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The Pay of Preaching

Our landlord, as he was guiding us over the Frith, very innocently asked how much a year we got by preaching thus.  This gave me an opportunity of explaining to him that kind of gain which he seemed utterly a stranger to.  He appeared to be quite amazed and spake not one word, good or bad, till he took his leave.

Presently after he went, my mare stuck fast in a quagmire, which was in the midst of the high road.  But we could well excuse this; for the road all along, for nearly fifty miles after, was such as I never saw any natural road, either in England or Ireland; nay, far better, notwithstanding the continued rain, than the turnpike road between London and Canterbury.

We dined at Dumfries, a clean, well-built town, having two of the most elegant churches (one at each end of the town) that I have seen.  We reached Thorny Hill in the evening.  What miserable accounts pass current in England of the inns in Scotland!  Yet here, as well as wherever we called in our whole journey, we had not only everything we wanted, but everything readily and in good order, and as clean as I ever desire.

Tuesday, 17.--We set out about four and rode over several high, but extremely pleasant, mountains to Lead Hill.  This was a village of miners, resembling Placey, near Newcastle.  We dined at a village called Lesmahaggy, and about eight in the evening reached Glasgow.  A gentleman who had overtaken us on the road sent one with us to Mr. Gillies's house.

 

Wesley in Glasgow

Wednesday, 18.--I walked over the city, which I take to be as large as Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  The University (like that of Dublin) is only one College, consisting of two small squares; I think not larger, nor at all handsomer, than those of Lincoln College, in Oxford.  The hatit of the students gave me surprise.  They wear scarlet gowns, reaching only to their knees.  Most I saw were very dirty, some very ragged, and all of very coarse cloth.  The high church is a fine building.  The outside is equal to that of most cathedrals in England; but it is miserably defaced within, having no form, beauty, or symmetry left.

At seven in the evening Mr. G. began the service at his own (the College) church.  It was so full before I came that I could not get in without a good deal of difficulty.

Thursday, 19.--At seven I preached about a quarter of a mile from the town; but it was an extremely rough and blustering morning; and few people came either at the time or place of my preaching: the natural consequence of which was that I had but a small congregation.  About four in the afternoon, a tent, as they term it, was prepared; a kind of moving pulpit, covered with canvas at the top, behind, and on the sides.  In this I preached near the place where I was in the morning, to nearly six times as many people as before; and I am persuaded what was spoken came to some of their hearts, "not in word only, but in power."

Friday, 20.--I had designed to preach at the same place; but the rain made it impracticable.  Mr. G. desired me to preach in his church, so I began between seven and eight.  Surely with God nothing is impossible!  Who would have believed five-and-twenty years ago either that the minister would have desired it or that I should have consented to preach in a Scotch kirk?

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CCEL
This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
at Calvin College. Last updated on March 22, 2000.
Contacting the CCEL.
Calvin College