grass." 
 And again it came to me, ' Fear thou not, 
 for ! am wilii thee, be not dismayed, 
 for 1 am thy God , I will strengthen thee, 
 yea, I will help thee, yea, 1 will uphold 
 thee with the right hand of my righteous- 
 ness. Dehold, all thsy that are incensed 
 against tliee, shall be ashamed and con- 
 founded, they shall be as nothing, and 
 they that strive with thee shall perish. ' 
 
 At night I was met, as 1 was going to 
 Adwalton, by one who told mc. that the 
 parson and aleho'ise-kcepers had agreed to 
 press me that night, and to send nie awvy 
 the next morning for the commis.=ioners 
 ■were to sit at Halifax, and they would 
 dispatch me before 1 could get any one to 
 appear in my behaif. And she said, ' I 
 would have you turn back. ; for there is one 
 alehouse-keeper that swears he will press 
 you, if his arm rots from his shouh'f!)-.' 
 i answered, I cannot tear ; for God i s on 
 my side, and his word hath added strength 
 to my soul this day. And if I fall into the 
 L 
 
i£2 The journal ot 
 
 hands of wicked men, God shall be glorifi- 
 ed tliereby, and when he liath proved me 
 ill the furnace, he will bring me forth as 
 
 ;^0ld.' 
 
 Accordingly I went to AdwaUon, and 
 expou'ided at John Booth's, to a well beha- 
 ved congregiition. When 1 had done, Jo- 
 seph Gibson, the constable's deputy, (an 
 alehouse-keeper, who found his craft was 
 in danger,) pressed me ibra soldier. 1 ask- 
 ed iiiin by whose order ? He said, ' Several 
 of the inhabitants of the town, who did not 
 like so much preaching -.' and by his own 
 talk it appeared, they were those of his 
 own cralt, and the clergymen who had a- 
 greed together 
 
 He caused me to go to the White-Heart, 
 whither Mr. Charlesworth, and Mr. 
 Holmes of Sikehouse, and several more 
 went with us, and Mr. Charlesworth offer- 
 ed 500l. bail for me till the next day. But 
 110 bail was to be taken for a Methodist, 
 ^so called.) He protested 1 should go to 
 his house. 1 made no resistance, but 
 went, and several of onr people with us ; 
 and we sang a hymn and prayed together, 
 and so parted. 
 
 Next morning several people came to 
 see me before we went from Adwalton. 
 Here I was kept ten hours before the war- 
 rant came into his house : when tlie con- 
 .ititble came, he said> ' H lie had been there,. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. ICI 
 
 ihe would have prevented what Gibson 
 had done.' 
 
 Between eight and nine I went to Bir- 
 stal, to my house ; and after I had chang- 
 ed my clothes, we set out I'or Halifax. 
 When 1 was brought before the commissi- 
 oners, they smiled at one another, as soon 
 aathey saw me. They bid the door-keepers 
 not to let any man come in ; hui Mr. Tho- 
 mas Brooks had got in witii me ; a.nd they 
 «aid, ' That is one of his converts.' Then 
 they called Joseph Gibson, and asked how- 
 many men he Jiad brought?' He said, 
 ' One.' ' Well, and what nave you against 
 him ?' ' Why, gentlemen,' said he, ' I have 
 nothing against him, but he preaches to 
 the people and some of our townsmen 
 don't like so much preaching ' They broke 
 out in laughter ; and one of them swore, 
 I was fit to go for a soldier, for there 1 
 might have preaching enough. I said to 
 him, ' Sir, you ought not to swear.' ' Well, 
 said they to me, you have no license to 
 preach, and you shall go ibr a soldier.' 1 
 answered, ' Sir. I have surely as much 
 right to preach, as you have to cwear.' 
 He said to the captain, 'captain, is he fit 
 for you ?' ' Yes,' he answered : ' Then 
 take him away.' 
 
 But 1 s.aid, ' Here are several of my ho- 
 nest neighbours ; you ought to give rue thff 
 liberty of anotlier man, and hear what lliey 
 say of me, whether I am such a one its ihe 
 
1C4 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 warrant raer.tiotis, or no.' Tljcy answer- 
 etJ, * Here is your miaistcr, (one of the 
 commissioners,) and he hatli told us of 
 yoi;r chai ncter, and we will hear no more. 
 So i fuund 1 was comdemned before tho 
 foriinaissioners saw me. 
 
 Tliea Mr Brooks laid the petitions be- 
 fore tlicm, sent mc by neighbouring gen- 
 tlemen, which testified I had done no evil^ 
 bat had behaved myself well in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and had always maintained my 
 i'amily very well : and they desired them 
 to set me at liberty. And Mr. Brooks said, 
 
 ♦ Gentlemen, you see he is not such a man 
 as is mentioned in the warrant.' But 
 they bade him hold his peace, and said. 
 You are one of his pupils, and ought to 
 go wil-h him.' He answered, ' Why do 
 you not send me then for you have as 
 much right to send me as him.' 
 
 Tiien our minister spoke and said, 
 
 * Yoi!i:g Brooks lives with a woman of 
 the \". oJtit chiiracter in our town,' When 
 I liearJ him speak ag . tin st hi.s neighbour, 
 sucli notorious i'alHshoods as ttiese, I 
 thought it would be to no purpose for Mr. 
 Brooks in say any more ; so i desij ed him 
 to be silent. 'J'hen they read the papers 
 sent on my behalf; and one of the coni- 
 ])any asked, if he must put them on the 
 file ? But the answer to him by several 
 w.t.s, ' No, for if they be called for, they 
 « iil make against us." 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. I'-o 
 
 ' So, said I, gentlemen, I sec there is 
 neither law nor justice lor a nmn tli;d is 
 called a Methodist ; but all is lawful ihat 
 is done against me. I pray God roi ;j;i\ e 
 you, for you know not u hatyou do.' 'i'liey 
 answered, ' Surely yoiir minister must 
 be a better judge of you than any other 
 Uian ; and he hath told us enough of you 
 undyour preaching' ' Well, said!, Mr. 
 C — , What do you know of me that is 
 evil ? Whom have I defrauded ? Or wiicro 
 have I contracted a debt that I cannot 
 pay?' He said, ' You have no visi'ole way 
 of getting your living' 1 answered, ' i 
 am as able to get my living with my hands 
 as any man ol iiiy trade: in England is, and 
 you know it : and Iiave i not been at work 
 yesterday, and all the wcoi: befcre.' But 
 they bane the captain take me away ; eo 
 he came, and said. ' We wiii take ^ ou oif 
 preaching soon.' I answered, ' You must 
 first ask my master's leave.' Bui, he said, 
 ' We will makeyou give over.' i replied, 
 ' It is out of your power.' Then Jie thrust 
 me into a corner of the room, and said, 
 * You shall have company presently ' 
 
 Afterwards several were brought to the 
 c^ommissioneis, and three condemned to 
 go with me, and lour or five acquitted. 
 But all had their neighbours to speak for 
 them, except me ; for what need was 
 there of any other witness ? 
 
 L 2 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Gloi-y be to God on high ! He kept my 
 soul all this time in pcrlect peace ; and I 
 could say to him, from my heart, — 
 
 Whilst thou, O my God, art nigh. 
 My soul disdains to fear ; 
 
 Sin and Satan I defy, 
 Still inipotcntly near: 
 
 Earth and hell their w ars may wage. 
 Calm 1 mark their vain design. 
 
 Smile to see them idly rage. 
 Against a child ol" thine. 
 
 Then the captain read the articles to 
 us that were condenined, and said, ' Vou 
 hear your doom is death, if you disobey 
 ns.' [answered,' 1 do not lear the man 
 that cap kill me, any more than I do hjm 
 w ho can cut down a dog standard. For I 
 know my life is hid with Christ in God •, 
 and he w ill judge between you and me 
 one day ; but 1 beseech him not to lay this 
 sin to jour charge.' And to Mr. C — , [ 
 said, ' Sir.i pray God forgive you, for yon 
 have givenime such a character, as not 
 another man in England will, that knows 
 ine.' 
 
 I was greatly surprised to see men sit 
 on the judgment seat, and drink and swear 
 as they did ; and a man that had a com- 
 mission iVom God to reprove all that do 
 such things, could hear and see, and yet 
 never speak in God's cause. It made me 
 cry out to the Lord, 'Take t!ie matter in 
 
MR. JOHN NJSLSON. 
 
 thine own hand, O God, for righteousness 
 is fallen in the streets, and iniquit;- bears 
 rule.' But I could not hear them swear, 
 but must 1 spealc to them, although they 
 mocked my reproof. 
 
 Then we were guarded to Halifax ; but 
 the keeper would not let us come into his 
 jail. We were then taken to the olhcer s 
 quarters, and kept till six at night ; where 
 John Rhodes and Thomas Charlesworth, 
 of Little Gummersall, came to see iiie, 
 and cared for my soul, as if they had been 
 my mother's sons. O, my God, remein 
 her them for good, and give them and 
 their houses, and all that wish well to our 
 Sion, to rejoice in *iie gladness of thy peo- 
 ple ! 
 
 At six we set out for Bradforth, and 
 many of the inhabitants of Halifax i)rayed 
 forme, and wept to see me in the hands 
 of unrighteous and cruel men. But I said, 
 * Fear not, God hath his way in the whirl- 
 wind, and he will plead my cause — Only 
 pray for me, that my faith fail not ' 
 
 When we were about half way between 
 Halifax and Bradforth, one of the soldiers 
 said to me, ' Sir, I am sorry for you ; for 
 the captain is ordered by the commission- 
 ers to put you in the dungeon — But I will 
 speak to him, and if he will let me have 
 the care of you, you shall lie with me. 
 for the dungeon is as loathsome a place a» 
 I ever saw.' I thanked him for his offer. 
 
1C8 
 
 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 But when we got to Bradforth, we were 
 drawn up in tlie street where the cross 
 BtooJ, and the captain went and fetched 
 the people of the dungeon, and said, 
 ' Take this mati, and [lut him into the 
 dungeon : And take this other along with 
 you. — (A poor harmless man, all the 
 clothes upon whose back were not worth 
 one siiiliing ; , neither did they lay any 
 thing to his charge, when he was ordered 
 for asoldier,) 
 
 But wiien we came to the dungeon door, 
 the soldier wlio spoke to me by the way, 
 went to the captain, and said, 'Sir, if 
 you will give me charge over Mr, Nelson, 
 my life i'or his, he bbuU be forth-coming 
 in the morning.' But the captain threat- 
 ened to break his head, if he spoke about 
 me any more. 
 
 The captain came to us before I went 
 down, and i asked him, ' Sir, what have 
 I done, that 1 must go to the dungeon if 
 you are afraid of me, that 1 should run 
 away, set a guard over me in a room, and 
 1 will pay them.' He answered, ' My or- 
 der is to put you in the dungeon.' So I 
 see my Lord's word is fulfilled, ' The ser- 
 vai.t is not above his master.' For those, 
 who were accused of thieving, and great 
 evils which they had done in the neigh- 
 bourhood, m,ust eat and drink, and lie on 
 feather beds ; but I only desired a little 
 w afer, a;id it was refused lae by the rap- 
 
Ma. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 tain, although I had nothing all day ex 
 cept a little tea in the inonung. But my 
 Master never sends his servants a warfu,re 
 at their own charge : He gives streuglh ac- 
 eorcling to our i'.ny. For, when > came 
 into the dungeon, that stunic ■worse than 
 u hog st^-e or little house, by reason ol'the 
 blood I lil:h, uhich sink Irotn the but- 
 chers who kill over it, jny sou! v>-;;s so fill- 
 ed with the love of God, that it wiis a pa^ 
 J adise to me. 
 
 Then could I cry out, O the gloriolis li- 
 berty ol'the sons of God ! And 1 fell dow n 
 on my knees, and gave God thanks, that 
 he counted me worthy to be ; ut in a dun- 
 geon for truth's sake ; and prayed that my 
 isnemies might be saved from the wrath to 
 come, I think, with as much desire as I 
 could feel for ray own mother's children. 
 I wished they were as happy in their own 
 houses as 1 was in the dungeon. 
 
 About teu, several of tlie people came 
 to the dungeon-door, and brought me some 
 caudles, and put me some meat and water 
 ia through the hole of the door. When I 
 bad eat and drank, I gave God thatiks 
 aud we sang hymns almost all night, they 
 without, and 1 u ilhin. 
 
 The same night a man that lives in 
 Bradfoi th. came to the dungeon, and tho' 
 he was an enemy to the Methodists, when 
 he smelt the ill savour of the place, he 
 said, ' Humanity moves me ;'' he went 
 
150 
 
 tun JOUnNAL OF 
 
 away dfrectly, and about eleven came 
 again, and said. " I will assure you 1 am 
 not in y«ur way of thinking; but for all 
 that I have been with your captain, and 
 oirered ten pounds bail for you, and my- 
 self as prisoner, if he would let you lie in 
 a bed, but all in vain, for I can get nothing 
 of him but bad words. If tlie justice were 
 ill town, I would have gone to him, and 
 would soon have fetch'd you out ; But since 
 it is as it is, I pray God plead your cause.' 
 O my God, let not him that would give a 
 cup of cold water to thy servants, lose his 
 reward ; but do thou bless him, and bless 
 thy people : and I beseech thee to have 
 mercy on our enemies, and let not thy 
 heavy judgments fall upon them ; but be 
 thou glorified in their conversion, not in 
 their destruction ! 
 
 The poor man that was with me, might 
 have starved, if my friends had not 
 brought him meat; For when they had 
 locked us up, they went to their lodging, 
 and took no more thought of us that night. 
 Here we had not so much as a stone tu sit 
 on. 
 
 When the man and I were laid down in 
 a little stinking straw, • Pray you. Sir, 
 (said he.) are ail these your kinsfollt, that 
 they love you so well? 1 think they are 
 the most loving people that ever I saw in 
 my life.' 1 answered, * By this you may 
 hllQW that they are Jesus Christ s disciplesi 
 
Mt. JOHN NEL86N. i3l 
 
 fbr this is the mark he himself has gi- 
 ven, whereby all men might kwow his dis- 
 ciples from the unbtiieviiig world.' 
 
 At faur in the morning, my Avife and 
 several more came to the dungeon, and 
 epoke to me through the hole of the door ; 
 and I said, ' Jeremiah's lot is luUen upon 
 me.' Then it came to my remembrance, 
 that when I was about thirteen or fourteen 
 years old, I often thought if God would 
 make me like Jeremiah, to stand and speak 
 his words to the people in ihe streets, as 
 he did, I should not mind who cast dirt at 
 me. And now 1 am in some measure, 
 treated as he was, for persuading men to 
 Wee from the wrath to come. 
 
 My wife said, ' Fear not , the cause in 
 Is God s, lor which you are here, and he 
 will plead it himself. Therefore be not 
 concerned about me and the children : For 
 he that feeds the yoiing raveua will be 
 mindful of us. He will give you strength 
 for your day ; and after we have suflered 
 awhile, he will perfect that which is lack- 
 ing in our souls, and then bring us where 
 the wicked cease from troubling, and 
 where the weary are at rest.' 
 
 So they all said that were with her at 
 the door. 1 was greatly refreshed at fuid- 
 ingmyw ifeso strong in faith, when she 
 was like to be left with two children, and 
 big with another at the same time: and 
 euid, * 1 cannot fear either man or devil,- 
 
TKD JOURNAL 0* 
 
 SO long as I find the love of God as I do 
 now; for he has cheered my heart as with 
 sweet wine, ever since he suffered nie to 
 he cast into prison- O thai I may be faith- 
 I'ul unto death, and I shall receive the 
 crown of life ! For not one word of Jesus 
 shall fail to the ground till all be accom- 
 plished.' 
 
 About five in the morning they took me 
 out, and we were guarded to Leeds, and 
 stood in the street till ten. Hundreds 
 tiocked to see me. Some said, 'It is a 
 shame to send a man for a soldier for 
 speaking the truth ; for many of our neigh- 
 bours that follow the Methodists, and 
 were as wicked before as any people in the 
 town, ars now like new creatures-, for 
 T/e don t hear an ill word come out oftJicir 
 mouths. ' Others cried, '1 wish they were 
 haitgctl out of the way, for they make 
 people go mad : and we cannot get drunk, 
 or swear, but every fool must correct us, 
 as it^we were to he taught by them. But i 
 hope they will be brought to nought, for 
 that is one of the worst of them.' 
 
