Wesley Corpus

In particular, it is an assent of the under standing to the Gospel method of salvation; in which there is an excellency and glory which only believers see. A supernatural conviction of this is faith.” But if this be his judgment, why does he quarrel with me? For how marvel lously small is the difference between us! Only change the word assent for conviction, (which certainly better answers St. Paul’s word, exs/xos,) and do we not come within an hair's breadth of each other? I do not quarrel with the definition of faith in general,--“a supernatural assent to the word of God;” though I think “a supernatural conviction of 378 REv. J. WESLEY’s [Sept. 1769. the truths contained in the word of God” is clearer. I allow, too, that the Holy Spirit enables us to perceive a peculiar light and glory in the word of God, and particularly in the Gospel method of salvation: But I doubt whether saving faith be, properly, an assent to this light and glory. Is it not rather, an assent (if we retain the word) to the truths which God has revealed; or, more particularly, a divine conviction that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself?” The congregation at St. Ives in the evening was the largest I have seen since I came to Cornwall; and it was a solemn assembly. We had another happy opportunity at the meeting of the society. Saturday, 2. Our Quarterly Meeting was at Redruth. In the evening I preached to eleven or twelve hundred people; but there was no trifler, much less mocker, among them. They heard as for eternity. Sun. 3.--We had a very large congregation, and an useful sermon, at church. Between one and two I preached to some thousands in the main street; but to abundantly more at five, in our amphitheatre at Gwennap; and they were so commodiously placed, row above row, that I believe all could hear. Mon. 4.--About noon I preached in the Lower-Street, at St. Austle, to a very numerous and very serious congregation; but at Medros, where was once the liveliest society in Corn wall, I found but a few, and most of those faint and weary. Tuesday, 5.