Sunday, June 13, 2010

A busy day preaching

Sun 13 June 1742: At seven I preached at Haxey, on ‘What must I do to be saved?’ Thence I went to Wroot, of which (as well as Epworth) my father was rector for several years. Mr. Whitelamb offering me the church, I preached in the morning, on ‘Ask, and it shall be given you’; in the afternoon on the difference between ‘the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith’. But the church could not contain the people; many of whom came from far. And, I trust, not in vain.
At six I preached for the last time in Epworth churchyard (being to leave the town the next morning), to a vast multitude gathered together from all parts, on the beginning of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. I continued among them for near three hours; and yet we scarce knew how to part. O let none think his labour of love is lost because the fruit does not immediately appear. Near forty years did my father labour here. But he saw little fruit of all his labour. I took some pains among this people too, and my strength also seemed spent in vain. But now the fruit appeared. There were scarce any in the town on whom either my father or I had taken any pains formerly but the seed sown so long since now sprung up, bringing forth repentance and remission of sins.