Wesley Corpus

The substance of it is as follows:-- “August 16, 1775. “ABouT three weeks since, a person came and told me, Martha Wood, of Darlaston, was dying, and had a great desire to see me. When I came into the house, which, with all that was in it, was scarce worth five pounds, I found, in that mean cottage, such a jewel as my eyes never beheld before. Her eyes even sparkled with joy, and her heart danced like David before the ark: In truth, she seemed to be in the suburbs of heaven, upon the confines of glory. “She took hold of my hand, and said, ‘I am glad to see you; you are my father in Christ. It is twenty years since I heard you first. It was on that text, Now ye have sorrow : But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. In that hour God broke into my soul, delivered me from all sorrow, and filled my heart with joy; and, blessed be his name, I never have lost it, from that hour to this.” “For the first ten years, she was sometimes in transports of joy, carried almost beyond herself; but for these last ten years, she has had the constant witness that God has taken up all her heart. ‘He has filled me,’ said she, “with perfect love; and perfect love casts out fear. Jesus is mine; God, and heaven, and etermal glory, are mine. My heart, my very soul is lost, yea, swallowed up, in God.” “There were many of our friends standing by her bedside. She exhorted them all, as one in perfect health, to keep close to God. “You can never,’ said she, “do too much for God: When you have done all you can, you have done too little. Aug. 1775.] JOURNAL. 53 O, who that knows Him, can love, or do, or suffer too much for Him I? “Some worldly people came in. She called them by name, and exhorted them to repent and turn to Jesus. She looked at me, and desired I would preach her funeral sermon on those words, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.