John Wesley the Doctor

Mon 22 Nov 1784: I preached at Northampton and, on Tuesday 23, at Whittlebury. Here my servant was seized with a fever, attended with eruptions all over, as big as peppercorns. I took knowledge of the ‘prickly heat’, as we called it in Georgia, termed by Dr. Heburden, the ‘nettle rash’, and assured him he would be well in four and twenty hours. He was so, and drove us on to Banbury, where, on Wednesday 24, I met with a hearty welcome from Mr. George, formerly a member of the London society. The Presbyterian minister offering me the use of his meeting, I willingly accepted his offer. It was, I believe, capable of containing near as many people as the chapel at West Street. But it would not near contain the congregation. And God uttered his voice, yea, and that a mighty voice; neither the sorrow nor the joy which was felt that night will quickly be forgotten.