 As I was standing, a jolly well dressed 
 woman came up to me, and put her face 
 •iliiiost to mine, and said, ' Now, Nelson, 
 
 i;ere is thy Cod ? thou saidest at Shcnts 
 door, as thou w.-ist preaching, thou wast 
 iio more.afraid of his promise iailing, than 
 tiiou wast of dropping through the heart 
 of the earth." 1 ftplied. ' i.ook in the 
 
MR. JOlIN NELSON 
 
 7t!i chapter of Micah, and t!ie Sea aM^Oth 
 verses." r 
 
 Just as fhe church began, I was guard- 
 ed to the jail, and the others ordered to 
 the ale-house. The jail-keeper here was 
 very civil ; lor be let ir.y friends come in 
 eeveral times to see nic. 1 thought of the 
 I'ilgrim's Progress ; For hundreds of peo- 
 ple in the street stood and looked at nic 
 througli the iron-grate, and were readj' 
 to fight about me. Several would have 
 given bail for nie, if they would let me 
 out hilt 1 was told that one hundred 
 pounds were refused, which were oHered 
 by a stranger for nie. I am too notorious 
 a criminal to be allowed snch favours ; for 
 Christianity is a crime wliich the world 
 can never forgive. 
 
 At night, 1 believe, a hunurtci of our 
 friends were Avith mc in the juil together. 
 We sang ahymn, and prayed. I gave an 
 exhortation, and ]>arted. But .Mr. li. 
 was not willing th?.t I should lay on stink- 
 ing straw, and .sent me a i)ed to lie on. I 
 find the time is not yet come lor me to be 
 hated of all men i'or the sake of Christ. I 
 pray God to give me strength for that day ! 
 Glory be to his holy name, hitherto ' is 
 grace is sufficient lor me, and I hang up- 
 on his promise for strength in my next 
 trial. 
 
 At five on Monday morning, I was let 
 out of jail, and we marched otf for York. 
 
134^ i| THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 direciP-j many of our friends went with 
 us our of the town near three miles ; but 
 w hen I came to take my leave, they mourn- 
 ed as one that had lost his first born. I 
 spoke comfortable words to them, and 
 l)ade them, 'standfast, in nothing terri- 
 iied by your adv^ersarics ; which is to them 
 an evident token of perdition, but to yoi* 
 of saivation, and that of ()od. So the 
 peace of Cod be with you all." We came 
 to York by tliree, and were brought be- 
 fore several of the officers, at the Black* 
 Swan, in Coney-street, who seemed to re- 
 joice as men that had taken great spoil, 
 and saluted me with many a grievous 
 oath. It brought something to my mind, 
 which 1 had spoken in the fields to the 
 l>ord, when he had broken a great cloud 
 that was on my soul, through my refu- 
 sing to preach when many desired me, and 
 I had time, but consulted wiih flesh and 
 blood, and Jonah like, fled from the pre- 
 sence of the Lord, down into a valley 
 near the side of a wood, where God laid 
 his hand on me, and brought my soul in- 
 to such distress, that I threw myself on 
 the ground and requested for death ; see- 
 ing- it more agreeable to flesh and blood, 
 to be a skepherd's dog than a preacher of 
 the gospel; for his hand is against every 
 man, and every man's hand against him. 
 But at the remembrance of the prophets 
 a:nd the apostles, and Christ hiniself, what 
 
HN NELSON. W/KtlSo 
 
 contradic'lions, and tribuIation^^^^Bkall 
 met with, the cloud bioke, a:i(^^^Hbu| 
 
 was so refreshed with the love flW^od, 
 th^t I CI icd out, ' My l^ord and my God i 
 Now tliou bust given me strength, forsake 
 me not ; and it' tiiou bend me to hell to 
 preach to devils^ 1 am ready to go.^ 
 
 When 1 was before these officers, anti 
 heard such language, I thought hell could 
 not be much worse than the company I was 
 in. I asked them, * Do you believe there 
 is a (Jod, and tiiat he is a God of truth }' 
 They said, ' We do/ 1 answered, ' 1 
 cannot believe you, I tell you plainly.' 
 ' Why so ?' I i-eplied, ' 1 cannot think that 
 any man of common understanding, who 
 believes that God is true, dares take his 
 name in vain ; much less do you believe 
 that God can hear yoiv. when you pray 
 him to damn your souls. Now suppose 
 God should grant you the damnation you 
 pray for, what miserable wretches would 
 you be ? Do you know that you mus; one 
 day appear before that God, who will not 
 hold him guiltless that taketh his name in 
 vain.' 
 
 As I reasoned with them about a future 
 state, they seemed to shrink as if I hud 
 thrown fire at them ; but they soon put 
 away the conviction, and said, ' You must 
 not preach here, for you are tlclivered to 
 us for a soldier ' and must not talk so to 
 us that are officers ' 1 answered, 'There 
 
■ way to prevent inc.' They ask- 
 [at is that.' I replied, ' !t is to 
 t mure in my hearing.' 
 
 THE JOUKNllL OF 
 
 'I'hen we were guarded throi;gh thfe ci- 
 ty ; jjjut it was as li' hell were moved from 
 beneath to nTeet me at my comit)^. TJie 
 streets and windows were filled with peo- 
 ple who shouted and huzzaed, as if 1 had 
 been one that had laid waste the nation. 
 But the Lord made my brow like brass, 
 so tiiat 1 could look on them as giasshop- 
 pers, and pass thi ough the city as if there 
 had been none in it, but God and myself. — 
 () that I may never offend my gracious 
 (jod, or provoke hiin to take his loving 
 kindness from me ! — Then, though I go 
 through the valley uf the shadow of death, 
 I will fear no evil. Even now 1 find his 
 word fulfilled, where he saitli, ' 1 will de- 
 liver thee from sudden fear, and from ter- 
 ror ; for it shall not come near thee.' Veri- 
 ly, thou art a God of truth ! O be merci- 
 ful to this great city, whose streets ring 
 with curses, and turn upon them a pure 
 language, that their souls may be saved, 
 and the enemy disaf.pointed of his hope ! 
 
 { was brought to tiie guai d-house, and the 
 olficcrs cast lots for me, and it was Cap- 
 tain S 's lot to have me. 'I'hen they 
 
 oliered me* money, but 1 refused to take it ; 
 and they bade the serjcaut hand-cuff me. 
 
 thither by a file of jnusfiuetcers, but not 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 IS? 
 
 part of three days ; during wliiclTTime, 
 1 was beset with such cursers and car- 
 ers, as could hardly be matched out of 
 hell. So I had work, enough both day 
 and night to reprove them, 1 found they 
 could not stand my words, but the most 
 hardened among them shrunk, and wished 
 Ihey could leave it off, and never swear 
 more. 
 
 Several of the town's people came and 
 asked me of the doctrine that the Metho- 
 dists preached, which makes their names, 
 said they, to be loathed by all sects and 
 parties in the nation. My answer was, 
 •'The same doctrine it is, which made 
 Jews and Gentiles conspire against Jesus 
 Christ, who first preached it ; and whoe- 
 ver he be, that bears the same testimony, 
 tnust meet witii the same treatment. Our 
 Lord hath said. *Ye shall be hated of ail 
 men for my sake.' And again, 'If they 
 have persecuted me, they will also perse- 
 cute you.' What ! Do you think Christ 
 would be found a liar, and all his apostleb, 
 who told us of the things that are done in 
 this our day ' Nay, verily, heaven and 
 earth ^hall pass away, but not one word 
 of Christ's shall fall to the Ground.' 
 
 When I had opened the scriptures, and 
 told them the fundamental points of our 
 doctrine, they said one to another, 'This 
 people is not what the world represent? 
 
 M S 
 
IhflBfr 
 
 is nora n 
 
 THE JOURNAL (Xf 
 
 thfll^l^r if this be their doctrine, there 
 man in England can contradict 
 them/ They offered me strong drink, 
 but I told them I did not chuse it, wished 
 me out of my enemies hands, and left me 
 to my company of drunkards and swear- 
 ers. 
 
 I may indeed say, I have fought with 
 beasts at York, for so these men live ; 
 yet my speaking to them was not in vain ; 
 for they bridled their tongues in my pre- 
 sciice after the first 24 hours. When they 
 spake any blasphemous words, if I did 
 but turn, and look them in the face, they 
 looked like criminals before the magis- 
 trate. 
 
 'I'he next morning I lay on the boards 
 to rest me, and fell asleep, when I dreamt 
 of Daniel in the lion's den I was awaken- 
 ed by one crying. ' Nelson ! Nelson !' and 
 I started up, saying, * Who wants me ?' 
 That instant, three women came to the 
 door, and brought me some food. They 
 were entire strangers to me, and I to 
 them ; ' But thou, Lord, carest for me.' 
 
 On Tuesday night, my wife and sister 
 Mitchel came to see me, and found me ly- 
 ing on the boards. I said, 'Behold the 
 fruits of the gospel : Now you see the 
 word of God isfulHIled, ' They lay a snare 
 for him that repioveth in the gate, and he 
 that turneth from evil, maketh himself 
 a prey.' But God looks down from hea- 
 
Ven, and will plead our cause ; 
 
 MB. JOHN rtELSOU. 
 
 130 
 %t.' 
 
 No, answered they, \vc do not fear ; for 
 our God is as able to deliver now, as he 
 was 1700 years ago.' So they took their 
 leave ol' me that night, wishing me a good 
 repose on my wooden bed ; where, thanks 
 be to God, J slept as well as if 1 had been 
 on a bed of down. 
 
 Next morning they brought me some- 
 thing to eat, and bade me be strong in 
 the Lord, and not fear them that can kill 
 the body only. My heart rejoiced to see 
 them so stedfast in the failh. 
 
 This day a court martial was held, and 
 I was guarded to it by a file ofniHsque- 
 teers, with their bayonets fixed. When 
 1 came beiorethe court, they asked, 'What 
 is this man's crime?' The aiiswer was, 
 ♦This is the Methodist Preacher, and he 
 refuses to take money.' Then they turned 
 to me, and said, ' Sir, you need not find 
 fault with us, for we must obey our or- 
 ders, which are to make you act as a sol- 
 dier ; for you are delivered to us, and if 
 ^ou have not justice done you> we cannot 
 help it.' 
 
 My answer was, ' I shall not fight ; for 
 1 cannot bow my knee before the Lord, to 
 pray lor a man. and get up and kill birn 
 when 1 have done ; for I know God both 
 hears me speak and sees me act, and I 
 shouldexpect the lot of a hypocrite, ifmy 
 actions contradict my prayers.' ' Well, 
 
ind preaching to us, said tliey, for 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 we must make you obey us ; Serjeant, 
 give him some money/ He ofiered mc 
 two shillings, but I refused to take it. 
 They threatened ine sore, but I could not 
 fear them at all, 'Well, (said they) if 
 you run away, you are as liable to suffer 
 as if you had taken our money.' I answer- 
 ed, ' if 1 cannot be discharged lawfully, I 
 fchall not run awaj' ; if I do, puniih nie. as 
 you please.' Then they ordered the s^er- 
 jeant to go to quarters with me : \\ ho 
 iook me to the Wild-man, in Petergatc, 
 where the people bcliaved well to me, 
 though they had eiglit more quartered up- 
 on them. They said, ' !t is a pity you 
 «b . ild come among siicli a wicked crew 
 as these we have, lor tliere are but few 
 Jike tJiem in the world.' They ordered 
 me a room and a bed to myself iilessed 
 be God, who gives me favour in the sight 
 of the Egyptians. These people were j)ro- 
 icssed Papists, who, I might imagine, 
 •.vould sJiew no more mercy to a man that 
 preaches salvation by faith, than they 
 ■woiilcl di) to a mad dog, yet 1 see it is not 
 the man that makes the christian, but the 
 mind wliich was in C'Jirist, and whoso- 
 ever hath this mind in Jiiiii, he is a chris- 
 tian, let the world call him what they 
 will. 
 
 i came to Margaret Townsliend's, and 
 met with my « il'e, and sister Mitche!, 
 
ME. JOHN NELSON. 141 
 
 who rejoiced to see feet once mo^l^ont 
 of the prison. We sang praises to God 
 for his great mercies to mc at liiis titne, 
 and passed t!u' afternoon in encouraging 
 eac!i other. Next morning 1 sent tiieiu 
 out of town, and wev.t, as i was ordered, 
 to i)aradc at the Blue Boar, inCastlcgate 
 where tlie officers ordered corporal \V — 
 to fetch ine a gun and other warlike iu- 
 Btrumer.ts, and though he seemed to shud- 
 der at the task, he was forced to obey; 
 and when he brought them, and was gird- 
 ing them- about me. he trembled as if he 
 had the palsy 
 
 i asked, ' Why do you gird me with 
 these warlike habiliments, for I am a man 
 averse to war, and shall not fight, but un- 
 der the Prince of Peace, the Captain of 
 my salvation ; and the weapons he gives 
 me are not carnal like these.' Well, (said 
 they,) but you must bear these, till you 
 can get your discharge.' As you put them 
 on mc, 1 answered, I will bear them as a 
 cross, and use them as far as lean, with- 
 out defiling my conscience ; but that I w ill 
 not do for any man on earth.' 
 
 The o/licers bade them march us off to 
 Hepuorth moor, to learn the exercise of a 
 soldier; But Corporal W — seemed as ten- 
 der to mc as if he had been my own fa- 
 ther, and carried the gun for me to the 
 field. And when he came to teach ine 
 'i ir exercise, his heart seemed to fail 
 
14S 
 
 THE JOURNAL OT 
 
 hirrt; anil lie bade me lay down the gaily 
 and we loll into discourse. I found he had 
 the fear oi' God before his eyes, and the 
 Lord had shewn him the light of his coun- 
 tenance. But be was as a sparrov.' alone 
 on the house fop, none cared for his con- 
 versation ; but they all despised him, be- 
 cause he wOuld not get drunk and sWear 
 as they did. C), my God, remember hira 
 for good always, 1 beseech thee. 
 
 Kcct day 1 was ordered to the fields 
 and others must teach me the warlike ex- 
 ercise, who also behaved civilly to me. 1 
 had more to see me than all the rest, and 
 it caused the truth to break out the more, 
 and removed prejudice from many. I 
 ibund the people at York looked upon one 
 that is called a Methodist, as one who had 
 the plague, and infects all whom he comes 
 near, and they blessed God, that none hadi 
 come to preach there. 
 
 But if I was bound, the word of God 
 ■was not bound, for if any blasphemed, ]p 
 reproved them, whether rich or poor, and 
 fell into many disputes with them, and 
 God gave me words, such as they could 
 jiot resist. My discourses had such an 
 cllect on them, that they said, they wish- 
 ed Mr. Wesley would con)e and preach 
 there. 1 gave them several of our little 
 books, so by hearing and reading, they 
 found out the doctrine to be only the plain 
 word of God. And now several attended 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 143 
 
 tny coming to the field, not to see me as 
 telbre, but to ask questions, and to know 
 of the new doctrine, (as some were pleas- 
 ed to call it.) Surely by all Ihese things 
 shall the gospel be spread. The Lord is 
 in the tempest, and it shall turn to his glo- 
 ry : Satan doth but whet a knife to cut his 
 own throat. 
 
 One day as I was talking to the people, 
 a man came and feigned himself to be con- 
 cerned about his soul. As he was coming, 
 it was impressed upon my mind, that he 
 was a deceiver. As soon as he approach- 
 ed. 1 said, • You are a wicked man, and 
 Satan hath sent you with a lie in your 
 mouth, but God will not be mocked/" He 
 went away as one condemned. Before he 
 had gone one hundred yards, he fell dowa 
 and broke a limb, and dislocated his 
 shoulder; then he roared like a bear, 
 saying, ♦ It is a just jiulgment from God 
 on me ; and desired me to pray for him.' 
 
 On Sunday the 13th, I went to Coney- 
 street church, and the Lord manifested 
 himself to me in great love at the sacra- 
 ment. At night Hannah Scholefield and 
 I, and our brother Haiighton, from Ma/i- 
 ciiester, with two or three more, went 
 out into the fields, thinking to retire : 
 But some had seen us, and told others that 
 we were gone to sing hymns. In a few 
 minutes we had near a hundred to keep 
 "..s company. We sang two hymns, ajmi; 
 
THE JOURNAt or 
 
 I gave them an exl)ortation : They rc\ 
 ceived my word with meekness, and wish- 
 ed to hear me again. 
 
