An innately honest man, John Wesley retained a child-like openness to all forms of natural and supernatural possibility. Occasionally he shared his more unusual discoveries with the readers of his journals, often adding a parting comment for their edification.
It was inevitable that one who traveled as extensively as Wesley would encounter unusual people, their achievements, and their eccentricities.
- This was the hottest day I ever felt in Ireland: Near as hot as any I remember in Georgia. The next morning I was desired to see the house of an eminent scholar near the town. The door into the yard we found nailed up; but we got in at a gap which was stopped with thorns. I took the house, at first, for a very old barn, but was assured he had built it within five years; not indeed by any old, vulgar model, but purely to his own taste. The walls were part mud, part brick, part stone, and part bones and wood. There were four windows, but no glass in any, lest the pure air should be kept out. The house had two stories, but no stair-case, and no door. Into the upper floor we went by a ladder, through one of the windows; through one of the lower windows, into the lower floor, which was about four foot high. This floor had three rooms; -- one three square, the second had five sides, the third, I know not how many. I give a particular description of this wonderful edifice, to illustrate that great truth: -- There is no folly too great even for a man of sense, if he resolve to follow his own imagination! (Journal, 1758)
- Mon. 26. -- In the evening I preached to a large congregation in the market-house at Lurgan. I now embraced the opportunity which I had long desired, of talking with Mr. Miller, the contriver of that statue which was in Lurgan when I was there before. It was the figure of an old man, standing in a case, with a curtain drawn before him, over against a clock which stood on the other side of the room. Every time the clock struck, he opened the door with one hand, drew back the curtain with the other, turned his head, as if looking round on the company, and then said, with a clear, loud, articulate voice, "Past one, two, three," and so on. But so many came to see this (the like of which all allowed was not to be seen in Europe), that Mr. Miller was in danger of being ruined, not having time to attend his own business; so, as none offered to purchase it, or to reward him for his pains, he took the whole machine in pieces: Nor has he any thought of ever making anything of the kind again. (Journal, 1762)
- Thur. 2. -- Some friends from London met us at St. Alban's. Before dinner we took a walk in the Abbey, one of the most ancient buildings in the kingdom, near a thousand years old; and one of the largest, being five hundred and sixty feet in length, (considerably more than Westminster Abbey,) and broad and high in proportion. Near the east end is the tomb and vault of good Duke Humphrey. Some now living remember since his body was entire. But after the coffin was opened, so many were curious to taste the liquor in which it was preserved, that in a little time the corpse was left bare, and then soon mouldered away. A few bones are now all that remain. How little is the spirit concerned at this! (Journal, 1770)
- Sat. SEPTEMBER 1. -- I took a walk to the top of that celebrated hill, Carn-Brae. Here are many monuments of remote antiquity, scarce to be found in any other part of Europe: Druid altars of enormous size, being only huge rocks, strangely suspended one upon the other; and rockbasins, hollowed on the surface of the rock, it is supposed, to contain the holy water. It is probable these are at least co-eval with Pompey's Theatre, if not with the Pyramids of Egypt. And what are they the better for this? Of what consequence is it either to the dead or the living, whether they have withstood the wastes of time for three thousand, or three hundred years? (Journal, 1770)
- Mon. 6. -- After preaching at Cockermouth and Wigton, I went on to Carlisle, and preached to a very serious congregation. Here I saw a very extraordinary genius, a man blind from four years of age, who could wind worsted, weave flowered plush on an engine and loom of his own making; who wove his own name in plush, and made his own clothes, and his own tools of every sort. Some years ago, being shut up in the organ-loft at church, he felt every part of it, and afterwards made an organ for himself, which, judges say, is an exceeding good one. He then taught himself to play upon it psalm-tunes, anthems, voluntaries, or anything which he heard. I heard him play several tunes with great accuracy, and a complex voluntary: I suppose all Europe can hardly produce such another instance. His name is Joseph Strong. But what is he the better for all this, if he is still "without God in the world?" (Journal, 1776)
- Mon. 10. -- I was desired to see the celebrated wax-work at the Museum in Spring-Gardens: It exhibits most of the crowned heads in Europe, and shows their characters in their countenance. Sense and majesty appear in the King of Spain; dulness and sottishness in the King of France; infernal subtlety in the late King of Prussia; (as well as in the skeleton Voltaire;) calmness and humanity in the Emperor, and King of Portugal; exquisite stupidity in the Prince of Orange; and amazing coarseness, with everything that is unamiable, in the Czarina. (Journal, 1787)
- Mon. 30. -- About eight I preached in Scotter; and found it good to be there. About eleven I preached in Scowby, two miles from Brigg, to a very numerous and serious congregation. In the afternoon, going just by that curious building, Mr. Pelham's Mausoleum, I alighted, and took a view of it within and without. The like, I suppose, is not to be found in England. It is exactly round, fifty-two feet in diameter, and will be sixty-five feet high. The lower part contains, I believe, near a hundred places for the bodies of the Pelham family. (O what a comfort to the departed spirits, that their carcases shall rot above ground!) Over this is to be a chapel. It is computed the whole building will cost sixty thousand pounds. (Journal, 1788)
