March 1738

MARCH 1738

March 1738 

Wesley's Warming Journey

By Brenda Rees © All Rights Reserved

March 1738    John Wesley is shaping his journal for the message to come. He is also still working on his story about Miss Sophy for the Trustees.  This is the next to last month before his “warming” at Aldersgate.  He had plans to visit his brother, but before he departed, John received word his brother Charles was dying.  Bohler also delivered the “preach faith till you have it” quote.

If you are new to this blog, consider starting with the Introduction of Wesley’s Warming Journey Blog and then each month from February 1736.  Earliest months were grouped together, but Blog is now by month.  This blog carries you from Wesley’s landing at Tybee Island in 1736 eventually through his warming at Aldersgate back in London in 1738.  You might see signs that Wesley’s warming began in America, the Colony of Georgia and Spanish Florida.  © Brenda Rees | Shaping Florida

THE JOURNAL – “PART THE SECOND”

From February 1, 1738 – August 12, 1738

Brenda Rees at St. Paul’s in London, 1985.   Wesley’s Chapel and Wesley’s home are nearby.  St. Paul’s was certainly within Wesley’s walking distance.  Wesley said on March 17 he preached on the word of St. Paul. Photograph by Lane Rees of © Brenda Rees | Shaping Florida. 

                                                                                                                              

Saturday, March 4, 1738 –  Wesley arrived at Oxford to find his brother Charles revived

from a case of pleurisy and Peter Bohler was with him.

Sunday, March 5, 1738  – This is the day Bohler delivered his famous quote to Wesley.  John Wesley was worried about his unbelief and wrote he would give up preaching.  Wesley wrote, “Immediately it struck into my mind, ‘Leave off preaching.  How can you preach to others, who have not faith yourself?’ I asked Bohler whether he thought I should leave it off or not.

He answered, ‘By no means.’ I asked, ‘But what can I preach?’ He said, ‘Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.’”

Monday, March 6, 1738 –  Wesley preached to a man sentenced to death in prison.  Something he had not done before.

Friday, March 10, 1738 – “Peter Bohler returned to London,” Wesley wrote. . In Curnoch’s footnotes he stated, “It was in the interval between Monday, March 6, and Tuesday, the 14^th, that Wesley wrote the document which he entitles, ‘An Affair with Miss Sophy Hopkey.’”

Tuesday, March 14, 1738 – Wesley spoke to a woman whose husband was in and out of prison in the Castel of Oxford.  Bad weather and hail once again influence Wesley’s action.  He and traveling companion fail to minister due to the hail.  Wesley was in Birmingham.  In Stafford a man expressed a desire to travel with him. 

Friday, March 17, 1738 –   Time is spent with Mr. Clayton.

Sunday, March 19, 1738 – The rector at St. Ann’s Church was ill.  Wesley wrote, “Mr. Kinchin and I officiated at Salford Chapel in the morning, by which means Mr. Clayton was at liberty to perform the service at St. Ann’s; and in the afternoon I preached there on those words of St. Paul, ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.’”

Monday, March 20, 1738 – Wesley spoke to a woman who seemed unaffected for a time.  Then, Wesley wrote, “Upon a sudden she looked as one just awaked ….”

Tuesday, March 21, 1738 – He is in Hednesford.  A young woman died and gave Wesley a reason to “exhort all that were present, ‘so to number’ their own ‘days’ that they might apply their ‘hearts unto wisdom.’”

Thursday, March 23, 1738 – Wesley met Peter Bohler again and wrote, “who now amazed me more and more by the account he gave of the fruits of living faith, …”  Then, Wesley wrote, “The next morning I began the Greek Testament again, resolving to abide by ‘the law and the testimony’; and being confident that God would hereby show me whether this doctrine was of God.”

Sunday, March 26, 1738 – Wesley went to a society at Oxford, said the Lord’s Prayer and “expounded a chapter of the New Testament,  …”

Monday, March 27, 1738 – Wesley and Mr. Kinchin spoke to a man in prison sentenced to die.  Wesley wrote, “After a space he rose up, and eagerly said, ‘I am now ready to die.  I know Christ has taken away my sins; and there is no more condemnation for me.’ The same composed cheerfulness he showed when he was carried to execution; and in his last moments he was the same, enjoying a perfect peace, in confidence that he was ‘accepted in the Beloved.’”