Wesley Corpus

At the same time they were both heavily afflicted in their bodies. But so much the more was the power of God manifested, causing them to continue in the triumph of faith, throughout their sharpest pains. “On December 30, one of their sisters coming to see them, Billy told her he had been very ill. “But,” said he, ‘I do not mean in my body, but in my soul: I felt my sins so heavy, that I thought I should go to hell; and I saw the devil ready to drag me away. Nay, for a week, I thought myself just in the flames of hell. The sins that troubled me most were, telling lies, and quarrelling with my sister. I saw, if God did not forgive me, I was lost: And I knew quarrelling was as great a sin in Lucy as in me; and if she did not get a pardon, and feel the love of Jesus, she could not go to heaven.’ “Lucy said, “When I heard Mr. A. describe two sorts of people, one sort washed in the blood of Christ, and the other not, I found I was not; and therefore, if I died so, must go to hell. Being asked what sin lay most on her conscience, she replied, ‘Taking his name in vain, by repeating my prayers when I did not think of God.” “When Billy was confessing that he had loved money, Lucy said, “And so did I; and was angry if I had not as much as Billy. I loved money more than God, and he might justly have sent me to hell for it.’ “When Billy was asked how he knew his sins were forgiven, he answered, ‘Christ told me so. I had a great struggle in my heart with the devil and sin, till it pleased Jesus to come into my soul. I now feel his love in my heart, and he tells me he has forgiven my sins.” “Being asked how he did, he replied, ‘Happy in Jesus: Jesus is sweet to my soul.” “Do you choose to live, or die?’ He answered, “Neither.