 We went a mile another way, but there 
 were people walking there also, who knew 
 me, and llockcd to us, and desir;;d to hear 
 what sort of doctrine it is we preach, 
 which causes all men to hate us. 1 said, 
 "it is the doctrii;e ol" Jesus Christ, which 
 made all men hate him ; and ye are sen- 
 sible our great Sliepiicrd said, "Ye shall 
 be hated of all men for my sake.' But 
 they said, ' This is a christian land, and 
 it is not so now.' ' Well said I, then you 
 must say the gospel is not an everlasting 
 gospel, or you declare us blest, and almost 
 all the psople in England curst.' They 
 said, 'What, do you point the blessings to 
 you, and the curse to all the rest > VVe 
 think it is tlie other way.' Then said 1, 
 you do not think as Christ spake ; for he 
 said, 'Blessed are yc, when all men speak 
 evil of-you, and hate you for my sake, and 
 the gospel's : Rejoice, and be exceeding 
 glad, for so they did to the prophets of 
 old. But woe unto you when all men 
 speak well of you ; for so they spake of 
 the false prophets.' Upon this they were 
 silent, but wished they could hear me 
 themselves, then they could judge better. 
 By this time a great company were come 
 together, desiring to hear me, and God 
 n^ye me to speak plain> and to their 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 14o 
 
 hearts. When I had done, several of 
 them said, they would go ten miles to hear 
 such another discourse. The prejudice 
 seemed taken out of their minds at a 
 stroke ; and they cried, 'This is the doc- 
 trine which ought to be preached, let men 
 say what they will against it ' 
 
 As wc came back, one of our company 
 said, 'I wonder l]ie devil cannot perceive, 
 that this striving to suppress the gospel is 
 still striving to quench the lire by casting 
 oil into it. As God spake, so it is I see 
 this day. His servants are like brands 
 of fire cast into dry stubble. Surely God 
 will be glorified in your captivity ; only let 
 us watch and pray, that the enemy get no 
 advantage over us.' 
 
 The day following I went as before, to 
 exercise, when many came to talk with 
 me, some to dispute, and some who ear- 
 nestly desired to be saved. Among the 
 disputers was a clergyman ; I knew him, 
 for I had seen him in his gown three days 
 before. When several who appeared as 
 gentlemen, disputed hotly against all the 
 power of religion, I shewed them from 
 the articles, homilies, and prayers of our 
 own church, that these who spake as they 
 did, were, no members of the church of 
 England. For to be a real member of 
 Christ's church, is to feel Christ in us ;to 
 know that he died for his church, and 
 that by his death we are delivered from 
 N 
 
146 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 death eternal. To find that spirit which , 
 raised him from the dead, raising us from < 
 the death of sin, that our bodies may be 
 the undefiled temple of the living God, a , 
 holy habitation of God, through his spirit i 
 dwelling in us. Tor as many as have the I 
 spirit of God, they are the sons of God ; j 
 and if any man have not the spirit of i 
 Christ, he is none of ids. Nay, if you ! 
 know not, (I added,) that Christ is in 
 you, you are now in a state of reprobation.' 
 ' So, said they, you have condemned us 
 all at a stroke. 1 answered, ' 1 have con- 
 demned no man ; for i liave not spoken 
 my own, but the words of God, as 1 appeal 
 to your consciences, you that have ever 
 read them ' 
 
 Wlien (hey were put to silence, the 
 minister began to explain the spirit of God 
 out of the M'orld ; as what could not be 
 felt or perceived at all, neither was it ne- 
 cessary, now we had the scriptures to go 
 by. 1 said, * It is highly necessary, if the 
 scriptures be true , for they tell me, if I 
 have not the spirit of Christ, I am none of 
 his ; and if 1 am not his, 1 must belong to 
 the devil; for they two share the world 
 between them Besides, if thcie be no 
 such thing as receiving the holy spirit now 
 a-dayt-, as you say, then he who repeats the 
 prayers of the church, oflisrs to God the sa- 
 crifice of fools.' Here he stormed at me, 
 an^ called me an enthiisiRst, and eaid. 
 
MR. JOHN K8LS0K. 147 
 
 ' i'o talk of the spirit is all a delusion.' 
 • Hold, sir, I replied, or 1 shall expose voii 
 betbre the people, which I did not design 
 to do. Hovr could you affirm, before God 
 and the congregation, that you were in- 
 wardly moved by the holy spirit to take 
 upon you the office of a deacon ; and now 
 testify there is no such thing as being mov- 
 ed by the holy spirit ?' He said ' Did 
 I say so ?' 'Yes, sir, I answered, you did 
 whenjou received holy orders.' He turn- 
 ed pale, spake not ten words more, but 
 went away, 1 have met him several times 
 since, -and he speaks kindly to me. 
 
 I had some every day to dii^iute with 
 ■ me ; and every night some to converse 
 with me, and wanted to know the way to 
 Sion. The people now cried out. 'When 
 will Mr. Wesley come ? for here are thou- 
 sands in this town would gladly hear hi:n.' 
 Indeed I found a great desire in tliem to 
 know the way of salvation ; yea, and they 
 seemed willing to be saved in Cod's own 
 way ; that is, from their sins, not in them. 
 Surely the Lord will be mindful of them, 
 and give them teachers after his own 
 lieavt. 
 
 The second Sunday I went to church 
 and my heart was comforted again by the 
 love of God in the sacrament. God, 1 find 
 will meet us in his own ways ; O may we 
 never forsake them ! 
 
 This week several of the brethren came 
 
U8 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 to see me, and we were comforted toge- 
 ther. Our brother Ash brought me some 
 little books, which I gave to the people 
 who came to see me: So that hy my speak- 
 ing, and their reading, many began to be 
 alarmed, and sent for me to their houses 
 to enquire ' How can these things be, 
 whicli you affirm ? For if these tilings are 
 as you say, and Mr. Wesley has here writ- 
 ten, then we are not Christians.' I told 
 them, ' I will prove those things to be true, 
 both from our own church and the writ- 
 ten word of God. And if you find you 
 have not these inward marks of faith, 
 such as peace, joy, love, and the witness 
 of the spirit, you are no christians yet ; but 
 that is no reason why you should not be- 
 come such. For Christ has commanded 
 repentance and remission of sins to be 
 preached to every soul in his name ; and 
 he doth actually pardon and absolve all 
 them that truly repent, and unfeignedly 
 believe his holy gospel. Therefore seek 
 and you shall find ; for the truih of God 
 binds him to give to every one that auk- 
 cth.' 
 
 The people attended my going into the 
 field all this week ; and when I went along 
 the streets they came out of their houses 
 to stare at me, as if] had been a monster. 
 I have read that they would not suffer any 
 lo buy or sell in the city, unless they had 
 the mark of the beast ; but J»ere, without 
 
MR. JOHN NBLEO^^. 
 
 149 
 
 his mark, we cannot so much as pass the 
 streets O my God, why is thy servant as 
 a speckled bird in this which is called a 
 christian country, called after thy most 
 sacred name ; which whosoever nameth 
 must depart from iniquity ? How is the 
 faithful city become a harlot, and thy peo- 
 ple taken captive by the enemy at his 
 will ! It is time lor thee, Lord, to lay to 
 thine hand, far they have destroyed thy 
 law ! 
 
 One day this week after my exercise on 
 the Moor, there came a gentleman in gold 
 lace, and a minister in disguise, and be- 
 gan asking me questions ; which I answer- 
 ed according to the ability God gave me. 
 Many flocked round about us to hear, lor 
 our dispute was long, and hot on their 
 side. 1 believe we had talked Jialf an 
 hour before I perceived he was a mini- 
 ster ; for 1 took him for a lawyer, and 
 such a one as believed there was no God : 
 for if I spake of the scripture, he threw up 
 his head, and called me fool, and bade mc 
 hold my nonsense. 1 said, ' That which 
 you call nonsense, I call the highest wis- 
 dom.' When I spake any thing of the 
 spirit of God, he heaved his cane at me, 
 as if he would have struck me. But God 
 gave me perfect peace in my soul, and 
 words which made him start, and convinc- 
 ed the bye-stauders of the truth. He was 
 
 N S 
 
1 
 
 J 
 
 150 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 SO enraged, that he foamed at the mouth 
 like a horse that is hard rid. 
 
 But when 1 understood that he was a 
 minister, 'I said, 'Hold, sir, let me speak 
 a little by your leave. You call yourself 
 a minister of the church of England, do 
 you not 'I do.* ' Pray then. Sir, what 
 doctrine do you preach > for you make the 
 word of God of none effect, and you denj 
 all inspiration.', He replied, " So I do deny 
 all inspiration ' ' How dare you then pray 
 for the inspiration of God's spirit, when 
 you do not believe there is any such thing }' 
 When he had raged awhile, he said, ' I 
 believe you have read the book of Job, 
 and made it all your own.' * 1 answered, 
 I have need of patience, who have men of 
 such principles as you to talk with, that 
 regard not what they say to provoke one ; 
 but 1 thank God, you have not done it 
 yet.' He replied, ♦ My reason for speak- 
 ing so is, because you cannot be quiet with 
 your nonsense and inspiration. And I 
 hear you have preached several times since 
 you came, and have filled the heads of 
 many in this town with your new doctrine.' 
 I told him, ' I had not preached publickly 
 since I came, but did not know how soon 
 I might.' Then he shook his stick, stampt 
 and said in anger, ' If you do preach pub- 
 lickly, we shall take an order with you. 
 which shall be worse than sending you lor a 
 soldier. ' Let God look to that, 1 answer- 
 ed, for by bis grace I can love all men, but 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 fear none that can kill the body only. I 
 assure you, it is not the tear of man which 
 shall hinder me from preaching . for where 
 the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.' 
 When he began to calm a little, I asked 
 him, ' Sir, suppose you had been in\rardly 
 moved by the Holy Spirit to preach the 
 gospel ; if the outward ordination were 
 refused you, when you believed yourself 
 called according to the will of Christ to 
 preach, would you forbear preaching ? 
 that is, would you obey man or God >' ' I 
 suppose, said he, you think you have put a 
 hard question to me.' But hard or easy, 
 he never answered it ; and I cannot re- 
 member I e rer saw him since. Just as he 
 ■went away, he challenged me to go into a 
 room with him ; but I said, ' I have done 
 fighting. Sir.' 
 
 On Saturday, several desired me to 
 preach on Sunday morning. I told them 
 1 should take a walk out to the Moor, at 
 half an hour after seven. Accordingly I 
 did so, and found thrice as many as 1 ex- 
 pected, and preached to about three hun- 
 dred well behaved people, who intreated 
 1)^ to preach to them at night. I answer- 
 ed some of them, 1 did not know but I 
 miglit. Yet I gave no public notice ; but 
 one \o\A another, and it spread through 
 the city. \ 
 
 1 weut to the minster, and heard the 
 bishop preach, and received the blessed 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 sacrament athis hands. At seven in the 
 evening, I went to the Moor, and found an 
 unexpected congregation, I believe six 
 thousand people. But there was nothing 
 prepared for me to stand on, and great part 
 of the soldiers were there almost drunk, 
 and began to quarrel with the people that 
 crowded me : So that I saw there was 
 likely to be mischief done, and prevented 
 it by withdrawing. If I had preached, I 
 believe they would have behaved very qui- 
 etly, for they seemed to have a great de- 
 sire to hear what this doctrine was. I 
 had not the opportunity of satisfying them 
 at this time ; but they that heard in the 
 morning, told others, and inllamed them 
 the more with a desire to hear for them- 
 selves. Several sent for me to their hous- 
 es, and others came to me : So I see God 
 will work, and who shall hinder Lord, 
 open their understanding, that they may 
 know the things which belong to their 
 everlasting peace ! 
 
 On Monday I heard, that some clergy- 
 men were with the officers : and, at night, 
 one of the officers sent for me, and said, 
 • what, you cannot leave oil' prcacliiiig 
 yet ; but we must be blamed about you. 
 But if ever you preach publickly again, 
 you shall be severely whipped.' My an- 
 swer was, • I am not careful in this mat- 
 ter. It is better to obey God than man ! I 
 belieye it is the will of God that I should 
 
SIR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 U3 
 
 preach. And I have not taken man to 
 please in any thing that will ofrend my 
 God.' 
 
 With many threats he bade me go : but 
 I made no promi-se to obey him , neither did 
 I intend it in this case ; (or I had promis- 
 ed to go to Acham, a village about a mile 
 out of York : The next evening accord- 
 ingly I went and preached to almost all 
 the inhabitants in a field. The Lord gave 
 me to speak his word freely, and sent it 
 with power to their hearts. The rock 
 was struck, and the water gushed out. — 
 All whom I saw behaved well. Many said. 
 • We hope you will come again ; ' For let 
 men say what they will of this people, 
 this is the truth, and so we shall find it 
 one day. * 
 
 As 1 came down the street, an alderman 
 and his wife, of York, who had been to 
 hear me, were standing at the gate of his 
 house, and he called me, and said, ' if you 
 please to accept of a glass of any sort of li- 
 quor my house .iftbrds, it is at your ser- 
 vice ;■ I answered, ' I thank you for your 
 good will, but i don't care to drink.' Se- 
 veral others ofTered me drink, but I took 
 none. They prayeil ine to come once a 
 week, as long as : stayed in York Lord, 
 be mindful of this people 1 beseech thee, 
 and send them these who will preach righ- 
 teousness by laith in Jesus Christ ; and () 
 that they may be found with the wedding 
 
i64. 
 
 THE JOURNAL OP 
 
 garment in that day, when every cover- 
 ing which is not ofthy spirit, will be found 
 as filthy rags before thy pure eyes ! 
 
 All th.it week I had company as much 
 as I could tell what to do with. Several 
 c?esired me to |>reach on Sunday morning. 
 1 did not promise, but went to discourse 
 with about a score, at seven, on the Moor. 
 Others had a suspicion of my being here, 
 and I believe two hundred Hocked round 
 me, as soon as they saw rne walking, 
 and begged me to preach to them ; I told 
 them . stood in jeopardy if I did •, but 
 they answered, ' VVe are more i'l dan- 
 ger than you, I'or our souls are in danger 
 on which itcame into ray mind that I had 
 i'rrtly received, and ought freely to give, 
 Wai-iefore I preached to them, and God 
 was with us of a truth, and the hearts of the 
 people were opened to receive the word ia 
 love. 
 
 Thence I went to sister Townshend's, 
 where I found my own brother, and bro- 
 ther Mitchell who came to see me ; and we 
 were co nfortcd together Our time was 
 short, for ; had but half an hour, before I 
 was to answer for what I had done - Some- 
 body had told the ensign that 1 had been 
 preachiiig ; so he sent for me and said, 
 ' d — n your blood, sir, have you been 
 preaching this morning ?' i told him 1 
 had ; on which he swore he would have no 
 preaching nor praying in the regiment. 
 
KR. JOHN NELSON 
 
 15') 
 
 Theu said I, 'Sir, You ought to have no 
 swearing or cursing neither ; lor surely 1 
 have as much right to pray and preach 
 as you have to curse and swear.' 
 
 He swore again that I should be damnably 
 whipped for what I had done. I answered, 
 ' Let God loolc to that ; the cause is his. 
 But if you do not leave ofFyour cursing and 
 swearing, it will be worse with you than 
 with nie.' Then he said, ' Corporal, put 
 this lellow in prison lircctly.' The Cor- 
 poral said, * Sir, I must not carry a mau 
 to prison, unless 1 give in his crime with 
 him ' Well, said he, it is for disobeying 
 orders. So I see a hundred may disobey 
 all the orders of God, and there is no no- 
 tice taken of them : nor do the common 
 people cry out, ' Hang them out of the 
 way ;' but ifoneofa thousand begins to 
 reprove them for sin, they haul him to pri- 
 son, as if he had killed father or mother. 
 But so it was from the beginning ; for a 
 murderer was preferred before the prince 
 of life. 
 
