Now! Then! John Wesley rides into Huddersfield in the Wild West Riding

Excerpt

I rode over the mountains to Huddersfield. A wilder people I never saw in England: the men, women, and children, filled the street as we rode along, and appeared just ready to devour us. They were however tolerably quiet while I preached; only a few pieces of dirt were thrown; and the bell-man came in the middle of the sermon, but was stopped by a gentleman of the town. I had almost done, when they began to ring the bells; so that it did us small disservice. How intolerable a thing is the Gospel of Christ to them who are resolved to serve the Devil!

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Comment

Two years later, on 23 July 1759,

I preached near Huddersfield, to the wildest congregation I have seen in Yorkshire: yet they were restrained by an unseen hand, and I believe some felt the sharpness of His word. I preached at Halifax in the evening, but the preaching-house was like an oven.

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Original

I rode over the mountains to Huddersfield. A wilder people I never saw in England: the men, women, and children, filled the street as we rode along, and appeared just ready to devour us. They were however tolerably quiet while I preached; only a few pieces of dirt were thrown; and the bell-man came in the middle of the sermon, but was stopped by a gentleman of the town. I had almost done, when they began to ring the bells; so that it did us small disservice. How intolerable a thing is the Gospel of Christ to them who are resolved to serve the Devil!

107 words.