DAY 12

MORNING

PSALMS 62–64

Psalm 63:2 “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.”

A Surprising Instance of His Power

The Lord continued to move powerfully through Wesley’s preaching, but also through direct answer to prayer. In March 1739 when he found strong resistance to his message he prayed and saw the Lord immediately soften the heart of one who was initially so resistant. Wesley wrote in his Journal:106

Friday 2 March

One of the most surprising instances of his power which I ever remember to have seen was on the Tuesday following; when I was visiting one who was above measure enraged at this new way, and zealous in opposing it. Finding arguments to be of no other effect, than to inflame her more and more, I broke off the dispute and desired we might join in prayer, which she so far consented to as to kneel down.

In a few minutes she fell into an extreme agony, both of body and soul; and soon after cried out with the utmost earnestness, “Now I know that I am forgiven for Christ’s sake.” Many other words she uttered to the same effect, witnessing a hope full of immortality. And from that hour God has set her face as a flint to declare the faith which before she persecuted.

Thursday 8 March

I entered directly into a controversy touching both the cause and the fruits of justification. In the midst of the dispute one who sat at a small distance felt as it were the piercing of a sword, and before she could be brought to another house, wither I was going, could not avoid crying out aloud even in the street. But no sooner had we made our request known to God, than he sent help from his holy place.107

Prayer

Lord, we earnestly seek you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Lord, we pray that you would move in power as you have done before. This land we live in has seen you move in power in the past. We pray for a restoration of the cutting edge of the Gospel in our nation, that it would go forth like a two-edged sword once again.

106 Wesley, J. Journal , Vol 1, 174–5.

107 Wesley, J. Journal , Vol 1, 175.

DAY 12

EVENING

PSALMS 65–67

Psalm 65:12 “You brought us to a place of abundance.”

“This Strange Way of Preaching in the Fields ...”

George Whitefeld had returned from America and was now hoping that the churches would be open for him to preach in Bristol, but he was not given permission. He would not allow the delay 
to stop him. He was aware that there were colliers in Bristol who needed to hear his message. One Saturday afternoon he walked to a village, climbed a hill, and preached to 200 colliers. In his Journal he wrote, “Blessed be God that I have now broken the ice!”108 A few weeks later he was preaching to 20,000. He wrote, “The fire is kindled in the land and I know all the devils in hell shall not be able to quench it.”109 Wesley wrote in his Journal how he was invited by Whitefield to join him in Bristol:110

Saturday 15 March

During my stay [in London] ... I had no thought of leaving London, when I received, after several others, a letter from Mr Whitefield and another from Mr Seward entreating me, in the most pressing manner, to come to Bristol without delay. This I was not at all forward to do ... we at length all agreed to decide it by lot. And by this it was determined I should go.

Thursday 29 March

In the evening I reached Bristol and met Mr Whitefield there. I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which he set me an example on Sunday; I had been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church.

Sunday 1 April

In the evening (Mr Whitefield being gone) I began expounding our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (one pretty remarkable precedent of field-preaching, though I suppose there were churches at that time also), to a little society that was accustomed to meet once or twice a week in Nicholas Street.

Monday 2 April

At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation, speaking from a little eminence in a ground adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people. The Scripture on which I spoke was this (is it possible anyone should be ignorant that it is fulfilled in every true minister of Christ?): “The Spirit of the
 Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” [see Isa. 61:1, 2; Luke 4:18, 19].

Prayer

Wesley stepped out of HIS comfort zone to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation and 3,000 gathered to hear him. Bring US to that place of abundance, Lord. Open up a spacious place for us to preach the Gospel here in England today. Help us to yield every bit of fear and reticence and to step out of our comfort zones to proclaim the Gospel in our day, however strange and embarrassing it may feel at first. Kindle the fire of your Gospel in us, and use us, even us, we pray.

108 George Whitefield’s Journals ed Iain Murray 216, 17 Feb 1739

109 George Whitefield’s Journals 216, March 1739.


110 Wesley, J. Journal , Vol 1, 176.