Wesley Corpus

‘¢ Oh let no one deceive us by vain words, as if we had already attained this faith! (that is, the proper Christian faith.) Byits fruits we snall know. Do we already feel ‘ peace with God,’ and ‘joy in the Holy Ghost ?” Does ‘his Spirit bear witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God? Alas, with mine, he does not. Nor, I fear, with yours.. O thou Saviour of men, save us from trusting in any thing but thee! Draw us after thee! Let us be emptied of ourselves, and then fill us with all peace and joy in believing ; and let nothing separate us from thy love, in time or in eternity.” What occurred on Wednesday, 24, I think best to relate at large, after premising what may make it the better understcod. Let him that cannot receive it, ask of the Father of lights, that he would give more light to him and me. 1. I believe, till I was about ten years old I had not sinned ¢ way that ‘“‘ washing of the Holy Ghost” which was given me in baptism; having been strictly educated and carefully taught, that I could only be saved ‘“‘ by universal obedience, by keeping all the commandments of God ;” in the meaning of which I was diligently instructed. And those instructions, so far as they respected outward duties and sins, I gladly received, and often thought of. But all that was said to me of inward obedience, or holiness, I neither understood nor remembered. So that I was indeed as ignorant of the true meaning of the Law, as I was of the Gospel of Christ. 2. The next six or seven years were spent at school ; where, outward restraints being removed, I was much more negligent than before even of outward duties, and almost continually guilty of outwerd sins, which I knew to be such, though they were not scandalous in the eye of the world. However, I still read the Scriptures, and said my prayers, morning and evening. And what I now hoped to be saved by, was, 1. Not being so bad as other people. 2. Having still a kindness for religion. And 3. Reading the Bible, going to church, and saying my rayers. : 3. Being removed to the University for five years,I still said my prayers