 I was put prisoner just as the church 
 s&rvice began, and I sent a man to tell my 
 brother, that the word of God was fulfil- 
 led, ' Behold, the devil shall cast some of 
 you into prison, that ye may be tried and 
 desired their prayers that • might be faith- 
 ful unto death. — As soon as 1 was within 
 the prison, my heart was filled with joy 
 unspeakable, aad my raouthwith praise lo 
 
The jovknal of 
 
 my dear redeemer. This shall also turn 
 to the glory of God ; for several men of 
 good report heard me this morning, and 
 testified that I had spoken the truth ; and 
 they would not, they said, be guilty of send- 
 ing that man to prison, for preaciiing for' 
 all the world. I'his caused many to come to 
 me, who offered me wine and strong drink. 
 I told them, I did notcare foranysortof 
 strong liquor : but such as 1 had, gave I 
 unto them ; some little books, and the word 
 of God, which he gave me plentifully to 
 speak to them, without respect of any 
 jnan's person. 
 
 Two nights and near three days, I was 
 kept prisoner at this time ; during which, 
 my soul was as a watered garden and 1 
 could sing praises to God all day long, for 
 he turned my captivity into joy ; and gave 
 me to rest as well on the boards, as if 1 had 
 been on a bed of down. Now, could I say 
 ' Gods service is perfect freedom and I 
 was carried out much in prayer, that my 
 enemies might drink of the same river of 
 peace, which my God gave so largely to 
 ine.' 
 
 Now did I more plainly see the dreadful 
 state of the unconverted than ever ; and 
 thought, if it might be the conversion of 
 my enemies, I could be content that they 
 should tread me under their feet. But God 
 only knov/8 how it would have been had I 
 been so tried : yet thus far he hath helped 
 
MB. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 157 
 
 me, and hatli given me strength for my 
 day . Indeed I l)ave found him a God of 
 truth, as far as I have tried him ; and I 
 put forth the hand of my faith, to lay hold 
 of his strength for what he shall next call 
 jiie to. 
 
 On Tuesday 1 was fetched out and bro t 
 before the major. There were several of 
 the young oliicers with him, who smiled 
 when I came into the room ; for they had 
 been several times to see me in piison, 
 and had sworn I should be severely whipt. 
 But I told them, ' If you do not repent, 
 and leave off that swearing, you will pe- 
 rish eternally ; And I shall be a witness 
 against you : and that will be worse than 
 your whipping me for Christ's sake. 
 
 Now they seemed to rejoice, as if their 
 
 Major called, ' John Nelson, what were 
 you put in prison for ?' ' For warning 
 people to flee from the wrath to come, 1 
 answered, and, if this be a crime, I shall 
 commit it again, unless you cut my tongue 
 out for it is better to die than to disobey 
 God.' ' Well, but if that be all, he repli- 
 ed, it is no crime ; for when you have done 
 your duty I do not care if you preach 
 every night in a house, or any private 
 place out of the town ; but I would not 
 have youmake any mobs.' 'That said I, is 
 far from my design.' ' Well said he, you 
 may go home to your quarters, and if I 
 O 
 
 words were 
 
 to be fulfilled. The 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 have a convenient time, 1 will send for 
 yoii, and hear ^ou nij'self; fori wish all 
 men were like joii. ' Here my adversaries 
 hung down their heuds, and gave off'smil- 
 ing. 
 
 As 1 went to sister's Townshends I 
 heard that we were to leave York on 
 Thursday, at four in the morning, and 
 march to fciunderland. 1 had a great de- 
 sire to see my wile fisrt ; but she did not 
 get Illy letter soon enough. Many of the 
 people came, and said, ' VVe are sorry you 
 arc going so soon from York but if you 
 get voui- liberty, we hope both you and Mr. 
 Wesley will come ; for we have need of 
 such plain dealing, and thousands in this 
 city would lie glad lo hear. You see wliat 
 a populous wicked place it is pray do not 
 Ibrget us, but tiiink of us, when you see us 
 not. W e expected some of you two or 
 three years ago ; but you had no regard 
 lor our souls, till Cod brought you by 
 Ibrce. Surely, you were not sold hither, 
 but sent lor our good ; therefore forget us 
 not.' 
 
 () the tenderness which this people shew- 
 ed, and desire for the word of God ! It 
 moved me to cry out^ ' Lord, have mercy 
 on them, and let them hear thy gospel, atid 
 find it in thy power unto salvation ; for 
 why should thy people perish for lack of 
 knowledge 
 
 On TJiursday mororng we stood two 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 1.59 
 
 hours in (he streets, before we set out of 
 town. We inarche.i to Easing\\ ould that 
 day, and when we were drawn up in the 
 street, the people perceived me to l)e the 
 Methodist preacher they had read of in tiie 
 newspapers. They told one another, and 
 flocked about me, as if the soldiers had 
 brought a monster into the town. 
 
 When we had stayed near an hour in 
 the street, 1 and five more were billeted 
 at one house, where the people were so 
 poor, they had not six seats for us to sit 
 on, nor any beds : so we came back to the 
 officei''s quarters, and they ordered four of 
 us to another house. 
 
 God gave me to speak plain to them, 
 and several of their neighbours, who came 
 to see the Methodist. And then they 
 said, ' If this be the Methodist doctrine, 
 we pray (]od we may have it preached in 
 this town, for hundreds would be glad to 
 hear you.' 
 
 In the evening the head man of the town 
 came in. He was a profest papist, but a 
 moral, honest man, and one who bears a 
 good character in his neighbourhood. He 
 asked me many questions, and (iod gave 
 me to answer him to his satisfaction. In- 
 deed I never saw a man of his rank so 
 teachable and humble. His gold lace did 
 not make him above listening to the gos- 
 pel. He seemed a man of sound rear en, as 
 well as of a liberal education. I spak } neai- 
 
160 
 
 THB JOUBNAl OF 
 
 an hour to yirove the doctrine of justifica- 
 tion by faith, and that both from the Old 
 and New-Testament : 1 shewed the fruits 
 of that justifying faith, and the necessity 
 of every tnan's having it, that he may 
 escape r,he damnation of hei!. The word 
 had such an effect upon him, that his eyes 
 discovered the tenderness of his heart — 
 and when I ended, he said,' 1 think no 
 man in his senses would dare hinder you 
 from instructing sinners in the way of sal- 
 vation. As for my own part I shall be 
 glad to see you at liberty. And if you get 
 clear of these men, and come again this 
 way, 1 would hare you call on me,' 
 
 1 was amazed to find such a man a- 
 mong the Papists, having met with very 
 few, either teachers or hearers, of our o'wa 
 church, but what hold Popish principles 
 ten times stronger than this man, who 
 calls himself a Papist. When he went a- 
 way, he forced two shillings into my hand, 
 which I would have returned, telling him 
 I received no money, and needed none ; 
 but he would not take it again, saying he 
 could altbrd it, and 1 might have occasion 
 for it on my journey. O God be merciful 
 to him, that gives a cup of cold water to 
 thy servants. 
 
 Next morning at two, the drum beat for 
 us to march out of town. By eleven on 
 Friday, we got to North-allerton ; and by 
 twelve, settled in rjuartera. I went into 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 1 0 f 
 
 ^.be Market-place, and spoke to those I 
 found there of the way of salvation ; I 
 hope not in vain. Afterwards, as I was 
 sitting alone, there came a shop-keeper, 
 and said, if 1 would go to hi.s house, he 
 would give me a glass of any liquor I pleas- 
 ed to drink. I told him I did not drink any 
 strong liquor. ' Well, said he, I desire 
 your company, if you please, lor half an 
 hour.' I went to his house, and drank 
 tea with hirn and his family, and spake 
 plainly to them. They received zny exhor- 
 tation with thankfulness, and said, W c 
 have heard much of you, but never heard 
 any of you before ; several of you have 
 passed through this town, and we wonder 
 they have never preacl)>.d here. If yoi; 
 come again, we hope you will call and see 
 us ' I gave them a book, and returned to 
 iny quarters. 
 
 Next morning at one, the drum beat 
 for us to march, and we got <o Darling 
 ton by nine. Here I was known to several, 
 and by them made known to almost ali 
 the town. Many came to my quarters to 
 talk with me, and others sent for me. 
 Whence this famine in the land ? I find 
 the people hunger after the word, as if 
 there were no Bibles in the nation. 
 
 We rested here on Sunday, and I had 
 many to see me. When they heard wliaC 
 our doctrine was, they cried, ' It is a 
 shame to send a man for a soldier for 
 O 2 
 
162 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 speaking the truth; for let all men say 
 what they will, this is the gospel of Je- 
 sus Christ/ 
 
 In the evening, one of the officers came 
 to me, and said, • Well, Sir, why were 
 you not at church to-day ?' I answered, 
 * I was. Sir, and if you had been there, 
 you might have seen me ; for 1 never 
 miss going, when 1 have an opportunity/ 
 ' Well, Sir, he added, have you preach- 
 ed since you came hither ?' 'Not publicly 
 yet,' I replied. He swore he wished I 
 would, that he might punish me severely. 
 ' But, Sir, (I told him,) if you do not re- 
 pent and leave off that habit of swearing, 
 3'ou will be worse punii^hed than you are 
 able to punish i;)e.' He replied, ' 1 will 
 make ^ou mind your firelock, and leave 
 otryour preaching.' 'Yes, ir, I answer- 
 ed, when I leave off speaking/ 
 
 Tiiis was he that put me in prison in 
 York lor preaching. As Saul hunted Da- 
 vid, so has this man hunted my soul ; but 
 I trust the same God that delivered Da- 
 vid, will deliver me from cruel men. He 
 called for one of the soldiers, and took 
 the cockade out of his hat, putting it in 
 mine, and swore he would make me wear 
 it ; this caused a sore temptation to arise in 
 me, to think Ihat an ignorant wicked man 
 should thus torment me in the street and 
 prison, and 1 was able to tie his head and 
 heels together. I found an old man's 
 bone in me ; but the Lord lifted up a 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 1 »)3 
 
 0 standard, when anger was coming in like 
 atlood, else I should have wrung his neck 
 to the ground, and set my loot upon him 
 which would have brought a reproach upon 
 the gospel, and wounded my own soul. J3ut 
 God is good to me, for he shewed mc the 
 danger and delivered me from it in a mo- 
 ment. Then could 1 look on iiim with 
 pity, and pray for him from the ground of 
 my heart. 1 gave several books away in 
 this town also ; which we left the next 
 morning 
 
 I was much surprised at the good nature 
 of the soldiers in all this march, for i be- 
 lieve twenty oifered to carry the gun for 
 me, or any thingelse I had. God, I found, 
 supported me wonderfully in^all these tri- 
 als ; for I could travel fifteen or twenty 
 miles fasting, as well as those who eat and 
 drank two or three times by the way. 
 Surely man doth not live by bread alone ; 
 but the Lord is the Strength of Israel ; the 
 Defender of all them that put their trust in 
 him. O God, be thou my guide unto 
 death ! 
 
 We got to Durham by nine on Monday ; 
 but, in our way wc had a river to cross, and 
 were obliged to wade through it. The day 
 was very hot ; so that I had sweat much, 
 . and caughtcold immediately. J found my- 
 self much out of order when we got to Dur- 
 ham, and desired I might lay down a little. 
 Corporal W — , lay down with roe, and fell 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 asleep. At twelve I awoke suddenly, as Jf |[ 1 
 some man had called me, and said to the | 
 corporal, I must go to the market place di- i 
 rectly, for what 1 know not, neither which i 
 ■ way to go to it. ' Nor I, he said ; but I ! 
 will go with you, and we can enquire the i 
 way.' Accordingly we did : and just as 
 ■we got thither, my brother Westell was en- 
 quiring lor me among the soldiers. 'Well, 
 said Mr. W — ,1 never saw such a thing in 
 all my life, that you should thus awake, 
 and come to meet your friend the minute 
 he came to seek for you.' 
 
 We were much comforted together: He 
 told me that M". John Wesley would be at 
 Durham soon after four o'clock. 1 gave 
 God tiianks for that news. We went to a 
 common about a mile from the town, and 
 there we met Mr. Wesley : My heart re- 
 joiced to see him ; and great reason have I 
 to give God thanks that I ever saw him, 
 who was an instrument in God's hand of 
 plucking me as a brand out of the fii e — 
 And 1 have found him God's roessenger for 
 my good ever sjucc. 
 
 We came to the sigi) jf tne Angel, and 
 had some conversation together. He ex- 
 horted me to watch and pray ; and did not 
 doubt but my captivity would turn to the 
 glory of God, and the furtherance of the 
 gospel. At six I went to answer my call, 
 and Mr. Wesley went into the Minster. 
 
 Afterwards! and Thomas Beard, my fel- 
 
MR. JOHN NEISON. 
 
 165 
 
 low-prisoner, met Mr. Wesley, and our 
 tbrotber Errington, and went with them to 
 the inn, and stayed till nine. JMr, Wesley 
 said, 'Brother Nelson, lose no time; 
 speak: and spare net, for God hath work lor 
 you to do in every place where your lot is 
 cast ; and when you have lulfilled his good 
 pleasure, he will break jour bouds in sun- 
 der, and we shall rejoice together.' W hen 
 V e had prayed together, we commended 
 each other to the grace of God, and so part- 
 ed in body, but not in spirit. 
 
 Next morningthc drum beat at one, and 
 we were called up in tlie Market-place, and 
 caused to stand till three, and th«n march- 
 ed off for Sunderland, wliich we reached 
 by nine. When w e were brought up into 
 the town, I heard several of the inhabitants 
 say one to another, ' That is the Metho- 
 dist mentioned in the news-papers ; for his 
 look is not like other men's." O my God, 
 why am 1 and my fellows become men that 
 are wondered at ! 
 
 While we stood, a landlord came to us, 
 and said, * Sir. 1 wish you would quarter 
 at my house, for I rxpect two, and .shall be 
 glad to have you tor one, and whom you 
 choose for a comrade.' I chose Corporal 
 "W — , and asked for a billet as the man de- 
 sired, but could not get it ; yet I believe we 
 got the best quarters we could in Sunder- 
 land. Tlius I see, if we acknowledge God 
 in all our ways, he wiJl direct our paths. 
 
If6 THE JOURNAL CP 
 
 When I went to exercise, many came to 1- 
 sce me, and 1 fell into discourse with themj^ ' 
 but could get no hold of them ; for they as- 
 sented and consented to all I said ; and 
 were so full of what the world calls good 
 manners, that all 1 spake was written as 
 on the sand, tho' I talked with them seve- 
 ral days: Yet some I trust, will be mind- 
 j'ul of their everlasting welfare. 
 
 On Saturday night I was ordered to 
 f tand centry on the Sunday following, but 
 1 desired I might stand another day, or pay 
 for my guard. I believe ten men offered 
 to stand for me, but all in vain ; for the En- 
 sign, who had shewed hatred against me 
 all along, was the officer of the guard that 
 day ; and he protested he would make me 
 do it myself. 1 asked, ' Sir, what have I 
 done, that I cannot have the same liberty 
 as another man He answered, 'You love 
 the church too well ; and I will keep you 
 from it, and make them go who do not like 
 to go !' Keep me, O my God, from all an- 
 ger, or ill-will ; for this man is set to prove 
 me ! I went to the guard- bouse, and many 
 came to talk with me •, but I did not stand 
 centry till six on Monday morning. The 
 Ensign saying in the street, I should not 
 go to church, because I loved it, drew many 
 ( f t!ie people to me ; and will turn, I am 
 ) ersuaded, to the furtherance of the Gos- 
 pel. 
 
 The week afiier Mr. M — came. He had 
 
MR, 30HK NELSON. 1G7 
 
 heard what the Ensign had done, and 
 tame to me, and askeJ me Jiovv 1 did : and 
 said, ' 1 am inlormed Mr. A — hindered 
 you from going to church : but I will assui e 
 you, you shall not be hindered again as long 
 us you are -with us.' 1 have lound sonjc- 
 thing of good in this man ever since I knew 
 him. He will hear reason, and seems to 
 make a conscience boti) of his w ords and 
 actions. 1 was near an hour in his cham- 
 ber, and he asked me of the principal points 
 of our doctrine. 1 murie them as plain to 
 him as I could, and he heard me with great 
 candour, and said, he had no fault at all to 
 find with it. He told me, ' The first time 
 that ever 1 saw you, I saw you were no va- 
 grant but it would be a scandal to all 
 who w ere concerned in sending or recei- 
 ving such a one ■, for the act of parliament 
 does not reach such as you : But the rest of 
 the oificers said they could not help it, for 
 you were delivered to us as a soldier by the 
 Justices, and they are the rogues.' 'No, 
 Sir, 1 answered, the Justices are in no 
 lault, for 1 was never before one of them 
 yet.' He said, ' Who sent you then ?' I 
 replied, ' The C.>.'!ii.nissioners ' ' What 
 evidence cud they against you ?' ' The 
 accusation against me, by the constable s 
 deputy, was, ' He preaches to the people 
 and he also confessed that he knew no o- 
 ther evil of me.' ' Well, but the Act of 
 Toleration clears you from that being a 
 
168 
 
 THE JOURNAl OF 
 
 crime : What, had you no man to speak for 
 you ?' ' Yes, several were ready, but none 
 were suffered to do it ; neither were the 
 papers regarded, which my honest neigh- 
 bours and gentlemen sent on my behalf; 
 for one of tlie Commissioners was the Par- i 
 son of our parish, and he was the evidence »► 
 against me, and they said, they would hear 
 no other.' 
 
