I opened the Journal under the date of May 27, 1742. He was then at Birstall a cloth-weaving place, some six miles from Leeds in Yorkshire, and two from Heckmondwike, where I commenced my ministry. There he had "preached to several hundred people." It appears that he ha: i resolved to proceed at once to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and break new ground there. There were no comfortable express trains then, in which evangelists could rush from one place to another. Wesley had to ride it. Measure the distance on a map; you will find it is 90 miles as the crow flies; at least 100 in fact, if, nob more. Then remember the state of the country in 1742. The whole Birstall district was wild moor, with nothing bat tracks to ride on. Wesley may have got down to the plain of York, and ridden north through Thirsk. But highroads were at their worst at that date, worse than in the middle ages, owing to some defect in turnpike Acts. Now notice his astonishing statement; "Thursday 27th we left Birstall and on Friday 28th came to Newcastle-on-Tyne." Think of that riding men, you who are the cream of the sporting world! Think of that! On rough roads this indefatigable evangelist rode 100 miles in less than two days. And not only that. He tells us that as he rode along ha read Xenophon's "Memorabilia of Socrates,"' and read so carefully, that he criticized it, reflecting that Plate could have written a much better book. They got to Newcastle about six in the evening. It does look og if John Wesley ought to be made the patron saint of all riding men! JI suppose that he did its easily, because he was always in training. He once said di if you want to be in good health, you should ride at least 5,000 miles a year as he did. Well, the first proceeding on arrival at 'Canny' Newaastley was to have "a short refreshment. It must have been short, for the evening was getting on, He probably had a glass of beer and bread and cheese. Most of us would have rested till next day. Not so Wesley. He believed, that' "the king's business requireth haste." We read "We walked into the town." That is, he and good John Taylor who was his "companion in_ travel." He says, "I was surprised: so much drunkenness, cursing and swearing (even from the mouths of little children) do I ever remember to have seen or heard before in so small a compass of time. Surely the place is ripe for him who came not to call the righteous, but sinners "'to repentance. I was informed that a Mr. Hall had preached there a year before, but I could not hear of any: fruits of his
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.