- In the evening I saw one of the greatest curiosities in the vegetable creation, -- the Nightly Cereus. About four in the afternoon, the dry stem began to swell; about six, it gradually opened; and about eight, it was in its full glory. I think the inner part of this flower, which was snow-white, was about five inches diameter; the yellow rays which surrounded it, I judged, were in diameter nine or ten inches. About twelve it began to droop, being covered with a cold sweat; at four it died away. (Journal, 1780)
- Mon. JULY 1. -- I preached, about eleven, to a numerous and serious congregation at Pocklington. In my way from hence to Malton, Mr. C-- (a man of sense and veracity) gave me the following account: -- His grandfather, Mr. H--, he said, about twenty years ago, ploughing up a field, two or three miles from Pocklington, turned up a large stone, under which he perceived there was a hollow. Digging on, he found, at a small distance, a large, magnificent house. He cleared away the earth; and, going into it, found many spacious rooms. The floors of the lower story were of Mosaic work, exquisitely wrought. Mr. C-- himself counted sixteen stones within an inch square. Many flocked to see it, from various parts, as long as it stood open: But after some days, Mr. P-- (he knew not why) ordered it to be covered again; and he would never after suffer any to open it, but ploughed the field all over. This is far more difficult to account for, than the subterraneous buildings at Herculaneum. History gives us an account of the time when, and the manner how, these were swallowed up. The burning mountain is still assured, and the successive lavas that flowed from it still distinguishable. But history gives no account of this, nor of any burning mountains in our island. Neither do we read of any such earthquake in England, as was capable of working that effect. (Journal, 1776)
- Here I met with one of the most extraordinary phenomena that I ever saw, or heard of: -- Mr. Sellers has in his yard a large Newfoundland dog, and an old raven. These have fallen deeply in love with each other, and never desire to be apart. The bird has learned the bark of the dog, so that few can distinguish them. She is inconsolable when he goes out; and, if he stays out a day or two, she will get up all the bones and scraps she can, and hoard them up for him till he comes back. (Journal, 1790)
For Wesley, the natural and the supernatural were an extension of each other, and he never hesitated to ascribe to divinity events he knew were part of the natural order as well.
- Wed. 16. -- I went on to Witney. There were uncommon thunder and lightning here last Thursday; but nothing to that which were there on Friday night. About ten the storm was just over the town; and both the bursts of thunder and lightning, or rather sheets of flame, were without intermission. Those that were asleep in the town were waked, and many thought the day of judgment was come. Men, women, and children, flocked out of their houses, and kneeled down together in the streets. With the flames, the grace of God came down also in a manner never known before; and as the impression was general, so it was lasting: It did not pass away with the storm; but the spirit of seriousness, with that of grace and supplication, continued. A prayer-meeting being appointed on Saturday evening, the people flocked together; so that the preaching-house was more than filled; and many were constrained to stand without the door and windows. On Sunday morning, before the usual time of Service, the church was quite filled. Such a sight was never seen in that church before. The Rector himself was greatly moved, and delivered a pressing, close sermon, with uncommon earnestness. When I came on Wednesday, the same seriousness remained on the generality of the people. I preached in the evening at Wood-Green, where a multitude flocked together, on the Son of man coming in his glory. The word fell heavy upon them, and many of their hearts were as melting wax. Thursday, 17. At five they were still so eager to hear, that the preaching-house would not near contain the congregation. After preaching, four-and-thirty persons desired admission into the society; every one of whom was (for the present, at least) under very serious impressions: And most of them, there is reason to hope, will bring forth fruit with patience. In the evening preached to a lovely congregation, at Stroud; and on Tuesday afternoon came to Bristol. (Journal, 1783)
- I went, by moderate stages, from Liverpool to Madeley; where I arrived on Friday, 9. The next morning we went to see the effects of the late earthquake: Such it undoubtedly was. On Monday, 27, at four in the morning, a rumbling noise was heard, accompanied with sudden gusts of wind, and wavings of the ground. Presently the earthquake followed, which only shook the farmer's house, and removed it entire about a yard; but carried the barn about fifteen yards, and then swallowed it up in a vast chasm; tore the ground into numberless chasms, large and small; in the large, threw up mounts, fifteen or twenty feet high; carried an hedge, with two oaks, above forty feet, and left them in their natural position. It then moved under the bed of the river; which, making more resistance, received a ruder shock, being shattered in pieces, and heaved up about thirty feet from its foundations. By throwing this, and many oaks, into its channel, the Severn was quite stopped up, and constrained to flow backward, till, with incredible fury, it wrought itself a new channel. Such a scene of desolation I never saw. Will none tremble when God thus terribly shakes the earth? (Journal, 1773)
Some experiences were, of course, beyond scientific explanation. These Wesley received as simply God's sovereign intervention in human affairs. For other similar accounts, see Divine Protection.
