Wesley Corpus

Sat. 22.--I met Peter Bohler once more. [had now no objection to what ke said of the nature of faith; namely, that it is (to use the words of our Church) “a sure trust and confidence which a man hath in God, that through the merits of Christ his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God.” Neither could I deny either the happiness or holiness which he described, as fruits of this living faith. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God:” and, “ He that believeth hath the witness in himself,’ fully convinced me of the former: as, ‘¢ Whatsoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ;”? and, “* Whosoever believeth is born of God,” did of the latter. But I could not comprehend what he spoke of an instantaneous work. I could not understand how this faith should be given ina moment: how a man could af once be thus turned from darkness to light, from sin and misery to righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. I searched the Scriptures again, touching this very thing, particularly the Acts of the Apostles. But, to my utter astonishment, found scarce any instances there of other than mstantaneous conversions ; scarce any so slow as ihat of St. Paul, who was three days in the pangs of the new birth. I had but one retreat left ; namely, “ Thus, I grant God wrought in the first ages of Christianity ; but the times are changed. What reason have I to believe, he works in the same manner now 2” 66 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [ May, 1738 But on Sunday, 23, I was beat out of this retreat too, by the concurring evidence of several living witnesses ; who testified, God had thus wrought in themselves ; giving them in a moment, such a faith in the blood of his Son, as translated them out of darkness into light, out of sin and fear into holiness and happiness. Here ended my disputing I could now only cry out, ‘ Lord, help thou my unbelief!”