 'Najs said Mr. M — , it is no wonder 
 "they treated you so, if the priest was con- 
 cerned : for they have been at the head of 
 all persecutions for religion, which has 
 been since the world began. I see them bo 
 wicked, that I do not mind religion at all. 
 But this is my religion ; I believe there is 
 one God, and that Christ his Son died for 
 the world ; I strive to do honestly to all 
 men -, and to do a good turn to the meanest, 
 if I can , and I think my religion is better 
 than theirs, who preach one thing and do 
 another ; for I have seen so much of them, 
 that 1 assure you, 1 would hear you as soon 
 as any in the land.' 
 
 He sitid he should like to read some of 
 our books ; so ! made him a present of An 
 Earnest Appeal, 1 he Character of a Me- 
 thodist, and the sermon. Awake thou that 
 sleepest. He has since told me, that he hit!» 
 read them, and likes them well. 
 
 This day he procured me a furlough to 
 Newcastle, for seven days ; and 1 found I 
 did net go up without the Lord ; for tay 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON'. 
 
 soul, and those of the people, were refresh- 
 ed with the love of God. Several of tlie 
 soldiers came to hear me preach, and gave 
 great attention to the things which were 
 spoken. I found great freedom to speak, to 
 the children, whom God has called out of 
 the evil world, to serve him in this place. 
 Watch over them, O my God, for good, and 
 be thou their guide unto death ! 
 
 On Tuesday my time was out to go back. 
 I preached at PainsheoAn the afternoon, to 
 an attentive congregatTon, and got to Sun- 
 derland by seven at night. This week: 1 re- 
 ceived a letter from Mr. Charles Wesley, 
 that the E. of S. had assured the Lady 
 Huntingdon, that I should be set at liberty 
 in a few days. I said, ' The Lord hath 
 not forgotten to be gracious, for he hath 
 taken niy cause in hand, and it shall turn 
 to his glory ; for he alone hath done the 
 work, when all human means seemed to 
 fail.' My enemies cried, 'We have made 
 his bonds strong, and none can deliver him 
 out cf our snare ; for we have put it out of 
 the officers power (o discharge him for any 
 price.' Lord, J beseech thee open their 
 eyes, .and let them see the snare which Sa- 
 tan hath made for their souls, and escape 
 by speedy repentance, and faith in thy 
 blood. 
 
 TJjis week I was much out of health by 
 the surfeit I got in marching ; but found 
 present ease by being blooded. The week 
 P 
 
170 
 
 THE JOURNAL O? 
 
 following I was sent for by the captain to 
 tlie store house ; and he insisted on my go- 
 ing, though I was so ill. When I came 
 tlifre, he and three more officers came and 
 asked me how I did ? 1 told them ; and they 
 said, ' Here is a good coat for you to keep 
 you from tiie cold, that you may recover 
 your health.' 1 said, ' 1 have coats e- 
 iiough, if that will do ■, I need none of 
 yours.' They said, ' they would make me 
 wear it, and all other cioathing belonging 
 to a soldier.' I answered, ' You may ar- 
 ray me as a man of war, but I shall never 
 fight.' They asked me, ' What is your 
 reason ?' My answer was, ' 1 cannot see 
 any thing in this world worth fighting for. 
 i want neither it's riches nor honours, but 
 the honour that cometh from God only — I 
 regard neither it's smiles nor it's frowns ; 
 and have no business in it, but to get well 
 out of it.' 
 
 'I'hen they ordered the Serjeant to puU 
 off' my coat, and put a red one on me; 
 when he had done it, they turned me round, 
 and rejoiced over nic — I said, ' You see 
 the scripture cannot be broken, where it 
 saith, ' if they do this' in the green tree, 
 what will they do in the dry r' ' Wiiat do 
 you mean by that,' tJicy asked ? J answer- 
 ed, ' The soldiers took Jesus and stripped 
 him, and put a scarlet robe upon him, and 
 mocked him, as you iiave treated me, his 
 servant, this day for speaking his words. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON, 
 
 171 
 
 He indeed hath the greater condemnation 
 who delivered me into your hands ; but 1 
 pray God forgive you ail." These words 
 turned their countenance and behaviour 
 toward me, and one ofthem laboured much 
 from that time to find some way to set me 
 fi at liberty. 
 
 During my three weeks illness, many of 
 the brethren and sisters from Newcastle, 
 Biddick, and Painshee, came to see me, 
 and God was pleased at that time to give 
 some the knowledge of salvation by the re- 
 mission of their siiis ; and to comfort all 
 our hearts with his love. O may we ever 
 keep his commandments, that we may con- 
 tinue in his love, even as he hath kept his 
 Father's commandments, and continue in 
 his love ! 
 
 On Friday, July 27, John Gruham, of 
 Sunderland, came to me with an open let- 
 ter in his hand, and said, ' Come, my 
 friend, I have good news for thee ; God 
 hath heard the prayers of his people in thy 
 behalf, and sent thee deliverance -. licie, 
 read this letter, which tiie jMajor hath sent 
 to the Captain on thy account.' It was on 
 this wise, 'I have received an order iVom 
 the Earl of S. to discharge John Nelson, 
 who was prest from BirstaJ, in the West 
 Kiding of Yorkshire ; therefore take his 
 arms and cloathing from him which he has 
 received, and Isi me know il' he had any 
 pay since he came, and send him to me wit!i 
 
] 7" THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 a furlough.' Accordingly 1 delivered all 
 things ! had belonging to thein to Lieuten. 
 ant M. who said, he w as glad that I was re- 
 leased, and wished me well wheresoever I 
 went. 1 had a furlough given ine, and set 
 out in the afternoon with some that were 
 come from Newcastle to see me ; and got "9 
 there by seven. 
 
 All the Society gave Cod thanks on my 
 bell a! f, as soon as they saw me ; for they 1 
 had knowledge of my deliverance before t 
 had. Next morning I went to the Major's 
 quarters about nine; when 1 had waited 
 about an hour, I was ordered to come at 
 half an hour past eleven — I did so, and 
 waited another hour — then the Major call- 
 ed to nie, and bade me come at half an hour 
 after two, and he would speak to me — I 
 came again as he ordered me, and when 
 I had stayed near an hour, one of the Cap- 
 tains called to me, and said, ' The Major 
 is gone to dine with the Mayor of the towu, 
 and you will hardly see him to-night ; but 
 you will be sure to find him to-morrow 
 uioriiiug.' 1 told him, that would not do 
 for me ; lor tny business was not to be done 
 on the Saobadi. 
 
 Near six in the evening, I saw the Major 
 go along tlie street, and followed him to 
 his lodgings ; he said, " I have an order 
 I'rom Lord S — to discharge you." He 
 sent for the Adjutant, and ordered him to 
 bring two printed discharges with him. 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 1 75 
 
 He came, and three more of the officers 
 Avith him, and filled up the discharg;e -, 
 when he had done, he said, ' I wish all the 
 men in our regiment would behave as well 
 as Mr. Nelson has done since he has been 
 among us, it would be better for us and 
 them teo.' Then our Lieutenant said, 
 ' Jndeed he has done much good since he 
 came among us ; lor we Jia\ e not had one 
 third of th£ cursing and swearing in the 
 regiment, which we had before he came ; 
 and he has given me several private exhor- 
 tations, and some of their books ; and 1 
 thank him for them, and for his advice, for 
 they are good.' Then the Major said, ' I 
 wish I had a regiment of such men as he is 
 in ail respects, save that one, his refusing 
 to fight ; I would not care what enemy 1 
 had to meet, or where my lot was cast." — 
 ' Sir, if you fear God, 1 said, you have no 
 need to fear any thing else ; for they that 
 fear him depart from evil, and seek to do 
 his V ill, and not their own ; they know that 
 in his hand are the issues of life and death : 
 Therefore, they fear not him that can kill 
 the body only, but him who can destroy 
 both body and soul in hell. And every one 
 that has this fear is trwly wise ; but he that 
 dare commit sin, his wisdom is the foolish- 
 ness of folly ; ibr he is pulling destructioa 
 on his own head, and fitting himself for the 
 fuel of hell fire. But he that is wise unto 
 salvation is bold as a lion, and is more no- 
 P S 
 
174 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ble than to contend for the honour which 
 coineth of mien ; fur having bread to eat, 
 and raiment t« put on, he knows that is all 
 this world can afford him. He pities the 
 great ones of the earth, who feed on husks, 
 and can be content with the title of Right 
 Honourable ; while, by sin, they debase 
 themselves even down to hell •, but by these 
 things the god of this world blinds their 
 eyes, so that very few of them seethe way 
 to heaven, as it is pointed out in the word 
 oi' God.' 
 
 ' Well, said the Major, if you be so scru- 
 pulous about fighting, w hat must we do ?' I 
 answered, ' It is your trade, and if you had 
 a better, it might be better for you.' ' But 
 somebody, (he replied.) must fight ;' I said, 
 * if all men lived by faith in the Son of God, 
 wars would be at an end.' • TJiat is true, 
 he atiswered, if it were so, we should learn 
 war no more.' 
 
 • But there is one thing, said he, I desire 
 to know : tell me, do you make your ser- 
 mons ready before you go to preach, or do 
 you speak offhand ?' I do not sttidy what to 
 say, but speak as the Spirit of God enables 
 me. • Well, said he, I cannot tell what you 
 mean by the Spirit of God.' 'I'he more is 
 the pity. 1 answered, that you should have 
 lived so long in the world, and know no- 
 thing of God yet ; for we do not know God 
 but by his own Spirit given unto us ; and 
 till we have received that Spirit, we are 
 
MR. JOHS NELSON. IT") 
 
 without God in the world an J no man can 
 have this gift, and rot know it; for thus 
 saith the Lord Jesus, ' At that day ye 
 shall know that I am in my Father, and you 
 in me, and I in you.' So that if God be 
 true, we must know that Christ is in us, or 
 we are none of his ; for as many as are led 
 by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of 
 God : But if any man have not the Spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his : He is no Chris- 
 tian, no more than a Turk or Pagan is. un- 
 less he has the same Spirit that raised 
 Christ from the dead, to raise him in tliis 
 world from the death of sin. 
 
 Here one of the Captains spake : ' You 
 said , one day, ' 1 f we have not the Spirit of 
 God, we are dead while we live.' ' Did 1 
 80 ? ' Yes, you did.' ' 'I'hen 1 will prove 
 it, both from the doctrine of the Church of 
 England, (of winch I profess myself a 
 member,) and from the Word of God.' 
 God gave me to speak plainly from both for 
 about twenty minutes ; none contradicting 
 me, but they both stood as dumb men. 
 
 Then said the Major, there is such a 
 discharge foryou, as i never gave before, 
 but once and put it into my hand : i 
 told them, ' 1 have now delivered my own 
 soul, and am pure from the blood ol you 
 all: fori have not spared either poor or 
 rich, since 1 came among you, but have set 
 life and death before you all, as you came 
 la my way. I have declared unto you. 
 
170 
 
 The journal ot 
 
 that the wicked shall be turned into hell, 
 and all the people that forget God ; and 
 coutrarywise, the blessed state of them 
 that repent, and obey the gospel of Christ , 
 our Saviour. And 1 pray God to give you \ , 
 all to understand the things which belong 
 to your everlasting peace, and bless you 
 in turning every one of you from your ini- 
 quities — I'hen shall we meet another day • 
 to part no more.' The Major said, ' I • 
 wish you well wherever you go : For I 
 believe you Methodists are a well mean- j 
 jng people;' and so said they ull. I gave • 
 them a book, and took my leave of them. 
 
 1 went to the room, and preached that , 
 night, and had several of the soldiers to 
 hear mc, who gave attention to what I 
 said ; then I took my leave of them, but 
 some ot them wept, and desired me to pray 
 for them, and said, w e are glad you are 
 set at liberty, but sorry to part with you.' 
 I commended them to God, and to the 
 word of his grace, and trust they will mind 
 the exhortation, and become soldiers of Je- 
 sus Christ. 
 
 On tlie 28th day of July, I was set at li- 
 berty to go wheresoever I thought was 
 most for God's glory, who has delivered 
 me from my bonds. For he hath done 
 the work, and to him the glory is due. 
 What am I, that he should care for me ! 
 But he is a God that heareth prayer : And 
 the cries of his people inclined him to take 
 my cause in hund.— Praise the Lord, Q 
 
MR. JOHN NELSOK. 
 
 177 
 
 my soul, who has kept thee in all thy trials, 
 ami hath not sulieied thee to faint in sore 
 temptation ! 
 
 Now 1 find the words true which Mr. 
 John Wesley wrote me at York : ' Well, 
 my brother, is the God * hom you serve, 
 able to deliv er you ; and do you find him 
 faithful to his word ? is his grace still 
 sufficient for you ? I doubt it not. He will 
 not suffer you to be weary or faint in your 
 mind. But he had work for you to do, 
 which you knew not of, and thus his coun- 
 sel was to be fulfilled ! Oh ! lose no time ! 
 Who knows how many souls God may 
 by this means deliver into your hands. 
 Shall not all these things be for the fur- 
 therance of the gospel ! And is not the 
 time coming when we shall cry out toge- 
 ther, 'Nay, in all these things we are 
 more than conquerors thro" him that lov^d 
 us.' 
 
 On the e9th of July, 1744, the day after 
 I was released from my captivity, I 
 preached at the room in Newcastle ; and 
 the' power of the Lord was present ; seve- 
 ral more were converted that week, and 
 my own soul refreshed among them. 
 
 The week after I set out for home ; and 
 brother Tinkler assisted me with a horse 
 as far as Ferry-Hill, where we commended 
 each other to the grace of God, and I set 
 out on foot. 
 
 The day after I met brother Ash, and 
 two more near Boroughbrtdge, coming to 
 
178 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 meet me with my mare. We stopped and 
 sang praise together unto God, who had 
 broken my bonds, and preserved them in 
 many dangers. 
 
 It was given out for me to preach at 
 Leeds that night ; and I preached in an 
 open yard, to a large company of rich and 
 poor, that did not attend our preaching 
 before I was sent for a soldier. Thus we 
 see that what the enemies of the Lord Jesus 
 do to hinder hisgospel, helps to enlargehis 
 kingdom. So it is, that he turns the fierce- 
 ness of men to his praise, and the remain- 
 der of it he restrains — For not one in Leeds 
 opened his mouth against me, but hun- 
 dreds said they were glad to see me at li- 
 berty again. 
 
 When 1 got home I found my wife and 
 children well, and we praised God toge- 
 ther But when I came to converse with 
 the people, my soul was distressed within 
 me, for those that had shewed me great 
 love before i went, by their behaviour and 
 countenance, now seemed to wish I had 
 not comeback. ; for Mr. Vine;/, who had 
 been with the Moravians, had got among 
 thctn in my absence, and had preached to 
 them another gospel. They now told me, 
 they did not want the law or work preach- 
 jag any more, but they wanted to be fed ; 
 and that neither Mr. Wesley nor J knew 
 how to build up souls as well as Mr. Vi- 
 ney did. But I found that they were 
 
Mil. JOHN KELSON. 
 
 1/9 
 
 built up in an unholy faith ; for they said, 
 to tell people that they must be holy in 
 this world, was Mr. Wesley's error and 
 mine, and we kept souls in bondage, by 
 preaching as we did. Some of tbemindeecf, 
 shewed their liberty, by trampling under 
 foot the law of Cod and man. 
 
