November 23, 1742. — There seemed in the evening to be a deeper work in many souls than I had observed
before. [color=#FF0000]Many trembled exceedingly; six or seven (both men and women) dropped down as dead; some cried unto
God out of the deep; others would have cried, but their voice was lost: And some have found that the Lord is
“gracious and merciful, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin.” (WJW1:5)

November 9, 1758. — We lodged at Mr. Hickes’s, the Vicar, a witness of the faith which once he persecuted. The
next morning I preached in his church again. In the middle of the sermon, a woman before me dropped down as
dead, as one had done the night before. In a short time she came to herself, and remained deeply sensible of her
want of Christ. (WJW2:11)

I grant, Thirdly, that extraordinary circumstances have attended this conviction in some instances. A particular
account of these I have frequently given. While the word of God was preached, some persons have dropped down
as dead; some have been, as it were, in strong convulsions; some roared aloud, though not with an articulate voice;
and others spoke the anguish of their souls. (WJW8, A Farther Appeal To Men Of Reason And Religion, 1:7:13)

uly 29, 1759. — When sermon was ended, one brought good tidings to Mr. B. from Grandchester, that God had
there broken down seventeen persons, last week, by the singing of hymns only; and that a child, seven years old,
sees many visions, and astonishes the neighbors with her innocent, awful manner of declaring them. (WJW2:11)

ANN THORN, THE WOMAN PRONE TO VISIONS

July 29, 1759. — I discoursed also with Ann Thorn, who told me of much heaviness following the visions with which
she had been favored; but said she was at intervals visited still with such overpowering love and joy, especially at the
Lord’s Supper, that she often lay in a trance for many hours. She is twenty one years old. (WJW2:11)

August 6, 1759. — I talked largely with Ann Thorn, and two others, who had been several times in trances. What
they all agreed in was, 1. That when they went away, as they termed it, it was always at the time they were fullest of
the love of God; 2. That it came upon them in a moment, without any previous notice, and took away all their senses
and strength; 3. That there were some exceptions; but in general, from that moment, they were in another world,
knowing nothings of what was done or said, by all that were round about them. (WJW2:11)

A WOMAN IS HEALED OF BLINDNESS THROUGH A DREAM

April 12, 1784. — I found a lovely congregation at Stockport, much alive to God. So was that at Oldham the next
day, which was not perceptibly lessened, though it blew a storm, and poured down with rain. Here a young woman,
of unblamable character, (otherwise I should not have given her any credit,) gave me a remarkable account. She
said, “I had totally lost the sight of my right eye, when I dreamed one night, that our Savior appeared to me; that I fell
at his feet, and he laid his hand upon my right eye. Immediately I waked, and from that moment have seen as well
with that eye as with the other.” (WJW4:20)

Laughter Wesley’s Journal and Exploration

We think of this “spirit of laughter” as some new manifestation, and, like the baptism in the holy Spirit, folks don’t understand it unless it’s happened to them. Wesley didn’t understand it when he first encountered it in a prayer meeting in 1740. He wrote in his journal:

In the evening such a spirit of laughter was among us that many were much offended. But the attention of all was fixed on poor L[ucretia] S[mith], whom we all know to be no dissembler (i.e. phony). Most of our brethren and sisters were now fully convinced that those who were under this strange temptation could not help it.
Only E[lizabeth] B[rown] and Anne H[olton] were of another mind, being still sure anyone might help laughing if she would (i.e. keep from laughing if she wanted). This they declared to many on Thursday; but on Friday {the 23rd} God suffered Satan to teach them better. Both of them were suddenly seized (with laughter) in the same manner as the rest, and laughed whether they would or no, almost without ceasing. Thus they continued for two days, a spectacle to all; and were then, upon prayer made for them, delivered in a moment (Journal, June 21, 1740).

Wesley doesn’t make a judgment on “holy laughter” one way or another, except to say it was irresistible, and those who insisted it could be resisted went to laugh land for two days themselves.

Twenty years later, Wesley reconsidered “holy laughter” as he studied the journals of John Walsh, a Methodist reporter, who was attending the Everton revival. Walsh writes and Wesley quotes him in his journal:

On Monday, July 9, I set out, and on Wednesday noon reached Potton, where I rejoiced at the account given by John Keeling of himself and others. He was justified … on that memorable Sabbath, but had not a clear witness of it till ten days after; about which time his sister … was also set at liberty. {In those days, when a person was justified, there was expectation of an outward sign of an inward change. Not so today.}

I discoursed also with Ann Thorn, who told me of much heaviness following the visions with which she had been favored; but said she was, at intervals, visited still with such overpowering love and joy, especially at the Lord's Supper, that she often lay in a trance for many hours. She is twenty-one years old.

We were soon after called into the garden, where Patty Jenkins (also twenty-one} was so overwhelmed with the love of God that she sunk down, and appeared as one in a pleasant sleep, only with her eyes open; yet she had often just strength to utter, with a low voice, ejaculations (i.e. interjections) of joy and praise; but, no words coming up to what she felt, she frequently laughed while she saw His glory. (Journal, July 29, 1759 http://www.evanwiggs.com/revival/history/riss3.html)

We might notice that, since Wesley records Walsh’s sentiment regarding the “frequent laughing,” that he agreed with Walsh - that laughing manifested irresistibly as the young lady lay prostrate in adoration, beholding the glory of the Father. We might wonder what’s so funny about G-d that sometimes even the staunchest conservatives are made to fall on the floor, laughing in his presence. But funny isn’t what it’s all about, except to those outside the circle.