Sunday, September 11, 2011

‘I will heal their backslidings; I will love them freely.’

Sat. 10 Sept 1743. There were prayers at St. Just in the afternoon, which did not end till four. I then preached at the cross, to, I believe, a thousand people, who all behaved in a quiet and serious manner.
At six I preached in Sennen, near the Land’s End, and appointed the little congregation (consisting chiefly of old grey-headed men) to meet me again at five in the morning. But on Sunday 11 great part of them were got together between three and four o’clock. So between four and five we began praising God; and I largely explained and applied, ‘I will heal their backslidings; I will love them freely.’
We went afterwards down, as far as we could go safely, toward the point of the rocks at the Land’s End. It was an awful sight! But how will these melt away when God ariseth to judgment!—The sea between does indeed ‘boil like a pot’. ‘One would think the deep to be hoary.’ But ‘though they swell, yet can they not prevail; he hath set their bounds which they cannot pass.’
Between eight and nine I preached at St. Just, on the green plain near the town, to the largest congregation (I was informed) that ever had been seen in these parts. I cried out, with all the authority of love, ‘Why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ The people trembled and were still. I had not known such an hour before, in Cornwall.
Soon after one we had such another congregation, on the north side of the Morvah church. The Spirit of the Great King was in the midst. And I was filled both with matter and words, even more abundantly than at St. Just. ‘My strength will I ascribe unto thee.’
At Zennor I preached about five, and then hastened to St. Ives, where we concluded the day in praising God with joyful lips.