 When I saw such havoc made among 
 the lloclc by his soft words and fair speech- 
 es, my soul was distressed within me, so 
 that I could not eat my bread. I threw 
 myself on the ground, and requested for 
 death, saying, ' Lord, why hast thou suf- 
 fered me to come back to see this evil }' 
 
 When 1 preached, many stood like 
 stocks or stones, and others smiled at one 
 another; so that my preaching was like 
 a feather thrown against a rock, or as wa- 
 ter spilt upon the ground, except to a 
 few strangers who were airected. I said, 
 
 * VVoe is me! Ibr my children flee from 
 me, as if I bad brought the plague a.mong 
 them !'. 
 
 1 humbled myself before God, and beg- 
 ged for light that I might know his will 
 and I opened the book on these words. 
 
 • Bring forth therefore fruits meet for re- 
 pentance: and think not to say within 
 yourselves. We have Abraham for our 
 father, for I say unto you, that God is able, 
 of these stones, to rai.?e up children unto 
 Abraham ; and now also the axe is laid 
 unto the root of the tree,Uherefore, every 
 
150 THE JOURNAL Of | 
 
 tree, which bringeth not forth good fruit, .; 
 is hewn down, and cast into the fire.' I 
 went out, and stood upon a table, and 
 preached from these words to a large con- 
 gregation, who seemed to be as a people 
 that never heard the gospel before, and 
 therebegan tobe a trembling amongst them 
 when many fell to the ground, and cried 
 out, ' Lord, save, or 1 perish !' Many came 
 to me weeping and said, * We have beea 
 deluded by the German song. O pray for 
 us, that God may give us back that tender 
 conscience which we have lost since you , 
 left us.' Then Mr. Viney went outof the 
 congregation, hanged down his head, and 
 owned us no more. But niy soul re- 
 vived again, for sinners were converted 
 and others restored to the simplicity of 
 the gospel, who had been wise above what 
 is written ; but some continue to this day 
 in their happy sinnership. I met with one 
 of them the other day, so drunk, that he 
 could not keep the cart-road. 1 asked him 
 ■what bethought of himself now, if dealh 
 were to seize him in that wretched condi- I 
 iion ? He said, that he was not afraid to 
 die, for he was as his saviour would have | 
 him to be -, and if be would have him to be 
 holy, he would make him so, but he was a 
 poor sinner, and he hoped to be so to eter- 
 nity. — He said, ' You and John Wesley are 
 enemies to the Lamb ; for you want people 
 to be holy here : But the Lamb shall have 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. ISl 
 
 the honour of saving nie ; I will not offer 
 to save myself like you Pharisees.' I cried 
 out, * Lord keep me from that delusion.' 
 
 After some time 1 went to York, and 
 found the seed sown in my captivity had 
 sprung up; for nineteen Kad found peace 
 with God, and twice as many were under 
 convictions, though th«y had no one to in- 
 struct them in my absence r But. the little 
 books 1 left them, viz the Sermon cn, 
 Awakethou that sleepest, andSalvation by 
 Faith, and the Extract from the Homilies, 
 and the Nature and Design of Christianity, 
 had been of great use to thera. O what 
 good might be done, if these books were 
 spread through the land ! 
 
 Soon after, Mr. Wesley sent for me to 
 London, and ] found my soul blessed in 
 speaking to the people ; and many came to 
 hear out of curiosity, when they heard it 
 was the man that had been in prison ; and 
 several were convinced of tJie truth they 
 heard. 
 
 When I was at London, I received a let- 
 ter from Sunderland, wherein I was desi- 
 red to go and preach there. Two men who 
 had conversed with me, when I was cap- 
 tive fhere have found the Lord ; and they 
 said. That their souls panted for the salva- 
 tion of their neighbours. So I see that 
 God leads the blind by a way they know 
 not ; For I thought all that I had said 
 there, was as water spilt on the ground ; 
 
THE JOORNAX 09 
 
 but the Lord confirms his own word, when 
 we see little outward appearance of it. O 
 how wonderful are thy works, O Lord ! 
 what a great fire is kindled by a little 
 spark in that place ! Now I see, that the , 
 wise man s advice isgood, where he saith^ 
 ' Sow thy seed in the morning ; and in the 
 evening with-hold not thy hand, for thoi* 
 knowest not which ^hall prosper, this or 
 that.' 
 
 In my return from London, I preache* ^ 
 at Nottingjiam-cross, to a large congrega- , 
 tion ; most of them behaved very well, ex- ■ 
 cept a few who had prepared squibs to 
 throw in my face ; but three of them were 
 burnt with the fire that they intended for 
 me, and went away and left me to finish 
 my discourse quietly. When I bad done, 
 there came a serjeant to the cross to me,, 
 and fell down on his knees and said, * For 
 the Lord's sake pray for me •, for 1 came on 
 purpose to pull you down ; but the dread 
 of God fell on me, (when T saw those burnt 
 with the squibs that they intended to throw 
 in your face,) and your words came as a 
 sword to my heart ; and I am convinced 
 that you are God's servant. I never served 
 either God or my King as I ought to do : 
 But I hope I shall begin to lead a new life 
 from this hour.' This being in the pre- 
 ftence of all the people, it seemed to season 
 ■what I had said to them. As 1 was preach- 
 ing,, one Stephen Diekson» and two mora 
 
 il 
 
MR. JOHN KBLSOK. 
 
 18S 
 
 preachers, came and stood awhile : They 
 then spoke aloud, and said, ' V^ hy hear ye 
 Jiiin ? For he is as legal and blind, as Ihc 
 two VVesleys themselves.* 
 
 When I got home, I found tlic people in 
 a prosperous way : and the greatest part of 
 tl>em quite delivered from the Antiiio/nian 
 principles that they had fallen into during 
 jny captivity ; and the Lord had increased 
 them in grace and number -. To him be the 
 glory given. 
 
 Soon after, I w^nt to Newcastle, and la- 
 boured there about three months, and had 
 an opportunity to visit Sunderland. I 
 preached upon the cross to the greatest 
 part of the town, who behaved well, and 
 stood all the time, though the snow was 
 eight or ni«e inches deep. I -went there as 
 often as I could ^ and God visited many 
 with his salvation there, and at Painshee, 
 and Biddick, who biessed God that I had 
 been sent among them. They said, that 
 they would pray for our minister, who was 
 the cause of my coming ; for they were 
 more beholden to him Uia« to me : and let 
 fcim intend what he would, the}- had reason 
 bless God, in his behalf. So it is evi- 
 dent, God hath his way in the wliirlmnd, 
 and his path in the great waters. 
 
 On my return to Lecd«, I f und that the 
 Lord had greatly blessed the labour of Jo- 
 nathan Reeves, and John Bennet ; several 
 being converted by their preaching, both 
 iiere and at Birstal. 
 
THE juvk:^al or 
 
 I was artei wartls ordered toBrigtol. fri 
 my way I called at Nottingham ; and as I 
 was preaching, a mob came into the house, 
 and made a noise, as if they had been in a 
 cock-pit, so that my voice could not be 
 heard for some time. When they were si- 
 lent, I began to speak, and one of them 
 came behind me, and tilled my mouth with 
 dirt out of the channel. I never felt my- 
 self so near being choaked in my life ; But 
 when I had gotten the dirt out, I spoke 
 again. The ringleader of them turned 
 about, and said, • Let him alone, for he is 
 riglit, and we are wrong ; and if any one of 
 you touch him, I will knockyou down.' He 
 guarded me to my lodgings, and bore many 
 blows for me; he desired me to pray for 
 hxcp, that he might not rest till he had 
 found peace with God, for he was sure he 
 fought against the truth ; but by grace he 
 would do so no more. 
 
 ] found peace at VVednesbury ; and se- 
 veral, who had been persecutors, were con- 
 verted, and were content to bear the re- 
 proach of the gospel. O what a good Cod 
 Jiavewe to deal with ! It is plain, whoever 
 turn at his reproof, he will pour out his 
 Spirit upon them, and receive them into 
 liis family, after all thc-y ha\e done to pro- 
 voke hi ;n. 
 
 .* fjund peace at all the places in my way 
 to Bristol ; and my soul was refreshed a- 
 mong the people in that city. Here, and iu 
 
MR. JOHN NFLSOH. 
 
 185 
 
 pa>-ts of Somersetshire and Wiltshire, I 
 spent (bur months. Several were av. aken- 
 ed at Poiiltoi), Coirord, Oakton, Shenton- 
 Maliet, Road, and Bearficid ; so God doth 
 work, and none can hinder, though the in- 
 struments be ever so weak : if be command 
 it, a worm shall shake the earth. 
 
 While I was in these parts, the rebels en- 
 tered our land ; and many trembled for fear 
 of the approaching calamities, that were 
 expected at their coming, and attended the 
 word and prayer, though they used not to 
 attend before But aiter the Lord had put 
 his hook into the rebels' jaws, and turned 
 them back by the way they came, many 
 were as careless about their souls as ever. 
 
 A little before 1 left Bristol, i received 
 a letter from Mr Charles Wesley, contain- 
 ing only the following words, ' My brother, 
 you must watch and pray, labour and sut- 
 ler : My spirit is with you ; yoi! will short- 
 ly be wanted in Yorkshire. Farewell.' 
 Indeed God hath made him a true prophet 
 to me, for I see as much need to watch and 
 pray as ever I did ; and 1 believe I shall, as 
 Jong as I am in this howling wilderness ; 
 and to exert all my strength in labouring^ 
 to persuade sinners to tlee from ike wrath 
 to come, for 1 see myself a debtor to all 
 men. 
 
 I remember about eight months before I 
 WPS pressed for a soldier, Mr. C. Wesley 
 wa.s preaching near my house, in the open 
 
186 
 
 The journal op 
 
 street, and said in his preaching, ' Before 
 I shall come to preach here again, the de- 
 vil will be permitted to cast some of" you in- 
 to prison, but it shall turn to the glory of 
 God, and to the furtherance ef the gospel.' 
 1 little thought then that the cloud would 
 burst on my head ; but when it did, his 
 words were a support to me in my trials. 
 
 When I left Bristol, 1 met with many 
 sufferings ; at almost every place where I 
 came to preach, mobs were raised, as if 
 they were determined to kill me, and all 
 God's children, in a kind of thanksgiving, 
 because the rebels were conquered. O what 
 stupid creatures are men in their carnal 
 state ! 
 
 When I got to Nottingham, I preached 
 to a peaceable congregation. About half 
 an hour after I had done, as I and four or 
 five more were sitting by the fire, the con- 
 stable with a mob at his heels came rushing 
 into the house, and said, ' Where is the 
 preacher >' I said, ' I am he. Sir.' He re- 
 plied, ' You must go with me before the 
 Mayor.' I said, ' Where is your warrant .>* 
 He replied, ' My staff is my warrant. 
 C-ome, lads, help me ; for 1 will make him 
 go before the Mayor.' I said, ' I am not 
 afraid to go before him ; but it is your busi- 
 ness to take up that swearer ; you hear 
 there is another that swears, and if you 
 dont take them up, it is in my power to 
 aiakeyou pay forty shillings foi* not doing 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 1«7 
 
 your duty.' He regarded not what I said, 
 but hauled me away. When he had got 
 almost to the Mayor's house, a gentleman- 
 tike man said, ' Constable, where are you 
 going with him }' he said, * To the Major.' 
 He replied, * Pray don't ; for the Mayor is 
 their friend, and says, he will put any one 
 that disturbs them into the house of cor- 
 rection : Therefore carry him before Al- 
 derman H — 1, and he will do for him.* 
 * Then we must turn another way,' said 
 he.' But I said, ' I insist upon going before 
 the Mayor,' But he replied, * 1 wni make 
 you go where I please.' I said, * You told 
 me you must carry me before the Mayor -. 
 I find you are a strange officer, to encour- 
 age swearing, and tell lies yourself.' Then 
 the mob shouted, and cried, • Help us to 
 guard the methodist preacher to the house 
 of correction.' 
 
 By that time we got to the alderman's 
 house, there were several hundreds gather- 
 ed together and when we came there, he 
 said, ' Whom have you brought, consta- 
 ble >' To me he said, ' 1 wonder you can't 
 stay in your own places ; you might be con- 
 vinced by this time, that the mob of Not- 
 tingham will never let you preach quietly 
 in this town.' I replied, ' I beg pardoa. 
 Sir, I did not know before now, that thi» 
 town was governed by a mob ; for most 
 such towns are governed by magistrates.' 
 ile blushed, and aaid, ' Do you taiak that 
 
Ib'i The journal of 
 
 we .will protect Wesley, and you ? a pack 
 cf you ! No. J believe yni are the cause of 
 all the commotions that Lave been in the 
 land/ 1 replied, ' Sir can you prove that 
 one man who is joined to ua did assist the 
 Pretender, with either men, money, or 
 arms ?' He said, ' It hath been observed, 
 that there were always such a preaching, 
 bawling people, before any judgment came 
 upon the land.' I replied, ' 'J^hat is the 
 goodness of G»-;l towards the people, lor 
 sending his messengers to warn them to 
 repent, that they may escape his judgments 
 here, and the torments of the damned here- 
 after. Sir, yon may as well say, that it 
 Avas through Jeremiah that the Chaldeans 
 destroyed the temple, and took the inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem captives, because he 
 told them it woiild be so, if they did not re- 
 pent, and turn to God. No, sir, it is not 
 lor praying and preaching- that evil comes 
 on a land, but lor swearing and cursing, 
 drunkenness, and debauchery, for oppress- 
 ing the poor, and loving j)leasure more 
 than God ; and for denying the Lord (hat 
 bought us. These are ihe people that 
 bring the swcrd, pesiilcnce, and famine, 
 into the land.' The constable said, 'Do 
 you think we will take warning by such 
 fellows as you.' 1 said, * If you will not, 
 you must feel the blow ; for if there be not 
 a reformation in the land, God will pour 
 out his judgments upon man and least; 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 180 
 
 Ihercfore, 1 warn you all to look unto the 
 roA, for it is appointed to them that diso- 
 bey the gospel ' 'I'hKn the alderman said, 
 ' So. so. you must not~{ireacIi here. 1 ve- 
 rily believe you are a good man.' Then he 
 said, ' Con.stable, i will not send this man 
 to the house of correction : I tliink, as you 
 keep a public house, you may let him lie 
 (here tonight for lie is on his journey.' 
 The constable said, ' i beg that he may not 
 be at my house.' ' Well then, said he,' he 
 may go to Mary White's, where he came 
 from.' 1 spoke a few more words to him, 
 and wished him a good night.' He said, 
 • Mr. Nelson, I wish you well wherever you 
 go.' 
 
 When I had got into the sheet. I don't 
 know but there migiit be a thousand peo- 
 ple ; but I saw not one that 1 knew ; there- 
 fore I went and stood under a lamp that 
 my acquaintances might see me The al- 
 derman came to the door, and said to the 
 constable, ' Take care of Mr. Nelson, that 
 no one molest him ; see him safe to Mary 
 White's.' The constable seemed much 
 ashamed, and did as he was ordered. — . 
 Then the man that advised him to carry 
 r.'ie before the alderman, came to me, and 
 said, 'Thy nimble tongue has delivered 
 thee at this time.' I said, 'No, sir, it i.s 
 my God, who hath the hearts of all men in 
 liis hand .' 
 
J90 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 When we got to Mary White's, we sung i 
 a hymn, and gave praise to God, and pray- ; 
 ed for our enemies, and recommended 
 each other to God's care and protection 
 and we had a comfortable meeting at five i 
 the licxt morning. 
 
 WJi«n I got hoiiie, I found all things in 
 a comfortable way, and the Lord added 
 many to the number of his children that 
 winter, and several died in the triumph of 
 faith. ' Wonderful art thou, O Lord, in 
 all thy works ; and as thou art in majesty, 
 «o art thou in mercy J' 
 
 One day I happened to fall in company 
 with a gentleman, that was called one of 
 the chief teachers in Israel, who began to 
 ridicule Mr. Wesley, and all that labour 
 with him, saying, • They are a short-sight- 
 ed, ignorant set of people, neither are 
 they willing to be instructed in the truths 
 of the gospel.' I said, ' Sir, I am one of 
 them, and I am open for conviction : shew 
 me our error, and 1 hope, by grace to for- 
 sake it' He said, 'You deny the faith 
 delivered to the saints, in denying Elec- 
 tion and Reprobation.' I said, • 1 do not 
 know that that is the faith of the gospel ; j 
 for the Apostle Paul saith, 'It was not J 
 written for Abraham's sake alone, that " 
 faith was counted to him for righteousness 
 but for our sakes, if we believe in hini 
 that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from 
 the dead, who was delivered for our of- 
 
MR. JOHN NBLSOX. 
 