- Sat. 15. -- As I was coming down stairs, the carpet slipped from under my feet, which, I know not how, turned me round, and pitched me back, with my head foremost, for six or seven stairs. It was impossible to recover myself till I came to the bottom. My head rebounded once or twice, from the edge of the stone stairs. But it felt to me exactly as if I had fallen on a cushion or a pillow. Dr. Douglas ran out, sufficiently affrighted. But he needed not. For I rose as well as ever; having received no damage, but the loss of a little skin from one or two of my fingers. Doth not God give his angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways? (Journal, 1782)
There are contemporary stories of mysterious hitchhikers who proclaim Christ's soon coming, and then disappear. Interestingly, Wesley includes the following in his journal.
- Before I left Glasgow I heard so strange an account, that I desired to hear it from the person himself. He was a sexton, and yet for many years had little troubled himself about religion. I set down his words, and leave every man to form his own judgment upon them: -- "Sixteen weeks ago, I was walking, an hour before sunset, behind the high-kirk; and, looking on one side, I saw one close to me, who looked in my face, and asked me how I did. I answered, 'Pretty well.' He said, 'You have had many troubles; but how have you improved them?' He then told me all that ever I did; yea, and the thoughts that had been in my heart; adding, 'Be ready for my second coming:' And he was gone I knew not how. I trembled all over, and had no strength in me; but sunk down to the ground. From that time I groaned continually under the load of sin, till at the Lord's Supper it was all taken away." (Journal, 1767)
Theological opinion in Wesley's time did not view divine healing as a normal option for believers. However, prayer was entirely in style, and Wesley records several instances of God's miraculous restoration of health.
- Wed. 15. -- I preached at Horsley-upon-Tyne, eight (computed) miles from Newcastle. It was about two in the afternoon. The house not containing the people, we stood in the open air, in spite of the frost. I preached again in the evening, and in the morning. We then chose to walk home, having each of us catched a violent cold by riding the day before. Mine gradually wore off; but Mr. Meyrick's increased, so that, on Friday, he took his bed. I advised him to bleed; but he imagined he should be well without it, in a few days.
When I came home, they told me the Physician said, he did not expect Mr. Meyrick would live till the morning. I went to him, but his pulse was gone. He had been speechless and senseless for some time. A few of us immediately joined in prayer: (I relate the naked fact:) Before we had done, his sense and his speech returned. Now, he that will account for this by natural causes, has my free leave: But I choose to say, This is the power of God. (Journal, 1742)
- Fri. 23. -- I set out for Derby; but the smith had so effectually lamed one of my horses, that many told me he would never be able to travel more. I thought, "Even this may be made matter of prayer;" and set out cheerfully. The horse, instead of growing worse and worse, went better and better; and in the afternoon (after I had preached at Leek by the way) brought me safe to Derby. (Journal, 1783)
- At eleven I preached in the avenue again. It rained all the time; yet the congregation was large and attentive. Afterwards a decent woman, whom I never saw either before or since, desired to speak with me; and said, "I met you at Caladon. I had then a violent pain in my head for four weeks; but was fully persuaded I should be well, if you would lay your hand on my cheek; which I begged you to do. From that moment I have been perfectly well." If so, give God the glory. (Journal, 1785)
[Segen|Wesley|Page Top|Place Order]
Copyright © 1996-1997 Segen Corp. and Green Knight Media
All Rights Reserved
