Monday, December 24, 2012

A Few Christmas Days from Wesley's Journal


25 Dec 1742: The physician told me he could do no more: Mr. Meyrick could not live over the night. I went up and found them all crying about him, his legs being cold and (as it seemed) dead already. We all kneeled down and called upon God with strong cries and tears. He opened his eyes, and called for me. And from that hour he continued to recover his strength, till he was restored to perfect health. I wait to hear who will either disprove this fact or philosophically account for it.

25 Dec 1784: We met as usual, in the New Chapel at four; at ten and in the afternoon I preached in West Street, and afterwards spent a comfortable hour in meeting the society.

25 Dec 1779: We began the service at the New Chapel, as usual, at four in the morning. Afterwards I read prayers and preached and administered the Lord’s Supper at West Street; in the afternoon, I preached at the New Chapel again, then met the society, and afterwards the married men and women; but after this I was no more tired than when I rose in the morning.

25 Dec 1773: Today and on the following days, we had many happy opportunities of celebrating the solemn Feast-days, according to the design of their institution. We concluded the year with a Fast-day, closed with a solemn watch-night.