 151 
 
 fences, and rHised again for our justifica- 
 tion.' I think, therefore, that this is the 
 faith of the gospel, that I with my heart 
 believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, 
 and rose again for my justification ; that 
 he died for me, that his life might be made 
 manifest in my mortal flesh ; that I might 
 not live to myself, but to him who died 
 for me : and this faith kindles a flame of 
 love in the heart of those that receive it, 
 to God and to every soul of man ; and I 
 would not give a straw for any thing cal- 
 led faith, short of this The same Apostle 
 saith, that his commission to the people 
 and to the Gentiles, was to open their eyes, 
 and to turn them from darkness to light, 
 and from the power of Satan to God ; that 
 they might receive forgiveness of sins, and 
 an inheritance among them that are sancti- 
 fied, by faith in Jesus Christ : but there is 
 not one of reprobation in his commission ; 
 and if any come to preach another gospel, 
 let him be accursed. • He stormed at me, and 
 called mc a muddy-headed creature seve- 
 ral times. I answered, ' My head is muddy, 
 er your doctrine is unclean. If you clear God 
 and not make him a liar, nor guiltyof per- 
 jury, nor the author of all sin, then I may 
 think as you do.' He asked. ' What do you 
 mean?' I replied, 'He hath said several 
 times that ; he is no respecter of persons but 
 you have given him the lie many times, 
 .since I came in your company ; and youhave 
 made him guiJty of perjury j for he swears 
 
192 
 
 THE JOUrtNAL OF 
 
 by his own life, that he hath no pleasure 
 in the death of a sinner. And jou have 
 affirmed that it is God's pleasure to leave 
 the greatest part of mankind to an unmer- 
 ciful devil, to govern them here, and 
 to torment them hereafter : nay, you af- 
 firm, that it is his good pleasure to damn 
 infants from their mother s womb. — O Sir, 
 beware what you say against the God of 
 love : for you have made him worse 
 than MolocJi. Byyonr wordsthat man is jl 
 as much doing the will of God, that cuts i 
 his father's throat, and that ravishcth his *l 
 own mother, as he tiiat feedeth the hun- 
 gry, and clotheth the naked, ! — O sir, is 
 this the God that was in Christ, reconcil- 
 ing the world to himself? No, he is lovine -i 
 to every man, and I)is mercy is over all ] 
 liis works : and St. John saith, ' He 
 that loveth is born of Go<l ; and knoweth 
 God, for God is love.' Then he made ji - 
 noise like a butcher in the Bear-garden. : 
 When I could be heai'd, I saiu, ' Sir, if 
 ever you preach ag:i;n, 1 must look npon ^ 
 you either as a fool or knave.' He asked, 
 ' Why so ^ I replied, ' You say the elect 
 were cho.sen from eternity, and the rest 
 set apart for misery : and that the de- 
 cree cannot be broken ; and if you think 
 one of the chosen can be lost for want of 
 preaching, or one of the reprobates can 
 be saved by your preaching, you must be 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 19^ 
 
 void of reason, and something worse, il' 
 you believe the thing is fixecf, and tliat 
 preaching will aggravate the torments oi' 
 the lost, and that the greatest part of'vour 
 hearers arc lost, who help to rnaintain 
 you as a gentleman, only to increase their 
 damnation.' He looked at me with a 
 stern countenance, and said, ' You are 
 as bad as Wesley himself.' I replied, 
 ' Sir, why do you find fault ? If whiit you 
 say be true, God hath decreed me to thiiiL 
 as 1 do And how can I break the (!e- 
 cree }' He said, • I hate to hear you talk 
 so.' I answered, ' Do you want God to 
 break his decree ?' Then he went away in 
 a rage. 
 
 Another preacher of the same sort, 
 heard our dispute, and told me, he would 
 put a question to me, which would drive 
 me from inherent righteousness : viz. 'If 
 the white raiment that those appeared in 
 before the throne of heaven, wei c not the 
 imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ ?' — 
 I said, ' No, Sir.' But he affirmed it was. 
 1 then said, ' It is almost blasphemy, in 
 my opinion, to say so.* He said, ' What 
 do you mean > I answered, ' The scrip- 
 ture saith, that • They came cut of great 
 tribulation, and washed their robes, and 
 made them white in the blood of the 
 Lamb:' I never heard that his life was 
 stained by sin ; neither man nor devil 
 eould accuse hira thereof i his righteous- 
 
194 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ness bad no need of washing ; it is blas- 
 phemy to say that it did ; for shame, go 
 home and read the scriptures, and you 
 will see it is the blood of Jesus Christ that 
 cleanses from all sin, but clokes none : 
 >When a soul appears in that company, it 
 is not like a dunghill covered with snow, 
 but really pure, and is, by the power of 
 Jesus Christ's Spirit, restored to the Image 
 of God, in which it was at first created 
 and then, and not till then, can it enter 
 in at the gates of the New Jerusalem, and 
 join the angels and archangels, and spi- 
 rits of just men made perfect, to sing an 
 eternal anthem to the Great Three One.' 
 He said, * You shall never make me think 
 as Wesley and you do.' I replied, • If 
 you don't in this world, you will in the 
 next; for if you die defiled and unclean, 
 you must be cast into a lake that burneth 
 with fire and brimstone so you had bet- 
 ter begin now yourself, and advise your 
 hearers to cry out, ' Create in me a clean 
 heart, and renew a right spirit within me, 
 
 0 Lord, for none but the pure in heart 
 can see God.' — lie said, ' I do not care 
 what you can say, for my salvation was 
 completed when Christ bung on the cross.' 
 
 1 replied, ' Not so. for he did not repent 
 for you : You must repent for yourself, or 
 eternally perish, after all that he hath 
 done and suffered for you ; and if you do 
 not believe that he died for your sins^ and 
 
MS.' 30HK NELSON 
 
 195 
 
 rose again for your justification. Nor was 
 lie risen again when he hung on the cross, 
 which was yet a necessary part of the 
 M'ork that he came to do. Nor was he 
 Lorn again for you ; for you must be born 
 again, or you can never enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven ; and be as really made 
 a partaker of the Divine Nature by rege- 
 neration, or you have no more right to 
 call G«d your fathe*-, or heaven your in- 
 heritance, than i have to call King George 
 iny father, and his throne mine.' He said, 
 ' You are a strange set of people :' and 
 left me. O my God, take the matter into 
 thy own hand, and put a stop to that anti- 
 christian doctrine, which is spreading as 
 a flood in our land ; and give the people 
 to see the truth as it is in Jesus and cre- 
 ate such a hungering and thirsting after 
 inward holiness, that they may pant as 
 the hart pantcth after the water brooks, 
 till all that is in them be made holiness to 
 the Lord. 
 
 I was in hopes that I had done with 
 that sort of people, but a third came to 
 me soon after, in a ri»ge, and said, ' You 
 are an enemy to the gospel.' I asked, 
 • Wherein, Sir ?' He replied, ' In saying 
 that Christ died for all, and in denying 
 imputed righteousness.' 1 answered, 
 ' Faith in Curist, is imputed for righteous- 
 ness, to every soul that belie veth ; and 
 they are freely forgiven for his sake, re- 
 
169 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 ceived into God's favour and family, and 
 are made partakers of the same Spirit, 
 that raised our Lord from the dead ; 
 whereby they are enabled to deny ungod- 
 liness, and wordly lusts, and to live a 
 ^odly, righteous, and sober life, in this pre- 
 sent evil world : and to [jerfect holiness in 
 the fear of God In the scripture sense 
 these live not, but Christ liveth in them ; 
 and he doth actually destroy the work of 
 the devil, and re instamp the image of 
 God in their souls ; and I read of no other 
 fjuaii/ication to fit a soul for God 's cojnpa- 
 ny.' He said, ' You are stupid, and so 
 are all they tliat folio iv Wesley ; but I be- 
 lieve as 1 say, and so do many better 
 men than either he or you.' 1 answered, 
 ' If you and all the preachers in England 
 were to believe so, I will not give you 
 credit, unless the word of God expressly 
 says, that Christ did not die for all; but 
 it saith several times, that Jie did die for 
 nil: But not once that lie did not die for 
 all ; and how you came 'a be wise above 
 what is written, I know nOt, neither do 1 
 want such wisdom.' I added, ' Tell tne. 
 Sir, did you ever feel the love of God in 
 your own soul? If you did, 1 appeal to 
 your conscience ; that at that time you 
 found love to every soul of man ; now this 
 was not your nature, but the nature of 
 God ; and if one drop of the bucket could 
 so SH'cll your soul, what must that ocean 
 
MB. JOHN KELSON. 
 
 be Ironi vvliich it came ? But I cannot help 
 thinking, that .vou of that principle i. ever 
 knew God, or ifyou had known him, yoir 
 liave {'orgotten him ; lor you make him 
 worse than Moloch.' On this he fell in- 
 to a rage with me. I said, • Be not an- 
 gry with me, but rather be consistent 
 with yourself, and if I could belieAX as 
 you do, 1 would not have so long trou- 
 bled the people with preaching ; for you 
 say, ' Not one of them that Christ died 
 ibr can perish, nor the rest be saved.' 
 Then why do you and 1 beat the air? 
 For Christ will have his, you say, and 
 the devil must have his -. Therefore, let 
 each have their own quietly, and do not 
 torment the poor creatures before the time. 
 He then went away in haste, and sent for 
 arguments to those of Jiis own stamp in 
 London, to put a stop to universal re- 
 demption and inward iicliness, but never 
 jet brought them to me. 
 
 Scon alter, 1 met with a Roman Catho- 
 lic, who began to condemn all sects and 
 parties, sayirg, 'They must all peiish, 
 that die out of the pale of the church ; 
 tliat there is but one true f iiurch, and that 
 the church of Rome is it.' I replied, 
 ^ Whatever the church of Rome is, you 
 do not belong to Christ's church yet •, for 
 you curse and swear, and get drunk, and 
 break the sabbath; and while you con- 
 imw to do so, you belong to the syna- 
 
19S 
 
 The journal of 
 
 gogue of satan.' Bat iis said, ' Our priests 
 have Peter's power, and could and would 
 forgive the sins of all that belong to our 
 community.' I answered, 'Not so j for 
 one wicked man cannot forgive another, 
 nor forgive his own sins ; no, it is God 
 that is ofTended, and it is he that is ofiend- 
 ed who must forgive the offender ; cue 
 rebel cannot forgive another ; it is the 
 King that must forgive both, or both must 
 «ufFer. You sny also, that the wa.fer is 
 the real body, and the wine the real blood 
 of Christ, after consecration ; then accord- 
 ing to you, whosoever is a partaker of it 
 hath eternal life abiding in htm ; but the 
 scripture saith, that ' no whoremonger, 
 or drunkard, or blasphemer, hath eternal 
 life abiding in him,' and you know that 
 many of your church that are partakers 
 of the Eucharist, are such. Nay, St. Paul 
 tells us, in the 5th chapter of the Gala- 
 tians, of seventeen sorts of sinners, that 
 ehall not inherit the kingdom of God ; 
 therefore be not deceived, neither cast 
 away the reason God hath given you. 
 Now bring your wafer and set it before 
 a swine, an ape, or a bear, and they will 
 devour it, how then can you dare to say 
 that it is divine If it be so^ these brutes 
 inust be raised up at the last day, as well 
 as you.' He gave me bad words. And 
 another of them said. If he might have 
 ^is will on me, he would have nic boiled 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 199 
 
 I in oil •,' ihey then left me. Oh, my God, 
 rend away the veil of ignorance from that 
 people, and let all nations see thy salva- 
 tion ! 
 
 On my journey to the place where I was 
 
 foing to preach, I called at a gentleman's 
 ouse, where was much company ; and he 
 insisted I should stay and dine with them. 
 I desired to be excused. He said, • What 
 is your reason ? You have time enough on 
 your hands.' I replied, *Sir, 1 don't carfi 
 to aflront you in your own house.' * What 
 do you mean?' he said. I answered, ' If 
 I affront the gentlemen at your table it 
 will affront you ; and 1 do not expect to 
 sit at the table to-day, but I shall hear the 
 Name of the Lord blasphemed, though 
 I there are two Clergymen in the company, 
 I and if I do, I must reprove them, or car- 
 ry a guilty conscience home, which 1 will 
 not do for all you have.' He said, * I in- 
 sist on you to dine with me : and you are 
 welcome fto reprove sin ; and if I be guil- 
 ty, reprove me first.' I said, ' You, -ir, 
 as soon as any one, or t should not love 
 your soul as well as another's. 
 
 When we were seated, I had scarcely 
 time to eat one morsel, before I had occa- 
 sion to reprove ; for one gentleman was a 
 Roman Catholic, and he hardly spoke 
 three won's, but one was an oath. I said 
 to the master of the feast, ' There is one 
 thing too deep for me ; I cannot fathom 
 
•200 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 it.-' He asked, ' Wliat is that ?' I an- 
 swered, • When i see a niaa endowed 
 with reasou, and ol' a liberal education, 
 run himself out ol" breath lor no prize.' He 
 said, ' What do you mean ?' ' I replied, 
 ' When such a one will damn his eouI 
 with swearing and cursing, it is like run- 
 ning lor no prize, if be damn his soul to 
 gratify his vain and foolish desires, he 
 hath a sort of pleasure, though it is bru- 
 tish : but the other brings neither plea- 
 snre nor credit.' Then said the gentle- 
 man, ' Peter swore.* 1 replied, ' He did 
 so, but wlien he had done, Ijc went out and 
 wept bitterly . And I do not suppose he 
 ever swore again — Sir, 1 wish you would 
 do as he did.' He answered, ' Well, I 
 own it is not right to swear, but here are 
 some ol'yaur clergy, as you call yourself 
 a churchman, that will swear as much as 
 nie wlien l\ey are hunting.' 1 said, ' Sir, 
 1 am sorry to hear tliat ; but it will not 
 justify either you or me, if we swear, be. 
 cause your priest and my minister will 
 swear.' Then another said, 'Do you 
 tliink that Mr. John Wesley would not 
 swear a vain oath for ahtnuiied pounds?' 
 I answer,ed, * I believe he would not swear 
 a vain oath to save his neck from the gal- 
 lows ; if 1 were sure he would, I would 
 turn my back on hiui lor ever.' The Ro- 
 man Ciiiholic said, ' 1 neitlier care what 
 you nor he saith ; for hunt I will, and I, 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 have as good a pack of fox Jogs as is in 
 the kinj^dom, and a couple of as ^ood hor- 
 ses to follow them •, which do but costnie 
 two hundred pounds a year, and 1 can 
 well aflbrd it.' But 1 replied, ' Sir, hovr 
 will you answer for spending two hundred 
 pounds a year, when you come to give an 
 account of your stewardship >' He answer- 
 ed, ' It is my own ; I am not a steward.* 
 ] replied, ' You are but a steward. Sir : 
 for ' the earth is the Lord's and the full- 
 ness thereof ; so are the cattle on a thou- 
 sand bills.' He says, ' The gold is mine, 
 and the silver is mine,' and he will say to 
 you, 'Thou hast taken my gold and my 
 silver, and spent it on thy dogs, horses, 
 and fighting cocks, in the room of feeding 
 the hungry, and clothing the naked, or as 
 being a liusband to the widow, or as a 
 lather to tiie fathe' Iess, or as eyes to the 
 blind, or legs to t!ie lame. O Sir, consi- 
 der, it is but a little v/hile, befor God will 
 say to you, 'Come, and give an account 
 of thy steward3hip, for thou must be no 
 longer steward !' Then you will wish, 
 that all you have spent in voluptuousness, 
 and vain pleasures, h:id been given to the 
 poop and needy ' Then the two Clergy- 
 men whispered together ; a.id t!ie whisper 
 went round to the Roman Catiiylic, and 
 he said, ' Why did God make dogs of 
 sucli a nature, if it v. cre not for gentle 
 men's diversion }' I answered, 'Who da'es 
 
f02 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 Bay, that God mac'e them so ?' He said, 
 ' Did not Cod make them ?' * Yes, Sir, I 
 replied, aiul j ou too ; but not as you are.* 
 He said. ' What do you mean ?' I replied, , 
 ' When God had finished the creation, he i 
 proiioi'tirad every thing good : and there ] 
 was MO death in any creatuie. But when 
 sin entered into the world, then death en- 
 tered into the world by sin ; but before 
 man sinned against his Maker, there was 
 nothing in one creature that would take 
 the Hie of another : No, the hare would ' 
 as soon have hunted the hound, as the i 
 hound the hare. At that time, the Iamb 
 would as soon have killed the lion, as the 
 lion the lamb ; and the pigeon the hawk, 
 as the hawk the pigeon. But since the 
 fall, the earth is cursed for man's sins, 
 and every thing that it produces ; nay, it 
 is all a curse to man, till it is sanctified to 
 him by prayer And 1 do not believe, that 
 you or any who is here, go to your knees j 
 to desire God to give his blessings oQ' 
 your undertakings, when you go a hunt- 
 ing, and to enable you to use the hounds 
 and horses to his glory : not believing,, 
 that you can do any thing that will please 
 him better.' He said, * 1 have heard that! 
 Wesley had taught you the art of reason 
 ing, and I find he has.' 1 replied, ' Sir^ 
 if you or any man that is present, can dis-r^ 
 prove what I say, let them do it now.' 
 
