74 History of Methodism 



on the epistle for the day (1 Cor. xiii.), reading for 

 the second lesson Luke xviii., in which is our Lord's 

 prediction of the treatment which he himself and, 

 consequently, his followers were to meet with from 

 the world. " Yet," says he, describing this first service, 

 " notwithstanding these plain declarations of our Lord; 

 notwithstanding my own repeated experience; not- 

 withstanding the experience of all the sincere followers 

 of Christ whom I have ever talked with, read or heard 

 of — nay, and the reason of the thing, evincing to a 

 demonstration that all who love not the light must 

 hate him who is continually laboring to pour it in 

 upon them — I do here bear witness against myself, 

 that when I saw the number of people crowding into 

 the church, the deep attention with which they re- 

 ceived the word, and the seriousness that afterward 

 sat on all their faces, I could scarce refrain from 

 giving the lie to experience, and reason, and Scripture, 

 all together. I could hardly believe that the greater, 

 the far greater part of this attentive, serious people 

 would hereafter trample under foot that word, and say 

 all manner of evil falsely of him that spake it." 



No men ever labored with greater diligence in the 

 discharge of their duties as ministers to the people 

 than did Mr. Wesley and Delamotte at Savannah. 

 They agreed (1) to advise the more serious among 

 them to form themselves into a sort of little society, 

 and to meet once or twice a week in order to reprove, 

 instruct, and exhort one another; (2) to select out of 

 these a smaller number for a more intimate union with 

 each other, which might be forwarded partly by their 

 conversing singly with each and partly by inviting 

 them altogether to their house;- and this accordingly 

 they determined to do every Sunday in the afternoon. 



