John Wesley was riding along on his horse one day when it dawned on him that three days had passed in which he had suffered no persecution. Not a brick or an egg had been thrown for three days.

Alarmed, he stopped his horse and exclaimed, “Could it be that I have sinned and am backslidden?”

Slipping from his horse, Wesley went down on his knees and began interceding with God to show him where, if any, there was a fault.

A rough fellow on the other side of the hedge, hearing the prayer, looked across and recognized the preacher. “I’ll fix that Methodist preacher,” he said, picking up a brick and tossing it over at him. It missed its mark and fell harmlessly beside John. Whereupon Wesley leaped to his feet joyfully exclaiming, “Thank you, Lord! I know I still have Your presence.”

J.G. Morrison