MR. JOHN NELSOir. 
 
 203 
 
 After my return to Leeds, I went to 
 Wakefield, and preached to a small but 
 serious congregation. 
 
 The next morning I set out for Kirk- 
 Heaton, and in my way, I called to break- 
 fast with a friend in Horborough ; but be- 
 fore I had been there half an hour, the 
 house was beset with almost the whole 
 town, men, women, and children ; they 
 cried out with one voice, ' Bring him out, 
 that we may put him into the river.' I 
 went out to them, and said, ' What do 
 you want ?' They damned me, and said, 
 
 * You, you Methodist dog.' I replied, 
 
 * What have I done to you ?' I am not go- 
 ing to preach here now.' Then the par- 
 son's son swore, ' You shall never preach 
 more, for we will drown you in the ri- 
 ver this day.' And I found that almost 
 the whole town had agreed together, that 
 all thejourneymen and apprentices should 
 leave work as soon as the next preacher 
 came into the town, and put a halter 
 about his neck, and drag him into the ri- 
 ver, and drown him, that the town may 
 be quit of them for ever ; and the par- 
 son s son was the captain of the mob, 
 who had prepared a crazy man to put 
 the halter about my neck and he stood 
 with one in his hand , and a butcher with a 
 rope to help to haul me along ; but while 
 my voice could be heard, they had not 
 power to touch me ; then they went to 
 
 ( 
 
THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 the Clerk's house, and got six large hand- 
 bellsj and came and rung theui round 
 me, for that my voice could not be beard 
 then the madman, who was above six 
 feet in height, put the halter to my throat, 
 but I put my hand between my throat 
 fl,ud it, and pushed it back, and the man 
 fell to the ground, as if he had been 
 knocked dow n with an axe ; and the but- 
 cher stood trembling, ami touched me not. 
 The constable then came with his staff in 
 his hand, upo . which the mob cried, 
 ' Here is the constable, let him come, and 
 he will put the rope on him now ; for he 
 will help us.' He came to nie, and I 
 said, 'Are you the constable.?' He an- 
 swered, ' Yes, I am, and that I will let 
 you know." J replied, ' 1 am glad you are 
 come ; and I charge you in the king's 
 name to do your office.' He asked, ' What 
 is my office.? I answered, 'it is to quell 
 this mob ; and to deliver me out of their 
 hands: and if 1 have done any thing con- 
 trary to the law, to carry me belbre a 
 Magistrate ; and let me be punished by 
 the law.' .He turned pale, and said, 
 * Where are you going.?' 1 answered, '1 
 was going to the stable to get my horse, 
 but was stopped by this mob.' He bade 
 them be silent, and said, • Follow me.' 
 He went to the stable, and led out my 
 horse, and held the stirrup, while I gofc 
 cu : He tJien led me quite through the 
 
MK. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 £05 
 
 crowd, and bade me go on in the Name of 
 tbe Lord. O my God ! hitherto thou hast 
 helped me ! 
 
 When I got to my place, we had a com- 
 fortable meeting; for the power o«'the Lord 
 was present to heal ; and one that had wait- 
 ed long, was set at liberty ; and all praised 
 the lord on my behalf, for his delivering 
 jne from the hands of t'he ungodly. 
 
 I went once more to York, in Passion 
 week; and preached on Good Friday, at 
 Hepworth-Moor, to a serious, peaceable, 
 people ; and gave out to preach there on 
 Easter. Sunday, at eight in the morning : 
 Then I went to a village about three miles 
 from York, where I preached to a very 
 large and well-behaved congregation. 
 
 On Easter-Sunday I went to Hepworth- 
 Moor, at the time appointed, and found 
 two companies of people assembled : The 
 one came to hear the word, and the other 
 to mob. After we had sung a hymn and 
 prayed, I opened my book on these words. 
 ' God having raised up his son Jesus Christ, 
 and sent him to bless you, in turning every 
 one of you from your iniquities;' and f 
 went on to prove that this was his business 
 in this present evil world, actually to save 
 all true believers from their sins ; and that 
 it was neither sect, party, nor opinion, that 
 made a man a real member of Ghrisfs 
 Church ; But the real christians are those 
 that are saved from their sins, by Jesus 
 
206 
 
 THE JOURVAt 0» 
 
 Christ, both from omitting and commit- 
 ting ; and every thing short of this, wa* 
 not Christianity ; therefore, I said, ' Be not 
 deceived ; for whatsoever is defiled, or un- 
 clean, cannot enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven, but must be cast into the lake that 
 burneth with fire and brimstone ; and as 
 this day is kept in the remembrance of 
 God's raising his Son up to bless us, let 
 every one cry out, • Lord, bless me, and 
 turn me from my iniquities.' Then a gen- 
 tleman, a papist, that brought the rebels to 
 mob, cried out, * Knock out the brains of 
 that mad dog and perfectly gnashed with, 
 his teeth. Immediately a shower of stones 
 came, and hit many of the people, and they 
 continued to throw, till not one could stand 
 to hear me , nevertheless, not one stone hit 
 me, though I stood as a mark on the table, 
 when all were fled from me, and I talked 
 to the mob. But, on going away, one 
 struck me with a piece of a brick on the 
 back of my head, and I fell flat on my face, 
 and must have lain for some time, had not 
 two men lifted me up ; but I could not stand 
 for some time. The blood ran down my 
 back quite into my shoes, and tjje n»ob fol- 
 lowed me through the city, swearing that 
 they would kill me, when they got me out 
 of it. I said unto the Lord, ' Lord, thou 
 wast slain without the gate, and thou canst 
 deliver me from the hands of these blood- 
 thirsty men.' When I was got over the 
 
MX. JOHN NELSON, tOf 
 
 bridge, a gentleman came and took me by 
 the hand, saying, • What is the matter you 
 bleed so ?' Some of the mob answered, 
 • That is but little to what we will do to 
 him.' Then the gentleman pulled me into 
 his house, and told the mob if they did not 
 disperse immediately, some of them should 
 be in the castle before an hour was at an 
 end. Then they fled away ; and he sent 
 for a surgeon to dress my head. 
 
 I lay down awhile ; and brother Salton 
 came with my horse, and I rode to Ack* 
 ham, where 1 was to have preached at five 
 in the afternoon ; but just at that time, 
 there came about ten young gentlemen, 
 some in the coach, some on the box, and 
 behind the coach ; who began to sing the 
 ■ongs of the drunkards, and to throw rot- 
 ten eggs at the women. 
 
 I and two more were walking in a little 
 field hy the house, when there came two 
 big men, one of whom swore, ' Here he is ; 
 I will kill him if there were not another 
 jnan alive.' I told him that he had not any 
 reason to kill me, for I had done hin; no 
 wrong ; nor any one in that town. Then 
 he pulled off" his hat and wig, and gave 
 them to the other man, saying, • If I do jiot 
 kill him, 1 will be damned ' Then he 
 came as fiercely to me as he could, with an 
 intent to run his head against the pit of my 
 stomach, but I stepped aside, and he pitch- 
 ■cd on his head. VVhen he got up, 1 spoke 
 
208 
 
 The Journal of 
 
 to him again, asked what I had done amiss 
 to him ? He gave me no answer, bul ran at 
 me again, mid caught hold of the collar of 
 my shirt wliich rent in pieces, and he fell 
 down at my feet again; Then he got up, 
 'and came to mc the third time : and, as I 
 made no resistance, he threw me down, 
 and leaped with his knees on my belly se- 
 veral times, till he had beaten the breath 
 out of me, and set my head bleeding again. 
 He then went to the gentlemen that hired 
 him and the other man to kill me, and said. 
 Gentlemen, I have killed the preacher, he 
 lies (lead in tiic croft.' And then he took 
 one of our iViends, and threw him against 
 the corner of a wall, and broke two of his 
 libs. Tlie parson's brother said, ' Well, 
 we will see ourselves ; we will not take 
 your word.' Upon which, he, and about 
 twenty more came to me ; but my breath 
 ■was come again, and I was turned on my 
 face, and lay bleeding on the ground. One 
 of them said, ' He will get his death if he 
 lies there awhile ' Then they lifted ine 
 lip, and Said, ' We will help you into the 
 Louse.' When 1 could speak, I said, 
 ♦ Your mercy is only to make way fo'r more 
 cruelty ; gentlemen, if I have done any 
 thing contrary to the law, let mc be punish- 
 ed by the law ; I am a subject to King 
 George ; and to his law 1 appeal ; and 1 
 am willing to go before my Lord Mayor, 
 as he is the King's Magistrate.' But they 
 
MR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 209 
 
 cursed ine and the K — g too, saying he was 
 as bad as w e, or he would have hanged us 
 all like dogs tcl'ore now. One actually 
 damned hirn, and said, ' If he were here, 
 we would serve him as bad as you.' 
 
 The parson's brother cursed ine, and 
 said, * According to your preaching, you 
 would prove our ministers to be blind 
 guides, and false prophets ; but we will 
 kill you as fast as 3'ou come.' One said, 
 • if Wesley comes on Tuesday, he shall not 
 live another day in this world.' When I 
 got into the street, they set up a huzzah, 
 and a person caught hold of my right hand, 
 and gave me a hasty pluck : At the same 
 time, another .struck me on the left side of 
 the head, and knocked me down. As I 
 got up, they knocked me down eight 
 times ; and when 1 lay on the ground, not 
 being able to get up, they took me by the 
 hair of my head, and dragged me upon the 
 stones for near twenty yards, some kicking 
 me on my sides and thighs with their feet, 
 as the other dragged me along ; and six of 
 them got on my body and thighs, to tread 
 the Holy Spirit out of me, as they said. 
 Then they let me alone a little while, and 
 said one to another, ' We cannot kill him.* 
 One said, ' I have heard that a cat has nine 
 lives, but I think he has nine score.' Ano- 
 ther said, * If he has, he shall die this day.' 
 A third said, ' Where is his horse > for he 
 shall quit the town immediately.' And 
 
flO THE 30UBHAL OF 
 
 they said to me, * Order your horse to be 
 brought to you for you shall go before we 
 leave you.' I said, ' I will not, for you 
 intend to kill me in private, that you may 
 escape justice ; but if you do murder me 
 it shall be in public, and it may. be that 
 the gallows may bring you to repentance, 
 and your souls may be saved from the 
 wrath to come.' Then one swore, if I 
 would not go, they would put me into the 
 draw well ; and they lifted up the lid of the 
 well, and dragged me towards it : but a 
 woman, big with child, stood by the well, 
 and pushed several of them down, so that 
 they could not get me to it. Then two gen- 
 tlewomen, who came out of the city, called 
 the gentlemen by their names, that were 
 striving to put me in ; who all let me go, 
 and turning to the gentlewomen, they look- 
 ed as men confounded. In the mean time, 
 some friends got me up, and helped me in- 
 to the house. Then all the mob set out for 
 the city, singing debauched songs. This 
 was on Easter Sunday. 
 
 I heard one of them say, as he got into 
 the coach, ' It is impossible for him to live ; 
 and if John Wesley comes on Tuesday, we 
 will kill him : then we shall be quite rid of 
 the Methodists for ever ; for no one will 
 dare to come, if they two be killed.' 
 
 When they were gone, 1 sent for some- 
 thing to sweat me and I sweat so violent- 
 ly > that in the raorning my shirt M'as as if 
 
HR. JOHN NELSON. 
 
 211 
 
 it had been stained with raw beef. But I 
 was not 60 sore as I expected ; for 1 set out 
 to meet Mr. Wesley, and was enabled to 
 ride forty miles that day. 
 
 I met him at Osinotherly, and heard him 
 preach on a tomb-stone in the church-yard, 
 to a large and serious congregation. I 
 found his word to come with power to my 
 soul, and was constrained to cry out, * O 
 Lord, I will praise thee for thy goodness 
 to iiie ; for thou hast been with me in all 
 my trials : thou hast brought me out of the 
 jaws of death ; and though thou didst per- 
 mit men to ride over my head, and laid af- 
 flictions on my loins, yet thou hast brought 
 me through fire and water into a wealthy 
 place ! And indeed in all my persecutions, 
 my soul was kept in peace, so that 1 nei- 
 ther felt fear nor anger. 
 
 So far, Lord, I am thy witness •, for thou 
 dost give strength for the day, according 
 to thy word, and grace to help in time oT 
 need. O my dear Redeemer, ho«v shall I 
 praise thee as thou oughtest to be praised > 
 O let my life be a living sacrifice to thee ; 
 for it is by thee alone that I escaped both 
 temporal and eternal death ! 
 
 When I had told Mr. Wesley of the 
 treatment I had met with, he blessed God 
 for my deliverance. However, I advised 
 him not to go to York at th;it time, but to 
 go to Leeds ; and God blessed his word to 
 many souls at Leeds that week. 
 
1 THE JOURNAL OF 
 
 'riius fiir I can 8jiy ' The Lord is my 
 helper : O may I never grieve his Spirit, 
 then will he be my guide unto- death, a'ld 
 i!iy portion for ever.' 
 
 This is a plain narrative of the dealings 
 of Cod and man with me, from my youth to 
 the forty-second year of my natural life. 
 
 JOHN NELSON. 
 
A HYMN. 
 
 O for a thousand tongues to sing 
 My great Redeemer's praise ! 
 
 The glories of my God and King, 
 The triumphs of his grace ! 
 
 My gracious master and my God, 
 
 Assist me to proclaim. 
 To spread through all the earth abroad 
 
 The honours of thy name. 
 
 Jesus, the name that charms our fears, 
 That bids our sorrow s cease 
 
 Tis music in the sinner's ears, 
 ^Tis life, and health, and peace. 
 
 He breaks the pou er of cancell d sin. 
 
 He sets the prisoner free ; 
 His blood can make the foulest clean. 
 
 His blood avail'd for me. 
 
 He speaks, and listening to his voice. 
 
 New life the dead receive ; 
 The mournful, broken hearts rejoice. 
 
 The humble poor believe. 
 
 Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb. 
 Your loosen'd tongues employ ; 
 
 Ye blind, behold your Saviour come. 
 And leap, ye lame, for joy. 
 
 Look unto him, ye nations ; own 
 
 Your God, ye fallen race ; 
 Look, and be sav'd through failh alone. 
 
 Be justified by grace ! 
 
2U 
 
 See all our sins on Jesus laid. 
 
 The Lamb of God was alain ; 
 His soul was once an ofTering made 
 
 For every soul of man. 
 
 Harlots, and publicans, and thieves, 
 
 ui holy triumph join ! 
 Sav d is the sinner that believes. 
 
 From crimes as great as mine. 
 
 • Drunicards, and all ye hellish crevr, 
 Blacken'd with lust and pride : 
 Believe the Saviour died for you. 
 An J feel his blood applied. 
 
 Awake from guilty nature's sleep. 
 And Christ shall give you light ; 
 
 Cast all youir sins iuto the deep. 
 And wash the jEthiop white. 
 
 With me, (your chief,) ye then shall know. 
 Shall feel your sins forgiven ; 
 
 Anticipate your heaven below. 
 And own that Love is Heaven. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
Date Due 
 
 0 11^ '4; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 1012 01039 0385